Coach Dineen

Quinton Howden

Tomas Fleischmann

When: Friday, March 8, 2013

Time: 6:30 p.m. CST

Where: BB & T Center, Sunrise, Florida

Records: Winnipeg Jets (11-11-1 – 9th in East), Florida Panthers (7-12-5 – 15th in East)

Television/Radio:  TSN-JETS, FS-F/ TSN 1290

The Story: For the Winnipeg Jets, revenge might be a dish best served in Florida.

The Jets continue their four game road trip tonight with their second game in four nights against the Florida Panthers, who defeated the Jets 4-1 on Tuesday night. Winnipeg bounced back from that ugly loss and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 Thursday night to get back up to the .500 mark for the second time in the last week.

Last night’s victory was significant for Winnipeg not only because it snapped a two-game losing streak but because of the individuals who played a key part in the win. Backup goaltender Al Montoya was given his first start since February 12th (Philadelphia Flyers) and the move paid huge dividends. Montoya was excellent against the high-octane Lightning, stopping 28 of 29 shots and improving to a perfect 3-0 record on the season. Montoya looked confident and made several key saves in the first two periods which allowed Winnipeg to maintain a one goal lead for the majority of the game.  Winnipeg’s first goal of the night was scored by winger Eric Tangradi, acquired earlier in the season from Pittsburgh. It was Tangradi’s first goal of the year and was assisted by Kyle Wellwood, a player who has been in Claude Noel’s doghouse for most of the season.  The fact that Tangradi and Wellwood have been such key players for the Jets has been crucial because of the recent struggles of Evander Kane and Olli Jokinen.

Florida enters tonight’s game on the heels of a humiliating 7-1 loss to the Washington Capitals last night. Rookie goaltender Jacob Markstrom was pulled after allowing two goals on two shots and the Panthers had no answer for Washington’s attack, led by Russian sniper Alexander Ovechkin, who had a goal and two assists in the game.

Depending on which way you want to look at it, the Jets will once again have an opportunity to take points off an inferior opponent tonight. Despite Tuesday’s result, the Jets are a better team than the Panthers this season, especially with all of the injuries Florida is currently dealing with (The Panthers currently have six regulars out of the line-up). If Winnipeg can put together anything resembling last night’s solid effort, they will have a very good shot at winning tonight’s hockey game.

Tonight’s game is the fourth of five meetings between the Jets and Panthers this year. The fifth and final meeting of the season between the two teams will be on Thursday, April 11th (7:00 p.m. CST) in Winnipeg.

Follow @IllegalCurve on Twitter leading up to today’s game.

Projected Jets line combinations (subject to change before game time):

Goalie:

Ondrej Pavelec

Forwards:

1st: Andrew Ladd- Bryan Little- Blake Wheeler

2nd:  Evander Kane-Nikolai Antropov- Alexander Burmistrov

3rd:  James Wright– Olli Jokinen- Antti Miettinen

4th:  Eric Tangradi- Jim Slater - Kyle Wellwood

Defence:

Ron Hainsey- Zach Bogosian

Dustin Byfuglien- Grant Clitsome

Paul Postma- Mark Stuart

Offensive Leaders:

Florida Panthers: Tomas Fleischmann (5 goals, 12 assists, 17 points), Brian Campbell (6 goals, 10 assists, 16 points), Jonathan Huberdeau (11 goals, 5 assists, 16 points)

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Ladd (12 goals, 10 assists, 22 points), Evander Kane (9 goals, 9 assists, 18 points),  Blake Wheeler (7 goals, 10 assists, 17 points)

Injury Report:

Florida Panthers: Stephen Weiss (wrist, out for rest of season), Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), Jose Theodore (groin), Mike Weaver (lower body),  Scottie Upshall (ankle), Kris Versteeg (chest), Ed Jovanovski (knee)

Winnipeg Jets: Anthony Peluso (hand), Tobias Enstrom (shoulder), Zach Redmond (leg)

Who’s Next:  The Jets wrap up their four game road trip up on Sunday, March 10th against the New Jersey Devils (6:00 p.m. CST). Next week, the Jets have two games at home, Tuesday, March 12th against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7:00 p.m. CST) and Thursday, March 14th against the New York Rangers (7:00 p.m. CST).

Jonathan Huberdeau

Coach Kevin Dineen

Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The following analysis was taken from the show.

Columbus receives: Jack Johnson, a conditional first round pick

Los Angeles Receives: Jeff Carter

Tale of the tape:

Jack Johnson: age 25, under contract until 2017-18 at a cap hit of $4.35 million per season.

Jeff Carter: age 27, under contract until 2021-22 at a cap hit of $5.27 million per season.

This is a trade that must be looked at through two different perspectives. The first is looking at the trade as a single trade. The second view is to look at it on a whole, meaning, Columbus effectively traded Jakub Voracek and the 8^th overall pick (Sean Couturier).

Off the ice, the reasons for trading Carter were about his contract, and his character, says Illegal Curve Hockey Show analyst Richard Pollock:

“I don’t think Columbus did as badly as I thought they would have, because there was no market for Jeff Carter. It was restricted by the fact he has ten years left on his deal, which restricted him to a couple of teams, and other teams were concerned about his character.”

“The market for him was very small, the fact they were able to get the first round pick, and Jack Johnson, who’s game I have concerns about, but does have potential, was fine work by GM Scott Howson on an evaluation of just this trade. If they can nail the draft pick, they can make it look like an all around good deal.”

“Jeff Carter is a good skater, a good stickhandler, he’s got a terrific shot, he can distribute the puck, but he’s not great at it. He’s good defensively, he can play in all situations, he’s an all around really good player.”

Host of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show Drew Mindell added, “he’s a regular 30 goal scorer, which doesn’t ocme easily.”

Pollock continued on Jack Johnson saying, “he’s as good of a skater as Zach Bogosian, good slapshot, good offensive talent, can join the rush. His hockey sense and defensive awareness leave much to be desired.”

In terms of contracts, Johnson’s is more favourable to Carter’s, as it is for less years and money, he is also younger, and defenseman tend to peak at a later age.

Pollock was not in favour of the deal overall, and would not pick a winner. It was a move of desperation for both teams.

Columbus receives: 2^nd round pick in 2012, conditional 5^th in 2013 and Curtis McElhinney

Phoenix receives: Antoine Vermette (age 29, under contract until 2014-15 at a cap hit of $3.75 million per season)

Off the ice: It is interesting to note that this is a salary dump by Columbus, who is assuredly losing money this season, to the NHL owned Phoenix Coyotes.

Antoine Vermette is a limited player offensively, he skates well, and can handle the puck, but is not a point producer (27 points in 62 games this season). Vermette is a player who is better defensively than offensively.

Columbus is shedding a bad contract, at $3.75 million with three years remaining is a lot for a guy who is not a point producer. The value that they are receiving in this deal is in the 2^nd round pick, as well as the removal of his contract on the salary cap. The Blue Jackets can fill the hole left by Vermette with players such as RJ Umberger, Derick Brassard and the return they get for Rick Nash (assuming he is traded before next season).

Curtis McElhinney is a throw in, a back up goalie who’s been injured all year. He is not the answer for Columbus’ goaltending situation.

From a Phoenix perspective, they are getting a player who fits well into their system. Phoenix loads up on veterans who buy into their boring trap style system. Vermette’s speed can create pressure on the opposition and he can play in all situations. He is a “tweener” a 2^nd or 3^rd line player, and on the Coyotes squad he will play a bigger role. He fits the veteran defensively responsible type player that coach Dave Tippett wants.

This is a good move for both teams.

New Jersey Receives: Marek Zidlicky (age 35, cap hit of $4 million until 2012-13)

Minnesota Receives: Kurtis Foster, Nick Palmieri, Stephane Veilleux, a 2^nd round pick In 2012, a conditional 3^rd round pick in 2013 (if New Jersey makes the conference finals this season or next).

New Jersey is filling a need by getting an offensively talented defenseman who can skate and move the puck. From watching New Jersey this season, it is easy to tell they are missing an offensive defenseman. Players such as Anton Volchenkov, Henrik Tallinder and Bryce Salvador are defensive types who can block shots and hit. They did not have a guy with the ability to lead the power play and move the puck out of the defensive zone well enough.

Zidlicky should have no problem fitting into the dressing room with fellow countrymen Petr Sykora and Patrik Elias. He’s signed for next season at $4 million, which is a lot, but offensive defenseman like Zidlicky don’t grow on trees.

Minnesota was in a situation where they were not playing Zidlicky, and he fell out of favor with Coach Mike Yeo.  They receive ex-Wild Kurtis Foster who’s contract comes off the books next season, he is a big body who can chip in with his point shot.

Stephane Veilleux , also an ex-Wild is 13^th forward and his contract expires after the season.

Nick Palmieri has the potential to be a 3^rd or 4^th line player for Minnesota.

Comparing the deal to the Hal Gill deal, the Predators gave up a 2^nd round pick and Blake Geoffrion for Hal Gill. Because the Foster and Veilleux contracts expire at the end of the season, the Devils gave up Nick Palmieri and a 2^nd round pick. If they do reach the conference finals, they will be happy to relinquish the 3^rd round pick.

This is an even trade for both teams.

Colorado receives: Steve Downie

Tampa Bay receives: 1^st round pick from Detroit.

Detroit receives: Kyle Quincey

While this was two separate trades by Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman, it should be looked at as one move.

The trades Yzerman has made leading up to the deadline show that the former Detroit Red Wing is ascending up the ranks as one of the top GMs in the NHL.  He is aware that his team is not a Stanley Cup Contender this season and is selling off assets in order to build for the future. As of February 26, 2012, Tampa Bay now has six picks in the first two rounds of the 2012 draft.  The net result of this trade is that Tampa Bay receives Detroit’s first round pick in exchange for Steve Downie.

Detroit adds depth to their defense in Kyle Quincey. Quincey who was drafted by Detroit in 2003 is a player who skate well, can move the puck, but isn’t the most physical. He is brought in to play the 3^rd defense pairing with Jonathan Ericsson, which should take some pressure off of rookie Jakub Kindl. He  fits into Detroit’s system,  and will be an RFA after this season so they will be able to retain him.

Colorado receives Steve Downie who gives their team some much added toughness. He’s a player who can get in your face, go to the net, hit, and move around in the lineup. While he doesn’t have great hands, he can provide 10-15 goals and 30-35 points. Ideally, he’s a 3^rd line right winger. Downey will be an RFA after this season.

A reasonable deal for all sides.

Philadelphia receives: Pavel Kubina

Tampa Bay receives: Jon Kalinski, 2^nd round pick in 2012 or 2013, 4^th round pick in 2013.

This is a depth acquisition by Philadelphia, which may not have been completely necessary, but he is a big body who fits in well with the Flyers team.

Steve Yzerman is stockpiling picks and building for the future.

The bottom line: An even deal.

Florida receives: Jerrod Smithson (age 33, under contract until 2012-13 for $800,000)

Nashville receives: 6^th round draft pick in 2012

Jerrod Smithson is a 4^th line centre who is better than incumbent John Madden. He is a depth acquisition, whose skill lies in winning draws, playing a defensively responsible and killing penalties. Smithson won’t be counted on to provide offense.

Nashville is a well run club and if hey are giving away players for 6^th round picks, this means they have no use for Smithson. His $800,000 salary will come off the books for next season, making this a quasi-salary dump. The Predators are looking to make a run for the cup this season, the trade also opens up a roster spot for additional moves.

This isn’t a significant move, that shouldn’t be overrated.

Tune in to TSN 1290 all day on trade deadline Monday for round the clock coverage. Drew Mindell and Richard Pollock of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show will be on from 12pm-4pm breaking down all the trades, as well as previewing the Winnipeg Jets contest against the Edmonton Oilers.

Kris Versteeg

Scott Clemmensen

Coach Dineen

Here are the postgame scrums from the Panthers dressing room

Jose Theodore

Brian Campbell

Ed Jovanovski

Kevin Dineen

Jason Garrison is off to quite the start for the Florida Panthers. Fourteen games into his third NHL season, the undrafted college free agent has already tied last year’s goal total. His five goals are the second most by NHL defenseman and tie him with three others for the team lead. The twenty six year old has seen an increase in icetime, playing in all situations, and has excelled thus far.

The Winnipeg Jets experienced it first hand in their last matchup, and his reputation is growing as a player with a howitzer. Garrison says it’s something he’s always had:

“Yeah, definitely growing up I’ve always had a hard shot. It’s (been) a little bit more fortunate this year that I’ve been able to use it a bit more, I’m just finding the way to the net.”

To him, a good slap shot, is about finding the balance between power and accuracy

“Over the years, you work on power, and then you get it harder and you lose the accuracy, and once you find that accuracy, you work on power. You want to make sure it gets through first and foremost, I think any shot on net is a good shot.”

In the pre-game skate, the Panthers defenseman gave the boards a thorough examination. They fired multiple pucks at them to test how much the it was able to rebound. Garrison says its common practice for the Panthers to give them a look-over before a game.

“The boards are lively for sure in certain areas, it’s something you want to come into an unfamiliar place and see how the boards play. They are bouncy in some areas for sure.”

“Every pre game skate you want to check what the boards do, it could help a team a lot knowing what happens. You kind of shoot pucks around and see what happens.”

Teams are looking for every advantage in order to score goals, Garrison and the Panthers defenseman were practicing some nifty trick plays that could catch the Jets off guard tonight.

One popular maneuver by teams these days is for the point defenseman to bank the puck off the end boards, and the puck bounces to the man in the slot for a scoring chance.

Teams also use variations of this play by having the defenseman bank the puck behind the net, which bounces to a player to the opposite side of the goalie for a chance.

I’d be curious to see if they try these against the Jets tonight.

Puck drops at 7:30pm at the MTS Centre

Okay, so you have almost assuredly seen the above hit and as linked in the Papers, there is still some ill-will over said hit.  Having said that, my question today is: Will this game actually serve to motivate the Flyers?

It seems odd that that is the question I am presenting, but stay with me.  The Panthers have actually been playing well lately.  As under the radar as the team is–even in its own home market–the Panthers have posted a record of 13-9-6 since the Mike Richards/David Booth incident.  That record is pretty darn good, especially considering the loss of Booth also marked the loss of arguably the team’s best player.  Moreover, the team has succeeded without veteran and locker room leader Cory Stillman.  So, the Panthers are quietly surprising the NHL–but that isn’t the topic for today.

What about the Flyers?

How many articles have been written recently in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Delaware Daily County Times about the team’s struggles?  About the need for a shake up or, on the other hand, a need to stay the course? Simply, the Flyers are a team in disarray.

The reasons for the team’s struggles are a plenty.  Ray Emery was playing hurt; some speculated about a locker room rift and others mentioned the lack of solid coaching.  Regardless of the reasons for the team’s struggles–and let’s be straight, emotion has certainly been a factor–may tonight’s game be the perfect tonic for the aimless club?

A coaching change certainly did not unite Philadelphia, in fact, it may have sent them in a further downward spiral.  So what is left for the Flyers to cling onto?  Many speculate a trade is in the offing but tonight may be the tell-tale sign for just that.

If we are looking for a sign that things may get messy tonight, look no further then the fact that the Panthers has recalled Steve MacIntyre and Mike Duco for tonight’s game–although it should be noted that tonight’s roster has not yet been announced.

Look, the Flyers are 10-15-1 since this incident.  That is bad.  We know that the Panthers are almost certainly going to come after Flyers captain Mike Richards.  Will the Flyers unite because of that?  Will they stick up for their captain and use this night as a motivational tool moving forward?

The Flyers clearly lack cohesiveness.  If you have watched a Flyers game that fact is easily noticeable.  Will a trade fix that?  Who knows?  But tonight, to me, is the sign of whether the Flyers will be the same group going forward, or if changes need to be made to the roster.

If the Flyers unite tonight, this may be the start of what most analysts expected–a run for the Cup.  If nothing changes tonight, don’t be surprised if something changes roster-wise once the Christmas roster freeze is over.

Here is an excerpt from my Panthers preview:

It was not exactly a storybook summer for the Florida Panthers. There was the pending sale of the team for fans to deal with and the team’s best defenseman, Jay Bouwmeester, was traded to Calgary on draft day because GM Randy Sexton knew he would not be able to sign the Alberta native to a long-term deal once free agency hit. Losing a player of Bouwmeester’s caliber would be a vital loss to any team, but will it be especially crippling for a Panthers team that did not spend up to the salary cap?

Read the entire preview here.

Here is an excerpt from my Hurricanes preview:

Was last season’s run to the third round a fluke, or are the Hurricanes primed to carry that momentum into next season? That is the question floating around the minds of hockey fans in North Carolina. Last season, the Hurricanes struggled through the first half of the season, but after a coaching change and the re-acquisition of Erik Cole, the team took off and did not stop its momentum until running into the eventual Stanley Cup champion Penguins in the Eastern Conference final.

Read the entire article here.

The IC picks across the board are:

The Florida Panthers actually only missed the playoffs by one point last season, but the fact remains that the last time the Panthers made the playoffs, Pavel Bure led the team in scoring and Robert Svehla was the backbone on defense.  Needless to say, Panther fans in Sunrise, Florida are getting restless.  Aside from the Sawgrass Mills Shopping Mall across the street, there hasn’t much action going on these days at the BankAtlantic Center in April.

With Jay Bouwmeester traded in the off-season to Calgary, and the Panthers having no free agent activity, improvement will have to come from within.  Expect another tough season in the Sunshine State unless the young Panther forwards can finally blossom and their defense can remain healthy.  Oh, and hiring a full-time GM isn’t a bad idea either.

Forwards:

Can Nathan Horton finally deliver on his potential? (Image from Flickr)

Up front, it will once again be a group effort to pop the goals in, leg by a young cast of characters with amazing potential.  Unfortunately, most of these youngsters have yet to bloom and mature.  Leading goal scorer David Booth is coming off of a very impressive 31 goal season, and will be counted on once again to be one of the leaders in the goal scoring department.  Nathan Horton took a bit of a step back last year, and will need to remain healthy and play a full 82 game schedule should the Panthers have any hope at a post-season berth.  Although experts have been saying Horton has the potential to score 40 goals, he has yet to fulfill this promise that had scouts drooling when he was drafted 3rd overall in 2003.  It’s safe to say the experiment of Horton playing centre is now officially over, after last year’s campaign.  Expect him to move back to his natural wing position this year.

The diminutive Stephen Weiss remains the Panthers’ top centre, another young player yet to deliver on his potential, although he did lead the Panthers with 61 points scored this past year.  New acquisition Steve Reinprecht will fit in nicely as a second line centre; however, he is more suited to a third line checking role.  His leadership presence on a young Panthers team is the intangible that he brings to the table.  Other top wingers include another up and comer Michael Frolik who had a phenomenal 45 point rookie season, along with aged veteran Cory Stillman.  The departed Richard Zednik’s leadership and speed will both be missed on this young team.

Looking at the Panthers’ bottom six forwards, Rusty Olesz has the most talent.  After two sub-par seasons for a former 7th overall draft pick, he needs to get his act together this year.  Other forwards include youngsters Kamil Kreps, Michal Repik, and the highly-touted Shawn Matthias, previously acquired in the Todd Bertuzzi deal with Detroit a few years ago.  Look for Florida to give Matthias a shot as a second line centre early on (and move Reinprecht to the third line), along with some second tier power play time to get his NHL career in motion.  Given Matthais’ brutal AHL campaign (20 points in 61 games with Rochester), he has his work cut out for him.  Reports have suggested that Matthais dropped some pounds in the off-season, so perhaps he is finally ready to hit South Beach with avengence.  2009 top pick Dmitry Kulikov is most likley not ready for NHL action at this point either.  Other depth forwards are Gregory Campbell, and of course the ultimate Panther, Radek Dvorak.

Defense:

The loss of Jay Bouwmeester obviously creates a large void on the Panthers’ blueline, not to mention veterans Karlis Skrastins, and Nick Boynton who never got along with the Panther coaching staff and signed with Anaheim this summer.  However, there is still some optimism with this defense group with the likes of Bryan McCabe and Keith Ballard leading the troops.

Bryan McCabe will get top minutes now that Bouwmeester is out of the picture. (Image from the National Post)

Combined with Jordan Leopold, Bryan Allen, and Ville Koistinen, the Panthers’ boast a nice mixture of finesse, offense, and sandpaper from the backend.  If the Panthers want to even have a sniff at a post-season birth, their defense will need to limit the amount of rubber Tomas Vokoun faces, as this team is notorious for giving up a lot of shots against.  A healthy Bryan Allen and Jordan Leopold, both who have had injury troubles in the past, will go a long way in helping this process.  Christian Backman and Martin Skoula have both been invited to Panther training camp (opening in Halifax!) and Dennis Seidenberg is rumoured to be in in discussions with the team as well.   This sudden depth of the Panther D could mean blue chipper Keaton Ellerby will be hard pressed to crack the squad this season.

Goal:

After Craig Anderson’s breakout year, Vokoun must have initially been breathing a bit easier when his former counterpart signed with Colorado this summer.

Expect a heavy workload for Tomas Vokoun once again (Image from Sportsnet.ca)

However, new acquisition Scott Clemmensen will push Vokoun for playing time, and will provide some stiff competition.  Last year in relief of injured Martin Brodeur, Clemmensen managed 25 wins in 40 games – not too shabby for a career backup goaltender.  Vokoun looked out of it at times last year, and was likely warn out as the season progressed, so Clemmensen will provide Panther Coach Pete DeBoer with a nice option should Vokoun falter.

Predictions:

Ceiling – if the Panthers youngsters finally develop, Horton can pop 40 goals in, Booth continues is superb play, Shawn Matthias brings his game, and the backend holds up, the Panthers could be on the fringe of the playoff bubble and finish 9th in the East.

Floor – if Horton once again tanks, Stephen Weiss flounders, the young forwards provide no help, and the Panther D runs into injury trouble, then kiss the season goodbye with a 14th place Eastern Conference Finish.

Stanley Cup Final

• Curtis Zupke of the OC Register with five thoughts on the Final so far.  I think Fleury gets more flack than is warranted.
• Ever heard of the Dave Dye jinx?  The Wings better hope Dye starts writing about something else for the rest of this series…
• Some great pictures from in and around Game 3, courtesy of Seth Rorabaugh.  Lots of good stuff there.

Everyone else

• Here are some details on the Panthers sale.  Is Tony Tavares everywhere these days? How many teams is he rumored to be running?
• Has Serge Savard pulled away from his original interest of purchasing the Habs?  More importantly, are the Habs even for sale?!?!?!?!

Sexton is an automatic candidate due to his knowledge of the club at present and the needs of the scouting staff along with attention that must be paid to the affiliates in Rochester and Estero (Everblades).

No names have been publicly mentioned by the team from outside of the organization, but one intriguing individual is Jay Feaster, the ex-Lightning GM who was on the losing end of a power struggle in Tampa Bay one year ago when new ownership moved in.

I’d be skeptical leaving Sexton (whose past managerial successes demand quotes around them) in place, as he was hand-picked by JM and undoubtedly shares in his defensive mentality (on the ice, that is).

Read more about the Martin move from LBC here.  (I highly recommend this blog for Panthers content)

Meanwhile, George Richards of the Miami Herald asks a very good question: What has Jacques Martin been doing the past few weeks?

So, what, exactly, has JM been doing lately? Well, he hasn’t been involved in many negotiations as far as I can tell. Just got off the phone with David Booth. He says there has been no contact with his agent and JM of late. Craig Anderson told me the same thing last week in Indy. Jay Bouwmeester’s agent told Barry Jackson of El Herald that he hadn’t heard from JM either.

Read more reaction from all parties regarding the Martin move here.

It is important to note that Martin was released from his contract, so the Cats don’t get any compensation but also don’t have to pay any money to him either.  So, that makes me wonder whether the team has some money to spend on a GM or if they may go on the cheap because of a possible sale. 

Anyhow, in terms of candidates that have been rumored, I personally like Jay Feaster as a GM and think his work in Tampa was better than many give him credit for.  In fact, I discussed as much in the comments sections of Litter Box Cats.  He certainly would not be a bad place to start. 

As for Sexton, he has spent much time in the Panthers organization and while his time in Ottawa wasn’t a success, that was a while back and the team was in the beginning stages of its development.  His knowledge of the team would certainly give him an inside advantage and Martin thought highly enough of him to keep him in his inner circle.

There are many other possible GM candidates, especially if the team wants to go young–as the Wild search indicated.  However, this isn’t the Wild job, so I’m not so sure there will be as many people coveting this job.  That said, there are some nice pieces in place on the ice and a good head coach behind the bench, so there are worse places to run a team.  That, and the sun sure doesn’t hurt either.

• Deadline deals from the past two seasons have helped the two Cup finalists, writes Dan Wood.  Good points by Wood.  These deals weren’t “major” but added the necessary ingredients to already established teams.
• The Wings may be up 2-0, but the stats have not been tilted in Detroit’s favor as much as last season’s Cup finals.  The Penguins deserved to be down 2-0 last season, this year they really don’t deserve to be down 2-0.

Everyone else

• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch takes a look at the Thrashers organization.  Let’s just say the only way to go is up…
• Mike Heika says Dave Tippett’s job should be secure in Dallas…for now.  I think Dave Tippett has done a good job in Dallas, so I like Nieuwendyk’s willingness to give him a chance. 
• Georege Richards recaps Jacques Martin’s time in Florida.  Martin probably feels more comfortable about his Ottawa resume.
• Here is the Montreal Gazette’s article on the hiring.  Expect far more to come once the press conference is complete.

Sportsnet has learned Jacques Martin has been negotiating a potential buy-out with the Florida Panthers and that the Montreal Canadiens are very interested in hiring him as their next head coach.

Sources say Martin has multiple years left on his contract, but is willing to leave some money on the table to take the Canadiens job.

Martin coached the Panthers for three seasons beginning in 2005, but enjoyed more success as the bench boss of the Ottawa Senators.

Read entire story here.

Well, if this is true, then you can put to bed the lack of French speaking coach behind the Habs’ bench.  That aside, it seems to have some legs to it.  Nick Kypreos seemed fairly conviced on Sportsnet last night that this was almost a done deal.  If so, then I can’t say I am that surprised that Martin is out in Florida.  He appeared to always be a coach sitting in a manager’s seat.  The job he did in Florida was alright, as he made a great deal getting a good return on Olli Jokinen and has solidified the team’s defensive corps but his long-term signings at forward (Stephen Weiss and Nathan Horton) left much to be desired.  His team just could never get the offensive firepower necessary to compete with the top half of the Eastern Conference. 

Sure the Panthers were very solid this season, but they still didn’t make the playoffs and now Jay Bouwmeester is almost assuredly on his way out.  That is just under 30 minutes a night that needs to be filled on the blue line now.  Just ask Kevin Lowe has easy that is to replace (see: Chris Pronger).

In terms of Montreal, the selection doesn’t totally make sense.  How much different is he than coach Guy Carbonneau?  I realize he has more experience, but they both preach defense.  I guess the biggest reason Gainey may tap Martin is his ability to develop young players.  There is a long list of forwards and defensemen that Martin has successfully developed (Wade Redden, Marian Hossa and Martin Havlat to name a few) over the years and Montreal has a number of players that need to be guided in the right direction–especially Carey Price. 

So, if this coaching rumor is true, that puts one piece in place for the Habs prior to the draft in La Belle Province.  However, there are many more pieces to fall in place before we start projecting the Habs’ 2009/2010 season.

• Andrew Ebbett has quietly been very productive for the Ducks since being called up from the AHL, writes Billy Witz.
• A number of the Thrashers players are heading to the World Championships.
• Add Chuck Kobasew to the list of Bruins players that are injured, explains Kevin Paul Dupont.  Even though Boston has clinched first place in the conference, they will be geared up to face the Habs tonight.
• With yesterday’s victory at Toronto, the Sabres stayed alive in the playoff race.  Sure they stayed alive, but after reading Bucky Gleason’s article this morning, you will realize they have no chance of getting in.  At least the future looks bright, as Sabres prospect Nathan Gerbe has won AHL rookie of the year.
• The Flames are aiming to ‘get that swagger back’.   Eric Francis tells us the Flames are banking on the return of Rene Bourque and maybe even Rhett Warrener, with all the injuries they have sustained.  It is clear from listening to the Flames players that their goal is the Stanley Cup or bust.  Calgary has had its cap issues, but if you are wondering, no team can go over the cap.
• Little known Chad LaRose has been a bargain of an impact player for the Hurricanes. 
• The Blue Jackets denied the Hawks‘ bid to clinch the fourth spot in the Western Conference.  With the Hawks leading more games, Adam Burish has been involved in less fights. 
• Peter Budaj may be having a difficult season numbers wise, but his attitude is certainly respected in the room.
• “I don’t know if it has quite sunk in yet,”, said Rick Nash after his team clinched the first ever playoff spot in team history.  The fans are just as excited as the players are about the team’s first ever playoff birth.  Meanwhile, coach Hitchcock wants  Jiri Novotny to continue to play hard.
• The Stars must take a hard look at themselves.  J.J. Taylor guaranetees Mike Modano‘s return to Dallas next season.  Learn more about Stars rookie Ivan Vishnevskiy here.
• In Detroit, the Wings are expecting Andreas Lilja to miss the start of the playoffs.  If we are talking matchups, it appears the Wings are hoping to duck Anaheim.  In contract news, the Wings have tabled an offer to Johan Franzen.
• Disappointment was the catch phrase around Rexall Place on Wednesday.  With the Oilers out of playoff contention, Dwayne Roloson is finally going to get some rest.  Sam Gagner is taking the Oilers’ struggling finish to heart.  At least they can bring over Linus Omark….maybe not.
• Florida Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said he is going to make his decision on whether he starts Vokoun or Anderson today.
• In Los Angeles, Kings owner Phil Anschutz should take the Kings’ fate personally.
• Concussions have been an issue in the Wild room this season and a serious one continues to keep a frustrated Brett Burns off the ice.  The youngsters’ struggles in Minnesota may be the reason the Wild is probably going to miss the playoffs.
• Bob Gainey is searching for a winning lineup in Montreal.  Tough economy or not, there are many suitors who are aiming to purchase the Habs franchise. 
• Consecutive wins may not be enough for the Predators to make post-season play.  At least Nashville is not intimidated by Detroit, their matchup tonight.  David Legwand’s hopes of returning for the team’s final two regular season games was taken away when doctors told him his injury is still too fresh.
• The up-and-down Devils can clinch the Atlantic Division title tonight.  Martin Brodeur admits that it is tough getting in a groove when you’ve missed most of the season.
• Bill Guerin has been grateful for the opportunity to move from the Island to Pittsburgh where he has a chance to compete for the Cup.
• If the Rangers defeat the Flyers tonight, they make the playoffs.  The Rangers know they control their own destiny.
• The Senators players were happy for coach Cory Clouston on Wednesday, as he was allowed to smile upon signing a two-year contract extension.  Is Alex Auld going to stick around with Clouston?
• Flyers coach John Stevens gives you his take on a possible matchup with Carolina.  Daniel Carcillo is moving in the right direction.  Former Flyers center Keith Primeau is doing his best to help further concussion research.
• Petr Prucha has been excited about getting more ice-time in the desert as compared to NY.
• Next goal for the Penguins: Some rest, tuning up for playoffs.  Should the Pens have locked up Sid and Geno longer?  Ruslan Fedotenko has really found his game as of late.
• Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe are expected to return to the Sharks lineup tonight.  Ray Rotto lays down the gauntlet for the Sharks, saying it is Cup or bust.
• Injury prone defenseman Jay McKee‘s turnaround has really given the Blues a boost.  The Blues are close to throwing a big party, writes Bernie Miklasz.
• The Lightning organization is not any more stable than it was last summer.  Martin St. Louis is a great team guy.
• Cujo, May record milestones, as Leafs fall 3-1 to Sabres.  One Leafs milestone was celebratory, one wasn’t, writes Lance Hornby.  Could the Marlies be getting help from the Leafs for the AHL playoffs?
• In Vancouver, the Canucks are getting back to basics.  The Canucks have to ensure they don’t have a letdown against the Kings, with the division yet to be wrapped up.
• Caps’ Rookie Goaltender Simeon Varlamov wins confidence From Boudreau.  The Capitals have some nice organizational depth between the pipes.
• Lastly, here is an update on injured hockey player, Derek Zike from the NAHL, who appears to be recovering well.

**The IllegalCurve.com Radio Show archives of yesterday’s show with Dan Wood of the OC Register and Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail should be posted on the website early this afternoon**

**Also, special thanks to David who gave a nice helping hand for the morning papers**

• The Ducks could lose the momentum they’ve gained recently because they don’t play until Friday.  Odd schedule, but the rest should only help the key veterans on the team like Niedermayer, Pronger and Selanne.
• It looks like Phil Kessel is close to returning to the Bruins lineup, as he has joined the team on its way to Ottawa.  It really is important for him to get into some game action before the playoffs begin.
• Patrick Lalime is done for the season with a hip injury.  This won’t affect the team’s playoff hopes at all.
• The Stars lines from practice today if you still care.  It really has been a disaster of a season for a team many considered to be Cup contenders.
• No Kristian Huselius again Wednesday because of a concussion.  Not something you want to rush with a possible matchup against the hard-hitting Flames in the first round.
• Craig Anderson gets the chance to continue the Panthers’ chase for the playoffs.  What a pleasant surprise he’s been this year.
• No Mathieu Schneider or Andrei Markov tonight for Montreal.  Only the team’s two best puck-moving defensemen and point-men on the power play.
• The Rangers think Nikolai Antropov will be able to play tomorrow against Montreal.  He is probably this team’s best goal-scorer right now.  Scary thought for the Blueshirt Faithful.
• Brent Sutter prefers not give players rest heading into the playoffs.  Sutter has some great lines in there.
• Simeon Varlamov will start tomorrow night in Atlanta for the Capitals.  Chance he plays in the playoffs?

• Apparently Florida fans are happy to see the Kostitsyns reunited.  Now those are twins!!
• Marty Turco is unhappy with his level of play.
• An interesting hockey innovation, Marsh Pegs.  I did not know that.
• Canes beat writer is back on the road.
• Should he stay or should he go?  That is the question many are asking about Darcy Regier.
• Marc-Andre Fleury is a shutout freak, on March 25th.

FINAL		T				FINAL SO		T
	Florida	4					NY Rangers	4
	Philadelphia	2					Atlanta	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
The Litter Box Broad Street Hockey						Blueshirt Banter Bird Watchers Anonymous
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL OT		T
	Calgary	0					Tampa Bay	2
	Columbus	5					Montreal	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Matchsticks and Gasoline Light the Lamp						Raw Charge  Eyes on the Prize
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	San Jose	2					Vancouver	2
	Nashville	3					St. Louis	4
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Fear the Fin On the Forecheck						Nucks Misconduct  St. Louis Game Time
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL SO		T				FINAL		T
	Los Angeles	1					Edmonton	2
	Dallas	0					Phoenix	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Battle of California Defending Big D						Lowetide Five for Howling
Game Recap						Game Recap

• Anyone ever wonder what its like to cook with Evgeni Malkin? 
• Madden and Gionta want to remain Devils.
• The Thrashers are dealing yet again with another early spring.
• After last night’s shootout loss to Anaheim, Nashville‘s choice of shooters are analyzed.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Florida	3					Minnesota	6
	Buffalo	5					NY Islanders	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
The Litter Box   Die by the Blade						Hockey Wilderness Lighthouse Hockey
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Ottawa	1					Calgary	0
	Carolina	2					Pittsburgh	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Silver Seven Canes Country						Matchsticks & Gasoline Pensburgh
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL SO		T				FINAL		T
	San Jose	5					Anaheim	7
	Chicago	6					Colorado	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Fear the Fin Second City Hockey						Battle of California Mile High Hockey
Game Recap						Game Recap

• Randy Carlyle may hate the shootout but it has served his team well this season.  When can we get rid of the shootout?  It is gimmicky and is really not an indication of team skill. 
• Ryan Miller will return to the Sabres net on Friday.  Huge news for Sabres fans, with the team being seven points back, and holding a game in hand on the teams they are chasing.
• Paul Maurice certainly sees the Senators as a threat tonight. As he should.  This is a team that is arguably the hottest in the NHL right now and feels it has a chance to slip into the playoffs.
• Chris Osgood will start for the Wings on Friday against the Islanders.  NYI has been playing well in the second half, so it is no shoe-in for Osgood to get back on track.
• New lines for the Panthers tonight.  With no Miller, the Panthers have to win tonight’s game.
• Seth Rorabaugh previews the Flames for Penguins fans.  That should be a fun tilt to watch tonight; I expect a high-scoring affair.
• Ray Emery’s former Russian coach actually liked the fiery netminder.  Emery most likely will sign with a NHL team this off-season.

Also, in light of yesterday’s Canucks Team Plane article, reader Allan has passed along this picture with a look inside the team plane:

• Chelios ready to move, but not quit.
• Could economic downturn determine fate of the Joe?
• Mikko Koivu: Knee Injury Puts Season In Doubt.
• Gillett in process of restructuring assets.

FINAL		T				FINAL OT		T
	New Jersey	2					Carolina	3
	Philadelphia	4					Florida	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
In Lou We Trust Broad Street Hockey						Canes Country Litter Box Cats
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T
	Detroit	3
	Calgary	5
Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:
Winging It in Mowtown Matchsticks and Gasoline
Game Recap

• Blackhawks Eager suspended for three games.
• Caps coach: Ovechkin celebration won’t happen again.
• Brad Richards breaks hand in return.
• Rangers chemistry far from uns-avery.
• Betteman: Ban on fighting ‘not going to happen’.
• No. 1 pick is not Isles priority.
• Elias clears many hurdles to set Devs’ scorig marks.
• Former NHL player Walt Poddubny dies. 
• Jagr confirms Oilers rumors, says he won’t terminate contract.
• Kudos to The Litter Box for bringing us this hockey fan.
• Players react to Ovechkin’s 50th goal celebration.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Dallas	2					Toronto	5
	San Jose	5					Montreal	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Defending Big D Battle of California						Pension Plan Puppets Habs Inside/Out
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	NY Islanders	2					Buffalo	3
	Ottawa	5					NY Rangers	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Lighthouse Hockey  Black Aces						Die by the Blade Blueshirt Banter
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Washington	1					Columbus	3
	Carolina	4					Florida	1
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Canes Country Japers Rink						Light the Lamp The Litter Box
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL SO		T				FINAL		T
	Atlanta	4					Vancouver	1
	Tampa Bay	3					Phoenix	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Bird Watchers Anonymous Raw Charge						Nucks Misconduct Five for Howling
Game Recap						Game Recap

• Ovechkin gets goal #50.
• Canucks trying to avoid twin distractions.
• Surging Penguins seek to clock Kings.

FINAL OT		T				FINAL		T
	Los Angeles	3					Montreal	4
	Boston	2					Ottawa	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Recaps:						Game Recaps:
Inside the Kings Stanley Cup of Chowder						Habs Inside/Out Black Aces

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Washington	5					Toronto	1
	Tampa Bay	2					Florida	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Recaps:						Game Recaps:
Japer’s Rink Raw Charge						Pension Plan Puppets  Litter Box Cats

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Edmonton	8					St. Louis	0
	Colorado	1					Vancouver	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Recaps:						Game Recaps:
Cult of Hockey Mile High Hockey						St. Louis Game Time Nucks Misconduct

FINAL OT		T				FINAL SO		T
	Anaheim	3					Nashville	2
	Phoenix	2					San Jose	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Recaps:						Game Recaps:
Ducks Blog Five for Howling						Tennessean Mercury News

• A look at who practiced on the Bruins power play today.  Certainly a team that doesn’t lack offensive depth.
• The Sabres are getting roasted in Buffalo.  Rightfully so.
• The Hurricanes aren’t expecting the Devils to have an emotional letdown tonight.  Even if they do have a letdown, they are too talented to take lightly at any point in time.
• Tim Sassone wonders why fans are calling for Dale Tallon’s head while giving Joel Queneville a free pass.  The Blackhawks are crumbling down the stretch.  One of the worries with young teams is that they get too high and too low and this team appears to be too low right now.
• Mike Heika asks many questions surrounding Sean Avery and the Stars organizations.  Interesting read.
• The Panthers are getting a third jersey next season.  I can’t stand these third jerseys.  Honestly, it is enough already.
• Kevin Weekes starts tonight for New Jersey.  Brodeur could use the break.

In other hockey related news congrats to Martin Brodeur who passed Patrick Roy at the Prudential Center this evening in a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Chicago	0	1	1	2	32	N. Khabibulin
	New Jersey	2	1	0	3	30	M. Brodeur
Scoring Summary:
CHI:  Barker, C. (PPG, Brian Campbell, Patrick Kane), Byfuglien, D. (Matt Walker)
NJD:  Langenbrunner, J. (Zach Parise), Zajac, T. (Zach Parise, Paul Martin), Gionta, B. (SHG, Patrik Elias, Mike Mottau)
Attendance: 17,625
Headlines:
Game Review (Second City Hockey – Chicago)  Game Review (In Lou We Trust – New Jersey) Brodeur sets NHL Win record

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	NY Rangers	0	1	2	0	1 (3-3)	4	42	H. Lundqvist
	Montreal	0	1	2	0	0 (2-3)	3	29	C. Price
Scoring Summary:
NYR:  Antropov, N. (Chris Drury, Wade Redden), Zherdev, N. (Scott Gomez, Marc Staal), Callahan, R. (Brandon Dubinsky), Drury, C. (in SO)
MTL:  Kovalev, A. (PPG, Andrei Markov, Mathieu Schneider), Lapierre, M. (Andrei Markov), Markov, A. (Guillaume Latendresse)
Attendance: 21,273
Headlines:
Game Review (Rangers Report – NY Rangers)  Game Review (Habs Blog – Montreal)

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Buffalo	2	0	0	2	13	M. Tellqvist
	Ottawa	0	2	2	4	36	B. Elliot
Scoring Summary:
BUF:  Lydman, T. (Henrik Tallinder, Jason Pominville), Pominville, J. (Thomas Vanek)
OTT:  Heatley, D. (Jason Spezza, Chris Neil), Bell, B. (PPG, Daniel Alfredsson, Filip Kuba), Alfredsson, D. (PPG, Jason Spezza, Filip Kuba), Bell, B. (PPG, Filip Kuba, Ryan Shannon)
Attendance: 20,053
Headlines:
Game Review (Die By the Blade – Buffalo) Game Review (Silver Sevens – Ottawa)

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Atlanta	1	1	0	2	20	J. Hedberg
	Pittsburgh	2	3	1	6	31	M. Fleury
Scoring Summary:
ATL:  Little, B. (Todd White, Slava Kozlov), Boulton, E. (Chris Thorburn, Eric Perrin)
PIT:  Gonchar, S. (PPG, Bill Guerin, Evgeni Malkin), Kunitz, C. (PPG, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin), Staal, J. (Tyler Kennedy, Kris Letang), Malkin, E. (Sergei Gonchar, Kris Letang), Malkin, E. (PPG, Sergei Gonchar, Sidney Crosby), Eaton, M. (Sergei Gonchar, Evgeni Malkin)
Attendance: 17,088
Headlines:
Game Review (PensBurgh – Pittsburgh)  Malkin surpasses 100 in Pens’ win.

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Toronto	0	1	2	0	1 (2-6)	4	39	C. Joseph
	Tampa Bay	1	2	0	0	0 (1-6)	3	22	K. Ramo
Scoring Summary:
TOR:  Mitchell, J. (Jason Blake, Anton Stralman), Blake, J. (Lee Stempniak), Hamilton, J. (Boyd Devereaux, Matt Stajan), Mitchell, J. (in SO)
TBL:  Lecavalier, V. (PPG, Cory Murphy, Martin St. Louis), Stamkos, S. (PPG, Martin St. Louis, Karri Ramo), Pettinger, M. (Martins Karsums, Lukas Krajicek)
Attendance: 18,793
Headlines:
Game Review (Pension Plan Puppets – Toronto)  Game Review (Raw Charge – Tampa Bay) Artyukhin Gaining A Reputation

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Washington	0	1	2	3	27	J. Theodore
	Florida	0	0	0	0	19	T. Vokoun
Scoring Summary:
WSH:  Laich, B. (SHG, John Erskine), Kozlov, V. (Michael Nylander, John Erskine), Green, M. (EN, Alexander Semin, Alexander Ovechkin)
Attendance: 14,650
Headlines:
Game Review (Japers Rink – Washington)  Game Review (The Litter Box – Florida)

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Philadelphia	1	1	0	2	26	M. Biron
	Detroit	0	1	2	3	48	C. Osgood
Scoring Summary:
PHI:  Hartnell, S. (Braydon Coburn), Lupul, J. (Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell)
DET:  Datsyuk, P. (Johan Franzen), Franzen, J. (Pavel Datsyuk, Brad Stuart), Zetterberg, H. (Mikael Samuelsson, Jonathan Ericsson)
Attendance: 20,066
Headlines:
Game Review (Winging It in Mowtown – Detroit)  Game Review (Broad Street Bullies – Philadelphia)

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Colorado	0	2	0	0	0 (1-3)	2	26	P. Budaj
	Minnesota	0	1	1	0	1 (2-3)	3	29	N. Backstrom
Scoring Summary:
COL:  McLeod, C. (Ben Guite), Smyth, R. (Wojtek Wolski)
MIN:  Veilleux, S. (Martin Skoula, Eric Belanger), Schultz, N. (Dan Fritsche, Eric Belanger), Zidlicky, M. (in SO)
Attendance: 18,568
Headlines:
Game Review (Hockey Wilderness – Minnesota)  Game Review (Mile High Hockey – Colorado)

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	St. Louis	0	1	0	0	0 (0-3)	1	32	C. Mason
	Edmonton	1	0	0	0	1 (1-3)	2	34	D. Roloson
Scoring Summary:
STL:  Backes, D. (PPG, T.J. Oshie, Brad Boyes)
EDM:  Souray, S. (PPG, Denis Grebeshkov, Sam Gagner), Kotalik, A. (in SO)
Attendance: 16,839
Headlines:
Game Review (St. Louis Game Time - St. Louis)  Game Review (Edmontonoilers.com – Edmonton)

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Dallas	1	0	1	2	26	M. Turco
	Vancouver	1	2	1	4	25	R. Luongo
Scoring Summary:
DAL:  Robidas, S. (PPG, Mike Modano, Steve Ott), Ott, S. (Chris Conner, Mike Ribeiro)
VAN:  Sedin, D. (PPG, Henrik Sedin, Kevin Bieksa), Kesler, R. (Pavol Demitra, Mats Sundin), Sundin, M. (PPG, Kyle Wellwood, Ryan Kesler), Bernier, S. (Mason Raymond, Kevin Bieksa)
Attendance: 18,630
Headlines:
Game Review (Defending Big D – Dallas) Game Review (Nucks Misconduct – Vancouver)  Canucks win 10th straight at home.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	San Jose	0	1	2	3	36	B. Boucher (L) , E. Nabokov
	Phoenix	3	0	1	4	20	I. Bryzgalov
Scoring Summary:
SJS:  Thornton, J. (PPG, Jonathan Cheechoo, Rob Blake), Thornton, J. (Rob Blake, Jonathan Cheechoo), Marleau, P. (Joe Thornton, Rob Blake)
PHX:  Turris, K. (Shane Doan, Peter Mueller), Turris, K. (PPG, Shane Doan, Dmitri Kalinin), Kalinin, D. (PPG, Kyle Turris, Shane Doan), Doan, S. (PPG, Scottie Upshall, Kyle Turris)
Attendance: 15,563
Headlines:
Game Review (Five for Howling – Phoenix)  Game Review (Fear the Fin – San Jose)

• Here’s how the Bruins lined up at practice today.  They need to get back to their defensive ways.  The Bruins looked out of sorts against Pittsburgh on the weekend.
• Mikael Tellqvist starts tonight for the Sabres.  Surprised it took this long for him to get his first start.
• The Hurricanes figured four lines isn’t enough at practice today.  Most teams wish they had that depth.
• Manny Malhotra not at Blue Jackets practice today.  Chris Gratton on the first line–YIKES!
• Nick Boynton and Anthony Stewart are healthy scratches for the Panthers tonight.  No surprise at all here.  Both these players will find themselves in and out of the lineup–but mostly out.
• Kurtis Foster will make his home debut tonight when the Wild hosts the Avalanche.  Nice to see for this must-win game.
• Some Brodeur quotes from today.  Who feels like he isn’t winning that game tonight?
• The Rangers lines from practice today.  Avery didn’t speak to the media which is not surprising but it is disappointing if you enjoy that type of entertainment.
• Empty Netters previews what the Penguins will go up against tonight.  I’m feeling like that Thrashers streak ends tonight.
• Jose Theodore starts for the Capitals tonight.  Don’t tell me you aren’t nervous Caps fans…

Here is a video I took of the Red Wings powerplay in the 3rd period which ends with Rafalski’s PPG and a roar from the 20,066 fans in attendance. 

My Winnipeg Jets hat was underappreciated except by one hard core hockey fan.  Has it really been that long?  Alas I was unable to start a Go Jets Go chant.  I expected to see a few Wpg jerseys but it appears I was the lone Manitoba resident at the game.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Calgary	1	0	1	2	37	M. Kiprusoff (L) , C. McElhinney
	New Jersey	0	2	1	3	31	M. Brodeur
Scoring Summary:
CGY:  Jokinen, O. (David Moss, Michael Cammalleri), Glencross, C. (PPG, Michael Cammalleri, Dustin Boyd)
NJD:  Langenbrunner, J. (SHG, Colin White, Paul Martin), Rolston, B. (PPG, Niclas Havelid, Brendan Shanahan), Parise, Z. (Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac)
Attendance: 14,598
Headlines:
Brodeur moves within 2 wins of record. A summary of the game from Calgary Flames.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Buffalo	1	0	1	2	29	P. Lalime (L) , M. Tellqvist
	Philadelphia	1	0	4	5	33	M. Biron
Scoring Summary:
BUF:  Afinogenov, M. (Teppo Numminen), Hecht, J. (Paul Gaustad)
PHI:  Hartnell, S. (PPG, Claude Giroux, Mike Richards), Carter, J. (Joffrey Lupul, Scott Hartnell), Richards, M. (PPG, Kimmo Timonen, Simon Gagne), Carter, J. (Joffrey Lupul, Scott Hartnell), Hartnell, S. (Kimmo Timonen)
Attendance: 19,421
Headlines:
Carter dominate in Flyers victory. A summary of the game from the Flyers. And one from Die By The Blade.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Boston	0	0	0	0	35	T. Thomas
	Columbus	0	0	2	2	34	S. Mason
Scoring Summary:
CBJ:  Torres, R. (PPG, Antoine Vermette, Jason Williams), Nash, R. (EN, Mike Commodore)
Attendance: 16,675
Headlines:
Mason makes 35 saves for 9th shutout. A summary of the game from Puck-rakers. And one from The Bruins Blog.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	NY Islanders	2	0	0	0	2	30	J. MacDonald
	Toronto	1	0	1	1	3	28	M. Gerber
Scoring Summary:
NYI:  Okposo, K. (Sean Bergenheim, Frans Nielsen), Comeau, B. (Josh Bailey, Mike Iggulden)
TOR:  Stempniak, L. (Jeff Finger, Jason Blake), Ponikarovsky, A. (unassisted), Grabovski, M. (IN OT, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Anton Stralman)
Attendance: 19,041
Headlines:
Grabovski‘s goal drought ends in OT.  A summary of the game from TMLfans. And one from Lighthouse Hockey.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Edmonton	0	3	0	0	3	32	D. Roloson
	Montreal	1	1	1	1	4	26	C. Price
Scoring Summary:
EDM:  Cogliano, A. (Steve Staios, Sheldon Souray), Souray, S. (Ales Hemsky, Patrick O’Sullivan), Gagner, S. (Marc Pouliot, Denis Grebeshkov)
MTL:  Tanguay, A. (Mathieu Schneider, Josh Gorges), Metropolit, G. (Mathieu Dandenault), Koivu, S. (Andrei Kostitsyn, Alex Tanguay), Koivu, S. (PPG in OT, Mathieu Schneider, Andrei Markov)
Attendance: 21,273
Headlines:
Habs win Gainey‘s debut.  A summary of the game from the Oilers. And one from Habs Inside/Out.

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Florida	0	3	0	0	0 (0-2)	3	21	T. Vokoun
	Pittsburgh	1	0	2	0	1 (2-3)	4	50	M. Fleury
Scoring Summary:
FLA:  Boynton, N. (David Booth, Keith Ballard), Kreps, K. (Nick Boynton, Cory Stillman), Ballard, K. (Ville Peltonen, Radek Dvorak)
PIT:  Malkin, E. (Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang), Staal, J. (Matt Cooke, Tyler Kennedy), Crosby, S. (Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz), Letang, K. (00:00 in SO)
Attendance: 17,132
Headlines:
Penguins rally for seventh straight win.  A summary of the game from PensBurgh.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Phoenix	1	0	1	0	2	25	I. Bryzgalov
	Detroit	1	0	1	1	3	43	T. Conklin
Scoring Summary:
PHX:  Hanzal, M. (Brandon Prust, Todd Fedoruk), Doan, S. (PPG, Ed Jovanovski, Steve Reinprecht)
DET:  Filppula, V. (Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall), Rafalski, B. (PPG, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg), Franzen, J. (In OT, Brad Stuart, Valtteri Filppula)
Attendance: 20,066
Headlines:
Franzen ties a career high with his 27th in OT. A summary of the game from Detroitredwingsfansite.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Washington	0	1	0	1	2	44	J. Theodore
	Nashville	1	0	0	0	1	28	D. Ellis
Scoring Summary:
WSH:  Backstrom, N. (Alexander Ovechkin, Viktor Kozlov), Fedorov, S. (In OT, Viktor Kozlov, Alexander Semin)
NSH:  Suter, R. (Shea Weber, Martin Erat)
Attendance: 16,064
Headlines:
Ellis 42 saves not enough for Preds.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	San Jose	2	1	1	1	5	23	B. Boucher
	Minnesota	0	1	3	0	4	29	N. Backstrom
Scoring Summary:
SJS:  Thornton, J. (Travis Moen, Christian Ehrhoff), Moen, T. (SHG, unassisted), Thornton, J. (PPG, unassisted), Michalek, M. (Ryane Clowe, Dan Boyle), Ehrhoff, C. (In OT, unassisted)
MIN:  Olvecky, P. (Cal Clutterbuck, Marc-Andre Bergeron), Bouchard, P. (Kim Johnsson), Nolan, O. (Marek Zidlicky, Mikko Koivu), Nolan, O. (Mikko Koivu)
Attendance: 18,568
Headlines:
Sharks blow 3 goal lead but win in OT. A summary of the game from Hockey Wilderness.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Dallas	0	2	0	2	22	T. Stephan
	St. Louis	3	2	0	5	27	C. Mason
Scoring Summary:
DAL:  Neal, J. (PPG, Mike Modano, Trevor Daley), Ribeiro, M. (unassisted)
STL:  Backes, D. (Alexander Steen, Jay McKee), Perron, D. (Carlo Colaiacovo, Mike Weaver), Winchester, B. (PPG, David Backes, Roman Polak), Perron, D. (T.J. Oshie), Tkachuk, K. (PPG, Brad Boyes, Carlo Colaiacovo)
Attendance: 17,708
Headlines:
Blues continue playoff push.  A summary of the game from St. Louis Game Time. And one from Defending Big D.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Atlanta	0	2	1	3	36	K. Lehtonen
	Colorado	0	0	0	0	35	P. Budaj
Scoring Summary:
ATL:  Bogosian, Z. (Ilya Kovalchuk, Bryan Little), White, T. (PPG, Slava Kozlov, Ilya Kovalchuk), Peverley, R. (EN, unassisted)
Attendance: 13,608
Headlines:
Lehtonen gets 2nd shutout in last 3 games. A summary of the game from Mile High Hockey.

• Coming off an oustanding performance against Tampa Bay, Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice is hesitant to change his lineup.  Interesting matchup tonight against NYR, as both teams have been winning since the deadline.
• The Blue Jackets lines from practice today.  The Jackets finally have some nice depth.
• Brian Sutherby is close to inking a two-year contract extension with the Stars.  Obviously the Stars have been impressed with the big checking line centerman.
• Devils lines from practice today.  Wouldn’t want to be the Devils’ next opponent.
• Give credit where credit is due, Dave Staples was right about Jaromir Jagr.  Staples is a reputable source.
• Nathan Horton has broken his finger and will be out of the Panthers lineup for an undisclosed amount of time.  He hasn’t exactly been setting the league on fire, but he’s still one of the team’s best scorers.
• Rich Hammond of the L.A. Daily News interviews Terry Murray.  Focuses on Kopitar’s resurgence.
• Steve Valiquette starts tonight for the Rangers.  The ‘Canes have been scoring like crazy the past couple games, so Valiquette better be ready.
• Rob Blake and Evgeni Nabokov did not accompany the Sharks on their trip to Minnesota. Both don’t seem major.  The post also includes the latest Sharks lines.
• Brent Sutter isn’t surprised that Martin Brodeur had an off-game.  He’s right.

• Sid the Kid was succesful in his return to the Penguins.
• Sean Avery was an asset to the Rangers. 
• Predators beat up the Jackets for their 6th straight win.
• Coyotes help the Bruins to 9th loss out of last 12.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Phoenix	1	1	0	2	18	I. Bryzgalov
	Boston	1	0	0	1	26	T. Thomas
Scoring Summary:
PHX:  Upshall, S. (PPG, Joakim Lindstrom), Reinprecht, S. (Nigel Dawes, Peter Mueller)
BOS:  Kobasew, C. (Patrice Bergeron, P.J. Axelsson)
Attendance: 16,818

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	NY Rangers	1	1	2	4	23	H. Lundqvist
	NY Islanders	0	1	1	2	30	Y. Danis
Scoring Summary:
NYR:  Zherdev, N. (unassisted), Drury, C. (PPG, Nik Antropov, Brandon Dubinsky), Gomez, S. (Nikolai Zherdev), Naslund, M. (PPG, Paul Mara, Chris Drury)
NYI:  Comeau, B. (Dean McAmmond, Joel Rechlicz), Hillen, J. (Blake Comeau, Dean McAmmond)
Attendance:  16,234

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Calgary	4	0	1	5	41	M. Kiprusoff
	Philadelphia	0	0	1	1	36	M. Biron , A. Niittymaki
Scoring Summary:
CGY:  Cammalleri, M. (PPG, unassisted), Jokinen, O. (Jarome Iginla, Michael Cammalleri), Jokinen, O. (Michael Cammalleri, Jarome Iginla), Leopold, J. (Curtis Glencross, Craig Conroy), Conroy, C. (Curtis Glencross, Adrian Aucoin)
PHI:  Knuble, M. (Mike Richards, Simon Gagne)
Attendance:  19,513

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Toronto	0	0	2	2	29	M. Gerber
	Washington	0	0	1	1	38	J. Theodore , M. Neuvirth
Scoring Summary:
TOR:  Stempniak, L. (Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan), Kubina, P. (John Mitchell, Jeffrey Hamilton)
WSH:  Semin, A. (Nicklas Backstrom)
Attendance:  18,277

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Edmonton	0	1	1	2	26	D. Roloson
	Ottawa	1	2	1	4	32	B. Elliot
Scoring Summary:
EDM:  Gagner, S. (PPG, Denis Grebeshkov, Tom Gilbert), Gagner, S. (Steve Staios, Ladislav Smid)
OTT:  Spezza, J. (unassisted), Comrie, M. (Jason Spezza, Chris Phillips), Campoli, C. (PPG, Mike Comrie, Dany Heatley), Heatley, D. (Anton Volchenkov, Daniel Alfredsson)
Attendance:  17,904

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Pittsburgh	0	1	3	4	47	M. Fleury
	Florida	0	1	0	1	32	T. Vokoun
Scoring Summary:
PIT:  Crosby, S. (Bill Guerin, Brooks Orpik), Kennedy, T. (Matt Cooke, Jordan Staal), Letang, K. (Brooks Orpik), Kennedy, T. (Evgeni Malkin, Ruslan Fedotenko)
FLA:  Dvorak, R. (Gregory Campbell, Ville Peltonen)
Attendance:  18,933

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Columbus	0	2	0	2	33	S. Mason
	Nashville	0	3	1	4	23	P. Rinne
Scoring Summary:
CBJ:  Williams, J. (Kristian Huselius), Nash, R. (Kristian Huselius, Manny Malhotra)
NSH:  Fiddler, V. (Antti Pihlstrom, Jordin Tootoo), Jones, R. (Wade Belak), Sullivan, S. (Jason Arnott), Erat, M. (Ryan Suter, David Legwand)
Attendance:  13,064

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Dallas	0	4	0	0	4	23	M. Turco
	Los Angeles	0	2	2	1	5	40	J. Quick (W) , E. Ersberg
Scoring Summary:
DAL:  Eriksson, L. (Mike Modano, Brian Sutherby), Ribeiro, M. (Steve Ott, Mark Parrish), Neal, J. (Fabian Brunnstrom, Mark Fistric), Ott, S. (Mike Ribeiro, Loui Eriksson)
LAK:  Handzus, M. (PPG, Kyle Quincey, Alexander Frolov), Frolov, A. (Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar), Handzus, M. (PPG, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty), Kopitar, A. (Teddy Purcell, Drew Doughty), Handzus, M. (Jack Johnson, Alexander Frolov)
Attendance: 17,430

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Minnesota	0	2	1	1	4	36	N. Backstrom
	San Jose	2	1	0	0	3	35	B. Boucher
Scoring Summary:
MIN:  Koivu, M. (Marc-Andre Bergeron, Brent Burns), Bouchard, P. (Kim Johnsson), Zidlicky, M. (Kim Johnsson), Koivu, M. (Brent Burns, Martin Skoula)
SJS:  Pavelski, J. (Ryane Clowe, Milan Michalek), Clowe, R. (Rob Blake, Milan Michalek), Pavelski, J. (Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Milan Michalek)
Attendance: 17,496