Here are the morning papers for Thursday the 26th of February:
- “We’re a dirty team? They’re entitled to their opinion. All I know is our player received an illegal check with nobody around him, so we’ll let the league make the determination,” said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle in response to Lindy Ruff’s comments about his team.
- You may not know who he is, but Colin Stuart has been a penalty-killing wizard for Atlanta since being called up from the AHL.
- The Bruins have reverted back to what made them successful earlier in the season, writes Barbara Matson. Claude Julien is emphasizing that his defensemen jump into the play.
- Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News talks about the stars that could be available at the trade deadline. Hey Sabres fans, ever heard of Jhonas Enroth?
- David Moss understands the need for him to plant himself in front of the net. Jarome Iginla is on the cusp of becoming the Calgary Flames’ all-time leading scorer.
- The last week has been very difficult for Albany River Rats coach, and former Carolina Hurricances forward, Jeff Daniels.
- The Blackhawks are drawing celebrities to their games these days.
- John-Michael Liles is expected to return to the Avalanche lineup tonight. Even though the Avs are far from a playoff spot, Adam Foote is not giving up on the season. The Avalanche probably should rebuild, but if only the decision was that easy, writes Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post.
- There has been a big shuffle on the Jackets’ forward lines. The Jan Hejda/Mike Commodore duo has logged a ton of minutes this season, so that may be a main reason for their recent slump. Here are the Jackets’ projected new lines for tonight’s game at Edmonton.
- The Stars could use an offensive defenseman but they won’t force a trade.
- The Wings sent a message last night with a 4-1 home victory over conference-leading San Jose. One of the reasons for Detroit’s success was the team’s penalty-killing success. The Wings are at their best when pushed. Of concern, Marian Hossa left last night’s game with a possible concussion.
- Jason Strudwick’s versatility has come in handy numerous times this season. Meanwhile, injured defenseman Denis Grebeshkov is hoping to return to the Oilers lineup on Saturday. Terry Jones has a great story about Edmonton native Ken Hitchcock’s road to the NHL. If you aren’t adding scoring to the Oilers lineup, coach MacTavish wants his players to at least add reliability.
- Jacques Martin continues to wait patiently as he decides whether to deal or keep Jay Bouwmeester.
- The Kings went into Philadelphia and outshot the Flyers, but Martin Biron was on his game and the Flyers prevailed 2-0.
- Apparently the Niklas Backstrom negotiations are ongoing between the Wild and his agent Don Baizley. With his acts of kindness, Kurtis Foster is gaining more fans by the day.
- Tomas Plekanec loves Montreal and wants to stay there past the trade deadline.
- Tonight is the night for the long awaited return of Martin Brodeur to the Devils net.
- Yann Danis was strong in between the pipes last night for the Islanders, but they couldn’t get on the scoreboard and that resulted in a 1-0 loss.
- The process may have been different, but the result was the same, as the Rangers lost 2-1 in a shootout in John Tortorella’s first game as Rangers head coach. If the Rangers are going to be on the attack, coach Tortorella wants them to be in better shape. Tom Renney tells Newsday what the Rangers need to move forward. Renney also commented on his regret that the team didn’t bring back Jaromir Jagr.
- Chris Neil wants to remain a Senator. The Sens plan to place Martin Gerber on re-entry waivers. Apparently Bryan Murray is looking to acquire draft picks and prospects at the deadline. Writer’s note: Wait, can we rewind to last week’s trade? I’m very, very confused.
- The Flyers can thank Martin Biron for Wednesday night’s victory over Los Angeles. Who will be the Flyers playoff goaltender? Kings coach Terry Murray took a time to talk about his time in Philadelphia yesterday.
- Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic tells readers about Steve Goertzen’s transition to the NHL.
- The Penguins recorded two points last night over the Islanders and that’s all that matters. Sidney Crosby didn’t play last night and is listed as day-to-day with a groin injury.
- “Joe wasn’t as good as Joe needs to be,” said Sharks coach Todd McLellan about Joe Thornton’s play in Detroit last night. Is the first seed in the conference that important?
- Doug Armstrong has fit in perfectly in the the Blues’ front office.
- Vincent Lecavalier’s foot injury is apparently not serious.
- The Leafs spoiled John Tortorella’s debut last night in Toronto, but at least it didn’t get him fired, writes Kevin McGran. The Leafs have to be happy to have Mark Bell off the books. If the Leafs are trading Tomas Kaberle, they are going to be getting a hefty return. Vesa Toskala may need off-season surgery.
- The Canucks and Blues no longer hold hard feelings over the summer offer-sheet signing that went back and forth.
- The Capitals are heading into the playoffs this season with a lot of confidence.
