Monday Morning NHL Papers: Western Conference

Central Division

• In Chicago, Andrew Ladd is not worried about getting suspended for his “clean hit.”  Suspensions aside, the Blackhawks are excited to take their dads along with them on the road.
• The game included injuries, momentum changes and a good end result, as the Blue Jackets recorded an emotional 5-4 overtime victory at Washington, writes Tom Reed.  Meanwhile, R.J. Umberger is thankful for some special padding.
• The Wings are feeling good after their 2-1-2 road trip, writes Helene St. James.  Red Wings winger Brad May may miss a bit of time after getting hit in the eye with a stick on Saturday, but he will luckily be okay.
• Colin Wilson is learning what it is like to play in the NHL on a day-to-day basis and it sure isn’t easy.
• For all the trouble the Blues have encountered so far this season, at least Erik Johnson and Alex Pietrangelo are progressing well, writes Dan O’Neill.  Luckily, Andy McDonald was not seriously injured by his crash into the boards.

Northwest Division

• For every positive, there seems to be a negative so far this season for the Flames, writes Steve MacFarlane.  In an effort to avoid spreading the flu, Eric Nystrom moved out of his place with Dustin Boyd.
• The Avalanche’s performance last night was the antithesis of what coach Joe Sacco wants, writes Adrian Dater.  For those who don’t know, Matt Duchene’s bonuses will inflate his base salary this season.  Terry Frei says that Colorado’s hot start to the season was bigger news in Canada than in Denver.
• Pat Quinn thinks the Oilers’ struggles are a combination of the team’s mental focus and the flu.  Speaking of the flu, it looks like Shawn Horcoff is the latest Oiler to come down with it.
• The Wild clearly got some confidence from the team’s big win at Pittsburgh on Saturday.
• Andrew Raycroft led the way, as the injury-riddled Canucks defeated the Conference’s top team.  The Canucks won yesterday but lost Michael Grabner to an ankle injury.  They may have lost Grabner, but Kyle Wellwood returned to the lineup on Sunday.

Pacific Division

• James Wisniewski is not only a tough hockey player, he can cook too.
• So far this season, Nicklas Grossman has been a big plus for the Stars, writes Mike Heika.
• New Kings defenseman Randy Jones is still getting accustomed to his new city and new teammates, writes Helene Elliott.
• Ilya Bryzgalov is the main reason the Coyotes continue to surprise the entire NHL.  No one will really debate the last fact, but the Coyotes’ team play has also been something to take note of.
• The rolling Sharks took over the game against the hapless Hurricanes with some contributions from unlikely players.