Here are the morning papers for Saturday the 28th of March:
- Even though J.S. Giguere had a tough game, Randy Carlyle was not about to throw his netminder under the bus. The Ducks did manage a franchise record 54 shots on net against the Oilers last night, but it just was not enough.
- Johan Hedberg is the last goaltender players should want to face when it is shootout time.
- Phil Kessel will miss the Bruins’ next two games with an undisclosed injury. With Kessel out, the Bruins have changed their lines around a little bit.
- Paul Gaustad provides a little bit of everything for the Sabres. Yesterday’s win over the Leafs sets up Buffalo’s most important game of the season tonight versus the Habs.
- For those wondering, the Flames are not going to fire Mike Keenan. Randy Sportak places the responsbility for the Flames’ poor play squarely on the shoulders of the players. Jarome Iginla says every Flames player needs to be better.
- Jussi Jokinen has been a very versatile player for the Hurricanes.
- This time the Blackhawks were able to celebrate with the Devils on the ice, as opposed to the other way around, writes Chris Kuc. The Bolland-Havlat-Ladd line continues to play well.
- The Avalanche played most of Friday night’s game with only ten forwards, as they lost 4-1 to the Canucks.
- Aaron Portzline gives us the whole story behind the Steve Mason death threats. The Blue Jackets expect to receive the full revenue sharing money this season. Here are the Jackets’ projected lines for tonight’s game.
- The Stars have been just awful on the power play season long, writes Mike Heika.
- Detroit was shutout by Joey MacDonald on Friday, as the worst team in the league beat the best. Andres Lilja is very concerned about his concussion isues.
- The Oilers were dominated by Anaheim yesterday, but Dwayne Roloson was spectacular so they’ll take two points any way they can get them. “After squandering a couple of games like we have, it was huge for us to get the win tonight,” said the Oilers’ season MVP Roloson.
- Panthers GM Jacques Martin has confidence in his team’s ability to make the playoffs. Defeating the Flyers really gave the Panthers some much-needed confidence.
- Jarret Stoll (groin) is expected to miss the rest of the regular season.
- Mikko Koivu may surprisingly return to the Wild lineup this weekend. Doug Risebrough says he’s not shopping Josh Harding.
- Andrei Markov has been a quiet leader for the Habs this season. Montreal is treating every game as if the playoffs have already begun. Referee Don Kohariski is close to calling it a career, so he is getting pictures along the way.
- Cal O’Reilly feels the pressure of the Predators’ playoff chase, just like his teammates do.
- Mark Everson tries to bestow a nickname on the Devils’ undisputed top line of Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner. Parise broke the Devils’ shots-on-goal record for one season last night.
- Islanders netminder Joey MacDonald returned from injury on Friday and shutout the high-powered Red Wings in the process.
- Coach John Tortorella explained why he did not play Sean Avery and Markus Naslund in certain situations. The players Tortorella has to work with, as compared to the players Renney had to work with, might be why the Rangers have been playing better recently writes Larry Brooks.
- Dany Heatley plays his 500th NHL game tonight. Brian Lee is concerned with the possible flooding of his parents’ home in North Dakota. Ray Emery is back in Ottawa and it didn’t take long for him to make news.
- Martin Biron has earned the number one spot in Philadelphia. Apparentely talented Flyers youngster Claude Giroux reminds some of Peter Forsberg.
- The Coyotes are getting ready for a tough matchup at San Jose tonight.
- “I think they might pinch their [defensemen] a little more and maybe use a two-guy forecheck instead of one,” said Sidney Crosby about playing the Rangers under new coach Tortorella. Here are some notes surrounding the Penguins. Ruslan Fedotenko needs to breakout of his prolonged slump.
- Rooke Jamie McGinn has continued to improve for the Sharks.
- It is the Blues versus the Blue Jackets in a game that actually matters in March.
- The hype about Ovechkin against Tampa Bay again was unnecessary, as nothing eventful happened in the game.
- Curtis Joseph had a tough game in Buffalo on Friday and was pulled after allowing four goals on nine shots. The Leafs can be a big-time spoiler this upcoming week.
- The Canucks defeated the lowly Avs on Friday by a score of 4-1. With last night’s win, the Canucks are now within one point of the Flames for third in the Western Conference.
- The Capitals had a blast Go-Karting on Friday. It was an emotional game yesterday for Brian Pothier. The Ovechkin hype was much ado about nothing.