On the Beat: Savard signs for another 7 years, Havlat hopes to play Wednesday, Price to make 9th consecutive start, Does Alex Ovechkin need to tone it down?

Today’s word from the team beat writers:

• Chris Vivlamore writes about the remarkable season that the Thrashers Maxim Afinogenov is having this season including some his more noteworthy accomplishments.
• It seems like Marc Savard has been on the verge of signing a contract extension with the Bruins for a few weeks now and Kevin Dupont of the Boston Globe writes it appears that he is now on the verge of putting his name on the dotted line although TSN is reporting that the deal is done.
  
• The Sabres continue to play well and they can thank goalie Ryan Miller who made 38 saves to earn his third shutout of the season yesterday over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• The Flames continued to roll last night defeating the red hot Predators 5-0 and Curtis Glencross attributes his 190 foot empty netter to “practice in the bag skates when I was suspended”.
• The news just keeps getting worse in Carolina as Chip Alexander of the News and Observer reports that the Hurricanes lost Joe Corvo for 2-3 months after he took a slash in last night’s loss.
• The Blackhawks will unveil their new alternate jerseys tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center.
• Colorado Avalanche rookie Matt Duchene had his first two goal game last night against the Bolts and Adrian Dater of the Denver Post has some optimism for the future of the franchise.
• After last night’s 4-1 loss to Detroit, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News wonders if eight games in 13 days became too much for the Dallas Stars and Marty Turco, and he questions if the goalie plan has brought him to a place where he can dominate.
  
• Ignorance might be bliss for the Edmonton Oilers writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal and it would appear that defenceman Tom Gilbert agrees, saying “that the team must ignore the NHL standings, ignore their abysmal road record, and ignore the team’s remaining games”.
• Kings Coach Terry Murray looks at the Ducks and sees a team that still has the heart of a champion and is capable of world-class efforts when the moment demands them.
• Wild forwards Martin Havlat and Antti Miettinen returned to practice this morning, a very short practice because coach Todd Richards only had three defensemen at his disposal and the team lacked energy writes Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
• The Habs will continue to ride Carey Price as coach Jacques Martin gives him the call to make his ninth consecutive start for Montreal.
• After missing 13 games, Devils defenceman Johnny Oduya, sidelined with a lower body injury, rejoined the Devils and practiced Tuesday morning at the Prudential Center.
• Steve Zipay of Newsday is reporting that the New York Rangers will be returning Bobby Sanguinetti returned to Hartford as it appears that Wade Redden is back and ready to play.
• It would appear that the one person hurt most by the trade of Dany Heatley to the San Jose Sharks has been the Senators Jason Spezza.
• Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that last night’s victory in New York was the first for the Penguins in quite some time and he takes a look at the last win for the Pens in the 29 other NHL arena’s.
• The Blues rookie Alex Pietrangelo remains in limbo, awaiting his assignment to the World Junior Championships and perhaps a return to major junior hockey and St. Louis Today’s Jeff Gordon thinks its a mistake not keeping him with the club this season.
  
• The Toronto Star’s Damien Cox writes that nobody would disagree any more that the Maple Leafs are a lousy hockey club this season, destined to finish in the lower rungs of the NHL.
• Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post wonders if it is time for Alex Ovechkin to tone it down and start to focus on scoring after last night’s knee on knee forced him to leave the game early but it would appear Caps fans are mixed on what AO should do.