NHL archive

In the latest segment of Hotstove Tonight on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday, the panel discussed the NHL's plans in Europe for next season and why the trip is not in the best interest for the league.

For HNIC commentator Glenn Healy it's simple, they won't travel because it's not worth it.

"They're not going to do it next year it is too rush, they won't get the right market, they won't make that money that you're talking about," said Healy. "Focus will be on the World Cup."

However, Healy mentioned the NHL should return to Europe after the World Championships next year and use that momentum to get into the right markets.

"Go to Europe maybe in February, go to Europe in December, go to Europe during the week and bring your sponsors with you and make it a week party and try to grow that market off of the rebound of the World Cup."

The panel also touched on the Edmonton Oilers' struggles in goal and a possible trade to acquire a goalie to replace Devan Dubnyk in the starting role.

Watch the full segment above.



Hotstove: Why the NHL won't go to Europe next season - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings

New York Rangers goaltender Martin Biron announced his retirement Sunday.

Biron had been placed on waivers by the team last week after appearing in two games this season and going 0-1-0 with a 7.61 goals-against average and .763 save percentage. After clearing waivers, Biron could have been assigned to the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack, but he elected instead to call it a career.

Biron had served as the backup to Henrik Lundqvist in New York since the start of the 2010-11 season, posting a 22-15-3 record. He won 12 games two seasons ago and had a career-high .923 save percentage in his first season with the team.

"I know I made the right decision, this has been brewing in my mind for a while, even before the waivers," Biron said in comments tweeted out by the team. "When I left for camp this year I figured I'd play it by ear, after a month more and more I had those feelings (about retiring)."

A first-round pick (No. 16) by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1995 NHL Draft, the native of Lac St. Charles, Quebec, made his debut with the team later that season. He played in parts of nine seasons with the Sabres before he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2006-07 season.

Biron, who also played for the New York Islanders, finishes with a career record of 230-191-25-27, along with a 2.62 GAA, .910 save percentage and 28 shutouts. Biron is one of only 12 goalies in NHL history with a career save percentage of .910 or better while appearing in at least 500 games.

Biron, 36, is one of only five players in NHL history to play for all three teams in the state of New York, along with Rangers forward Taylor Pyatt, as well as Pat LaFontaine, Mike Donnelly, and Jason Dawe.



New York Rangers goalie Martin Biron announces retirement from NHL - NHL-com - News

Nathan MacKinnon has been compared with Sidney Crosby for much of his life. The two grew up in the same Canadian town and both went No. 1 in the NHL draft.

Now they get to take a much closer look at each other.

MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche visit Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night in the first NHL matchup of the pride of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.

The Avalanche and Penguins are each off to 7-1 starts, with MacKinnon and Crosby playing key roles. Crosby, 26, has seven goals and 10 assists for a league-best 17 points. MacKinnon, who turned 18 on Sept. 1, has a goal and six assists.

MacKinnon has described Crosby as the best player in the world and said the center is "on fire right now." But MacKinnon is focused on what he needs to do to help the Avalanche get another win.

"You sometimes get to enjoy and watch some good players when you're playing against them," he said. "But when you're out there, you don't worry about who you're playing against. You worry about what you have to do."

Crosby knows a lot about what MacKinnon is going through in his first year in the NHL. Crosby, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, faced high expectations when he was an 18-year-old rookie and had 102 points in his first season with Pittsburgh.

MacKinnon became one of the league's top prospects when he starred for Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the previous two seasons. He was the most valuable player of the Memorial Cup in May, leading his team to the title.

"Obviously he skates really well, and I don't think you see too many young guys that can shoot the puck like he can in their first year," Crosby said. "I think he's got a great shot. I think he's got all the tools — really good hands, he works hard, and he's not afraid to go into traffic areas and create chances that way. So I think he gives himself a lot of opportunities to create things."

The Avalanche struggled during last year's lockout-shortened season, but they have been one of the league's surprise teams so far this year under new coach Patrick Roy, a Hall of Fame goaltender.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said he expects to see a young team with fresh legs and a lot of speed on Monday night, and MacKinnon is certainly part of that mix.

Hailing from the same hometown as one of the NHL's best players puts a lot of pressure on a rising player. But Crosby believes guys such as MacKinnon and Seth Jones — a defenseman who was the Nashville Predators' first-round draft pick this year — are better prepared for the NHL because of their extensive experience coming into the league.

"Both (MacKinnon) and Seth Jones were talked about for a long time," Crosby said. "They've been through everything — World Cup, world juniors, and all that stuff. So I think everything has prepared them to get to this point and, as everyone has seen pretty quickly here, it hasn't taken them long to get used to NHL hockey. They've adjusted well."



MacKinnon, Crosby to meet for first time in NHL

Defenseman Roman Hamrlik has retired after a 20-year NHL career.

The three-time All-Star was drafted first overall by Tampa Bay in 1992. He played 1,395 games in the regular season and 113 in the playoffs with the Lightning, Oilers, Islanders, Flames, Canadiens, Capitals and Rangers. From Zlin, Czech Republic, Hamrlik had 155 goals and 483 assists for 638 points while averaging over 23 minutes in ice time.

"As a kid growing up in communist Czechoslovakia, I never imagined that I would one day have the opportunity to play in the National Hockey League," the 39-year-old Hamrlik said in an NHLPA statement Monday. "It has been a great honor and a privilege to spend 20 seasons playing in the greatest hockey league in the world. "I will always cherish the wonderful memories I have of my time spent in North America while playing the game I love, making sacrifices and pursuing my hockey dreams."

His best offensive season came in 1995-96, when he had 16 goals and 49 assists for the Lightning. He had a career-high rating of plus-22 with Calgary in 2006-07.

Hamrlik had one assist and was minus-4 in 16 games last season with the Capitals and Rangers. He was an unrestricted free agent this season before retiring.

An All-Star in 1996, 1999 and 2003, he helped the Czech Republic win the gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.




Roman Hamrlik retires after 20 NHL seasons

With his political career on hold while he fights fraud charges, Georges Laraque is expressing a willingness to return to his previous vocation: hockey pugilist.

The ex-NHL enforcer says he's just the guy to add some muscle to the Montreal Canadiens bench.

Laraque, who turns 37 next month, says he's perfectly healthy and can fill the gap left by the injured George Parros and Brandon Prust, although his NHL stint saw him sidelined by injuries several times. "Sure I could help them," Laraque said Wednesday at a news conference announcing his replacement as the Green party candidate in a Montreal-area federal byelection.

"The work I did for 13 years, I know how to do it. I'm big, I'm in shape, but forget it, " he said with a laugh.

Laraque said he couldn't play in home games in Montreal because there would be too many distractions, with his detractors being up in arms.

The Montreal native and animal-rights activist retired from the National Hockey League in 2010. He played for four teams in his 13 seasons — the Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, gaining a reputation for his dukes-up approach.

Laraque, who has been deputy leader of the Greens under Elizabeth May, said he would be a good fit for Habs coach Michel Therrien.

"I played for him in Pittsburgh, he's really good and I had a great relationship with him."

Although Laraque treated suggestions of a return to hockey lightly, there was some obvious appeal in the idea for him.

"Of course," he replied when asked if he'd like to play again. "Who could refuse?"

Laraque has vowed to fight the fraud charges against him, which he ascribes to a dispute with his former business partner in a synthetic-ice company.


Georges Laraque shows interest in NHL return - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings

Noted enforcer John Scott of the Buffalo Sabres was invited to an in-person hearing with the NHL to review his illegal hit on Boston Bruins forward Loui Eriksson, a shot that left Erikson injured.

The game took an ugly turn 5:49 into the third when Eriksson took a direct hit to the head in the neutral zone from Scott. Eriksson was helped to the Boston locker room and did not return. Scott received a five-minute major for an illegal check and then a five-minute fighting major.

Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid fought Scott following the hit, and Krug scored his second goal of the period minutes later to give Boston a 5-2 cushion.

"We needed to score and we did, so that was a big goal for us, and we kept playing our game right 'til the end," Bruins coach Claude Julien said.

Julien had no update regarding Eriksson after the game, saying only that Eriksson was being observed by trainers.

"Obviously, it's disappointing that a key player gets hurt, and I know that there's history here, but it's a guy (Scott) who plays about two to three minutes a game and targets your best player, I guess, one of your best players, that kind of thing," Julien said. "The referees called it the way I guess everybody saw it.

"So it's unfortunate, but now the guy who did it did his job tonight. He's out there for two reasons, and that's either to fight or hurt, so he did his job tonight."

The Bruins coach said his team would use the hit as motivation, just as the Sabres did two years ago after a questionable hit from the Bruins. In November 2011, Lucic injured Ryan Miller when he hit the goalie outside of the crease.

The NHL suspended Scott indefinitely while he awaits an in-person hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

The 31-year-old Scott said he apologized to Eriksson in a text on Wednesday night and told reporters after the game that he was "sick to his stomach" about what happened during the Bruins' 5-2 victory.

Scott received a match penalty for illegal check to the head and then a five-minute fighting major resulting from an exchange with Boston's Adam McQuaid.



John Scott NHL suspension - chicagotribune-com

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray scored his first NHL goal on Friday night.

A shoulder injury last season delayed the NHL debut of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray, the No. 2 overall pick in 2012.

He's starting to make his mark this season, and on Friday night he scored his first NHL goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs, beating Jonathan Bernier, just five minutes into the first period.

That goal was scored on the power play as David Clarkson, making his season debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs, was sitting in the penalty box for hooking.



Ryan Murray scores first NHL goal - SBNation-com

An NHL team gets just 10 games before it must make a decision on players in the lineup who still have major junior eligibility. If a player suits up for 10 or more games, one year of his three-year entry-level contract is burned. If he plays in 40 or more contests, the season accrues and gets him to unrestricted free agency that much sooner. There is a lot at stake in these 10 games, especially in the salary cap era when cheap production reigns supreme.

One of the best metrics we have for just how good a teenage player can be is time on ice per game. Better players play more minutes, and it holds true if you are a rookie or veteran.

Since the 2005-06 season, rookie defensemen who have stayed with their NHL clubs past the 10-game mark while skating more than 20 minutes per night have gone on to average 22:18 per game and 30 points per season over the remaining years of their entry-level contracts. Rookie defensemen who skated less than 20 minutes per game have saw 18:30 per game while producing just 19 points per season. That means the future is bright for Nashville blue-liner Seth Jones, whose 24:23 per night is already in the top 25 for all defenseman.

When rookie forwards with junior eligibility have been trusted with more than 20 minutes per game, they have gone on to average almost a point per game over their first three years. Conversely, forwards skating fewer than 20 minutes average 40 points in 68 games per season.

Does that mean Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado, the first overall pick of this year’s draft, will be a bust because he skates only 13:13 per night? No, but it could be an indication that his development might take longer than some expect. Same for Calgary center Sean Monahan, who has tallied six goals and three assists in his first ten games while skating 15:41 per night.

And what about Tom Wilson, 19, of Washington? Capitals Coach Adam Oates recently acknowledged to The Post’s Katie Carrera that keeping him in the NHL is “a tough decision.” Though his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame is NHL-ready and Oates said Wilson “acts like he belongs,” his limited playing time on the fourth line could be cause for concern. And even if the Capitals are correct and Wilson is a power forward in the making, losing one of these cost-controlled contract years for less than eight minutes a night — none on special teams — could set up some difficult fiscal decisions down the road.



NHL rookies with entry-level contracts can pose dilemma

There is little doubt that this is one of the deepest and most talented rookie classes in several years.

Players like Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones, Sean Monahan and Tomas Hertl give the 2013-14 rookies a certain sense of excitement because they are game-changing players who bring talent, athleticism and intelligence to their teams.

That last factor is often what separates good players from great ones. MacKinnon was the top pick in the draft last June because he knows what to do to take advantage of his overwhelming skill set.

Here's a look at the 2013-14 rookies with the most hockey intelligence.


Picures: NHL Rookies with the Highest Hockey IQs | Bleacher Report

In the most difficult year of his professional hockey life, John-Michael Liles has walked a tight-rope between reality and delusion. The cold, hard facts are undeniable. That after nine seasons of routine deployment as a puck-handling defenceman with Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs, it is no longer feasible for Liles to skate in the NHL. Such profound reality came about when the Leafs waived Liles and his US$3.875-million salary cap burden at the beginning of October. All 29 NHL rivals took a pass, enabling Leafs to demote Liles to Toronto Marlies of the AHL. In quick order, his hockey dream became a nightmare.

Now comes the battle of self-confidence and delusion.

“I’m no different than anyone else … if you’re a hockey player, you want to be in the NHL,” said Liles on Tuesday morning at Rexall Place, where the Leafs and Edmonton Oilers tangled last night. “When you’ve been in the league for nearly a decade, it is especially hard to play elsewhere. But, all I can do is make the best out of a tough situation every single day.”

The Leafs recalled Liles as a seventh defenceman for their three-game, western-Canada trek that continues tonight in Calgary and concludes late Saturday afternoon in Vancouver. He was scratched for last night’s encounter in Edmonton and – barring injury – is unlikely to suit up on the road trip.

Liles is not alone in attempting to reconcile career disappointment with financial security for the rest of his life. Such affluence materialized on Jan. 25, 2012 upon signing a four-year, US$15.5-million contract extension with the Leafs. As with others, however, in the salary cap era, Liles is now at the mercy of his annual stipend and the lucrative pact that lingers for two seasons beyond this one.

“It’s a real Catch-22,” he said. “I suppose I have no choice but to look at the potential bright side: that I’m almost 33 years old and have been relatively healthy in my career. Do I think I can play in the NHL into and beyond my mid-30’s? Absolutely. But, so much of that is out of my control.”

When asked, bluntly, whether it is possible to get excited about playing in the AHL after such a lengthy NHL term, Liles became philosophical.

“Right now, it’s not about getting jacked up to play; it’s about preparing for games and trying to set an example for younger guys with the Marlies,” he explained. “It’s not exactly what I was hoping to do at this point of my career, but I had some good people to learn from in the NHL when I was young. Great veterans like Rob Blake and Joe Sakic taught me about handling adversity. It’s a lesson I’m having to follow today. But, it isn’t as terrible as some may think.”

Liles debuted with Colorado to begin the 2003-04 season and had respectable seasons of 49, 46 and 44 points in Denver. On June 24, 2011 – prior to the NHL draft in St. Paul, Minn. – he was traded to Toronto for a second round pick in 2012.




Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman John-Michael Liles still has hope for NHL job | National Post

CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- The Colorado Avalanche were still considering how to deal with their goaltending situation Thursday, the day after Semyon Varlamov was arrested on second-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault charges.

Varlamov, who has played a key role in the Avalanche's 10-1-0 start, turned himself into Denver Police Department detectives Wednesday and spent the night in jail. He appeared in Denver court Thursday morning while the team was on the ice at its suburban practice rink.

The goalie posted a $5,000 bond, was given permission to travel by Denver County Judge Claudia Jordan, and was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend and not to contact her. Varlamov was scheduled to start Friday night against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. The Avalanche confirmed Thursday afternoon he would make the one-game trip, but coach Patrick Roy wasn't certain after practice if Varlamov or Jean-Sebastien Giguere would play.

"It's important that for me as a coach to keep my focus on my team and we keep our focus there," he said. "We'll play [Friday] and we'll see how we have to do. The beauty of coaching is every day you have to make adjustments. We will always make adjustments. We'll make the adjustment that has to be made to make this team win."

Varlamov, 25, has been one of the hottest goalies in the NHL with a 7-1-0 record, 1.76 goals-against average and .945 save percentage, but Giguere also has played extremely well.

"A bunch of things can happen in a season," said Giguere, who has a 3-0-0 record with two shutouts, an 0.67 GAA and .981 save percentage. "You have to be able to face them as a team. If we take that challenge on as a team, we'll be OK."

Giguere, 36, was scheduled to play Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens at Pepsi Center and said he would feel comfortable taking on the lion's share of the goaltending load if needed.

"That's the job of a backup," he said. "You have to be ready for all kinds of scenarios. Sometimes a goalie might get sick, sometimes he might get hurt in warm-up. Sometimes he might be out for a month and the team isn't necessarily going to get a trade. You have to be ready physically and mentally for those kinds of challenges.

"I don't know what's going to happen coming up. For me, it doesn't change the fact I try to approach every day as a day-to-day thing. Whatever happened today, I'll take care of it, try to face it, and move on to the next day and see what happens."

Asked how the Avalanche can prevent the matter from becoming a distraction, Giguere said, "It's a tough question. We've got to go about our business, I guess. Keep going on what we were doing every day at the rink. I don't see why it would affect us as a team."

Avalanche center Matt Duchene said he and his teammates feel more than comfortable when Giguere is in goal.

"Absolutely," Duchene said. "We'll see if he has to fill in. We're not really thinking about it too much. We're concerned about it and we want it to get resolved ASAP. Other than that, we're thinking about hockey. Nothing has changed for us.

"It's an unfortunate situation and hopefully it gets resolved real soon, but we'll focus on hockey right now. That's what we're worried about."

Right wing PA Parenteau said, "Jiggy has been awesome this year too. We'll handle the situation as a family, as a team and we'll go from there."



Colorado Avalanche goalie situation uncertain for Friday - NHL-com - News

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Carter Ashton got two games without pay in addition to a suspected broken nose in Wednesday’s 4-2 win at Calgary.

The NHL suspended Ashon on Friday after he hit Flames defenceman Derek Smith into the boards from behind late in the second period.

Ashton was penalized two minutes for boarding and an additional five minutes for fighting Shane O’Brien after the Smith hit.

The 22-year-old Ashton, who has one assist in 10 games this season, will forfeit $8,615.38 US and likely miss Saturday’s game in Vancouver and a Nov. 8 home game versus New Jersey.



Leafs' Carter Ashton suspended by NHL - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings

The National Hockey League is a complicate tournament that captures many a punter during the long cold winter season in North America. The game of hockey is considered Canada`s national sport with the cold winters and long nights it provides exciting entertainment.
The first attempts to regulate competitive ice hockey matches came in the late 1880s. Before then, teams competed in tournaments and infrequent challenge contests that prevailed in the Canadian sports world at the time.

With this year`s 2013-2014 season just getting underway the time to start betting is now with the long odds giving the punter an advantage if they start early. Last season’s Stanley Cup champions the Chicago Blackhawks are considered by many as favorites to win again this season. Most of the bookies are also given the best odds to the Blackhawks of 11/2 and 13/2, but almost as many are providing the same odds for the Pittsburgh Penguins who are the biggest contenders to take the win this season. Competition in the Eastern Conference is strong this year, but the Penguins are still favorites to win it with odds of 9/4, but only slightly over the Boston Bruins with odds 7/2. In the Western conference the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues follow the Blackhawks close behind but fans of the Colorado Avalanche team close getting odds of 7/1.

Online bookies are giving the game lots of coverage with most online sports betting operators competing for the punter`s business. The league has had many up and downs with lock outs and strikes hampering the leagues success. All and all the fans are still interested in the game with the Toronto Maple Leafs still are making the most money even though they hasn`t won a Stanley cup since 1967.


National Hockey League Early Online Gambling Odds

The NHL early-season buzz has been about the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. It’s been about Colorado’s new coach Patrick Roy, or San Jose’s prize rookie Tomas Hertl or the St. Louis Blues’ late-blooming goal scorer Alexander Steen.

But let’s not lose sight of the reality that the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks still have to be considered the team to beat in 2014.

Other intriguing story lines have allowed the Blackhawks to quietly go about their business of dealing with their Stanley Cup hangover and getting their game together. While you have been ignoring the Blackhawks, here’s what they have done:

1. Going into tonight’s game at Calgary, the Blackhawks (9-2-3) have only lost twice in regulation in 14 games. They rank third in the NHL in scoring (3.43 goals per game) and second in shots on goal.

2. They are on a three-game winning streak, and their next four games are against teams that are currently sitting below the playoff cut line.

3. Goalie Corey Crawford (2.11 goals-against average, .920 save percentage) is just slightly below where he was last season. Over the past three games, Crawford has a 1.21 GAA and .958 save percentage.

4. The Blackhawks’ top players have stayed healthy. They have 14 players who have played all 14 of their games.

5. This is a team that truly understands what needs to be done during the regular season to prepare to defend their title. The Blackhawks know how to win. If the Blackhawks’ penalty killing was better — it’s currently last in the league — they would probably have three or four more points.

Another interesting note: Minnesota’s Zach Parise will be playing his former New Jersey teammates for the first time tonight (8 p.m.) since signing with the Wild in the summer of 2012. The Devils rank 25th out of 30 NHL teams in goal scoring. They miss Parise.


Blackhawks are still the team to beat in the NHL | For The Win

The Anaheim Ducks took nothing for granted on the last day of their longest road trip of the season.

They didn't sit back and put the New York Rangers into an early hole they never got out of.

Frederik Andersen made 32 saves to stay perfect in four NHL games, and Corey Perry and Kyle Palmieri scored first-period goals to lead the Ducks to a 2-1 victory over the Rangers on Monday night. "To play in Madison Square Garden is something special. I love New York," Andersen said. "There are so many great things to do here, and I guess another one is to win a hockey game."

The Ducks finished a season-high, eight-game road trip 5-2-1 — including 5-0-1 in the final six games. Perry and Palmieri staked Anaheim to a 2-0 lead just 9:09 in, and the 24-year-old Andersen did the rest.

"He was huge, kept us in it all night," Palmieri said. "We were able to get those two goals, and he made it stand up. He's been awesome. Tonight was no different."

In four NHL games, all this season, Andersen is 4-0. He has allowed a total of five goals, and only defenseman Michael Del Zotto got a puck past him.

"We dug deep for this one," Perry said. "Last one on a road trip is always the toughest one, and we earned it. We're ready to get home."

Ryan McDonagh pressed for the tying goal with 6:00 remaining in the game, and was twice denied on hard shots. Benoit Pouliot then had an in-close backhander stopped with 5:17 left, but drew a penalty.

The Rangers received their third power play with 3:26 remaining, but that advantage was cut short when Pouliot took New York's first penalty of the game. Another came moments later for too many men on the ice.

That killed any chance of a comeback.

"Sometimes goalies have to come through," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We started playing like we didn't want to lose instead of going after them, which I think we did for most of the third period. That's when you need your goalie to come up big."

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 23 shots for the Rangers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 2-1 on a homestand that ends Wednesday against Pittsburgh.

"It was definitely not the way we wanted to start off this game," Lundqvist said. "They showed why they are a good team. They make you pay when things like that happen early.

"We could've easily had at least a point today."

Andersen preserved his shutout — albeit briefly — when he made a stellar save of a hard one-timer from the slot by Brad Richards with 1:44 remaining in the second after Richards took a feed from behind the net from Carl Hagelin. The Rangers kept the heat on the Ducks, who were forced to ice the puck.

New York regained control on the ensuing faceoff and cut the deficit to 2-1 with 1:24 left. Rangers captain Ryan Callahan put the puck on net, and Hagelin whacked at the rebound. With Andersen sprawled on his stomach, Del Zotto scored his first of the season from the lower edge of the circle.

That sparked the crowd, and the fans were still cheering when McDonagh twice knocked Perry over the short boards and into the New York bench. McDonagh kept him doubled over the second time, and Rangers coach Alain Vigneault kept an arm around Derek Dorsett to prevent him from taking any shots at Perry as the period ended. In the first, the Ducks picked up where they left off against the Rangers when they sent New York to a 6-0 drubbing on Oct. 10 at Anaheim.

"They are a good team and they showed why they are in the high echelons of the NHL," Vigneault said. "They don't give you a lot.

"I don't look at it as we lost (6-0) and then we found a way to lose 2-1 tonight. We needed to be better in certain areas."

Anaheim grabbed the lead 1:29 in when Perry scored his ninth.

Dustin Penner sent a shot in that was stopped by Lundqvist, but no one picked up Perry in front, and he scored with his second whack at the rebound. The Ducks doubled their lead 6:40 later with help from the Rangers.

Richards cleared the puck out, but he put it right on the stick of Francois Beauchemin in the neutral zone. Beauchemin skated the puck back in and found Palmieri in the high slot for a shot that beat Lundqvist.

"This is a game of mistakes and making your opponent pay when they make mistakes," Vigneault said.

NOTES: Ducks D Luca Sbisa made his season debut after being out with a lower body injury and assisted on Perry's goal. … Callahan returned from a seven-game absence caused by a broken left thumb. … Andersen entered with a 1.50 goals-against average and .944 save percentage.



Ducks move into first in NHL after beating Rangers

It's no coincidence that some of the world's most prolific writers have Bovada Sportsbook in there list of what I feel to be the Nr: 1 greatest sports books ever.




Welcome!!

Jason Arnott, a Stanley Cup champion and veteran of 18 seasons in the NHL, announced his retirement Tuesday.

Arnott, 39, had 417 goals and 938 points in 1,244 games with the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues. He last played in the NHL with the Blues in 2011-12.

He was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round (No. 7) of the 1993 NHL Draft.

The highlight of his career came as a member of the Devils when he scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime of the clinching Game 6 in the 2000 Stanley Cup Final against the Stars.

"I would like to thank everyone who helped me throughout my NHL career, including my family, friends, teammates and fans," Arnott said in a statement released by the NHL Players' Association. "Playing in the NHL was my dream and I am very proud and appreciative of the fact I was able to play at the highest level for 19 years with the best players in the world. Each of the teams I played for provided me with great experiences and memories, and our Stanley Cup team in New Jersey certainly stands out among all of them."

As a rookie in 1993-94, Arnott had 33 goals and 68 points to earn NHL All-Rookie Team honors. Arnott reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time with the Oilers in 1996-97 when he had nine points in 12 games. After playing four-plus seasons in Edmonton he was traded to New Jersey on Jan. 4, 1998.

In New Jersey, Arnott helped the Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final twice, winning it in 2000. In those two postseasons Arnott had 16 goals and 35 points in 46 games.

A two-time NHL All-Star (1997, 2008), Arnott finished with 64 game-winning goals and played in 122 playoff games, with 32 goals and 73 points.

He helped Canada win a gold medal at the 1994 IIHF World Championship.








Jason Arnott retires from NHL after 18 seasons - NHL-com - News

For the first 8 minutes of the Ducks' return to Anaheim, coach Bruce Boudreau thought he saw the residual effects of an eight-game, 15-day road trip.

For the rest of the night, the Ducks dug deep — and demonstrated why they're on top of the NHL.

Hampus Lindholm scored his first career goal, Corey Perry got the tiebreaking goal right before the second-period buzzer, and the Ducks stayed perfect at home with a 5-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday.

Ryan Getzlaf, Lindholm and Cam Fowler each had a goal and an assist in Anaheim's triumphant return from a 5-2-1 road trip. With six wins in their last seven games, the Ducks (13-3-1) lead the league with 27 points despite playing alongside Phoenix and San Jose in the competitive Pacific Division.

"It didn't look like we had a lot of energy or jump (early)," Boudreau said. "Then it seemed like it all kicked in again."

Shane Doan put the Coyotes ahead in the opening minutes, but the Ducks eventually responded with the same aggressive play and balanced goal-scoring they've used to climb up the standings — and the NHL's worst power play even chipped in twice.

"We knew tonight was going to be difficult, but we can't use being tired as an excuse for not doing what we have to do," said Perry, fourth in the NHL with 10 goals. "We learned a lot from the way we started last year, and we have to continue to do what we did."

Even with largely awful special-teams play, the Ducks are off to their second straight outstanding start under Boudreau after opening 22-3-4 last winter. Anaheim moved to the top of the league table this season amid a brutal schedule that includes yet another East Coast road trip after the current three-game homestand.

The Ducks are 6-0 at Honda Center, maintaining the only perfect home record in the NHL.

"We were definitely treating this game with tons of importance," said Fowler, who matched his goal total from last season. "We knew the type of roll Phoenix was on, and it seems like nobody seems to be losing in our division right now. We understood how important these two points were."

Perry tipped home Lindholm's shot during a delayed penalty with 1.1 seconds left in the period, and Fowler provided a cushion with the second man-advantage goal of the night for the Ducks, whose power play had scored just four times all season.

Jonas Hiller made 24 saves for the Ducks, and Andrew Cogliano added an empty-net goal with 1:02 to play while limping to the bench after Doan leveled him with a big hit along the far boards.

Michael Stone scored a power-play goal for the Coyotes, who had won five straight. Mike Smith stopped 24 shots, but Phoenix failed to earn a point for just the second time in 14 games.

"We were in a back-to-back, and they were coming off a long road trip, so it was a pretty even playing field," said Doan, who has five goals in his last seven games. "But we know we gave it to them."

After Doan's early goal in his 1,262nd regular-season game, Lindholm evened it in his 15th NHL game. The 19-year-old rookie defenseman, whose surprising emergence has catalyzed Anaheim's fast start, converted a pass from Mathieu Perreault in the slot.

After Stone put Phoenix back ahead, Getzlaf evened it moments later with a shot off Martin Hanzal's stick during a two-man advantage for his seventh goal. Anaheim's power play went 1 for 28 on the road trip.

Perry then put the Ducks ahead in the waning seconds, lightly deflecting Lindholm's shot from the blue line. "You can't win a game in this league if you're going to turn the puck over and be undisciplined," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "We knew it was going to be a hard game, and it was a good test for our team to see how we'd react. When you're chasing in the game — especially when you're playing back-to-backs — you look tired. But we just didn't play smart enough or execute well enough."

Teemu Selanne returned to the Ducks ahead of schedule after missing the final three games of the trip for oral surgery. The Finnish Flash, who was expected to be out for two weeks, lost four teeth and needed 40 stitches after taking an inadvertent high stick from Philadelphia's Luke Schenn.

Phoenix played without defenseman Derek Morris, who incurred a lower-body injury in Tuesday's win over Vancouver. The Coyotes then lost right wing Radim Vrbata to a lower-body injury during the game.

NOTES: Anaheim D Luca Sbisa played his second game of the season after missing the first five weeks with an injury. ... Phoenix D David Schlemko missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Sami Vatanen, who has the only other goal by a Ducks defenseman this season, was scratched.



Ducks Stay Atop NHL With 5-2 Win Over Coyotes - ABC News

Alexander Steen scored his league-leading 14th goal, Brian Elliott stopped 18 shots for his 100th career win and the St. Louis Blues beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 Thursday night.

The Blues have won five of six and are 6-1-1 at home. Calgary has lost four of five and eight of 11.

Maxim Lapierre and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for St. Louis.

Elliott, who got the start in place of Jaroslav Halak, improved to 2-0-1 with his second straight strong performance. He stopped 31 shots in a 4-0 win at Florida on Nov. 1.

Steen has a point in a career-best nine games in a row. He has scored in all but two games this season.



Steen scores NHL-leading 14th goal, Elliott earns 100th win as Blues beat Flames 3-2 - NHL-com - News

The details have become more difficult to recall and the particulars have grown a bit hazier, as they often do when stories are retold 20 years later, but the memory is still vivid for Kelly Chase.

There he was, sitting in the back of a car, dumbstruck, dazed and largely toothless after having what he described as "the snot kicked out of me," by a few unruly bar patrons when a young Brendan Shanahan came rushing out to his teammate's defense.

It was both the compassion Shanahan showed in injecting a sense of humor into the situation ("Chaser, now you look like Bobby Clarke.") and the instinctive loyalty he showed in confronting Chase's attackers that sticks with Chase to this day.

"The next thing you know, all hell broke loose and him and I were in the middle of it," Chase said of the street fight in St. Louis that became the subject of local lore soon after.

Though both Shanahan and Chase, who played together in St. Louis from 1991-94, declined to go to the police or to the hospital to seek medical attention after the scuffle -- instead, they casually called the Blues team dentist -- word still got around.

"Put it this way: everyone in town knew about it the next day," said Chase, now in his 13th season as color analyst for the St. Louis Blues radio broadcasts.

That is the night that Chase immediately remembers when asked to define Shanahan's legacy as his old teammate and roommate who is now one of the most influential executives for the NHL enters the Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the 2013 class of inductees.

Shanahan, 44, is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion who finished with 656 goals and 2,489 penalty minutes in more than 1,500 games throughout his 21 years in the NHL.

But the best accolade Shanahan has earned?

"The one thing that someone can say about you is, 'I'd want that guy on my team,' because people forget in a hurry and that is the best thing," Chase said. "And I think that pretty much anyone he played with would say, 'I'd want him on my team.'

"He was just this tough Irish kid with three older brothers. And he always had everyone's back, on or off the ice."
An exceptional career

Shanahan grew up in Mimico, Ontario, playing lacrosse and hockey under the watch of his brothers. Shanahan observed how Danny, Brian and Shaun always made the full effort in any game -- "whatever was necessary in that moment for their team" -- and that's who he would always emulate as his career progressed. And though it seems absurd to suggest a hockey player with the talent Shanahan possessed wasn't a phenom from an early age, that is indeed what he claims to be true.

"I was not an exceptional player growing up or in the NHL, but the coaching and the teammates I had allowed me to have an exceptional career," Shanahan said from his office on the 12th floor of the NHL offices in midtown Manhattan. "I have a lot of people to thank."

Those coaches and teammates served him well, as did the intense desire to succeed that eventually separated him from his peers.

Following a 92-point season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Shanahan was selected second overall in the 1987 draft by the New Jersey Devils. When he arrived as an 18-year-old in New Jersey, the Devils had a problem. He was too good to send back to his junior team -- Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello feared that his size and strength could lead to him forming bad habits had he returned to play with his teenaged cohorts -- but he wasn't quite ready to play in the NHL.

Lamoriello recalled Shanahan being so impatient that he decided to fight his way into the lineup. And it worked. Shanahan scored only seven goals and 26 points in 65 games his rookie season, but he made a strong impression with 131 penalty minutes. That toughness became part of his signature, and it remains one of his defining characteristics.

"Brendan was indisputably one of the best power forwards to play this game," Lamoriello told ESPN.com. "The way he played as far as the scoring he accomplished and the physicality end of his game, that never left him. He always stood up for his teammates."

That, of course, is one of the qualities Chase remembers best about Shanahan's time in St. Louis, a four-season stint during which he amassed a whopping 156 goals and recorded an 102-point campaign during the 1993-94 season. It was also one of the attributes that prompted Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland to pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal that would bring Shanahan to Detroit from Hartford in exchange for Keith Primeau, Paul Coffey and a first-round pick in 1997.

Holland called Shanahan one of the "pivotal pieces of the puzzle" for the Red Wings' three Stanley Cups during his tenure. He still remembers the first time he walked into the Red Wings' dressing room at Joe Louis Arena to see Shanahan holding court and thinking of how much it changed the dynamic of their team.

They already had a strong core: the "Russian Five" of Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Slava Fetisov; key veteran Steve Yzerman; and promising youngsters Darren McCarty and Nicklas Lidstrom. But Shanahan added an element of grit in addition to his skill that put them "over the top."

"Shanny gave us that presence," Holland told ESPN.com.

He had a terrific shot, he had size and he was a big guy who could play on the top line. On top of that, he was a well-respected player who fit seamlessly into the Red Wings' room.

And with Shanahan on the ice, teams couldn't look to bully the Red Wings. Along with McCarty and Martin Lapointe, Shanahan was a force to be reckoned with.

"What those guys gave us was respect," Holland said. "The other team knew we'd respond and that respect allowed us to do what we did best, which was to play hockey."

Shanahan and the Red Wings won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998, a memorable run that will forever be remembered by Shanahan and his teammates.