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Ryan Kesler shut off the Carolina Hurricanes' onslaught after an early second-period surge and put the Vancouver Canucks back in control.
They maintained it for much of the final 40 minutes and skated off with a 3-2 road win on Sunday.
Kesler capped a frenetic 37-second stretch early in the second period by scoring his second goal of the game that turned out to be the winner.
The Hurricanes scored a pair of goals 10 seconds apart in the first 49 seconds of the second to tie the game. Kesler put the Canucks in front for good at 1:16.
"We wanted to gain the momentum back, and there's no better way than scoring a goal," Kesler said. "I'm happy that we got one there."
Tom Sestito also scored for the Canucks, and Jason Garrison had two assists. Backup goalie Eddie Lack made 29 saves in place of Roberto Luongo to help Vancouver earn just its third win in 11 games.
Kesler's goal, scored 27 seconds after Carolina tied it, was set up after the Canucks won a number of scrums behind the net.
Chris Higgins eventually emerged with the puck, and he shovelled it into the crease. Jannik Hansen deflected it to Kesler, who knocked it just across the goal line.
It was only the third time in 11 games that Vancouver scored at least three goals.
Jordan Staal and Nathan Gerbe had goals for Carolina. Cam Ward made 27 saves.
The Hurricanes, who failed to score on six power plays against the NHL's best penalty-killing unit, have lost six of eight.
"When you get a chance, the guys who are out there have to execute," Carolina coach Kirk Muller said. "If they can't execute, I guess we've got to start looking for other guys in our lineup and give them the opportunity.
"Everyone runs the same plays. It's a matter of getting the job done, and do it at a higher tempo. . I don't know — maybe some of our guys can't make the plays."
One day after giving up two power-play goals in a 5-2 loss to the Rangers in New York, Vancouver was pleased with its penalty killers.
Controlling the play
During one stretch Sunday, Carolina had 5:33 of consecutive time on the power play, including 27 seconds of a two-man advantage.
"It was God awful yesterday afternoon, and really one of the few times it has been this year," Vancouver coach John Tortorella said. "But tonight it was outstanding."
Vancouver rebounded and controlled much of the early play against the Hurricanes. The Canucks scored twice in the first period to build a 2-0 lead.
The first goal came after Carolina's Drayson Bowman (boarding) and Mike Komisarek (delay of game) took penalties.
Just 11 seconds after Vancouver went on a two-man advantage, Kesler converted on a rebound to Ward's right at 3:24.
With 4:12 left in the first, Garrison took a shot that Sestito deflected in off the post.
Staal started the Hurricanes' second-period comeback when he skated into the Vancouver zone and sent a wrist shot that hit Lack in the mask.
Several Vancouver and Carolina players converged on the crease, and Staal followed up his rebound and poked the puck into the net at 39 seconds.
After the Hurricanes won the ensuing faceoff, Justin Faulk connected with Eric Staal with a nice stretch pass. Lack stopped Staal's one-handed backhand attempt, but Gerbe gathered the rebound and slapped the puck under Lack as the goalie fell into the net.
It was the first time the Carolina franchise scored two goals in the first minute of a period since Nov. 1, 1987 when they were the Hartford Whalers.
Lack relieved Luongo 17 seconds into the second period on Saturday, after Luongo allowed three Rangers goals on only 10 shots, and stopped 12 of 14 New York attempts.
Vancouver vs Carolina - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
They maintained it for much of the final 40 minutes and skated off with a 3-2 road win on Sunday.
Kesler capped a frenetic 37-second stretch early in the second period by scoring his second goal of the game that turned out to be the winner.
The Hurricanes scored a pair of goals 10 seconds apart in the first 49 seconds of the second to tie the game. Kesler put the Canucks in front for good at 1:16.
"We wanted to gain the momentum back, and there's no better way than scoring a goal," Kesler said. "I'm happy that we got one there."
Tom Sestito also scored for the Canucks, and Jason Garrison had two assists. Backup goalie Eddie Lack made 29 saves in place of Roberto Luongo to help Vancouver earn just its third win in 11 games.
Kesler's goal, scored 27 seconds after Carolina tied it, was set up after the Canucks won a number of scrums behind the net.
Chris Higgins eventually emerged with the puck, and he shovelled it into the crease. Jannik Hansen deflected it to Kesler, who knocked it just across the goal line.
It was only the third time in 11 games that Vancouver scored at least three goals.
Jordan Staal and Nathan Gerbe had goals for Carolina. Cam Ward made 27 saves.
The Hurricanes, who failed to score on six power plays against the NHL's best penalty-killing unit, have lost six of eight.
"When you get a chance, the guys who are out there have to execute," Carolina coach Kirk Muller said. "If they can't execute, I guess we've got to start looking for other guys in our lineup and give them the opportunity.
"Everyone runs the same plays. It's a matter of getting the job done, and do it at a higher tempo. . I don't know — maybe some of our guys can't make the plays."
One day after giving up two power-play goals in a 5-2 loss to the Rangers in New York, Vancouver was pleased with its penalty killers.
Controlling the play
During one stretch Sunday, Carolina had 5:33 of consecutive time on the power play, including 27 seconds of a two-man advantage.
"It was God awful yesterday afternoon, and really one of the few times it has been this year," Vancouver coach John Tortorella said. "But tonight it was outstanding."
Vancouver rebounded and controlled much of the early play against the Hurricanes. The Canucks scored twice in the first period to build a 2-0 lead.
The first goal came after Carolina's Drayson Bowman (boarding) and Mike Komisarek (delay of game) took penalties.
Just 11 seconds after Vancouver went on a two-man advantage, Kesler converted on a rebound to Ward's right at 3:24.
With 4:12 left in the first, Garrison took a shot that Sestito deflected in off the post.
Staal started the Hurricanes' second-period comeback when he skated into the Vancouver zone and sent a wrist shot that hit Lack in the mask.
Several Vancouver and Carolina players converged on the crease, and Staal followed up his rebound and poked the puck into the net at 39 seconds.
After the Hurricanes won the ensuing faceoff, Justin Faulk connected with Eric Staal with a nice stretch pass. Lack stopped Staal's one-handed backhand attempt, but Gerbe gathered the rebound and slapped the puck under Lack as the goalie fell into the net.
It was the first time the Carolina franchise scored two goals in the first minute of a period since Nov. 1, 1987 when they were the Hartford Whalers.
Lack relieved Luongo 17 seconds into the second period on Saturday, after Luongo allowed three Rangers goals on only 10 shots, and stopped 12 of 14 New York attempts.
Vancouver vs Carolina - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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Over the weekend the Washington Capitals came from behind twice and captured four points in back-to-back games, offering a glimpse of how well they can play when they’re functioning as a cohesive unit.
For five of six periods of regulation play against the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders, they were a hardworking team willing to grind out possession battles in the corners. Players read off each other to make smart plays, with forwards working as three-man units to sustain pressure and defensemen limiting unnecessary threats by minimizing turnovers.
It was quite a departure from previous performances that were riddled with recurring mistakes and top players deviating from the game plan, drawing Coach Adam Oates’s ire multiple times in the past 10 days.
Washington’s sudden reversal only reinforced that nearly a third of the way through this season, it’s still impossible to know which version of the Capitals will be on display any given night.
The Capitals are 14-11-2 and sit second in the Metropolitan Division, seven points behind first place Pittsburgh. But they also have the fewest combined regulation and overtime wins (eight) of all teams in a playoff position.
To the Capitals’ credit they’ve found ways to capture two points more often than not, but they don’t put complete games together. Washington’s 3-2 overtime win against the Islanders on Saturday was one of those elusive victories in which everyone played their role.
“You need everyone to do it. Once there’s a few lines, a D pairing or a goalie that isn’t doing it, it shuts the whole thing down,” Braden Holtby said. “We know we can get on the same page as a group like we have these past five periods plus overtimes. We’re getting it now and it’s going in our favor.”
In a way, winning in New York may prove to be more important for the Capitals than on other occasions. If they would have lost after playing a solid all-around game, there’s significantly less positive reinforcement to encourage playing correctly and it could have led to Washington falling back into familiar traps.
“Some games we’ve been playing really bad and get points anyway,” Nicklas Backstrom said. “Some games we’ve been playing good and it doesn’t get rewarded at all.”
At the very least, gaining a win on a night when the Capitals did things correctly makes the coaching staff’s job a little easier.
“It sure helps, at the end of the day you just want to do the right things,” Oates said. “The last two nights for the majority of the game we played better and if you continue to do that and you grow. It’s amazing how you win games, you get more confidence and hopefully it continues to snowball in the right direction.”
Even as the Capitals find their footing, they have yet to show they can overcome a few prominent bad habits. Sluggish first periods, the inability to respond well after a goal scored by either team and allowing a consistently high volume of shots are still regular parts of Washington’s game that threaten its overall success.
The Capitals have allowed 30 or more shots 23 times this season and 947 total against, third most in the NHL behind only Buffalo (983) and Toronto (970). Holtby has faced more shots (731) than any goaltender except Phoenix’s Mike Smith (753) and Buffalo’s Ryan Miller (732). For as sturdy as Holtby has been this season, it certainly wouldn’t hurt him or Washington’s overall efforts to eliminate some of the close, point-blank looks that opponents seem to find often.
Then there are the starts. Washington has been outscored 26-18 in the first period this year and far too frequently comes out flat in the opening 20 minutes. The Capitals overcame their most recent dud of a first period Friday against Montreal, but eliminating the extreme negative swing at the outset would go a long way to stabilizing them overall.
Mental fragility, demonstrated by giving up goals quickly after scoring one themselves or reeling when allowing an opponent to score, may be the most concerning flaw of all. But that’s something that must be corrected individually as well as by the whole.
“It’s something that we take notice of because it happens so frequently and so often. We gotta come out and we’ve gotta be ready to have a good shift after whether they score or we score,” Troy Brouwer said this past week. “It’s a trend that we’re not happy with, it’s a trend we want to break because you either get momentum and you give it up or have a goal scored on you and you’re hemmed in your own zone the next shift.”
The Capitals managed to overcome all three of those threats at various points this weekend, but whether they can do so consistently to emerge as a team grounded in strong play rather than spurts of it remains to be seen.
Washington Capitals remain enigmatic two months into the NHL season
For five of six periods of regulation play against the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders, they were a hardworking team willing to grind out possession battles in the corners. Players read off each other to make smart plays, with forwards working as three-man units to sustain pressure and defensemen limiting unnecessary threats by minimizing turnovers.
It was quite a departure from previous performances that were riddled with recurring mistakes and top players deviating from the game plan, drawing Coach Adam Oates’s ire multiple times in the past 10 days.
Washington’s sudden reversal only reinforced that nearly a third of the way through this season, it’s still impossible to know which version of the Capitals will be on display any given night.
The Capitals are 14-11-2 and sit second in the Metropolitan Division, seven points behind first place Pittsburgh. But they also have the fewest combined regulation and overtime wins (eight) of all teams in a playoff position.
To the Capitals’ credit they’ve found ways to capture two points more often than not, but they don’t put complete games together. Washington’s 3-2 overtime win against the Islanders on Saturday was one of those elusive victories in which everyone played their role.
“You need everyone to do it. Once there’s a few lines, a D pairing or a goalie that isn’t doing it, it shuts the whole thing down,” Braden Holtby said. “We know we can get on the same page as a group like we have these past five periods plus overtimes. We’re getting it now and it’s going in our favor.”
In a way, winning in New York may prove to be more important for the Capitals than on other occasions. If they would have lost after playing a solid all-around game, there’s significantly less positive reinforcement to encourage playing correctly and it could have led to Washington falling back into familiar traps.
“Some games we’ve been playing really bad and get points anyway,” Nicklas Backstrom said. “Some games we’ve been playing good and it doesn’t get rewarded at all.”
At the very least, gaining a win on a night when the Capitals did things correctly makes the coaching staff’s job a little easier.
“It sure helps, at the end of the day you just want to do the right things,” Oates said. “The last two nights for the majority of the game we played better and if you continue to do that and you grow. It’s amazing how you win games, you get more confidence and hopefully it continues to snowball in the right direction.”
Even as the Capitals find their footing, they have yet to show they can overcome a few prominent bad habits. Sluggish first periods, the inability to respond well after a goal scored by either team and allowing a consistently high volume of shots are still regular parts of Washington’s game that threaten its overall success.
The Capitals have allowed 30 or more shots 23 times this season and 947 total against, third most in the NHL behind only Buffalo (983) and Toronto (970). Holtby has faced more shots (731) than any goaltender except Phoenix’s Mike Smith (753) and Buffalo’s Ryan Miller (732). For as sturdy as Holtby has been this season, it certainly wouldn’t hurt him or Washington’s overall efforts to eliminate some of the close, point-blank looks that opponents seem to find often.
Then there are the starts. Washington has been outscored 26-18 in the first period this year and far too frequently comes out flat in the opening 20 minutes. The Capitals overcame their most recent dud of a first period Friday against Montreal, but eliminating the extreme negative swing at the outset would go a long way to stabilizing them overall.
Mental fragility, demonstrated by giving up goals quickly after scoring one themselves or reeling when allowing an opponent to score, may be the most concerning flaw of all. But that’s something that must be corrected individually as well as by the whole.
“It’s something that we take notice of because it happens so frequently and so often. We gotta come out and we’ve gotta be ready to have a good shift after whether they score or we score,” Troy Brouwer said this past week. “It’s a trend that we’re not happy with, it’s a trend we want to break because you either get momentum and you give it up or have a goal scored on you and you’re hemmed in your own zone the next shift.”
The Capitals managed to overcome all three of those threats at various points this weekend, but whether they can do so consistently to emerge as a team grounded in strong play rather than spurts of it remains to be seen.
Washington Capitals remain enigmatic two months into the NHL season
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Wayne Gretzky will be repaid money he was owed by former Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes, the NHL agreeing to cut a cheque to the Great One after reaching a tentative deal, sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN-com.
Sources would not confirm the exact figure, but it's believed to be around $7 to $8 million.
The NHL for the past few years had sought to get the money owed to Gretzky from Moyes via a lawsuit but a judge threw out most of the league's claims from the suit against Moyes in early October.
In light of the delays associated with the Moyes litigation, the Audit/Finance Committee from the NHL's Board of Governors approved a plan to make Gretzky whole for deferred compensation owed to him by Moyes, and which was never paid as a result of the Coyotes bankruptcy back in September 2009, source told ESPN-com.
"I never got the sense from talking to Gretzky over the years that he was sour against the league," LeBrun said. "He was sour that he didn't have his money yet from Phoenix, but that's a separate thing. That's Jerry Moyes that owed him and not the NHL. This is the right thing done here by the NHL to move directly."
In May 2009, Moyes put the Coyotes into bankruptcy. He intended to sell the club to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who intended to purchase the team out of bankruptcy and move it to Hamilton, Ontario.
Hearings were held in Phoenix bankruptcy court to determine the fate of the Coyotes and the holding company. Two potential bidders for the team surfaced - Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Ice Edge Holdings, Inc. - but they did not put in bids for the team at the bankruptcy hearing. Instead, the NHL put in the only rival bid to Balsillie for the team.
Ultimately, the Phoenix court ruled that the team could not be sold to Balsillie, as the judge held that bankruptcy could not be used to subvert the league's rules. The NHL's original bid was also insufficient for the bankruptcy judge, since it did not treat Moyes and Gretzky as full creditors.
Later, the NHL settled with Moyes, with the league buying the team and assuming all debts. The NHL operated the team in Phoenix for four seasons while seeking a new owner. After several prospective purchases fell through, the team was finally sold in the summer of 2013.
Sources: NHL to pay Gretzky money owed from Phoenix days
Sources would not confirm the exact figure, but it's believed to be around $7 to $8 million.
The NHL for the past few years had sought to get the money owed to Gretzky from Moyes via a lawsuit but a judge threw out most of the league's claims from the suit against Moyes in early October.
In light of the delays associated with the Moyes litigation, the Audit/Finance Committee from the NHL's Board of Governors approved a plan to make Gretzky whole for deferred compensation owed to him by Moyes, and which was never paid as a result of the Coyotes bankruptcy back in September 2009, source told ESPN-com.
"I never got the sense from talking to Gretzky over the years that he was sour against the league," LeBrun said. "He was sour that he didn't have his money yet from Phoenix, but that's a separate thing. That's Jerry Moyes that owed him and not the NHL. This is the right thing done here by the NHL to move directly."
In May 2009, Moyes put the Coyotes into bankruptcy. He intended to sell the club to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who intended to purchase the team out of bankruptcy and move it to Hamilton, Ontario.
Hearings were held in Phoenix bankruptcy court to determine the fate of the Coyotes and the holding company. Two potential bidders for the team surfaced - Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Ice Edge Holdings, Inc. - but they did not put in bids for the team at the bankruptcy hearing. Instead, the NHL put in the only rival bid to Balsillie for the team.
Ultimately, the Phoenix court ruled that the team could not be sold to Balsillie, as the judge held that bankruptcy could not be used to subvert the league's rules. The NHL's original bid was also insufficient for the bankruptcy judge, since it did not treat Moyes and Gretzky as full creditors.
Later, the NHL settled with Moyes, with the league buying the team and assuming all debts. The NHL operated the team in Phoenix for four seasons while seeking a new owner. After several prospective purchases fell through, the team was finally sold in the summer of 2013.
Sources: NHL to pay Gretzky money owed from Phoenix days
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Now that the NHL has agreed to pay Wayne Gretzky money owed to him by former Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes - around $7 to $8 million - The Great One may be interested in taking a front office job somewhere in the league.
The question is, where is he most likely to go?
An obvious choice is the Edmonton Oilers. Gretzky won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers from 1979-1988 before “the trade” sent him packing to sunny California to play with the Los Angeles Kings. Reuniting with Edmonton, a team that's struggled for a few years now, might be a match made in heaven.
On the other hand, already having reached the peak of the sport numerous times in Edmonton, No. 99 might decide to stay close to his hometown.
The Brantford, Ont. native was rumoured to be joining the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer. Being part of the group trying to bring the Cup back to Ontario's capital for the first time in 46 years might be too hard to resist. Tim Leiweke, President and CEO of Maple Leaf Spots & Entertainment, has already made some big statements since taking over the job this past summer and hiring Gretzky would definitely make a splash.
TSN Hockey Insider, Darren Dreger, thinks Gretzky would be willing to listen if the Leafs engaged him in conservation about joining MLSE.
Then there's the big stage and intrigue of the Big Apple, working with the New York Rangers. Gretzky retired as a member of the Rangers in 1999 and going back might be in the cards.
Los Angeles - another former team - could also be an option. His family, including his celebrity daughter Paulina, lives there; which could be a factor.
Gretzky attended a Washington Capitals game last month, sitting with billionaire owner Ted Leonsis. Gretzky has no ties with the team, but with Leonsis having very deep pockets, money might be an intriguing factor.
With the Phoenix Coyotes now having stable ownership, the familiarity of the organization might interest The Great One who coached there from 2005-2009.
Maybe he'll decide to go somewhere no one expects, or maybe, he'll continue to enjoy retired life and spend time with his family.
So we ask: Which NHL club is Wayne Gretzky most likely to go to? As always, it's Your! Call.
Your! Call: Which NHL club is Gretzky most likely to go to?
The question is, where is he most likely to go?
An obvious choice is the Edmonton Oilers. Gretzky won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers from 1979-1988 before “the trade” sent him packing to sunny California to play with the Los Angeles Kings. Reuniting with Edmonton, a team that's struggled for a few years now, might be a match made in heaven.
On the other hand, already having reached the peak of the sport numerous times in Edmonton, No. 99 might decide to stay close to his hometown.
The Brantford, Ont. native was rumoured to be joining the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer. Being part of the group trying to bring the Cup back to Ontario's capital for the first time in 46 years might be too hard to resist. Tim Leiweke, President and CEO of Maple Leaf Spots & Entertainment, has already made some big statements since taking over the job this past summer and hiring Gretzky would definitely make a splash.
TSN Hockey Insider, Darren Dreger, thinks Gretzky would be willing to listen if the Leafs engaged him in conservation about joining MLSE.
Then there's the big stage and intrigue of the Big Apple, working with the New York Rangers. Gretzky retired as a member of the Rangers in 1999 and going back might be in the cards.
Los Angeles - another former team - could also be an option. His family, including his celebrity daughter Paulina, lives there; which could be a factor.
Gretzky attended a Washington Capitals game last month, sitting with billionaire owner Ted Leonsis. Gretzky has no ties with the team, but with Leonsis having very deep pockets, money might be an intriguing factor.
With the Phoenix Coyotes now having stable ownership, the familiarity of the organization might interest The Great One who coached there from 2005-2009.
Maybe he'll decide to go somewhere no one expects, or maybe, he'll continue to enjoy retired life and spend time with his family.
So we ask: Which NHL club is Wayne Gretzky most likely to go to? As always, it's Your! Call.
Your! Call: Which NHL club is Gretzky most likely to go to?
Join:
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In a nutshell, my views of fighting:
1. I like fights. They accelerate my heartbeat. I like to see who really is strong and fearless.
2. When someone gets knocked out cold, I get nauseous and I don't like fights. Bare-knuckle fighting on ice in bladed boots would be illegal in any other situation.
3. I don't buy the argument that fighting prevents cheap shots. Fights don't now and haven't for decades.
4. If fighting is "banned" (fight = ejection, not five minutes), there will still be fights, as there are in football, baseball and basketball.
But here is another take.
"Love consists in sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves. Love ought to show itself in deeds more than words." -- St. Ignatius of Loyola
This is an NHL fighting blogumn based partly on a quote from a saint from Spain who died in Rome in the 16th century. NHL fighting is a lot of things and one of its functions, ironically, centers around love.
"Love consists in sharing what one has."
This is especially true and has the strongest effect when one has little to give. This is not to belittle a fighter such as Shawn Thornton, who might be the most effective "enforcer" in the NHL right now. While most enforcers are hugely respected and loved, Thornton seems to be interwoven in the fabric of the Boston Bruins' organization more than most pugilists. He has clout beyond his left hooks. Thornton has a strong leadership role because he does have some game. He and his fourth-line mates have made a difference in games with offensive pressure, keeping minutes of the top three lines down and building team unity by taking a legitimate turn pulling the rope. Thornton dressed for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals in Vancouver in 2011 and played 11 minutes in the Bruins' Cup-clinching victory. He is not a sideshow.
"Love consists in sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves."
But, let's face it, Thornton is on the Bruins to fight -- to protect and serve. His job is to fight at the right time and, yes, fight to win. He shares what he has with his courage and his ability to fight. This makes Thornton loved by players and by fans. Shawn Thornton puts his short-term and long-term health on the line every time he fights. That is a form, ironically, of love. You get love by giving love and how does one better do that than by risking his own physical harm to protect or "support" another?
"Love consists in sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves. Love ought to show itself in deeds more than words."
Cue Extreme's "More Than Words," a Lyndon Byers romantic mix tape favorite in 1991. Shawn Thornton and Colton Orr and all of the other NHL players who will drop their gloves more than most are showing their love in deeds more than words. Hockey is a sport conducive to incessant chirping because it is the most difficult and frustrating game to play. No game requires more skill AND more courage. It is difficult and dangerous. That danger and difficulty, while leading to verbal explosions of joy, frustration and anger, also lead to a healthy respect and an underlining belief in karma. Too much boasting and/or too much talky-talky could lead to bad things happening in the future -- one of many contradictions in this highly emotional game. It's one reason NHL players are usually so humble and selfless during interviews.
This is also why one often sees fighters tap each other after a spirited bout or show immediate remorse after landing a stunning blow. That is the understanding and belief that chirping or taunting would be bad karma (the total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence, regarded as determining the person's destiny).
And I think this is why some people in the game are pro fighting (limiting it to a five-minute penalty is considered "pro fighting"), despite the minuscule risk of someone hitting the back of his head on the ice and dying. Despite the fact that small-penalty fighting could encourage and could be indirectly enabling gong shows at every level of hockey. And despite the fact that an enforcer takes the roster spot of a more talented player who could make the game more beautiful and skillful.
Yet, this display of courage and love through NHL bare-knuckle fighting is worth it and is heroic to some. It is a Cinderella story where Shawn Thornton can earn $1.1 million with his fists and face. When he takes one for the team, he takes one for the team and the city. Thornton has lived with that burden for every one of his 500-plus NHL games. It is not an easy job. But one of the values of hockey is that IT IS NOT EASY. The difficulty and lesson are celebrated because the more difficult the task, the more exhilarating the award. It's living at its most visceral.
And of all the difficult things in hockey, dropping one's mitts and looking at another man with fists and a face is the most difficult, an act of love for the teammate who can't readily fight for himself. Some are not born to fight.
So, despite all the negatives from hockey fights and how outdated and risky the behavior is, how the game is functional and beautiful without it, how it's like an unnecessary option on a loaded Porsche, and how negative small-penalty fighting could be for the image and growth of the game ("My Timmy is NOT playing a sport where boys PUNCH each other"), for some this act of love is what gives the NHL much of its heart.
They don't want to see this unspoken, unselfish deed die.
NHL -- John Buccigross: Fighting in hockey is all about love - ESPN
1. I like fights. They accelerate my heartbeat. I like to see who really is strong and fearless.
2. When someone gets knocked out cold, I get nauseous and I don't like fights. Bare-knuckle fighting on ice in bladed boots would be illegal in any other situation.
3. I don't buy the argument that fighting prevents cheap shots. Fights don't now and haven't for decades.
4. If fighting is "banned" (fight = ejection, not five minutes), there will still be fights, as there are in football, baseball and basketball.
But here is another take.
"Love consists in sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves. Love ought to show itself in deeds more than words." -- St. Ignatius of Loyola
This is an NHL fighting blogumn based partly on a quote from a saint from Spain who died in Rome in the 16th century. NHL fighting is a lot of things and one of its functions, ironically, centers around love.
"Love consists in sharing what one has."
This is especially true and has the strongest effect when one has little to give. This is not to belittle a fighter such as Shawn Thornton, who might be the most effective "enforcer" in the NHL right now. While most enforcers are hugely respected and loved, Thornton seems to be interwoven in the fabric of the Boston Bruins' organization more than most pugilists. He has clout beyond his left hooks. Thornton has a strong leadership role because he does have some game. He and his fourth-line mates have made a difference in games with offensive pressure, keeping minutes of the top three lines down and building team unity by taking a legitimate turn pulling the rope. Thornton dressed for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals in Vancouver in 2011 and played 11 minutes in the Bruins' Cup-clinching victory. He is not a sideshow.
"Love consists in sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves."
But, let's face it, Thornton is on the Bruins to fight -- to protect and serve. His job is to fight at the right time and, yes, fight to win. He shares what he has with his courage and his ability to fight. This makes Thornton loved by players and by fans. Shawn Thornton puts his short-term and long-term health on the line every time he fights. That is a form, ironically, of love. You get love by giving love and how does one better do that than by risking his own physical harm to protect or "support" another?
"Love consists in sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves. Love ought to show itself in deeds more than words."
Cue Extreme's "More Than Words," a Lyndon Byers romantic mix tape favorite in 1991. Shawn Thornton and Colton Orr and all of the other NHL players who will drop their gloves more than most are showing their love in deeds more than words. Hockey is a sport conducive to incessant chirping because it is the most difficult and frustrating game to play. No game requires more skill AND more courage. It is difficult and dangerous. That danger and difficulty, while leading to verbal explosions of joy, frustration and anger, also lead to a healthy respect and an underlining belief in karma. Too much boasting and/or too much talky-talky could lead to bad things happening in the future -- one of many contradictions in this highly emotional game. It's one reason NHL players are usually so humble and selfless during interviews.
This is also why one often sees fighters tap each other after a spirited bout or show immediate remorse after landing a stunning blow. That is the understanding and belief that chirping or taunting would be bad karma (the total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence, regarded as determining the person's destiny).
And I think this is why some people in the game are pro fighting (limiting it to a five-minute penalty is considered "pro fighting"), despite the minuscule risk of someone hitting the back of his head on the ice and dying. Despite the fact that small-penalty fighting could encourage and could be indirectly enabling gong shows at every level of hockey. And despite the fact that an enforcer takes the roster spot of a more talented player who could make the game more beautiful and skillful.
Yet, this display of courage and love through NHL bare-knuckle fighting is worth it and is heroic to some. It is a Cinderella story where Shawn Thornton can earn $1.1 million with his fists and face. When he takes one for the team, he takes one for the team and the city. Thornton has lived with that burden for every one of his 500-plus NHL games. It is not an easy job. But one of the values of hockey is that IT IS NOT EASY. The difficulty and lesson are celebrated because the more difficult the task, the more exhilarating the award. It's living at its most visceral.
And of all the difficult things in hockey, dropping one's mitts and looking at another man with fists and a face is the most difficult, an act of love for the teammate who can't readily fight for himself. Some are not born to fight.
So, despite all the negatives from hockey fights and how outdated and risky the behavior is, how the game is functional and beautiful without it, how it's like an unnecessary option on a loaded Porsche, and how negative small-penalty fighting could be for the image and growth of the game ("My Timmy is NOT playing a sport where boys PUNCH each other"), for some this act of love is what gives the NHL much of its heart.
They don't want to see this unspoken, unselfish deed die.
NHL -- John Buccigross: Fighting in hockey is all about love - ESPN
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Nick Bonino and Kyle Palmieri scored in the shootout to help the Anaheim Ducks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Friday night, sending the defending Stanley Cup champions to their third consecutive loss.
Bonino matched Jonathan Toews' goal in the first round of the tiebreaker, and Palmieri beat Antti Raanta with a backhand after Jonas Hiller stopped Patrick Sharp at the other end.
Hiller then made another save on Patrick Kane to give Anaheim the win after it lost its previous two games in a shootout.
Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf scored in regulation for the Ducks, and Hiller finished with 23 saves.
The three-game losing streak for the Blackhawks is their worst regular-season stretch since February 2012.
HURRICANES 5, SHARKS 3
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Elias Lindholm had a goal and two assists to lift Carolina over San Jose.
Jordan Staal, Eric Staal, Riley Nash and Jay Harrison had Carolina's other goals.
Cam Ward made 22 saves for the Hurricanes in his return to the lineup after sitting out Carolina's previous two games.
The Hurricanes have won three games in a row.
Justin Braun, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tommy Wingels scored for the Sharks. Joe Thornton extended his point streak to eight games with an assist in the first period.
Backup goalie Alex Stalock made 30 saves and San Jose lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time this season.
RED WINGS 3, DEVILS 1
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Johan Franzen and Tomas Tatar scored third-period goals and Detroit beat New Jersey.
Joakim Andersson also scored and Jonas Gustavsson made 10 saves for Detroit, which has won five of six.
Cory Schneider made 18 saves for New Jersey, which has lost three in a row.
The Red Wings finished with 21 shots while the Devils only had 11.
The 11 shots tied a New Jersey franchise record for fewest shots in a home game.
Andy Greene scored for the Devils.
BLUE JACKETS 4, WILD 0
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner and R.J. Umberger scored and Curtis McElhinney posted his first shutout since 2011 in leading Columbus over Minnesota.
It was the Blue Jackets' second win in a row, the first time they've won back-to-back games since Oct. 25.
They did it in their first game without last year's Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, who will miss the next month or so with a strained groin.
McElhinney made 20 saves in his first shutout since Feb. 5, 2011, while with the Anaheim Ducks.
Foligno and Umberger each also had assists and Ryan Johansen added two assists to stretch his points streak to four games.
CANUCKS 3, COYOTES 2, OT
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Chris Higgins scored at 3:41 of overtime to give Vancouver a victory over Phoenix.
Vancouver squeaked out the win after squandering a 2-0 lead in the final 10 minutes of regulation
The Canucks earned their fourth win in five games while the Coyotes suffered their third loss in four outings.
Higgins scored after he kicked the puck away from Phoenix centre Mike Ribeiro in the Vancouver zone and then raced down the left wing and beat Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith with a quick shot to the far side.
Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo made 37 saves for the win and Smith stopped 29 shots in defeat.
Jason Garrison and Henrik Sedin also scored for Vancouver.
Antoine Vermette and David Moss responded for the Coyotes.
AVALANCHE 3, FLAMES 2
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Maxime Talbot scored the tying goal and set up the go-ahead score 54 seconds later in the second period to propel Colorado over Calgary.
Colorado tied the game 1-1 by capitalizing on a mistake by Calgary goaltender Karri Ramo, who had played superb until that point.
Ramo was playing the puck behind the net, and his soft backhand pass intended for T.J. Brodie was intercepted by John Mitchell. Mitchell zipped a pass to Talbot who had an empty net to shoot at.
The goal at 18:00 was the first goal for Talbot in 16 games since being acquired Oct. 31 from the Philadelphia Flyers for Steve Downie.
Talbot made a terrific play on the same shift as the Avalanche took the lead for good.
He muscled defenceman Chris Butler off the puck with an aggressive forecheck and took the puck to the net, drawing Ramo toward him before sliding the puck to a wide open P.A. Parenteau, who made it 2-1.
Rookie Nathan MacKinnon scored his sixth goal to round out the scoring for Colorado. The Avalanche bounced back after getting routed 8-2 on Thursday night in Edmonton.
Kris Russell and Matt Stajan scored for Calgary, which had won two straight.
NHL Capsules - NHL-com - News
Bonino matched Jonathan Toews' goal in the first round of the tiebreaker, and Palmieri beat Antti Raanta with a backhand after Jonas Hiller stopped Patrick Sharp at the other end.
Hiller then made another save on Patrick Kane to give Anaheim the win after it lost its previous two games in a shootout.
Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf scored in regulation for the Ducks, and Hiller finished with 23 saves.
The three-game losing streak for the Blackhawks is their worst regular-season stretch since February 2012.
HURRICANES 5, SHARKS 3
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Elias Lindholm had a goal and two assists to lift Carolina over San Jose.
Jordan Staal, Eric Staal, Riley Nash and Jay Harrison had Carolina's other goals.
Cam Ward made 22 saves for the Hurricanes in his return to the lineup after sitting out Carolina's previous two games.
The Hurricanes have won three games in a row.
Justin Braun, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tommy Wingels scored for the Sharks. Joe Thornton extended his point streak to eight games with an assist in the first period.
Backup goalie Alex Stalock made 30 saves and San Jose lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time this season.
RED WINGS 3, DEVILS 1
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Johan Franzen and Tomas Tatar scored third-period goals and Detroit beat New Jersey.
Joakim Andersson also scored and Jonas Gustavsson made 10 saves for Detroit, which has won five of six.
Cory Schneider made 18 saves for New Jersey, which has lost three in a row.
The Red Wings finished with 21 shots while the Devils only had 11.
The 11 shots tied a New Jersey franchise record for fewest shots in a home game.
Andy Greene scored for the Devils.
BLUE JACKETS 4, WILD 0
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner and R.J. Umberger scored and Curtis McElhinney posted his first shutout since 2011 in leading Columbus over Minnesota.
It was the Blue Jackets' second win in a row, the first time they've won back-to-back games since Oct. 25.
They did it in their first game without last year's Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, who will miss the next month or so with a strained groin.
McElhinney made 20 saves in his first shutout since Feb. 5, 2011, while with the Anaheim Ducks.
Foligno and Umberger each also had assists and Ryan Johansen added two assists to stretch his points streak to four games.
CANUCKS 3, COYOTES 2, OT
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Chris Higgins scored at 3:41 of overtime to give Vancouver a victory over Phoenix.
Vancouver squeaked out the win after squandering a 2-0 lead in the final 10 minutes of regulation
The Canucks earned their fourth win in five games while the Coyotes suffered their third loss in four outings.
Higgins scored after he kicked the puck away from Phoenix centre Mike Ribeiro in the Vancouver zone and then raced down the left wing and beat Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith with a quick shot to the far side.
Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo made 37 saves for the win and Smith stopped 29 shots in defeat.
Jason Garrison and Henrik Sedin also scored for Vancouver.
Antoine Vermette and David Moss responded for the Coyotes.
AVALANCHE 3, FLAMES 2
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Maxime Talbot scored the tying goal and set up the go-ahead score 54 seconds later in the second period to propel Colorado over Calgary.
Colorado tied the game 1-1 by capitalizing on a mistake by Calgary goaltender Karri Ramo, who had played superb until that point.
Ramo was playing the puck behind the net, and his soft backhand pass intended for T.J. Brodie was intercepted by John Mitchell. Mitchell zipped a pass to Talbot who had an empty net to shoot at.
The goal at 18:00 was the first goal for Talbot in 16 games since being acquired Oct. 31 from the Philadelphia Flyers for Steve Downie.
Talbot made a terrific play on the same shift as the Avalanche took the lead for good.
He muscled defenceman Chris Butler off the puck with an aggressive forecheck and took the puck to the net, drawing Ramo toward him before sliding the puck to a wide open P.A. Parenteau, who made it 2-1.
Rookie Nathan MacKinnon scored his sixth goal to round out the scoring for Colorado. The Avalanche bounced back after getting routed 8-2 on Thursday night in Edmonton.
Kris Russell and Matt Stajan scored for Calgary, which had won two straight.
NHL Capsules - NHL-com - News
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Before Saturday’s game, Karl Alzner and Nate Schmidt had commiserated about their lack of goals. Not just that they hadn’t scored this season but that Alzner had yet to score a goal in his career at home on Verizon Center ice and that Schmidt was still waiting for his first NHL goal.
So after Alzner finally recorded a goal in the building on F Street in the first period of Washington’s 5-2 win over the Predators, he tapped his rookie teammate on the shoulder.
“In between the intermission actually, I said ‘All right Schmitty now that I scored, you can score one,’” Alzner said. “And he went out and did it.”
Early in the third period, Joel Ward won a faceoff to the right of the Nashville goal and Martin Erat gained possession of the puck in the corner. The veteran forward spotted Schmidt alone a few feet in from the blueline and threaded a pass to the rookie defenseman. Schmidt, 22, blasted a slap shot past Predators goalie Marek Mazanec for his first career goal in his 25th NHL game.
“Marty Erat, guy that was great all night, makes a great play out of the corner to me,” Schmidt said. “I’m all alone in front of the net. I had the easy part — he did all the hard work for me.”
Schmidt was mobbed by every player on the ice, perhaps no one more happy to see him record the milestone than his defensive partner as of late, John Carlson, who picked the Minnesota native up off the ice.
“I was ecstatic,” Schmidt said. “When I saw [Carlson] coming I almost tried to go against the boards. I felt like he was going to hit me like the other team would but it was great. The guys have been great.”
The first thing anyone notices about Schmidt is that he’s always smiling. There’s yet to be a practice, game or any other team activity where he hasn’t had a grin on his face and his teammates are glad to see the rookie with a persistently sunny outlook get rewarded.
“Everyone kind of goes back, when you see someone score their first career goal you think of your own first career goal and it’s a good one for him,” Troy Brouwer said. “I’m happy for him. I hope he enjoys it.”
More on offense from the defense and Alzner’s goal Sunday in Five Thoughts.
Nate Schmidt records first NHL goal in Capitals win over Nashville
So after Alzner finally recorded a goal in the building on F Street in the first period of Washington’s 5-2 win over the Predators, he tapped his rookie teammate on the shoulder.
“In between the intermission actually, I said ‘All right Schmitty now that I scored, you can score one,’” Alzner said. “And he went out and did it.”
Early in the third period, Joel Ward won a faceoff to the right of the Nashville goal and Martin Erat gained possession of the puck in the corner. The veteran forward spotted Schmidt alone a few feet in from the blueline and threaded a pass to the rookie defenseman. Schmidt, 22, blasted a slap shot past Predators goalie Marek Mazanec for his first career goal in his 25th NHL game.
“Marty Erat, guy that was great all night, makes a great play out of the corner to me,” Schmidt said. “I’m all alone in front of the net. I had the easy part — he did all the hard work for me.”
Schmidt was mobbed by every player on the ice, perhaps no one more happy to see him record the milestone than his defensive partner as of late, John Carlson, who picked the Minnesota native up off the ice.
“I was ecstatic,” Schmidt said. “When I saw [Carlson] coming I almost tried to go against the boards. I felt like he was going to hit me like the other team would but it was great. The guys have been great.”
The first thing anyone notices about Schmidt is that he’s always smiling. There’s yet to be a practice, game or any other team activity where he hasn’t had a grin on his face and his teammates are glad to see the rookie with a persistently sunny outlook get rewarded.
“Everyone kind of goes back, when you see someone score their first career goal you think of your own first career goal and it’s a good one for him,” Troy Brouwer said. “I’m happy for him. I hope he enjoys it.”
More on offense from the defense and Alzner’s goal Sunday in Five Thoughts.
Nate Schmidt records first NHL goal in Capitals win over Nashville
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The salary cap for National Hockey League clubs is headed north.
How much north will be a topic at the board of governors meetings over the next couple of days.
With six outdoor games this season and a new, 12-year, $5.2 billion Canadian broadcast deal kicking in next year, it won’t be long before the current $64.3 million cap – negotiated as part of the new CBA last January – is left in the dust.
It’s expected with the NHL poised to become a $4-billion business (it was $3.3 billion for the last full NHL season), the new cap will be in the $70-million range if not next season, then for sure the season afterward when the effects of Rogers Communications’ new broadcast deal with the NHL will kick in.
Not even a waning Canadian dollar, which is slipping against its American counterpart, is expected to put much of a drag on the upward spiral of NHL revenues.
TOPICS OF DISCUSSION
The only official news expected to come out of the NHL board of governors meetings over the next few days is the ratification of the new 12-year, $5.2 billion deal with Rogers Communications for the national Canadian broadcast rights.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be a lot of behind-the-doors discussions about various topics including:
• An update on supplemental discipline being handled by NHL vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan, who has his hands full dealing with the aftermath of Saturday’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. The consensus is Shanahan has been doing a good job, but he’s going to be tested with the aftermath of the attack by Bruins winger Shawn Thornton on Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik, which left the blueliner concussed.
• Developments in the hockey operations department will be updated, including an analysis of the new hybrid icing rule put into place for this season. It’s been a bit of a challenging process as both players and linesmen get used to the new rule and its implementation. There will also be discussion of the new rule limiting the size of goaltender pads.
• It’s expected there will be an update on preparations for February’s Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. A delegation of representatives from the NHL, NHL Players’ Association and IIHF visited Sochi last week to tour the hockey venues, the accommodations and the media centres for the Games.
• The owners will be brought up to speed with an initial assessment of the lawsuit being filed by a group of ex-NHLers who claim the league withheld information about the long-term effects of concussions. While the suit has made headlines, it’s believed the NHL still hasn’t been officially served.
• The owners will get an update on the discussions by general managers last month about finding ways to reduce the number of games that result in shootouts (discussions at the general manager level, including extending overtime from five to 10 minutes or adding a 3-on-3 element).
• Other business will likely include updates on a new deal between the NHL and the Canadian Hockey League and player transfer agreements with European hockey federations.
NHL salary cap going up | Hockey | Sports | Toronto Sun
How much north will be a topic at the board of governors meetings over the next couple of days.
With six outdoor games this season and a new, 12-year, $5.2 billion Canadian broadcast deal kicking in next year, it won’t be long before the current $64.3 million cap – negotiated as part of the new CBA last January – is left in the dust.
It’s expected with the NHL poised to become a $4-billion business (it was $3.3 billion for the last full NHL season), the new cap will be in the $70-million range if not next season, then for sure the season afterward when the effects of Rogers Communications’ new broadcast deal with the NHL will kick in.
Not even a waning Canadian dollar, which is slipping against its American counterpart, is expected to put much of a drag on the upward spiral of NHL revenues.
TOPICS OF DISCUSSION
The only official news expected to come out of the NHL board of governors meetings over the next few days is the ratification of the new 12-year, $5.2 billion deal with Rogers Communications for the national Canadian broadcast rights.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be a lot of behind-the-doors discussions about various topics including:
• An update on supplemental discipline being handled by NHL vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan, who has his hands full dealing with the aftermath of Saturday’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. The consensus is Shanahan has been doing a good job, but he’s going to be tested with the aftermath of the attack by Bruins winger Shawn Thornton on Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik, which left the blueliner concussed.
• Developments in the hockey operations department will be updated, including an analysis of the new hybrid icing rule put into place for this season. It’s been a bit of a challenging process as both players and linesmen get used to the new rule and its implementation. There will also be discussion of the new rule limiting the size of goaltender pads.
• It’s expected there will be an update on preparations for February’s Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. A delegation of representatives from the NHL, NHL Players’ Association and IIHF visited Sochi last week to tour the hockey venues, the accommodations and the media centres for the Games.
• The owners will be brought up to speed with an initial assessment of the lawsuit being filed by a group of ex-NHLers who claim the league withheld information about the long-term effects of concussions. While the suit has made headlines, it’s believed the NHL still hasn’t been officially served.
• The owners will get an update on the discussions by general managers last month about finding ways to reduce the number of games that result in shootouts (discussions at the general manager level, including extending overtime from five to 10 minutes or adding a 3-on-3 element).
• Other business will likely include updates on a new deal between the NHL and the Canadian Hockey League and player transfer agreements with European hockey federations.
NHL salary cap going up | Hockey | Sports | Toronto Sun
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Pittsburgh Penguins left-winger James Neal has been suspended five games for kneeing Boston forward Brad Marchand in Saturday’s 3-2 loss.
At 11:06 of the first period, Neal struck Marchand when the latter was on the ice and was assessed a minor penalty.
NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan said in explaining the suspension that Neal had a clear view of Marchand on the ice and did not attempt to get out of his way.
The suspension will cost Neal $128,205.15 US.
Bruins forwards Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly were also injured in the Pittsburgh game.
Eriksson suffered a concussion after being hit by Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik and did not travel to Toronto for the start of the Bruins' four-game road trip on Sunday.
Boston placed Kelly on long-term injured reserve after breaking his right fibula against Pittsburgh.
Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton will have a in-person disciplinary hearing with the NHL for punching Orpik and sending him to hospital.
James Neal suspended 5 games by NHL - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
At 11:06 of the first period, Neal struck Marchand when the latter was on the ice and was assessed a minor penalty.
NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan said in explaining the suspension that Neal had a clear view of Marchand on the ice and did not attempt to get out of his way.
The suspension will cost Neal $128,205.15 US.
Bruins forwards Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly were also injured in the Pittsburgh game.
Eriksson suffered a concussion after being hit by Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik and did not travel to Toronto for the start of the Bruins' four-game road trip on Sunday.
Boston placed Kelly on long-term injured reserve after breaking his right fibula against Pittsburgh.
Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton will have a in-person disciplinary hearing with the NHL for punching Orpik and sending him to hospital.
James Neal suspended 5 games by NHL - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
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Gary Bettman has always been careful not to get fans' hopes up in cities that want an NHL franchise.
That continued Tuesday when the commissioner reiterated the league has no official expansion plans in the offing. It won't happen for the 2014-15 season and maybe not even in 2015-16, but that hasn't stopped the calls from pouring in.
"We're getting lots of expressions of interest, and no decisions have been made to do anything other than listen," Bettman said after the league's board of governors meeting wrapped up. We haven't embarked on a formal expansion process, but when people want to talk to us, we listen."
If the NHL listens and decides to move forward with expanding at some point in the near future, Quebec City, Seattle and Toronto figure to be the front-runners. But Bettman insisted there's no ranking of potential cities and that no decision has been made to expand.
That's despite uneven conferences right now — 16 teams in the East and 14 in the West — that deputy commissioner Bill Daly conceded was a bit of misalignment. Getting up to 32 would make for four divisions of eight teams each and solve the disparity in playoff odds.
It seems like a natural move, especially considering the expansion fees the NHL could get. But Bettman said a few things must be looked at before considering a place.
"When there's an expression of interest, you look at three factors predominately, show-stoppers so to speak," he said. "You want to understand the market and can it support NHL hockey? Would it be a good addition to the league? Two, you've got to have an arena and three, and perhaps most important, it comes down to ownership."
Ownership is one of the keys to the NHL's success in the big picture. Bettman was quick to point to negative attention around the Phoenix Coyotes and how they've been sold along with the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils within the past six months.
'Never been stronger'
"My my, how far we've come since the summer, when all the articles and speculation were about all these franchises that were supposedly in trouble, which we never believed were," Bettman said. "The franchises have never been stronger. So we went from relocation in your view and distress to now we should be expanding. Everybody needs to slow down. We don't operate like that. Everything in due course. If, in fact, there's a due course to pursue."
The city of Markham, Ontario, recently struck down plans to build an NHL-ready arena as the league made it clear it should not happen with the hopes of getting a team. An arena is being built in Quebec City, and one could be on the way in Seattle to lure an NBA team, as well.
"I clearly have acknowledged that the Pacific Northwest has a strong interest in hockey," Daly said of the Seattle expansion possibility.
As of now everything is just a possibility. But just drawing interest isn't a bad thing.
"The fact is there are lots of expressions of interest from lots of different places and that's great, it's gratifying," Bettman said. "It shows the business and the game are healthy because there is so much interest and people want to be a part of the game and invest in the game."
Gary Bettman says no formal NHL expansion plans - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
That continued Tuesday when the commissioner reiterated the league has no official expansion plans in the offing. It won't happen for the 2014-15 season and maybe not even in 2015-16, but that hasn't stopped the calls from pouring in.
"We're getting lots of expressions of interest, and no decisions have been made to do anything other than listen," Bettman said after the league's board of governors meeting wrapped up. We haven't embarked on a formal expansion process, but when people want to talk to us, we listen."
If the NHL listens and decides to move forward with expanding at some point in the near future, Quebec City, Seattle and Toronto figure to be the front-runners. But Bettman insisted there's no ranking of potential cities and that no decision has been made to expand.
That's despite uneven conferences right now — 16 teams in the East and 14 in the West — that deputy commissioner Bill Daly conceded was a bit of misalignment. Getting up to 32 would make for four divisions of eight teams each and solve the disparity in playoff odds.
It seems like a natural move, especially considering the expansion fees the NHL could get. But Bettman said a few things must be looked at before considering a place.
"When there's an expression of interest, you look at three factors predominately, show-stoppers so to speak," he said. "You want to understand the market and can it support NHL hockey? Would it be a good addition to the league? Two, you've got to have an arena and three, and perhaps most important, it comes down to ownership."
Ownership is one of the keys to the NHL's success in the big picture. Bettman was quick to point to negative attention around the Phoenix Coyotes and how they've been sold along with the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils within the past six months.
'Never been stronger'
"My my, how far we've come since the summer, when all the articles and speculation were about all these franchises that were supposedly in trouble, which we never believed were," Bettman said. "The franchises have never been stronger. So we went from relocation in your view and distress to now we should be expanding. Everybody needs to slow down. We don't operate like that. Everything in due course. If, in fact, there's a due course to pursue."
The city of Markham, Ontario, recently struck down plans to build an NHL-ready arena as the league made it clear it should not happen with the hopes of getting a team. An arena is being built in Quebec City, and one could be on the way in Seattle to lure an NBA team, as well.
"I clearly have acknowledged that the Pacific Northwest has a strong interest in hockey," Daly said of the Seattle expansion possibility.
As of now everything is just a possibility. But just drawing interest isn't a bad thing.
"The fact is there are lots of expressions of interest from lots of different places and that's great, it's gratifying," Bettman said. "It shows the business and the game are healthy because there is so much interest and people want to be a part of the game and invest in the game."
Gary Bettman says no formal NHL expansion plans - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
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The National Hockey League on Wednesday suspended third-year Ottawa Senators defenceman Jared Cowen two games for his hit to the head of Buffalo centre Zemgus Girgensons on Tuesday night.
Cowen was not penalized at 18:02 of the third period when he skated across the ice to hit Girgensons as the Latvian forward entered the Ottawa zone.
Girgensons was not injured and later scored the shootout winner for the Sabres. That factored in to NHL vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan's decision, as did Cowen's lack of a disciplinary history.
Cowen will miss Thursday's game against Buffalo and Saturday's game against Los Angeles.
His lost salary, $31,794.88 US, goes to the players' emergency assistance fund.
Also Wednesday, Tampa Bay right-winger Richard Panik was suspended two games.
He was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct after he hit Washington Capitals blue-liner Karl Alzner into the boards in the neutral zone at 16:31 of the second period.
Alzner, whose head hit the dasher board, was attempting to chip the puck into the Lightning zone. He left the ice but returned for the third period in a game won 6-5 by Washington in a shootout.
“I’m completely fine,” Alzner told the Washington Post, adding he did not undergo concussion testing protocol. “It was more scary than anything. But I have no … after-effects. My head feels fine. I’m pretty lucky.”
Alzner said he was aware Panik was pursuing him on the play.
“I fumbled the puck, I went to go poke it in and I’m not in the best position,” said Alzner. “You kind of hope the guy lets off a little but it was fast.
“I don’t hold anything against [Panik].”
Last January, Panik was playing in the American Hockey League for the Syracuse Crunch and was suspended three games for a check from behind that left Girgensons concussed.
At the time, Girgensons said Panik hit him directly in the head and face.
On Monday, the NHL suspended Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal five games for kneeing Boston’s Brad Marchand.
The next day, Shanahan handed Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf a two-game ban for his hit from behind against Bruins defenceman Kevan Miller.
On Friday, Boston tough guy Shawn Thornton will have an in-person hearing after he pulled Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik down from behind out of a scrum and proceeded to punch him in the face while he was laying on the ice in Saturday's game.
Thornton had been suspended indefinitely pending the hearing and will have missed three games by the time he has the meeting. The league offers in-person meetings for any suspension that has the potential to exceed five games, but it could also be less.
Jared Cowen suspended 2 games for Girgensons hit - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
Cowen was not penalized at 18:02 of the third period when he skated across the ice to hit Girgensons as the Latvian forward entered the Ottawa zone.
Girgensons was not injured and later scored the shootout winner for the Sabres. That factored in to NHL vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan's decision, as did Cowen's lack of a disciplinary history.
Cowen will miss Thursday's game against Buffalo and Saturday's game against Los Angeles.
His lost salary, $31,794.88 US, goes to the players' emergency assistance fund.
Also Wednesday, Tampa Bay right-winger Richard Panik was suspended two games.
He was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct after he hit Washington Capitals blue-liner Karl Alzner into the boards in the neutral zone at 16:31 of the second period.
Alzner, whose head hit the dasher board, was attempting to chip the puck into the Lightning zone. He left the ice but returned for the third period in a game won 6-5 by Washington in a shootout.
“I’m completely fine,” Alzner told the Washington Post, adding he did not undergo concussion testing protocol. “It was more scary than anything. But I have no … after-effects. My head feels fine. I’m pretty lucky.”
Alzner said he was aware Panik was pursuing him on the play.
“I fumbled the puck, I went to go poke it in and I’m not in the best position,” said Alzner. “You kind of hope the guy lets off a little but it was fast.
“I don’t hold anything against [Panik].”
Last January, Panik was playing in the American Hockey League for the Syracuse Crunch and was suspended three games for a check from behind that left Girgensons concussed.
At the time, Girgensons said Panik hit him directly in the head and face.
On Monday, the NHL suspended Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal five games for kneeing Boston’s Brad Marchand.
The next day, Shanahan handed Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf a two-game ban for his hit from behind against Bruins defenceman Kevan Miller.
On Friday, Boston tough guy Shawn Thornton will have an in-person hearing after he pulled Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik down from behind out of a scrum and proceeded to punch him in the face while he was laying on the ice in Saturday's game.
Thornton had been suspended indefinitely pending the hearing and will have missed three games by the time he has the meeting. The league offers in-person meetings for any suspension that has the potential to exceed five games, but it could also be less.
Jared Cowen suspended 2 games for Girgensons hit - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
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Brian Burke spelled it out for the Calgary Flames media and those around the hockey world on Sept. 5: “I’m not the general manager of the Calgary Flames.”
While he became the National Hockey League team's acting GM on Thursday after GM Jay Feaster and his assistant, John Weisbrod, were shown the door, the search for Feaster's successor has already begun.
Burke, who said he has received permission to speak with one GM candidate, is the Flames' president of hockey operations with a long history as an NHL GM, most recently with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Burke felt Thursday's moves needed to be made to get the franchise back on track as it tries to pursue a championship.
"I wouldn't have come here if that wasn't the ultimate goal," he said. "I have to look at the steps that have been taken and figure out what's the best way for us to get on that path.
"And I reached the conclusion that we needed to make this change."
Burke said there would be no further changes with the team, saying: "I'm very happy with the coaching staff."
Head coach Bob Hartley and assistants Jacques Cloutier and Martin Gelinas have guided the Flames to a 11-15-4 record and 13th-place standing in the NHL's 14-team Western Conference.
"If you look at our record, it's not where we want to be and we have to change it as players," said Flames captain Mark Giordano. "You could call it whatever, but the bottom line is this: as an organization, I've been here for a while now, and right from our owners down, we want to win.
"Nothing else is acceptable. We've got to start winning hockey games and push this forward."
Burke said it was tough to fire Feaster, who he called a friend. But he said potentially unpopular decisions come with the job.
"I'm not kissing babies up here," he said. "I'm not running for office. This is about winning hockey games. And I have to take the steps that I think are going to lead us to win the most hockey games we can win."
'Frustrated'
"I'm frustrated like all our fans with our inability to hold leads," said Burke, whose team has scored just 79 goals in 30 games and has allowed 100 goals, fourth-most in the NHL. "We decided what we were doing wasn't going to get us there [in the post-season] as fast as we want."
Calgary hasn't competed in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2009.
Burke's grey locks, normally neatly combed back with a part on one side, were much puffier than usual on Thursday.
Burke's kids, Molly and Patrick, noticed his slightly dishevelled look and took to Twitter to comment on their father's appearance at the news conference. Molly's tweet had been retweeted over 500 times and favourited over 250 times in just a few hours.
The Flames hired Feaster on July 8, 2010, as an assistant to GM Darryl Sutter.
Sutter left that role later that year on Dec. 28 and Feaster was named acting GM. He was promoted to the GM’s role on May 16, 2011.
"We wish Jay the best," said forward Matt Stajan. "He's a great man, he did a lot for the guys in that room. It's too bad we didn't show better on the ice but we've got to keep grinding here and find a way to win games."
Feaster arrived in Calgary having been out of the NHL’s managerial ranks for nearly two years, but he was GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won the 2004 Cup final over the Flames.
The married father of five was named GM of the Lightning in February 2002 and besides the Cup title watched the team win back-to-back Southwest Division titles in 2003 and 2004.
Feaster spent three seasons as assistant GM of the Lightning prior to his promotion.
In the American Hockey League, Feaster spent nine years with the Hershey Bears in the 1990s as a president and GM, leading the team to a division title in 1994 and a Calder Cup championship in 1997, the same season he was named AHL executive of the year.
Jay Feaster fired as GM of Flames - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
While he became the National Hockey League team's acting GM on Thursday after GM Jay Feaster and his assistant, John Weisbrod, were shown the door, the search for Feaster's successor has already begun.
Burke, who said he has received permission to speak with one GM candidate, is the Flames' president of hockey operations with a long history as an NHL GM, most recently with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Burke felt Thursday's moves needed to be made to get the franchise back on track as it tries to pursue a championship.
"I wouldn't have come here if that wasn't the ultimate goal," he said. "I have to look at the steps that have been taken and figure out what's the best way for us to get on that path.
"And I reached the conclusion that we needed to make this change."
Burke said there would be no further changes with the team, saying: "I'm very happy with the coaching staff."
Head coach Bob Hartley and assistants Jacques Cloutier and Martin Gelinas have guided the Flames to a 11-15-4 record and 13th-place standing in the NHL's 14-team Western Conference.
"If you look at our record, it's not where we want to be and we have to change it as players," said Flames captain Mark Giordano. "You could call it whatever, but the bottom line is this: as an organization, I've been here for a while now, and right from our owners down, we want to win.
"Nothing else is acceptable. We've got to start winning hockey games and push this forward."
Burke said it was tough to fire Feaster, who he called a friend. But he said potentially unpopular decisions come with the job.
"I'm not kissing babies up here," he said. "I'm not running for office. This is about winning hockey games. And I have to take the steps that I think are going to lead us to win the most hockey games we can win."
'Frustrated'
"I'm frustrated like all our fans with our inability to hold leads," said Burke, whose team has scored just 79 goals in 30 games and has allowed 100 goals, fourth-most in the NHL. "We decided what we were doing wasn't going to get us there [in the post-season] as fast as we want."
Calgary hasn't competed in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2009.
Burke's grey locks, normally neatly combed back with a part on one side, were much puffier than usual on Thursday.
Burke's kids, Molly and Patrick, noticed his slightly dishevelled look and took to Twitter to comment on their father's appearance at the news conference. Molly's tweet had been retweeted over 500 times and favourited over 250 times in just a few hours.
The Flames hired Feaster on July 8, 2010, as an assistant to GM Darryl Sutter.
Sutter left that role later that year on Dec. 28 and Feaster was named acting GM. He was promoted to the GM’s role on May 16, 2011.
"We wish Jay the best," said forward Matt Stajan. "He's a great man, he did a lot for the guys in that room. It's too bad we didn't show better on the ice but we've got to keep grinding here and find a way to win games."
Feaster arrived in Calgary having been out of the NHL’s managerial ranks for nearly two years, but he was GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won the 2004 Cup final over the Flames.
The married father of five was named GM of the Lightning in February 2002 and besides the Cup title watched the team win back-to-back Southwest Division titles in 2003 and 2004.
Feaster spent three seasons as assistant GM of the Lightning prior to his promotion.
In the American Hockey League, Feaster spent nine years with the Hershey Bears in the 1990s as a president and GM, leading the team to a division title in 1994 and a Calder Cup championship in 1997, the same season he was named AHL executive of the year.
Jay Feaster fired as GM of Flames - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
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Veteran forward Jamal Mayers announced his retirement from the National Hockey League on Friday, ending a career that spanned 14 seasons.
The 39-year-old Toronto native played for five different NHL teams and had 90 goals, 119 assists and 1,200 penalty minutes in 915 career regular-season games.
"It really has been an amazing experience to have had the chance to play 14 seasons in the NHL and finish it all off last season as a part of the Chicago Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup," Mayers said in a release issued by the NHL Players' Association.
Mayers broke into the NHL in the 1996-97 season with St. Louis and played parts of 10 seasons with the Blues. He also played for Toronto, Calgary and San Jose before capping his career with two seasons in Chicago.
The six-foot-one, 222-pound right-winger had 13 points (5-8) and 32 penalty minutes in 63 career playoff games. He played at the IIHF world hockey championship on three occasions and helped Canada win gold in 2007 and silver in 2008.
Former Maple Leaf Jamal Mayers retires from NHL - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
The 39-year-old Toronto native played for five different NHL teams and had 90 goals, 119 assists and 1,200 penalty minutes in 915 career regular-season games.
"It really has been an amazing experience to have had the chance to play 14 seasons in the NHL and finish it all off last season as a part of the Chicago Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup," Mayers said in a release issued by the NHL Players' Association.
Mayers broke into the NHL in the 1996-97 season with St. Louis and played parts of 10 seasons with the Blues. He also played for Toronto, Calgary and San Jose before capping his career with two seasons in Chicago.
The six-foot-one, 222-pound right-winger had 13 points (5-8) and 32 penalty minutes in 63 career playoff games. He played at the IIHF world hockey championship on three occasions and helped Canada win gold in 2007 and silver in 2008.
Former Maple Leaf Jamal Mayers retires from NHL - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
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There comes a time when every man has to answer for his actions. That time was Saturday for likable Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton, who committed a detestable takedown and beatdown of Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik that left Orpik unconscious on the TD Garden ice last Saturday.
The amiable Thornton was hit with a 15-game suspension by NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan for his actions, which were in response to Orpik leveling a concussion-causing check on Bruins forward Loui Eriksson just 21 seconds into the game, plus a cheap-shot knee to the head of Brad Marchand by Penguins forward James Neal. The Neal play came seconds before Thornton tenderized Orpik and sent him off the Garden ice on a stretcher.
This is also the time for the NHL to answer for its inaction and the fighting culture it tacitly condones, even while punishing men like Thornton who represent it and perpetuate it. There is hypocrisy in the NHL’s house. The Thornton situation happened because the NHL sanctions fighting.
Thornton has to take responsibility for his behavior, which if it had happened anywhere else on Causeway Street would have constituted assault. But he is a product of the culture in which he plays.
The NHL has to ask if the putative self-policing of the game by players like Thornton is effective or permissible in this age of concussion awareness.
As a pucks pugilist, Thornton was trying to do his job — what he believes keeps his job — by engaging Orpik to fight after the Eriksson hit. After Orpik declined, a frustrated Thornton eventually took matters into his own hands.
The Bruins winger has expressed repeated remorse for his actions. He, and he alone, has to own his mistake, as former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein would say.
Belying his tough-guy image and job description, Thornton is one of the more affable and approachable athletes on the Boston sports scene. He is actively involved in the community and has his own charitable foundation dedicated to combating Parkinson’s disease and cancer.
He’s the guy with whom you want to have a cold beverage or play 18 holes.
So, it’s hard to reconcile Thornton’s reputation with his brutish behavior against Orpik. Thornton’s suspension may have been worse if Orpik had not been able to return to skating with his team on Friday.
But Thornton’s role on the Bruins is clear — to provide protection and mete out retribution in the name of the Spoked-B. It is a role filled by players across the NHL, who serve up frozen frontier justice. Thornton is one of the best in the NHL at playing the heavy with honor, and as a bonus, he can play a little hockey, too.
But if the most honorable among the brawlers can’t stop from crossing the line, their place in the game has to be re-evaluated.
Hockey is the only one of the so-called Big Four sports where fighting is sanctioned and does not result in immediate disqualification from the contest. Violence and vulcanized rubber go together like champagne and New Year’s Eve.
Fighting exists in hockey for entertainment purposes and tradition.
Those who advocate for fighting, who believe it is an essential part of the bedrock of the NHL and would rather remove their incisors with pliers than take dropping the gloves out of the game, claim that fighting prevents more hits than it inflicts.
Removing fighting would turn the ice into a place of post-apocalyptic anarchy, they bellow.
That is a myth, disproved time and time again by opportunistic cheap-shot artists with names like Samuelsson, Cooke, and Torres.
Did Thornton’s presence prevent Max Pacioretty from banging Johnny Boychuk into the boards in Montreal? Did it stop Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf from ramming Kevan Miller into the boards with a forearm to the back of the head? When Orpik finished his check on Eriksson, who had dropped his head to follow an odd bounce of the puck, was he thinking he better let up because he didn’t want to drop the gloves?
The answer to all of the above is no.
So, what you’re left with is the maxim that violence begets more violence. That was true in the case of the Penguins and Bruins last Saturday.
Instead of having only Eriksson concussed on Orpik’s legal, yet predatory, hit, you ended up with two players getting concussed in the name of vengeance. Now, instead of just being without Eriksson, placed on injured reserve Tuesday, the Bruins will be without Thornton’s grit, guile, and leadership as well.
Call Orpik, who played at Thayer Academy and won a national championship at Boston College, craven for not duking it out with Thornton. But why should he take a fight he can’t win for an unpenalized hit?
Orpik stands 6 feet 2 inches and weighs 219 pounds, but he’s not a fighter. According to hockeyfights-com, Orpik hasn’t engaged in an NHL fight since Sept. 22, 2010.
If the NHL’s true interest is player safety, doubling the concussion count in the name of entrenched tradition isn’t acceptable. I wouldn’t miss the John Scotts of the hockey world one iota.
Bruins beat writer Amalie Benjamin had an excellent and enlightening piece in the Globe earlier this week on how the NHL’s Department of Player Safety operates. It’s a must-read.
In that piece, NHL director of media relations John Dellapina said, “One of the mandates of the Department of Player Safety is to change behavior, not just punish bad acts.”
Punishing Thornton isn’t going to change the culture of the NHL and its resident pugilists.
The only way to do that is to stop the punches before they start.
Christopher L. Gasper: NHL is losing fight with hypocrisy - Sports - The Boston Globe
The amiable Thornton was hit with a 15-game suspension by NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan for his actions, which were in response to Orpik leveling a concussion-causing check on Bruins forward Loui Eriksson just 21 seconds into the game, plus a cheap-shot knee to the head of Brad Marchand by Penguins forward James Neal. The Neal play came seconds before Thornton tenderized Orpik and sent him off the Garden ice on a stretcher.
This is also the time for the NHL to answer for its inaction and the fighting culture it tacitly condones, even while punishing men like Thornton who represent it and perpetuate it. There is hypocrisy in the NHL’s house. The Thornton situation happened because the NHL sanctions fighting.
Thornton has to take responsibility for his behavior, which if it had happened anywhere else on Causeway Street would have constituted assault. But he is a product of the culture in which he plays.
The NHL has to ask if the putative self-policing of the game by players like Thornton is effective or permissible in this age of concussion awareness.
As a pucks pugilist, Thornton was trying to do his job — what he believes keeps his job — by engaging Orpik to fight after the Eriksson hit. After Orpik declined, a frustrated Thornton eventually took matters into his own hands.
The Bruins winger has expressed repeated remorse for his actions. He, and he alone, has to own his mistake, as former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein would say.
Belying his tough-guy image and job description, Thornton is one of the more affable and approachable athletes on the Boston sports scene. He is actively involved in the community and has his own charitable foundation dedicated to combating Parkinson’s disease and cancer.
He’s the guy with whom you want to have a cold beverage or play 18 holes.
So, it’s hard to reconcile Thornton’s reputation with his brutish behavior against Orpik. Thornton’s suspension may have been worse if Orpik had not been able to return to skating with his team on Friday.
But Thornton’s role on the Bruins is clear — to provide protection and mete out retribution in the name of the Spoked-B. It is a role filled by players across the NHL, who serve up frozen frontier justice. Thornton is one of the best in the NHL at playing the heavy with honor, and as a bonus, he can play a little hockey, too.
But if the most honorable among the brawlers can’t stop from crossing the line, their place in the game has to be re-evaluated.
Hockey is the only one of the so-called Big Four sports where fighting is sanctioned and does not result in immediate disqualification from the contest. Violence and vulcanized rubber go together like champagne and New Year’s Eve.
Fighting exists in hockey for entertainment purposes and tradition.
Those who advocate for fighting, who believe it is an essential part of the bedrock of the NHL and would rather remove their incisors with pliers than take dropping the gloves out of the game, claim that fighting prevents more hits than it inflicts.
Removing fighting would turn the ice into a place of post-apocalyptic anarchy, they bellow.
That is a myth, disproved time and time again by opportunistic cheap-shot artists with names like Samuelsson, Cooke, and Torres.
Did Thornton’s presence prevent Max Pacioretty from banging Johnny Boychuk into the boards in Montreal? Did it stop Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf from ramming Kevan Miller into the boards with a forearm to the back of the head? When Orpik finished his check on Eriksson, who had dropped his head to follow an odd bounce of the puck, was he thinking he better let up because he didn’t want to drop the gloves?
The answer to all of the above is no.
So, what you’re left with is the maxim that violence begets more violence. That was true in the case of the Penguins and Bruins last Saturday.
Instead of having only Eriksson concussed on Orpik’s legal, yet predatory, hit, you ended up with two players getting concussed in the name of vengeance. Now, instead of just being without Eriksson, placed on injured reserve Tuesday, the Bruins will be without Thornton’s grit, guile, and leadership as well.
Call Orpik, who played at Thayer Academy and won a national championship at Boston College, craven for not duking it out with Thornton. But why should he take a fight he can’t win for an unpenalized hit?
Orpik stands 6 feet 2 inches and weighs 219 pounds, but he’s not a fighter. According to hockeyfights-com, Orpik hasn’t engaged in an NHL fight since Sept. 22, 2010.
If the NHL’s true interest is player safety, doubling the concussion count in the name of entrenched tradition isn’t acceptable. I wouldn’t miss the John Scotts of the hockey world one iota.
Bruins beat writer Amalie Benjamin had an excellent and enlightening piece in the Globe earlier this week on how the NHL’s Department of Player Safety operates. It’s a must-read.
In that piece, NHL director of media relations John Dellapina said, “One of the mandates of the Department of Player Safety is to change behavior, not just punish bad acts.”
Punishing Thornton isn’t going to change the culture of the NHL and its resident pugilists.
The only way to do that is to stop the punches before they start.
Christopher L. Gasper: NHL is losing fight with hypocrisy - Sports - The Boston Globe
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Montreal Canadiens forward George Parros has a concussion and will be evaluated on a daily basis, coach Michel Therrien announced Sunday following a 2-1 loss at home to the Florida Panthers.
Parros left the Canadiens' 1-0 overtime win on the road against the New York Islanders on Saturday after a fight with Eric Boulton at 2:01 of the first period.
This is the second concussion of the season for Parros, who had not been diagnosed with a concussion over the first eight seasons of his career.
Parros missed 12 games with a concussion sustained on opening night against the Toronto Maple Leafs when his head hit the ice during a fight with Colton Orr.
Montreal Canadiens' George Parros sustains second concussion - NHL-com - News
Parros left the Canadiens' 1-0 overtime win on the road against the New York Islanders on Saturday after a fight with Eric Boulton at 2:01 of the first period.
This is the second concussion of the season for Parros, who had not been diagnosed with a concussion over the first eight seasons of his career.
Parros missed 12 games with a concussion sustained on opening night against the Toronto Maple Leafs when his head hit the ice during a fight with Colton Orr.
Montreal Canadiens' George Parros sustains second concussion - NHL-com - News
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Boston Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton has decided to fight his 15-game suspension.
Thornton's agent, Anton Thun, confirmed in an email to The Canadian Press that his client was appealing. The NHL Players' Association announced it had informed the league of that plan before the 48-hour deadline to do so passed.
The appeal first goes to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, per the collective bargaining agreement between the league and players' union, who will provide a written judgment.
Buffalo Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta is the only player to use this appeals process under the new CBA, and no player has gone to the neutral arbitrator. Bettman upheld Kaleta's 10-game suspension for an illegal hit on Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Jack Johnston.
On Saturday, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan meted out the punishment to Thornton, who pulled Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik down during a Dec. 7 game and punched him numerous times in the head, resulting in a concussion.
"I will be consulting with the Bruins, my representantion [agent Anton Thun] and the NHLPA about next steps," Thornton said through a team news release after the NHL announced the suspension.
Vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan said it was not a spontaneous action by Thornton because he tried to confront Orpik earlier after Orpik injured Bruins winger Loui Eriksson with a hit.
Shawn Thornton to appeal his 15-game suspension - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
Thornton's agent, Anton Thun, confirmed in an email to The Canadian Press that his client was appealing. The NHL Players' Association announced it had informed the league of that plan before the 48-hour deadline to do so passed.
The appeal first goes to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, per the collective bargaining agreement between the league and players' union, who will provide a written judgment.
Buffalo Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta is the only player to use this appeals process under the new CBA, and no player has gone to the neutral arbitrator. Bettman upheld Kaleta's 10-game suspension for an illegal hit on Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Jack Johnston.
On Saturday, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan meted out the punishment to Thornton, who pulled Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik down during a Dec. 7 game and punched him numerous times in the head, resulting in a concussion.
"I will be consulting with the Bruins, my representantion [agent Anton Thun] and the NHLPA about next steps," Thornton said through a team news release after the NHL announced the suspension.
Vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan said it was not a spontaneous action by Thornton because he tried to confront Orpik earlier after Orpik injured Bruins winger Loui Eriksson with a hit.
Shawn Thornton to appeal his 15-game suspension - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
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Martin Jones' charmed NHL career just keeps getting more surreal with every save, every win and every shutout in his rapidly growing collection.
Jones made 24 saves for his third shutout in five games, and the remarkable rookie led the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
Dwight King and Jordan Nolan scored during another dominant night for Jones, who became the first goalie in Kings history to begin his career with six consecutive victories. Edmonton is only the latest team that couldn't solve Jones, who has allowed just five goals in his six games.
Even Jones seems a bit bewildered by his phenomenal success, but he's trying to stay focused on each frustrated opponent instead of his overall accomplishments.
"I want to make sure I'm focused and prepared for the games, but also have some fun as well," Jones said. "My job is to work hard in practice and be ready to play when called upon."
Dustin Brown added an empty-net goal for the Kings, who have won seven of eight while taking just two regulation losses in 20 games since Nov. 2 (14-2-4).
Jones made a handful of stunning saves in another defense-dominated night for the Kings, whose 68 goals allowed are the fewest in the NHL. The 23-year-old undrafted rookie who seemed likely to spend a fourth year in the AHL this winter instead has the NHL's best save percentage (.972) and goals-against average (0.82) while sharing the league lead in shutouts with seven other goalies — including teammate Ben Scrivens.
"These guys have been unbelievable in front of me, the way they pick up sticks and clear the net," Jones said. "They do a great job helping me out."
Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 37 shots for the last-place Oilers, who have lost four straight. Bryzgalov almost matched Jones as Los Angeles handily outshot the Oilers, but key defensive breakdowns by his young teammates cost him.
"I thought we had the puck in our right skilled players' hands to generate chances, and we couldn't score," Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins said. "Usually the problems with our team have been turnovers or some defensive zone lapse, but that just wasn't the case tonight."
The Kings had to go right back to work after sweeping through eastern Canada on a four-game road trip last week, posting convincing victories on every stop of their showcase in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. Los Angeles lost Sunday in Chicago before returning to Staples Center for its third game in four nights.
"I was impressed with our team tonight because of the tough haul," coach Darryl Sutter said. "It's been a tough stretch of games, tough travel back with teams waiting for us. You score the one goal and then you're fighting the whole night."
The Kings got the first period's only goal when Drew Doughty stickhandled through the Edmonton end before finding King for his ninth goal.
Jones denied Ryan Smyth and Nail Yakupov up close on unguarded chances in the second period. Jones then stopped Taylor Hall on a clean breakaway early in the third when Hall couldn't get a handle on the puck, and Edmonton didn't register its first shot on goal until midway through the period.
"Maybe if a couple of bounces go our way and their goalie isn't as hot as he is, it would be a different game," Hall said. "I thought we showed a lot of really good things. We managed to get out of a tough circumstance a couple of times in the game."
Matt Greene made an exceptional play from in front of the Oilers' bench, capitalizing on a bad Edmonton change to lob a pass to Nolan for a breakaway goal, his fifth of the season.
Edmonton pulled Bryzgalov after Brown took a penalty in the waning minutes, but the Kings weathered the 6-on-4 disadvantage before Brown emerged from the box at exactly the right time to skate in alone for the 400th point of his career.
High-scoring right wing Ales Hemsky returned to Edmonton's lineup after missing Sunday's loss in Anaheim with sore ribs.
NOTES: Edmonton D Corey Potter served the first half of his two-game suspension for boarding Anaheim's Nick Bonino from behind on Sunday. ... Kings D Willie Mitchell missed his second straight game after getting hit by Chris Neil in Ottawa. Mitchell's absence has coincided with Greene's return from a 15-game injury absence.
Read more here: LOS ANGELES: Kings rookie Martin Jones blanks Oilers 3-0 | NHL Hockey | NewsObserver-com
Jones made 24 saves for his third shutout in five games, and the remarkable rookie led the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
Dwight King and Jordan Nolan scored during another dominant night for Jones, who became the first goalie in Kings history to begin his career with six consecutive victories. Edmonton is only the latest team that couldn't solve Jones, who has allowed just five goals in his six games.
Even Jones seems a bit bewildered by his phenomenal success, but he's trying to stay focused on each frustrated opponent instead of his overall accomplishments.
"I want to make sure I'm focused and prepared for the games, but also have some fun as well," Jones said. "My job is to work hard in practice and be ready to play when called upon."
Dustin Brown added an empty-net goal for the Kings, who have won seven of eight while taking just two regulation losses in 20 games since Nov. 2 (14-2-4).
Jones made a handful of stunning saves in another defense-dominated night for the Kings, whose 68 goals allowed are the fewest in the NHL. The 23-year-old undrafted rookie who seemed likely to spend a fourth year in the AHL this winter instead has the NHL's best save percentage (.972) and goals-against average (0.82) while sharing the league lead in shutouts with seven other goalies — including teammate Ben Scrivens.
"These guys have been unbelievable in front of me, the way they pick up sticks and clear the net," Jones said. "They do a great job helping me out."
Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 37 shots for the last-place Oilers, who have lost four straight. Bryzgalov almost matched Jones as Los Angeles handily outshot the Oilers, but key defensive breakdowns by his young teammates cost him.
"I thought we had the puck in our right skilled players' hands to generate chances, and we couldn't score," Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins said. "Usually the problems with our team have been turnovers or some defensive zone lapse, but that just wasn't the case tonight."
The Kings had to go right back to work after sweeping through eastern Canada on a four-game road trip last week, posting convincing victories on every stop of their showcase in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. Los Angeles lost Sunday in Chicago before returning to Staples Center for its third game in four nights.
"I was impressed with our team tonight because of the tough haul," coach Darryl Sutter said. "It's been a tough stretch of games, tough travel back with teams waiting for us. You score the one goal and then you're fighting the whole night."
The Kings got the first period's only goal when Drew Doughty stickhandled through the Edmonton end before finding King for his ninth goal.
Jones denied Ryan Smyth and Nail Yakupov up close on unguarded chances in the second period. Jones then stopped Taylor Hall on a clean breakaway early in the third when Hall couldn't get a handle on the puck, and Edmonton didn't register its first shot on goal until midway through the period.
"Maybe if a couple of bounces go our way and their goalie isn't as hot as he is, it would be a different game," Hall said. "I thought we showed a lot of really good things. We managed to get out of a tough circumstance a couple of times in the game."
Matt Greene made an exceptional play from in front of the Oilers' bench, capitalizing on a bad Edmonton change to lob a pass to Nolan for a breakaway goal, his fifth of the season.
Edmonton pulled Bryzgalov after Brown took a penalty in the waning minutes, but the Kings weathered the 6-on-4 disadvantage before Brown emerged from the box at exactly the right time to skate in alone for the 400th point of his career.
High-scoring right wing Ales Hemsky returned to Edmonton's lineup after missing Sunday's loss in Anaheim with sore ribs.
NOTES: Edmonton D Corey Potter served the first half of his two-game suspension for boarding Anaheim's Nick Bonino from behind on Sunday. ... Kings D Willie Mitchell missed his second straight game after getting hit by Chris Neil in Ottawa. Mitchell's absence has coincided with Greene's return from a 15-game injury absence.
Read more here: LOS ANGELES: Kings rookie Martin Jones blanks Oilers 3-0 | NHL Hockey | NewsObserver-com
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New Jersey Devils right wing Jaromir Jagr moved up on two of the NHL's all-time lists for goals with one shot Wednesday.
Jagr's power-play goal early in the second period at Prudential Center put him in sole possession of eighth place on the NHL's all-time goals list with 693 and eventually moved him into first place on the League's all-time list for game-winning goals with 122.
Jagr's next goal will tie him with Mark Messier for seventh place on the goals list. Jagr was tied with Gordie Howe on the game-winning list, but Jagr now has first place to himself because his goal was New Jersey's third in a 5-2 win against the Ottawa Senators.
In typical Jagr fashion, he cracked a joke when asked about his achievements.
"It's a long streak for me without a goal," said Jagr, who snapped an eight-game drought. "[Dainius Zubrus] did a great job to shut me down for eight games."
Zubrus scored three goals in the previous two games.
With the Devils on a power play, Jagr took a pass from Travis Zajac between the circles and shoveled a backhand past goalie Robin Lehner at 2:08 of the second.
"Finally I jump on the ice when he wasn't there so I could break the streak," Jagr said. "Hopefully I can keep scoring."
Jagr leads the Devils with 12 goals.
Jaromir Jagr of New Jersey Devils passes Steve Yzerman on NHL all-time goals list - NHL-com - News
Jagr's power-play goal early in the second period at Prudential Center put him in sole possession of eighth place on the NHL's all-time goals list with 693 and eventually moved him into first place on the League's all-time list for game-winning goals with 122.
Jagr's next goal will tie him with Mark Messier for seventh place on the goals list. Jagr was tied with Gordie Howe on the game-winning list, but Jagr now has first place to himself because his goal was New Jersey's third in a 5-2 win against the Ottawa Senators.
In typical Jagr fashion, he cracked a joke when asked about his achievements.
"It's a long streak for me without a goal," said Jagr, who snapped an eight-game drought. "[Dainius Zubrus] did a great job to shut me down for eight games."
Zubrus scored three goals in the previous two games.
With the Devils on a power play, Jagr took a pass from Travis Zajac between the circles and shoveled a backhand past goalie Robin Lehner at 2:08 of the second.
"Finally I jump on the ice when he wasn't there so I could break the streak," Jagr said. "Hopefully I can keep scoring."
Jagr leads the Devils with 12 goals.
Jaromir Jagr of New Jersey Devils passes Steve Yzerman on NHL all-time goals list - NHL-com - News
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Claude Giroux scored twice in the last four minutes as the Philadelphia Flyers came from behind to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4.
The Flyers found themselves 3-0 down going into the final period, but Jakub Voracek and Braydon Coburn scored at the start of the third to bring the Flyers back in touch.
Blake Comeau netted at 8:35 to leave Columbus 4-2 up, but Erik Gustafsson pulled one back with 4:39 to play and Giroux then scored twice - including his 100th in the NHL - to complete the dramatic turnaround.
Chris Kunitz scored twice to take his season tally to 20 as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2.
Brandon Sutter, Matt Niskanen and Olli Maatta also scored for the Penguins, who led 4-0 before Jason Pominville and Dany Heatley scored in an ultimately fruitless Minnesota rally.
Drew Stafford's tie-breaking goal in the third led the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Brian Flynn, Marcus Foligno and Tyler Myers also scored for the Sabres, while Ryan Miller stopped 34 shots.
Daniel Alfredsson scored his second goal of the game in overtime to lead the Detroit Wings to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Alexander Steen scored twice to help the St Louis Blues snap a two-game losing streak by beating the Montreal Canadiens 5-1.
The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed a 2-1 shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes, the Tampa Bay Lightning were 4-2 winners over the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers saw off the Ottawa Senators by the same scoreline.
There were also wins for the Dallas Stars, the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings.
NHL: Claude Giroux scores twice as Philadelphia Flyers defeat Columbus Blue Jackets | Sky Sports
The Flyers found themselves 3-0 down going into the final period, but Jakub Voracek and Braydon Coburn scored at the start of the third to bring the Flyers back in touch.
Blake Comeau netted at 8:35 to leave Columbus 4-2 up, but Erik Gustafsson pulled one back with 4:39 to play and Giroux then scored twice - including his 100th in the NHL - to complete the dramatic turnaround.
Chris Kunitz scored twice to take his season tally to 20 as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2.
Brandon Sutter, Matt Niskanen and Olli Maatta also scored for the Penguins, who led 4-0 before Jason Pominville and Dany Heatley scored in an ultimately fruitless Minnesota rally.
Drew Stafford's tie-breaking goal in the third led the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Brian Flynn, Marcus Foligno and Tyler Myers also scored for the Sabres, while Ryan Miller stopped 34 shots.
Daniel Alfredsson scored his second goal of the game in overtime to lead the Detroit Wings to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Alexander Steen scored twice to help the St Louis Blues snap a two-game losing streak by beating the Montreal Canadiens 5-1.
The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed a 2-1 shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes, the Tampa Bay Lightning were 4-2 winners over the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers saw off the Ottawa Senators by the same scoreline.
There were also wins for the Dallas Stars, the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings.
NHL: Claude Giroux scores twice as Philadelphia Flyers defeat Columbus Blue Jackets | Sky Sports
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The panel also examined the concussion lawsuit against the NHL, as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs' interest in defenceman Dmitri Kulikov.
For more, watch the full segment in the video :
Hotstove: NHL's new TV deal 'great win for players' - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings