NHL FanHouse

2-on-1: Playoff Pretenders & Contenders

Christopher Botta — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Bruins, Coyotes, Ducks, Lightning, Senators, Thrashers

Every Monday during the season two of our hockey writers will debate one topic. It's the 2-on-1. This week, Chris Botta and Adam Gretz break down who's for real and who isn't at the quarter-pole of the NHL season.

Chris Botta: In dealing with contenders and pretenders, Adam, let's start off with a pair of teams that no one in our business had sniffing the playoffs. I'm talking, of course, about the Colorado Avalanche and the New York Islanders. My position is that we are still at least another 20 games away from knowing if they are legitimate contenders for playoff berths. However, both should be congratulated for already making something of their seasons when everyone thought they'd be playing for Taylor Hall. Do you think the Avalanche and Islanders are for real as playoff contenders?

Adam Gretz: Yeah, I figured the draft lottery would be the only thing these teams would be playing for this season, but if I had to pick one as a serious playoff contender right now, I think I'd still lean toward Colorado, even with their rough stretch over the past two weeks.

I think the Islanders deserve a ton of credit for what they've been able to do this season because even when they're not winning, they're still in just about every game. But when I look at the roster I just don't see a serious playoff contender. At least not yet. Especially in a division that has Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New Jersey and the Rangers. I just can't see the Islanders competing with that group all season, especially with some of the other improved teams around the Eastern Conference.

"I said to captain Shane Doan, 'I don't think you guys are The Little Team That Could.' He said, 'Shush, don't tell anyone. I know we've got a good team, but we don't want anyone to know it.'"
-- Christopher Botta on the Coyotes' Solid Start Of course, that's not to say that Colorado is a slam-dunk playoff team, either, but of the two, I think the Avs have a better shot. Especially since they don't have to compete with the Atlantic Division teams.

Chris Botta: I agree that the 'Lanche have the better shot of the two teams right now. Unless Garth Snow decides to use -- or is allowed to use -- the $147 million in cap space he has to acquire a veteran defenseman and maybe also a solid forward, the Islanders are not quite ready for prime time. That's far from the end of the world. Thanks to John Tavares being even better as a 19-year-old than most thought, the Islanders are actually ahead of schedule.

There are three other teams in the East surpassing expectations: Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Atlanta. My feeling is the Lightning are the least surprising. When your lineup starts with three studs like Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier, as long as you get decent goaltending you should be able to contend for a seventh or eighth seed. Cory Clouston has done a fine job with the Senators, and that's with Jason Spezza not scoring. I'm telling you, Adam, I don't know how much you have seen of the Thrashers, but they are fun to watch. I'll admit that part of me is rooting for them because John Anderson's style has a lot of entertainment value.

Are you a true believer in Ottawa, Tampa Bay or Atlanta? I should add that it's hard to get a read these days. Let's face it: with the shootout, a record like the Bolts' unwieldy 8-4-7 doesn't always provide the most accurate picture.

Adam Gretz: Of the three teams you mentioned, I'm definitely a believer in Atlanta. Before the season I had them as a contender for the No. 8 playoff spot (and John Anderson was my sleeper for coach of the year). Not saying they'll get in, but I think they can hang around, especially if they keep Kovalchuk (even if it's a Jay Bouwmeester-desperation attempt that ends up blowing up in their faces). I think their top-four on defense is as good as they've ever had, and Maxim Afinogenov is actually scoring some goals. If they ever get Bryan Little going again I think this could absolutely be a dangerous team at the bottom of the playoff picture.

I think the biggest surprise out of those three, to me, is Ottawa. Here's a team that didn't have any offense to speak of a season ago when they had a two-time 50-goal scorer in the lineup. Take Dany Heatley's production out of that equation and I figured the bottom would just fall out. Mike Fisher has had a nice bounceback season, and Michalek seems like he's starting to settle in as well.

Still, at the quarter point, if I had to rank them in order of playoff probability I think I'd go 1) Atlanta, 2) Ottawa, 3) Tampa Bay.

Chris Botta: This is the part of our conversation where I'd want to take a reverse-angle look and talk about the teams in the East we thought would be good but are near the bottom of the pack. Fact is, there aren't any. The only top-talent team that has only been so-so is Boston, but for all the Bruins' struggles they are 10-8-2 and in the top eight. When they get Marc Savard back, they should climb higher. So let's move on to the West.

Besides Colorado, the other happy surprise in Phoenix. While the Coyotes are a nice Cinderella tale for their Slap Shot, who-ownz-the-team existence, a record of 13-9-2 seems about right for them. They have talent, experience and one of the best goalies in Ilya Bryzgalov.

When they were in New York a few weeks ago, about a half-dozen reporters showed up at the Coyotes' morning skate at the Garden to write the obligatory stories about how they're overcoming the odds and some unique circumstances. I said to captain Shane Doan, "I don't think you guys are the Little Team That Could." He said, "Shush, don't tell anyone. I know we've got a good team, but we don't want anyone to know it."

Adam Gretz: Funny you mention the Coyotes and people showing up to write about them. I saw them in Pittsburgh during the second week of the season and there was nobody there covering them. I think the post-game locker room session had me, an AP reporter and one Phoenix radio guy. It was almost as if people had already given up on them.

For me, I'm kind of shocked by the slow starts from Anaheim and St. Louis. With the Blues, they overcame injuries to just about every player on the roster last year (or so it seemed) and found themselves in the top-six of the Western Conference. I figured that with a healthy team, young guys having another year of experience (playoff experience) under their belts would be huge. But here we are. I'm not sure if it can be blamed on the European hangover or expectations that might have been too high coming in, but a .500 record isn't what I had this team pegged at. Not at all. On the plus side, David Perron is starting to pick it up but guys like Patrick Berglund and T.J. Oshie have been rather large disappointments.

Speaking of which, what's up with the Anaheim Ducks? Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are looking great, but they currently have the worst record in the Western Conference, third-worst overall. This is a team that knocked out the team that won the Presidents Trophy last year, and took Detroit to a Game 7. I think in the long run the Chris Pronger trade could really benefit them, not only with Luca Sbisa, but the boatload of first-round picks, but in the short term their defense has gone from a rather menacing group to one that is far less intimidating.

Chris Botta: You nailed it, Adam. There are several nice surprises this year -- Colorado and the rest of the team we've mentioned. The Ducks are really the only major disappointment so far. Wouldn't it be something if they decide to re-tool and move Scott Niedermayer to a contender for another package of picks and prospects, like they got for Pronger? On the bright side, Anaheim could re-build in two trades. I don't like their chances of turning around their season in a significant way. When Niedermayer started thinking about a trade and Jean-Sebastian Giguere said he'd rather retire than be a backup -- I would love to see the Ducks call his bluff -- it just doesn't seem to be their season.

Rapid Fire time. Individual performances at the quarter pole:

Biggest Surprises: Chris -- Matt Moulson, Maxim Afinogenov; Adam -- Moulson, of course, and Dustin Penner.

Biggest Duds: Chris -- Jason Spezza (one goal in 18 games), Michal Rozsival (sixth d-man making $5 million a year); Adam -- Mike Komisarek.

Player Most Likely to Take Off: Chris -- Phil Kessel; Adam -- Evgeni Malkin has been off to a slow start, he's due to bust out.

2-on-1: Playoff Pretenders & Contenders originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Budaj Gets Win In First Start Following Swine Flu

Adam Gretz — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Coyotes

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the story lines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Avalanche 4, Coyotes 1: Peter Budaj missed his first scheduled start of the season after he was diagnosed with swine flu. On Wednesday, he finally had a chance to step on the ice and stopped 28 shots in Colorado's 4-1 win against Phoenix, in what was a battle of early season surprises in the Western Conference.

Milan Hejduk scored a pair of goals for the Avs, who also received tallies from Marek Svatos and David Jones.

The win snaps a two-game losing streak for Colorado, and moves it back into a tie with Pittsburgh for the most points in the NHL with 24.

Wednesday's game was only the fourth time the Avs were not out-shot in a game this season (both teams finished with 29 shots on goal), while Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 25 of 28 shots in the loss for Phoenix. Ed Jovanovski spoiled Budaj's shutout bid at the 9:52 mark of the third period.

Wednesday's Other Games

Devils 3, Capitals 2: Washington dropped its first game without Alex Ovechkin, as Niclas Bergfors scored a pair of power play goals in the third period to lead New Jersey.

Sharks 3, Blue Jackets 2: Steve Mason turned aside 36 shots for Columbus, but it wasn't quite enough as the Blue Jackets dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the Sharks. Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley scored in regulation, while Dan Boyle tallied the only goal in the shootout.

Panthers 3, Hurricanes 0: Another game, another loss for the Hurricanes as they get blanked by Tomas Vokoun and the Panthers. Vokoun stopped 31 shots -- including 21 in the first period -- to earn his second consecutive shutout.

Sabres 3, Islanders 0: Ryan Miller recorded his second shutout of the season as Buffalo ended the Islanders five game winning streak.

Flames 3, Stars 2: Daymond Langkow tied the game with 49 seconds to play in regulation and Jarome Iginla scored his second goal of the game in overtime to lead Calgary to a 3-2 win in Dallas.

Loose Pucks

-- The NHL handed out some discipline following the chaos that unfolded during Tuesday's Rangers-Canucks game. New York head coach John Tortorella has been fined, and Dane Byers has been suspended one game for instigating a fight late in the third period. [Blueshirt Banter]

-- The league-wide run on injuries continues -- though, this isn't exactly a new one -- as Atlanta Thrashers goaltender Kari Lehtonen is going to miss six-to-eight weeks following back surgery. He has yet to play this season. [TSN]

Video Of The Day

Daymond Langkow's game-tying goal with less than a minute to play in the third period:

Thursday's Key Games

Bruins vs. Canadiens: One of the best rivalries in hockey gets renewed when Boston and Montreal meet for the first time this season. The two teams met in the playoffs each of the past two seasons, with each club winning once. The Canadiens have lost nine straight games to the Bruins.

Sharks vs. Red Wings: San Jose carries a six-game winning streak into The Motor City on Thursday night, and has allowed just nine goals during its current run.

Penguins vs. Kings: Exciting matchup in Los Angeles as the Penguins put their unbeaten road record on the line against the league's leading scorer, Anze Kopitar, and the rest of the Kings.

Peter Budaj Gets Win In First Start Following Swine Flu originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puck Talk: The Red-Hot Avalanche

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Western

Undoubtedly, one of the best stories early in the NHL season is being written in Denver. The Colorado Avalanche have survived a stretch of 11 road games over their first 15 with a stunning 10-3-2 overall record, and they have an early lead in the Northwest Division.

To find out what has clicked with the Avalanche so far, we turned to someone who follows them. David Driscoll-Carignan writes for the wonderful site Mile High Hockey, and he joins us on the podcast. Listen after the jump.

Listen to the podcast above, or click here to download the file.

Puck Talk: The Red-Hot Avalanche originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avalanche at Sharks Live Blog

Susan Slusser — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Sharks

Last year's top regular-season team, the Sharks, takes on the league's current top squad, the Avalanche, tonight at 10:30 p.m. Eastern and FanHouse will be there, blogging live and fielding questions.

Of the Western Conference's many surprise teams -- Phoenix and Los Angeles are also going strong and Columbus started off fast - Colorado might be the biggest. The Avs had a conference-low 69 points last season and they scored a league-low 199 goals.

Now, behind hot goalie Craig Anderson, Colorado is 10-12 and coming into San Jose to face a Sharks team that lost to the Avs 5-2 on opening night. San Jose is tied with the Kings atop the Pacific Division and has won three in a row, while Colorado has won four straight. Join us for what should be a good one.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=2149743c68&amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Avalanche vs. Sharks live blog&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Avalanche at Sharks Live Blog originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puck Talk: Heading Out West

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Ducks, Kings, Sharks, Red Wings, Western

There are a number of compelling stories in the NHL's Western Conference. Not only are the Colorado Avalanche off to a ridiculous start, but the Los Angeles Kings are playing great, San Jose is lurking, and Anaheim is still plagued by bad penalties and not enough offense.

FanHouse's Susan Slusser joins us from her West Coast perch this week, as we examine these issues and talk about her beloved Red Wings' slow start. Listen after the jump.

Listen to the podcast above, or click here to download the file.

Puck Talk: Heading Out West originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hockey Talk: NHL Fanhouse Live Chat

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Kings, Rangers, Eastern, Western, NHL Live Blogging, NHL Discipline

There's a lot of action around the NHL tonight, and we'll break it all down in our weekly NHL FanHouse chat. There are surprise teams, surprise players, and injuries to discuss. Not only that, but the first major disciplinary decisions of the season have been made by the NHL. As usual, they come with some controversy. Join us at 2 p.m. ET as we break it down with you.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=1c848386ae" &amp;gt;NHL FanHouse Live Chat&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Hockey Talk: NHL Fanhouse Live Chat originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuomo Ruutu Suspended 3 Games for Hit on Darcy Tucker

Adam Gretz — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Hurricanes, NHL Injuries, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

The NHL acted fast in determining a punishment for Carolina Hurricanes forward Tuomo Ruutu, suspending him three games for his hit on Colorado's Darcy Tucker Friday night.

Just a little over five minutes into the second period, Ruutu hit Tucker from behind into the boards, knocking him unconscious on the ice. Tucker was eventually taken off on a stretcher and, according to the team, suffered a concussion. He remained in the hospital overnight and is expected to be released on Saturday, according to TSN.

Ruutu was issued a five-minute major for boarding and given a game misconduct following the hit.

The Avalanche responded with a goal on the ensuing power play before winning the game, 5-4, and continuing their impressive early season performance that currently has them atop the Western Conference with a 7-1-1 record.

Tuomo Ruutu Suspended 3 Games for Hit on Darcy Tucker originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darcy Tucker Removed on Stretcher After Hit From Tuomo Ruutu

Tom Mantzouranis — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:49:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Hurricanes, NHL Injuries

Avalanche forward Darcy Tucker was immobilized and taken away on a stretcher after he was checked into the boards by Carolina forward Tuomo Ruutu.

The hit came just over five minutes into the second period in Friday night's game in Colorado. Tucker had turned away from Ruutu to play the puck, and Ruutu drove Tucker into the glass from behind. The game was tied 2-2 at the time.

Video of the hit after the jump.

UPDATE: Tuomo Ruutu Suspended for 3 Games

After falling to his back, the gritty forward was motionless as doctors attended to him. He was able to move his right arm as he was taken off the ice. The team has announced that he has regained full consciousness and is fully alert, though he suffered a concussion and needed stitches.

Ruutu was assessed a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct. Colorado was able to take advantage, with Milan Hejduk breaking the tie on the ensuing power play. The Avalanche scored right after the penalty expired, as well, before Carolina was able to draw back within a goal, 4-3, to end the second period. After a couple more goals, Colorado held on to win 5-4.

Tucker had the worst season of his career in 2008, but has been a microcosm of the Avalanche team this year, exceeding expectations. Healthy and seemingly refreshed, he's been able to play the type of blue-collar game that made him a fan favorite in his time with the Maple Leafs. With six points in nine games for the first-place Avalanche, the timing of the hit and any ensuing injuries is awful.

Darcy Tucker Removed on Stretcher After Hit From Tuomo Ruutu originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fight of the Week: Pairing Off

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Flames, Hurricanes, Islanders, Oilers, Wild, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.

Sometimes, one fight just isn't good enough. Such was the case in Calgary recently, as the Flames and Canucks met for one of six matchups between the division rivals this season. It took just 2:32 for two fights to break out. Even though there were two good scraps going on at once, there was a clear winner for our Fight of the Week honors.

Beatdown of the Week: David Koci vs. Derek Boogaard

Boogaard missed the first few games of the season, and he hasn't had many opportunities to drop the gloves. In fact, this fight with Koci was his first of the season. Needless to say, the Wild fan favorite didn't look very rusty, as he quickly and decisively polished off Koci.

Runner Up: Rick Rypien vs. Zack Stortini

If we measured the quality of a fight simply by counting the number of punches thrown, this one would be a solid candidate for the best fight of the season. However, the problem is that Rypien appeared to throw the vast majority of the punches, and Stortini struggled to get any shots in.

Runner Up: Scott Walker vs. Brendan Witt

Walker is a proven tough guy in this league, and this looked like a bit of a mismatch when it started. The heavily-tattooed Witt held his own, however, and helped turn this into a very entertaining fight. In the end, though, it's hard to argue against this being anything but a decisive win for Walker.

Fight(s) of the Week: Darcy Hordichuk vs. Brian McGrattan/Tanner Glass vs. Brandon Prust

The Prust/Glass fight was pretty solid, but it doesn't hold a candle to McGrattan battling Hordichuk. The two exchanged some solid blows right up to the end, which came when McGrattan absolutely leveled Hordichuk with a right. Prust and Glass got off to a fast start, but it quickly turned into a wrestling match on ice. The linesmen broke it up when they were up against the glass for too long.

Fight of the Week: Pairing Off originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duchene, O'Reilly Staying With Avalanche

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:25:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Western, Junior Hockey

While in the midst of a youth movement, it appears the Colorado Avalanche have something going. After a disastrous 2008-2009 season that led to what was nearly a full housecleaning in Denver, the organization picked up two bright young players early in the June draft.

Those players -- Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly -- were thought to be big pieces of the future. Instead, the pair represent the club's future, too.

Duchene was Colorado's first-round pick, third overall. It's really no surprise that he wasn't sent back to his Canadian junior team before the season started, and it also doesn't register as a shock to hear that Duchene will be sticking with the Avalanche and not returning to the Brampton Battalion.

He won the job as the second-line center for the Avalanche, and he scored his first career NHL goal in the Avs' shootout win over Detroit Saturday. The teenager is averaging almost 17 minutes of ice time per game, and he's acquitted himself quite nicely with the veterans on the club.

"His computer," (defenseman Brett) Clark said. "In the room, he's pretty much got the laptop open all the time, propped up in bed, headphones on. But he's a pretty amazing kid. He's just all hockey, but he's smart with other things too. He was showing me some of the designs he's made, like the high school team logo he came up with, and it's pretty unbelievable."

O'Reilly was a bit of a longshot to make the team in training camp, and there were likely some who didn't think he had a chance to stick. However, the Avalanche are keeping him around, too. It makes sense. He's over 14 minutes per game, already has six points, and is so responsible defensively that he's become a trusted penalty killer. He leads all Colorado forwards in plus-minus (plus-five).

In case you're wondering, because both players had major junior eligibility remaining, the Avalanche had a decision to make.

According to NHL rules, if a player with junior eligibility remaining plays 10 NHL games, the first year of his entry-level contract goes into effect. The Avalanche still would be able to send Duchene back to his junior club, but that's unlikely due to his contract status and the fact that they wouldn't be able to recall him until Brampton's season was over.

(The same rules applied to O'Reilly, whose rights were owned by the Erie Otters.)

There may be some in the hockey world who criticize the organization for burning the first year of the youngsters' entry-level deals. For a rebuilding team that is off to a surprising start, however, this is much more of a no-brainer than you might think. The team gains nothing out of using marginal players to fill the roles Duchene and O'Reilly have been playing.

Instead, the kids will get better because they're getting real minutes in NHL games.

Duchene, O'Reilly Staying With Avalanche originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fight of the Week: Colton Orr Takes Over

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Blue Jackets, Flames, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Predators, Senators, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.

Some weeks, this job is just too easy. Our search for the best hockey fights includes a couple dandies this week, including a classic heavyweight battle in Toronto. It's the kind of bout that makes Brian Burke smile. Check out our runners-up, along with video of this week's best fight, after the jump.

Runner Up: Matt Walker vs. Chris Neil

Video here. Walker got some good early shots in, but Neil had a rally in him. This went from being a one-sided affair to quite competitive very quickly.

Runner Up: Jared Boll vs. Brandon Prust

Boll is one of the more underrated fighters in the league. He's big and strong, and also happens to be tough as nails. Prust brought some intensity to this fight, and he didn't back down after Boll landed an early right that would have staggered a lot of guys. Watch Prust make an impressive comeback here.

Runner Up: Zack Stortini vs. Triston Grant

Last week, we showed you Stortini standing and watching as skilled teammate Sam Gagner got in a scrap. No more of that, as Stortini mixed it up Tuesday, as his Oilers were blowing out the Predators. Stortini is a lot bigger than Grant, but the Nashville youngster held his own, mainly by keeping a strong hold on Stortini and limiting his ability to punch. Watch the video here.

Fight of the Week: David Koci vs. Colton Orr

This is easy. You don't even have to watch the video to know it's awesome, because Koci and Orr have plenty of experience and are more than capable of putting on a show. The heavyweights wore each other down, and there were more than a few punches thrown. Apologies for the lack of sound, but the feed that night had audio issues throughout. It's too bad, because it would be worth money to hear Joe Bowen call a fight this good.

Fight of the Week: Colton Orr Takes Over originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Milestone For Nicklas Lidstrom: 1,000 Points

Adam Gretz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Canadiens, Capitals, Kings, Sharks, Red Wings

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Red Wings 5, Kings 2: Four Stanley Cups, six Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, 10 All-Star games, and now ... 1,000 career points. With his assist on Henrik Zetterberg's goal at the 3:24 mark of the third period (his second assist of the game), Nicklas Lidstrom recorded the 1,000th point of his remarkable career, joining fellow rearguards Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque, Al MacInnis, Phil Housley, Brian Leetch, Larry Murphy, and Denis Potvin as the only defensemen to reach such a mark. As for the rest of the Wings, they pulled out a 5-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings, and did so in shorthanded fashion, playing without the services of not only injured forward Johan Franzen, but also Pavel Datsyuk.

After the jump: Video of Lidstrom's milestone, Ovechkin scores two, and more

Capitals 4, Sharks 1: Alex Ovechkin entered Thursday's game riding a three-game goal-less streak, which seems like an eternity for him. It goes without saying that he was probably due for a goal or two, and, hark, that's exactly what he provided in a 4-1 win against San Jose, while also recording 13 of Washington's 36 shots on goal. Alexander Semin and Matt Bradley also filled the net for Washington, while Semyon Varlamov stopped 15 shots. Varlamov took over for Jose Theodore when he left with an injury following the first period.

Avalanche 3, Canadiens 2: After a five-game road trip to open the season, the Montreal Canadiens finally had their home opener on Thursday night and the surprising Colorado Avalanche managed to crash the party with a 3-2 win. The Avs received goals from Milan Hejduk, Kyle Cumiskey and Ryan O'Reilly, while Craig Anderson continued to shine by stopping 29 of 31 shots. Despite a rare 7-on-5 power play to close out the game, Montreal's final push came up just short.

Thursday's Other Games

Hats off to Milan Michalek for his hat trick in Ottawa's 7-1 win over Tampa Bay. [Box Score, Recap]

Chicago improves to 5-1-1 with its win in Nashville. [Box Score, Recap]

Phoenix beats St. Louis in overtime. [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- Vancouver Canucks forward Pavol Demitra is dealing with shoulder tendinitis. [Nucks Misconduct]

-- The Phoenix Coyotes sent 2008 first-round pick Mikkel Boedker to San Antonio of the AHL. [Arizona Republic]

-- Don't look now, but Marc-Andre Fleury is 6-0. [Pensburgh]

Video Of The Day

Nice work, Mr. Lidstrom.

Friday's Key Games

Islanders vs. Sabres: The Islanders haven't won in four games, and all four have been decided by one goal, including three overtime decisions. They travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres who have yet to lose in regulation.

Flyers vs. Panthers: Florida hasn't won since its season-opening win against Chicago in Finland. The Panthers have another tough game on Friday when they host The Broad Street Bullies.

Canucks vs. Flames: After opening with three straight losses, the Canucks have won two in a row. The Flames, after opening with four straight wins, have now lost three in a row. The two teams meet Friday in Calgary.

Another Milestone For Nicklas Lidstrom: 1,000 Points originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Counting to 7 Is Hard For NHL Officials

Adam Gretz — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:55:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Canadiens, NHL Videos

Remember Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final when Pittsburgh managed to skate with six men on the ice for about 20 seconds, while none of the on-ice officials noticed it? Well, we had a replay of it on Thursday night in the Montreal vs. Colorado game. Only Montreal played with seven players.

With the Canadiens trailing, 3-2, and desperately trying to tie the score in their home opener, goaltender Carey Price went to the bench in favor of the extra attacker, which coincided with defenseman Hal Gill coming out of the penalty box. Instead of going to the bench, Gill remained on the ice and joined the play. The result? A 7-on-5 power play to close out the game.

Video, of course, after the jump.

This comes from NHL.com's game highlights with the focus intended for Craig Anderson's save on Tomas Plekanec, but as you can clearly see on the video, the Canadiens have seven players on the ice, which is, obviously, one more than they're allowed in that situation.

Too many men on the ice calls get missed all the time and nobody makes a big deal about it after the fact, usually because they happen so fast they rarely have much of an impact on the game. But given the situation (the closing seconds of a one-goal game) and the fact there are seven guys on the ice, that's a pretty big call for the men in stripes to miss. Fortunately for the Avs, the missed call didn't hurt them as they managed to hold on for the 3-2 win, improving to 5-1-1 on the season.

Just in case you missed it on the video, here's a still-frame found at the always on-the-ball Hockey's Future message boards.

Counting to 7 Is Hard For NHL Officials originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: An Example of Murphy's Law at Work in Toronto

Adam Gretz — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Maple Leafs, NHL Videos

OK, so maybe it's not all Vesa Toskala's fault in Toronto. I don't mean to pile on the Maple Leafs here, but man, this team can't catch a break.

With its 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, Toronto fell to 0-5-1 on the season, dropping its fifth straight game in regulation.

The description on TV (video after the jump) following Colorado's fourth goal of the game seems to sum up the Leafs' season through the first three weeks: "when it rains, it pours."

Head coach Ron Wilson attempted a number of lineup changes prior to the game.

Toskala, the Leafs' embattled goaltender, was out of the lineup with a knee injury and replaced by third-string netminder Joey MacDonald, while Wilson scratched Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman and Jeff Finger, replacing them with Garnet Exelby, Tyler Bozak and Vikor Stalberg ... and getting the same result on the scoreboard.

A loss.

With his team trailing, 3-1, midway through the second period, free agent acquisition Mike Komisarek went for a big hit, and as he attempted to get himself back into position, he was unlucky enough to have a puck bounce off of his head and find its way into the net to give the Avs what turned out to be an insurmountable 4-1 advantage.

It's just been an awful start for Toronto, and Komisarek in particular. He was also responsible for an elbowing penalty that led to Darcy Tucker's power play goal earlier in the period.

While everything that can go wrong in Toronto is going wrong, it's the exact opposite for the folks in Colorado. A team that entered the season with seemingly zero expectations is now 4-1-1 out of the gate. It's Colorado's best start to a season since it opened the 2000-01 campaign with a 9-0-2 mark.

Video: An Example of Murphy's Law at Work in Toronto originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oilers Makes Most of Limited Chances

Adam Gretz — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Bruins, Oilers, Predators

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Oilers 6, Predators 1: Unlike the Calgary Flames, the Edmonton Oilers were able to build a 5-0 lead and hold on for a win, as they crushed the Predators on Monday night. The 6-1 score is impressive for Edmonton as it was outshot by a 2:1 margin (41-20) over the course of the game. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers stopped 40 shots for the Oilers, while Zach Stortini scored a pair of goals in the win.

After the jump: Colorado's special teams shine, video of the day, and more

Avalanche 4, Bruins 3: Craig Anderson and the Avalanche held off a third period rally from the Boston Bruins to improve to 3-1-1 on the young season. David Jones' shorthanded tally at the 16:50 mark of the second period proved to be the game-winner for Avalanche, which also received goals from Marek Svatos, Scott Hannan and Milan Hejduk. Colorado's special teams was the difference in the game as it went 2-for-3 on the power play and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, including the Jones shorthanded goal.

Monday's Other Games

The Islanders lost their fourth one-goal game in a row, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Los Angeles Kings. [Box Score, Recap]

Chicago's awesome comeback. [Box Score, Gretz's recap]

The Penguins improve to 5-1 on the season with a 4-1 win in Ottawa. [Box Score, Recap]

Toronto remains win-less thanks to its loss in New York. [Box Score, Botta's Recap]

New Jersey comes back against Washington. [Box Score, Recap]

Panthers lose their fourth in a row. [Box Score, Recap]

San Jose hosts the Coyotes. [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- We're not even three weeks into the season and Carey Price is already under the microscope in Montreal. A bit over the top, I'd say. [Montreal Gazette]

-- Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch is worth $1.4 billion according to Forbes Magazine. [Mlive]

Video Of The Day

Brent Seabrook scores the game-winner in Chicago's improbable comeback win.

Tuesday's Games

Flames vs. Blue Jackets: The Flames are probably looking forward to playing another game so they can forget about Monday's loss.

Red Wings vs. Sabres: The Red Wings have won two in a row and look to extend their winning streak against the Sabres in Buffalo.

Avalanche vs. Maple Leafs: Both teams are playing the second half of back-to-back games, while Toronto is still searching for its first win.

Oilers Makes Most of Limited Chances originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puck Talk: Just How Good Is Ovechkin?

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Capitals, Sharks, FanHouse Exclusive

The NHL season has begun, and it sure was an interesting first week. A scoring binge in Washington, stunning defensive start in Denver, and a stumble out of the gates in San Jose. FanHouse national NHL insider Christopher Botta joins us this week, as we break down the lid-lifters around the league. Listen after the jump.

Listen to the podcast above, or click here to download the file.

Puck Talk: Just How Good Is Ovechkin? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hockey Talk: NHL FanHouse Live Chat

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Capitals, Sharks, NHL Fans, NHL Live Blogging

The opening week of the NHL season featured plenty of excitement, a few surprises, some bitter fans (mainly DirecTV customers), and some fisticuffs.

The NHL FanHouse gang will break down the events so far in a live chat at 2 PM ET. Join us after the jump.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=63bfb8ead4" &amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NHL FanHouse Live Chat&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Hockey Talk: NHL FanHouse Live Chat originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHL FanHouse 1-on-1: Avalanche Coach Joe Sacco

Christopher Botta — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, FanHouse Exclusive

FanHouse reached Avalanche coach Joe Sacco on the phone in his office at Colorado's practice facility Tuesday morning. The Avalanche, predicted by many to finish last in the West, is off to a 2-0 start after wins over San Jose and Vancouver. The first-year coach was understandably reluctant to celebrate too much -- especially with a seven-game road trip beginning Thursday in Nashville -- but was happy to talk about his team's surprise start.

What were the keys to your two wins?

It starts with Craig Anderson in goal, of course. He has been outstanding for us. I also feel that we laid the groundwork in training camp for the kind of style that we're going to play, and the players have really responded.

"I can tell you there isn't a single person here who thinks this is a last-place team. One of our biggest themes in meetings is that we are going to surprise teams. I really believe it." How would you describe the system you have implemented?

Aggressive, lots of puck pursuit. We need to be a difficult team to play against. We have to forecheck hard, play with some structure and create turnovers in the offensive zone. We have to bring tons of energy and effort to the rink very night.

At your season opener at home, there was also plenty of emotion.

That was a special night for our franchise -- honoring Joe Sakic. Everyone on our team looks up to Joe. Seeing he and his family, seeing how much he meant to our fans, that really got us going. The arena was packed and you felt like you were part of an historic event. Our players wanted to come up big and they did.

Were you as happy with your effort against Vancouver (a 3-0 win)?

That was much different. We came out flat, but Craig kept us in the game. Little by little, we started to take over and we were opportunistic. But ultimately, that game was about Craig Anderson. We won and I had plenty to go over in the video when we got back to practice.

As a team that needs to focus on its forecheck and keep chances-against down, you do have something of an advantage in a pretty good scoring line.

We do. We've had Paul Stastny (one goal and three assists) between Milan Hedjuk (0-3) and Wojtek Wolski (3-1-4). That's a high-skill line. We also have Marek Svatos and an up-and-coming kid like Matt Duchene, so hopefully we can have a balanced attack.

Has Duchene surprised you, considering he's just 18 years old?

We're playing two 18-year-olds. (2009 second round pick) Ryan O'Reilly, too. We're very happy with both of them. I didn't know much about Duchene until he came to camp. He's a very smart, very skilled hockey player with exceptional speed. They're both getting good ice time, around 12-14 minutes. You just want to see them progressing and not put too much pressure on them.

How important is it to have a respected Cup-winning veteran like Adam Foote as your captain?

Adam's been great for us. He's very excited to be captain because he knows he has a good crew of young players with him. He's vocal and he's a competitor. Our entire coaching staff is made up of first-year NHL coaches, so it's been good to have Adam as a sounding board on some issues.

Were you aware that so many people picked you to finish last in the West?

That's okay. If anything, we'll use it as motivation. I can tell you there isn't a single person here who thinks this is a last-place team. One of our biggest themes in our meetings is that we are going to surprise teams. I really believe it.

What do you hope to accomplish this week in practice before your seven-game road trip begins Thursday?

We're spending a lot of time working on our play away from the puck. Especially with so many young players, we are a work in progress. There's always teaching to be done.

NHL FanHouse 1-on-1: Avalanche Coach Joe Sacco originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Craig Anderson's Impressive Debut

Adam Gretz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Blues, Red Wings, NHL Videos

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

After all 30 teams hit the ice on Saturday, there were zero games on the schedule for Sunday. So, let's rewind back to some of the bigger performances and stories of the weekend, starting with Colorado Avalanche goaltender Craig Anderson. Not much is expected from the Avalanche this year, as most preseason predictions -- including yours truly -- have them pegged as the No. 13, 14, or 15 team in the Western Conference.

You wouldn't know it by watching their first two games, as first-year head coach Joe Sacco and his group have stormed out of the gate with a 2-0 mark, knocking off Western Conference powers San Jose and Vancouver. Leading the way is Goaltender Craig Anderson.

After the jump: St. Louis' quick-strike offense, video of the day, and more

After turning aside 38 of 40 shots Thursday's season opening win against San Jose, Anderson one-upped himself on Saturday by blanking the Vancouver Canucks. Through two games the 28-year-old netminder has stopped 73 of 75 shots for an impressive .973 save percentage. A former third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2001, Anderson spent the past three seasons as a backup in Florida, posting a .928 save percentage in 43 starts.

It's still early, and we're still dealing with a relatively small sample size when it comes to Anderson's performance in goal (only 90 starts in seven years), but Colorado couldn't have asked for a better start from their free agent goaltender.

Speaking of fast starts. At the start of the 2008-09 season, the St. Louis Blues would have been considered a long shot to qualify for the postseason before they lost a number of key players (Andy McDonald, Erik Johnson, and Paul Kariya, just to name a few) to injury. The fact they not only made the playoffs, but finished in the top-six of the Western Conference, made them one of the best stories of the season. They're off to a fantastic start this year, winning back-to-back games against the Detroit Red Wings, the team that's represented the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons, in Stockholm, Sweden, and doing so in impressive fashion.

After falling behind, 3-1, in the second period on Friday, the Blues rebounded with three goals in five minutes, including a pair from Kariya, and held off the Red Wings for a 4-3 win. On Saturday, they were once again scoring goals in bunches as they beat Detroit backup goaltender Jimmy Howard twice in 14 seconds to take a 4-3 lead, before going on to win 5-3 to complete the weekend sweep.

For Detroit, the goaltending duo of Chris Osgood and Howard surrendered nine goals on just 55 shots (.836 save percentage), and will likely be under the microscope much of the regular season - until April rolls around and Osgood once again flips the switch and turns into a brickwall in net.

Loose Pucks

-- During Pittsburgh's 4-3 shootout win against John Tavares and the New York Islanders on Saturday, defenseman Brendan Witt leveled Penguins forward Ruslan Fedotenko with a clean, legal, open-ice hit at the blue line. Almost instantly, Witt was under seige from Penguins Jay McKee and Evgeni Malkin, challenging him to a fight, and continuing a disturbing -- and, frankly, a very annoying -- trend in the NHL where every clean hit must be answered with a fight. Why? Why should Witt, or any player, have to stand up for himself, and defend himself, for playing within the rules? As a result of the actions of Malkin and McKee, the Penguins handed the Islanders a full two-minute, two-man advantage, resulting in New York's first goal of the night. [Video of the Hit]

-- Was the instigator rule used improperly in the Daniel Carcillo vs. Tim Gleason bout Friday night? [Broad Street Hockey]

Video Of The Day

Tomas Vokoun makes the best of his 52 saves in Florida's season opening 4-3 win against Chicago in Helsinki, Finland.

Monday's Key Games

New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils: Always a good time when the Rangers and Devils get together. The Devils dropped their opening on Saturday to the Flyers, while the Rangers are coming off their first win of the season, a 5-2 victory against Ottawa.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Vancouver Canucks: Vancouver has dropped its first two games of the season, losing at Calgary and Colorado. The Canucks open their home schedule against Steve Mason and the Blue Jackets.

Craig Anderson's Impressive Debut originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avs Honor Joe Sakic; Canadiens Beat Leafs in Overtime

Adam Gretz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Sharks

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Avalanche 5, Sharks 2: The Colorado Avalanche gave their fans something to celebrate before the game by retiring the number of future Hall of Famer Joe Sakic (the banner only includes the franchises time in Colorado which seems ... odd). During the game, they gave their fans something else to celebrate as their team put on an impressive showing in a convincing 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Wojtek Wolski scored a pair of goals for Colorado, while first-round pick Matt Duchene had a strong debut, flashing some of the ability that made him the No. 3 overall pick in June. The story of the night for the Avs, however, was the play of goaltender Craig Anderson.

After the jump: Montreal steals one, video of the night, key games this weekend

Anderson, a free agent acquisition from Florida this offseason, stopped 38 of 40 shots, including all 19 he faced in the third period as the Avalanche were outshot by a 19-1 margin in the final frame. He also came up large midway through the period as Colorado successfully killed off a full two-minute, two-man advantage.

He did get some help when San Jose's big offseason pickup, Dany Heatley, whiffed on a wide-open one-time attempt from right on the door step.

Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3: I don't know how many games the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to win this season, but if Thursday's season opener is any indication, they're going to be must-see TV on most nights. Fights. Goals. Pressure. Intensity. Hell, it took free agent signing Colton Orr just two minutes to throw down with Georges Laraque in what was the first of three fights on the night.

Their spirited effort against long-time nemesis Montreal wasn't enough, however, as Josh Gorges banged home a rebound with under 10 seconds to play in overtime to give the Canadiens a 4-3 win. After Matt Stajan gave Toronto a 3-2 lead midway through the third period -- his second goal of the game -- Glen Metropolit evened the score with 4:46 to play in the third period, forcing overtime. Carey Price stood tall in net for Montreal, turning aside 43 of 46 shots, while Vesa Toskala surrendered four goals on 27 shots for the Leafs.

The Rest Of Thursday's Action

Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich each score a pair as the Capitals dominate Boston. [Box Score, Botta's Recap]

Calgary holds off Vancouver's comeback attempt. [Box Score, Recap]

Loose Pucks

-- Not everybody in Chicago is expecting a Stanley Cup from the Blackhawks this season. Take, for example, Mike Kiley on Blackhawks Confidential. I'll supply the PG part: "Shut up about the Stanley Cup finals being within reach. Shut up about One Goal. Shut up about Cup or Bust." [Blackhawks Confidential]

-- In a mailbag segment at the Washingon Post on Thursday, a reader asked Thomas Boswell if "Theo" (as in Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore) can have a consistent season, and even makes a reference to "opening night." Boswell responds with 151 words about Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox. Yikes. [Washington Post, via Japers Rink]

-- Free agent forward Blair Betts signs a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. [CSN Philadelphia]

Video Of The Night

We'll give it to Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich for scoring the first goal of the NHL season, his first of two on the night. Not the best goal you'll see, but it's the first of the season and that's always a pleasant sight.

Key Games To Watch This Weekend

Penguins vs. Rangers: The Stanley Cup banner gets raised at Mellon Arena on Friday night as the Penguins host their Atlantic Division rivals. Captain Sidney Crosby is nursing a sore groin but is expected to be in the lineup, even if he's not 100 percent.

European Vacation: The Red Wings and Blues will spend their weekend playing a pair of games in Stockholm, Sweden, while the Panthers and Blackhawks drop the puck in Helsinki, Finland. All four teams that opened the season overseas a year ago went through in-season coaching changes. Odds of that repeating this year: 0 percent.

Islanders vs. Penguins: The Islanders open their season on Saturday night and celebrate the arrival of No. 1 overall pick John Tavares.

Lighting vs. Thrashers: Speaking of debuts ... No. 2 overall pick Victor Hedman and the Tampa Bay Lightning travel to Atlanta on Saturday night.

All 30 teams will be in action on Saturday night.

Avs Honor Joe Sakic; Canadiens Beat Leafs in Overtime originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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