CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016

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1 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016 Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters says team is not playing out the string By Chip Alexander Even though Eric Staal no longer plays for the Carolina Hurricanes, he had a chance to give them an assist Thursday. Staal and the New York Rangers, his new team, went to Pittsburgh on Thursday night to face the Penguins. A Rangers win would have kept the Canes four points behind Pittsburgh in the fight for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Pens won 4-1. For those who might be wondering, the Canes haven t given up on making the playoffs. Those hopes aren t packed away like Kris Versteeg s sticks. There are 17 games remaining, and while Staal, Versteeg and John-Michael Liles were traded, while general manager Ron Francis talks about building for the future and Canes coach Bill Peters has talked of the final stretch being an evaluation period, the players believe more is possible. Derek Ryan, Brock McGinn and Ryan Murphy have filled in the gaps. While the Canes lost 5-2 to the St. Louis Blues Sunday a game played a few hours after Staal was traded they bounced back to top the New Jersey Devils 3-1 Tuesday. These are not games where we re going to not try, forward Jeff Skinner said. Guys are playing for jobs. Every time you go out and play in the NHL, it s a chance to sort of show yourself and show what you can do. It s not different now, for anyone. You come to the rink and you try to win the game. And after that game you try to win the next game and try to win that one. For us, that s the way you have to look at it. There are too many what-ifs, when you starting counting things. As players you just focus on doing your job. The Canes ( ) play Saturday on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After returning to Raleigh for a home game Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators, the Canes will have a run of another five road games, including a stop in Pittsburgh on March 17. Asked this week about realistic expectations for his team, Peters said: We re going to win every game we play. We re going to prepare the same way. Nothing s changing. Our expectations are very high but they re realistic. Peters said there would be more call-ups from the AHL s Charlotte Checkers, allowing the coaching staff and management the chance to see them against NHL competition and make personnel decisions heading into the postseason. There also will be players changing positions. Peters said Elias Lindholm, used primarily as a right wing in his three NHL seasons, would be used at center. When he goes in the middle it s not going to be for one or two periods or one or two games, Peters said. It s going to be an extended look. He was drafted as a center, hasn t played a lot of center in the NHL. But we re going to know at the end of this year of he can do it or not. The same can be said for goalie Eddie Lack. Cam Ward is in the last year of his contract, and the Canes would like to have a better handle on Lack given a two-year extension before the season before any further contract discussions with Ward. With so many young players asked to play a fast-paced style of game, there will be mistakes. There will be defensive breakdowns and miscommunication in the offensive zone and on special teams. You make mistakes and you re working hard, you re going right back out, Peters said. The other side, though, is if there s a bunch of mistakes through non-effort, now that s an issue. I don t think we ll have any issues moving forward. Even before the trades March appeared daunting, with nine of the 14 games away from Raleigh. The last game of the month is a March 31 home game against the Rangers, with Staal making what should be an emotional return. We re not playing out the string one bit, Peters said. That s not acceptable. We ve laid a bit of a foundation and a culture and we re not deviating from that at all. It s a great evaluation time but we want to keep accumulating points and getting wins.

2 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016 NHL.com fills out World Cup rosters Teams will announce final seven players by June 1 by Dan / NHL.com Senior Writer Challenge accepted. After revealing the first 16 players on their rosters for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey on Wednesday, the general managers and coaches for the eight teams mentioned how they've completed the easy part, and that naming the final seven players by June 1 will be far more difficult. Why wait? OK, the GMs and coaches want to wait because they have almost three more months to watch and evaluate and generally overthink the final seven players they want to put on their roster for the tournament that starts Sept. 17 in Toronto. Forget about all that. Factoring in balance, style of play, experience, and of course talent, here is a rundown of who the final seven players should be for each team in the World Cup, why they were selected, and a potential lineup featuring the seven additions plus the 16 players already on each team. Let's just call it a cheat sheet for the executives and coaches, not that they really need it: TEAM CANADA F: Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks), Ryan O'Reilly (Buffalo Sabres), Taylor Hall (Edmonton Oilers), Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers) D: P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadiens), Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks), Mark Giordano (Calgary Flames) There's a lot of candidates, but it's about finding the right fits. The forward additions would give Canada seven righties and six lefties and would give coach Mike Babcock the ability to play two centers, each with different strong sides, on the same line. That's big for faceoffs and balance in general. Canada would actually have 10 centers on the roster with the aforementioned additions. They are Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Ryan Getzlaf, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Jeff Carter, O'Reilly and Giroux. The additions on defense would give Babcock a chance to balance his lineup. Giordano is the third lefty. Subban and Burns are each righties with big shots. Canada's right side would feature three big shots, including the biggest from Shea Weber, plus Drew Doughty's brilliant all-around game. Potential lineup Forwards Taylor Hall - Sidney Crosby - Steven Stamkos John Tavares - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry Jamie Benn - Jonathan Toews - Jeff Carter Ryan O'Reilly - Patrice Bergeron - Tyler Seguin Claude Giroux Defensemen Duncan Keith - Brent Burns Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Drew Doughty Mark Giordano - P.K. Subban Shea Weber Goalies Carey Price Braden Holtby Corey Crawford TEAM CZECH REPUBLIC D: Zbynek Michalek (Arizona Coyotes), Marek Zidlicky (New York Islanders), Jakub Kindl (Florida Panthers) F: Jaromir Jagr (Florida Panthers), Jiri Hudler (Florida Panthers), Andrej Nestrasil (Carolina Hurricanes), Tomas Fleischmann (Chicago Blackhawks) Jagr is the wild card. Two years ago, Jagr said he was finished playing for the Czech national team. He's still making an impact in the NHL and seeing as the World Cup takes place before the season, it could give Jagr extra incentive (as if he really needs it) to ramp up his offseason training. The Czechs are lacking in defensemen, but they can add three who are in the NHL in Kindl, Michalek and Zidlicky, who will help them move the puck up the ice and contribute on the power play. Potential lineup Forwards Ondrej Palat - David Krejci - David Pastrnak Andrej Nestrasil - Tomas Plekanec - Jakub Voracek Jiri Hudler - Martin Hanzal - Jaromir Jagr Vladimir Sobotka - Tomas Hertl - Michael Frolik Tomas Fleischmann Defenseman Marek Zidlicky - Roman Polak Jakub Kindl - Andrej Sustr Michael Kempny - Zbynek Michalek Radko Gudas Goalies Petr Mrazek Michal Neuvirth Ondrej Pavelec

3 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016 TEAM EUROPE G: Thomas Greiss (New York Islanders) D: Luca Sbisa (Vancouver Canucks), Christian Ehrhoff (Chicago Blackhawks) F: Zemgus Girgensons (Buffalo Sabres), Marian Gaborik (Los Angeles Kings), Nikolaj Ehlers (Winnipeg Jets), Nino Niederreiter (Minnesota Wild) The additions of Girgensons, Gaborik, Ehlers and Niederreiter will make the skill on Team Europe's forward group formidable when you factor in Anze Kopitar, Mats Zuccarello, Marian Hossa, Leon Draisaitl, Thomas Vanek and Tomas Tatar. Girgensons is necessary because he'll fill the fourth-line center spot. Team Europe's top three centers are Kopitar, Draisaitl and Frans Nielsen. Ehrhoff and Sbisa would likely come in as the sixth and seventh defensemen, respectively, behind Zdeno Chara, Roman Josi, Dennis Seidenberg, Andrej Sekera and Mark Streit. Team Europe's problem is Chara would be the only righty, but the options are slim. Potential lineup Forwards Mikkel Boedker - Anze Kopitar - Marian Hossa Tomas Tatar - Leon Draisaitl - Mats Zuccarello Thomas Vanek - Frans Nielsen - Marian Gaborik Nino Niederreiter - Zemgus Girgensons - Nikolaj Ehlers Jannik Hansen Defensemen Dennis Seidenberg - Zdeno Chara Andrei Sekera - Roman Josi Mark Streit - Christian Ehrhoff Luca Sbisa Goalies Frederik Andersen Jaroslav Halak Thomas Greiss TEAM FINLAND G: Joonas Korpisalo (Columbus Blue Jackets) F: Erik Haula (Minnesota Wild), Joel Armia (Winnipeg Jets), Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche) D: Petteri Lindbohm (St. Louis Blues), Jyrki Jokipakka (Calgary Flames), Juuso Hietanen (Dynamo Moscow - KHL) Teemu Selanne isn't coming out of retirement (we think) to play for Team Finland, but it shouldn't change the way the Finns play. They're always a pain in the neck for the opponent and they typically have just enough skill and will to go home with a medal. Rantanen is the most interesting addition. He's 19 years old and is having a strong first professional season in the American Hockey League with 48 points for the San Antonio Rampage. He's a big part of the Colorado Avalanche's future. The issue the Finns have is on defense. They're thin on the back end and may need to rely on three players who are not currently in the NHL. Esa Lindell and Lindbohm are in the American Hockey League. Hietanen is in the Kontinental Hockey League. Potential lineup Forwards Teuvo Teravainen - Aleksander Barkov - Joonas Donskoi Mikael Granlund - Mikko Koivu - Joel Armia Leo Komarov - Jori Lehtera - Lauri Korpikoski Jussi Jokinen - Valtteri Filppula - Mikko Rantanen Erik Haula Defensemen Olli Maatta - Rasmus Ristolainen Jyrki Jokipakka - Sami Vatanen Petteri Lindbohm - Esa Lindell Juuso Hietanen Goalies Tuukka Rask Pekka Rinne Joonas Korpisalo TEAM NORTH AMERICA F: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Edmonton Oilers), Max Domi (Arizona Coyotes), Boone Jenner (Columbus Blue Jackets), Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida Panthers) D: Shayne Gostisbehere (Philadelphia Flyers), Jacob Trouba (Winnipeg Jets), Matt Dumba (Minnesota Wild) This is turning into one of the deeper teams in the tournament. You know it's a deep team when Nugent- Hopkins can't crack the first nine forwards selected and Gostisbehere and Trouba aren't among the first four defensemen taken. The swing players are Jack Eichel and Nathan MacKinnon. Both are centers, but moving them to right wing makes room on the depth chart for Nugent-Hopkins and allows Domi and Jenner to be the other two right wings. The team is so strong that Huberdeau might be the 13th forward. When healthy, he's a top-line left wing for a firstplace team this season. Potential lineup Forwards Dylan Larkin - Connor McDavid - Nathan MacKinnon Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Jack Eichel Brandon Saad - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Max Domi J.T. Miller - Sean Couturier - Boone Jenner Jonathan Huberdeau Defensemen Morgan Rielly - Aaron Ekblad Ryan Murray - Seth Jones Shayne Gostisbehere - Jacob Trouba Matt Dumba Goalies John Gibson Connor Hellebuyck Matthew Murray TEAM RUSSIA F: Ilya Kovalchuk (SKA St. Petersburg - KHL), Valeri Nichushkin (Dallas Stars), Alexander Radulov (CSKA Moscow - KHL) D: Nikita Nesterov (Tampa Bay Lightning), Alexei Emelin (Montreal Canadiens), Alexey Marchenko (Detroit Red Wings), Anton Belov (SKA St. Petersburg - KHL)

4 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016 The Russians went with only NHL players for their initial 16- player roster. It's a good step for a country that for the past two Olympics has split its roster almost evenly between NHL and KHL players only to lose in the quarterfinals each time. However, Kovalchuk and Radulov are no-brainers to be on this team. Nichushkin, with his size (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) and skill, should also be there. The defense is Russia's weakness. It won't get much stronger with the additions above, but the hope has to be that Nesterov, Emelin and Marchenko can at least keep pace. Belov, who played for the Oilers two seasons ago, would be the seventh defenseman. Russia would have six lefties and one righty (Marchenko) by adding the above three defensemen to a group that already includes Andrei Markov, Dmitry Orlov and Dmitry Kulikov. Potential lineup Forwards Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Ilya Kovalchuk Vladimir Tarasenko - Evgeni Malkin - Valeri Nichushkin Artemi Panarin - Artem Anisimov - Nikita Kucherov Alexander Radulov - Pavel Datsyuk - Nikolai Kulemin Vladislav Namestnikov Defensemen Alexei Emelin - Andrei Markov Dmitry Kulikov - Alexey Marchenko Dmitry Orlov - Nikita Nesterov Anton Belov Goalies Semyon Varlamov Sergei Bobrovsky Andrei Vasilevskiy TEAM SWEDEN G: Robin Lehner (Buffalo Sabres) D: John Klingberg (Dallas Stars) F: Gustav Nyquist (Detroit Red Wings), Marcus Kruger (Chicago Blackhawks), Rickard Rakell (Anaheim Ducks), Carl Soderberg (Colorado Avalanche), Carl Hagelin (Pittsburgh Penguins) The Swedes are the only team to have six defensemen on their initial 16-player roster. That one of them isn't Klingberg speaks to the depth Sweden has on the back end. Klingberg belongs on the team though. It can't hurt to have more offensive players who can control possession. Soderberg and Kruger would fill out Sweden's center depth chart, which already features Henrik Sedin, Nicklas Backstrom and, depending on where coach Rikard Gronborg chooses to play them, Alexander Steen, Henrik Zetterberg and Rakell. Adding Kruger and Soderberg allows Gronborg to play Steen and Zetterberg on the left side, where Sweden needs them most. Nyquist and Rakell fill out the right side and Hagelin can be a 13th forward used for his speed and penalty killing when necessary. Potential lineup Forwards Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Filip Forsberg Gabriel Landeskog - Nicklas Backstrom - Loui Eriksson Henrik Zetterberg - Carl Soderberg - Gustav Nyquist Alexander Steen - Marcus Kruger - Rickard Rakell Carl Hagelin Defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Erik Karlsson Niklas Kronwall - Niklas Hjalmarsson Victor Hedman - Anton Stralman John Klingberg Goalies Henrik Lundqvist Robin Lehner Jacob Markstrom TEAM USA F: Tyler Johnson (Tampa Bay Lightning), David Backes (St. Louis Blues), James van Riemsdyk (Toronto Maple Leafs), Phil Kessel (Pittsburgh Penguins) D: Justin Faulk (Carolina Hurricanes), Kevin Shattenkirk (St. Louis Blues), Cam Fowler (Anaheim Ducks) Kessel was the surprising omission on Team USA's initial 16-player roster. His style might not jibe with that of coach John Tortorella, but Kessel is too good of a goal scorer to leave off the final 23-player roster. Johnson and Backes fill out the center depth, and van Riemsdyk is necessary since he's a left wing and the U.S. is slim at that position behind Zach Parise, Max Pacioretty and Justin Abdelkader. Van Riemsdyk also gives the U.S. more size. Like Kessel and Backes, Faulk, Shattenkirk and Fowler played for the United States at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. They've done nothing to hurt their chances of making this team. Matt Niskanen is the other option, but he's another righty, just like Faulk and Shattenkirk. The U.S. has only two lefties now with Ryan Suter and Ryan McDonagh. Potential lineup Forwards Max Pacioretty - Joe Pavelski - Patrick Kane Zach Parise - Ryan Kesler - T.J. Oshie James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Johnson - Phil Kessel Justin Abdelkader - Derek Stepan - Blake Wheeler David Backes Defensemen Ryan Suter - John Carlson Ryan McDonagh - Dustin Byfuglien Cam Fowler - Justin Faulk Kevin Shattenkirk Goalies Cory Schneider Jonathan Quick Ben Bishop

5 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016 NHL Capsules GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Corey Perry had a goal and two assists, Jamie McGinn and Rickard Rakell scored on Anaheim's first two shots, and the Ducks tied a franchise record with their 10th straight victory by routing the Arizona Coyotes 5-1 on Thursday night. Cam Fowler and Josh Manson also scored, and Frederik Andersen stopped 27 shots as Anaheim stayed atop the Pacific Division. The Ducks matched the team's winning streak despite injured captain Ryan Getzlaf's absence. Anthony Duclair scored, and Niklas Treutle allowed five goals on 16 shots in first NHL start for the Coyotes in their seventh straight loss. LIGHTNING 4, SENATORS 1 OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Ben Bishop made 33 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning tied a franchise record with their eighth straight victory. Cedric Paquette, Ondrej Palat, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos into an empty net scored for the Lightning, who wrapped up a four-game road trip. Marc Methot scored the lone goal for the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond, making his first start since Feb. 11, made 25 saves. PENGUINS 4, RANGERS 1 PITTSBURGH (AP) Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist each scored in the final 2:13 of the second period, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins past the New York Rangers. Malkin added two assists and Phil Kessel scored into an empty net for the Penguins, who frustrated Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist midway through the second and chased him with a three-goal flurry at the end of the period. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27 shots for the Penguins and is one away from becoming the 20th goalie in NHL history to reach 350 wins. Chris Kreider scored his 14th for the Rangers, whose threegame win streak ended. BRUINS 4, BLACKHAWKS 2 BOSTON (AP) Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each had a goal and an assist to help lead the Boston Bruins over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ryan Spooner and Loui Eriksson also had goals for Boston, which won for the fifth time in seven games. The Bruins now prepare to face the Washington Capitals, the NHL's points leader, on Saturday, before heading out on the road for six of the next eight games. Jonathan Toews and Thomas Fleischmann scored for Chicago, which has dropped three of its last five and 6 of 10, but the Western Conference leaders remained two points ahead of Dallas and St. Louis, who were idle. OILERS 4, FLYERS 0 PHILADELPHIA (AP) Taylor Hall, Nail Yakupov, Patrick Maroon and Lauri Korpikoski all scored, and Cam Talbot made 35 saves to lead Edmonton to its third straight victory. Talbot, in his ninth straight start, earned his second shutout of the season and 10th of his career. Top rookie Connor McDavid had an assist in his first game versus the Flyers since being injured against them in Philadelphia's 4-2 win at Edmonton on Nov. 3. The 2015 No. 1 overall pick missed 37 games after breaking his clavicle when he was ridden hard into the boards by Philadelphia's Brandon Manning, who watched from the press box as a healthy scratch. SABRES 6, FLAMES 3 BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Johan Larsson scored the go-ahead goal with 9:31 left and Marcus Foligno had a goal and two assists in the Buffalo Sabres' win over the Calgary Flames. The loss extended the Flames' skid to and dropped into last place in the Western Conference. Jack Eichel, Nicolas Deslauriers, Rasmus Ristolainen and Evander Kane, with an empty-netter, also scored in helping Buffalo extend its home dominance over Calgary. The Sabres improved to in their past 12 home games against the Flames, with their last regulation loss a 3-1 defeat on March 15, Sean Monahan and Dougie Hamilton each had a goal and an assist, and Mikael Backlund also scored for the Flames. Calgary dropped its sixth consecutive road game. The Flames' winless streak is their longest since going in December WILD 2, MAPLE LEAFS 1 TORONTO (AP) Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund scored power-play goals to lead the Minnesota Wild past the Toronto Maple Leafs. Devan Dubnyk had 21 saves for the Wild, who hold the second wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference. Jake Gardiner gave the Leafs the lead early in the second period and Garret Spars making his second start since being recalled from Toronto of the AHL last weekend, finished with 20 saves. ISLANDERS 4, JETS 3, OT WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Kyle Okposo scored off a quirky rebound 2:20 into overtime to lift the New York Islanders over the Winnipeg Jets.

6 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016 New York's Frans Nielsen blasted the puck toward the net, but it hit Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers in the face. Okposo got the rebound and shot it in past Michael Hutchinson. Calvin de Haan, Shane Prince and Anders Lee also scored, and Thomas Greiss stopped 26 shots as the Islanders improved to 5-1 on their season-high seven-game road trip that concludes Sunday against the crosstown-rival New York Rangers. Mark Scheifele had two goals and Tyler Myers also scored for the Jets, who have lost six straight at home. DEVILS 5, PREDATORS 4, OT NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Adam Henrique forced overtime with a goal, then scored 1:54 into the extra period on the power play as the New Jersey Devils snapped the Nashville Predators' five-game winning streak. Henrique's wrister with 39.7 seconds tied it, and his 22nd goal this season 12 seconds after Nashville took a delay of game penalty led the Devils to their first win in four games. Travis Zajac also scored in the third, Kyle Palmieri had a power-play goal and two assists, and Devante Smith-Pelly also had a goal and an assist in his New Jersey debut. Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists, and Craig Smith and Mike Ribeiro each scored power-play goals and added an assist. The Predators set a franchise record with a point in their 11th straight game (7-0-4). AVALANCHE 3, PANTHERS 2 DENVER (AP) Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and an assist, Calvin Pickard made 24 of his 38 saves in the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Florida Panthers. Jaromir Jagr had an assist on Florida's first goal to tie Gordie Howe for third in career points with 1,850. Jagr, in his 22nd season, ranks third in goals with 743 and his 1,107 assists are sixth. He is 37 points behind Mark Messier for second. Matt Duchene and Mikkel Boedker also scored and Tyson Barrie had two assists for Colorado. Brian Campbell and Erik Gudbranson had the goals for Florida, and Roberto Luongo had 23 saves. SHARKS 3, CANUCKS 2 VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Patrick Marleau scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and the San Jose Sharks won their third straight, beating the Vancouver Canucks. Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist each for the Sharks, who rebounded from a 2-0 deficit to remain third in the Pacific Division. Martin Jones made 28 saves for San Jose. Jake Virtanen and Sven Baertschi scored for the Canucks, who have lost three straight and fell 10 points behind Minnesota and Colorado for the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference. KINGS 3, CANADIENS 2 LOS ANGELES (AP) Anze Kopitar and Tanner Pearson scored less than 3 minutes apart early in the first period and Dwight King scored on a breakaway in the third, leading the Los Angeles Kings over the Montreal Canadiens. The victory kept the Kings tied for the Pacific Division lead with the Anaheim Ducks, who come to Staples Center for a Saturday matinee. Jonathan Quick finished with 13 saves in the opener of a five-game homestand. He handed the Canadiens their only shutout loss of the season on Dec. 17, making a season-high 45 saves in a 3-0 victory. P.K. Subban and Lars Eller scored and Andrei Markov had two assists for the Canadiens, who are following a start that included a season-opening nine-game winning streak.

7 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016 John Muse Returns To Charlotte In Time For Playoff Push Written by Nicholas Niedzielski It s a common sight across the league this week to see newly acquired players joining their new teams on the ice for the first time. What s not as common is that newly acquired player being the franchise s all-time wins leader. But that was the case this morning at Bojangles Coliseum when John Muse stepped onto the ice for the Checkers practice, just in to the Queen City after a long trip from the Lone Star State. After spending last season backing up Drew MacIntyre, Muse signed a deal with the Texas Stars during the offseason. The netminder split time in the Texas net to start the year, but was eventually pushed out of the picture by two young goalies on NHL contracts. So when Monday s trade deadline rolled around and the Checkers found themselves with a hole in net after MacIntyre s departure to Rockford, they turned to a familiar face. While it was short-lived, Muse views his time in Texas as a positive. It was a good experience, said Muse. They have a great group of guys down there. It s a great organization and I had a lot of fun. But I think it s a good thing for my career to come back here. I m hoping to get some games and help the guys make the playoff push here. After spending almost the entirety of his AHL career with Charlotte, Muse is hoping that the alternate perspective he witnessed in Texas will help him bring something new to the Checkers this go-round. I think every season, regardless of where you re playing, new things are going to happen and you take those experiences and use them to your advantage later on in your career, said Muse. I think going to Texas and seeing how they do things was a good eye-opener. Hopefully I ll be able to bring some of that with me here. With this being his first year behind the bench for Charlotte, head coach Mark Morris doesn t have much first-hand knowledge about Muse, but has done his research. My son and he worked out this past summer on the Cape [Cod], said Morris. I never met him before today, but my son had good things to say about him. I spoke with Paul Vincent, who ran that camp over the summer, and he had glowing comments about him. I know that management and the coaching staff here, they look at him as a guy that can win hockey games. He s had some success here and he s familiar with [assistant coach] Geordie Kinnear and what Geordie preaches on the back end, said Morris. I think that that has to give him some comfort because they speak the same language and he knows what the expectations are. He appears to be a hard-working, serious guy, someone who leads by his actions. That can be a positive for us. Joining the team now also provides Muse, who has now found his way onto the Checkers roster for five consecutive years, a shot at a playoff run, something he hasn t been a part of since Though they are currently on the outside looking in, a hot run down the stretch here could push the Checkers into the postseason, and Muse is ready to try and help make that happen. I think anytime you have a chance to make the playoffs it s exciting, said Muse. It gives you something more to play for in the last little bit of the season. The guys are excited to make a push for the playoffs and I think we re ready to. With MacIntyre now in the Blackhawks organization, Muse joins up with Daniel Altshuller to form the Checkers tandem down the stretch. Altshuller is coming of his best performance in some time, a 27-save win over Manitoba, and will be looked at to pick up some more of the work load with the veteran gone. Performance is really important now, said Morris. We re hopeful that [Altshuller] returns to the form that we saw him at when he showed up here. He played really well in his last outing and we re hoping that he can continue to ride that high. We re going to need it over this next stretch because we re playing some great hockey teams. Knowing that there s some sure-handedness back there, a guy who can make saves at appropriate times, that s a big thing for our confidence.

8 CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS March 4, 2016 TODAY S LINKS Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters says team is not playing out the string By Chip Alexander calexander@newsobserver.com Even though Eric Staal no longer plays for the Carolina Hurricanes, he had a chance to give them an assist Thursday. Staal and the New York Rangers, his new team, went to Pittsburgh on Thursday night to face the Penguins. A Rangers win would have kept the Canes four points behind Pittsburgh in the fight for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Pens won 4-1. For those who might be wondering, the Canes haven t given up on making the playoffs. Those hopes aren t packed away like Kris Versteeg s sticks. There are 17 games remaining, and while Staal, Versteeg and John- Michael Liles were traded, while general manager Ron Francis talks about building for the future and Canes coach Bill Peters has talked of the final stretch being an evaluation period, the players believe more is possible. Derek Ryan, Brock McGinn and Ryan Murphy have filled in the gaps. While the Canes lost 5-2 to the St. Louis Blues Sunday a game played a few hours after Staal was traded they bounced back to top the New Jersey Devils 3-1 Tuesday. These are not games where we re going to not try, forward Jeff Skinner said. Guys are playing for jobs. Every time you go out and play in the NHL, it s a chance to sort of show yourself and show what you can do. It s not different now, for anyone. You come to the rink and you try to win the game. And after that game you try to win the next game and try to win that one. For us, that s the way you have to look at it. There are too many what-ifs, when you starting counting things. As players you just focus on doing your job. The Canes ( ) play Saturday on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After returning to Raleigh for a home game Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators, the Canes will have a run of another five road games, including a stop in Pittsburgh on March 17. Asked this week about realistic expectations for his team, Peters said: We re going to win every game we play. We re going to prepare the same way. Nothing s changing. Our expectations are very high but they re realistic. Peters said there would be more call-ups from the AHL s Charlotte Checkers, allowing the coaching staff and management the chance to see them against NHL competition and make personnel decisions heading into the postseason. There also will be players changing positions. Peters said Elias Lindholm, used primarily as a right wing in his three NHL seasons, would be used at center. When he goes in the middle it s not going to be for one or two periods or one or two games, Peters said. It s going to be an extended look. He was drafted as a center, hasn t played a lot of center in the NHL. But we re going to know at the end of this year of he can do it or not. The same can be said for goalie Eddie Lack. Cam Ward is in the last year of his contract, and the Canes would like to have a better handle on Lack given a two-year extension before the season before any further contract discussions with Ward. With so many young players asked to play a fast-paced style of game, there will be mistakes. There will be defensive breakdowns and miscommunication in the offensive zone and on special teams. You make mistakes and you re working hard, you re going right back out, Peters said. The other side, though, is if there s a bunch of mistakes through non-effort, now that s an issue. I don t think we ll have any issues moving forward. Even before the trades March appeared daunting, with nine of the 14 games away from Raleigh. The last game of the month is a March 31 home game against the Rangers, with Staal making what should be an emotional return. We re not playing out the string one bit, Peters said. That s not acceptable. We ve laid a bit of a foundation and a culture and we re not deviating from that at all. It s a great evaluation time but we want to keep accumulating points and getting wins. News Observer LOADED: Tampa Bay Lightning Great 8! Bolts match franchise best winning streak, top Ottawa 4-1 By Erik Erlendsson Tribune Staff Erik Erlendsson on Google+ Published: March 3, 2016Updated: March 3, 2016 at 11:36 PM OTTAWA Make it eight. The Tampa Bay Lightning tied a franchise record with their eighth consecutive victory Thursday night, knocking off Ottawa 4-1 at Canadian Tire Centre. Cedric Paquette, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat scored for Tampa Bay, and Ben Bishop made 33 saves to improve to all-time against his former team. Steven Stamkos scored his 29th goal, into an empty net, with 13.3 seconds left. The eight consecutive wins match the record set from Feb. 23-March 6, 2004, the year Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup. The Lightning will try to set the franchise record Saturday night at home against Carolina.

9 Hopefully we can break it, Stamkos said. It will be nice to head home. It feels like we have been on the road for a month. It will be nice to be home in front of our fans and hopefully make some history. This is the second winning streak of at least seven games for the Lightning since the start of January. Tampa Bay also has won six straight on the road, its longest road streak since Jan. 8-Feb. 7, The Lightning have shot up the Eastern Conference standings with their recent run of success. They are 20-6 since the start of January, and their 22 victories since Dec. 22 are tied with Washington for second-most in the league. When you can go on a run like this, especially at this point in the season, you are putting the pressure on a lot of other teams to try to catch you, coach Jon Cooper said. But we are just worried about ourself. We have to keep munching points. The current streak started after a defensive meltdown. The first victory in the record-tying streak came Feb. 18 at home against Winnipeg. Tampa Bay led 4-1 early in the third, but allowed four consecutive goals to fall behind. The Lightning tied the game and went on to win in a shootout. Following the game, the players held a closed-door meeting in the locker room to discuss how they were playing. Since then, the defensive side of the game has been the emphasis. The result has been seven more wins with a total of eight goals allowed. They haven t given up more than two goals in any of those seven victories. It s a huge confidence boost and we ve been happy with the way we have been playing, especially on the road, defenseman Victor Hedman said. We ve been able to kill games off, which we didn t in the beginning of the year. The defense was stellar again Thursday against the NHL s fifth-highestscoring team. The penalty kill was also pivotal as Ottawa went 0-for-4 on the power play. Another key was scoring first, which Tampa Bay has done with regularity in recent games. Tampa Bay s Anton Stralman had a first-period goal overturned when Ottawa challenged the play for goaltender interference. It was determined Erik Condra made contact with the blocker of goaltender Andrew Hammond at 5:25 of the first period. Then, early in the second, Hedman quickly found Paquette at the Ottawa blue line for a quick transition. Paquette put a bad-angle shot on goal that was deflected by J.T. Brown. Paquette swooped in and put the rebound past Hammond on his backhand at 4:14. Palat increased the lead just after a Tampa Bay penalty kill. After Scott Gomez whiffed on a pass attempt in the Tampa Bay zone, Palat fed Tyler Johnson for a rush up ice. Johnson circled the net and put a wraparound chance on net that Hammond stopped. But as the netminder fell backward, Palat came in to scoop the puck into the net at 18:33. The Senators made a push and cut the deficit in half early in the third period as Marc Methot came down as the trailer on the rush and wristed a drop pass from Zack Smith at 5:44. Kucherov took advantage of a turnover by J-G Pageau to make it 3-1 with 1:46 left for the key insurance goal, his 25th of the season. Tampa Tribune LOADED: Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts notes: Sustr injury forces returning Garrison to jump right in By Erik Erlendsson Tribune Staff Erik Erlendsson on Google+ Published: March 3, 2016 OTTAWA After a three-week absence from the lineup, D Jason Garrison figured to ease his way back in as the seventh defenseman. But midway through Monday s game at Toronto Garrison s first game since suffering a high ankle sprain on Feb. 8 the Lightning were down to six after D Andrej Sustr left with an apparent hand/wrist injury and did not return. Garrison ended up playing just under 16 minutes, two minutes less than his season average. Coming out of the game I felt pretty good, Garrison said. With Sustr out for tonight s game against the Senators, Garrison looks primed to resume his regular role in the defensive rotation. After a couple of days off (since Monday), it feels better, feels like it s heading in the right direction, Garrison said. Hopefully it just continues to do that and it will be to normal. With this particular injury, coming back too soon can be detrimental. Ottawa C Kyle Turris battled through a similar injury, and tried to play through it before he was shut down for in indefinite time to allow it to heal. It s always difficult to battle the urge to get back on the ice as soon as possible. It s tough for any player. Nobody likes to sit out, especially when it s week-to-week, Garrison said. You have good advice from trainers so you know when the time is right. Most players want to get back as soon as possible, but the trainers do a good job of making sure that it s the right time. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Garrison handled the whole situation from recovery to back in the lineup the right way. We didn t want to just throw him in and play 20-plus when he hadn t played in a month, Cooper said. We wanted to ease him in and after the game he felt pretty good. Especially those high ankles, you rush them back too soon and it can just do further damage. We ve had a few of those this year and you just have to take your time and let them heal. Sustr update Though Sustr returned to the bench on Monday in Toronto and Cooper said at the time is was more precautionary to keep him out the rest of the game, Sustr was sent back to Tampa for further evaluation. He was re-evaluated so this isn t going to be a long-term thing, Cooper said. We ll just try to give him a little bit more of a rest. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said he would have an update on Sustr later on Thursday. Helping out During practice on Wednesday C Brian Boyle shed his role as a forward and pitched out on defense, taking drills with the rest of the blue line. Boyle has provided insurance on the back end in the past, able to step in and take some shifts on defense in games if the team is short. That s why it s great having a versatile guy like Brian because he can play all positions, Cooper said. Whether he s playing down the middle, on wing or on D. It s been big for us. Rocky VIII RW J.T. Brown has shown a bit of a penchant for dropping his gloves this season, getting in two fights in the past two weeks, including a bout with Toronto s Connor Carrick on Monday after Carrick delivered an elbow to Brown in the third period. Carrick, who did an intermission interview during Wednesday s game against Washington, was left with a swollen left eye and a cut just below the eye. He has that in his game, Cooper said of Brown. He competes. He chips in offensively, he chips in defensively, he s gritty and he hits. And if it comes time that he has to get involved, whether it s hitting or dropping the gloves, that kid is willing. When you kind of get that reputation a little bit and the other team knows that you are willing, usually it opens up the ice a little bit. I think that s what has happened with J.T. a little bit. Nuts and Bolts Veteran C Scott Gomez, who signed with Ottawa on Wednesday, is expected to be in the lineup for the Senators. Gomez started the season with St. Louis, scoring a goal against Tampa Bay on Oct. 27, before ending up with the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League. Because he signed with Ottawa after the trade deadline, Gomez would be ineligible for the postseason should Ottawa reach the playoffs.... G Andrew Hammond will make his third career start against Tampa Bay. Tampa Tribune LOADED: Tampa Bay Lightning

10 Lightning ties franchise mark with eighth straight win Joe SmithJoe Smith, Times Staff Writer Thursday, March 3, :43pm OTTAWA Few NHL coaches are bigger fans of Lightning goalie Ben Bishop than Ottawa's Dave Cameron. Bishop, 29, was in the Senators organization for a few years before he was shipped to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline in 2013 for wing Cory Conacher, a deal Senators fans no doubt regret. And Cameron recognizes Bishop's place among the game's best, as an All-Star named Wednesday to U.S. World Cup roster. "I don't want to take anything away from Tampa's team," Cameron said. "But you're not an elite team without an elite goalie, and Ben is that." Bishop continued to remind the Senators of that in Thursday's 4-1 win at the Canadian Tire Centre. Bishop made 33 saves in a tight game before two late Tampa Bay goals put it away, improving to in his career against the Senators. The Lightning ( ) tied a franchise record with its eighth straight win, a mark set in the 2004 Stanley Cup-winning run. And Bishop, along with backup Andrei Vasilevskiy (11 wins), are big reasons for the streak. Tampa Bay has allowed a combined eight goals in the past seven games. "This is probably the best I've seen (Bishop)," captain Steven Stamkos said. "And that's saying a lot considering he's been one of the top goalies in the league for a while now. " 'Bish' was there (Thursday) when we needed him. That's why he's an elite goalie. You don't win eight in a row without your goaltender." Bishop, a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2014, should warrant consideration for the award again this season. His 2.06 goals-against average is the best in the league. His record, , would be a lot better had he not lost 10 starts in which he allowed two goals or fewer. "I'm playing pretty well right now, obviously," Bishop said. "I'm trying to keep it consistent. It's a long season. There's going to be ups and downs. Right now it's an up, and I'll try to enjoy it while it's there." The Lightning, despite having an Anton Stralman goal disallowed in the first period due to a goalie interference coach's challenge, took a 2-0 lead on goals by Cedric Paquette and Ondrej Palat in the second period. But the Senators made a strong push, and a Marc Methot goal cut their deficit to 2-1 5:24 into the third. But Bishop preserved the one-goal lead until late goals were scored by Nikita Kucherov and Stamkos. "Everyone knows what kind of impact (Bishop) has," defenseman Victor Hedman said. "He's a world-class goaltender. He's an All-Star, a World Cup player. He's one of the best goalies in the league. It's a huge confidence boost having him back there." Bishop said he set a goal at the beginning of the season to make the World Cup team for September's tournament, and he earned a spot. "A huge honor," he said. Bishop said there's always motivation facing a former team but he can't explain his success against the Senators and has no ill will toward them. "I came up through (the organization)," he said. "Those guys worked hard with me. It was a process. I feel fortunate to be in the situation I am. But I owe a lot to those guys." And so may the Lightning. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: Tampa Bay Lightning Senators' Erik Karlsson happy to be World Cup teammates with Hedman, Stralman Joe SmithJoe Smith, Times Staff Writer Thursday, March 3, :15pm OTTAWA Half of Sweden's loaded blue line for September's World Cup was on display Thursday during the Senators-Lightning game. And Senators D Erik Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, is happy that Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman joined him on the country's preliminary roster of 16, announced Wednesday. Karlsson has known Hedman since they were kids, and they were teammates on Sweden's 2009 World Junior Championship team. Karlsson said Hedman is not the flashiest player but elevates his game in big moments, like last year's playoffs. "He's more of an all-around 'D,' " Karlsson said. "He doesn't do anything extraordinary there that sticks out either way, which is usually a good thing. I wish I had that a little bit more in me sometimes. He's the type of guy in tournaments like this, in national games and during playoffs, when you need someone to step up you see how really good he is." Having been snubbed for Sweden's 2014 Olympic team, this will be Hedman's biggest international tournament. It also will be for Stralman, Hedman's defense partner the past two seasons. "(Stralman is) a stability guy. He always does the same thing," Karlsson said. "He's someone you can really rely on. No matter the situation, he's going to do the same thing. You know what you're going to get out of him. "When there's so much on the line, those guys are really important to have, and they'll be a big part of the team." MEDICAL MATTERS: After getting re-evaluated in Tampa, D Andrej Sustr was considered day to day with an undisclosed injury, GM Steve Yzerman said. Sustr got hurt early in Monday's game in Toronto. Coach Jon Cooper said he "jammed something." Sustr did not play Thursday, and it was unclear if he would be ready to be back Saturday against Carolina. MR. VERSATILITY: Down to six defensemen, Cooper was asked if the team considered making a callup. "No," he said, smiling. "Because we have 61/2." Cooper was referring to C Brian Boyle, who has filled in on defense several times the past two seasons when a defenseman got hurt. Boyle got reps on defense during Wednesday's practice just in case he had to be used. With Sustr's injury considered short term, Cooper felt comfortable using Boyle. "That's a great thing about how versatile Boyle is," Cooper said. "If we need him in a pinch, he can play 'D' for us." EASING IN: Cooper liked how D Jason Garrison looked in his return Monday after missing three weeks (10 games) with a lower-body injury. "Especially those high ankles (injuries), you rush them back too soon and it can just do further damage," Cooper said. "We've had a few of those this year, and you just have to take your time and let them heal." NUTS AND BOLTS: RW Erik Condra, a former Ottawa wing, was back in the lineup for Thursday's 4-1 win, with RW Jonathan Marchessault a healthy scratch. G Ben Bishop made the start against his former team and is in 12 career starts versus Ottawa. The Lightning was scheduled to be off Friday. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: Tampa Bay Lightning Karlsson says Lightning's Hedman/Stralman 'big part' of Team Sweden Joe SmithJoe Smith, Times Staff Writer Thursday, March 3, :07pm Half of Team Sweden's loaded blueline for the World Cup will be on display tonight during the Senators-Lightning game at Canadian Tire Center. And Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, is happy Tampa Bay's pair of Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman joined him on the preliminary roster of 16. Karlsson has known Hedman since they were kids, and was a teammate on Sweden's 2009 World Junior team. Karlsson said Hedman is not the

11 "flashiest" player, but elevates his game in the big moments, like last year's playoffs. "That's the type of player he is, he's more of an all-around 'D','" Karlsson said Thursday. "He doesn't do anything extraordinary there that sticks out either way, which is usually a good thing - I wish I had that a little bit more in me sometimes. He's the type of guy in tournaments like this, in national games and during playoffs, when you need someone to step up, that's where you see how really good he is." Having been snubbed at the 2014 Olympics, this will be Hedman's biggest international tournament. The same for Stralman, Hedman's partner the past two seasons. "He's a stability guy, he always does the same thing," Karlsson said. "He's someone you can really rely on. No matter the situation, he's going to do the same thing. You know what you're going to get out of him. When there's so much on the line those guys are really important to have and they'll be a big part of the team." More from today: D Andrej Sustr was sent back to Tampa to get reevaluated after he got hurt early in Monday's game, when Cooper said he "jammed something." "He was re-evaluated so this isn't going to be a long-term thing,' Cooper said. "We'll just try to give him a little bit more of rest." G Ben Bishop, a former Senators goalie, will start tonight, having gone in 12 career starts against Ottawa. RW Erik Condra appears to be back in the lineup, which means RW Jonathan Marchessault will be a likely scratch.. Only seven Lightning players participated in today's optional morning skate at the Canadian Tire Center. Cooper liked how D Jason Garrison looked in Monday's return after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury. "Especially those high ankles, you rush them back too soon and it can just do further damage," Cooper said. "We ve had a few of those this year and you just have to take your time and let them heal." Tampa Bay Times LOADED: Ottawa Senators Bishop quells Senators' attack in third to preserve victory for Lightning KEN WARREN, OTTAWA CITIZEN More from Ken Warren, Ottawa Citizen Published on: March 3, 2016 Last Updated: March 3, :59 PM EST Lightning 4, Senators 1 Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop wasn t blinded by the magic dust that has carried the Ottawa Senators to a pair of recent wild comebacks. Bishop, the former Senators goaltender who has his own magic touch against his former team now against the Senators withstood another furious third-period rally, leading the Lightning to a 4-1 win at Canadian Tire Centre. The Lightning have tied a franchise record by winning eight straight games. For the Senators, meanwhile, every loss now is devastating in their faint playoff hopes. They re now four teams and seven points out of a wild-card spot. Once again, the Senators made life way too difficult for themselves. Yet again, they fell behind by two goals, allowing second-period goals by Cedric Paquette and Ondrej Palat. I thought we addressed our first period and I know our starts have been pretty junk in the last few games or so, said Marc Methot, who narrowed the lead to 2-1 at the 5:24 mark of the third period. We just didn t get through (Bishop) and generate enough prime chances in the offensive zone. Against a dynamic offensive team like that, if you re not going to score a couple of goals, you re not going to win the game. The Senators kept fans in their seats to the end. The Ottawa Senators played host to the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning at the Canadian Tire Centre on March 3, Tampa players celebrate the first goal in the second period as the Ottawa Senators take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Tampa players celebrate the first goal in the second period as the Ottawa Senators take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Nikita Kucherov took advantage of a Jean-Gabriel Pageau giveaway with 1:46 remaining to put the game out of reach. Steve Stamkos padded the lead, scoring into an empty net. Bishop finished with 33 saves. Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond, who took over from the injured Craig Anderson midway through Tuesday s 4-3 shootout loss to St. Louis, did his part, stopping 24 shots. They were opportunistic, as well, said Hammond. We re trying to do the right thing and maybe it s bounces over sticks or over backchecking. We re doing the right things, but it s kind of bad luck there. The Senators also played most of the game with only five defencemen after Mark Borowiecki left the game with a right knee injury. Senators coach Dave Cameorn called it week to week, meaning that Patrick Wiercioch will likely finally be given a chance to get back into the lineup and another defenceman will be recalled from Binghamton of the AHL as insurance. The Lightning scored early (Paquette) and late (Palat) in the second period to take a 2-0 lead into the third period. The Palat goal was the result of a comedy of errors for the Senators. After newcomer Scott Gomez bobbled the puck at the Lightning blue line, Tyler Johnson had a wraparound attempt. Hammond made the stop, but was unable to get to the loose puck after being bumped by a backchecking Mike Hoffman. Palat finished it off, putting the puck up high. The two-goal deficit was all too familiar territory for the Senators. On Tuesday, they rebounded from a 3-1 third-period deficit against St. Louis Tuesday, tying the game 3-3 in the last second before losing in a shootout. Last Saturday, they rallied from a 4-2 edge to defeat Calgary, receiving a third-period hat trick from Mika Zibanejad, en route to a 6-4 win. Expecting a natural hat trick of comebacks was a bit too much. The Lightning came into Ottawa blazing hot, in position to tie a franchise record with an eighth consecutive win and to tie Florida for top spot in the Atlantic Division. While Stamkos was held off the scoresheet in Tuesday s 2-1 win over Toronto, he went into that game on a six-game goal scoring streak, also adding three assists during that span. Ryan Callahan has also caught fire, scoring five goals and six assists in eight games before meeting the Senators. Those numbers and more the Senators had been outscored in first periods were all stacked against Ottawa at the outset. Yet they were also hoping that the momentum from Tuesday s comeback against St. Louis, coupled with memories of Hamburglar magic from last spring and perhaps a spark from the addition of Gomez to the lineup, would provide a necessary boost. The Senators caught a break early on. In a case of here we go again, Lightning defenceman Anton Stralman blasted a slapshot past Hammond at the 5:25 mark. Not so fast. Cameron challenged the goal, claiming that former Senator Erik Condra interfered with Hammond. After the officials took another look, the goal was disallowed. The Lightning did, however, get the lead early in the second. Paquette s goal marked the 44th time in 65 games the Senators had allowed the first goal. Three Stars 1-Ben Bishop, Lightning: What else is new? The former Senators goaltender continues to rub it in against his old team, now against Ottawa. 2-Ondrej Palat, Lightning: Solid two-way game for Palat, who scored a pivotal goal late in the second period. 3-Marc Methot, Senators: Methot made things interesting, scoring his first goal in 32 games to narrow the gap to 2-1 early in the third period. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: