Carolina Hurricanes Hurricanes captain Eric Staal has no ill will for Canucks' Edler Sekera doubtful for Canucks game

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks lose to San Jose Sharks in shootout, Ducks fall to Sharks in shootout, Grant savors chance to fulfill NHL dream Ducks shot down by Sharks in shootout Boston Bruins Jarome Iginla has some goals in sight Bruins Chad Johnson didn t see much action in net Bruins roll past the Blue Jackets Lucic scores 2 in Boston's win over Columbus Game 27 preview: Blue Jackets at Bruins Numbers add up in wins column for Bruins Bounce in Milan Lucic s step Notebook: Jarome Iginla staying positive B s hockey works Bruins grind out 3-1 win over Columbus Lucic, B s wear down Jackets Bruins look to end month in style Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: On verge of recall, Kaleta tears ACL Sabres fizzle against Devils in a low-voltage outing Pregame chatter: Kaleta done for the season (ACL), was slated to return to NHL next week Tough news out of Rochester: Kaleta may have serious leg injury Leaf leftovers as Sabres prepare to deal with the Devils Buffalo Sabres fall to New Jersey Devils Calgary Flames Goaltender Ramo shrugs off injury to star in Flames win Flames down Kings with last-minute winner Karri Ramo gives Flames a scare Calgary Flames dads reminisce about minor-hockey memories Calgary Flames Snapshots: Byron looks to stick Feisty Calgary Flames edge Los Angeles Kings Carolina Hurricanes Hurricanes captain Eric Staal has no ill will for Canucks' Edler Sekera doubtful for Canucks game Chicago Blackhawks Smith gaining confidence with playing time Hawks put exclamation point on 6-1 trip Blackhawks close out 6-1 circus trip with romp over Coyotes Corey Crawford is on his game but gets night off Blackhawks' sixth straigh win wraps up trip Kane leads Blackhawks past Coyotes Blackhawks' Circus Trip by the numbers Blackhawks close out Circus Trip in style Five Things to Watch on CSN: Coyotes Konroyd's keys to Blackhawks-Coyotes NHL 12/1/2013 DAILY BRIEF Colorado Avalanche Avalanche coach Patrick Roy wants Ryan Wilson back in better shape New breed of NHL fighter must play hockey as well as protect teammates Former Avalanche enforcer Scott Parker battling effects of concussions Colorado Avalanche wins in shootout over Minnesota Wild Paul Stastny back in Colorado Avalanche lineup Saturday night Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild postgame: O Reilly to rescue Avalanche coach Patrick Roy s post-game comments after shootout win over Minnesota Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild morning skate notes Columbus Blue Jackets Jackets 4, Oilers 2: Revenge works as motivator Game Day Scorecard: Blue Jackets vs. Boston Bruins Blue Jackets box score Up and down Blue Jackets continue to follow recent script Blue Jackets seek first back-to-back wins in Boston Dallas Stars With Stephane Robidas out, Kevin Connauton and Jamie Oleksiak will fight amongst one another to be replacement Need to know: Dallas Stars look to continue hot streak against Oilers Observations on shootout loss to Chicago: Injury to Stephane Robidas is both gut-wrenching and part of the bus Saturday Dallas Stars practice update: Kevin Connauton or Jamie Oleksiak likely to play with Brenden Dillon Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas out 4-6 months with broken leg; Jamie Oleksiak recalled GameDay: Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Ottawa game special for Red Wings' Daniel Alfredsson Darren McCarty book excerpt: Wrestling with Steve Yzerman and other tales Helene St. James: Homegrown hockey talent to be celebrated in Detroit Ottawa's Jared Cowen says hit on Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk an accident Ottawa Senators plan Daniel Alfredsson video tribute when Detroit Red Wings visit Sunday December 1, 2013 at 1:33 am Senators vow to keep things physical with Wings in rematch Red Wings' Daniel Alfredsson braces for what promises to be an emotional homecoming in Ottawa Jared Cowen says elbow to chin of Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk an accident, feels bad star was injured Alfredsson looking forward to facing Senators Edmonton Oilers MacKinnon: Jones may be a good coach, but he ll only be as good as his players Edmonton Oilers lament lack of urgency Edmonton Oilers blew opportunity against Columbus Blue Jackets Florida Panthers Florida Panthers fizzle after strong start against Pittsburgh Penguins Opportunistic Penguins cruise to 5-1 victory over Panthers Former Panthers coach Dineen still not ready to talk about firing

2 Los Angeles Kings Kings watch it slip away to Flames, Dwight King bounces back with Kings after an unproductive season Nov. 30, 2013 Updated: 10:29 p.m November 30 postgame notes November 30 postgame quotes November 30 postgame quotes: Calgary November 30 postgame quotes: Ben Scrivens November 30 postgame quotes: Anze Kopitar Game 27: Calgary at Los Angeles Links: Save the Culver Ice Arena Game 27 Preview: Calgary at Los Angeles November 30 morning skate quotes: Regehr, Kopitar November 30 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter What s in a number? Minnesota Wild Wild finds glass half full in shootout loss to Avs Postgame: Wild's constant pressure, late rally a step in right direction Wild notes: Draft pick Olofsson progressing at Colorado College Wild-Colorado game recap Sunday NHL Insider: This is the Year of the Blues -- really Michael Russo's Short Takes Minnesota Wild rally, settle for a face-saving point Avalanche 3, Wild 2 (SO): Minnesota loses fourth straight Minnesota Wild: Charlie Coyle, Erik Haula start at center Minnesota Wild: Jason Zucker remembers Denver Montreal Canadiens Giddy Pacioretty and Habs too much for sluggish Leafs to handle Don Cherry to Rogers: Leave Coach s Corner alone Pacioretty pots 2 to lead Habs over Leafs TV fate of a slew of Habs games still up in the air About last night Nashville Predators Preds' young defensemen perform OK without Weber Nashville Predators lose to Philadelphia Flyers in shootout New Jersey Devils Devils will stick with Cory Schneider in second of back-to-back games Devils' Jaromir Jagr credits Ron Francis for much of his early success Devils' Jaromir Jagr ties Steve Yzerman for eighth on goals list with Devils score four third-period goals, rally for 5-2 win over Carolina DeBoer thinks Carter will be all right ; Henrique battles Ott in OT; Brunner lost in line shuffle On this night, Bernier s OT goal all Schneider needed in Devils 1-0 win over Sabres Ex-Devil Tallinder didn t get along with DeBoer, but says comments were blown out of proportion Schneider to start in net for Devils again tonight; Brodeur to start Monday in Montreal Jagr has already equaled Kovalchuk s goal total; No break in Devils busy schedule Devils notes: Ryan Carter injured Steve Bernier's goal gives Devils a 1-0 win over Sabres in OT Steve Bernier overtime goal gives Devils shutout win over Sabres New York Islanders Alex Ovechkin scores game-winner as Capitals hand Islanders their sixth straight loss Islanders recent struggles could put Capuano s job in jeopardy Islanders blow lead late in 3rd period, fall to Caps in OT Calvin De Haan hopes to make most of difficult Islanders situation Islanders lose lead late, then lose in overtime Plenty of blame to go around in Islanders' plunge New York Rangers Kreider Plays Tormentor in Tortorella s Return to the Garden John Tortorella goal vs. NY Rangers: 'hopefully kick their ass and get outta here' NY Rangers get last laugh against John Tortorella with 5-2 win over Canucks Chris Kreider nets hat trick as NY Rangers rout Canucks, John Tortorella Crushed Ice: Del Zotto discusses return to Rangers lineup, Tom Sestito's dangerous headshot; Vigneault shakes John Tortorella on facing the NY Rangers: 'I am going to coach this game, hopefully kick their a** and get out Talbot shines in Garden debut as Rangers roll over Canucks Torts goes quietly in Garden return Rangers crush Canucks in Tortorella return Can MBAs & data crunching save Knicks, Rangers? Tortorella: Return to Garden weird Rangers 5, Canucks 2: Wrapping up AV, Torts on today s homecoming game Rangers notes: Del Zotto elbowed, but OK Rangers beat Canucks, 5-2, to spoil John Tortorella's homecoming Tortorella's return to Garden with Canucks closes the book on his tenure in New York Michael Del Zotto returns to lineup, scores against Canucks Chris Kreider's hat trick spoils John Tortorella's return to the Garden Rangers-Canucks in review Rangers 5, Canucks 2 post-game notes & quotes Canucks (and you know who) at Rangers today (2 p.m.) pre-game notes NHL Inside the NHL: Olympics ultimate road trip for Miller Spotlight on the role of enforcers in the NHL Dater: Players' class-action lawsuit against NHL has puncher's chance Blue Jackets notebook: No sympathy for concussion suit Will P. K. Go to Sochi? Canada Wants to Know Ottawa Senators Alfredsson skates in Ottawa, looks forward to special night Sunday game will provide closure for fans: MacLean Ottawa Senators report card shows room for improvement Gameday: Senators vs. Detroit red Wings Alfredsson's greatest moments throughout his Senators career Ottawa holds a special place in Wayne Gretzky's heart Daniel Alfredsson still worshiped in his former home town Ottawa gets a chance to try Karlsson's own coffee Cowen reflecting with his time off the ice Zack Smith won't hold back on his old friend Daniel Alfredsson Legend Wayne Gretzky remembers homecoming, says Alfie will be 'fine' Alfie hits the ice at Canadian Tire Centre to start homecoming Senators need to focus on the win, not on Alfredsson: Paul MacLean

3 Philadelphia Flyers Mason steals win as Flyers get back to Flyers score shootout win over Predators Inside the Flyers: Flyers responding to Berube's style Flyers face Weber-less Predators Rinaldo says Berube's style is 'what some guys needed' Mason delivers as Flyers edges Predators in shootout Flyers start early, finish off Jets Mason carries Flyers to shootout win over Preds Instant Replay: Flyers 3, Predators 2 (SO) Skate Update: Plans don t change with Weber out Flyers-Predators: 5 things you need to know Flyers ready for tough six-game road trip Flyers edge Predators in shootout Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes defensemen get needed rest in reshuffled lineup Phoenix Coyotes can't overcome slow start in loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Game Day: Blackhawks at Coyotes Pittsburgh Penguins Crosby chasing Gretzky, Lemieux as game's greatest offensive catalyst Rossi: Kunitz's history with Crosby should make him a lock for Sochi Surging Malkin, Penguins roll past Panthers Penguins minor league notebook: Samuelsson provides link for blue-line prospects Penguins goaltender Vokoun recovering, still hoping to return Jeff Zatkoff, Evgeni Malkin shine in Penguins victory On the Penguins: The Ol' Blue Liner Penguins notebook: No panic over run of significant injuries Rookie goaltender Zatkoff, Malkin lead Penguins in 5-1 win against Panthers San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks hold on, beat Anaheim Ducks in shootout Brent Burns hat trick gets special treatment in San Jose Sharks win in shootout for 5-0 homestand Sharks focus on perfect homestand, not blown lead vs. Ducks Instant Replay: Sharks get SO win after blowing two-goal lead In the Crease: Sharks seek perfect homestand against Ducks Sharks returning to early season form St Louis Blues Blues Schwartz is making an impact Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts Notes: Rookies holding their own Bolts Beat: Gudas lost while defending clean hits Lightning Nuts & Bolts Lightning's Kid Line grows into responsibility Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leafs fall to Habs, Carey Price stakes claim for Sochi: Cox Don Cherry to Rogers: Just leave us alone Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle doesn't like Max Pacioretty's celebration Toronto Maple Leafs face tough schedule in wake of rough November Kessel kin not coming soon Maple Leafs drop another road game against Habs Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner presents team with dilemma Toronto Maple Leafs dig hole too deep in loss to Montreal Canadiens Don Cherry thinks Rogers should leave Coach s Corner just the way it is: Don t try to ruin a good thing Vancouver Canucks Canucks stuffed like Thanksgiving turkeys in 5-2 loss to Vigneault's Rangers Torts bemoans not-so-steady Eddie Nicklas Jensen knows there's no easy route to The Show Canucks hopes are fading fast The Provs: Alex Edler takes a hit but so does Shanahan. What. Washington Capitals A look at the Capitals comeback against the Islanders Open thread: Capitals at Islanders In NHL, plus-minus rating can be deceiving Dmitry Orlov to make season debut against Islanders, Brooks Laich to miss second straight game Five thoughts on the Capitals 3-2 shootout win over the Canadiens Ovechkin, Backstrom help Capitals snatch victory away from Islanders Websites NBCSports.com / Dineen on Florida firing: Let s just leave it where it is for now NBCSports.com / Flames goalie Ramo gets stinger during morning skate, will start tonight NBCSports.com / Report: No suspension for McLeod for boarding Brodin NBCSports.com / Brule signs one-year deal with Coyotes and KHL? NBCSports.com / Report: Maple Leafs won t release Rielly for World Juniors USA TODAY / John Tortorella returns to New York Winnipeg Jets 'Thankful' Wheels hits Just a skate in the park Jets enjoy New York state of mind at Central Park practice Kane could be able to answer bell for Jets Monday Jets take it outside for practice in NYC SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks lose to San Jose Sharks in shootout, 4-3 Associated Press 11:15 PM PST, November 30, 2013 Joe Pavelski scored in the shootout and Antti Niemi stopped all three attempts to help the San Jose Sharks beat the Ducks, 4-3, on Saturday night. Logan Couture scored his first goal in eight games. Patrick Marleau and Marty Havlat also scored for the Sharks, who finished a season-long five-game homestand unbeaten and won their eighth in nine overall. Corey Perry, Alex Grant and Ben Lovejoy scored for the Ducks, who had won three of their last four. Niemi stopped 28 of 31 shots for his 15th win. Jonas Hiller saved 32 shots in taking the loss. The Ducks have lost six of their last seven road games. Lovejoy tied it at 16:54 of the third with his first goal of the season, though he has three points in his last four games. Nick Bonino won a faceoff in the Sharks' zone, tapped the puck to Lovejoy, who shot it to the right corner. Hiller stopped all 12 shots he faced in the first period, including several outstanding saves. Perry gave the Ducks the early advantage with a shot into the upper right corner 5:56 into the game. Ryan Getzlaf gave him a terrific pass to set up the goal. Niemi had a solid second period, allowing the Sharks to take the lead. Couture tied the score at 4:16 of the second. He redirected a shot from Marc-Edouard Vlasic over Hiller's glove. The goal ended a season-long goal scoring drought for the center. The Sharks took advantage of a poor pass from Hiller to score an easy goal midway through the period for the go-ahead goal. Hiller came out of the net to clear the puck, but flared it to Marleau's stick, who played give-and-go with Joe Thornton and scored into an empty net at 10:13. Havlat picked up a rebounded shot and tipped it into the net with less than a minute remaining to put the Sharks up 3-1 entering the final period. Grant, playing in his first NHL game, scored his first goal with 7:10 remaining in the third to bring the Ducks within 3-2. The defenseman took a shot that Niemi blocked with his right shoulder but was unable to control as it flipped in the air behind him and into the net. LA Times: LOADED:

5 Anaheim Ducks Ducks fall to Sharks in shootout, 4-3 By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER SAN JOSE Like the other contenders in the Pacific Division, the Ducks found that a good start got them out front for a while but only really kept them in the highly competitive mix. Why would the first matchup with the San Jose Sharks be anything other than a tight battle? The division lead officially belongs to the Sharks for now as Joe Pavelski s shootout goal proved to be the slim difference in a 4-3 victory over the Ducks in front of a sellout crowd at SAP Center on Saturday night. San Jose (18-3-5) pushed into first with 41 points while the Ducks (18-7-4) settled into second with 40 after managing to grab a point with a third-period rally from two goals down. The point totals are second and third in the NHL behind Chicago. "Obviously the Pacific Division is great," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "As is the Central Divison. The whole West is a great [conference]. I think San Jose's right up there with the best in the league. "So it'll be a tough year. We just have to persevere." Despite the protestation of a hot Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf, Pavelski's goal was ruled good after a video review upheld the center's move to stop in the middle of his try but keep the puck moving forward and beat goalie Jonas Hiller with his shot. Sharks goalie Antti Niemi turned aside all three shootout attempts, grabbing Kyle Palmieri s try with his glove to secure the victory. Niemi made 28 saves in regulation and overtime. We re all moving together like a peloton in cycling, San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. The group just keeps moving. Nobody seems to be able to break away. Strong riders in that group. Every night s a competitive night. It appeared that San Jose (18-3-5) had a win well in hand after a three-goal second period gave them a 3-1 lead. But Alex Grant managed to get a puck past Niemi for a goal in his first NHL game and then Ben Lovejoy s first with the Ducks tied it with 3:06 left. "That s a lot of character when you have guys step up in the third period like that, down two goals against a pretty good hockey team and able to fight back and get that point," Getzlaf said. "So that s pretty big for our group." Both teams gained power plays in the extra session with San Jose getting a full two minutes on Corey Perry s holding penalty and the Ducks having the final 31.4 seconds on Jason Demers holding minor. Neither could convert. Perry s team-leading 15th goal of the season gave the Ducks a lift going into the second after the Sharks had most of the territorial advantage in the opening 20 minutes. Hiller made 32 saves while often standing tall for the Ducks (18-7-4) underneath a San Jose onslaught. It was one blunder of his that changed the course of a tight early battle. The Ducks gained a power play on Justin Braun s holding minor midway through the second but Hiller skated well into to the right circle to play a puck coming into the Anaheim zone. It was an unusual play in that the goalie rarely strays that far from his goal. His errant pass was easily picked off by Joe Thornton and the Sharks captain would find Patrick Marleau, who easily deposited the puck into an empty net past a diving Cam Fowler for a shorthanded goal and a 2-1 San Jose lead. "I don t know if it was a turning point," Hiller said. "Sure, it s a tough goal to give up. I guess it's a problem as goalie if you make a mistake -- there s no one really behind you who can clear it up. I don t know if I missed it or if the puck just jumped when I wanted to play it. "It s a tough one. But I felt like it didn t bother us too much. I think it was a great effort to come back in the third but it s tough that we couldn t win it." Another backbreaking moment for the Ducks came in the final minute of the period. Fowler lost track of Martin Havlat circling around the net and the Sharks winger beat him to a rebound that he put in on the backhand for a two-goal lead. Perry put the Ducks up at 5:56 of the first with a quick wrist shot past Niemi after Getzlaf sent him in alone with a perfect entry pass. Getzlaf s assist gives him points in his last 10 games. Logan Couture started the Sharks second-period outburst with a deft tip of Marc-Edouard Vlasic s shot from the point. The Ducks had been able to cover for the recent injuries to Francois Beauchemin and Bryan Allen but the absence of the two veteran defensemen might be taking its toll. Beauchemin missed his fifth straight game because of an upper-body injury suffering while crashing into the boards in a game last week against New Jersey. He might be another week away from returning. Allen might be closer but his lower-body injury has kept him out for three games and might be questionable for Tuesday s home game against the Kings. It has forced the Ducks to go with Mark Fistric, Nolan Yonkman and the recently promoted Grant on their blue line, none of whom was envisioned to play among their top six. GRANT DEBUTS Grant was already sitting on cloud nine in the Ducks dressing room before he found out that he was making his NHL debut. Called up from Norfolk on Friday, the former Pittsburgh fourth-round draft pick has already been soaking in all that goes with being in the best hockey league in the world. It s an unbelievable feeling, he said. It s just totally different being here compared to the minors. Just everything to do with it. It s why people work so hard to get here. Because it s such an honor to be here. You can t take any day for granted. Because there s always other guys trying to get up here too. SELANNE RESTS Teemu Selanne, who has gone pointless in his past 12 games, did not play as he remained back in Anaheim on a scheduled rest day. Patrick Maroon got into the lineup for just the second time in the past seven games. Orange County Register: LOADED:

6 Anaheim Ducks Grant savors chance to fulfill NHL dream November 30th, 2013, 5:19 pm posted by ERIC STEPHENS SAN JOSE -- Alex Grant wasn't sure whether his NHL debut would come Saturday night but being in the Ducks' dressing room already had him sitting on cloud nine. The byproduct of all the injuries impacting the Ducks and their defense corps is that players like Grant have the chance to fulfill the same dream that first-round picks and can't-miss prospects all have. Called up from the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League on Friday, Grant has already been soaking in all that goes with being in the best hockey league in the world. "It s an unbelievable feeling," said Grant, who may find himself on the ice against the Sharks. "It's just totally different being here compared to the minors. Just everything to do with it. It's why people work so hard to get here. Because it's such an honor to be here. "You can t take any day for granted. Becaue there s always other guys trying to get up here too." There is no question that Grant is only here because the Ducks don't have Francois Beauchemin or Bryan Allen available. Or Luca Sbisa. Or Sheldon Souray. All because of injuries. Grant, 24, was a fourth-round pick of Pittsburgh in 2007 and came to the Ducks in a June trade for fellow minor leaguer Harry Zolnierczyk. His time in the Penguins' organization was spent completely between the ECHL (Wheeling Nailers) and AHL (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins). So off the radar was Grant that the Nova Scotia native didn't even get the cursory look during the preseason as other Pittsburgh prospects got those assignments. One chance in 2010 was removed when he suffered a broken wrist and whiplash during a rookie game. The trade to the Ducks was very much welcomed. "It definitely gave me a better opportunity," Grant said. "I'm here right now. I was there for four years and I didn't play an exhibition game. It's definitely different. It was a big day when I heard the news." A strong start with the Admirals certainly made him an option the Ducks could call on in an emergency. Grant already had six goals and six assists in 18 games for Norfolk. "I thought about it a couple of days ago when I got the call," he said. "Obvoiusly started thinking about it a bit more. I'm always hoping that day would come. It seems to be closer than ever." Orange County Register: LOADED:

7 Anaheim Ducks Ducks shot down by Sharks in shootout By Rick Eymer, The Associated Press Posted: 11/30/13, 11:29 PM PST SAN JOSE, Calif. >> Joe Pavelski scored in the shootout and Antti Niemi stopped all three attempts to help the San Jose Sharks beat the Ducks 4-3 on Saturday night. Logan Couture scored his first goal in eight games. Patrick Marleau and Marty Havlat also scored for the Sharks, who finished a season-long five-game homestand unbeaten and won their eighth in nine overall. Corey Perry, Alex Grant and Ben Lovejoy scored for the Ducks, who had won three of their past four. Niemi stopped 28 of 31 shots for his 15th win. Jonas Hiller saved 32 shots in taking the loss. The Ducks have lost six of their past seven road games. Lovejoy tied it at 16:54 of the third with his first goal of the season, though he has three points in his past four games. Nick Bonino won a faceoff in the Sharks zone, tapped the puck to Lovejoy, who shot it to the right corner. Hiller stopped all 12 shots he faced in the first period, including several outstanding saves. Perry gave the Ducks the early advantage with a shot into the upper right corner 5:56 into the game. Ryan Getzlaf gave him a terrific pass to set up the goal. Niemi had a solid second period, allowing the Sharks to take the lead. Couture tied the game at 4:16 of the second. He redirected a shot from Marc-Edouard Vlasic over Hiller s glove. The goal ended a season-long goal scoring drought for the center. The Sharks took advantage of an poor pass from Hiller to score an easy goal midway through the period for the go-ahead goal. Hiller came out of the net to clear the puck, but flared it to Marleau s stick, who played give-and-go with Joe Thornton and scored into an empty net at 10:13. Havlat picked up a rebounded shot and tipped it into the net with less than a minute remaining to put the Sharks up 3-1 entering the final period. Grant, playing in his first NHL game, scored his first goal with 7:10 remaining in the third to bring the Ducks within 3-2. The defenseman took a shot that Niemi blocked with his right shoulder but was unable to control as it flipped in the air behind him and into the net. Getzlaf recorded a point in his 10th straight game, his longest streak in four years. LA Daily News: LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins Jarome Iginla has some goals in sight By Amalie Benjamin December 01, 2013 When Reilly Smith went out for the opening faceoff in Friday s game against the Rangers, taking Jarome Iginla s spot, it wasn t a demotion for Iginla. In fact, his shift lasted about a nanosecond before Iginla rejoined his line. Coach Claude Julien acknowledged Saturday the error came about because he circled the wrong number on his starting lineup No. 18 rather than No. 12. So it wasn t an insult to Iginla, despite the tough time the winger has had putting the puck in the net of late. Iginla, who has scored at least 30 goals in each of the last 11 nonlockout seasons, has just five this season, including just one in his last nine games. That goal came in the waning minutes of an ugly loss to Detroit Wednesday. But Iginla has been through this before. The notoriously streaky winger has had difficulty early in the season, too, though usually not this much. Still, he s not overly bothered by the situation. It can switch fast, Iginla said before Boston s 3-1 win over Columbus. I think what I ve learned over the years is it s important to not get frustrated, to be around the net, to make sure you re shooting. Because sometimes I ve passed up on shots, too, and you need to get in that rhythm. You ve got to stay with it and shoot pucks and get to the net and be positive. It always feels like the best streaks and the best bounces come when you re upbeat and you kind of feel like you re expecting them too, as opposed to sometimes you get down on yourself. Iginla nearly scored Friday, his one-timer just missing the net. I was pretty excited to get a one-timer in that position, he said. It s what you re hoping for. I got a great pass from [Chris Kelly], I hit it hard, I just missed the net. I probably was a little too eager, but I try to get open for those, try to get a few more of those. Julien isn t worried about the misses, saying he thought Iginla might have been a little too excited on the shot against the Rangers. He compared the right wing with Patrice Bergeron, who ended a six-game goal-less streak with the game-tying goal Friday. I like his game, he s working hard, he s physical, he s battling, he s making good plays, and the only thing right now is that those pucks aren t going in as much as he d like [them] to, Julien said of Iginla. When Iggy starts scoring goals,. they come in bunches. So I think it s just a matter of time, but the main thing is his game is still good and he s still doing a lot of good things out there. And so is his line, especially on Friday. David Krejci was flying all over the ice, and Iginla and Milan Lucic were putting significant pressure on the Rangers, adding up to a win. Especially at this point in his career, that s the important part for Iginla, who is still searching for his first Stanley Cup. As he said, I believe they ll still come, but it is easier to go through when we re winning as a team and being where we are in the standings. Moving on up With their six power-play opportunities, the Bruins moved out of the league s basement on power-play chances. They re now one ahead of Colorado with 73 chances. It was a little different from [Friday] afternoon, where we had to kill most of them, Julien said. So it doesn t happen to us too often so it was a good night for us that way. Again, we just scored that one power-play goal, but I thought we had a lot of chances and for the most part our power play was fairly good. Lucic scored the power-play goal, his first in two years. Get-well present Katie Jablonski of Barre, Mass., was injured Friday when she was hit by a puck while sitting in the stands. I ve been to a couple games, but it was my first game that a puck flew over and hit me, the 11-year-old said. She was wearing a Milan Lucic shirt, and so Lucic took it upon himself to give her the royal treatment Saturday morning. She got a tour of the locker room, a signed stick, pucks, and the chance to meet a number of the players a day after she took seven stitches above her left eye. She was taken to Mass. General where she watched the end of the game. It was so cool, she said. Me and [Zdeno] Chara compared our injuries, because he got high-sticked. Costly penalty Dennis Seidenberg was involved in a play that Nick Foligno didn t like. Foligno went after him, earning an unsportsmanlike penalty and a 10-minute misconduct at 18:24 of the second period. It hurt the team, Columbus coach Todd Richards said. It wasn t a good penalty.... Matt Bartkowski was out of the lineup again as a healthy scratch, as he was on Friday, along with Jordan Caron. Bartkowski was the odd man out with Adam McQuaid and Seidenberg back from injuries. Amalie Benjamin Boston Globe LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Bruins Chad Johnson didn t see much action in net By Fluto Shinzawa December 01, 2013 For 22 of his first 27 games as a Bruin, Chad Johnson has spent 60 or more minutes every time processing what he sees from the bench as Tuukka Rask s backup. I try and take the most I can, try and learn as much as I can being on the bench, said the No. 2 goalie. I think it s just seeing how the team plays, what they like to give up, what they like to give Tuukka. If it s odd-man rushes, maybe they give him the shot or they move over. Just different plays the team does because they have faith in Tuukka and what he can do. I think just watching that and those situations, eventually when I get in, I ll be able to step in there and know what the situation will be when it s my time. Johnson made his fifth start Saturday. But for the backup goalie, a night in net wasn t much different than when he s on the bench with a hat on his head. Johnson saw only 14 pucks in the Bruins 3-1 win over Columbus. The Blue Jackets didn t have the puck enough to make Johnson bead up into a sweat. Like when he s the backup, Johnson was an observer more than a participant. It was an easy game. Not much really to talk about on my end of it, said Johnson. We had a good backcheck. Our D were standing up at the blue line. We just didn t let them gain any momentum or gain the zone, really. They were forced to turn pucks over. I think when we play our best hockey, that s what we do. We force them to make plays at the blue line. Today we were there for the whole 60 minutes. In the course of a season, there are puckstopping outliers. When his teammates couldn t do much with the puck against the Rangers on Nov. 19, Rask stole two points for his team with a 43-save showstopper. Two days later, the Bruins played a heavy, efficient game against St. Louis. But one factor in the Bruins 3-2 shootout loss was a slow-moving Derek Roy dribbler that Rask let slip through his pads. The general rule, however, is that a goalie is a reflection of his team. Johnson s near-perfect night a Ryan Johansen shot he didn t see was the only puck he missed underscored how thoroughly the Bruins outplayed the shorthanded Jackets. The Bruins outshot Columbus, The Bruins attempted 67 shots to Columbus s 42. The Jackets never tested Johnson with regular pressure. They never had the puck to do so. It seemed like we had confidence, Johnson said. Guys were in the right spots where they needed to be. When we were looking to make plays, it was a quick puck move to them. Everybody was on their game today. We limited their opportunities and we played good defensively. That led to our offense. Saturday s game serves as a blueprint for the hard-hat manner more Carhartt, less Zegna in which the Bruins want to play. Defensively, they limited the Jackets to one-and-done looks. Johnson stopped the rare puck. Then the Bruins transitioned rapidly from defense to offense. They flew through the neutral zone. Once they gained the offensive blue line, they cycled the puck, forced the Jackets to chase, and spent extended shifts in front of goalie Curtis McElhinney. When they re clicking, the Bruins are a powerful puck-possession team. They rush the puck with multiple bodies to support the attack. Opponents regularly find themselves outnumbered. They make mistakes because of the Bruins heat. One reason the Bruins went 1 for 6 on the power play was because they controlled the puck and forced Columbus to take penalties. We were two steps behind, said Columbus coach Todd Richards. They were bigger, they were stronger, they were faster. Every aspect of the game, if you look at it, they were better than us. We couldn t get the puck stopped in our own zone, and it was too easy in the offensive zone their ability to just wash us out of the play, get the puck, and then get it back into our zone. As much as the Bruins want to play this way, such games are not easy for goalies. Especially for goalies who play as sparingly as Johnson. Johnson saw just two shots in the first period. Johnson turned back all seven in the second. In the third, Fedor Tyutin slashed in front of Johnson just as Johansen released his shot. Just like that, the JV Jackets they re missing Marian Gaborik, Brandon Dubinsky, Nathan Horton, Jared Boll, and Derek MacKenzie were within two strikes of tying the game. But the Bruins finished the game like they started it. They submitted a 60-minute, workmanlike, blue-collar effort. Johnson came out of it with his fourth win in five starts. Johnson didn t start the season as crisply as the Bruins wanted. But Johnson s recent play is giving his bosses more confidence that he can spell Rask when required. He s starting to play on a more regular basis, coach Claude Julien said. He seems to be getting in synch and more comfortable. Johnson will return to his usual spot on the bench. Rask should get the next two starts in Montreal on Thursday and at home against Pittsburgh on Saturday. But in one week, the Bruins kick off a four-game Canadian tour. They ll need Johnson then. He ll be ready. Fluto Shinzawa Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Bruins roll past the Blue Jackets By Amalie Benjamin December 01, 2013 At first, it appeared Jarome Iginla had gotten his stick on the puck, tapping it past Columbus goaltender Curtis McElhinney. Upon review, Milan Lucic was credited with the goal instead of an assist. That would normally be a good thing. And it was, though the resident Bruins stat geek was left slightly disappointed at his close call at the team s second straight game with a Gordie Howe hat trick. It would have been nice to have gotten the Gordie, especially after [Zdeno Chara] got it, Lucic said of Chara s goal-assist-fight trio Friday. But not going to complain with a goal over an assist. Nor was he going to complain with two of them, bringing his total to 11, and giving the Bruins the 3-1 win over the Blue Jackets at TD Garden Saturday. That win gave Boston points in each of its 10 home games in November. The Bruins are in their last 11 home games, last losing in regulation on Causeway Street Oct. 26 to the Devils. The Bruins were outstanding defensively, allowing just 14 shots on goal, the second straight game they have limited their opponent to fewer than 20. We were two steps behind, Columbus coach Todd Richards said. They were bigger, they were stronger, they were faster. Curtis McElhinney can only watch Milan Lucic celebrate his first goal. JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF Curtis McElhinney can only watch Milan Lucic celebrate his first goal. Part of that was Lucic, who scored his first goal on the power play at 14:58 of the first after Patrice Bergeron opened the scoring at 9:02 of the period. Lucic s goal came just 22 seconds after Ryan Johansen was penalized for hooking, as the winger redirected a point shot from Torey Krug. It was his first power-play goal in two seasons, his last coming on March 3, Lucic scored his second 2:15 into the third, the slap shot needing a friendly bounce (though not help from Iginla). [I scored] Two goals without getting a real direct shot at the net, Lucic said. Just one I think they tipped it and it went off me and in. The second one they tipped it again, and it went up and over everyone and into the back of the net. Sometimes they go in like that. Fortunately I had some puck luck here tonight. But it wasn t just that. I thought even [on Friday], I told him he was skating extremely well and he was doing the right things, coach Claude Julien said. I think the one thing I thought is that he was maybe gripping his stick a little bit tight there in certain areas and just to go out there and play. Lucic, who finished the night with a swollen chin and cuts along his nose, added the fight at 8:34 of the second period, tangling with Dalton Proust after the teams had been engaging in some pushing and shoving earlier in the game. Just one of those things that happens, Lucic said. It was really the first time I ve actually been challenged since the [Joel] Rechlicz fight [in the preseason], and first willing combatant as well. I think before that the game was kind of getting a little chippy and so I think it calmed it down after that. But it was notable that the Bruins increased their physicality in recent games. As Chara said, We have to be physical as a team and emotionally attached to those games, and that s when we re playing our best. That s the identity. That physicality the absence of which leaves the Bruins looking for that spark, as Chara put it combined with the re-emergence of the team s top two lines, has been crucial. Both lines went through a dip over the last few weeks, leaving the bottom-six forwards to pick up the slack. But the top lines have been better of late. We had some good stretches this year, and then we ve had a couple slow games, Iginla said. So we re really trying to make a conscious effort to get back to moving and forechecking and trying to turn pucks over down there, trying to make it hard on the other team s D and be hard around the front of the net, like Looch s first goal. They were successful. And combined with a 14-save effort from backup goaltender Chad Johnson, the Bruins turned around a week that started with a game-tying goal by Pittsburgh with 0.3 left in regulation and a blowout loss to the Red Wings. Since then, the Bruins have brought the emotion they were lacking in that debacle in Detroit, doing exactly what Julien had asked. As the coach put it, You take a bad loss and you turn it into a positive thing. He told his team that it could finish the week strong winning three of four games, and that was just what the Bruins did. We talked about carrying it over from [Friday s] emotional game, and it was good that it was there here tonight, Lucic said. I think it was a full team effort from the goalie out. We talked about having a good, strong game before this little break we have, before the big game on Thursday coming up. We ended off on the right note. Other than that Detroit game, it was a pretty good week. Amalie Benjamin Boston Globe LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Lucic scores 2 in Boston's win over Columbus By KEN POWTAK / Associated Press / November 30, 2013 BOSTON (AP) Things were bouncing right for Milan Lucic and the Boston Bruins. Lucic scored a pair of goals and Patrice Bergeron added another, lifting the surging Bruins to a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. It s nice to have some puck luck, said Lucic, who said both goals hit a Blue Jackets player and changed direction en route to the net. The rugged Boston winger, who also had a fight in the second period, even thought linemate Jarome Iginla may have scored the second one. I thought Iggie may have gotten it, he said. But it s nice to get two goals and my first power-play goal of the season. Lucic hadn t scored a goal in his past six games after getting off to a fast start with nine. Boston coach Claude Julien felt the winger just needed to relax and things would start to turn his way. I thought maybe he was gripping the stick a little tight in certain areas, Julien said. I just told him to go out and play. I liked his game a lot tonight. David Krejci added two assists for Eastern Conference-leading Boston, which is in its past 14 games. Boston s Chad Johnson needed only 13 saves for the win in just his fifth start. No. 1 goalie Tuukka Rask was given the night off. Johnson knew it was an easy night. The first period I didn t face many shots and in the second not many high-quality chances, he said. It s tough to get into it, but I've had some good practices lately. The Bruins haven t lost at home in regulation in 11 games (9-0-2). Boston has won all three meetings between the teams this season. Ryan Johansen scored a power-play goal for the Blue Jackets, who were outshot Backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney stopped 33 shots for Columbus, which lost for the 12th time in 17 games. The Blue Jackets haven t won consecutive games since late October. It s definitely frustrating. I think some night that we have lost the effort wasn t there, winger Matt Calvert said. But I thought tonight we worked hard, we did a lot of good things. But, once again, against a good team like this, you've got to find a way to win. It s always a tough building to come into, but we didn t find a way tonight and we re going to keep on searching for it. Boston jumped ahead 1-0 when Bergeron scored on a tough-angle shot at 9:02 of the first. He fired one from near the right boards and the puck slipped behind McElhinney as Boston winger Loui Eriksson was cutting in front. The Bruins made it 2-0 on Lucic s power-play goal with just over 5 minutes left in the first. Torey Krug fired a shot from the left point and Lucic, positioned in front, tipped it by McElhinney. Lucic s second goal of the game made it 3-0 just over 2 minutes into the third. He fired a shot from the high slot and the puck popped into the air after McElhinney s stop and bounced into the net behind him just as Iginla was ready to bat it in. Johansen s team-leading 10th goal came on a wrister from the top of right circle with just under 14 minutes left. Coming off a 4-2 win over Edmonton at home on Friday night, the Blue Jackets had trouble generating much offense. The Blue Jackets were outshot 9-2 in the first and it didn t get much better for them in the second. They were held to three shots on goal for nearly half of the period until a power play gave them a brief spark. Not enough (shots) and not enough quality ones either, forward RJ Umberger said. We've got to find a way to generate more. Possibly looking to give his team a lift, Columbus defenseman Dalton Prout took on Boston heavyweight Lucic for a fight midway into the second. Things were chippy, at times, for stretches in the second with a couple of scrums after whistles. Columbus went nearly 18 minutes without a shot on goal from the first into the second and that was a clear from their own zone on one of Boston s power plays. The Bruins posted a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday. NOTES: The Bruins improved to when scoring the game s first goal.... Columbus LW Nick Foligno was given an unsportsmanlike conduct minor and 10-minute misconduct late in the second after he grabbed Boston D Dennis Seidenberg by the jersey from behind and spun him around during a scrum at center ice.... The Bruins are off until Thursday when they play rival Montreal. Columbus hosts Tampa Bay on Tuesday, the first of two straight at home. They also play Minnesota.... The Blue Jackets fell to when they trail after two periods.... Former Bruin Johnny The Chief Bucyk watched the game from a luxury box. His No. 9 is retired and hanging in the rafters.... A big melee broke out in the high-priced seats late in the game. Boston Globe LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Game 27 preview: Blue Jackets at Bruins Posted by Amalie Benjamin November 30, :23 AM We're right back at the TD Garden for a back-to-back featuring the Bruins and the Blue Jackets, the third time these two teams have matched up this season. The Bruins have won both games, and each of their last five games overall against Columbus. Boston bounced back on Friday against the Rangers after an abysmal showing on Wednesday at Detroit, so they'll be trying to continue that momentum today. "I can t say enough about parity," coach Claude Julien said. "You look at the standings and you see where teams are but when you see teams on the ice, there isn t that big of a difference. I don t think you ve seen in our league a lot of teams totally toy around with another team except for our team in Detroit. But other than that, you don t see that too often. "It s parity. Again, I thought we played [the Blue Jackets] well last game. I thought our finish wasn t there and because of that they hung around. I think we had enough chances earlier in the game or during the game that if we would have scored on those, it might have been a bit of a different game; it probably wouldn t have had to go into extra time." Fortunately for the Bruins, they're at home, where they are in their last 10 games, making it the team's longest home stretch without a loss since a 14-game streak from Oct. 25, 2008 to Jan. 1, Game time: 7 p.m. TV/Radio: NESN/98.5 The Sports Hub Records: Bruins , Blue Jackets Projected lineups: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Loui Eriksson Carl Soderberg-Chris Kelly-Reilly Smith Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid Chad Johnson Tuukka Rask Notes: Former Bruin Nathan Horton did not make the trip with the Blue Jackets to Boston, though he has been skating with the team since last week.... Chris McElhinney will start in goal for the Blue Jackets. He's with a 2.32 goals-against average and a.923 save percentage.... The Bruins have 17 back-to-back games this season, with today's game marking the end of their fifth back-to-back. So far, the Bruins are in the first game of a back-to-back and in the second.... The referees are Tom Kowal and Chris Lee. The linesmen are Derek Nansen and Brian Mach. Boston Globe LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Numbers add up in wins column for Bruins Sunday, December 1, 2013 Stephen Harris Heading into last night s 3-1 win over Columbus, the Bruins leading scorer was David Krejci. He was tied for 56th in the National Hockey League. Last season, the B s top scorer, Brad Marchand, ranked 43rd in the league. In , Tyler Seguin led the team, but ranked only 26th. The year before that Milan Lucic was No. 1 on the B s, No. 39 in the league. In , Patrice Bergeron and Krejci tied for the team lead, but ranked 87th in the NHL. Yet in these five seasons, lacking an elite scorer, the Bruins had more wins than all but four other teams, went to the playoffs each year, reached the Stanley Cup final twice and, of course, won the 2011 Cup. The last time the B s had an individual whose name appeared anywhere near the top of the scoring list was , when center Marc Savard posted 88 points to rank ninth in the NHL. The last time the Bruins had a 50-goal scorer was , when Cam Neely produced his third such season. Since then, there have been goal seasons, by players from 17 different teams. The point is pretty obvious, is it not? Where the Bruins are concerned, it s all about the team not the individual. I don t think we ll ever have someone in this room who leads the league in scoring, said Bruins center Chris Kelly. That s not a knock on our players, because we have great players. But we re a defense-first team. Our top-end guys buy into that system. Look at guys like Krejci and Bergeron. They have the talent to be up in the top five in scoring, but they play a two-way game. They play all three zones hard. Pose the following question to Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli and he gives a somewhat equivocal answer: Would you rather have one 50-goal scorer or three 20-goal guys? I d rather have a 50-goal scorer and the rest 20-goal scorers, said Chiarelli with a laugh. I mean, the GM in me always wants the best players. Having said that, though, I ll say this: If it s a 50-goal guy who doesn t have a two-way component in his game, who doesn t backcheck and play hard, no, I wouldn t want that. That would be a deterrent to our game, to what we preach as a team. In other words, if you re talking about a player like Sidney Crosby or Steve Stamkos you want to get rid of, yeah, Chiarelli would be happy to take him off your hands. Guys like that are rare. More often, the guys with 50-goal skill aren t particularly familiar with the defensive half of the rink or interested in becoming acquainted. The lowest common denominator with us is having two-way guys, said Chiarelli. Guys who are unselfish, who understand their roles and our good two-way players. With Bergy and Krech, certainly both of them would produce more points if they were the sole No. 1 guy. Those are two good guys to bring up, because a big part of our strength is down the middle and those are two of the linchpins. They co-exist in a good way, a good mutual way. The Bruins roster has been built very deliberately, and is one of the deepest and best-balanced in the NHL. It s team-building by design, said Chiarelli. I don t know if it s our culture; it s more that we just preach depth and a level of unselfishness. The same way we expect players to trust each other, we also want them to trust us to build the right kind of team. A deeper team will be a more successful team. Boston Herald LOADED: