Anaheim Ducks Kings turn up heat against Ducks goaltending prospect in 6-0 win Ducks put youngsters to the test

Transcription

1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Kings turn up heat against Ducks goaltending prospect in 6-0 win Ducks put youngsters to the test Boston Bruins Bruins goaltender Niklas Svedberg stands tall in Bruins 3-2 shootout win Bruins goaltender Niklas Svedberg shines in Bruins preseason win Defenseman Zach Trotman making a case for himself Bruins Jarome Iginla makes good first impression Still no doubting Tim Thomas Warsofsky earns look Buffalo Sabres Foligno leads Sabres to win After returning from family tragedy, Canes' Gerbe out to prove Sabres wrong Sabres' Power Play Luncheon makes return Tonight's lineup in Columbus Calgary Flames Hickey aiming to solidify spot on New York Islanders blueline Johnson: Local wants to be known for more than just being the guy who dropped the Memorial Cup Monahan, Ramo shine as Flames double Isles in Regina Flames notes: Billins fresh off 2013 Calder Cup win Wideman struts trademark skills, leads Flames to 5-3 pre-season win over Islanders Hartley shuffling the cards up the middle; testing Knight, Reinhart, Jones at wing Cochrane s Gordon healthy, happy to be getting a shot Calgary s Bruton trying to crack Isles Zach off D? Calgary Flames prospect Monahan making case to stay, even with 67 s hoping he ll return Cuts coming today NHL's Calgary Flames sweep New York Islanders in pre-season pair Carolina Hurricanes Canes forwards sense career 'window' closing Chicago Blackhawks Bollig wants to be more than just tough guy Blackhawks blank Red Wings in exhibition opener Hawks eager for exhibition opener Stanley Cup coming to Millennium Park Blackhawks Patrick Kane has it all but wants more Blackhawks win before rivalry put on hold Bollig s not just a tough guy, he plays well-rounded role Alfredsson 'excited' after Hawks-Wings opener Sharp, Smith score as Blackhawks win preseason-opener Life on the Blackhawks roster 'bubble' Blackhawks make first round of training-camp cuts Quenneville: 'Excitement in the air' Colorado Avalanche Patrick Roy will deal with getting criticized as Avalanche coach Nathan MacKinnon gets new linemate as Patrick Roy tweaks Avs for preseason Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets: Ryan Johansen says he s a changed man Blue Jackets notebook: McElhinney backing up a Vezina winner again NHL 9/18/2013 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars Former Star Brenden Morrow still looking for team, waiting for right fit Rich Peverley, feels good, skates with Stars teammates Tuesday Dallas Stars Peverley laces up after heart procedure Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings' Mikael Samuelsson approaches position battle as 'fun' Former Red Wing Shawn Burr remembered with laughter, tears Chicago 2, Detroit 0: Red Wings, without Johan Franzen (hip flexor), fall in exhibition Red Wings' Danny DeKeyser adds strength to his game Blackhawks blank Red Wings in exhibition Johan Franzen out for Red Wings' exhibition game Tuesday at Chicago Short-handed Detroit Red Wings lose to Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks Red Wings' Johan Franzen to miss tonight's preseason game due to sore hip flexor Red Wings top defense prospects Xavier Ouellet, Ryan Sproul poised for NHL preseason debut, AHL season Abdelkader finds instant chemistry playing on top line Franzen sidelined with a hip flexor Edmonton Oilers Larsen pleasant surprise on Edmonton Oilers' blue-line Richard Bachman looks like a keeper in net for Edmonton Oilers farm team Who will get signed first Tom Gilbert or Ryan Whitney? After four years in the NHL, Winnipeg Jets winger Evander Kane wants some playoff action Prospect-laden Edmonton Oilers outplayed by Winnipeg Jets NHLers Florida Panthers Reinvigorated goalie Tim Thomas ready to compete with Panthers TIM THOMAS READY FOR FRESH START: Goalie Looks to Start Anew in Florida with Panthers Outspoken goalie Tim Thomas brings credibility, controversy and competitiveness to Panthers Panthers sweep Predators in doubleheader; Barkov debuts Los Angeles Kings Kings turn up heat against Ducks goaltending prospect in 6-0 win Postgame quotes: Dustin Penner Postgame quotes: Carter, Doughty, Frattin, Sutter LAKI Suite Night: October 19 vs Dallas Kings encouraged by Pearson s growth

2 Minnesota Wild Wild loses 3-1 to Columbus in preseason opener; Zucker tweaks groin Niederreiter has talent to make Wild roster, but no guarantee Hybrid icing gets test in Wild's preseason loss to Columbus Matt Cooke Extra; Wild hosts Columbus tonight in preseason opener Minnesota Wild: For Charlie Coyle, new position, more responsibility Minnesota Wild cut roster to 47 players Minnesota Wild: Nino Niederreiter, Justin Fontaine under spotlight Minnesota Wild: Smaller goalie pads will take some getting used to Minnesota Wild: Different agendas for young, old defensemen Montreal Canadiens Subban rivalry plays out on the ice at the Bell Centre Aleksandra Wozniak upset at Habs for including Leblanc among first cuts Zachary Fucale s father is a proud Canadiens fan WTA player Aleksandra Wozniak upset at Habs for cutting Leblanc Leblanc reaches low point with Habs Louis is disappointed for sure, Leblanc s agent says Nashville Predators Nashville Predators, David Legwand cautious about future together New Jersey Devils Devils' Pete DeBoer calls Damien Brunner 'a pretty savvy guy' Patrik Elias: Devils could have some firepower if Damien Brunner is added Devils and Sixers owner Josh Harris listed as 222nd-richest American Devils: Damien Brunner skates on line with Patrik Elias, Dainius Zubrus Devils' Pete DeBoer calls Damien Brunner 'a pretty savvy guy' New York Rangers After wife's tragic death from cancer, Dominic Moore returns to the NY Rangers after a season away Derick Brassard, Benoit Pouliot, Mats Zuccarello display chemistry in NY Rangers' 3-2 preseason win over Phila Biron makes solid case to stay Rangers backup Prowe s moving forward up front Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello line impresses in Rangers' win over Flyers Devils top Rangers in Alain Vigneault's preseason coaching debut Rangers coach Alain Vigneault will give Chris Kreider his chance to shine Rangers-Flyers in review Rangers 3, Flyers 2 post-game notes It s Go Time! Rangers at Flyers Ottawa Senators Ottawa 67 s ready to roll, but status of Sean Monahan unknown Z-Bad says times now Z-Good Rookie Curtis Lazar signs with Senators Pushing limits 14 seconds at a time Ottawa Senators young enforcer Darren Kramer can learn a thing or two from Chris Neil Ottawa Senators prospect Buddy Robinson off to promising start in pre-season Ottawa Senators sign first-round pick Curtis Lazar to entry-level contract Philadelphia Flyers Flyers rookie Morin stating his case Couturier scores but Flyers drop exhibition Flyers Notes: Flyers sign top pick Morin to 3-year deal Lecavalier scores but Flyers lose in exhibition Flyers sign Morin to 3-year deal Morin signed to entry-level deal, might see early action Raffl clicks right away with Lecavalier, Simmonds Holmgren: Morin 'a stretch' to make Flyers now Morin had feeling deal was coming from Flyers Flyers, Lecavalier impressed by Sam Morin Flyers are working on chemistry Rangers top Flyers Flyers' Streit feeling comfortable Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes coach Dave Tippett, an ex-firefighter, eager to give back Tippett's faith in Ribeiro can't be overlooked Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins notebook: Roster spots scarce after cuts Versatile Jeffrey still not a regular Vitale puts fighting for job in new light with broken nose Penguins cut 11, reduce training-camp roster to 44 San Jose Sharks Under Pressure: Joe Thornton Sharks trim training camp roster St Louis Blues Hitchcock seeks transition in mixing defensive pairs Longer camp a good sign for Elliott Hitchcock leaning toward altering Blues' defensive pairs Blues plan to take a long look at Whitney on defense Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts forwards have a lot on the line Bolts notes: Cooper eager for puck to drop Vinik razes St. Armands mansion bought for $4.25 million Connolly aims to win spot with Lightning Lineup for preseason opener vs. Blues in Orlando Lightning signs draft choice Joel Vermin Connolly, Drouin shine in scrimmage as Blue beats White 1-0 Toronto Maple Leafs Leiweke wants to put Maple Leafs fans back in their seats Maple Leafs: Realignment will make it tougher to make playoffs Maple Leafs cut 14, including top pick Frederik Gauthier Maple Leafs: David Clarkson not worried about big-contract pressure Johnny Bower to Tim Leiweke: Maple Leafs fans want old photos to stay up LeafsBeat: What to do with Morgan Rielly? James Reimer should be Maple Leafs starting goalie until Jonathan Bernier shows he can take over: Cox Leiweke rethinks Leafs makeover: Feschuk Maple Leafs camp getting down to nitty gritty Top 5 things to watch for at Maple Leafs camp Maple Leafs goalie Drew MacIntyre all similes these days Do not believe any of the following things you may come across in the world of sports

3 Vancouver Canucks Botchford: Sedins aim to be complete players Kuzma: Higgins has had taste of Torts' style, understands his desire to shake up players' comfort zones The 10 O Clock: Ding Dong the Witch is dead. And by witch, we gather Brooksie is referring to Canucks coach Canucks top players set to see more ice time under Tortorella Canucks banking on fiery Tortorella to ignite rather than scorch Washington Capitals Five thoughts on the Capitals 3-2 shootout loss to the Bruins Mike Green: Ice in Baltimore wasn t very good during morning skate Websites ESPN / Highs and lows of #NHLrank NBCSports.com / Report: Daly, Fehr to meet with IIHF (possibly about games in Europe, return of World Cup) NBCSports.com / New funding option for NHL-caliber arena in Toronto suburb USA TODAY / 10 newcomers who'll provide a major boost Winnipeg Jets Jets edge Oilers for first win this pre-season Jets hold off late Oilers charge to win Training camp is a necessary evil but Winnipeg Jets are in it to win it Eric O'Dell is doing his part to get the attention of Winnipeg Jets brass Jets cut 10 players, including Blomqvist, Sutter and Bell Pavelec s stats need to get better but team needs to help, says Noel Jets defenceman Grant Clitsome enjoying his newfound job security but not getting too comfortable SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks Kings turn up heat against Ducks goaltending prospect in 6-0 win John Gibson, who came off the bench, is greeted by a barrage of goals, including three in the final period, by the Kings. By Lance Pugmire 11:13 PM PDT, September 17, 2013 Ducks goaltending prospect John Gibson has excited so many in leading the U.S. to the world junior championships and a bronze medal in the world championship, it's easy to get carried away with his potential. But the 20-year-old came cold off the bench Tuesday and the Kings greeted him with a sobering display of NHL goal-scoring ability three in the final period of their 6-0 exhibition victory over the Ducks at Honda Center. "Any time you lose, you're not happy," Gibson said. "They just beat me, not much to say. I've got to get better." Jeff Carter followed a Kings rush at Gibson to poke a shot past him and extend the Kings' lead to 4-0. Carter then rifled another shot past Gibson three minutes later before Anze Kopitar also beat Gibson. Kopitar, Drew Doughty and off-season addition Matt Frattin each scored three points for the Kings, who were swept in split-squad games Sunday. "We weren't happy," Doughty said. "The coaches kind of gave us that one first game to get our feet going, to get used to playing. Tonight, it was back to normal. No excuses. [Coach] Darryl [Sutter] was on us.... We made sure we were prepared for this game to come here and get a win." As for the Ducks' perspective of watching their phenom struck by three goals in less than seven minutes: "Gibby's a great goalie, a young guy coming into the last period after sitting there cold for almost two hours," said Ducks goaltender Viktor Fasth, who gave up three goals on 26 shots in the game's first two periods. "I don't think you should put down too much thoughts about those goals." On the other end, Kings goalie Jonathan Quick cruised in his first exhibition appearance by shutting out the Ducks, who sent only 12 shots his way in two periods. The Ducks took just three shots in the first thanks to pressure from defenders and plays such as center Trevor Lewis' knocking down a Sami Vatanen shot similar to one he converted to a goal Monday. The Ducks had first-line stars Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf playing, but the Kings met them with resistance. Sutter cautioned not to read too much into a performance such as Tuesday night's. "You've got to base it on the whole camp, not one period, not one shift or one game," Sutter said. Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler was penalized for a double-minor, four-minute high-sticking violation later in the period. The Kings took advantage, with Frattin getting a Doughty pass and firing it into the net. Fasth spent the second period dealing with more intense pressure. The Kings led, 2-0, when 21-year-old right wing prospect Scott Sabourin charged down ice and fired a goal that went over Fasth's left glove. "They came out hard after losing two, and showed they wanted to win... with a lot of speed," Fasth said. Doughty then smacked a shot that went between Fasth's legs for a 3-0 lead with 1:43 left in the period. LA Times: LOADED:

5 Anaheim Ducks Ducks put youngsters to the test By ERIC STEPHENS ANAHEIM Three days after the Ducks begin their regular season, their American Hockey League-affiliated Norfolk Admirals open their schedule in Hartford, Conn. On that night of Oct. 5, the Ducks will be in Minnesota in the middle of a three-game trip. You can guess which locale Sami Vatanen would rather be at. Of course, my plan is to play on this team, Vatanen said. Not in Norfolk or anything like that. There s so many good guys here. So you ve got to push it to the limits and do what you got to do. I do my best and we will see what happens. No pressure or anything. Just enjoy the time that you re here. Vatanen is being given a long look by the Ducks as he joined Peter Holland and Antoine Laganiere as Ducks to play their first two exhibition games on back-to-back nights. The Kings thoroughly controlled the Tuesday night affair, winning 6-0. Matt Frattin, Scott Sabourin and Drew Doughty all scored on Ducks goalie Viktor Fasth, who was busy in his first exhibition, stopping 23 of 26 shots. Jeff Carter also scored twice in the third and Anze Kopitar added the final score. Jonathan Quick stopped all 12 shots he faced while the Ducks John Gibson played the third period and made five saves. But the goal of inserting players like Vatanen and Holland right back into the lineup is to see if the quality of their play holds up on the second night, especially after both flourished Monday in the Ducks 6-2 win over Phoenix. With Sheldon Souray out until midseason and Francois Beauchemin still recovering from ACL surgery, Vatanen is in position to be among the team s seven defensemen when they break camp. They need games and we ve only got seven, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. Some of these guys are going to have to play five or six games so we can get a better read on them. Sami may be in that boat. Vatanen experienced playing three games in three nights last season in the AHL and joked that he d rather play again Wednesday in the Ducks exhibition in Colorado than stay in Orange County for practice. Whatever the plan is, the talented Finnish prospect is just rolling with it. I have to say I have no idea what is his plan, Vatanen said. Maybe it s getting me in good shape. So a lot of skating and playing so it will help in the future. Vatanen made his NHL debut in February and then returned in April to score his first two goals in a four-game span. He has always been capable of generating offense from the blue line but he ll need to learn how to balance that with taking the right risks. He just has to gain experience and know when to do it and know when to not do it, Boudreau said. I don t think he s risky as far as play in his own zone. He s smart. He makes the good play. Where he s risky is stepping up in the neutral zone or stepping up at the blue line. That s where he gets to be risky. So we would like to take that out of the equation. Holland is also being put to the test in this all-important camp for the center. The Ducks are giving him a long rope this preseason to see if he'll grab on and join them when they open in Denver against the Avalanche. Any time, I think it s in your own hands, it s exciting, the Ducks' 2009 top draft pick said. A little bit of nerves comes with that. This is what you've worked your whole life for, especially all summer for. You just have to take advantage of it and spark some chemistry quick with your linemates. Orange County Register: LOADED:

6 Boston Bruins Bruins goaltender Niklas Svedberg stands tall in Bruins 3-2 shootout win By Amalie Benjamin / Globe Staff / September 17, 2013 BALTIMORE One day after Chad Johnson struggled allowing three goals on eight shots to the Canadiens Niklas Svedberg stood tall against Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals, earning a 3-2 shootout victory at 1st Mariner Arena. Svedberg made his most notable save against Ovechkin, stoning the Washington star with about a minute to go in overtime. He had six saves in the shootout, which the Bruins won, 3-2, on a goal by Carter Camper in the eighth round. [Svedberg] was solid, coach Claude Julien said. He made some good saves. I think he got as surprised as anybody else on that goal [by Casey Wellman]. That guy just turned around and shot it quickly it was a quick release I don t know if he was screened. Yet, he stood up and shined through the shootout. So he was really good tonight. I liked his outing. Svedberg, who had a 2.17 goals against average and.925 save percentage with Providence, is battling Johnson to be Tuukka Rask s backup this season. Julien said earlier in the week that the team would keep the best goaltender, possibly sacrificing everyday play in Providence for Svedberg. I think if he s ready, he s ready, Julien had said. It s as simple as that. Rask started the game, allowing a goal to Tom Wilson at 17:18 of the first period. Boston Globe LOADED:

7 Boston Bruins Bruins goaltender Niklas Svedberg shines in Bruins preseason win By Amalie Benjamin September 18, 2013 BALTIMORE One day after Chad Johnson struggled allowing three goals on eight shots to the Canadiens Niklas Svedberg stood tall against Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals, earning a 3-2 shootout victory at 1st Mariner Arena. Svedberg made his most notable save against Ovechkin, stoning the Washington star with about a minute to go in overtime. He had six saves in the shootout, which the Bruins won, 3-2, on a goal by Carter Camper in the eighth round. [Svedberg] was solid, coach Claude Julien said. He made some good saves. I think he got as surprised as anybody else on that goal [by Casey Wellman]. That guy just turned around and shot it quickly it was a quick release I don t know if he was screened. Svedberg is battling Johnson to be Tuukka Rask s backup this season. I think if he s ready, he s ready, Julien had said. It s as simple as that. Rask started the game, allowing a goal to Tom Wilson at 17:18 of the first period. Robins a battler Not only did Bobby Robins drop the gloves for the first time this season battling Dane Byers the enforcer helped get his team on the board in the second period. With 44 seconds to go, Robins assisted on a Justin Florek goal that cut the Capitals lead to 2-1. He s an energy guy, Julien said. He s a guy who comes in, will breathe some life into your hockey club. I thought watching him last year, there was a lot of times that they came out not flat but they weren t coming out as hard as they could have, and all of a sudden he puts life in the game and he would turn the tide around. He s very good at that. For a guy who s been around for a long time, he really gets excited about playing and it shows. Nothing bothered him tonight. He was going back and forth with Ovechkin. He didn t care who he was. He was going to do his job, no matter who the player was. Julien added that you gain respect for a guy like that. Dane Byers is a worthy competitor, Robins said. I figured we d run into each other at some point. It was just a quick one I wish it would have lasted a little longer. But everybody came out safe and sound and nobody s feelings were hurt. Kelly in spotlight Chris Kelly scored the equalizer on a bomb from the right circle, a one-timer that tied the score at 2-2. Julien praised the all-around play of Kelly, who almost scored in the seventh round of the shootout. It felt better as the game went on, Kelly said. In the first period, there were moments when I felt like I was in slow motion. But as the game went on I found my legs. Boston Globe LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins Defenseman Zach Trotman making a case for himself By Amalie Benjamin September 18, 2013 BALTIMORE Standing next to the 6-foot-9-inch, 255-pound Zdeno Chara, almost anyone would be dwarfed. But Zach Trotman, who has been paired with the Bruins top defenseman through the early days of training camp, doesn t seem so tiny. Of course, he doesn t exactly see it that way. I feel pretty small next to him, said Trotman, confirming that he is, as listed, 6-3, 219 pounds. But he s doing his best to show Bruins management that he doesn t play small. While he started training camp seemingly on the outside looking in at the Bruins next generation of young defensemen that would be the trio of Matt Bartkowski, Torey Krug, and Dougie Hamilton the 23-year-old right-shot blue liner has looked as if he, too, could be part of the team s plans. He had a goal in his first preseason game Monday in Montreal, serving notice that he s going to make the decision on which defensemen to keep as difficult as possible for the Bruins. And being paired in camp with Chara (who didn t make the trip to Montreal) can only help. It s something that noticeably benefited Hamilton last season. It s something that seems to have rubbed off on Trotman thus far. There s no doubt that confidence-wise it s certainly a big thing, and Zdeno is pretty good at talking to his partner and helping him out, coach Claude Julien said. So I think it s a big advantage for whoever ends up playing with him, and it certainly helps a guy develop. I think Dougie was there first-hand to learn that last year. [He played] best when he was with Z, and you can understand why. There s no doubt somebody that s with him benefits from his presence. Anybody would like to be his partner, there s no doubt there. Hamilton, awed by the pairing as a 19-year-old in his first training camp, said all the advice from Chara and coaches and teammates has blended together over his first, overwhelming year in the NHL. But he remembers what he thought that first time he realized he d be skating next to the Bruins captain. I think it was a pretty special moment for me, coming into my first camp and seeing my name beside him, Hamilton said. Obviously a really good opportunity to learn. The point was to watch, learn, and even emulate him, Hamilton said. So far, Trotman is soaking up as much as he can from Chara. It s a great learning experience, Trotman said. Everybody wants to get to that point at some point in their career, that s the ideal place to be. It s been really good for me to be in my first main camp to be able to learn from him, talk with him in between shifts and watch him. As for what he s picked up so far, Trotman said, Everything. Just positioning, seeing his thought process, how he thinks out there and just little tweaks, little plays that make a big difference. Trotman was already playing well this summer, even before getting the call to practice alongside Chara. When the team s rookies got back from their tournament in Florida, Providence coach Bruce Cassidy first mentioned Trotman when asked who impressed him. I thought Zach Trotman was our best defenseman, said Cassidy. That s exactly the reaction the defenseman is trying to elicit. I just tried to go out there and play, and I think that kind of allowed me to be assertive, be decisive, which is what I needed to do in order to be an effective player, Trotman said. It was great for me to have the rookie showcase leading up to [camp] to get some games under my belt, get in the swing of things. I think that really helped transitioning into playing with the NHL guys, the higher speed and everything. Trotman was sidelined by concussions last season in Providence three in five months but has demonstrated so far that he s back from them. Meanwhile, he s making a strong case for himself, shifting some attention away from that trio of defensemen. He s a strong kid, he s got an unbelievable shot, Julien said. I think he s improved immensely from where he was at the beginning of last year. So those are guys that sometimes are dark horses. They re late bloomers as far as maybe got overlooked when it was time for the draft, but their game starts coming along. Certainly he s a guy that s going to get some games and we ll have a real good look again to see how he handles the next level. Trotman wasn t drafted until the seventh round in 2010, an unheralded player coming out of Lake Superior State. But that doesn t matter now. All that matters is that there are only four defensemen Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk, and Adam McQuaid locked into spots in Boston. The other spots? While thought to be property of Hamilton, Bartkowski, and Krug, it s possible that might not be the case anymore. Or, at least, the choice might not be so easy. There s indications that there s spots open, Trotman said. Obviously you know that there s guys that they re looking at for them, but you want to try to make your own case no matter what the situation, so that s all I m trying to do right now is just make them have a tough decision. Boston Globe LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Bruins Jarome Iginla makes good first impression Appears right at home on top line By Fluto Shinzawa September 17, 2013 MONTREAL Jarome Iginla did not take long to adjust to his new team or his new line. In Monday s preseason opener against Montreal at the Bell Centre, Iginla scored two goals to lead the Bruins to a 6-3 win. Iginla had excellent chemistry with Milan Lucic and David Krejci. It felt good, Iginla said of his play with his linemates. We re all trying to keep it simple. As far as trying to get some down-low plays and some front plays, you try to win a lot of battles, get it back to the point, go to the net, and get some deflections. I got some great looks as far as one-timers and tried to shoot the puck, and not think. For the first game, it felt good all the way around as a group and as a line. Iginla, Nathan Horton s replacement on the right wing, scored the first goal of the preseason. In the first period, Lucic whipped a cross-ice pass to Iginla at the left circle. Before Carey Price could slide over, Iginla winged a one-timer past the goalie at 8:29 of the first. Iginla beat relief goalie Robert Mayer at 9:33 of the third. Mayer stopped Torey Krug s initial shot, but the rebound skittered out to Iginla in the high slot. Iginla settled the puck and snapped a shot past Mayer to break a 3-3 tie. Iginla landed a game-high six shots on goal, but missed with five other attempts and had one blocked. Iginla has a better slapper than Horton and might have a quicker release. Where we lost Horty as far as being a big shooter and a big body on that line, I thought Iggy did a great job of that, Bruins coach Claude Julien said. He shot the puck well. He was solid along the walls and made some good plays. It seemed like a seamless transition. Unless the three have zero chemistry in the preseason, they will break camp as the No. 1 line. Boychuk takes aim If Johnny Boychuk has an objective for , it is to double the number of goals he scored last year. Boychuk s theory is that he appeared in 44 games last year, so scoring twice as many goals should be possible in an 82-game schedule. That would give him two goals this season. I d be happy with that, Boychuk cracked. Last season, Boychuk landed 75 shots on goal, four fewer than Lucic. But 8.3 percent of Lucic s shots went in. Boychuk s one goal gave him a shooting percentage of 1.3 percent the lowest success rate in the NHL for players with at least one goal. But in the playoffs, Boychuk wielded one of the hottest sticks. In 22 games, he pumped in six pucks, tying him with Los Angeles s Slava Voynov for most playoff goals by a defenseman. Boychuk s shooting percentage leaped to 9.5 percent. Boychuk has always had a heavy shot. In Game 1 against Toronto in the opening round, Boychuk put his heat on display. After taking a drop pass from Krejci, Boychuk stepped into the puck and hammered one of his trademark slap shots. Goalie James Reimer didn t have a chance. But Boychuk turned to his little-used wrist shot, too. He scored two of his goals on New York s Henrik Lundqvist in the second round with snap shots. Boychuk s scorching postseason hand started with two things: getting pucks through traffic and landing them on net. It s not that easy, especially when you ve got teams that are blocking every shot, he said. There s a lot of good shot blockers now in the NHL. Getting your shot through from the point, at least is not as easy as people make it out to be. Getting your shots through is key. The 29-year-old Boychuk is learning that power doesn t necessarily lead to results. Few players like stepping in front of a Boychuk shot. Last year, Krejci learned that lesson the hard way when Boychuk ripped a slap shot off his knee. But Boychuk s windup gives blockers time to fill lanes. Also, the slap shot is usually not as accurate as the wrister. If Boychuk wants more offensive responsibilities, the coaches want him to hit the net, not the glass. We re encouraging them to put pucks on the net and everything else, Julien said of his defensemen. We want production from our back end, so it s up to them to do the things we ask in order to make that happen, whether it s supporting the play or hitting the net and releasing your shot quicker. When you talk about all those things, a lot of it is about confidence. Boychuk s postseason production may be one factor in the Bruins exploration of deploying Zdeno Chara in front of the net on the power play. Boychuk averaged only 11 seconds of PP time per game last season. The Bruins were wary of using him in man-up situations because of his low shooting percentage. But if Boychuk can find the net, he will be in the point mix alongside Krejci, Torey Krug, Dougie Hamilton, and Patrice Bergeron. That d be great. I m not going to lie, Boychuk said. I ll try my best to do so and go from there. Family reunion Malcolm Subban and P.K. Subban faced each other for the first time as NHLers. The younger Subban, the Bruins first-round pick in 2011, split time in net with Chad Johnson. P.K. made his preseason debut with Montreal after sitting out Sunday against Buffalo. The Subbans parents attended the game after traveling from Toronto. Malcolm Subban turned back all 12 shots he saw to backstop the Bruins to the win. Subban relieved Johnson in the second after the starter allowed his third goal on Montreal s eighth shot. Price left the game at the same time. He s shown signs of maturity and poise, said Julien of Subban. Certainly he s on the right track. I couldn t have been happier for him tonight, playing against his brother. It might be several years before the brothers square off in the regular season. Malcolm Subban will not make the Boston varsity out of camp. The first-year pro will most likely land in Providence. He also could see time in the ECHL if the Bruins deem that best for his development. Subban, the second goalie picked in the draft, is athletic and competitive, but needs much refinement on his technique. Subban had a better night than Johnson, who fought the puck. The Canadiens scored their first goal after a Louis Leblanc shot clanged off Johnson s glove. Travis Moen popped in the rebound. The No. 2 job is Johnson s to lose. But if Johnson can t tighten up his game, Niklas Svedberg could enter the conversation. Short roster Most of the players from Group B played on Monday. Chara and Gregory Campbell, who ve been practicing with the group, didn t make the trip. The Bruins will reduce Chara s workload this season. Campbell, coming off his broken leg, is close to gaining clearance for game action. All other players were given Monday off. It was one of their two off days that are mandatory for every team in camp... Lucic, Krejci, and Shawn Thornton were the alternate captains... The Bruins were 4 for 6 on the power play. Krug (three assists) and Krejci manned the points on the first unit. Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Still no doubting Tim Thomas Author(s): Stephen Harris year off is long. But I m sure he worked out hard the last few months and is ready to go. It will be fascinating to see if Thomas can prove people wrong one more time. Boston Herald LOADED: BALTIMORE There were some within the Bruins family who were not happy with the way Tim Thomas chose to end his tenure with the team. Yet the common sentiments among the B s as the 39-year-old goalie signed a tryout contract with the Florida Panthers yesterday were hope that his comeback is successful and acknowledgment that if anyone can do it, it s Thomas. I don t think I m surprised, B s coach Claude Julien said. I don t know what Tim has done in the last year or so. But if he s in good shape... I mean, he was still a good goaltender when he left our hockey club. I would expect, if he s kept himself in good shape, he d still probably have it. It s hard to judge when you re not there, but a good athlete is still a good athlete. We ve seen guys do it before, whether it s been through injuries like (Bruins center Patrice) Bergeron, who missed almost a year and came back, or (former Pittsburgh Penguins star) Mario Lemieux, who battled cancer and then came back. So I can t say I m surprised. It s an opportunity for him and I m happy for him. For all the stuff that s been written about him, at the end of the day he was still a big contributor to us winning the Stanley Cup (in 2011). You don t forget those things. Thomas took the ice in Coral Springs, Fla., with the Panthers, who are need of a goalie to share time with Jacob Markstrom, a talented but inconsistent 23-year-old who has played just 31 NHL games. For the first time since he went AWOL from the Bruins after the season and went to live in Colorado, he spoke to the press. I got tired and I needed a break, Thomas said. Now I m energized and I m looking forward to it. I feel great. In the big picture, do I regret (missing a year)? No. I made the right decision for me and I made the right decision for my family. Thomas said the competitive itch returned as he watched the Bruins playing in the Stanley Cup finals last spring. I was so proud of those guys and what they accomplished, he said. Thomas, who has 196 career wins and likely needs quite a few more to be a Hall of Fame contender, still has friends among the Bruins, including Tuukka Rask, who hopes for the best for his former goaltending partner. You always want your friends to do well, Rask said. He was good to me and to everybody in Boston. We had a good time together. Hopefully he makes it happen and does well for himself. Rask and Thomas have stayed loosely in touch since the latter stepped away from the game, although the topic of a comeback never came up. But Rask has frequently predicted that Thomas might be able to come back. I wasn t ever saying, He s done, or, He isn t done. I always thought he d be one of those guys who could come back if he wants to, Rask said. He s doing it. Hopefully he s going to have a good camp, feel good about his game and come back. It is a little unusual that somebody tries to do this at this late age he is. But besides that, Timmy is Timmy. He s capable of doing many things that people don t expect. I don t think his skill has gone anywhere. If he s in good shape and he s hungry to prove himself, I m sure he s going to be pretty good. I don t think a year is going to make a difference on whether you can stop the puck or not. If you re mentally sharp and ready to play, then you re going to be good. I think that ll be the biggest thing for him to overcome. Thomas, of course, has proven his critics wrong throughout his career. He had hinted he might come back in an effort to make Team USA for the upcoming Olympics. And sure enough, USA Hockey has reportedly listed Thomas as a prospective Olympian. If you know Timmy, he likes to prove people wrong like you saw on his T-shirts, B s defenseman Dennis Seidenberg said. He s really competitive. When he puts something in his mind, he can do it. I don t see why not. A

11 Boston Bruins Warsofsky earns look In regulation, the B s fell behind 2-0 but came back with goals by Justin Florek and Chris Kelly, the latter on a top-shelf rocket from the right circle. Boston Herald LOADED: Author(s): Stephen Harris BALTIMORE Defenseman Torey Krug delivered unexpected, game-changing performances in the playoffs last season, and most experts have felt it s a sure thing that he will be in the Bruins opening night lineup Oct. 3 against Tampa Bay. That might be the case, but Krug is facing stiff competition during training camp from former Boston University star David Warsofsky, who also would like to be the team s Erik Karlsson-like offensive defenseman. Add Joe Morrow, a former first-round pick acquired from Dallas in the Tyler Seguin trade, to the mix and the Bruins suddenly are overstocked with a brand of player they have had a hard time finding in recent years. (Krug) and I are kind of battling for the same position, said the 23-year-old Warsofsky, who saw plenty of ice time in last night s 3-2 preseason shootout win against the Washington Capitals. But at the same time, we played together all last year (for Providence of the AHL) so it was good to see him go up and be successful. But it is a competition. That s why I m trying to prove myself. On any team, in any organization, there s always people who want to take the next step and take away somebody s job. Warsofsky actually made the team coming out of training camp for the abbreviated season, but he quickly was sent back to Providence without appearing in an NHL game. Since completing his college career, the Marshfield native has eight goals and 40 assists in 134 AHL games. He has tried to develop more consistency during his time in the minors. I wouldn t say disappointed, he said of not yet playing in the NHL. I mean, when you turn pro out of college, you obviously hope to play in the NHL right away. For some people, it takes longer than others. Some guys play in their first year. Others may not make it until their fifth year. Warsofsky s size 5-foot-9, 172 pounds has worked against him. But the play of Krug showed speed and skill can be just as valuable as brawn and toughness. Warsofsky is an excellent skater, with good skills and a high hockey IQ. He is a creative offensive player, cut from a similar mold as Ottawa s Karlsson, Pittsburgh s Kris Letang and Winnipeg s Tobias Enstrom. People are always saying to me, How can you do it at your size? Warsofsky said. Ten years ago in the NHL, that definitely would have been an issue. But look around the league now and there are so many guys who are my size playing and being successful. I kind of use that as motivation. Guys my size can play at that level. As much as possible, Warsofsky studies the play of guys like Karlsson, Letang and Enstrom. (Karlsson) is kind of more freelance, kind of does what he wants, Warsofsky said. Letang, Enstrom, you look at those guys even though I m not exactly the same type of player as they are but you try to take different aspects from their game. I think I m maybe a better skater than them. My skating is the best aspect of my game. At my size, it has to be. I ve got to use that to my advantage, so it s about skating, having a good stick, doing some things offensively and taking care of my own end. Shootout win In just the second hockey game at the aging Baltimore Arena in more than a decade, the Bruins eked out a sloppy win against the Capitals. With bad ice and boards that broke twice, the interminable affair dragged to the eighth round of the shootout, where Carter Camper put a nifty backhander behind Washington goalie Philipp Grubauer. Earlier in the shootout, Alex Khokhlachev and Warsofsky scored for the B s. Goalie Niklas Svedberg played well in relief of Tuukka Rask, yielding shootout goals only to Alex Ovechkin and Troy Brouwer.

12 Buffalo Sabres Foligno leads Sabres to win SPECIAL TO THE NEWS on September 18, :08 AM COLUMBUS Preseason games don t have any effect on how a team s regular season might go. Still, it s better to win such games than lose them. So far, the Buffalo Sabres have been winners. They took their second straight exhibition contest without a loss on Tuesday night, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-1. Marcus Foligno was the star for the Sabres in a game played before 9,009 in Nationwide Arena. He had two goals in the game. Foligno notched his first goal with only five seconds left in the first period, deflecting a shot by Tyler Myers. Then he stole the puck in the Columbus end and scored the game-winner with 5:09 left in the second period. Mikhail Grigorenko provided some insurance with a goal almost halfway into the third period. R.J. Umberger scored the Blue Jackets only goal. Neither of the Sabres goalies had much work. Ryan Miller worked a bit more than 30 minutes and stopped eight of nine shots. Matt Hackett was perfect the rest of the way, finishing with nine saves. Buffalo News LOADED:

13 Buffalo Sabres After returning from family tragedy, Canes' Gerbe out to prove Sabres wrong By John Vogl One of the Sabres' biggest moves of the offseason was buying out forward Nathan Gerbe. The agitator with scoring ability has finally arrived at training camp with his new team, the Carolina Hurricanes. "I was a little shocked that happened," Gerbe, in this NHL.com story, said about the buyout. "It becomes something that drives you to work harder. I want to prove everyone wrong, and especially prove it to one team up north." Gerbe joined the Canes on a one-year, two-way contract that will pay $550,000 if he plays in the NHL. He's getting an early chance, skating alongside former NHL Rookie of the Year Jeff Skinner and No. 5 overall draft pick Elias Lindholm. Gerbe was a late arrival to camp because of the accidental death of his brother-in-law, as this story by the Raleigh News and Observer explains. Buffalo News LOADED:

14 Buffalo Sabres Sabres' Power Play Luncheon makes return September 17, :34 PM By John Vogl The Sabres have announced the return of their annual Power Play Luncheon Series, which will consist of three events in First Niagara Center. General Manager Darcy Regier, coach Ron Rolston and all the players from the team will headline the first luncheon at noon Oct. 1. Regier and Rolston will speak, while players and alumni will dine at each table. The other two dates and headline speakers will be announced at a later date. Rates are $40 for an individual luncheon seat, $100 for a seat at all three luncheons, $350 for a table of 10 at one event and $850 for a table of 10 at all three luncheons. See Sabres.com or contact the First Niagara Center Account Services Office at for ticket information. Buffalo News LOADED:

15 Buffalo Sabres Tonight's lineup in Columbus September 17, :42 AM By Mike Harrington The Sabres are essentially flipping squads for tonight's game in Columbus, with the players who didn't go to Sunday's shootout win in Montreal making their preseason debuts tonight. There are three notable exceptions: Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons, last year's two No. 1 picks, are in the lineup again tonight after having key roles in Sunday's win, and so is goaltender Matt Hackett. Grigorenko had a pedestrian game until scoring the shootout winner, while Girgensons was the Sabres' top forward with two goals. The most interesting debut tonight will be winger Joel Armia, the 2011 No. 1 pick. He'll be playing with Tyler Ennis and Johan Larsson. Veterans making preseason debuts tonight include goalie Ryan Miller, the team's top defense pair (Christian Ehrhoff-Tyler Myers) and top forward line (Marcus Foligno-Cody Hodgson-Thomas Vanek), Tyler Ennis and John Scott. The look at the team's morning skate in First Niagara Center went like this: Forward lines Foligno-Hodgson-Vanek Girgensons-Grigorenko-Tropp Ennis-Larsson-Armia Scott-Ellis-Tardif Defense pairs Ehrhoff-Myers McNabb-Ruhwedel Sulzer-Gauthier-Leduc Buffalo News LOADED:

16 Calgary Flames Hickey aiming to solidify spot on New York Islanders blueline Calgarian feels career path on the upswing after once being waived by Los Angeles By Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald September 18, :00 AM REGINA All Thomas Hickey needed was a chance, a change of scenery, and, apparently, a different coast. Reflecting on the campaign which saw him, after three full seasons of being stalled in the Los Angeles Kings system, get snagged off waivers by the New York Islanders, the 24-year-old Calgarian feels like his career is on the upswing rather than stuck in neutral. In lot of ways, I m thankful for my time there and respect everyone there, said Hickey of the Kings organization that drafted the former rising star fourth overall in But, at the same time, sometimes you need a breath of fresh air. One thing in hockey, if you re going to a new place, it s for a reason because they wanted you. That s something I always understood. Speaking like a maturing professional hockey player, Hickey s progression through the ranks as an undersized-ish (he s five-foot-11, 184-pounds) defenceman has not been a smooth ride. Up until that point, however, Hickey had been flying through his hockey career. He excelled through minor hockey in the Calgary Royals system and translated that into a stellar hockey career in the Western Hockey League for the Seattle Thunderbirds. He won gold twice with Canada at the 2008 and 2009 world junior championships and was team captain in But his first few years living the dream were riddled with injuries (surgeries to both his ankle and shoulder) as he was limited to 172 games in the American Hockey League with the Kings affiliate Manchester Monarchs and zero skates the NHL. I think at the start, I struggled with it a little bit, Hickey said at Tuesday s morning skate at Regina s Brandt Centre, the site of a split-squad pre-season game against the Calgary Flames. I sort of wondered if I was going to get left behind. But I realized that after a while, I wasn t playing so much to make L.A. s roster but to get myself ready to be an NHL player. I was just confident someone would find me and take a chance on me. And that s what happened, that s what kept me positive. I felt like I was good enough and if I kept improving, I d be ready. Finally, after the NHL work stoppage ended and he was deported back to the minors, Hickey caught the eye of the Islanders looking for an extra body on defence. And, from there, it was game on. Hickey made his NHL debut, scored his first goal (in overtime on Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price) and had four points and a plus-nine rating in 39 games. When the team qualified for playoffs for the first time since 2007, he also appeared in two of the Islanders playoff games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Helping him along the way was defence partner Lubomir Visnovsky, a similarly sized veteran blueliner whom Hickey admired from their time in L.A. But, despite his breakout campaign, Hickey is not assuming his spot in the Islanders locker-room is secure especially not as of Tuesday, the team s first pre-season action. There s certainly another step I can take, Hickey said. I don t think (last season) was near my ceiling. It s getting comfortable and proving you re an every day guy. And once you do that, it s proving you re more than that and you can handle more responsibilities. I feel like I m in between those stages. But at the same time, I don t take anything for granted. I ve got to work to ensure myself a spot. Hickey, who calls Calgary home in the off-season, was half-hoping he d be on the split-squad roster heading to the Saddledome on Tuesday night considering his parents, Roberta and Denis, and a handful of his friends were going to be in the stands. They had their fingers crossed that I d be out there, Hickey was saying Monday morning. I had some friends with tickets and were excited to come see me play. But I understand there are so many moving parts as far as getting people in certain lineups. I understand that and I still get to play against the Flames. I come back in March during the regular season and that s when it really counts. That s when I ll have a lot of people going to support me. It s unfortunate, but I grew up out west and it s good to be back here. Calgary Herald: LOADED: