Anaheim Ducks Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry ready to lead Ducks to another Stanley Cup Camp leaving Ducks battered and bruised

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry ready to lead Ducks to another Stanley Cup Camp leaving Ducks battered and bruised Boston Bruins Spooner facing tough competition at center Kelly's OT goal lifts Bruins over Capitals Bruins vs. Capitals Notes from Bruins' morning skate Eriksson s good to go Chara a big factor with power plays Bruins win overtime slugfest Buffalo Sabres Sabres tussle with Toronto gives everyone something to talk about Sabres notebook: McNabb, Ruhwedel are among the six sent to the Amerks NHL makes Clarkson's 10-game suspension official, hands five-game ban to ex-sabre Kassian Scott on the Throwdown in TO: 'I would have went after whoever they put lined up next to me' Day-after thoughts on the crazy tussle in Toronto Greece's Ryan Grimshaw out to win a job on Amerks defense Calgary Flames Johnson: Ramo makes compelling closing argument to be named Flames No. 1 goaltender Veterans playing like there's no tomorrow as Flames beat Rangers Toronto-Buffalo brawl a hot topic; Ramo gets third start tonight in preseason vs. the NYR Calgary Flames: McGrattan says dust-ups to stay in NHL game Calgary Flames: Sean Monahan strong in faceoff circle Calgary Flames: Karri Ramo likely starter after win Carolina Hurricanes Defenseman Matt Corrente among Canes fighting to avoid roster cut Chicago Blackhawks Final decisions on way for Hawks Blackhawks fall to Penguins 3-2 in shootout Blackhawks cut training camp roster Brandon Pirri has one week to impress the Hawks Bickell scores first power-play goal of preseason in 3-2 shootout loss Blackhawks' Saad back at wing Kostka returns to familiar setting in Hawks' loss to Pens Pirri confident he can make an impact for Blackhawks Blackhawks cut 10 players, including Kyle Beach Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets: Blake Comeau puts rebuilding in past Blue Jackets notebook: Jared Boll injured, might miss early games Wild 2, Blue Jackets 1 (SO): One of those nights Blue Jackets notebook: Jenner puts imprint on game, opponent NHL 9/24/2013 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars Heika: Questions on Stars' defense persist; coaching, size the answer? Gosselin: Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn could be the backbone of the Dallas Stars for a long time Stars assign goalie Jack Campbell to Texas Stars Toby Petersen, Francis Wathier clear waivers and are assigned to Texas Stars Trevor Daley skates, but Stars vet bothered by upper body injury Detroit Red Wings Helene St. James: Injuries could help Detroit Red Wings comply with salary cap Detroit Red Wings injuries continue: Jordin Tootoo (shoulder) out for preseason Still no time to relax, says Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard Wings send eight to Grand Rapids, including Riley Sheahan, Luke Glendening Injuries could enable Red Wings to postpone difficult decisions on trimming roster, getting cap compliant Red Wings like what they've seen from skilled defenseman Adam Almquist in training camp Red Wings assign nine players to Grand Rapids Griffins, reduce training camp roster to RED WINGS NOTEBOOK: Team still tinkering with roster Edmonton Oilers MacKinnon: Oilers sending their own necessary message Edmonton Oilers looking at in-house solutions at centre for now with Sam Gagner, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins out Oilers believe MacIntrye s presence can make an impact Anton Belov making late push for spot on Edmonton Oilers blueline With Nugent-Hopkins in recovery and Gagner out, OIlers have a larger hole to fill in the middle of the lineup Injured Oilers centre Sam Gagner tweets photo of busted jaw Oilers grabbing Steve MacIntyre off waivers signals return of neanderthal hockey Edmonton Oilers bring tough-guy Steve MacIntyre back to the team Florida Panthers Florida Panthers Kris Versteeg, Jonathan Huberdeau look ready Bettman says Panthers sale is, "on track'' Gilbert grateful for 'great opportunity' with Panthers Los Angeles Kings Kings players rave about fight between Toronto and Buffalo goalies September 23 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter Brown returns to the ice Ellerby not fazed by competition on D

2 Minnesota Wild Wild's Dowell, family battle against the slowest of killers Zucker, Niederreiter stand out in Wild's victory at Columbus On eve of huge roster cutdown, Zucker, Niederreiter shine in Wild's shootout win Wild squares off tonight at Columbus; Ryan Johansen on El Nino Minnesota Wild's Jake Dowell prefers uncertainty to test for Huntington's Minnesota Wild looking for two good wingers Montreal Canadiens White scores winner as Canadiens edge Devils in preseason action Canadiens Ryan White scores winner against Devils Stubbs: There s no way Price and Brodeur are going to go at each other Pacioretty leads Habs offense in 3-2 win over the Devils Habs to ice strong lineup against Devils Monday night Nashville Predators Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg having strong preseason New Jersey Devils Former Devil David Clarkson suspended 10 games for leaving bench in preseason game Devils' Jacob Josefson just wants to stay healthy this season Devils: Jaromir Jagr, Mattias Tedenby, Andrei Loktionov don't practice Maple Leafs and Sabres involved in massive brawl, David Clarkson could face 10-game suspension New York Rangers Glen Sather reiterates hard line on Derek Stepan in MSG interview; roundup on NY Rangers 4-1 preseason loss to Rangers-Flames preview: See Blueshirts roster for Monday in Calgary as team prepares for four preseason games Rangers burned by Flames Gross: Tortorella's truce with media faces big test Layoff a factor as rusty Rangers fall to Flames Flames 4, Rangers 1 post-game notes It s Go Time! Rangers at Flames Ottawa Senators ESPN magazine ranks Senators among top 10 North American sports franchises Exhibition games, real problems Michalek, Anderson on maintenance ; Senators winger, goalie expected to be ready for season opener Michalek, Anderson on maintenance Depth ensures Senators training camp will come down to the wire Robin Lehner to get start for Senators against Maple Leafs Ottawa Senators No. 1 sports team in Canada according to ESPN Magazine Philadelphia Flyers Giroux hopes to play Tuesday Emery, Mason still locked in goalie competition Giroux sounds hesitant about playing Tuesday Will Gustafsson decision lead to Meszaros trade? At best, Giroux for Tuesday's game Lake Placid trip gave Flyers a chance to bond Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes fall to Vancouver Canucks in preseason game Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins defenseman Bortuzzo is becoming blue line fixture Letang scores 2 goals in Penguins' shootout win Penguins notebook: Forward Zolnierczyk senses opportunity Defensive prospect Maatta likely not a factor just yet for Penguins Penguins notebook: New backup goaltender Zatkoff strong in win Penguins beat Blackhawks, 3-2, in shootout Ex-Penguins enforcer MacIntyre claimed by Edmonton San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks' Raffi Torres out for at least first month of season Torres' absence about more than numbers Sharks notes: Niemi starting Tuesday; Demers strong Torres could miss 3-4 months with ACL injury St Louis Blues Blues sign Morrow, add 'wounded animal' to crowded forward group Armstrong says Morrow "makes us a better team." Blues agree to terms with free agent Morrow Blues patience pays off with addition of Morrow; roster moves are imminent Blues add talent, experience by signing Morrow to a one-year deal Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts notes: All eyes on No. 3 pick Drouin Lightning's fight for forward spots hits critical juncture Drouin back at wing on a line with Stamkos and St. Louis Here's who remains at Lightning camp Toronto Maple Leafs Shoalts: Clarkson s poor judgment puts Toronto in a tight spot Mirtle: Leafs goon culture comes back to bite them Maple Leafs sign Mason Raymond Maple Leafs awaiting word on Clarkson suspension It was the right time to fight, says Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier Maple Leafs: David Clarkson suspended 10 games NHL Buffalo Sabres enforcer says Toronto Maple Leafs should never have sent out their top scorer Maple Leafs-Sabres brawl: Toronto braces for suspensions Buffalo s not important enough to hate: Kelly Maple Leafs-Sabres brawl: List of penalties Maple Leafs-Sabres brawl: Felix Potvin recalls last Leafs goalie-on-goalie fight in Maple Leafs-Sabres brawl: Six questions about Sunday s NHL preseason game Toronto Maple Leafs-Sabres brawl: Pin blame on Buffalo coach Ron Rolston: Cox Leafs' David Clarkson suspended 10 games for role in brawl with Sabres Don Cherry has back of Maple Leafs' Phil Kessel Clarkson suspension gives other Leafs opportunity Maple Leafs' David Clarkson deserves his suspension Maple Leafs sign Mason Raymond to one-year contract Maple Leafs coach Carlyle didn't anticipate attack on Kessel Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres fight: No culture change coming, despite David Clarkson s 10-game suspensi Toronto Maple Leafs sign Mason Raymond to one-year deal: He fits in well with our group Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres fight: David Clarkson, teammates await suspension news as NHL investigates Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres fight: John Scott attacking Phil Kessel proves the code is a worthless i Mason Raymond plays waiting game with Toronto Maple Leafs

3 Vancouver Canucks Canucks D has plenty of potential with Weber and Garrison on point Canucks 6 Coyotes 1: Work in progress seems to be making progress Suspensions: Reckless stick swing costs Kassian, point of contact head shot sits Weise Canucks looking to finally find a W Washington Capitals Five thoughts on the Capitals preseason loss in Boston Lining up the Capitals lines Grabovski ready to make Capitals debut, Carrick signs pro deal Capitals defenseman John Erskine prepares for top-four workload once again Websites ESPN / Blues making room for Brenden Morrow ESPN / Leafs start season with dose of adversity USA TODAY / Clarkson hit with 10-game suspension USA TODAY / NHL suspends two Canucks players USA TODAY / Sizing up the Metropolitan Division USA TODAY / Montreal Canadiens: The Most Overrated Franchise In NHL History? USA TODAY / Brenden Morrow signs with Blues YAHOO SPORTS / Brawn over brains: David Clarkson's good intentions were a bad idea in Leafs-Sabres brawl Winnipeg Jets Lowry lookin' good, real good Winnipeg Jets Notebook Clitsome in a happy place Lowry impresses in Jets' 2-1 loss Winnipeg Jets have some tough decisions to make this week Jim Slater hopes to be more of a factor for the Winnipeg Jets this season SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry ready to lead Ducks to another Stanley Cup By Lance Pugmire 7:03 PM PDT, September 23, 2013 Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have so many things in common, some call them "the Twins." They were born six days apart in 1985, raised in Canada's elite amateur leagues, drafted in the first round in 2003 and grew to become the Ducks' co-stars as first-line mates. Within a 10-day stretch last season, each signed an eight-year extension valued at a combined $135 million $69 million for Perry, who plays right wing, $66 million for Getzlaf, a center. "When you're a young guy, to go to a camp where you know someone else you cling to them like glue," said Coach Bruce Boudreau, whose Ducks visit the Kings on Tuesday for an exhibition. "That glue kept getting stronger and stronger. Now it's an unbreakable bond." As opening night on Oct. 2 in Colorado nears, their joint effort is to carry the team in pursuit of the Stanley Cup. "We're taking that next step to be better as leaders and take this team to the next level," said Perry, the NHL's 2011 most valuable player. "You look around the league and look at the guys who are doing that it's our time to step up. We both know we have to." Getzlaf the Ducks' captain who tied Perry with a team-high 15 goals in the lockout-abbreviated 48-game season and added a team-best 34 assists said winning another Cup after doing so at age 22 is "a reasonable goal." "You look up and down our lineup, it's only about performing," Getzlaf said. "We have the personnel. It's a matter of stepping to the forefront and doing it." That statement sprouts from the sting of May's surprising first-round playoff exit against the Detroit Red Wings, in which the Ducks lost Game 7 at home after having led the series, 3-2. Then they watched as the Chicago Blackhawks the team the Ducks swept in three regular-season meetings hoisted the Cup. "We had such a great season that came to a screeching halt," Perry said. "That's hard to swallow. You know if you get by that one team, you never know what can happen. We want to start the same way, continue doing the things, but we've got to prove ourselves again. Nothing is given." The Ducks already have a team motto in their locker room and on practice shirts: "Unfinished business." Perry's hurt goes a little deeper, considering he didn't score a goal in the playoffs. "If one of those pucks goes in, it's obviously a different story and we could be laughing right now," Perry said. "That's not the way it went, it wasn't meant to be. I had some good chances, some good looks. The puck just didn't bounce the right way. I'm upset at how it ended, but I use that as motivation, as fuel to strive to be better." Having Getzlaf around enhances that strategy. The captain is prone to displays of emotion and impassioned vocalization on the ice. "My play and my voice is the way I like to lead in general," Getzlaf said. "I sometimes say things I shouldn't say. Those are things I've learned. Something I've worked toward is that when I do talk, the guys listen. You never want to be that guy that talks all the time and eventually guys tune you out. You let your play and emotion do the talking, and when it's time to say something, you say it." Perry, a similarly driven player whose motor, skill and shooting can overwhelm opponents, is more of an introvert. "You know what you're getting every single night when we're together on the ice," Perry said. "We can give each other criticism. I can tell him, 'Let's start playing.' He responds well, and I respond when he tells me. That's something not a lot of guys can do." After Getzlaf signed his extension with the Ducks, Perry said the bond of friendship "really stuck in my mind," as he considered the Ducks' lucrative offer against the idea of departing for a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, near where he grew up. "A lot of people don't know how many conversations I had with different people, ex-players, my agent it was a tough decision," Perry said. "My family's all back in the East, that's home for me. "But I wanted to stay here. To be somewhere I've grown in this league, to be with Getzy, you don't find someone as good as him on any other team. I knew we could build something good here together." LA Times: LOADED:

5 Anaheim Ducks Camp leaving Ducks battered and bruised By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Published: Sept. 23, 2013 Updated: 9:45 p.m. ANAHEIM Perhaps it is time to encase the Ducks in bubble wrap. Or have them not take the ice altogether. That s what I said at the end of practice, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. Let s not practice anybody. Let s just get off the ice before anybody else gets hurt. Training camp hasn't been kind to the Ducks as injuries have ravaged their potential lineup, leaving Boudreau to sounding wistful as to when he will have his entire squad. Young forwards Jakob Silfverberg and Emerson Etem didn't practice Monday after suffering injuries in their last exhibition games. Defenseman Luca Sbisa is already out until next week at the earliest after getting hurt in the exhibition opener. And then Boudreau got another scare when Corey Perry stormed off ice Monday after getting hurt in a battle drill with roster hopeful Nolan Yonkman. Teams go through this, Boudreau said. I d much prefer to go through this in training camp and be healthy in the regular season than the other way around. It was only a scare for Perry, who appeared fine as he prepared to walk out of Honda Center. He got an elbow in the chops, Boudreau said. I've got to believe he's OK. There was no new update on Silfverberg or Etem but Boudreau said neither injury is serious after evaluation. Neither player was available for comment. Forwards Daniel Winnik and Matt Beleskey got the day off, with Winnik getting a break after playing in four of the first five exhibition games and Beleskey because of some lingering soreness after playing his first game on Sunday. The biggest concern is I d like to see us all play together before the season started, Boudreau said. The great thing for me having camp was to get your lines and we had them set. Everything was pretty ready to go. And then the injury bug has sort of hit us and so we haven t been able to set our lines. GIBSON AMONG CUTS Goaltending prospect John Gibson was among six players the Ducks assigned to their American Hockey League team on Monday as they cut down closer to the 23-man roster. Gibson was sent to the Norfolk Admirals along with center Joseph Cramarossa, right wing Stefan Noesen, and defensemen Alex Grant, Kyle Cumiskey and Mat Clark. The Ducks have 35 players left in camp and figure to make more cuts after their exhibition against the Kings tonight at Staples Center. Gibson, who turned in a strong 30 minutes against Colorado after a rough exhibition debut last week against the Kings, figures to battle for the starting job in Norfolk. The Ducks still have Frederik Andersen and Igor Bobkov in their camp. Orange County Register: LOADED:

6 Boston Bruins Spooner facing tough competition at center By Amalie Benjamin Globe Staff September 24, 2013 There are two very good reasons why Ryan Spooner is on the outside looking in for the Bruins these days: David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. The center, with a game suitable for a top-six forward, is blocked by two of the better centers in the league, something that could be demoralizing for a young player. I think Spoons sees what s in front of him, but what Spoons has to do is control what he can control and that s his game, coach Claude Julien said. You ve seen teams make room for players when they feel it s deemed. So he s got to do the best he can here and impress us to a point where he makes us make a tough decision. Right now that s what he s doing and he has to keep doing that. His mind-set? I think you kind of just put it aside, Spooner said. You go out there and just prove everyone wrong. But where does that leave Spooner? As a bottom-six center? As a winger? In the AHL? Every team I ve ever played on, I ve been a top-six guy, but I think I can play any position with my speed, Spooner said. I like to think that I m a smart hockey player and I think whatever they want me to do, I could do it. But that doesn t mean that his game is quite ready, necessarily. After Monday s game against the Capitals, Julien pointed out that Spooner still needs to work on being a two-way player. That s the route to playing time with the Bruins, especially. Spooner also won just one of his five faceoffs in the game, won by the Bruins, 3-2, in overtime. We ve got to assess him for more than just his speed and creativity, Julien said. Our team is based on being able to play a two-way game. You have to be that kind of a player, and even our top skill players play a good two-way game. Not too many teams have those guys that just bring the one dimension to the game because it eventually catches up to you. Julien did say that he has seen improvement from Spooner in that area, but more is needed. Spooner said it took some time for him to figure it out defensively, but that he s improved since junior hockey, when it was not particularly good. That doesn t mean he s all the way there. Sometimes, I get kind of hemmed into my own end a little bit, Spooner said. It s definitely something I m going to work on. The 21-year-old Spooner spent the offseason dropping his body fat (from 12 percent to 8.4 percent) and working on his strength, both of which enhance a game based on speed and the ability to create plays. He knows that as a smaller player 5 feet 10 inches, 180 pounds he ll need to use that to be stronger on pucks. He also spent more time skating than he has in the past, all of which translated into good results in his fitness testing. Overall, Spooner has had an excellent camp, with Julien often bringing up his name as a young player who has impressed the team. The coach has said that the Bruins are committed to keeping him at center, believing that his skills translate better there. And that means he s likely headed back to Providence at the end of training camp. I can t really focus on all that kind of stuff, said Spooner. I ve got to focus on just playing the game. And at the end of the day, if what I do isn t enough to make the team, I ll go back to the American League and work on the things they want me to work on. I think the biggest thing for me right now is just to try to stay focused, not really think too far ahead, just think about game-by-game and practice-by-practice. His plan is just to show the Bruins what he can do, show his grit and his abilities, no matter where those might best fit. I feel like a team like Boston, they like to use their speed a lot, their backcheck and their forecheck, he said. I think that s one of my strengths is my speed, so I think if I m smart about it, I could fit in here. He could. But it s not going to be easy to break in on a team that has the center position filled with veteran players. Still, he has impressed the coaching staff and the front office and he isn t feeling quite as out of place as he has in other years. I think so far I ve played well, Spooner said. I think for the first time, actually since I ve been in training camp, I actually feel comfortable out on the ice, not really nervous. Kind of just doing things that I do best. Fight night It was fight night at the Garden, with the main event Milan Lucic vs. Joel Rechlicz. The pair went at it, with Lucic throwing right after right at the 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound Rechlicz, who managed to stay on his feet throughout. That guy had a steel jaw, Julien said. It was a fight for men. People who enjoy that kind of hockey certain got their money s worth, just on that one alone. (And it wasn t only them. Aaron Volpatti dropped the gloves with Kevan Miller. Rechlicz also fought Johnny Boychuk. And the night was capped with a double bout Nick Johnson went down easily to Michal Cajkovski and Adam McQuaid took on Dane Byers.) I was hoping he was going to go down, but [he s a] big, tough kid, Lucic said. Great fight. I m sure you guys enjoyed it. There s probably no better way to get back into it. But getting into a fight in the preseason isn t always the best choice for a guy assured of a job, especially a guy as important to the Bruins as Lucic. Obviously there s a lot of cons to fighting in the preseason, Lucic said. You don t want to break a hand or get a concussion or anything like that from fighting in the preseason. The pros are you re showing that no matter what the situation is and no matter what the game is, you re going to stick up for yourself and your teammates. And, after all, he added: I didn t really have a choice. Light duty Tuukka Rask faced just 14 shots, not exactly what he was hoping for. In fact, when Connor Carrick scored the first goal for the Capitals at 11:16 of the second period, that was just the third shot Rask had seen. Today was probably one of the worst-case scenarios for a goalie who likes shots, he said. Julien said that Rask would play the game in Saskatoon on Friday, the final preseason game for the Bruins... Zdeno Chara scored twice on the power play, once on a tip in front of the net and once from the point on a five-on-three. We continue to look at that, Julien said. Nothing is carved in stone.... The team assigned right wing Craig Cunningham and defenseman David Warsofsky to Providence and will place defenseman Mike Moore on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to the Baby B s. Boston Globe LOADED:

7 Boston Bruins Kelly's OT goal lifts Bruins over Capitals AP / September 23, 2013 BOSTON (AP) Center Chris Kelly scored 3:39 into overtime and defenseman Zdeno Chara scored two goals to lead the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals in a preseason game Monday night. Kelly scored on a rebound of a shot from the left point by defenseman Matt Bartkowski. The Bruins outshot the Capitals Goaltender Tuukka Rask made 12 saves, while Braden Holtby stopped 35 shots for Washington. Connor Carrick scored 11:16 into the second period to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead on their second shot of the night. Chara scored the game s next two goals, at 18:22 of the second period and 22 seconds into the third period on a 5-on-3 power play. Martin Erat tied the game for Washington at 6:38 of the third period. Boston Globe LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins Bruins vs. Capitals Posted by Amalie Benjamin September 23, :43 PM Some thoughts, as the Bruins take on the Capitals in their fourth preseason game. Second period, 1-1 Looks like the Bruins could have something on the power play after struggling for the last five or so years. The B's scored their goal on the PP, on a Dennis Seidenberg shot from the point that was redirected by Zdeno Chara. Chara was camped in front of the net as he has been throughout the preseason. There's an indication that it could work. The Capitals scored their goal on just their third shot of the game, with Connor Carrick connecting on a slap shot. The Bruins are still leading in that department, with a 23-6 advantage. First period, 0-0 So far we've seen highlights come from two young guys, Ryan Spooner and Nick Johnson. Spooner, blocked in Boston by David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron, came out skating with his usual speed. He can definitely create chances. Johnson has continued his strong play in the preseason. The forward has three goals in the preseason and had a near miss tonight on the fourth. Couple of fights, with Milan Lucic taking on Joel Rechlicz in the main event. (Kevan Miller and Aaron Volpatti on the undercard.) Rechlicz took some serious punches from Lucic, but remained upright with his helmet eventually flying off. I'd score that one Lucic, no question. Of course, Lucic probably shouldn't be risking injury in the preseason, but that's another matter entirely. Tuukka Rask stood strong, not allowing a goal by the Capitals in the first 20 minutes. Of course, he wasn't tested much, facing only two shots in the period. Shots are 9-2, Bruins. Boston Globe LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Notes from Bruins' morning skate Posted by Amalie Benjamin September 23, :06 PM The Bruins were back on the ice this morning at TD Garden for what was likely their final double session of training camp. The team is down to 31 players (32 including the injured Bobby Robins) and is scheduled for only one practice tomorrow before heading to Winnipeg and Saskatoon later in the week. Here are the expected lines for tonight's exhibition game against Washington: Lucic-Krejci-Iginla Caron-Spooner- Johnson Soderberg-Kelly-Smith Paille-Lindblad-Thornton Defensemen: Chara, Boychuk, Seidenberg, McQuaid, Bartkowski, Miller Goalies: Tuukka Rask Niklas Svedberg Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Notes from Bruins' morning skate Posted by Amalie Benjamin September 23, :06 PM The Bruins were back on the ice this morning at TD Garden for what was likely their final double session of training camp. The team is down to 31 players (32 including the injured Bobby Robins) and is scheduled for only one practice tomorrow before heading to Winnipeg and Saskatoon later in the week. Here are the expected lines for tonight's exhibition game against Washington: Lucic-Krejci-Iginla Caron-Spooner- Johnson Soderberg-Kelly-Smith Paille-Lindblad-Thornton Defensemen: Chara, Boychuk, Seidenberg, McQuaid, Bartkowski, Miller Goalies: Tuukka Rask Niklas Svedberg Boston Globe LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Eriksson s good to go New winger eager for action with B s Tuesday, September 24, 2013 By Steve Conroy You can excuse Loui Eriksson if he s a little eager to get the season going. Unlike most of his new Bruins teammates, Eriksson didn t play hockey last season into late June. His season ended in April, just as it had every year since he last appeared in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2008 with the Dallas Stars. But as much as he s anticipating the real games, Eriksson s aware that the preseason holds its share of necessities, especially for a player like him who is coming to a new organization. On Saturday night in Detroit, the right winger finally had the opportunity to play with his projected centerman, Patrice Bergeron, who played his first exhibition after gaining medical clearance. So far, so good. I felt good, Eriksson, who along with Bergeron was on the ice for Carl Soderberg s power-play goal against the Red Wings, said. I think our line (with left winger Brad Marchand) did some good things out there. I thought we had a good forecheck and I thought we had our chances, too. It s nice to get our games in the preseason just to get a good feeling out there. In the playoffs last year, the right-shooting Bergeron played with left-shot right winger Jaromir Jagr and, while it didn t exactly click the way it did with the right-shooting Tyler Seguin, it worked somehow. Eriksson is also a left-shooting right winger. It s pretty easy to play with (Bergeron), Eriksson said. He s such a smart player to play with. We just need to get some more games to see where we are at. I felt good the last game. We have some things we need to build on, but it felt pretty good. While Eriksson certainly knew Bergeron s reputation as a player, Saturday night was not only the first time he played with him in a game, it was the first time he was able to see the B s alternate captain prepare himself and his teammates for a game. You can see he s a good leader for this organization, this team, Eriksson said. He talks a lot in the locker room and he gives everyone a good feeling before the games. We definitely saw some good things from him in that game, too. It ll be nice to get the season started and have some real games with him, too. The Garden fans have yet to see Eriksson s sound two-way game up close. As he did for last Thursday s exhibition game on Causeway Street, Eriksson and his linemates sat out last night s tilt against the Washington Capitals. Eriksson, Bergeron and Marchand will be in for at least one of the remaining two exhibitions, against the Jets in Winnipeg (Thursday) and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Friday). After watching nearly 17,000 fans file into the Garden for the preseason game vs. the Red Wings, Eriksson is looking forward to playing in this kind of hockey environment. It s a really cool building to play in, Eriksson said. I didn t play that game, but it was just good for me sitting up there and seeing all the fans cheering. Starting a week from Thursday, when the B s host the Tampa Bay Lightning, the games will be for real. And by then, Eriksson will be more than ready for his Garden closeup. Boston Herald LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Chara a big factor with power plays By: Steve Conroy, Bruins Notebook Bruins coach Claude Julien has maintained throughout this training camp that he likes Zdeno Chara s versatility on the power play. Last night, the team captain showed why. In the Bruins 3-2 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals during a preseason game at the Garden, Chara scored a pair of power-play goals in regulation, one from his new station in front of the net and the other from the point with his trademark slapper during a 5-on-3 advantage. No matter where it is, I love to compete and being in those areas, said Chara. Wherever the coaching staff decides to use me, I m fine with that. Right now, we re trying different looks on the power play and one of them is in front. And 5-on-3 I was back on the point. According to Chara, the team s power play is at its best when it makes the simple plays, such as his net-front goal. Jarome Iginla retrieved a puck behind the net and got it up high to Dennis Seidenberg, who fired the shot that Chara tipped home. Washington goalie Braden Holtby, who kept his team s young roster in the game with his 35 saves, had little opportunity to stop the Seidenberg shot because of Chara s screen. But when the captain tipped it, the chances went from slim to none. That s a great example of keeping those things simple, said Chara. It was just a give-and-go and a shot on net, just working in front trying to take the goalie s eyes away. He played extremely well tonight. I m just glad it worked. Julien liked what he saw on both goals. (Chara) creates some havoc in front of there and a normal night we probably would have had some more success, but their goaltender played extremely well, said Julien. As I ve mentioned, you re going to see him on the point at times. You saw what his shot can do on the 5-on-3. We continue to look at that. We may start with that and we may switch during the season. Eighty-two games is a long year. Nothing is carved in stone. Heavyweight bout There were five fights on the night, with the main event being a marathon Milan Lucic-Joel Rechlicz bout. Lucic probably won it on points, but Rechlicz earned high marks for standing in there and taking huge blows from Lucic. I was hoping he was going to go down, but he s a big, tough kid, said Lucic about Rechlicz. I guess it was a great fight and I m sure you guys enjoyed. It s always nice to get into one because it s been the offseason and then having one like that, there s probably no better way to get back into it. Rechlicz instigated the fight and Lucic obliged him. There are a lot of cons in fighting in preseason. You don t want to break a hand or get a concussion or anything like that, said Lucic. But the pros are, no matter what the game is or what the situation is, you re going to stick up for yourself and your teammates. That s what it basically was there. I didn t have a choice. It was a long one. I had to catch my breath after that one. Julien didn t have a big problem with this fight. Guys are used to playing the game a certain way and the preseason is about fine-tuning your game. It was what it was and I ll tell you what, that guy had a steel jaw because he wasn t going down and Looch kept giving him some pretty good punches, he said. It was a fight for men.... General manager Peter Chiarelli announced cuts late last night: Forwards Craig Cunningham and David Warsofsky were assigned to the team s AHL affiliate in Providence and defenseman Mike Moore was placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Providence. Stand-up guy Forward Nick Johnson earned points with his teammates for standing up to defenseman Michal Cajkovski after the latter crosschecked Adam McQuaid from behind. Outstanding job by him. A lot of character, said Chara of Johnson. That s exactly what the identity of this team is. His approach and reaction to stand up and protect his teammate was outstanding. It was good for him, great for us.... Kevan Miller and Aaron Volpatti earned an extra two minutes for taking their helmets off before their fight (actually Volpatti took off both helmets). Miller has to wear a visor because of the new rules while Volpatti does not. It was more of a respect thing, said Miller. He gave me the nod, I gave him the nod. You don t want to fall and hit your head, but I don t want him to break his hand on the visor. Boston Herald LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Bruins win overtime slugfest Monday, September 23, 2013 By:Steve Conroy Chris Kelly scored the overtime gimme goal after Matt Bartkowski's shot bounced off Capital defenseman Jack Hillen and right to Kelly, who had a wide open net. That gavethe B's a 3-2 OT victory that, had it not been for Caps' goalie Braden Holtby, would have been over long before then. Zdeno Chara scored a pair of power-play goals in regulation, one from in front of the net and another on a 5-on-3 from the point, and the B's survived a 35-save performance from Holtby. They also survived some young, aggressive Caps looking to open some eyes. There were five fights in all on the night with the main event being Milan Lucic versus Joel Rechlicz, a marathon bout that had both fighters gassed by the end. Lucic won on points, but Rechlicz showed plenty of toughness to stay on his feet. Julien didn't have a big problem with the bout. Guys are used to playing the game a certain way and the preseason is about fine-tuning your game. It was what it was and I'll tell you what, that guy had a steel jaw because he wasn't going down and Looch kept giving him some pretty good punches, said Julien. It was a fight for men. The Bruins will be off on Tuesday before traveling to Winnipeg on Wednesday for a Thursday exhibition against the Jets. The two teams will play again in Saskatoon on Friday and Julien said Tuukka Rask, who only saw 14 shots on Monday, will get that start as well... The B's Monday night assigned Craig Cunningham and David Warsofsky to Providence adn placed Mike Moore on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to Providence. There are now 28 healthy players in camp. Boston Herald LOADED:

14 Buffalo Sabres Sabres tussle with Toronto gives everyone something to talk about Scott answers questions day after line brawl By Mike Harrington News Sports Google+ on September 23, :57 PM, updated September 24, 2013 at 1:13 AM What should have been a routine September day in Buffalo Sabres training camp turned into quite the Manic Monday thanks to the Tussle in Toronto. The Sabres third-period line brawl with the Maple Leafs featuring the first fight of goaltender Ryan Miller s professional career was a huge topic across Canada and a video hit on the Internet on both sides of the border. Several Toronto reporters piled into the Sabres First Niagara Center dressing room Monday looking for comments from the combatants. Enforcer John Scott, who did not talk to the media Sunday night, obliged all inquiries Monday. The 6-foot-8, 270-pound Scott stood tall at his locker in the face of every question, especially as Toronto reporters pushed him on why he tried to attack 6-foot, 202-pound Leafs star Phil Kessel just prior to a faceoff near center ice after a fight between Toronto s Jamie Devane and Buffalo s Corey Tropp. The Scott-Kessel confrontation was the final spark to ignite the melee that included every player on the ice. The Sabres were upset that Devane drove Tropp s head into the ice at the end of their fight, leaving Tropp bloodied and dazed (and out of Monday s practice while he was being evaluated). Scott was on the ice at the time and coach Ron Rolston sent him back out. Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, who had the last change, said he tried to diffuse the situation by sending out offensive-minded players and Kessel lined up next to Scott. Bad idea. Scott gave Kessel a heads-up about what was next. I said, Phil, I think we re going to have to go here, just to let you know, Scott said. I would have went after who ever they put lined up next to me. I don t know what their coach had in mind. I wasn t trying to hurt him. I was just trying to send a message. Said Carlyle at Leafs camp Monday: I never believed in my wildest dreams that the attack would come at that type of player from the opposition. Scott dropped his gloves to engage Kessel, who responded with two huge whacks with his stick as teammates came to his defense. Leafs forward David Clarkson joined the fray from the bench and received an automatic 10-game suspension Monday night, which will cost him $269, in salary. Kessel took a third swipe at Scott and also speared him, leaving him a discipline candidate, too. I ve never seen a stick swing like that but he s got to do what he s got to do, said Scott, who said his legs were a little sore from Kessel s chops. Hey, I d be pissed off if someone went after my star guy, too. It s one of those things. Their coach didn t have to put Kessel out with me. Leafs forward Nazem Kadri said Monday he nearly jumped the boards as well but was held back by teammate Joffrey Lupul. Sabres coach Ron Rolston said when his team realized Clarkson had joined the fray, he quickly communicated to his players to stay put. Scott said he ll let NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan handle any suspensions but there s no doubt the Sabres feel Kessel should sit down for a few games. For sure, said Steve Ott. Not the first slash. That s something where his instincts took over. But the second one where Johnny s got three guys on his back like a wild animal and he s getting whacked from behind, that s a little gutless. John is a big guy but we don t really want to see somebody using their stick as a weapon, added Miller. Talk radio and columnists in Toronto quickly jumped on the theme of Scott even being in the NHL. Scott, who went pointless last year in 34 games, has one goal and 305 penalty minutes in 180 NHL career games. Scott, it should be noted, started taking much more of a regular shift at the end of last season and even had a neat pass to Nakita Zadorov to set up the Sabres first goal Sunday. But he s regularly dealt with the kick-him-out-of-the-league talk. Jeez, I ve been hearing that even since I came out of college, said a smiling Scott, who was a mechanical engineering major at Michigan Tech. I m tall, I m big, I m tough. It happens all the time. No one is talking about the sick assist I got last night, the baby sauce pass in the middle. As things died down at center ice, Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier challenged Miller. Miller said Clarkson s foray first got his attention because the Sabres were outnumbered but then he saw Bernier lurking. That s where I thought maybe I should get involved without Bernier, Miller said. We were outmanned, I was looking at that and Bernier is looking at me and if I go in there am I going to get jumped from behind which is worse for me. Miller, of course, has some recent concussion history and took a few shots from Bernier because it s hard for goaltenders to throw punches unless they can get an arm out of their chest protector. Bernier did that first. I think my defense was OK. Offense to be worked on in the future I think, said Miller. I was kinda surprised he wanted to square off. I guess new team, line brawl. I was a little surprised just because it s preseason but, hey, you re in Toronto and you get challenged, you can t really back down. Scott joked that he d work with Miller on his brawling techniques after reporters left the room. To a man, the Sabres loved seeing their goalie jump in. It s about showing up for your teammates and showing up for what counts on your sweater, Ott said. And I think every guy did that appropriately. Added Miller: It s a line brawl, everybody went. In Toronto. Obviously everybody is going to be talking about it. Old time hockey, right? Your teammates are going, everybody is going. You gotta go. Everybody on the ice did what they had to do. That s part of the game sometimes. Buffalo News LOADED:

15 Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: McNabb, Ruhwedel are among the six sent to the Amerks By Mike Harrington News Sports Google+ on September 23, :59 PM, updated September 24, 2013 at 1:13 AM The Buffalo Sabres crept closer to getting their roster down to regular season levels Monday as six more players were sent to the Rochester Amerks. Gone to the AHL are defensemen Brayden McNabb and Chad Ruhwedel, forward Michael Zigomanis and goaltender Matt Hackett. Defenseman Drew Bagnall and center Matt Ellis were also sent down but must first clear waivers. The Sabres are now at 29 players 18 forwards, nine defensemen and goalies Ryan Miller and Jhonas Enroth. They need to be at 23 by next Monday. The Sabres are likely to keep eight defensemen and the surprise survivor so far is rookie Nakita Zadorov, who scored his first preseason goal Sunday in Toronto. Zadorov, the No. 16 overall pick in the June draft, seems ticketed to return to London of the Ontario Hockey League but has been impressive during camp. He played 25 minutes, 33 seconds Sunday alongside Tyler Myers. We want to give all those guys opportunities. We had a lot of young guys in there that got good looks, coach Ron Rolston said Monday. Z played a lot of crucial minutes in the back end. He s a talent and we want to give him as many games as possible here to keep the evaluation going and help him understand what this level is about.... In addition to Corey Tropp, who was injured in his third-period fight Sunday, Marcus Foligno and Cody McCormick sat out practice Monday. Rolston said Foligno, who is believed to have a shoulder injury, was still being re-evaluated while McCormick has a minor hand injury and should return to the ice Wednesday.... Rolston said he will wait to name a permanent captain until after the final two exhibition games. He said he s leaning to picking regular alternate captains as well rather than rotating those designations. The Sabres have rotated captains during the exhibition season with center Cody Hodgson wearing the C on Sunday. We ve kind of spread it out a little bit. We ve let guys do it, Rolston said. We think we have a good pool. It s just finding the right mix, the right representation to carry us going forward.... With Nathan Gerbe gone to Carolina, the Sabres announced that defenseman Mike Weber is taking over as the point man for the team s nightly Tickets for Troops program. Weber will provide a pair of tickets to a different military member from Western New York for each home game, starting with the Oct. 4 home opener against Ottawa. The seats are located in Sec 100, Row 18 and each troop receives a Sabres jersey at the game. Applications are available at Sabres.com... Because of tonight s Michael Buble concert in First Niagara Center, the Sabres are taking today off. They return to action Wednesday night when they host Columbus. The final preseason game is Friday at Carolina. Buffalo News LOADED:

16 Buffalo Sabres NHL makes Clarkson's 10-game suspension official, hands five-game ban to ex-sabre Kassian September 23, :30 PM By Mike Harrington Some quick news Monday night from the NHL Department of Player Safety: ---David Clarkson of the Leafs has officially been handed a 10-game suspension for (foolishly) leaving the bench to join Sunday night's Sabres-Leafs scrum. That costs him more than $269,000 and keeps him out of the lineup until Toronto's 11th game, which is Oct. 25 against Columbus. ---There is no word on any penalty yet to Leafs winger Phil Kessel for his stick chops at John Scott. That one is going to require a hearing in the next day or two but Kessel did get a match penalty so should get at least one game. ---Vancouver winger Zack Kassian, the former Sabres No. 1 draft pick, has earned a five-game suspension and will also miss the final three preseason games for the reckless use of his stick. Kassian broke the jaw of Edmonton's Sam Gagner Saturday night in Rexall Place. Buffalo News LOADED:

17 Buffalo Sabres Scott on the Throwdown in TO: 'I would have went after whoever they put lined up next to me' September 23, :30 PM By Mike Harrington What should have been a routine September Monday in Sabres training camp turned into a bit of media circus this afternoon as reporters and camera crews from Toronto showed up at First Niagara Center to get the day-after thoughts about Sunday night's brawl with the Leafs in the Air Canada Centre. The star of the show was Sabres enforcer John Scott, who was unavailable to the media Sunday. The 6-foot-8 Scott stood tall in front of his locker and calmly answered every question he got Monday, pointing out that he was not targeting Leafs star Phil Kessel. In the wake of Jamie Devane's beatdown of Corey Tropp a few seconds earlier, the Sabres were not going to be picky. "I said, 'Phil I think we're going to have to go here, just to let you know,' " Scott said. "I would have went after who ever they put lined up next to me. I don't know what their coach had in mine. I wasn't trying to hurt him. I was just trying to send a message." Scott and the Sabres were surprised Leafs coach Randy Carlyle -- who had the last line change -- opted for a scoring line in that situation rather than tough guy Troy Bodie. Did Scott break hockey's unwritten code that an enforcer shouldn't engage a star? "Hey, I'd be pissed off if someone went after my star guy too," Scott said. "It's one of those things. Their coach didn't have to put Kessel out with me. Scott said his legs are surprised from the stick swings Kessel took against him and that he was surprised by the reaction from the Leafs star. "John is a big guy but we don't really want to see somebody using their stick as a weapon," said goaltender Ryan Miller, who had his first pro fight with Jonathan Bernier as part of the punchup. "I think he tried to do it three or four times. he went out of his way to pick up his gloves, pick up his stick and come back and do it again. It's disappointing to see that." Kessel got a match penalty and is likely to get suspended. So is Leafs forward David Clarkson, who should get an automatic 10-game ban for leaving the bench. There has been no ruling by the league yet. As for Miller, Scott joked they would be working on his technique when reporters left the locker room. "I think my defense was OK. Offense to be worked on in the future I think," Miller said. "I was kinda surprised he wanted to square off. I guess new team, line brawl. I was a little surprised just because it's preseason but hey, you're in Toronto and you get challenged, you can't really back down." Coach Ron Rolston is taking a beating from some segments of the Toronto media for having Scott on the ice but noted Scott played a pretty regular shift in the game -- even assisting on Buffalo's first goal -- and the Sabres were down forwards at the time due to injuries to Tropp, Marcus Foligno and Cody McCormick. Asked by a Toronto reporter about having an enforcer take on a much smaller star, a stern Rolston shot back, "What was the weight class in the one that happened before that? EVeryone is going to have a story. It just depends on what you go with." Rolston also pointed out that Carlyle had been making line matchups all night but decided not to at the game's defining moment. In other news, Rolston said Tropp and Foligno (shoulder) were still being evaluated. McCormick (hand) could play Wednesday. The Sabres sent Chad Ruhwehdel, Brayden McNabb, Mike Zigomanis and Matt Hackett to Rochester, with Matt Ellis and Drew Bagnall going pending waivers. The Sabres are down to nine defensemen with rookies Rasmus Ristolainen and Nakita Zadorov still in the mix. Buffalo News LOADED: