Dallas Stars Stars GameDay: Calgary Flames roll into Dallas with 6-game winning streak

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Up next for the Ducks: Thursday at Buffalo Miller: Maybe the Ducks really are as bad as they look Ducks begin four-game trip knowing fate is in their hands Anaheim Ducks hit the road with new look to lineup Arizona Coyotes Lindback takes over as No. 1 goalie but Coyotes exploring other options Lindback looks forward to regular work in Coyotes' goal Coyotes acquire Christian Thomas from Montreal in trade for Lessio Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask, Bruins shut down Penguins Tuukka Rask keeps on rolling with 34-save shutout Alex Khokhlachev back with the Bruins Patrice Bergeron appreciates chance Mike Sullivan gave him Bruins recall Alex Khokhlachev for game vs. Penguins Mike Sullivan returns to the Garden as coach of Penguins Bruins hold off Penguins Tuukka Rask, Bruins hold off Penguins Donato, Bjork, Carlo arrive with USA club Jacobs, Crocker earn Patrick Award Bruins notebook: Sullivan returns to home ice Under 25 Candidates: Ryan Spooner Optional skate for B's, Rask expected to start vs. Pens Khokhlachev looking to prove he belongs in NHL Bruins, Pens know home-and-home series is big in standings Under 25 Candidates: Frank Vatrano Julien senses Bruins are 'feeling more comfortable' Rask, Bruins shut out Penguins, Talking Points: Hayes a major contributor vs. Penguins Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: Ennis feeling better, is close to returning Matthews preparing himself for the spotlight of the NHL Draft Most Sabres take needed recovery day With point streak over, Kane ready to hit hometown Calgary Flames Cruickshank: Flames' nutrition, conditioning part of a highly-organized operation Flames notes: Frolik returns to Calgary, Jooris returns to lineup Flames' defenders rebounding from terrible start Calgary Flames return Josh Jooris to lineup Calgary Flames have made nutrition a big part of business Carolina Hurricanes Canes Victor Rask quiet, cool effective Chicago Blackhawks Observations on the Blackhawks' loss to the Avalanche Source: No NHL discipline for Blackhawks' Andrew Shaw Thursday's preview: Oilers at Blackhawks It's thanks for the memories for Patrick Kane's points streak Blackhawks honor a pair of fans during emotional night Kane's magical streak up there with the greats Dennis Rasmussen brings much-needed size, offense to Blackhawks Hawks Road Ahead: Blackhawks ready for Oilers Now that Patrick Kane's streak is over, what does it mean for him and the Blackhawks? Sidney Crosby 'really impressed' with Patrick Kane's point streak NHL 12/17/2015 DAILY BRIEF Colorado Avalanche Colorado will play 11 of its next 13 games at home Avs goalie had 29 saves in Tuesday's win in Chicago Columbus Blue Jackets Hockey Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena to host Team USA training camp Blue Jackets notebook Johansen's latest benching adds to headaches Struggling Blue Jackets can only hope players-only meeting helps Dallas Stars Stars GameDay: Calgary Flames roll into Dallas with 6-game winning streak Detroit Red Wings Wings enjoy rare three-day break, time for tweaking Kulfan: Ice-cold Penguins look for answers Rare break gives Red Wings chance to regroup ESPN writer: Wings deserve A for start of season Griffins win franchise-record 12th straight Look back at hockey journey of Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader of Muskegon Detroit Red Wings notes: Team trying to find right balance when holding third-period lead Break provides Wings time for off-ice workouts Edmonton Oilers Good Oilers news: Jordan Eberle's hands are back and he's making life tough on goalies Burning question for Oilers: What to do with Justin Schultz? Brandon Davidson beat cancer; now he's fighting his way up the Oilers roster First game back from injury, Oilers forward Rob Klinkhammer tweaks ankly, leave tilt Florida Panthers Recent lineup tweaks have paid dividends for Florida Panthers BACK IN JERSEY: Panthers hope to keep up winning ways although Newark is rarely kind... Jaromir Jagr returns Panthers' Reilly Smith has been better than advertised Preview: Panthers at Devils; Thursday, 7 p.m. Los Angeles Kings Up next for the Kings: Thursday at Montreal LA Kings trip continues with Montreal Canadiens next Reign/prospect chat with Dean Lombardi (via Reign Insider) King skating at TSC; Lewis joins team in Montreal Minnesota Wild Devan Dubnyk to start, Jarret Stoll likely to debut for the Wild Thursday vs. the Rangers Wild-N.Y. Rangers game preview Yeo has options for Wild's lineup vs. Rangers Wild didn't pick up Jarret Stoll 'to sit around' Montreal Canadiens French-language group has a problem with the pronunciation of P.K. Subban's name Stu Cowan: Pay-Kah, putting puck in net topics du jour at Canadiens practice French-language group has problem with pronunciation of P.K. Subban s name Practice Notebook: Subban and Beaulieu could become dynamic duo for Canadiens

2 Nashville Predators Preds GM David Poile discusses sluggish trade market New Jersey Devils Can a highlight reel goal revitalize Devils' Jiri Tlusty? Patrik Elias discusses less-than-close relationship with former Devils teammate Jaromir Jagr There is no downplaying Adam Henrique's importance to Devils Devils send rookie Joe Blandisi back to Albany (AHL) Looking to clear roster space, Devils place Brian O'Neill on waivers Devils return Joe Blandisi to Albany It would be a good time for Jiri Tlusty to find his game with Devils getting healthier up front Devils: Jiri Tlusty must make most of his chance Devils notes: Adam Henrique back in the lineup New York Islanders Islanders fans can buy AL patches to commemorate Al Arbour New York Rangers Rangers must stick to identity, look to build off latest win in game vs. Wild The sobering counter to two quick-healing Rangers How one measly win changed the Rangers whole outlook Stepan, Klein traveling, Girardi is not Stepan, Klein update their status Rangers: Derek Stepan and Kevin Klein close to returning Rangers go out West again, with Stepan and Klein Ottawa Senators Game Day: Senators at Capitals Flexible Turris closes in on Senators' iron man streak Ottawa to host Team Canada's World Cup training camp Hammond sharp in Senators' return, but Capitals prevail NCC caught in the middle of Lebreton Flats power play Turris passes Yashin on Ottawa Senators Ironman list Ottawa Senators goalie Hammond has respect for Hoffman's shot Holtby outduels Hammond; Sens furious about hit on Lazar Philadelphia Flyers Flyers goalie Steve Mason watches as backup Michal Neuvirth shines FLYERS: Mason trying to keep a positive attitude FLYERS: Flyers hope 7 is their lucky number for World Juniors Voracek downplays big game, but Flyers excited for new line Shayne Gostisbehere staying focused on Flyers amid success Flyers Notes: Matt Read adjusting to new role, new linemates FLYERS: Mason waiting for Neuvirth to cool off Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins founder Block dies at Penguins notebook: Sheary excited about NHL debut in hometown of Boston Penguins offense struggles again in shutout loss to Bruins Penguins shut out in Boston, 3-0 San Jose Sharks Sharks' Thornton looks to turn back clock Unexpected contributors help Sharks down Canadiens St Louis Blues Bluenotes: Frustrated Stastny finally finds the goal Preview: Blues vs. Predators Jackman set for opposing view at Scottrade Once again: Is this the win that jumpstarts the Blues? Tampa Bay Lightning With fewer shots, Stamkos looking for his spark Bolts notes: Injury woes continue Yanni Gourde's Lightning callup 'a dream come true' Toronto Maple Leafs Bernier at the wrong end of two confidence games: Feschuk Mental aspect the tough part of slumps, Maple Leafs say Pucks are going in so Sparks will start for Maple Leafs, Babcock says Leafs Locker: Games on CHCH-TV were memorable Maple Leafs' James van Riemsdyk buying into coach Babcock's plan Stamkos will make hockey history if he's free in July Steve Spott reflects on his time as Maple Leafs coach Babcock gives Sparks next start as Bernier falters Former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Steve Spott finds new home in San Jose with old pal Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Garret Sparks earns a start as Jonathan Bernier s struggles continue Patience, Vancouver Canucks fans draft-and-develop isn t a sexy strategy, but it s the best option Just start calling me Denzel : P.K. Subban responds to French-language group s call to pronounce his name Pa Making the grade: Athletic academies across Canada try to strike a balance between hockey and homework Vancouver Canucks Storm clouds hang over struggling Canucks' squad Who's Next? Canucks at Flyers Patience, Canucks fans draft-and-develop will take a lot of time Canucks salvation lies more with getting good, young defenceman than with firing Desjardins Will fans tolerate a total Canucks rebuild? You might get your wish Canucks Post Game: Miller takes one for team, playoffs are a pipe dream, no Stoll tactics Canucks Hat Trick: Meltdown in Minny, chances lacking and what s up with Burrows? Washington Capitals Tom Wilson ejected late in Capitals game against Senators Whole Latta love: Center s goal, assist spark Capitals past Senators, Capitals vs. Senators: Game 30 discussion thread Verizon Center to host World Cup of Hockey exhibitions Capitals getting more production out of bottom-six forwards Braden Holtby stellar again as Capitals fight off Senators, late penalty Tom Wilson on Senators Curtis Lazar: I wasn t even really trying to hit him Verizon Center to host two World Cup of Hockey exhibition games in September Examining the Wilson hit according to the NHL rulebook Barry Trotz not even certain Tom Wilson's hit was a penalty Wilson defends himself after controversial hit on Ottawa's Lazar Tom Wilson could face suspension after Caps victory over Ottawa Leonsis: World Cup exhibitions well worth the risk AAA Keys to the Game: Capitals vs. Senators Verizon Center to host hockey World Cup exhibitions Trotz shakes things up on Caps' fourth line

3 Websites ESPN / Sidney Crosby is no-brainer for Team Canada, GM Doug Armstrong says ESPN / Stamkos' visit to Toronto no ordinary homecoming Sportsnet.ca / Three things we learned in the NHL: Can t stop the Capitals Sportsnet.ca / Cameron: Tom Wilson penalty for Curtis Lazar hit was the right call Sportsnet.ca / Why Therrien is trying to limit Andrei Markov s minutes Sportsnet.ca / Subban owns Road to the Winter Classic : Best of Episode Sportsnet.ca / Evgeni Malkin talks Crosby, Ovechkin, Russia and more Sportsnet.ca / Rossi: Penguins management has a lack of focus Sportsnet.ca / Predators GM looking at forwards on the trade market TSN.CA / Winter Classic: Five things we learned about the Canadiens TSN.CA / More consistent Gardiner still an unknown quantity for Leafs TSN.CA / Canada s juniors delete social media apps TSN.CA / All signs point to Stamkos leaving Tampa TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Kane's streak snapped TSN.CA / Post 2 Post: The Five Hole TSN.CA / Taking stock of the U.S. college free agent class TSN.CA / Thumbs up to Price as Lou Marsh winner Winnipeg Jets Top line s dry spell coincides with Jets slide Lowry had hand in Moose win hours after demotion from Jets Jets have big problems everywhere, maybe even in net Cellar-dwelling Jets send Lowry down to Moose Winnipeg Jets spread some holiday cheer with visit to Rehabilitation Centre for Children Winnipeg Jets have gotten exactly what they paid for this season Winnipeg Jets send forward Adam Lowry to AHL's Manitoba Moose SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks Up next for the Ducks: Thursday at Buffalo Curtis Zupke DUCKS NEXT UP AT BUFFALO When: Thursday, 4 p.m. PST. On the air: TV: Prime; Radio: 830. Update: The leisurely schedule the Ducks have played one game since Dec. 6 picks up in a meaningful way with a four-game East Coast swing before the Christmas break. Among those practicing Wednesday in Buffalo was forward Jiri Sekac, who had been on a brief conditioning assignment with the Ducks' American Hockey League affiliate in San Diego. Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau indicated to reporters in Buffalo that Sekac would return to action against the Sabres. Sekac has been out since suffering a high ankle sprain Nov. 1. LA Times: LOADED:

5 Anaheim Ducks Miller: Maybe the Ducks really are as bad as they look Dec. 15, 2015 Updated Dec. 16, :42 a.m. By JEFF MILLER / STAFF COLUMNIST jmiller@ocregister.com ANAHEIM If you re a Ducks fan, your patience by now probably has worn thin, yeah, thin as the mustache on a mosquito. I understand your frustration. I, too, can no longer wait. I must reveal the line I ve been dying to write since I first thought of it months ago, probably while sitting idly at an Angels game waiting for C.J. Wilson to throw another strike. Convinced Jakob Silfverberg s development as a scorer would continue, I came up with a nickname for each goal the winger would contribute this season: A Silfie. Get it? If not, ask a young person what it s called when someone uses a cell phone to take their own picture. Unfortunately for the Ducks and their fans, the way this season is going, I ll never get to use the line in genuine context, Silfverberg as offensively ham-handed right now as every one of his teammates. Corey Perry does have 10 goals, which aren t a ton for him but easily represents the most on a team that s last in the NHL in scoring but only because there s no designation lower than last. Silfverberg has scored three times in two months or the same number of goals Carolina s Jeff Skinner had Friday against the Ducks. I could muddy up this column with all sorts of negative math, sad numbers that illustrate how poorly the Ducks have been so far with skaters in scoring position. I also could mention that Kyle Palmieri, whom the Ducks traded away in June for draft picks, has 13 goals for New Jersey. Instead, I ll note one simple fact: Ryan Getzlaf currently has the same number of goals (one) as Clayton Stoner. And I ll add one simple kicker: Both scored after the opposition had pulled its goalie. If the Ducks had a hitting coach, they would have Mickey Hatcher-ed the poor guy weeks ago. In this season of giving, they are making it harder and harder for their fans to not give the most troubling gift of all, that is, to give up. I think the guys believe we re a much better team than this, forward Andrew Cogliano said. I think the guys think they can contribute more. But we haven t been good enough. The Ducks have shown glimpses but then eclipsed those glimpses with colossal disappointment, their ability to hold leads questionable, just not as much so as their ability to come back after falling behind. The latest example came in that game Friday, when Skinner and the completely so-so Hurricanes left Honda Center with a 5-1 victory, ending the Ducks two-game winning streak hey, it was the shortest possible, but two is a streak and concluding a homestand that felt a little like a last stand. I thought we made a lot of good strides over the course of the homestand, Cogliano said. You take so many steps forward, then you lose one game and it feels like you take five steps back. That s how that game felt. Hockey, unlike any other sport, is one where players, especially defensemen, are going backward all the time. Teams, however, aren t supposed to move that direction en masse. With 27 points, the Ducks are seventh in the Pacific Division and 14th in the Western Conference, and finding a club that sits below them today would require including the AHL. More than one-third of the way through the season, it isn t too early to start to wonder if this is, in fact, what the Ducks are destined to be in Just not very good. Just another Columbus. And this, only months after they were one victory away from playing for the Stanley Cup. Honest. You can believe me. I was in Honda Center in May when they dropped Game 7 to Chicago. At the time, it was my understanding that the loss eliminated them from contention only as it related to last season. You can tell a lot of teams are grinding right now looking at the standings, especially in our division, Cogliano said. We can t be any different. We are where we are; we re seventh. We have to have a serious sense of urgency as of right now. No one on this team can grind quite like Cogliano, who hasn t missed a game because of injury since his NHL debut in On Thursday in Buffalo, his streak of consecutive games will reach 652, and too bad the league doesn t give bonuses for perfect attendance. But Cogliano does make a good point. As little luck as the Ducks have created for themselves to date, they re fortunate to still be within arm s reach of all their division rivals other than the Kings. The game against the Sabres marks the start of a four-city trip that will take the Ducks to the NHL s Christmas break. If they have success, they ll be right back in the playoff picture. But if they keep playing like they have been, the frustration will continue. The Ducks will be worthy of only one type of picture then. See, anyone can be the subject of a selfie. Orange County Register: LOADED:

6 Anaheim Ducks Ducks begin four-game trip knowing fate is in their hands Dec. 16, 2015 Updated 7:58 p.m. By ERIC STEPHENS / STAFF WRITER BUFFALO, N.Y. The strange part of their schedule is finally over for the Ducks, one that saw them slip spot by spot down into their inexplicable residence in the Pacific Division basement with just one failed chance to do something about it. Losing to equally moribund Carolina at home had a high cost. It was their only game over a 10-day span and the lost shot at two points glaringly stood out when teams such as Calgary and Edmonton leaped over them by playing more often and winning. The Ducks awoke Wednesday with just three points separating themselves from playoff positioning in the Pacific Division. They re just four points out of second place. The problem is there are five teams sitting between them and that preferred spot. I don t think I ve been in a situation where you had 10 days like that and only played one game, Ducks winger Chris Stewart said. Everyone s playing and there s three-point games where it seems like everyone s getting a point here and there. I don t think you can really watch the standings. I still think there s plenty of hockey left. At the end of the day, I firmly believe that we dictate our own fate here. The ball s in our court. It s just up to us. As they hit the 30-game mark with Thursday s game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Ducks ( ) do still control much of what can be their destiny. But the only thing they ve been consistent at to date is being inconsistent. So there was a consistent message that arose out of the visitors dressing room at First Niagara Center. Wins have to be more frequent, preferably strung together. It has to start on a four-game trip that has them also facing the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and New York Rangers. When you don t get any points in (10) days, a lot of teams pass you and go by you, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. So the sense of urgency to get points is a little bit more. I think everybody knows the importance of this week. Added Stewart, No one thought we d be where we are right now in the division. I think it s time for the boys to wake up and we got start playing some meaningful hockey. The Ducks will bring Jiri Sekac back into the lineup for the first time since the winger suffered a sprained ankle Nov. 1. Sekac will initially slot in on the second line with Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg and Boudreau said he ll bring energy and speed. It s important that he s ready to play, Boudreau said. Sekac was able to test his ankle out in a successful one-game stint with the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks American Hockey League team. He had a goal and, more important, came out feeling good about his health. During his six-week absence, Sekac said he was often grumpy and had to exhibit patience at each step of his rehabilitative process. It s mentally tough, Sekac said. You re locked down in the gym every day. The first two weeks for me was on crutches, which is absolutely terrible. You can t carry stuff around and stuff like that. When you get off the crutches, you want to get on the ice but you can t. And then when you actually start skating, you realize that it s not there. So then there s another time when you get a little frustrated. It s finally 100 percent and I m excited to be back out there. TWO GOALIES LEFT With Anton Khudobin now in San Diego, the net officially belongs to John Gibson and Frederik Andersen. And Boudreau wouldn t give any hint to how he ll divide the workload in these four games. Gibson has started the past seven contests. Andersen, who battled the flu for a week during that time, got into his first game since Nov. 21 when he played the third period against the Hurricanes. The Ducks have games on consecutive days against the Islanders and Rangers, so it figures that each goalie will get a start. As far as Thursday against the Sabres, Boudreau said he knows who is playing but the reveal won t come until who exits the morning skate first. But the usual two-goalie scenario brings more clarity to the Ducks. Just watching practice today, you could see it s a load off the goalies minds as well, Boudreau said. I feel bad for Anton but when you get two goalies and they know that they re the goalies, there s no questions in their mind. They can focus on the practices and the games. I think it looked like a relief to them more than anything else. BAFFLED OVER BAN The severity of Nate Thompson s three-game suspension for his illegal check to the head of Carolina s Justin Faulk drew some ire within their dressing room and even got Boudreau to mildly critique the decision by the NHL s Department of Player Safety. I was a little surprised, Boudreau said. The league is pretty good about seeing what else is going on and making that call. But I was a little surprised. Mike Santorelli will start out filling Thompson s spot as the fourth-line center. Santorelli has been on the wing most of the season but played a few games there while Thompson was recovering from shoulder surgery. We had options of moving people, Boudreau said. We can move Ricky (Rakell) back to the middle. We chose Santo at this point. It s the good thing about having options with guys that are versatile. Orange County Register: LOADED:

7 Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks hit the road with new look to lineup By Elliott Teaford, Daily Breeze Posted: 12/16/15, 4:13 PM PST Updated: 7 hrs ago DUCKS AT SABRES Faceoff: 4 p.m. TV/Radio: Prime / 830-AM Update: Mike Santorelli is expected to shift to center from the wing to replace Nate Thompson while Thompson serves a three-game suspension imposed by the NHL on Monday for elbowing Justin Faulk in the head during the Ducks 5-1 loss Friday to the Carolina Hurricanes. Left wing Jiri Sekac is expected to return to the lineup after sitting out since he sprained his ankle Nov. 1 against the Nashville Predators. John Gibson and Frederik Andersen are the Ducks goalies of record now that Anton Khudobin was assigned Tuesday to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The Ducks begin a four-game trip in last place in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference with an record. They are also last in the NHL with 56 goals. Buffalo is after a 2-0 loss Tuesday to the New Jersey Devils. LA Daily News: LOADED:

8 Arizona Coyotes Arizona Republic LOADED: Lindback takes over as No. 1 goalie but Coyotes exploring other options Sarah McLellan, azcentral sports 5:13 p.m. MST December 16, 2015 As soon as Coyotes coach Dave Tippett dismissed practice Wednesday, goalie Anders Lindback skated for the exit instead of remaining on the ice to take shots from teammates like he usually does. Now that Lindback has assumed No. 1 duties with Mike Smith sidelined an estimated eight to 10 weeks after having surgery on a core muscle injury, his workload in between games will shrink but that s the only change in preparation Lindback is anticipating. You gotta have the same mind-set and compete every day and try to get better, he said. The Coyotes will officially embark on life without Smith for the foreseeable future Thursday when their six-game homestand resumes against the Blue Jackets, and although the team is gauging what other options might exist between the pipes until Smith returns, Lindback will have an opportunity to prove he is the solution. He will play as many (games) as he dictates, Tippett said. If he plays well, we're going to play him. If we need to put somebody else in because he s tired, then we ll put somebody else in. If we need to put somebody else in because he doesn t play well, then we ll put somebody else in. He s the guy right now. We re going to see if he can do it. Lindback has been mostly steady as a backup to date, posting a.900 save percentage and 2.92 goals-against average in 12 appearances. His only major blemish was earlier this month in Carolina against the Hurricanes when he was tagged for five goals on 18 shots his lone regulation loss in his past four starts. I ve given the team a chance in most of my starts and a couple reliefs, Lindback said. I think I ve been playing well. What should help Lindback transition is the experience he gained last season taking on regular minutes with the Sabres. In 16 games, he boasted a.924 save percentage and 2.76 goals-against average. If he gives us that, we won t be looking at anybody, General Manager Don Maloney said. But the Coyotes have to do their homework and are trying to find out who s available and at what cost after identifying nine teams that might have a goalie to spare. We re looking at everything and anything, Maloney said. We are looking. If there s a way to get a top-end goaltender that s a long-term value to the franchise, we re willing to pay up an asset for that. What I m not going to do is pay a good asset for the next three months. I m not going to do that. Maloney s preference would be to land an up-and-comer rather than a more experienced netminder, a sign that the Coyotes are evaluating the position not only for the interim but the future, as well. Smith is in the midst of a six-year, $34 million contract, but the Coyotes have had a carousel of backups since Smith s arrival in Louis Domingue is currently fulfilling that role with Niklas Treutle and Marek Langhamer on the team s minor-league roster. You can t have success without strong goaltending, Maloney said. We all know it, and we have to pay more attention to it. But finding a quick fix on the trade market might not be easy considering the team s parameters. The Ducks placed Anton Khudobin, 29, on waivers Monday and assigned him to the American Hockey League Tuesday once he cleared, and Khudobin carries a $2.5 million salary a similar price tag for the Oilers No. 3 Ben Scrivens (29 years old at $2.3 million) although cheaper than the Wild s third option (Niklas Backstrom, 37, at $4 million). Arizona has to factor in the cost to execute a deal in addition to actual player salary, and the former might be steeper than the latter. This, to me, is not a panic situation where we absolutely are in dire need (and) we ll take anybody that comes along and pay a huge price for it. No, Maloney said. We re going to just take our time. We feel good about Anders. Louis is right at the age now (23) where he can play some games. If they don t get the job done, then we ll find somebody else.

9 Arizona Coyotes Lindback looks forward to regular work in Coyotes' goal By Dave Lumia Dec 16, 2015 at 5:44p ET For Anders Lindback, the opportunity to be a No. 1 goaltender has been six years in the making. The 27-year-old from Gavle, Sweden, who takes over as the Coyotes' top goaltender while Mike Smith recovers from abdominal surgery, doesn't intend to squander it. "You never want to see a teammate go down like that," Lindback said. "I hope that Mike has a fast recovery, but obviously it's a big opportunity for me, and I'm excited for that. I have a good feeling about it. "I've been feeling good all season I think we as a group have a chance to get better here if we work hard, and I think we will. It's a big challenge, but I think we're all looking forward to it." The Coyotes return to action Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets (6:30 p.m., FOX Sports Arizona), the third game in a stretch that will see the Coyotes play eight of their next nine at home. Lindback has played in 12 games this season, compiling a record with a.900 save percentage and 2.92 goals-against average. Those numbers are in keeping with his career norms: ,.905 save percentage, 2.84 GAA in stops with Nashville, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Buffalo. He began his NHL career as Pekka Rinne's backup for two seasons with the Predators and was signed by the Coyotes this past off-season as a free agent. The 26 games he played last season -- split between Dallas and Buffalo -- were a career high that he'll likely eclipse in the next month. "If he plays well, we're going to play him," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said when asked about Lindback's workload. "If we need to put somebody else in because he's tired, we'll put somebody else in. If we need to put sometbody else in because he doesn't play well, then we'll put somebody else in. He's the guy right now, we're going to see what he can do." Lindback said he's looking forward to regular work. "When you get to play over and over again every day, you get a little nicer feeling," he said. "Things calm down, you see the game in a different way. It's not as jumpy. "I think it's an advantage, but I have to perform, I have to play good, and I have to give the team a chance every night." That's exactly what team captain Shane Doan expects. "He's incredibly athletic, competes so hard in every practice on every shot," Doan said. "Goalies, you never know when they're going to be the guy that takes over and does what they can do. Everybody wants that opportunity, and he's got it. We're excited for him." foxsportsarizona.com LOADED:

10 Arizona Coyotes Coyotes acquire Christian Thomas from Montreal in trade for Lessio James Guillory / USA Today Sports Dec 16, 2015 at 3:12p ET GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Coyotes have acquired forward Christian Thomas from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Lucas Lessio. The 23-year-old Thomas has registered two assists in five games with the Canadiens this season. He also has seven goals and seven assists with the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League. The 5-foot- 9, 180 pound Thomas played 18 games with the Canadiens last season, collecting one assist and seven penalty minutes. Thomas was drafted by the New York Rangers in the second round in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Lessio, 22, a second-round pick of the Coyotes in 2011, had two goals and three assists in 26 games for Arizona last season and has spent all of this season with Springfield of the AHL, where he had seven goals and five assists in 24 games. foxsportsarizona.com LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask, Bruins shut down Penguins By Amalie Benjamin Globe Staff December 17, 2015 Jimmy Hayes s face was upturned to the scoreboard, his eyes searching the pixels. Teammates did the same, but their hopes as much as the rest of the Bruins wanted that two-goal cushion probably couldn t match his need for the goal to count. It had been a long time for Hayes 15 straight games played, two games as a healthy scratch in the press box and he was happy for the Ryan Spooner pass, the errant bounces, the fact the puck touched off the shaft of his stick before dropping across the goal line. The coach s challenge by Pittsburgh had been silly. There had been no interference, as Hayes well knew. And so the goal stood, the fifth of the season for Hayes, the second of the game for the Bruins, as they went on to beat Pittsburgh, 3-0 at TD Garden on Wednesday night. It s been a while, Hayes said. I figured it would be one like that. He knew it would be, as he put it, greasy, as he used his body and his strength to bull his way to the net to knock or tip or deflect something in. Spooner hoped Hayes would get inside position on the defenseman. He didn t. But the pass still succeeded in its goal. Jimmy s going to have success by going to the net like he did tonight, coach Claude Julien said. He s really good at either tipping pucks or finding loose pucks. He s a big man, he has to play that game. We don t expect him to be carrying the puck up and down the ice, but in those tight areas he can be a good player. Tonight, that s what he tried to do and had some success doing it. The goal came at 4:00 of the second, on the first shot the Bruins took in the period. They would take just three more in the frame, the final one coming at 5:04 by Brett Connolly. Their next shot on goal also would be by Connolly at 4:03 of the third. The Penguins outshot the Bruins, 18-4, in a lopsided second period that was saved, again and again, by Tuukka Rask, who had 34 total saves on the way to his fourth shutout of the season and 30th of his Bruins career. That puts him just one behind Tim Thomas for third in franchise history. For Rask, it was his second shutout in four games, a span in which he has surrendered just two measly goals. That was instrumental. So were the contributions from the third and fourth lines, with Hayes getting his goal and Max Talbot starting off the scoring at 9:52 of the first, with a wrister from the right faceoff dot off a nice play by defenseman Adam McQuaid. Hayes got an assist on that goal too, taking Pittsburgh s Brian Dumoulin away from the puck in the neutral zone, allowing McQuaid to feed Talbot for his first goal since Feb. 28, as member of the Colorado Avalanche. Or, rather, first NHL goal since Feb. 28. Because, as Talbot was quick to point out, he technically scored twice in a game just 10 days ago, on Dec. 6 against Springfield as a member of the Providence Bruins. But this was his first goal as a member of the Boston Bruins. I scored almost a week ago but in Providence, Talbot said. I think you saw by my celebration, I think it could say a lot, obviously happiness but relief also. It s been a rough start, in a way. But at the same time it s just good to do something good and to contribute. And it didn t go unnoticed. That s what you want to see, Julien said of the secondary scoring. You don t expect them to score at the pace that the top two lines are, but you certainly like to see them chip in every once in a while and tonight allowed us to win this game. I even mentioned before the game that you don t want guys playing in other guys shadows, you want them to be able to be confident enough to play in this league and contribute. That s what two of those guys did for us tonight. Spooner then finished off the scoring with a power play, empty-net goal at 17:17 of the third, on a feed from Patrice Bergeron. It was Spooner s eighth of the season. The Bruins shot up to second in the Atlantic, just 5 points behind the Canadiens with two games in hand. They ll have a chance to add to their point total when they again play the struggling Penguins on Friday night in the second part of their home-and-home series. You always want to get off to a good start when you re playing those back-to-backs, Julien said. You hope that you can build some momentum and now you ve got to go back there understanding that they re going to be hungry and that they re going to be ready for us. Again, as you often hear coaches say, Let s park this one and let s move on to the next. Well, that s what we ve got to do right now. Boston Globe LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask keeps on rolling with 34-save shutout By Fluto Shinzawa Globe Staff December 17, 2015 Tuukka Rask is back. The Vezina Trophy winner is playing like he wants some more hardware. Rask stopped all 34 pucks in Wednesday s 3-0 cakewalk over the lifeless Penguins. It was his fourth shutout of the season. He now has 30 career blankings, one behind ex-partner Tim Thomas. In his last nine appearances, Rask is with a 1.36 goals-against average and a.955 save percentage. The masked Rask is playing with his former too-cool-for-school swagger and turning opponents like Sidney Crosby (0-0 0, three shots on net in 18:09 of ice time) into ghosts. He s a guy that, when he s on his game, he s one of the best, said coach Claude Julien. He s feeling it in the last little while or whatever the last month or maybe even more. He s been the goalie we all know he can be. That s how we felt about him at the beginning. When he struggled, we knew he d find his game. And he has. When he changes into his trim postgame suit, Rask looks like he belongs in an Ermenegildo Zegna showroom: tall, slim, and sleek. Put him in his armor, however, and Rask appears bigger than an elephant. Rask takes away everything down low when he drops into the butterfly. Even when they stare at Rask on his knees, shooters don t see much up top. In this stretch, Rask has been in complete control, not just of his game, but seemingly the sticks of the opponents he s foiling. Rask made one of his best saves in the first period. Ben Lovejoy wound up for a slap shot from the right point. Rask saw Lovejoy s release, dropped down, and waited for the puck to arrive. It took a detour. Chris Kunitz tipped Lovejoy s shot to adjust its angle of approach. Rask tracked the deflection, held his ground, shifted his torso slightly, blocked the puck, and covered it at 5:08 of the first. Rask made a hard save look like a piece of cake. Rask, however, is not surging on his own. It is no coincidence that teammates are playing with more structure, commitment, and efficiency in front of him. Defensemen know their assignments. Wingers collapse into the slot. Centers are hounding puck carriers down low and sealing off passes. Net-front traffic jams are forcing shooters to the outside of the house. The Bruins weren t perfect. The Penguins looked like they cared in the second period. They controlled the puck and wore out the ice in the Boston zone. But the Bruins didn t panic. They didn t run around. The Penguins fired 18 pucks on goal while surrendering just four on Jeff Zatkoff. But Rask got good looks. What we saw weren t shots of Grade-A quality. When we play our system, it s very helpful for goalies, Rask said. Today, they had a lot of shots again. But for the most part, they kept them to the outside. When we do that, it gives us a chance to win and keeps the goals-against low. This wasn t the case early in the season. Rask had no idea where teammates were going or who they were covering. Rask cheated to cover up. Opponents made him pay. But goalie and skaters are now on the same page. It s showing in Rask s statistics. It goes hand in hand, said Dennis Seidenberg. If we play well, it makes life easy on him. If it s the other way around, it s tough for him to make every stop. It just doesn t work out. That s why it s a team sport. Right now, it s a little better. With the win, the Bruins moved up to fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 38 points. There s a good chance they could be in even better position. Despite Rask s hot hand, Julien has kept Jonas Gustavsson in the mix. Two days after a 17-save shutout against Vancouver, Rask backed up Gustavsson in the Bruins 3-2 loss to Nashville. Rask turned back 26 of 27 shots against Florida last Saturday. Gustavsson started the next game and lost to Edmonton in overtime, 3-2. Workhorses such as Henrik Lundqvist, Braden Holtby, and Corey Crawford would have kept on rolling had they been as scorching as Rask. But Julien knows his ace well. Julien understands that Rask is at his best when he s on pace for starts per season. Last year, by the time he dressed for his 70th game against Tampa Bay, Rask was grinding metal on metal, both mentally and physically. Julien lost confidence in Niklas Svedberg. Last season s version required nearperfection out of Rask. The Bruins are scoring more for Rask this year. He also has a more dependable partner in Gustavsson. While the veteran goalie has slipped, Julien still believes that Gustavsson can deliver 60 reliable minutes on a regular occasion. I think there s a good confidence in both goaltenders, Julien said. As long as you ve got confidence in both goaltenders, you re able to give Tuukka the rest when he needs it and try to put him in games you really want to see him play in. Boston Globe LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Alex Khokhlachev back with the Bruins By Amalie Benjamin Globe Staff December 17, 2015 Alex Khokhlachev was back on the Bruins bench for Wednesday night s game at TD Garden against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a spot he might have occupied earlier this season if not for a November hand injury. Any guy who got injured is not happy with that, Khokhlachev said after being recalled earlier in the day from the Providence Bruins. It s just part of the game. I don t want to be out for a long time. I healed and [I m] ready to play right now. The question is, can Khokhlachev stick at the NHL level? He had one shot on net in 7:55 of playing time in Wednesday s game. For sure I think every guy who got called up wants to stay here all the time, said Khokhlachev, who played two games for the Bruins in a November recall and is looking for his first NHL point in six games with the team over three seasons. I got more comfortable at that level, so I know I start to play better and better every game. I m pretty sure if I play really good they will keep me. So it s all about me, how I will play. The 22-year-old center expressed frustration with the Bruins in training camp, saying he was not going to play in the AHL for his whole career. I started to feel better in that level, Khokhlachev said of his games against Dallas and Washington in November. I started to feel more comfortable with the speed and the next level game. Bruins forward Frank Vatrano played with Khokhlachev in Providence earlier this season and has seen some of his point-per-game potential. In 17 games with Providence, Khokhlachev has six goals and 14 assists. He s a player that works hard, Vatrano said. He makes the game a lot easier with the players he s playing with. We worked well together. We contributed offensively and were good defensively, too. I think that s kind of what kept us together. Vatrano has played in 15 games for the Bruins this season after making the jump from the AHL to the NHL. Every transition you make is obviously difficult, especially making the jump to the NHL, he said. He has experience up here. I know he s going to do well with the opportunity he s getting. He s a confident player. Change of scenery David Warsofsky grew up in Marshfield, played hockey at Boston University, and hoped to make it professionally for his hometown team. But a roster logjam on the blue line left the 25-year-old opting for a chance this summer. An unrestricted free agent, Warsofsky signed with the Penguins in July, and has found a home playing the point on the team s first power play unit. Obviously growing up you want to play for your hometown team, but I think the change has been good for me, Warsofsky said. It s maybe a little bit less pressure. I don t have family and friends at every game and I think Pittsburgh was a better opportunity for me. Warsofsky said he drew interest from several teams. I think playing here for college and being from here and playing in the organization, it was just time for a change for me, he said. I just needed a change of scenery kind of to clear my head about some things. Stitches for McQuaid The Bruins were without Adam McQuaid from 6:40 to 17:55 of the second period after the defenseman took a puck off the face on a shot by Pittsburgh s Brian Dumoulin. He never saw it coming. McQuaid said he got about 10 or 12 stitches in his chin. Luckily I ve got a beard, he said. It keeps it well hidden. Asked if his teeth were all still intact, McQuaid said, Yeah, luckily. I wear a mouth guard. Thanks for asking.... Former Bruins coach and Marshfield native Mike Sullivan returned to the Garden as coach of the Penguins, his first head coaching job since posting a record in two seasons with Boston. There s always emotion [on returning], said Sullivan, who was hired Dec. 12 to replace the fired Mike Johnston. No. 1 it s my hometown and then I also had the privilege of coaching here [ , ], so it was a great experience. I love Boston, so there s always something a little special when you come back. Asked about the nine years between head coaching jobs, Sullivan said, When I decided to get into the coaching side of the business after I retired, I knew it was a hard business. It s not for the faint of heart. By nature of the position you re always going to be second-guessed. I love coaching. I love being around the rink. I love interacting with the guys. I love the fire, the battle. So I knew what I signed up for when I got into it.... Bruins coach Claude Julien had little to update on Zac Rinaldo (upper body) and David Pastrnak (broken foot), a pair of Bruins forwards on IR. Asked how Rinaldo went from maintenance day to IR in a matter of hours, Julien said, Circumstances changed during the day. Boston Globe LOADED:

14 Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron appreciates chance Mike Sullivan gave him By Amalie Benjamin Globe Staff December 16, 2015 WILMINGTON Another coach might not have given Patrice Bergeron a chance. He was an 18-year-old rookie, just drafted in the second round, coming to Boston with the expectation that he would head back to juniors for the season. Instead, he stayed. Then-coach Mike Sullivan, also in his rookie season, had given him an opportunity. He s the one that gave me my chance as a rookie coming in, secondround pick, Bergeron said after practice at Ristuccia Arena on Tuesday. A lot of coaches could have just sent me back to junior and not even given me a shot and he did. He gave me some exhibition games to prove myself and I ll always be thankful for that. Sullivan spent behind the Bruins bench, and had since been an assistant with Tampa Bay, New York, and Vancouver. He was coaching in the AHL for the Penguins this season when, upon the firing of Mike Johnston on Saturday, Pittsburgh handed him its underachieving team. It s been a long time since those Boston days. I think he s a great coach and it s well deserved, I think, Bergeron said of Sullivan getting another chance as an NHL head coach. It s taken a long time for him, but at the same time I think he s got some experience over the years and that probably makes him a better coach now. And getting that opportunity as a rookie made Bergeron a better player. That, plus Sullivan s shifting of Bergeron to the wing, eventually paid dividends for the player, now firmly entrenched as one of the best twoway centers in the league if not the best. If they tell you you re going to stay in the NHL to play right wing, it was pretty much a no-brainer, Bergeron said. But again, I learned from it and if you look at it in the long run, I was able to make the Olympic team because of it, because I could play as a winger. So it s definitely something that helped me in my career, for sure. There was less pressure on him as a rookie winger, less responsibility, he said. It lightened his workload in the defensive zone, at the same time that it set him up for what he would eventually become. For me, as a young kid, he was always really positive, Bergeron said. I think that was the main thing with him. I had a few stretches during that year as a rookie that I was going dry a bit and not playing as well and he would meet with me, but always in a positive way where I could learn from it and grow from it. It s really the one thing that always stood out to me is the confidence that he had in his players and how much he believed in us as players, like I said. You want to play for a guy like that. And with the Penguins so far having a lackluster season, Bergeron believes that Sullivan could be a boost to a team with significant offensive talent, though Pittsburgh lost its first game under Sullivan, on Monday against the Capitals. Pittsburgh, which the Bruins play twice in three days (once at TD Garden and once at CONSOL Energy Center), go into Wednesday fifth in the Metropolitan Division. With all of their offensive talent, the Penguins are just 27th in the NHL in goals per game, at I think he s one of those coaches that expects the best out of you even in practice, in games, I think it s something that he s always kind of preached on his work ethic and making sure you re at your best and you re being a professional on and off the ice, Bergeron said. He s definitely a coach I thought that was giving guys freedom offensively and wanted us to respect the system defensively, so I think it goes hand-in-hand with their type of offense. Rinaldo on IR Zac Rinaldo did not take part in practice on Tuesday. Julien initially said it was a maintenance day for the fourth-liner, but later on the club placed the forward on injured reserve with an upper-body injury... David Pastrnak wore a merlot-colored sweater and joined the crowded group on the fourth line, along with Max Talbot, Tyler Randell, and Landon Ferraro. There is still no date for his return... The Bruins will not face Marc-Andre Fleury in their two games against Pittsburgh this week. Fleury was diagnosed with a concussion and will miss 1-2 weeks, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Fleury, who became symptomatic following Monday night s 4-1 loss to the Capitals, has been a bright spot on an otherwise disappointing Penguins club, with a record, 2.29 goals against average, and.925 save percentage... The Bruins visited six Boston hospitals Tuesday afternoon to deliver toys the players purchased in November with donations from the team s players, coaches, and the Boston Bruins Foundation. Penguins at Bruins When, where: Wednesday, 8 p.m., TD Garden. TV, radio: NBCSN, WBZ-FM (98.5). Goals: Evgeni Malkin 14, Phil Kessel 9, Sidney Crosby 6. Assists: Malkin 13, Crosby 13, Kris Letang 13. Goaltending: Marc-Andre Fleury ( , 2.29), Jeff Zatkoff ( ). Head to head: This is the first of three meetings this season. The homeand-home continues Friday in Pittsburgh. Miscellany: Letang is out two weeks with an upper-body injury... Fleury will not be with the team Wednesday and is out indefinitely while undergoing concussion protocol. He became symptomatic following the Penguins 4-1 loss to Washington on Monday night... The Penguins haven t won while scoring fewer than four goals since Nov. 6. Boston Globe LOADED: