Anaheim Ducks Up next for Ducks: Friday at Detroit Karlsson injury has some Ducks praising Kevlar fabric

Transcription

1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Up next for Ducks: Friday at Detroit Karlsson injury has some Ducks praising Kevlar fabric Boston Bruins Shawn Thornton of Bruins playing limited role Bruins facing five straight road games Chris Kelly s goal is to score Bruins head out for longest road trip of season Buffalo Sabres Stafford zeroes in on ending drought Message from upbeat Lindy: 'It's all on me to clean this mess up' Stafford Slump at 14 and counting Video: More on Karlsson from NHL Network, Sens GM Murray Karlsson's injury will KO Sens Veteran Matt Ellis embraces his role with Rochester Amerks Calgary Flames Irving finding a way to get the job done Karlsson injury stirs up memories for Flames Offence not an issue for Hartley-led Flames Cammalleri's hunt for goal No Flames coach talks about fight with depression Flames coach overcomes fight with depression Horak gets lineup spot Hudler and Cervenka living up to expectations Puck Stops Here - Expansion then realignment Carolina Hurricanes Hurricanes come home, top Maple Leafs 3-1 Chicago Blackhawks Carcillo returns to Blackhawks practice Preview: Sharks at Blackhawks Kane gains respect for Thornton Carcillo back at practice Blackhawks Daniel Carcillo returns to practice Blackhawks Sharp not worried about slump Carcillo back at practice Bickell comes through big Hawks' Carcillo has had enough of sitting on the sidelines Blackhawks, Sharp surprise one lucky fan on Valentine's Day Colorado Avalanche Avalanche's J.S. Giguere happy for start vs. Minnesota Wild Avs, Predators renew acquaintances in Monday matinee Colorado Avalanche knocks off Minnesota Wild on Milan Hejduk's birthday bash Minnesota Wild's Zenon Konopka worthy of NHL respect Avalanche beat Wild 4-3 in shootout on Hejduk's birthday Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets players on notice as new GM takes over Blue Jackets notebook: Defense at full strength with Aucoin, Moore back Jackets, Kings at a glance NHL 2/15/2013 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars Stars' Brenden Dillon, now 6-foot-3, was once a 5-2 teenager With Oleksiak being sent down, the door opens for Philip Larsen Heika: In seven years, Brenden Dillon has gone from Ugly Duckling to Ironman As Stars face Vancouver, Jamie Benn faces off against the type player he can become Heika: Jaromir Jagr has been worth every penny in his contract, but I'm not sure they would want him back With Oleksiak being sent down, the door opens for Philip Larsen GameDay: Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks Fort Worth ready to reach out to Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings On Valentine's Day, Red Wings delight in bromance between Daniel Cleary, Shawn Horcoff Red Wings tout Kevlar socks after gruesome Erik Karlsson injury Winging It in Motown: Please, let's see more young guys in Red Wings' lineup At 42, Mighty Ducks' Teemu Selanne an ageless scorer Karlsson's lacerated Achilles has more Wings considering Kevlar Several Red Wings contemplate Kevlar protection following Erik Karlsson's Achilles tendon injury Red Wings hoping to trim ice time for top players and play third and fourth lines more Red Wings' Johan Franzen still out for Friday's game; Jimmy Howard to make fourth start in row vs. Ducks Red Wings forced to alter their ways a bit due to lack of puck-moving defensemen Red Wings' Jimmy Howard determined not to be distracted as contract talks begin with club Detroit Red Wings talk about protection from injuries Edmonton Oilers Klefbom sets sights on next season Playing spectator tough to take for veteran Smyth Would Ryan Whitney be a fit in Ottawa with Karlsson out? With two general managers fired, should the Edmonton Oilers Steve Tambellini be worried? Would Ryan Whitney be a fit in Ottawa with Karlsson out? Florida Panthers Florida Panthers fall to Montreal Canadiens in defensive struggle Canadiens beat Panthers 1-0 on Bourque's OT goal Recap: Florida vs. Montreal BEE MINE: Canadiens Score First and Last, Drop Panthers 1-0 in OT... Versteeg Misses Game Jonathan Huberdeau the center of attention on young line Habs' Bourque's goal in OT breaks Panthers heart in 1-0 loss Canadiens beat Panthers 1-0 on Bourque's OT goal Los Angeles Kings Kings goalie Jonathan Quick dealing with the ups and downs of position February 14 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter Competition on defense February 14 practice quotes: Jonathan Quick Mitchell tweets Jack Johnson: It s just another game now

2 Minnesota Wild Coyle returned to Houston for now; Kassian clears waivers; New lines for tonight Oscar winner's documentary on fighting in NHL makes Minn. premiere Friday Yeo not happy after shootout loss to Avs; Clutterbuck hurt; Pens GM scouts game Avs rally, edge Wild in shootout Game recap: Colorado over Wild Coyle demoted to Houston so Bouchard can play more New Wild exec Andrew Brunette: 'Retiring was a lot harder than I thought' Olympics: NHL players await decision Minnesota Wild: Charlie Coyle, Matt Kassian headed to Houston Minnesota Wild's loss to lowly Avalanche makes little sense Avalanche 4, Wild 3 (SO): Minnesota comes up empty in shootout Montreal Canadiens Bourque scores overtime winner to lift Habs over Panthers Canadiens, Lightning swap goalies New Bourque quickly erasing old Bourque Habs end scoreless duel in OT Concussion a blessing in disguise for goalie About last night Prust, Armstrong, Gallagher sign for charity Friday in Brossard Liveblog: Canadiens beat Panthers 1-0 in OT Follow Habs vs. Panthers with HIO s new Play-by-Play feature Nashville Predators Phoenix Coyotes' Steve Sullivan smiles at memories with Nashville Predators Nashville Predators' offense assists stingy defense Steve Sullivan flashes familiar form in return to Bridgestone Arena Near-misses motivate not frustrate Predators against Phoenix New Jersey Devils Blackhawks Road Feat Has Home Fans Roaring USA Hockey Waiting on N.H.L. s Decision Devils' Pete DeBoer may suggest players wear Kevlar socks Alexei Ponikarovsky will help Devils weather the storm without Dainius Zubrus Devils send Andrei Loktionov back to Albany (AHL) Devils' Pete DeBoer may suggest players wear Kevlar socks Devils next: at Flyers Northjersey.com : Sports Sullivan: David Clarkson doing the dirty work for Devils Devs to rise, shine New York Islanders Islanders Rally to Edge Rangers in Shootout Starting in 2nd Period, Isles Change Luck at Garden Rangers bench Richards in shootout loss to Isles Isles show their mettle to net biggest win of season Islanders nip Rangers in shootout Martin-Cizikas-McDonald line sparks Islanders Islanders snap five-game losing streak with 4-3 shootout win over Rangers New York Rangers Islanders Rally to Edge Rangers in Shootout A quarter of the way through the NHL season, John Tortorella stresses the need for NY Rangers to find their id NY Rangers coach John Tortorella discusses Brian Boyle's return, Ryan Callahan's move to Brad Richards' line b Brian Boyle returning to NY Rangers lineup against Islanders, Ryan Callahan skates in morning on line with Gab NY Rangers backup goalie Marty Biron can't get the job done against NY Islanders, but he's hardly the lone cul NY Rangers center Brian Boyle in bang-up return John Tavares and Frans Nielsen score in shootout to give NY Islanders 4-3 victory over NY Rangers Rangers bench Richards in shootout loss to Isles Blueshirts unlikely to make offer to O Reilly Islanders nip Rangers in shootout Rangers notes: Brad Richards benched for most of third period against Islanders Martin Biron starts vs. Isles, Boyle in, Kreider sits, new lines Islanders snap five-game losing streak with 4-3 shootout win over Rangers Henrik Lundqvist says he's past two late goals against Bruins It s Go Time! Islanders at Rangers Islanders at Rangers tonight Rangers-Islanders in review Post-game notes: Rangers-Islanders NHL Canucks say Malhotra will miss the rest of the season; Kesler to play Friday Accepting Karlsson injury was an accident simply not good enough Matt Cooke won t be suspended for hit on Erik Karlsson: Cox NHL, IIHF begin negotiating details of possible Olympic participation in Erik Karlsson s Achilles cut not impossible to prevent with help of Kevlar socks Fearing for his health, Canucks sideline Manny Malhotra for rest of season Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen finally gets NHL spotlight he deserves Ottawa Senators Erik Karlsson faces six months of recovery and rehabilitation Melnyk hoping for miracle, not ready to give up on playoffs yet Scanlan: Defiant Murray insists we ll recover from this Kekalainen to helm Blue Jackets No supplementary discipline for Cooke after Karlsson injury Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson becomes poster boy for cut-resistant hockey socks Erik Karlsson should return to top form Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke must pay for injuring Erik Karlsson Five most costly injuries in Ottawa Senators history Ottawa Senators suffer painful loss Ottawa Sens not giving up Ottawa Senators looking for help Senators owner Eugene Melnyk 'outraged' over loss of Erik Karlsson Rough day for Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray

3 Toronto Maple Leafs fans don't bother Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk Ottawa Senators' Erik Karlsson done for season, Pittsburgh Penguins' Matt Cooke skates away unscathed Philadelphia Flyers Bleacher Report: Flyers' salary cap dilemma Flyers continue trip in New Jersey Flyers back Olympic participation Giroux has what it takes to be a good Flyers captain Report: $8,000 worth of Flyers tickets stolen from home Couturier back on the road again Flyers Scoop: Sean Couturier, mates happy to be on upswing Injured Meszaros returns to practice with Flyers Flyers need Bryzgalov to be sharp vs. Devils NHL Wrap: Isles top Rangers in shootout Flyers: Couturier expected to return Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes give up 3 in the 3rd, fall to Nashville Predators Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins defend Cooke; Bennett recalled Sens defender Karlsson's season over after surgery on cut Achilles Kovacevic: Beau should know it s his time Penguins Bylsma proves he has staying power Bylsma at 4 years: It can be a positive thing to get a message across Devils system generates success Penguins promote former first-round pick Penguins Cooke cleared in collision which led to injury Top pick in 2010 for Penguins could debut tonight San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks: Chicago Blackhawks showing few weaknesses Sharks look to hand Chicago first regulation loss of season Will the 'real' Sharks please stand up? Havlat's demotion is opportunity for Kennedy St Louis Blues Stewart, Berglund working to improve chemistry Blues-Flames matchup box Better defense leads to a better effort by Blues Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning trade G Tokarski to Montreal for Desjardins Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen add scoring punch Trade brings Desjardins back into fold Lightning losing streak reaches 6 with loss to Capitals Toronto Maple Leafs NHL: Kevin Westgarth hopes union role won t hurt career: Cox NHL: GMs hunt for Valentine s Day clues Maple Leafs crash in loss to Hurricanes: Cox Reversal of road fortune for Maple Leafs Maple Leafs fumble on Tobacco Road Leafs look for fifth straight win against Canes Goalie backups Scrivens, Ellis focus of Leafs-Canes tilt Injured Leaf Gunnarsson tries massage Karlsson injury an ugly reminder for Leafs captain Hurricanes end the Leafs winning streak, start one of their own in 3-1 win A healthy scratch, Leafs Mike Komisarek will not rock the boat Vancouver Canucks Inside The Game: Stars versus Canucks Canucks' Ryan Kesler plays coy with the media about return Canucks notes: Erik Karlsson's injury brings back bad memories for Kevin Bieksa Ryan Kesler medically cleared to play, because his timing is impeccable Canucks' Manny Malhotra s playing days over in Vancouver Kesler returns Friday. Too soon? We ll get back to you on that one Malhotra placed on IR for rest of season Kesler back, Malhotra announcement soon Gallagher: Lapierre down (in lineup) but not out Willes: Malhotra the player can be replaced; Malhotra the man, not so much Canucks: No more baby steps Kesler s back Canucks GM Gillis shuts down Malhotra with concerns about eye injury compromising on-ice safety Success of Canucks goaltending platoon subverts any talk of controversy Canucks say Malhotra will miss the rest of the season; Kesler to play Friday Washington Capitals Open thread: Capitals at Lightning Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos on why NHL players should participate in the Olympics Caps discuss Kevlar socks in wake of injury to Senators Erik Karlsson Braden Holtby to make third consecutive start for Capitals (updated) Why the Caps don t have a Kiss Cam Adam Oates doesn t think NHL players should participate in Olympics Adam Oates: Caps need Jason Chimera to be reliable on top line Braden Holtby, Capitals hang on for third straight win Capitals vs. Lightning: Eric Fehr scores twice as Washington wins third straight, NHL players in Olympics sparks difference of opinion Capitals notes: Erik Karlsson injury has players pondering safety Websites ESPN / Off days don't exist for Blues ESPN / Karlsson injury hurts more than just Sens NBCSports.com / No Olympic decision this week, says NHL deputy commish Daly Sportsnet.ca / Spector on Cooke: Hockey's worst trade

4 USA TODAY / Things to know about Thursday night's NHL games USA TODAY / Jeff Sauer named Paralympic sled hockey coach USA TODAY / 10 offseason NHL acquisitions that are paying dividends YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Don't blame Matt Cooke for Erik Karlsson's devastating injury Winnipeg Jets Noel says more A games needed from players Kane says race-related remarks were a specific reaction to social media Pasquale's prospects positive Mach It's time to make the cut Bogo looks ready to go-go against Pens tonight It's not a black or white town Claude Noel not happy with his Winnipeg Jets at quarterpole: 'I don't like the way we play' Don Cherry: Winnipeg Jets problems start in goal Don Cherry says Evander Kane's race claim is ridiculous Eddie Pasquale ready to step in for Winnipeg Jets if need be Winnipeg Jets' Zach Bogosian a game-time decision 'Winnipeg is a fishbowl': Jets star Evander Kane SPORT-SCAN, INC Anaheim Ducks Up next for Ducks: Friday at Detroit By Lance Pugmire DUCKS AT DETROIT When: 4:30 PST. Where: Joe Louis Arena. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830. Records: Ducks 9-2-1, Red Wings Record vs. Red Wings ( ): Update: Center Henrik Zetterberg has 13 assists for the Red Wings, who rank among the league's worst in power-play and penalty-killing situations. Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller skated through the full practice Thursday and could play by Saturday, when the Ducks wrap up their six-game trip in Nashville. LA Times: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Karlsson injury has some Ducks praising Kevlar fabric By ERIC STEPHENS DETROIT Teemu Selanne took his skate with the blade facing his right arm and repeatedly ran over it to the amazement of reporters surrounding his stall at Joe Louis Arena. A piece of fabric was the only thing sitting in between. But Selanne kept moving the skate back and forth without a pause. "I think every player should have this kind of sleeve. This doesn't cut," Selanne said of the sturdy but flexibile piece of fabric. "If you have that, there's nothing." Ducks players have seen the gruesome injury suffered by Ottawa's Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson, whose Achilles tendon was severed by the blade of Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke on Wednesday night. Selanne used the opportunity to display socks and arm sleeves he wears that are made of Kevlar, a synthetic fiber that has numerous applications and uses. Body armor is one example of where the high-strength fabric is a component. Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said the majority of his teammates wear the Kevlar equipment, chiming in with "there's no real point in not wearing them." "Same thing with Jason Blake," Selanne continued. "If he would have had this, he would have never cut his wrist last year." Corey Perry swears by the socks. Perry missed the final 12 games of the regular season when his right quadriceps tendon was lacerated by a blade in Colorado. "I actually like them," Perry said. "I think they're better than what we used to wear. I don't mind. I don't notice it at all. You don't even feel them. They're just regular socks. You can wear these every day if you wanted to." Not every player is on board. Ducks forward Bobby Ryan tried them but has stayed with the regular cotton or synthetic knit socks as a matter of comfort. "Knock on wood, I've never had that injury and maybe it takes that injury to wear those," Ryan said. "But I don't like the feel of them. They're tighter and a little different up top. But I just really like thin socks. I don't even feel they're on my feet. "I just feel more comfortable. I tried them. They just weren't for me." Like the common argument over whether visors should be made mandatory, it comes down to personal choice. Selanne has long worn a visor while Getzlaf ditched his this year but they're of like minds on the benefits of Kevlar. Asked if they should be mandatory, Selanne said, "Why not? If somebody tells us that it bothers you wearing that kind of sock..." "They've got other problems," said Getzlaf, finishing the sentence. "Exactly," Selanne added. Karlsson was in obvious pain after Cooke cut him while applying a check during the game in Pittsburgh. Reports are that the Swede will be out at least three-to-four months following surgery Thursday and could be lost for the season. The winger knows all too well Karlsson is going through. Selanne was also a young NHL star in January of 1994 when his Achilles was severed by then-mighty Ducks defenseman Don McSween while playing for Winnipeg in a game in Anaheim. Selanne offered hope for Karlsson. Karlsson's Achilles tendon was cut 70 percent, according to Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray. Selanne said 85 percent of his was sliced and that "it took me six months and it was perfect." "He will be 100 percent," said Selanne, who returned to play for Jokerit during the lockout. "No problem at all. It's going to take time. It's painful. God, it's not funny. Luckily it didn't go all the way." NOTES Coach Bruce Boudreau said a decision on Jonas Hiller's availability for Friday night's game against Detroit will be made soon after the goalie went through another full practice. Hiller has missed two games because of a lower-body injury suffered in Dallas.... Boudreau said he is hopeful that Cam Fowler, who has out five games with an upper-body injury, will skate with the team on Monday when it returns home. Orange County Register: LOADED: Boston Bruins Shawn Thornton of Bruins playing limited role By Fluto Shinzawa WILMINGTON During intermissions, the Bruins workhorses use every bit of the 18-minute pauses to unwind and reload for the upcoming period.

5 So far, no such luxury has been available for Shawn Thornton. While most of his teammates catch their breath, Thornton often rides a stationary bike between periods. With my skate guards on sometimes. Seriously. Whatever it takes, Thornton said after Thursday s practice at Ristuccia Arena. It s easier when you re playing 10 minutes a night as opposed to five minutes a night. But we re finding ways to get points and win most games. That s most important. Through nine games, Thornton (1-0 1) is averaging 5:12 of ice time, the lowest of the 18 regular skaters. It is the least Thornton has averaged since , his first season in Boston. That year, Thornton logged 7:23 per game. Thornton s highest workload was in , when the right wing averaged 10:02 of ice time. There are several factors behind Thornton s diminished workload. Injuries, including Thornton s concussion, have disrupted the fourth line. Thornton missed games against Toronto and Montreal. Fourth-line left wing Daniel Paille was unavailable for the same two games after being high-sticked. The Bruins have been involved in close games, which has prompted coach Claude Julien to roll three lines late. Six of the Bruins 11 games have been decided by one goal, including three in shootouts. Thornton also must sit during special-teams play. Paille and Gregory Campbell are two of the six regular penalty-killing forwards. Usually after each successful kill, Julien responds with his first line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton. Until Paille and Campbell recover from penalty killing, the fourth line doesn t often see five-on-five time until several evenstrength shifts have taken place. Thornton is aware that his ice time doesn t necessarily indicate the coaching staff s displeasure with his play. But that doesn t make his situation easier to accept. I only had one shift in the last third period, Thornton said of his playing time in Tuesday s 4-3 shootout loss to the Rangers. But we re down a couple goals. You ve got to put the guys out there even though I m tied with a few guys in goals that you pay the money to score goals. And I get that. That hasn t changed over the years. Preaching patience Dougie Hamilton is the best skater on the Boston blue line. He has agility and straight-line speed. In the defensive zone, however, movement isn t necessarily encouraged. Lately, Julien has been reminding the 19-year-old to practice patience in the defensive zone. For the defensemen, Julien s system is one of containment. Forwards pressure the puck. Defensemen are responsible for specific patches of ice below the circles, in the corners, and in front of the net. For young defensemen used to roaming, sitting back is easier said than done. One of the mottos I use all the time with our system is that they ll come to you, Julien said. You don t have to run all over the place. That s where he s got himself in trouble. He s a smart individual. He ll catch on pretty quickly. Along for the ride Jay Pandolfo traveled with the team to Buffalo on Thursday for the second time in less than a week. However, Pandolfo is on the payroll for this visit. Last weekend, he was still on a professional tryout agreement. Pandolfo signed his one-year, $600,000 contract on Tuesday. The left wing is expected to be the healthy scratch Friday against the Sabres, although Julien will not hesitate to play him. He s a veteran of many seasons, Julien said. He s in great shape. He knows his role. That s why he s still around. He could definitely step in there and know exactly what to do.... Last season, Chris Kelly scored three goals in the first 11 games. This season, he remains without a goal after 11 games. Kelly has been the most active forward on the penalty kill (team-leading 2:42 of shorthanded ice time per game), but his offense has yet to come. He ll certainly be the first guy to tell you that he s not at the top of his game yet, Julien said. At the same time, he s a veteran. He knows what he has to do.... Tyler Seguin practiced on the second line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, and will likely remain there for the second straight game. Seguin is stuck on two goals, including one empty-netter. We know we can get more out of him, Julien said. It s a matter of us pushing him, him pushing himself. He s not a poor player. But I think there s more that s expected of him. There s more he can be able to give us. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins facing five straight road games By Fluto Shinzawa WILMINGTON The Bruins have concluded practice at Ristuccia Arena. They will depart for Buffalo this afternoon. Friday s game against the Sabres marks the first of a five-game stretch away from TD Garden. The Bruins will travel to Winnipeg on Saturday and play the Jets on Sunday. They will return to Boston before leaving for Tampa on Wednesday. It s not going to be an easy road trip for all the obvious reasons, Claude Julien said of the upcoming two-game segment. Buffalo s certainly going to want to bounce back from their loss to us less than a week ago. Winnipeg, our players have yet to win a game in that rink. It s certainly a good challenge for us. The Bruins didn t change their lineup from Tuesday s 4-3 shootout loss to the Rangers. Here s how they looked: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Chris Bourque-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley Daniel Paille/Jay Pandolfo-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid Aaron Johnson Anton Khudobin Tuukka Rask Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Chris Kelly s goal is to score Steve Conroy WILMINGTON Goalscoring is not what defines Chris Kelly. The Bruins third line center is an astute two-way player who has a big hand in the B s top-ranked penalty killing. But just the same, he wouldn t mind getting goal sometime soon. Kelly, who notched his first 20-goal season last year that helped him secure a four-year, $12 million contract, is the lone, regular Bruins forward who has not scored this season. And he wouldn t mind getting rid of that distinction soon. Of course I want to score. I d be lying if I said Oh, I don t want to score. Everybody wants to score, said Kelly yesterday as the team prepared to take off for tonight s game in Buffalo. But it makes things easier when the team is doing well, so if the team continues to do well and I don t score, it is what it is. I d like to help out. Some players may let one deficiency drag down the rest of their game, but, with the exception of a bad giveaway in Carolina early in the season, Kelly remained a solid defensive player.

6 As you get older, you realize that if one part of your game isn t where you want it to be or where it needs to be, other parts of your game needs to be better, said Kelly. I hope that since I haven t been producing like I hoped, and probably the team s hoped and everyone has hoped, that other parts of my game have improved. And despite the 20-goal season last year, Kelly is comfortable with his true identity as a player. I don t want to cheat on my defensive part of the game in order to get those offensive chances because that s not going to help me or the team or anyone, he said. At the end of the day, for me to score a goal is costing the team two goals? That s not going to happen. Coach Claude Julien is not too worried. He had a great start last year, scored some goals and had some decent points, and then all of a sudden, the expectations are a little higher, said Julien. He ll be the first one to tell you he s not at the top of his game yet, but at the same time he s a veteran and knows what he has to do. He s part of that penalty-killing unit that s been outstanding for us. He s been great on draws for us (59.4 percent), he s been great killing penalties. He s been great when asked to play against top lines and, at times, especially after power plays. I throw different wingers with him and he s handled that extremely well. The only part right now that s frustrating for him, and what we know can be a little better for him, is the production. If you really want to know what s important to Kelly, just ask him about that turnover in Carolina. I know better. Those kind of things personally eat me up, said Kelly, because like I said, I know better. You never want to make a mistake, especially one that costs us a goal. You feel like you re letting 19 other guys down. I was happy we won that game. Bruins notes Jay Pandolfo, who signed a one-year deal on Tuesday, is with the team and felt comfortable with playing if called upon, even without a Providence tuneup. Julien feels the 38-year-old Pandolfo s healthier than he has been in recent years. Absolutely, said Julien, who coached Pandolfo in New Jersey. He s a veteran of many seasons and he s in great shape. He knows his role and that s why he s still around, because he plays his role so well. He could definitely step in there and know exactly what to do. I thought he looked good in that Black and White game. Playing for Providence, he scored a goal and set up another one, but he didn t lose a step. What s happened with Jay, he had some issues with one of his hips that s now not an issue, and that s why I think we re seeing him skate a lot better. He s always been a good skater and I think that part of his game is back. I think he can be a better player than we ve seen in the past few years when he was struggling with that issue.... The B s again worked on the power play, with Dennis Seidenberg and Dougie Hamilton alternating on the blue line on one of the units. The Bruins are 28th in the league on the power play (4-for-43, 9.3 percent). Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins head out for longest road trip of season Steve Conroy WILMINGTON The Bruins completed a 50-minute practice here at Ristuccia Arena in preparation for their five-game road trip that will take them to Buffalo, Winnipeg, Tampa, Sunrise, Fla., and Long Island. They'll break it up by coming home after the Winnipeg game, but it will be the longest stretch away from the Garden. "It's not going to be an easy road trip, for all of the obvious reasons," said coach Claude Julien, whose team is away from Causeway Street. "Buffalo's certainly going to want to bounce back from their loss to us less than a week ago and Winnipeg, we haven't won a game (0-2) in their rink yet, so it's definitely a good challegne for us." The B's had a fairly workmanlike session today that was finished up with some 3-on-3 drills. Prior to that, they went though some power-play work. Dennis Seidenberg, who replaced Dougie Hamilton on one unit in Tuesday's game against the Rangers, was back at it in practice, though he alternated there with Hamilton. The man-advantage, though it essentially produced a big goal in Tuesday's comeback a second after Rick Nash stepped out of the box, is mired in 28th place while scoring just four goals in 43 opportunities. The good news is that the power play is actually respectable away from the Garden (4-for-20). The B's will try to make it two in a row against the Sabres, whom they beat last Sunday in one of their better performances of the year. The Sabres still possess the only regulation victory over the B's this year. Jay Pandolfo, signed on Tuesday, will make the trip with the team today and, though he hasn't played an NHL game since April, both he and Julien feel confident he can jump into action if need be. Boston Herald LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Stafford zeroes in on ending drought BY: John Vogl Drew Stafford s goal is to stay upbeat. So far, it s the only goal he s got. Stafford is in the worst slump of his career. The drought has come when the Buffalo Sabres could really use his help. As the team dwells near the basement of the NHL, Stafford has a zero in the goal column. In a twist, the doughnut is eating him. The right winger is saying all the right things, but it s obvious the lack of production weighs heavily. It s evident in his body language and the forced grin mixed with grimace that accompanies his words. It s hard not to let the negativity creep in there, the body language, Stafford said Thursday. It s tough, but you ve got to nip it in the bud right away and get back to work. That s what I ve been trying to do. Stafford has gone 17 games without a goal, including all 14 this season, as the Sabres welcome Boston back to First Niagara Center tonight. It s really nothing new. He s had plenty of droughts in his seven-year career. He s gone five games or more without a goal 25 times, including 16- and 15- game slumps in Last season, he had six disappearing acts. He suffered through a 13-game famine from November to December and also experienced three sevengame slides, a six-gamer and one five-game drought. It s likely none have been as frustrating as this one. The 27-year-old alternate captain hoped he was past this type of thing. So did the Sabres, who gave him a four-year, $16 million deal prior to last season. I m just trying to stick with it, stay positive and continue to work, Stafford said. It s one of those things where if you continue to get frustrated, let negativity creep into your game, creep into your life, it makes it that much harder. It s obviously very difficult, especially when you re losing as well. Stafford s frustration came to the forefront Tuesday during Buffalo s 2-0 loss in Ottawa. He called for the puck on an odd-man rush, received a perfect cross-ice pass, looked at the empty net... and fanned on the shot. Stafford paused in disbelief and muttered to himself before following the play to the other end. After the whistle, he slowly trudged to the bench. Once he arrived, he put his head down on the boards in anguish. It s been how many games, you know? he said with a shoulder shrug and pained smile. It s frustrating. That s a golden opportunity, golden chance. Stafford has had plenty of chances. He has 40 shots, which put him in the top 30 in the NHL entering Thursday s schedule. Everyone in the top 65 had scored, except him. It s tough, obviously, the situation that he s in, linemate Marcus Foligno said. He s all around the net. There s no shortage of that. When he gets one, I m sure there ll be plenty more coming after it.

7 Tyler Ennis, the center for Stafford and Foligno, says he s impressed by the right winger s effort and positive attitude. Like Foligno, Ennis sees one goal leading to more. Now it s up to Stafford to see it. He spent the team s off day Wednesday with his fiancée and their dog, just trying to forget about hockey and slumps. He hopes the recharge time will allow his brain to clear. It s the hardest thing in the world, but it s part of the job, Stafford said. It s part of being a professional hockey player. You have to deal with stuff like that. You can t show up to the rink the next day and be moping around because that just brings everyone else down. It s times like these that a good thing I like to say is, The game reveals your character. Good or bad, you always have to make sure that you re always having the right attitude because guys feed off that. The streak that I m on here that I haven t scored, if I m moping around the locker room that s just bringing other guys down. It s part of my role, as well, as a leader on this team to bring that attitude and bring that work habit where I have to show up and continue to get better. jvogl@buffnews.com DOUGHNUT HOLES Drew Stafford has had many goal-less slumps during his seven-year career, but he s in the midst of his longest ever. Games Dates 17 April 3, 2012 present 16 Feb. 6 April 3, Nov. 28 Dec. 26, Nov. 5 Dec. 3, Oct. 25 Nov. 26, 2008 Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Message from upbeat Lindy: 'It's all on me to clean this mess up' By Mike Harrington Lindy Ruff was a bundle of energy after the Sabres' one-hour practice today in First Niagara Center. After seeing his team take a season-high 42 shots on goal and play much better defensively in Tuesday's 2-0 loss at Ottawa, Ruff wanted to keep his players' spirits up in the face of its start. And he was as upbeat as he's been with the media in a long time afterward. "We'll find it. We've gone through it," Ruff said. "We knew we were a little young down the middle but it will come. I'm confident it will come. It's all on me to clean this mess up. I'm not done trying." No criticism of his team today from Ruff. "The attitude of the players has been awesome," he said. "The attitude of the players on the ice today was great. The way we went into the Ottawa game was great. We're disappointed. Do we need to be harder in some situations? Yes. We didn't quite finish a couple plays we need to finish. Some of them were offensively, some of them were defensively. "It is on me. I understand that. This is on me to clean it up." Ruff said he knows time is quickly slipping away from his team, which has already passed the quarter pole of the shortened season. Still, every game is essentially a four-pointer with all play in the Eastern Conference. So a three-game homestand (Friday vs. Boston, Sunday vs. Pittsburgh, Tuesday vs. Winnipeg) could quickly turn the Sabres' fortunes around. "The team will feed off my energy," Ruff said. "I came in here, we had a couple good meetings. We talked about things we have to get going a little bit better, talked about getting the team in the right mood today and that's up to me." For more from Ruff, including thoughts on Mikhail Grigorenko and the goalless Drew Stafford, the lack of an "easy" game thus far and an update on the injured Ville Leino (there's nothing new), Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Stafford Slump at 14 and counting By Mike Harrington Click the video above. That's Sabres winger Drew Stafford scoring a goal. You might have forgotten what that looks like because the clip is the last time it happened -- on March 31 in Toronto. Of the 691 skaters who have played at least one NHL game this season, exactly 400 have at least one goal entering tonight and Thomas Vanek remains the leader with 11. The list of the goal-less includes some big names like Henrik Sedin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Shea Weber, Drew Doughty and Ryan Suter. But of the nearly 300 players without a goal this season, no one has come up empty more often than Stafford. Stafford is tied for 29th in the league in shots on goal with but is No. 1 in shots for players without a single tally. Here's the list of the leaders in SOG by the goal-less group: DrewDrew Stafford BUF 40 Ryan Clowe SJ 31 Marek Zidlicky NJ 30 Drayson Bowman CAR 29 Dougie Hamilton BOS 28 Shea Weber NSH 28 Alex Goligoski DAL 26 Max Pacioretty MON 25 Dan Girardi NYR 25 Drew Doughty LAK 25 Ryan N-Hopkins EDM 24 Mike Kostka TOR 24 Roman Josi NSH 23 Zack Smith OTT 22 Jochen Hecht BUF 22 Ryan Johansen CBJ 21 Eric Johnson COL 21 Raphael Diaz MON 20 Ryan Suter MIN 20 Stafford had a great chance Tuesday in Ottawa, but fanned on a perfect one-time pass on a 3-on-2 break, the puck heeling off his stick as he skated down his off wing on the left side. He hung his head on the bench for several seconds after that shift. "I'm trying to do my best to keep Drew in the right place so he doesn't get too frustrated, which will allo whim to get on the board," coach Lindy Ruff said today. "We've seen him... go on a run and get incredibly hot. I've seen [Thomas Vanek] go through incredibly tough stretches and get hot. It tends to happen with a lot of good goal scorers." Stafford is on year two of a four-year, $16 million deal signed largely on the heels of his 31-goal season in That's turned out to be largely a mirage because Stafford had four hat tricks and three two-goal games that year. That's 18 of the goals in just seven games.

8 Stafford had 20 goals last year as his shooting percentage dropped by nearly half, from 17.3 to 8.8. Now? Nothing. "You just have to keep with it, keep working. You can t give up," Stafford told John Vogl of The News today. "You can t let the negativity creep in. You can t show up to the rink the next day and be moping around because that just brings everyone else down. It s times like these that a good thing I like to say is, The game reveals your character. "Good or bad, you always have to make sure that you re always having the right attitude because guys feed off that. The streak that I m on here that I haven t scored, if I m moping around the locker room that s just bringing other guys down. It s part of my role, as well, as a leader on this team to bring that attitude and bring that work habit where I have to show up and continue to get better." Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Video: More on Karlsson from NHL Network, Sens GM Murray By Mike Harrington of video last night explaining how players ride their man into the boards and that's all Cooke was doing. TSN doesn't have embed codes but you can watch the video at this link. Worth a look. I heard former Sabre Andrew Peters on the radio this morning give a plausible explanation that Cooke was off-balance and was bringing his left foot down to push off on the ice for his next step. The foot instead sliced Karlsson. All that said, Cooke's foot was up quite a bit. Then it came down. It was at least a reckless play. And maybe worse. And if you think it's not an issue unless it's Matt Cooke, you're right. History counts in the NHL. Cooke has reformed quite a bit in the last two years but he's always going to be Matt Cooke, too. How quickly things can change. Now it would appear Ottawa is a team that can't possibly stay in the top eight in the East. Teams on the outside right now like Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and the Sabres have to be looking at the Sens as a team to catch. The Sabres, of course, have already dropped four points to Ottawa in head-to-head matchups, however. Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Click above for the NHL Network's take on the Erik Karlsson injury. Here's a solid column by good friend of the blog Pierre LeBrun on ESPN.com, who points out that as much of a loss Karlsson is to the Senators, it's a bigger loss to the league as a whole Ottawa GM Bryan Murray held a press conference today, confirming Karlsson has had surgery for a 70 percent cut of his Achilles and will be out 3-4 months. "His year is finished at this time," said Murray, who explained this is an injury that could have taken up to a year of recovery time if it was more severe. Murray was outraged by the play last night and was disappointed today there was no suspension of Cooke by NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan. "They suggest it was a hockey play gone bad," Murray said. "I suggested that Matt Cooke has somewhat of a history and that maybe that should be considered as well but I don't believe that's the approach they took." Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Karlsson's injury will KO Sens By Mike Harrington Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson combined on the short-handed goal that beat the Sabres Tuesday night in Ottawa and the Senators looked pretty darn good in that game even without the injured Jason Spezza. Goalie Craig Anderson had a 42-save shutout and played like the NHL's best. But Michalek suffered an unknown lower-body injury during the warmup last night in Pittsburgh and now Karlsson, the defending Norris Trophy winner, is done for the year after suffering a lacerated Achilles in a collision with Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke. Karlsson will be out at least 3-4 months, Sens GM Bryan Murray said today. So that's it for him. I didn't like the Cooke play at all. Brendan Shanahan issued no suspension today and I see that. It's hard to judge intent. There wasn't even a penalty on the play. But what was Cooke's leg even doing up there? Was he getting ready for a slew foot? The media is all over the place on this one. Lots of former players are saying it was a good hockey play and there's no way Cooke meant to do that (how do they know?). Some point out Cooke was looking to his right. TSN's Aaron Ward -- one of the best new analysts out there -- showed a lot Veteran Matt Ellis embraces his role with Rochester Amerks Kevin Oklobzija The matchup: Amerks vs. Houston Aeros (affiliate of the NHL s Minnesota Wild). Time/place: 7:05 Friday/Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial. Tickets: $16, $19, $21. Hall of Fame inductions: Dane Jackson, captain of the 1996 Calder Cup championship team, and former WHEC-TV sports anchor/news anchor Rich Funke will be inducted during pre-game ceremonies. Puck drop for the game will be pushed back to about 7:15 p.m. The inductees will sign autographs in the upper atrium after the first period. Records: The Amerks are and have 55 points in 45 games. They have won 9 of the past 11. The Aeros are and have 57 points in 50 games. They have won three in a row, all on the road. Amerks injury update: LW Zemgus Girgensons (concussion) may return in the next week or so, coach Ron Rolston said. RW Evan Rankin (bone bruise/ankle) is out perhaps another two weeks. He suffered a setback after practicing on Monday. D Drew Schiestel (knee sprain) is out another week or two. Radio: WHTK-AM (1280). Not long after shaking hands with his new teammates, Matt Ellis needed a favor from Rochester Americans equipment manager Ben Laing. For Laing, this was not unusual. When you re part of the support staff, someone always needs a favor. Sharpen these, sew that, get me a new this. Except this wasn t a case of an NHLer big-timing it on Day 1 back in the American Hockey League. Hardly. Ellis told Laing that since he was now a member of the Amerks, he needed to look the part. Load me up with Amerks apparel, he asked. Which is why when Ellis emerged from the dressing room on Thursday after practice, precisely 72 hours after he was added to the Rochester roster, he was wearing an Amerk shirt and cap. The quicker you get yourself into the rhythm of where you are, the better off you ll be, said Ellis, who became an Amerk at noon Monday and played in Tuesday s 4-1 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters in Cleveland.

9 Ellis speaks from experience. When he cleared waivers in November 2010 and was assigned by the Sabres to the Portland Pirates, he was still in a Buffalo frame of mind for the first week or so. For the lack of a better term, I wasn t engaged 100 percent, Ellis said. This time around, he made sure he left the Sabres in the rear-view mirror. It s all about the present, said Ellis, who lost his roster spot when injured Sabres returned to health. You can t worry about yesterday. And so he won t. A veteran of 11 pro seasons, the 32-year-old Ellis says he s anxious to help the Amerks win. Perhaps it s fitting that his first home game in an Amerks sweater will be Friday, Hall of Fame induction night. Dane Jackson, the captain of the last Rochester Calder Cup team in , and former WHEC-TV sports anchor and news anchor Rich Funke will be enshrined. Ellis is all about team and the integrity of the game, Amerks coach Ron Rolston said. In , he became the youngest captain in Grand Rapids Griffins history, when he was 24. There s just a presence about him on the bench and in the (dressing) room, Rolston said. He s just a natural leader. He s positive with the guys, he s supportive. He wants to do things the right way and that s the most important thing he brings. Ellis has done the waiver thing before. In February 2008 he was claimed by the Los Angeles Kings when the Detroit Red Wings tried to send him to the Griffins. In October 2008, the Sabres plucked him off waivers when the Kings tried to send him to the Manchester Monarchs. So when the Sabres placed Ellis on waivers at noon on Sunday, he had mixed feelings. A claim would mean staying in the NHL. Clearing would mean coming to the Amerks. Either way, he would make his one-way NHL salary of $525,000 (prorated to the shortened season). You kind of work in circles in your thoughts, Ellis said. Before, I didn t have a family to drag through the process. Now I have a wife and three kids. A part of me was hoping to get claimed because it would mean I would stay in the NHL. Another part of me was hoping I wouldn t get claimed, that it would be best to stay in the Sabres organization. He went unclaimed and, within 2 1/2 hours, joined the Amerks. He actually met the team on the New York state Thruway en route to Cleveland on Monday afternoon. Transit (Road and the Thruway), he said. There was no time to sit and think about the situation. It was, meet the bus on its way through Buffalo and get aquainted and get after it. That s pretty much his career motto. He was never drafted, started in the ECHL in and a year later was playing a regular shift with the Griffins. Four years later he was playing for Detroit. My whole career in the NHL I ve always had to take things day by day, he said. Over the course of the last two seasons it seemed to be something I had to walk through more than once, whether the roster was going to get healthy, whether I d be the odd man to go or whatnot. As much as you want to stay, it s something that, at the end of the day, I think mentally I was prepared for. If it came to that, if the roster got healthy, I d be shuffling up the highway. Understanding his situation made coping much easier. Joining a team that has a record and has won nine of the past 11 games doesn t hurt, either. It s seems like we have a great hockey team here, Ellis said. We might have a chance to do something special here. Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: Calgary Flames Irving finding a way to get the job done By George Johnson Sometimes, even a Cy Young-calibre pitcher can t find that lethal bit of extra bend on a sinker that normally drops away from a hitter like a rolling bowling ball reaching the edge of a tabletop. There are rounds when even the straightest hitter on the PGA Tour couldn t keep his tee shots out of the Blair Witch Project-like thicket of underbrush if a walk-in-closet full of green jackets rested on those swings. You judge people more, says Clint Malarchuk, when it s tough. When the heat s on. When the bullets are flying. It s easy to ride a roll. That s fun. Everything smooth. No bumps. But how do you hold up, how do you hang on, when things aren t going your way? How do you respond? Do you starting yelling and screaming, pointin fingers and feeling sorry for yourself, or are you going to fight through it? That s when you see the true colours of people. In sports. In life. Leland Irving fought. Oh, there were moments Wednesday evening, quite a few, actually, when he seemed to have only a token familiarity with the goaltending position. On one Brenden Morrow snipe he was down on his knees, looking like a guy frantically searching for dropped car keys in a pitch-dark alley, allowing Stars skipper to sail in and poke a loose puck into the net. Once, a pass sizzled out of deep in a corner and actually flew BEHIND him, between his back and the net, before somehow emerging out the other side, instead of, say, glancing in embarrassingly off his backside. But in the third, out of the ashes of of struggle, Leland Irving gathered himself, repelling 13 of 14 shots through a Dallas-dictated period. He could ve folded like a piece of origami. Instead, he hunkered down I ve had my moments before, mused Irving on Thursday, off the ice after participating in an optional skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome. And I had a couple last game. So, it was nice to come back and have a solid third. He probably envisioned a somewhat less chaotic first home-ice W. But every once in a while there are unforeseen circumstances a fella just can t plan for. It just sorta... happens, he said, groping for an explanation. You try and prepare the same way so you can be at your best every time you step on the ice. But for whatever reason, sometimes you just don t have it. You ve just got to fight, battle and do your best to give the guys a chance. It comes with mental strength and experience. Every goaltender, no matter how decorated, suffers though nightmarish nights like Irving did Wednesday. Why, big boss Bob Hartley remembers Patrick Roy, yes even St. Patrick, struggling at the start of their collaboration in Denver; the Avs hiccuping out of the gate 2-5. I remember at one point, I said to Patrick: You re a pro. You re a Hall of Famer. You re a Stanley Cup winner. You re a Conn Smythe winner. BUT... things are not working out right now. Can we help you? That s the No. 1 job for coach. That s the human touch. You can criticize a player, you can push a player but when there s a willingness to listen, you can get things accomplished. He still remembers that talk. Sometimes it s just taking away that pressure, you know. A way of saying Hey, we re with you. The Flames, to a man, were solidly behind Irving Wednesday. And why wouldn t they be? He s certainly delivered for them since Miikka Kiprusoff went down with a knee owie, He s building confidence, praised Alex Tanguay. Sometimes confidence doesn t come when you re playing well. Sometimes you don t play as well, but you still get results, and that builds confidence.