Carolina Hurricanes Washington shuts down Semin and the Canes, Jordan Staal says it will be weird facing old team

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Kyle Palmieri scores early and often in Ducks' win Skating with Ducks' top line suits Palmieri fine Message received, Ducks defenseman Sbisa says DUCKS 5, NASHVILLE 1: Palmieri nets hat trick as Anaheim wins its seventh straight at Honda Center Boston Bruins Brad Marchand doing what he does best Bruins back home after successful road trip Tuukka Rask produces net value Tyler Seguin s two-way game solid Tyler Seguin makes his point in other ways Buffalo Sabres Miller happy to see Sabres hitting reset Sabres notebook: Realignment plan not fair, Ott says Sabres excited to finally get a win, but they're aware they have a long road ahead Sabres focus on scoring during practice -- with good reason Calgary Flames Stajan s head still ringing after Coyle s head-hunting hit Denver remains a special place for Hartley, Tanguay Game Day: Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche Mile High memories for Hartley on return to Denver Flames' Stajan clear about hit Carolina Hurricanes Washington shuts down Semin and the Canes, Jordan Staal says it will be weird facing old team Chicago Blackhawks Thursday's matchup: Blackhawks at Blues Q gets an A for Hawks' season Blackhawks' Bolland out against Blues Blackhawks defensive approach impressive Shot blocking all about positioning Blackhawks third line blends skill, grit Stalberg, Shaw camping out on net Crawford in, Bolland out vs. Blues Bowman keeps Hawks' core in tact, sees results Colorado Avalanche Avs' Matt Duchene and Erik Johnson on the mend, still not game ready Colorado Avalanche has been playing in too many "three-point" games Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche preview Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets notebook: Injury situation a challenge NHL: Move east could be a boon for Jackets NHL 2/28/2013 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars Stars activate Kari Lehtonen from IR and send Cristopher Nilstorp to AHL Injured Stars' Ray Whitney not ready to commit to return date How Michael Ryder is an example of why Stars dealt for Erik Cole Stars-Oilers preview: Hit-happy Antoine Roussel, Mark Fistric should bring physical feel Cowlishaw: Erik Cole deal a good sign for Stars' finances, but does it signal the end of Brenden Morrow? Heika: Looking for reasons to be optimistic about Stars' chances? Here are a few GameDay: Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars Stars send Michael Ryder to Habs for Erik Cole Detroit Red Wings Red Wings plenty encouraged as they take on Kings tonight Red Wings' Ian White 'taken aback' by being a healthy scratch Red Wings' Brendan Smith endures 'whiplash' vs. Kings, but nothing major Los Angeles 2, Detroit 1: Penalties doom bruised Red Wings in loss to Kings Wings' Smith back after long layoff; White surprised by benching Brendan Smith's return to Wings lineup is painful one Red Wings can't hang on, fall to Kings Red Wings move to East would be a winner Red Wings' Ian White frustrated by being a healthy scratch, told he needs to do better job moving puck Red Wings welcome defensemen Brendan Smith, Kyle Quincey back into lineup tonight vs. Kings Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Can Johan Franzen regain his form as a consistent goal scorer? Live blog: More lineup changes as Detroit Red Wings try to extend two-game winning streak Red Wings feel they were burned by the officials after being clipped and blindsided by the Kings Kings score twice in the third period to stun Red Wings, 2-1 Edmonton Oilers Oilers Notebook: Whitney frustrated, but trying to be positive around Oilers teammates Nugent-Hopkins aims to rise above meagre offensive output so far this season Nikolai Khabibulin flying home with groin issue Q: How good on the penalty kill is Lennart Petrell? Edmonton Oilers place Nikolai Khabibulin on injured reserve, recall Yann Danis Edmonton Oilers move Nikolai Khabibulin to injured reserve, Devan Dubnyk to start for foreseeable future Florida Panthers Dale Tallon: Florida Panthers Tomas Kopecky annoys teams TOMAS KOPECKY MORE THAN A PEST: Kopecky Successful in Agitating and Scoring... Weiss Returning from Funeral; Panthers watching travel issues in realignment proposal Two teams looking for some positive momentum square off in Sunrise Thursday NHL proposes four-division realignment, adding playoff wild cards Los Angeles Kings Kings get the breaks this time and beat the Red Wings, Kyle Palmieri scores early and often in Ducks' win

2 Kings win fifth in a row KINGS 2, DETROIT 1: Kopitar scores deciding goal with 4:48 remaining as Kings win fifth straight Reminder 7:00 start time tonight Game 18 Preview: Detroit at Los Angeles Free agency and salary cap compliance February 27 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter February 27 morning skate quotes: Jarret Stoll February 27 postgame notes February 27 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter February 27 postgame quotes: Anze Kopitar February 27 postgame quotes: Drew Doughty February 27 postgame quotes: Jonathan Bernier Game 18: Detroit at Los Angeles Minnesota Wild Wild rookie Charlie Coyle off the hook for major penalty Wild buying in on defense Wild-Phoenix game preview Minnesota Wild: Defense keeps team respectable Montreal Canadiens Habs get revenge by exerting pressure from the get-go Habs rise to the occasion in beat down of lacklustre Leafs Grabovski front and centre in battle with Habs Rookie Gallagher earns some praise Ryder excited to be back with Canadiens Strong finish for Canadiens in win over Leafs Emelin the Canadiens mystery man Unexpected ending to Cole s era in Montreal What goes around comes around with Habs Trip of a lifetime for Australian Habs fan Fans weigh in on first episode of HIO show About last night Liveblog: Canadiens break Leaf jinx Ryder will face Leafs wearing No. 73 Nashville Predators Nashville Predators would add miles, lose rivals if NHL realignment proposal approved Details emerge on NHL's tentative realignment proposal Nashville Predators blasted by Anaheim Ducks Nashville Predators can't handle Anaheim Ducks trio Western Conference update Nick Spaling's diary: Warm weather, hard hits help re-energize Nashville Predators Josh Cooper's hat trick Predators start slow, never really get going at Anaheim New Jersey Devils N.H.L. Presents Realignment Plan Devils' Bryce Salvador: Kid from Manitoba becomes respected captain Devils recall forward Tim Sestito from Albany (AHL) Devils hope road cures their slump Sullivan: Devils, Rangers having poor encores after last season's successes New York Islanders DiPietro excited by chance to play in Bridgeport New York Rangers McDonagh Practices for Rangers and Hopes to Return to Action Key NY Rangers Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh take part in John Tortorella's optional practice Wednesday Ryan McDonagh should be good to go for NY Rangers against Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday night, so should Rick Mats Zuccarello representatives will be in New York Thursday available to speak with NY Rangers about potentia Ryan McDonagh practices Wednesday with NY Rangers, who send Brandon Mashinter to AHL likely to clear way for R Crushed Ice: NY Rangers could look back on Ryan Callahan sequence vs. Jets as season turning point, despite de Nearing return, Rangers' Nash sidesteps concussion talk Derek emerging as pivotal Ranger McDonagh should be good to go Rangers looking for a spark Sullivan: Devils, Rangers having poor encores after last season's successes Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Del Zotto all participate in Rangers' optional practice Lightnings at Rangers tonight NHL Study suggests NHL has bias in favour of players born earlier in the year Ottawa Senators Live gameday: Ottawa Senators hit the road to take on Boston Bruins Ottawa Senators forward Peter Regin does best Bobby Orr impression prior to Boston trip By the numbers: Ottawa Senators vs. Boston Bruins Ottawa Senators goaltender Robin Lehner could sit in Boston on one-year anniversary of shutout against Bruins Sens forward Milan Michalek hopes to return soon Philadelphia Flyers Flyers' Ilya Bryzgalov looks to rebound vs. Capitals Flyers Notes: Simon Gagne is warmly greeted in his return to the Flyers Flyers make it look easy for a change Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov livens up pregame skate Simon Gagne's successful return fuels Flyers Flyers flatten Capitals in Simon Gagne's return Gagne's goal caps a winning night Players say Gagne a welcome addition Flyers Scoop: Matt Read stretches his legs, ribs Oft-injured Gustafsson may have groin problem Simon Gagne an asset for struggling Flyers Flyers-Capitals: What you need to know Still in pain, Read participates in Flyers morning skate NHL's latest realignment proposal will intensify rivalries Gagne on return: 'It feels almost like I never left' Flyers need Bryzgalov to be consistent moving forward Gagne's return a success in Flyers' win over Capitals Gustafsson suffers lower-body injury vs. Capitals Flyers excited to have familiar face return in Gagne Gagne turns back clock in return with Flyers Flyers notes: Gagne's return impresses teammates Flyers pumped up Gagne is back Just like old times, Gagne stars in Flyers win Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes attract more paying fans to home games Pittsburgh Penguins Malkin skates, but no timetable for return to Penguins Jordan Staal nearly stayed in Pittsburgh, but family called in Carolina

3 Malkin skates for first time since concussion Penguins center Sutter to face former team tonight, too Penguins finally meet up with former teammate Jordan Staal Penguins vs. Hurricanes scouting report San Jose Sharks NHL's latest realignment proposal San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings may see less of each other Sharks notes: Home success; Clowe returns Sharks defense struggling to score, too St Louis Blues Blues updates: Injuries to Steen, McDonald are 'short term' Round Two: Blues' battle drill over the top? Hockey Guy: D'Agostini, Schwartz must step up Hockey Guy: Armstrong tracking Flyers closely Tarasenko remains 'out' Blues have a chance to embellish their rivalry with Blackhawks Steen might be available against Chicago Blues hope to end Blackhawks' unbeaten streak Blues place McDonald on injured reserve with knee injury; Steen listed as day-to-day Tampa Bay Lightning Miller, Sabres turn back Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Lightning notes: Malone glad to be back on ice Goalie Lindback learning along the way Tough road trip looms for Lightning Lightning needs St. Louis, Lecavalier to step up NHL preview: Lightning at Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs Habs get revenge by exerting pressure from the get-go Habs rise to the occasion in beat down of lacklustre Leafs Canadiens will have Ryder in the lineup against Leafs Grabovski front and centre in battle with Habs Toronto Maple Leafs lose to Montreal Canadiens at ACC Habs Max-imize revenge against Leafs Leafs coach tries to send message by playing Orr so much Leafs' Reimer is back, so now what? Habs put the bite on Leafs Ben Scrivens' streak set to stop Leafs toughs Colton Orr and Mike Brown to play Canadiens Leafs show dedication to fighters in loss to Canadiens Strange new world: Leafs vs. Canadiens feels like it matters again Leafs finding rhythm on penalty kill Vancouver Canucks Manny Malhotra still wants to play, but accepts Canucks decision to end his season Canucks star Ryan Kesler out indefinitely with broken foot Canuck centre Ryan Kesler sidelined by broken foot Canucks waive fourth-liner Volpatti Weise on Malhotra practising: People might think it s weird but it s no different to us Manny Malhotra doesn t agree with Mike Gillis decision but also doesn t question his sincerity one bit Alain Vigneault confirms that Ryan Kesler has a broken bone in his right foot and will be sidelined Ryan Kesler wearing air cast on right foot prior to practice and doesn t skate with Canucks Wednesday Gallagher s Canucks Hat Trick: Winter Classic at B.C. Place? The height of stupid ideas Canucks put Volpatti on waivers to get Pinizzotto on NHL roster: source Ryan Kesler played six full games before discovering his foot was broken Malhotra shocked but not ready to stop Washington Capitals Open thread: Capitals at Flyers One-timers: Capitals keeping defensemen involved offensively Capitals recall Philipp Grubauer, Michal Neuvirth sick Sluggish start sets tone for Capitals against Flyers Capitals vs. Flyers: Braden Holtby pulled from 4-1 loss as Washington falls flat John Erskine packing more than just a punch this season Capitals notes: Philipp Grubauer makes NHL debut to cap whirlwind winter Proposed NHL divisions again like going home for Capitals Capitals fall behind early, never catch up to Flyers Websites ESPN / Old Flyers know what makes a streak ESPN / Need to know: Southleast curse prevails ESPN / Jordan Staal looks to silence Pens' chirping NBCSports.com / NHL: No disciplinary hearing for Wild s Coyle after Stajan hit NBCSports.com / Kopecky gets in punch-up with his neighbor, Vokoun NBCSports.com / Columbus puts Wisniewski (broken foot) on IR, out 4-6 weeks NBCSports.com / Michalek returns to Sens practice NBCSports.com / Blues McDonald on IR, Steen day-to-day after costly practice NBCSports.com / Montreal s Gallagher gives Ryder No NBCSports.com / Oilers put Khabibulin on injured reserve NBCSports.com / Neuvirth sick, Caps recall AHLer to back up Holtby Websites Continued NBCSports.com / Report: Boston, St. Louis inquire about Briere NBCSports.com / Update: Devils put Brodeur on IR NBCSports.com / Welcome home: Flyers acquire Gagne from Los Angeles NBCSports.com / Avs lose leading scorer Duchene to groin injury NBCSports.com / San Jose puts Burns (lower body) on IR, recalls Irwin NBCSports.com / Flames Bouwmeester to break dubious mark tonight NBCSports.com / Thomas agent says nothing s changed with Isles after DiPietro demotion NBCSports.com / Canes rip Brouwer for Semin critique NBCSports.com / Wild put Clutterbuck on injured reserve NBCSports.com / Preds waive McGrattan NBCSports.com / Ducks to have contract talks with Perry, Getzlaf soon

4 NBCSports.com / Jackets Wisniewski (broken foot) out for extended period of time NBCSports.com / Tough break: Kesler has fractured foot NBCSports.com / Wings d-man Ian White will be a healthy scratch tonight NBCSports.com / Bolland (upper body) out against Blues NBCSports.com / McDonagh feeling better, could play Thursday NBCSports.com / Canucks put forward Volpatti on waivers NBCSports.com / Lehtonen back for Stars tomorrow? NBCSports.com / Malkin (concussion) skates at home NBCSports.com / Blues waiting and readying for Blackhawks NBCSports.com / Voracek named NHL s first star of the week NBCSports.com / Under the microscope: Garrison shifts to right side as Bieksa (groin) out again USA TODAY / Allen: Why Chicago Blackhawks are the team to beat USA TODAY / Gagne scores in 1st game back with Flyers USA TODAY / Two goalies return to action; backup goes on IR USA TODAY / Things to know about Wednesday's NHL games YAHOO SPORTS / Damien Brunner shooting to become latest overlooked European to make it big with the Red Wings Winnipeg Jets Noel says quiet confidence emerging as Jets win close games Jets4-Rangers Jets' emerging star on Hockey Canada radar for Olympic team For Jets, home is where the hard is Zajac to finally hit ice in hometown TaitJetsDevilsGD Jets have faith in each other Meech recalled, Montoya activated Tough guy Peluso produces big bang for Jets in Big Apple SPORT-SCAN, INC Anaheim Ducks Kyle Palmieri scores early and often in Ducks' win By Lance Pugmire Kyle Palmieri withheld some glee for the sake of professionalism, but a look of joy and amazement crossed the Ducks winger's face Wednesday. Just 1 minute 7 seconds into the second period, Palmieri, 22, already had a natural hat trick in the bank the sixth time in club history that a player had scored three consecutive goals in a game. "I couldn't believe it at first I wasn't sure it went in, but it was an awesome feeling," Palmieri said. All three goals came on direct assists from teammate Corey Perry, who flashed a wide smile at Palmieri, nodding back his too-good-to-be-true glance. The Palmieri onslaught allowed the Ducks to cruise to a 5-1 victory over Nashville for their seventh consecutive victory at Honda Center. Shrugging off a Monday loss at the Kings, the Ducks (14-3-1) tied a club record with their 11th victory in one month, finishing 11-2 in February. "We were determined," Coach Bruce Boudreau said after his team improved to 4-0 after a loss this season. "We've told the guys that good teams lose a game. The league's too tough. But the real good ones don't lose two in a row." By the end of the first period, the Ducks were ahead 3-0 against a slumbering Predators team (9-7-5) playing its fourth game in six days. Palmieri scored his second goal by smacking a shot off an assist Perry generated after gathering a face-off offering. The Ducks needed just 3:49 to seize a 2-0 lead in the first on goals by Nick Bonino and Palmieri. Bonino's was set up by Long Beach rookie Emerson Etem, who impressively sprinted toward a loose puck that Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne was working to collect behind the net. Etem instead got his stick to control the puck first and dished it behind him to Bonino, who banged the puck into the vacated net. A minute later, the Ducks rapidly moved the puck up the ice, from Ryan Getzlaf to Perry to Palmieri, who took his sprint toward Rinne and beat him by firing a shot to the low right side of the goal. "He's a shooter," Getzlaf said of Palmieri. "He does a great job of finding areas with his speed on the outside." Palmieri began the season as a member of the team's first line, but he had just one goal through five games and was replaced by Daniel Winnik, among others, before rejoining Perry and Getzlaf Wednesday and upping his goal total to seven. "He hadn't played left wing before; there are growing pains in this league," Boudreau said. "It seemed to work. I think we'll stay with it." Ducks rookie goaltender Viktor Fasth had 21 saves to improve to 9-1 as a starter. LA Times: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Skating with Ducks' top line suits Palmieri fine By ERIC STEPHENS ANAHEIM Kyle Palmieri found out only Wednesday morning that he would get the latest turn at playing alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the Ducks' revolving door top line. Palmieri just might stay there for a bit after one big night. Two nights after their six-game winning streak ended against the Kings, the Ducks steamrolled to a 5-1 victory at Honda Center behind Palmieri's first career hat trick. The Ducks (14-3-1) responded to their second loss in 12 games by building a 3-0 first-period and ending goalie Pekka Rinne's night after 40 minutes. Palmieri was the star as he finished off three plays created by linemates Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. His natural three-consecutive-goal trick the sixth in franchise history was complete when he knocked in a pass from Perry for a power-play goal one minute into the second period. "I couldn't believe it at first," Palmieri said. "It was kind of a quick play there. I wasn't actually sure if it went in. When the ref gave the signal, it was a pretty awesome feeling." Palmieri grabbed the goal-scoring lead on the balanced and deep Ducks with seven. Getzlaf said "he'll probably get one more game" on their line. "He's a shooter, for one," Getzlaf said. "That's a big portion of it. Kyle does a great job finding the areas. You look at all his goals tonight. He's got the speed on the outside and then he finds those areas. That's what we need. That's what I live for." The Ducks, who pushed their Pacific Division lead to seven points over Dallas, continued the rout as Saku Koivu got their eighth power-play goal in the past four games later in the second to counter Craig Smith's score for the Predators. Nick Bonino started the blitz with a goal into a vacated net after Rinne got trapped behind it. Orange County Register: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks

5 Message received, Ducks defenseman Sbisa says By ERIC STEPHENS ANAHEIM Whether coaches admit to it or not, they send messages to their players. And Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau clearly issued one to Luca Sbisa, who sat in the press box Monday night. Boudreau has seven quality NHL defensemen to choose from so he took the opportunity to scratch a healthy Sbisa for the Ducks' 5-2 loss to the Kings. It was the first time Sbisa was scratched since 2010, his first season in Anaheim. The two talked Tuesday about where Boudreau wants Sbisa to be going forward. The 24-year-old blue-liner was back in the lineup Wednesday night against Nashville. "I just think he's too good a player to be playing average," Boudreau said. "And we want him to raise his bar. Not raise the bar of OK the level there is good. But I think his level should be up here and not be satisfied with anything else." As expected, Sbisa stewed as he sat high up in Staples Center. The issue has been consistency and it was something he acknowledged. "Obviously I wasn't happy because you shouldn't be happy when you're out of the lineup," Sbisa said. "I thought I wasn't good in Detroit and Nashville. I thought I played a good game against Columbus. Against Colorado, I had an off period and two good ones. "He just told me, 'You know, you're usually a pretty consistent player. The past few games, you've had a few ups and downs. We have just so many good (defensemen) now that we have the possibility of taking guys in and out. "A lot of guys will have to sit out throughout the season." There were two ways to take the coach's message. Sbisa took the option of digesting it and using the words as constructive criticism. "It was actually a really positive talk," he said. "I looked at it something positive. I could have been just screw this, screw that and kind of be upset or whatever. I saw it is a new change. "I watched the game from the press box, which was nice. I got to think about a few things." And what was said? "He put a lot of focus on battles," Sbisa said. "And I think, as of late, I had few ones that I lost. I think I'm going to work on that again. Just to be out there to kind of play with that mean streak a bit." GO EAST, WINGS Boudreau said he has seen the proposed NHL realignment into four divisions and the change in the playoff structure. His overriding opinion: Moving the Detroit Red Wings out of the Western Conference would be a good thing. "They shouldn't be in the West," Boudreau said. "Get them out as quick as possible, by the way. I can tell you a couple of teams. They should be with Chicago. Chicago should be in the East too. "Who else? I think the Kings could go there, just for some travel." Boudreau, of course, was being tongue in cheek as he'll take anything that would make for a clearer path to the postseason. But in a more serious take, he took note of its benefits. "It really helps out a lot of teams," he said. "It keeps you in the same time zone for the most part. I know for a guy who was out east and came to the west, I found it quite taxing to keep going through time zones." ETEM IN LINEUP Emerson Etem was in the lineup after the Ducks recalled him Tuesday from minor-league Norfolk (Va.). Etem got his first and only two NHL points Feb. 2 against the Kings during his first eight-game turn in the league. Etem takes Peter Holland's place on the roster as the center was sent down. "He just needed to play more," Boudreau said. "And he played a lot down there. We thought it'd be a good time to switch again. I'm sure switching is going to go on back and forth between a few of the players. "The only problem with Emerson is that he's young. Things come with experience." Orange County Register: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks DUCKS 5, NASHVILLE 1: Palmieri nets hat trick as Anaheim wins its seventh straight at Honda Center By Joe Resnick, The Associated Press ANAHEIM - Kyle Palmieri ended a 10-game goal drought with his first NHL hat trick, Viktor Fasth made 20 saves, and the Ducks beat the Nashville Predators 5-1 Wednesday night for their seventh straight home victory. Nick Bonino and Saku Koivu also scored for Anaheim. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf assisted on all three goals by Palmieri, who hadn't scored since netting back-to-back winners on Feb. 1-2 against Minnesota and the Kings. Palmieri completed his outburst against Pekka Rinne 1:07 into the second period, during a power play after Nashville had too many men on the ice. It was the sixth natural hat trick in club history and marked the third career multigoal game for the 22-year-old forward, selected by the Ducks in the first round of the 2009 draft. Anaheim (14-3-1) tied Montreal for the second-most points in the NHL behind Chicago's 35. The Ducks have won seven of eight overall. Rinne gave up five goals on 21 shots before he was replaced at the start of the third period, and Craig Smith scored Nashville's goal. Rinne allowed at least four goals for the third game in a row after coming in with a 1.90 goals-against average and a league-best three shutouts. Rinne was with a 1.58 GAA in his previous nine starts against the Ducks - both losses coming this season in shootouts. The Predators fell behind 2-0 before getting their first shot at 6:11 of the first period. Anaheim's first goal came on a simple dump-in play, as Rinne mishandled the puck behind the net. Rookie Emerson Etem, recalled from the minors Tuesday, came in hard and fed a pass in front to Bonino, who scored his fifth goal of the season at 2:48. Palmieri finished off a 2-on-2 rush with Perry 61 seconds later, getting a pass in the left circle and swerving around Predators captain Shea Weber before cutting in front of the crease and jamming the puck past Rinne's outstretched left leg at 3:49. Palmieri connected again at 16:57 of the first, converting Perry's pass from behind the net after Getzlaf won a faceoff in the Nashville zone. Also... The first-period goals by Bonino and Palmieri gave Anaheim nine players with five or more, the most of any team.... Palmieri is the second-youngest player to get a hat trick for the Ducks. The youngest was Bobby Ryan, who did it at age 21 on Jan. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles.... The Ducks' home winning streak is their longest since a club-record 11-game stretch in the season.... The Ducks were 11-2 in February, tying the franchise record for wins in a month.... The Predators were 0 for 10 on the power play during the Ducks' three-game, season-series sweep.... Palmieri's final goal ended a run of 15 unsuccessful power plays by the Ducks against Nashville in the regular season.... Anaheim center Daniel Winnik, the first player in franchise history with five goals in the first four games, hasn't scored in 14 games since.... The Ducks are 8 for 14 on the power play in their past four games. LA Daily News: LOADED:

6 Boston Bruins Brad Marchand doing what he does best By Fluto Shinzawa WILMINGTON There was nothing fancy about Brad Marchand s winning goal against the Islanders Tuesday. Andrew Ference s shot from the left point thudded off defenseman Thomas Hickey. Marchand found the rebound and swept a backhander past Evgeni Nabokov at 0:38 of the second period. It was the nature of Marchand s goal, however, that captured the things he s been doing right. Before the goal, when Patrice Bergeron entered the corner to retrieve the puck, Marchand cut down low to provide support down the wall. Then, when Bergeron fed Ference at the point, Marchand slipped behind Hickey and John Tavares with a single destination in mind: the front of the net. It is the area where defensemen make forwards suffer. Smaller players like Marchand (5 feet 9 inches, 183 pounds) generally do not loiter in that space for long. It is where Marchand feels most comfortable. Marchand embraces conflict, both with his body and with his mouth. But lately, Marchand has made more noise with his stick than his lip. Marchand leads the Bruins with 10 goals. He is on pace to score 32, which would top his previous high (28 in ) by four. Goals come in bunches, Marchand said. You look at every guy who scores goals, maybe except for [Steven] Stamkos. When you re hot, things go in. There will be times when you go 20 games without a goal. It s just how it is. I m not doing anything different from the past two years. Pucks are bouncing the right way right now. I don t think anything of it. I m playing with two great players. They make a lot of great plays. At the other end, you have to put them in the net. That s just how it goes in hockey. Marchand owns one of the team s best shots. The left wing unloads the puck quickly, and his shot is heavy and accurate. But Marchand s courage has been his go-to asset over skill. Two of Marchand s 10 goals have been the eye-popping kind: his slice through traffic and backhand riser against the Rangers on Feb. 12, and his dangle through Tyler Myers and Jordan Leopold en route to a net-front backhander against Buffalo Jan. 31. The others have been results of Marchand s lunchpail style around the net. They are the types of goals that his coach prefers. He went to the front of the net, found the loose puck, and he banged it in, said Claude Julien. He didn t have to stickhandle through 10 guys to score the goal. But those are the areas where you score goals. He s got a knack for that. That s something that, in his case, is a natural ability that you have. He s got that. For him to score that many goals for us is what we want him to do. Scrappy Senators Ottawa is without Erik Karlsson (Achilles tendon), the reigning Norris Trophy winner. The Senators are also down No. 1 center Jason Spezza (back), ace goalie Craig Anderson (ankle), and two-way winger Milan Michalek (knee). Yet the scrappy Senators enter Thursday s showdown at TD Garden with 26 points, same as Boston, though the Bruins have four games in hand. Ottawa has won five straight games. Ottawa has depth in goal with ex-maine netminder Ben Bishop and prospect Robin Lehner. Kyle Turris, acquired last year from Phoenix, leads Ottawa with four goals and eight assists. Second-year coach Paul MacLean has kept his club focused during the streak of bad health. It just goes to show that it s always nice to have some big star players on your team, said Julien, but at the end of the day, what makes you win hockey games is the team effort. I ve always said that if the effort is there, you re giving yourself a chance. Whether you have talent or don t have talent, if you don t put the effort in, it more than not results in a loss. Familiar face The Bruins will see old friend Michael Ryder soon. Montreal acquired the ex-bruin and a 2013 third-round pick from Dallas for Erik Cole. The Bruins host the Canadiens Sunday. It s likely that Ryder was on Boston s radar. He would have been a good fit to return to his old job as No. 3 left wing alongside former linemates Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley. As long as Mike is happy, I m happy for him, said Julien, who was Ryder s coach in Hull, Hamilton, Montreal, and Boston. He was a good player for us and a good player for me for many, many years. His value is worth something. When you re traded, somebody wants you. Last year, he scored 35 goals, so he s not a bad player.... Five of the Bruins next six games will be at the Garden, and they will look to be as consistent at home as they have been on the road. The Bruins went on their recent trip, which ended with Tuesday s 4-1 win over the Islanders. It went well, Julien said. The game we lost in Buffalo was of our own doing. The other ones were good wins. Certainly weren t easy wins, even if sometimes the score indicated that it was.... Aaron Johnson, Lane MacDermid, and Jay Pandolfo stayed on the ice with Anton Khudobin for extra work following practice. All three project to be healthy scratches against the Senators. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins back home after successful road trip By Fluto Shinzawa, WILMINGTON The Bruins return to TD Garden tomorrow against Ottawa after completing their five-game road swing. The Bruins went on the trip, including last night s 4-1 win over the Islanders. It went well, Claude Julien said. The game we lost in Buffalo was of our own doing. The other ones were good wins. Certainly weren t easy wins, even if sometimes the score indicated that it was. No changes in today s practice lineup. Expect Tuukka Rask to make his fifth straight start tomorrow against the injury-wracked Senators. Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Chris Bourque/Jay Pandolfo-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley Daniel Paille/Lane MacDermid-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid Aaron Johnson Tuukka Rask Anton Khudobin Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask produces net value Steve Conroy [ WILMINGTON Thirteen games does not a season make, and we won t get a full appreciation of what kind of goalie Tuukka Rask really is until he gets another crack at the playoffs.

7 But so far, it s hard to complain about what he s provided for the Bruins this season. At , Rask is tied for the NHL lead in wins, and both his 1.89 goals-against average and.930 save percentage are excellent. Had he not been on his game in Tuesday night s road win in Uniondale, N.Y., the B s might have had a different outcome against the New York Islanders. Perhaps the only game in which Rask cost the Bruins was in a Feb. 12 shootout loss to the New York Rangers, when he allowed two softies. We re happy with what Tuukka s done, coach Claude Julien said at Ristuccia Arena yesterday. That seemed to be a question mark in a lot of people s minds, and hopefully he s answered those critics. Rask started all but three of the team s 16 games, but with the B s facing 32 games in the next 59 days before they even get to the grinding postseason schedule, backup Anton Khudobin will undoubtedly take a larger percentage of games than he has so far. I m sure there s going to be a lot of rest for me, too, and work for (Khudobin). There s a lot of back-to-backs coming up, so I think it s important for both of us to stay sharp, said Rask, who started and won the last four games. In the offseason, Rask signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract, and he is scheduled to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. Rask, who had no update on a possible extension from the team, said his contract status isn t affecting his mindset. You ve got to stay hungry no matter what, he said. If you have a big contract you still have to play. I try not to think about that too much. Talk about that The name of the day turned out by the trade rumor mill: Daniel Briere of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that the Bruins and St. Louis Blues have inquired about the availability of the 35-year-old forward, who has two years left on a contract that carries a salary cap hit of $6.5 million, though his price tag in real dollars for the next two seasons is $3 million and $2 million, respectively. Briere also has a no-movement clause and said he wants to stay with the Flyers. Sens in town After a 4-1 road trip, the Bruins will return to Northeast Division play tonight at the Garden against the undermanned but overachieving Ottawa Senators, who have been playing well despite injuries to Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson, Milan Michalek and now goalie Craig Anderson. It just goes to show you that, it s always nice to have some big star players on your team, but at the end of the day what makes you win hockey games is a team effort, Julien said. I ve always said, if the effort is there, you give yourself a chance. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins Tyler Seguin s two-way game solid Steve Conroy I got that tip and it took some weight off my shoulders, just getting another one, he said after yesterday s practice at Ristuccia Arena. And since then I ve just been focusing on my D-zone being good, and whatever happens after that happens. Right now, our team s playing very well and it s fun to be a part of it. I think I ve been doing well on backchecks and winning battles. It s definitely something I ve been stressing on myself, and it s been stressed by other people... and I want to stay consistent with that. Coach Claude Julien agreed that Seguin s entire game has improved. It s been pretty impressive with the way he s backchecked, the way he s played defensively. (Against the Islanders on Tuesday), if he s not there in the crease area, there s probably a goal with the defenseman not having a stick in his hand. He s made some nice plays, Julien said. But also at the other end, things are starting to come around for him. His line is producing. (Brad) Marchand is the guy that s benefiting on a lot of those goals, but Seguin s there too. He s in those dirty spots in front of the net at times and battling. I think it s just a matter of time (before the goals come). A lot of times when a guy starts to score, they come in bunches. There s no doubt he ll catch up to his numbers as far as the goal-scoring. While the B s demand sound work in all three zones, Julien stressed that he s not looking to make Seguin something he s not. The one thing I don t want you guys to get confused about is that we don t expect him to become a defensive player. He s a goalscorer, he s an offensive player, and we want him to thrive in those areas, the coach said. But for him to become a real good two-way player and for him to take pride at both ends of the rink is a bonus for us. He s making a lot of things happen, he s doing the right things in the offensive zone, and it s just a matter of time before he starts to score. We drafted him for his offensive skills, so that s got to continue. But as I ve often said to the young players coming in, We re not trying to change you, but if there s certain things we can add to your game without subtracting, you ll benefit by becoming a better player. Seguin s play also earned kudos from Marchand. He s really bearing down and focusing on his defensive game and playing in all areas of the ice. You can see it right now. He s playing awesome, Marchand said. The last five or six games he s really stepped up a lot, he s playing a really good two-way game. And that s what we need from him. If we re going to finish this season strong and head into the playoffs, we re going to need him to play this way the rest of the year. If there s a hole in his game right now, it s on the perpetually struggling power play, where he s yet to find room for his potent shot off the half-wall. It s different here, said Seguin, who has played the position in juniors and in Switzerland. You have to come up so much higher and you have to earn more space because the guys are so much better at penalty-killing that it s a different look and vision. Just reading the gaps and trying to get a onetimer, it s a lot tighter space than I m used to. It s about finding that space and going from there. If Seguin can start producing there, he ll really have something going. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins WILMINGTON It started, perhaps, with the backcheck in Winnipeg. Early in the Bruins 3-2 victory against the Jets on Feb. 17, the B s were facing an odd-man rush and had a defender without a stick when Tyler Seguin dove to break up the play. Later in the game, he scored a tip-in goal from in front of the net, and since then, his entire game seems to be on the upswing. Goals still are hard to come by, but Seguin will take a five-game point streak into tonight s contest against Ottawa. He has 12 points this season (three goals, nine assists), two behind team leader David Krejci. Seguin sees that Winnipeg game as the catalyst for his sustained stretch of solid two-way play. Tyler Seguin makes his point in other ways Steve Conroy One of several bright spots on the Bruins' just-completed road trip was the continued growth of Tyler Seguin's game. The goals aren't there yet, but he's on a five-game point streak, his totals are only two off the team lead in points, and his work in his own zone has improved. It's been pretty impressive with the way he's backchecked, the way he's played defensively," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "Again, last night, if he's not there in the crease area there's probably a goal with the defenseman not having the stick in his hand. He's made some nice plays.

8 "But also at the other end, things are starting to come around for him. His line is producing. (Brad) Marchand is the guy that's benefiting on a lot of those goals, but Seguin's there, too. He's in those dirty spots in front of the net at times and battling. I think it's just a matter of time (before the goals come). A lot of times when a guy starts to score, they come in bunches. There's no doubt he'll catch up with his numbers as far as the goalscoring is concerned. With three games in four nights and the start of a brutal two months of hockey ahead of them, the Bruins went through a brisk half hour practice today at Ristuccia Arena. They did some power-play work, with the same two units that went 0-for-4 last night on Long Island remaining intact. After a successful road trip, the B's will return to their divisional play tomorrow night with the undermanned but overachieving Ottawa Senators coming to town. Despite missing Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and now goalie Craig Anderson, the Sens come into the game at the Garden with the same amount of points as the B's (26), though the B's do have four games in hand on their divisional foes. It just goes to show you that, it's always nice to have some big star players on your team, but at the end of the day what makes you win hockey games is a team effort, said Julien. I've always said, if the effort is there, you give yourself a chance. Tuukka Rask said there's no news on the contract extension front, though he said he's not exactly concerning himself with that right now. Rask, who is tied for the league-lead in wins with 10, will be a restricted free agent in the summer. Boston Herald LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Miller happy to see Sabres hitting reset By John Vogl FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Ryan Miller, likely more than anyone on the Sabres, understands what a championship would mean for Buffalo. He s been in the organization for 11 years, and he s talked often about leaving behind a winning legacy. With the Sabres near the bottom of the NHL and longtime coach Lindy Ruff sitting home unemployed, Miller s plan to be part of an established winner has taken a significant detour. We re almost starting from scratch here, said the goaltender, whose team visits the Florida Panthers tonight. I ve been pretty fortunate, pretty blessed in my career to be on good teams and be on teams that have good confidence. I still think I m on a good team. We didn t have the confidence, and I don t think we were playing the smartest hockey we could play. We re going to keep working on the habits. It s unfortunate Lindy can t be here with us, but it gives us a chance to reset and look at it from a different perspective. We are finding a lot of habits where Lindy was talking about them, but it wasn t coming around. It s not a knock on Lindy. It s not a knock on these boys. You start from scratch and build the game you want to play. We re hoping that it makes a difference this season, for sure, but I think it will serve the organization much, much better to get the game where we want to have it. Our hope, obviously, is win, win, win as much as we can, but it s going to be about the process more than anything. The Sabres finally experienced a victory Tuesday in Tampa Bay, and they ll go for a second straight in BB&T Center against the struggling Panthers. Even if Buffalo (7-12-1) rolls to six in a row, though, that merely gets the club near.500. So, as Miller said, this season has become more about building toward that championship dream he has been holding since I m just trying to smile, enjoy the moments when you can win some hockey games and carry that kind of stuff over, the 32-year-old said. That s what s going to see us through here and give us a chance this season. It s not going to be about getting up or down. Just be happy we won, keep getting better and improving. I think the position we put ourselves in, every night can be better, and that should be our goal. Miller has urged his teammates to improve in several ways this season. Despite pedestrian numbers in several categories, he s been the team s steadiest player since the puck dropped. He s also been fiery in the dressing room, using expletives to try to get players to realize that complacency is unacceptable. I felt like last year I put myself through way too much in my own head, and this year I m just going to do my job and lead where I can, Miller said. I did snap a few times already, but that s all a little bit of theatrics. The outbursts may have helped the sliding team gain traction. It s not that they weren t trying to win before, but I think you can see they re hungry and they re ready to learn a little bit, Miller said. I think everybody respects where we re at. We did it to ourselves. We dug a hole. I just don t want to see the boys wallowing anymore and feeling sorry for themselves. I know that our crowd and our fans are proud and they want to see us play good hockey. But what we have to worry about is digging back out, not making that hole deeper and feeling sorry for ourselves and getting caught up in the tough emotional part of this. You ve got to suck it up and be professional. It s the second straight season littered with disappointment for Miller and the Sabres, but the goalie says the struggles last year were worse. This has been tough, but it is just a moment in time, he said. We can do something about it. Looking back at last year, it was probably the lowest point I ve had in my career, just going through that month-and-a-half, twomonth stretch with nothing going my way, nothing going right. Miller and the Sabres hope this trip to Florida finally gets things rolling their way. The guys in that room have a lot of pride, interim coach Ron Rolston said. There s a lot of pride in this organization. Now it s them banding together and us moving forward. Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: Realignment plan not fair, Ott says By John Vogl FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Steve Ott isn t sold on the NHL s latest realignment plan. The league has been talking with the NHL Players Association about how best to revamp the NHL s conferences. The latest proposal has Detroit and Columbus moving to the Eastern Conference while Winnipeg heads West. While Ott agrees with that part, the Buffalo Sabres forward dislikes the league s plan to have 14 teams in the Western Conference and 16 in the East. That s completely unfair, Ott said Wednesday after practice in BB&T Center, where the Sabres visit the Florida Panthers tonight. They preach parity and they preach having the same chance. Well, the goal in hockey is to make the playoffs. If they can come up with some magical formula where teams can have the same opportunity to make the playoffs, then I m for it. I think that s the biggest issue right now. How can you have 14 on one side and 16 on the other side? The percentages of making it in the East become that much greater. The NHL concedes the proposal, which still needs the approval of the board of governors and players union, isn t perfect. We are trying to get to a solution that everybody can live with, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told NHL.com. There are no perfect answers here, so we have to do the best we can in trying to adequately address a number of competing concerns. We certainly hope to be in a position to announce something in the relatively near term.

9 The latest plan has two conferences with two divisions in each. The Eastern Conference would be split into a couple of eight-team divisions, while the West would have a pair of seven-club divisions. The breakdowns: Eastern Conference, Central Division: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto. Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington. Western Conference, Pacific Division: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver. Western Conference, Midwest Division: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg. Eight teams in each conference would make the playoffs. The top three teams in each division would qualify, and the remaining two wild card spots would go to the teams with the best records, regardless of division. Every team would play each other at least twice, once at home and once on the road. The Sabres got their first goal out of the way Tuesday by winning in Tampa. Their next goal is to score goals. Buffalo s list of slumping forwards is long. Jochen Hecht has no goals in 20 games this season. Nathan Gerbe is scoreless in 16. Marcus Foligno has no goals in the last 15 games and one in 20. Drew Stafford also has one in 20. Jason Pominville has one goal in 10 games. Ott has one in nine. Tyler Ennis has one goal in seven games. I ve just got to work harder and play a little better, Foligno said. You want to get on the point sheet and the scoreboard, so I ve got to get around the net a little more and chip in offensively. The Sabres tweaked their lines during practice. Cody Hodgson remained in the middle of left wing Thomas Vanek and Pominville. Ennis skated between Ott and Gerbe. Kevin Porter was flanked by Hecht and Stafford. Mikhail Grigorenko centered Foligno and Patrick Kaleta, while John Scott skated as the extra forward. I knew coming in that I would play a different role than before, but still you want to end up on the score sheet and put some pucks away, Hecht said. I ve had some chances. Interim coach Ron Rolston continues to put his spin on the Sabres practices, including a session-ending breakaway relay race. He also repeatedly preached the importance of bearing down on scoring chances. Having the idea but actually getting the guys to go out and do it is another part of the coaching aspect, Rolston said. If you have all these great ideas and nothing s getting done, it really doesn t matter. Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Sabres excited to finally get a win, but they're aware they have a long road ahead By John Vogl FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The music was blaring and hands were highfiving in the Sabres' dressing room following their 2-1 victory Tuesday night over Tampa Bay, but it was back to the everyday scene today for the NHL's 29th-place club. Buffalo is well-aware that improving to doesn't do much in the grand scheme. "It s one game," left wing Jochen Hecht said. "To get back into the playoff picture, we ve got to put a string together of four or five games in a row." They go for two in a row Thursday against the Florida Panthers, who beat Pittsburgh, 6-4, Tuesday for just their second win in nine games. "The only way you can build your confidence is to put a game together, then hopefully come back and play well in the fourth period and the fifth period," Sabres interim coach Ron Rolston said in BB&T Center in Sunrise. "That s kind of our concentration right now after the last game. The message is that tomorrow night s first period is the next step in trying to build that confidence. It s the only way you re going to do it." Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Sabres focus on scoring during practice -- with good reason By John Vogl SUNRISE, Fla. -- The messages being delivered by Ron Rolston during the Sabres' practice today center around bearing down on offense and scoring goals. Here's why: *Jochen Hecht has no goals in 20 games. *Nathan Gerbe has no goals in 16 games. *Marcus Foligno has no goals in 15 games and one in 20. *Drew Stafford has one goal in 20 games. *Jason Pominville has one goal in 10 games. *Steve Ott has one goal in nine games. *Tyler Ennis has one goal in seven games. It's ugly, obviously. The Sabres' lines in BB&T Center: Thomas Vanek-Cody Hogson- Pominville, Ott-Ennis-Gerbe, Hecht-Kevin Porter-Stafford, and Foligno- Grigorenko-Kaleta. John Scott is skating as an extra, while the seven healthy defensemen and both goalies are on the ice. Injured blue-liner Jordan Leopold is working out away from the ice. Buffalo News LOADED: Calgary Flames Stajan s head still ringing after Coyle s head-hunting hit By George Johnson, DENVER Being carted off on a gurney or in traction shouldn t be, can t be, a prerequisite for levying punishment. Length of time missed, for that matter, either. The fact that Matt Stajan actually returned to active duty the same night with his head still attached to his body should have no bearing on the severity of the incident itself. The act, not the outcome, is what matters. Presumably. Watching the replay again and again of Charlie Coyle s shoulder-shudder to Stajan s noggin near the end of the second period Xcel Energy Center that netted the Minnesota Wild rookie a five-minute elbowing major makes you wonder. Malicious? Arguably not. Pre-meditated? Probably not. Careless and potentially damaging? Most definitely. The shoulder, not the elbow, makes clear contact with the head area. Coyle lunges upwards to make the hit. Stajan has released the puck at least two or three steamboats prior to impact. And all the convenient letter-of-the-law clauses, interpretive loopholes and convenient semantics can t change those facts. You can bet the kids college fund that if the same thing had happened to, say, Zach Parise, the Minnesota Wild would be screaming bloody murder.