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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Up next for the Ducks: Saturday at Buffalo Ducks' Vatanen quickly becoming a mover and shaker Ducks don't want to fall into a trap in Buffalo Boston Bruins Boychuk is day to day, Eriksson improving Bruins looking for a quick end to slow starts Boychuk day-to-day; Eriksson making progress B s hope to catch Isles at bad time Buffalo Sabres Tropp and Kaleta poised to return Sabres Kaleta, Tropp ready to get back to work Sabres notebook: Numbers are as bad as team s play Calgary Flames Wings vets good examples for Flames Johnson: Rough road ahead for Flames Goalie gaffe costs Flames Flames boss makes case for fighting Flames' Brian Burke backs fighting as a necessary tool in NHL Time with Wings helped Hudler Carolina Hurricanes Canes An opportunity for new Canes center Manny Malhotra Malhotra excited to get another chance Tampa Bay Lightning hand Hurricanes fourth straight loss Chicago Blackhawks Saturday's matchup: Blackhawks at Jets Hawks searching for penalty killing answers Toews relishes return to Winnipeg Blackhawks Toews excited about Winnipeg homecoming Pirri's skills, hard work gain attention A special homecoming for Hawks' Toews Could Corey Crawford be Canada's Olympic goaltender? Blackhawks' PK moving on from Frolik departure Blackhawks anticipate warm welcome for Toews in Winnipeg Young Blackhawks fan dresses up as Coach Q for Halloween Toews nominated for Sportsnet's Canadian Athlete of the Year Colorado Avalanche Translation of media interview given by Semyon Varlamov's girlfriend Semyon Varlamov to start vs. Dallas for Avalanche despite charges Avalanche-Stars pregame notes: Semyon Varlamov in, Max Talbot to make debut Adam Foote's No. 52 to be retired by Avalanche before Canadiens game Colorado Avalanche defeats Dallas Stars in OT, improves to 11-1 NHL 11/2/2013 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars Though facing assault charges, Colorado's Semyon Varlamov will start vs. Dallas Stars tonight Avalanche supports goalie Semyon Varlamov as details of assault charge emerge Little-used Stars winger Lane MacDermid makes most of chance to play Heika: Stars frustrated by troubled Avs goalie, manage to pick up point in loss Stars rally late but fall in OT, 3-2, to NHL-best Avalanche Stastny s second goal gives Avalanche OT win over Stars Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings call up Petr Mrazek to sub for ailing Jonas Gustavsson (neck) NHL roundup: Ben Bishop, Lightning shut out Hurricanes Detroit Red Wings' Petr Mrazek will start in goal tonight at Edmonton Detroit 4, Calgary 3: Red Wings overcome shoddy second period to improve to 2-0 on trip Detroit 4, Calgary 3: Red Wings douse Flames in Calgary Red Wings recall goalie Petr Mrazek Red Wings douse Flames, improve to 2-0 on trip Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg says Johan Franzen due for 'a Mule game' Friday vs. Flames Detroit Red Wings Gameday: What grade would you give Red Wings for the first month of the season? Red Wings place Jonas Gustavsson on short-term IR; Petr Mrazek slated to start Saturday in Edmonton Flames say former Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler one of their top leaders on and off the ice Former Red Wings goaltender Joey MacDonald looks forward to rare matchup against ex-teammates Red Wings will start either Jonas Gustavsson or Petr Mrazek for Saturday's game in Edmonton Detroit Red Wings sign second-round draft pick Zach Nastasiuk to three-year entry-level contract Red Wings recall goaltender Petr Mrazek from Grand Rapids to dress as Jimmy Howard's backup tonight Strong third period propels Detroit Red Wings past Calgary Flames, Helm could play Saturday in Edmonton; Mrazek recalled from Grand Rapids Abdelkader's late goal lifts Red Wings over Flames Edmonton Oilers Would Oilers be interested in LA defenceman Keaton Ellerby off waivers? Oilers Jones aims to take advantage of roster opportunity MacKinnon: Rebuilding the City of Champions a tall order Oilers likely to play without the services of Justin Schultz, David Perron on Saturday Nugent-Hopkins can relate to sophomore-jinxed Oilers Yakupov and Schultz Oilers coming off their first real break at home of the season

2 Florida Panthers Coach Kevin Dineen rips Panthers after loss to Blues PANTHERS GOT THE BLUES: St. Louis Rolls Florida for Second Time in a Month, This Time Preview: Panthers at Capitals, 7 p.m., Saturday Panthers singing the Blues again in 4-0 loss Los Angeles Kings Kings expected to put Jeff Carter on injured reserve Muzzin discusses the Doughty pairing, Snapchat On possessing the puck in key situations Extent of Carter injury unclear Carter to IR, Ellerby on waivers, Toffoli, Vey up Minnesota Wild Brodin back in Wild lineup; Harding starts tonight Wild-Montreal game recap Wild's Pominville comes alive against Canadiens Wild notes: Montreal coach Therrien knew Yeo would get his shot in NHL Pominville scores twice, including game-winner in 3rd, to lead Wild over Canadiens Minnesota Wild: Mike Yeo, Michel Therrien have mutual admiration Minnesota Wild: Kyle Brodziak, Mikko Koivu are first-time linemates Minnesota Wild: Jonas Brodin, Charlie Coyle, Keith Ballard return Minnesota Wild: For Jason Pominville, goals just keep coming Wild 4, Canadiens 3: Jason Pominville has the hot hand Montreal Canadiens Howie Meeker not dimmed by age Hickey on Hockey: Hamilton will be home for Tinordi, Beaulieu Parros in, Pacioretty out for Habs against Wild In the Habs room: Fourth line fails to come through against the Wild Habs game report: Pominville leads Wild to win with two goals Making a case to retire Guy Lapointe s No Empty seats continue in Phoenix Hickey on Hockey notebook: Parros returns with clean-shaven face About last night Goalies Emery and Holtby fight in blowout RNH can relate to sophomore-jinxed Oilers Nashville Predators Nashville Predators' Eric Nystrom fits team's needs Preview: Predators at Kings New Jersey Devils Devils: Martin Brodeur will start vs. Flyers; Cory Schneider likely backup Devils' Travis Zajac hurt in strange incident along boards during practice Devils: Cory Schneider ready to come off injured reserve? Travis Zajac hurt Wild's Parise says facing the Devils will be weird New York Islanders Nielsen Lifts Islanders to Shootout Win at Ottawa Islanders nip Senators in shootout Islanders rally from two-goal deficit to beat Sens, 5-4, in a shootout New York Rangers Alain Vigneault stays the course and has the NY Rangers on the move Alain Vigneault discusses Benoit Pouliot's encouraging high-end skill and the Rangers forward's need for consi Crushed Ice: Mats Zuccarello no longer in own way, Lundqvist makes saves that count, notes from 2-0 Rangers wi Rangers D finally gelling under new skipper s system Rangers Richards thrilled to be back at center Rangers' Benoit Pouliot aiming for consistency Rangers notes: Ryan Callahan on the mend First chance for Marc Staal to play against brothers Eric and Jordan together for Carolina Hurricanes at Rangers tonight pre-game notes Ottawa Senators Senators turn to former MLSE exec in effort to boost ticket sales Ken Warren s 10 takes: Trade talk, Ruutu-Spezza-Neil and super centres Morning skate update: We ve got to stay positive, Karlsson says Senators prediction panel: Game Gameday preview: Senators vs. Islanders Scanlan: Never too early to worry about mediocrity Senators collapse again Former Ottawa Senators forward Matt Carkner would rather not fight Neil Danish reunion fruitful for pals Regin, Nielsen Ottawa Senators' Clarke MacArthur waited long time for first goal Philadelphia Flyers Downie expected to skate with Flyers' top line Berube: Every team wants a Downie Flyers' Hall to eat up Talbot's PK mins The power of positive thinking can t be overstated Steve Downie a clear offensive upgrade over Max Talbot Flyers' GM understands 'Fire Holmgren!' chants Flyers' frustrations spill over in 7-0 loss to the Capitals Flyers embarrassed in 7-0 loss to Caps Downie comfortable first day back with Flyers In loss to Capitals, Flyers get mad, get even, get injured Parent: Flyers hope Downie gives them an edge Flyers seek better better chemistry through lineup changes Skate Update: What will Downie bring to Flyers? Steve Downie must be a catalyst for the Flyers Flyers-Capitals: 5 things you need to know Flyers Notes: Frustration shows in line brawl Holmgren hopes Flyers hit rock bottom in rout Instant Replay: Capitals 7, Flyers Teammates say Downie brings more than just grit It's all bad for Flyers: boos, brawls, blanked Flyers hope trade will give team a spark Flyers torched in fight-filled loss to Capitals Phoenix Coyotes Return to San Jose against Sharks will serve as gauge of Phoenix Coyotes progress Coyotes anxious for rematch against Sharks Wisdom and wood produce synergy for Coyotes' Morris Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins notebook: Crosby named NHL's No. 2 star for October Fleury lifts Penguins past Blue Jackets Penguins notebook: Former Penguins forward gets big break Goalie's firm hold at Consol Energy Center loosened by Penguins

3 San Jose Sharks Sharks forward Brent Burns gets buzz cut, raises $23, Avs coach, more scoring make interesting month Kennedy hopes new line leads to more offense Shark Byte: 1-on-1 with Tomas Hertl Sharks kick off three-game homestand with Coyotes St Louis Blues Hitchcock warns Blues that Florida has improved Blues go to Elliott against Florida Blues enjoy another big win over Florida Blues 4, Panthers 0 (Final) Steen named NHL's First Star of the Month Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts notes: Connolly gets chance to spark offense Stamkos, Bishop lead Bolts past Carolina Addition of Brett Connolly one of several lineup changes for game against the Hurricanes Lightning shuts out Hurricanes Lightning shuffles forwards searching for goals Lightning-Blues preview Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leafs shot differential troubling, maybe not fatal Canucks Luongo says Leafs should enjoy luxury of two stellar goalies while they can: Feschuk Maple Leafs at Canucks: Saturday NHL game preview Maple Leafs prospects Connor Brown, Carter Verhaeghe tearing it up in OHL Maple Leafs: Carter Ashton suspended two games Maple Leafs: No downside to having two hot goaltenders except who gets to start: Feschuk Maple Leafs winning despite tempting hockey gods: DiManno Cutting down on shots against would make Leafs far more dangerous team: Feschuk Maple Leafs: Canada's best hockey team Maple Leafs' Carter Ashton suspended two games for boarding Flames' Derek Smith Old enemies, new pals on Leafs Maple Leafs' net situation very familiar to Canucks' Roberto Luongo Maple Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin hopes to return in Vancouver Toronto Maple Leafs Carter Ashton suspended two games for boarding Toronto Maple Leafs first month: Trends, highs and lows Vancouver Canucks Sedin twins end contract drama, sign 4-year extensions Trevor Linden the only member of Canucks' retired-number club who won't attend ceremony for Pavel Bure People who question Sedins four-year contract extension don t have a clue, says Tortorella Naslund and Smyl to attend Bure jersey retirement. But where s Linden? Gallagher: Sedins twin deals a great-news story for Canucks, fans, city Canucks sure are jacked about Sedins new contracts Tortorella: Sedins aren t soft and people who say they are pisses him off Sedins sign matching four-year contract extensions with Canucks Washington Capitals Braden Holtby to start; Michael Latta, Alex Urbom expected in Capitals lineup against Flyers Dmitry Orlov eager to show he belongs in NHL Marcus Johansson centering Capitals second line in latest forward combinations Braden Holtby, Ray Emery brawl as Capitals win turns into fight night in Philadelphia Websites ESPN / Sedins' deal was only a matter of time ESPN / Patrick Roy against Habs not a normal night FOXSports.com / Lightning at Hurricanes game preview NBCSports.com / Boyle ready to go after missing seven games to Lapierre hit NBCSports.com / Vigneault tells inconsisent Pouliot you only get so many kicks at the can NBCSports.com / Leafs Ashton suspended two games for extremely dangerous boarding NBCSports.com / Sharks Hertl named NHL Rookie of the Month NBCSports.com / Goalie nods: Elliott goes for Blues, Lehner for Sens, Harding for Wild NBCSports.com / Avs to start Varlamov tonight in Dallas NBCSports.com / Kings waive Ellerby (Update: Carter put on IR) NBCSports.com / Panthers face Blues for first time after real good kicking in St. Louis NBCSports.com / Hartley wasn t very pleased about making Backlund healthy scratch NBCSports.com / Luongo was shocked and surprised he didn t end up in Toronto NBCSports.com / After 11-game absence, Coyle returns to Wild lineup tonight (Update: Brodin back too) NBCSports.com / TGIF: Five NHL games to watch this weekend NBCSports.com / The Coyotes would like everyone to know how well they re playing NBCSports.com / Canucks re-sign Sedins four years, $28 million each NBCSports.com / Varlamov expected to talk after tonight s game NBCSports.com / Steen, Crosby, and Niemi are NHL s three stars for October NBCSports.com / Patrick Kane s minus-9 is a number that obviously doesn t look good NBCSports.com / Wings recall goalie Mrazek; Gustavsson has strained neck NBCSports.com / Jackets GM wants more from Gaborik USA TODAY / Sidney Crosby grants the wish of a dying 8-year-old fan USA TODAY / Children are heckling the Oilers coach when he takes his daughter to school USA TODAY / San Jose Sharks Brent Burns shaves epic beard, hair USA TODAY / Daniel, Henrik Sedin ink matching 4-year extensions with Canucks USA TODAY / The St. Louis Blues are doing their best to take the fun out of hockey USA TODAY / Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov to start Friday amid charges USA TODAY / Teammates say Steve Downie returns to Flyers bringing more than just grit USA TODAY / Detroit Red Wings' Petr Mrazek subs for ailing Jonas Gustavsson USA TODAY / Steve Downie, Stephen Weiss among 5 players looking for fresh starts tonight USA TODAY / Leafs' Carter Ashton suspended two games for boarding Winnipeg Jets Jets will have hands full against Blackhawks Hawks plain dangerous Jets have knack of making things hard for themselves Jets-Hawks Lineups Jets ready to host defending champion Blackhawks Jets' Wheeler heats up after early slump SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks Up next for the Ducks: Saturday at Buffalo A victory over the league-worst Sabres would clinch a winning record for Anaheim on its eight-game trip. By Lance Pugmire 4:33 PM PDT, November 1, 2013 AT BUFFALO When: 4 PDT. Where: First Niagara Center. On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 830. Record vs. Sabres (2013): Did not play. Update: The Ducks are in their last four games, on their current trip, and can clinch a winning record on the eight-game trip by beating Buffalo, which has the NHL's worst record and lowest point total (five). The Sabres, who have lost three straight, are averaging an NHL-worst 1.47 goals per game and aren't much better than the league-worst Ducks on the power play, scoring on just 10.9% of their opportunities (27th in the NHL). LA Times: LOADED:

5 Anaheim Ducks Ducks' Vatanen quickly becoming a mover and shaker By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER BOSTON Hours before his NHL debut last season, Sami Vatanen was the picture of confidence and gave the impression of someone who didn t have a worry in the world to those who approached his stall in the Ducks locker room. Not much has changed since the young Finnish defenseman earned a regular spot in the lineup. The amount of travel the Ducks have particularly on this trip is an adjustment in his first full year, but Vatanen is just enjoying his normal hockey life. You can t say someone who has played fewer than two dozen games has mastered the league, but the 22-year-old skilled puck mover is looking like he is ready to stay for a while. Of course, it s much easier, Vatanen said. I was here hanging out with the boys last season. I didn t play that much but I got into this team and we were getting to know each other so it s helped me a lot this season. And now I m getting good playing time and things like that. Confidence is good right now. I can play in this league. I have to learn to be better every day and work for that. Just enjoy it. The Ducks were set on moving their talented defender into the lineup this season and the early results have been encouraging. The points have been slow to come but his puck movement has been top-notch. What has been the most surprising aspect of Vatanen s game has been his defensive work and amount of grit packed in his diminutive 5-foot-10, 183-pound frame. Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau loves his competitiveness. He and Bryan Allen, I think, have been a real good pair, Boudreau said. There s been instances, like a couple of games, where he hasn t been exactly what he wanted to be. But that s what you expect from a first-year guy. But his consistency has been great. I think he d probably like to get a little more offensive stats but that s going to come in time, I believe. Vatanen s ability to make a play in the offensive zone showed itself in Philadelphia on Tuesday night when he drew three defenders his way and managed to get the puck to Nick Bonino, who fed Kyle Palmieri for the winning goal. There are risks and there are rewards. Boudreau was impressed, saying what it personifies is him flying under the radar because nobody mentioned a thing about him when it came to the score. Said Vatanen: I like to keep the puck more than just dump it in. More important to him is the eagerness of Boudreau and Ducks general manager Bob Murray to push his development this season. Of course it helps a lot, Vatanen said. Especially for their confidence in me. That I know they trust me and I can play my own game. There s some thing that I have to be better at. I m just trying to go there and do my best. Be better every day. KOIVU, FASTH STAY HOME Boudreau said center Saku Koivu and goalie Viktor Fasth are unlikely to return for the final stops of their eight-game trip as they deal with their current injuries. Both are back in Orange County receiving treatment. Koivu has a head injury after being hit by Columbus forward Brandon Dubinsky on Sunday. Fasth has been out since Oct. 17 because of a troublesome unspecified lower-body injury. The two are expected to miss Saturday's game against Buffalo and Monday night's contest against the New York Rangers to end the trip. I assume they re all just going to wait until we come home on Tuesday, Boudreau said. SBISA GETTING READY The Ducks assigned Luca Sbisa to Norfolk (AHL) as the first step to getting the injured defenseman back to readiness for NHL action. Sbisa hasn't played this season after suffering a sprained left ankle in the first preseason game against Phoenix. He is expected to play in at least two of Norfolk's three road games this weekend at Albany, Bridgeport and Hershey. The club also returned forward Rickard Rakell to Norfolk. Orange County Register: LOADED:

6 Anaheim Ducks Ducks don't want to fall into a trap in Buffalo By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER and Saturday at Bridgeport before rejoining the Ducks on Monday in New York. It s different when you re playing against guys that are hitting you rather than going in and battling Dustin Penner for a minute, Boudreau said. I said it would be great if you went down and got a couple of games under your belt against people that don t like you. Orange County Register: LOADED: BUFFALO, N.Y. Just how good are the Ducks? The question will require more time for an answer to reveal itself. An early record looks gaudy, but the Ducks have also fattened up on some middling outfits, many of them in the inferior Eastern Conference. A shootout loss to Boston on Thursday might offer a glimpse into what they can be. The Ducks didn t finish off last year s Stanley Cup finalist, but they dictated play for the majority of the game. It offered confirmation they can play with an elite team. Or did it? After all, the Bruins had played the night before in Pittsburgh and didn t arrive back home until early Thursday morning. I never want to get to thinking that we re really all that good and just let the results take care of themselves, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. But you sort of say, OK, if we play the way we can play like that, then system-wise, we can play against any team. I just keep always saying, did Pittsburgh take so much out of them? We don t play them enough to know if that was their B game or C game or A game. Now the Ducks must deal with a different mental challenge getting themselves up for a truly bad team. Buffalo has the NHL s worst record at after a 2-0 loss Thursday night to the New York Rangers. The Sabres 23 goals are the second fewest in the league and it appears certain star goalie Ryan Miller will be dealt at some point. The Ducks still have a shot at a strong trip. They re after starting with regulation losses in Toronto and Montreal. But they re aware that this one has the smell of a trap game. There s no easy games in this league, really, forward Andrew Cogliano said. Obviously they re struggling this year. They re a team that s desperate to win. Whenever you play a desperate team, it doesn t matter where they are in the standings. For us, it doesn t change anything. We must focus on what we need to do. SMITH-PELLY STATUS Devante Smith-Pelly s place in the lineup might be contingent on how soon some of the walking wounded return to health. The winger helped himself Thursday night with a goal and an assist against the Bruins. Smith-Pelly formed a highly effective line with Dustin Penner and Mathieu Perreault that was the Ducks best all night. Perreault also had a goal and an assist. It was the best game I ve seen him play, Boudreau said. I thought it was coming the game before (against Philadelphia). That s why I moved him to the second line and I thought he did a really good job with Dustin and Matty. Like others who have gotten their chance lately, Smith-Pelly doesn t like seeing a bunch of injured teammates but knows this is his time to make an impact before they return. I ve had my legs so far, he said. Pretty much all the games. Last night just worked out on the scoresheet. I didn t really change much. I thought maybe I could have been a little bit more physical. It just so happened to show up on the scoresheet. Hopefully I can continue to play well, whether it s getting points or not. SBISA ON REHAB Luca Sbisa accepted his assignment to Norfolk (AHL) after the defenseman and the coaching staff agreed he needed a couple of games to shake off the rust built up over the past six weeks because of his sprained ankle. Boudreau said Sbisa had a ragged practice Monday and was receptive to the assignment. He was expected to play with the Admirals on Friday at Albany

7 Boston Bruins Boychuk is day to day, Eriksson improving Posted by John Carney November 1, :54 PM WILMINGTON -- The Bruins traveled to Long Island Friday in advance of Saturday night s game against the Islanders, who play in Ottawa Friday night. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who was injured crashing into the boards in the second period of Thursday s victory over the Anaheim Ducks, was at the practice rink Friday but did not skate. His status is day to day, according to coach Claude Julien. He s feeling better, so we re going day to day, Julien said. More than likely he s on this trip. The concussed Loui Eriksson continues to make progress toward full health. He s still going OK, Julien said. As predicted, he s taken some steps in the right direction. He did the exertion test so that he can start working out. It s still a day-to-day process; whether he s moving forward or whether we ve got to hold him back, we ll only know one day at a time. Eriksson was injured when the Sabres' John Scott blindsided him to the head in a game at Buffalo Oct. 23. Scott received a match penalty for the hit and subsequently a seven-game suspension. Friday s on-ice practice was limited to two lines: Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton- Daniel Paille, and Carl Soderberg-Ryan Spooner-Jordan Caron, plus defenseman Matt Bartkowski and goalie Chad Johnson. Boston Globe LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins Bruins looking for a quick end to slow starts By Barbara Matson Globe Correspondent November 02, 2013 WILMINGTON The routine is the same, the system is the same, but in some of their recent games, the Bruins have been saddled with slow starts, including a one-shot first period Thursday against the Ducks. The goal is always the same but there are so many things that go into it, said Jarome Iginla. Sometimes it s bounces, penalties, different things, energy. Ultimately, you just want to find a way to win the game. I mean, we have a plan, the other team has a plan, but it doesn t always just go the way you like, so it s really just trying to be as prepared as you can be, play as hard as you can. Bruins coach Claude Julien did not want to overanalyze. After all, his team found ways to win in two of those games, 2-1 against the Sharks on David Krejci s last-second goal and 3-2 over the Ducks in a shootout. In between was Wednesday s loss at Pittsburgh. I think our starts could be better, but sometimes I feel we analyze the game a little too much, said Julien. Way too much, from one game to another. The one thing I would like to see is us having better starts out there, but the rest of the game, that s just the way it is. Sometimes we re the ones that are standing there and seeing what s going on with the players, we re the ones that know how tired, how tough the trip was, how tough the game the night before was, so it s our job, I guess, to take it for what it s worth. Julien noted that by the end of the game against the Ducks, the shots were pretty even, the scoring chances were pretty even. Adding some speed Speedy 21-year-old Ryan Spooner was called up from Providence before Thursday s game. Spooner, whom Julien described as one of those guys who really puts D s on their heels with the speed he comes up the ice with, skated on a line with Carl Soderberg and Chris Kelly. Julien said sometimes a bit of dash can push the team in the right direction. I think right now we are a little bit flat. said Julien. We re looking for some momentum here in our game. [Spooner] was a guy that could come in fresh and give us that spark. He created a penalty [Thursday] night from just working in the corner, he did give us some pretty good looks, some speed through the neutral zone, he got an assist. So he did his job. So the call I guess was a right one for us when that third line was a little bit flat the last few games. Julien counseled patience with Soderberg, whose giveaway led to the Ducks first goal, but who later scored his first NHL goal. With Carl right now, it s a little bit of uneven play on his part. Julien said of the 28-year-old Swede. He doesn t have a ton of experience here and most of his experience has been playing at center, so he s getting used to playing the wing. He s also getting used to playing a different kind of game. Boychuk day to day Defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who was injured crashing into the boards in Thursday s second period, was at the practice rink Friday, but did not skate. His status is day to day, according to Julien. He s feeling better, so we re going day to day, Julien said. More than likely he s on this trip [to Long Island]. Loui Eriksson, who is out with a concussion, continues to make progress toward full health. He s still going OK, Julien said. As predicted he s taken some steps in the right direction. He did the exertion test so that he can start working out. It s still a day-to-day process; whether he s moving forward or whether we ve got to hold him back, we ll only know one day at a time. Friday s on-ice practice was limited to two lines: Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton, and Daniel Paille; and Soderberg, Spooner, and Jordan Caron; defenseman Matt Bartkowski, and goalie Chad Johnson. Bartkowski, who has been the healthy scratch on defense for six games, said, I haven t really sat out this long before, but I feel ready, so I think I m doing a pretty good job of it. Staying on top of conditioning is the main thing. There s just a few guys that you can move in and out of the lineup and those guys have been playing really good, said Julien. So they re hard to take out. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up a little bit and the time will come where we ll get Bart back in. That s where we re at right now, looking for the opportunity to put him in. It s as simple as that. Road trip The Bruins traveled to Long Island Friday to wait for Saturday s game against the Islanders, who were in Ottawa Friday night. Julien said no decision had been made on the goaltender. Johnson was on the ice for practice Friday while Tuukka Rask, who has played 11 of the Bruins 12 games and started Wednesday and Thursday, rested. Boston Globe LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Boychuk day-to-day; Eriksson making progress Friday, November 1, 2013 By: Steve Conroy WILMINGTON--Johnny Boychuk, who left Thursday's 3-2 shootout victory over Anaheim with what looked like a lower body injury, is day-to-day and he's expected to travel with the team to Long Island today, according to coach Claude Julien. The B's play the Islanders tomorrow night. "He's feeling better, so we're going day-to-day on him," said Julien. Loui Eriksson, meanwhile, appears to be making some progress in his comeback from the concussion he suffered on the head shot he took from John Scott that earned Scott a seven-game suspension. "He did the exertion test so tha he can start working out. It's still a day-to-day p[rocess. Whether he keeps moving forward or whether we need to hold him back we'll only know one day at time," said Julien. Boston Herald LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins B s hope to catch Isles at bad time Saturday, November 2, 2013 By: Steve Conroy WILMINGTON The vagaries of the NHL schedule often put certain teams at a competitive disadvantage. It s happened two weeks in a row to the Bruins, who had to play 8 p.m. games on the road on consecutive Wednesday nights before coming home to face foes who were sitting in Boston waiting for them. The results were fairly predictable, with the B s getting off to slow starts on both of those second games (though they did scratch back to win both times, against tough opponents in San Jose and Anaheim). But tonight on Long Island, with the Islanders playing in Ottawa tonight, the schedule benefits the Bruins. And it will be up to them to take advantage of the break they ve been given. We had a slow start last game. It s a little bit of a different schedule this time of year where you get the late nights on the back-to-backs. But every team goes through it at different times. It s just the way it is, especially in an Olympic year. And you want to make the most of it when you can catch a team like that, Jarome Iginla said. You want to come out with a good start on nights like that, as teams have tried with us. And you also want to find ways to win those games when they may be set up against you. We don t take it for granted, but we want to take advantage of the Islanders playing and we want our starts to be better. And we want to finish with a solid week, too. Though coach Claude Julien didn t want to overanalyze the slow starts too much, he did say there s a good opportunity for his team tonight. I know if I was sitting in the other team s building and we ve got the other that s playing a back-to-back, I d want to make sure that I got off to a good start, which is going to be the case for us (tonight), said Julien. It s a normal trend and it s normal for a team that gets back at 2 in the morning to take a little while to get their legs under them, which was the case with us (Thursday). It ll be the B s first time seeing Thomas Vanek in an Islanders uniform. Vanek, who has totals in 50 career games against the B s, was traded last week for another Bruins-killer in Matt Moulson ( totals in 15 games). Vanek improves an already potent group of forwards that include John Tavares, Frans Neilsen, Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner. Making them play in their own zone early will go a long way toward making it a successful night. Overall, we want to start better and we just want to be better coming out of the dressing room. We want to establish more offensive-zone time and more shots on net, Dennis Seidenberg said. Seidenberg believes the starts have more to do with the head than the legs. It s all mental, said Seidenberg. You always tell yourself you want to come out strong, you want to come out hard. But it s another thing to actually do it. We always tell ourselves to do it. But we have to start doing it. B s notes Johnny Boychuk, who left Thursday s 3-2 shootout victory over Anaheim with what looked like a lower-body injury, is day-to-day and is expected to travel with the team to Long Island yesterday, according to Julien.... Loui Eriksson appears to be making some progress in his comeback from the concussion he suffered on the head shot he took from John Scott that earned the Buffalo Sabres forward a seven-game suspension. He did the exertion test so that he can start working out. It s still a day-to-day process, Julien said.... Julien said he hadn t made a decision on whether he d go with Tuukka Rask or backup Chad Johnson in net tonight. Boston Herald LOADED:

11 Buffalo Sabres Tropp and Kaleta poised to return November 1, :17 PM by Amy Moritz Corey Tropp and Patrick Kaleta are due back for the Buffalo Sabres. Kaleta is coming off his 10-game suspension while Tropp will rejoin the roster after being on injured reserve with a broken jaw. But how those additions will specifically play out have yet to be seen. "We'll see. They're available," Sabres coach Ron Rolston said when asked of Tropp and Kaleta would be in the lineup Saturday against Anaheim. "They both look good and they're available, so we'll see." With Tropp coming off the injured reserved list, the Sabres will have to make a roster move today. At practice Friday morning, there seemed to be no major line shakeups. The top line of Matt Moulson Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis skated together while Tropp joined Steve Ott and Marcus Foligno. Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson skated with both Drew Stafford and Brian Flynn. On the fourth line Mikhail Girgorenko and Cody McCormick worked with both Ville Leino and Kaleta. Defensive pairings at practice were: Christian Ehrhoff-Mark Pysyk; Henrik Tallinder-Tyler Myers; Jamie McBain-Rasmus Ristolainen; and Nikita Zadorov-John Scott. While Rolston said he would not comment on Scott's suspension, Scott did say he was not appealing his seven-game suspension. He has already served four games. Buffalo News LOADED:

12 Buffalo Sabres Sabres Kaleta, Tropp ready to get back to work By Amy Moritz News Sports Google+ on November 2, :00 AM Patrick Kaleta is eager to return to the Buffalo Sabres lineup. The forward has been watching his teammates struggle and slide through the worst month in franchise history while he served a 10-game suspension for a hit to the head of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson. Now Kaleta just wants the opportunity to do his part to help breathe life into his team. I m just going to try and infuse some energy in the lineup and bring hard work, hard work and hard work, Kaleta said. Try to play passionate and like I said bring some hard work. Sense a theme? Hard work is something the Sabres have lacked. It was particularly evident in Thursday night s 2-0 loss at the New York Rangers and became a point of emphasis in Friday morning s practice at First Niagara Center as the team prepared for tonight s game with Anaheim. That hard work looks like on the ice when you re winning one-on-one battles constantly, supporting guys, supporting the puck, captain Steve Ott said. You tend to break out easier, you tend to puck retrieve better as well. All those things are from work. When you have to support somebody, you have to get there. You have to put the work in, the extra 10 steps to get there. That s something watching video today, we lacked a lot of. We ve seen a lot of it over the last month or so of our first periods, our hesitation and our slow starts. Hard work and competing have been the buzz words around the Sabres and they return two key players who can help in those areas. While Kaleta comes off his suspension, Corey Tropp returns from injured reserve after breaking his jaw in a preseason game against Toronto. Both those players work. Let s be honest here, Ott said. Corey Tropp s all heart, all work. Patty Kaleta, the same thing. It s been a long road back for Tropp, who has played in just a handful of games over the past year. Last season in the opener with Rochester, he scored two goals then tore ligaments in his right knee. He returned to play five more games at the end of the season, but the organization shut him down as Tropp still was recovering his step and strength after surgery. He s missed like a year and a half of hockey or close to it with the injuries he s had, Sabres coach Ron Rolston said of Tropp. He has a good attitude but it s probably going to take him a little bit to get to where he wants to be, I would imagine, but you can see the energy he brings to the table for us. The hope is that energy can translate into some goals. In with Portland, his first season in the AHL, he had 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists) in 76 games. In he played 27 games in Rochester (9 goals, 13 assists) and 34 games with Buffalo (3 goals, 5 assists). He gets to the hard areas, Rolston said. He plays a pretty north-south game and he gets to the net so he ll be around there to have opportunities. And he can finish. He s got a good release around the net and he ll be there a lot. Tropp has been forced to learn patience and has talked about how he s been humbled over the last year with his injuries. But his sideline view of the games has helped him see what s lacking with the team and where he might be able to be of assistance. I ve been watching a lot of games. It s never easy. It s frustrating, Tropp said. Every guy works hard all summer to come in and set themselves up for success during the season. Right now, we re in a hole, but we still have 60-something games left. We ve just got to keep pushing through. We ve got to find a way to make teams respect us and it starts with the work. That s what it comes down to. It can t be one period or five minutes here at the end of the game to catch up. It s got to be from the drop of the puck on and it s got to start to carry over every single day. We can t play good in the third period then not turn it on until two games later in the second period. It s got to start early. I think the message is clear. It s getting to the point where it s enough talking. It s time to do it. Buffalo News LOADED:

13 Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: Numbers are as bad as team s play By Amy Moritz News Sports Google+ on November 2, :56 AM The hashtag set the tone for the month: #suffering. So here is the official tally on October for the Buffalo Sabres. The mark is tied for the second-fewest points earned in a month (with a minimum of 10 games) by the Sabres. Buffalo notched only four points in November 2002 (1-10-2). This is the third time the team has managed just five points in a month along with November 1971 (1-7-3) and October 1986 (1-7-2). The Sabres have the worst goal differential in the league at minus-20. They ve scored just 23 goals, good enough for second worst in the NHL (Philadelphia has scored just 20), while they ve given up 43 (tied for second-worst with Calgary, both trailing Edmonton, which has surrendered 54). Shots on goal have also been a losing battle. The Sabres have outshot their opponent just once this season, a edge over Colorado on Oct. 19. The Avalanche, however, won that game, The shots on goal disparity was pretty significant in Thursday s 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden. The Rangers held a advantage, including 19-6 in the first period. The coaching staff is telling the team to shoot more. The players know they have to shoot more. And yet there seems to be a disconnect. It s a mentality right now for us, wanting to make a better play, I think, Sabres coach Ron Rolston said. I think that s the same with a lot of our turnovers now through the neutral zone. We want to make a better play than is there and we re not taking what is there. That s one area right there you ve got to take what s there on those shots. We had real good looks where we didn t get pucks down to the net. A team like the Rangers, they shoot from everywhere. When they get 40 shots they re shooting from the snack bar any possible area, they re shooting from. And the more you do that, the more you re going to put the other team s defense on their heels a lot because they have to battle. Pucks are going to be around there and they ve got to box out and get lanes to the net. It causes a lot more than that initial shot.... John Scott said he would not appeal his seven-game suspension for his hit to the head of Boston s Loui Eriksson on Oct. 23. Scott has served four games of his suspension, which was handed out Thursday. He wants to move on from the incident. This is the first time the six-year NHL veteran has been suspended by the league.... Joel Armia, who has missed 14 games with a hand injury, still has not practiced. Rolston said he is close to being cleared to play but probably will not be placed on the Sabres roster. He s probably within a week, I would imagine, Rolston said. We ll probably send him down. He s got to play some games. It would be tough throwing him right into this league. Buffalo News LOADED:

14 Calgary Flames Wings vets good examples for Flames November 1, :12 pm Posted by: Scott Cruickshank If any of the Calgary Flames forwards need blueprints, all they have to do is observe the Detroit Red Wings. Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Daniel Alfredsson were singled out for praise this morning by Flames coach Bob Hartley. Whenever your top forwards are (those three), you know that those guys don t cheat the game, said Hartley. They play the game in the three zones, the way hockey should be played. They re great workers. They re unbelievable talented players. It makes it interesting. For us, we prepare just like we prepare for any other team. Calgary Flames centre Mikael Backlund fought for the puck against New York Rangers defenceman Stu Bickel. Coach Bob Hartley hopes Backlund will take note of the Detroit Red Wings' offense for some pointers on three-zone play. Calgary Flames centre Mikael Backlund fought for the puck against New York Rangers defenceman Stu Bickel. Coach Bob Hartley hopes Backlund will take note of the Detroit Red Wings offense for some pointers on three-zone play. Mikael Backlund, returning to the lineup after being scratched Wednesday, can take note of the aforementioned trio. This morning I sat with him, said Hartley. We went through what he needs to do in a better way. He s aware of this. Backs is very fun to work with. He s a great young man and he s done lots of great things for us. I told him, I believe that you focus way too much on only your defensive game. I want our players to play the game all the same. I think Zetterberg and Datsyuk are great examples... when you have the puck, think of scoring a goal. When we don t have the puck? Well, take it as quickly as we can from the other team so that we can go and score a goal. The Wings, now in the Eastern Conference, bring to the Saddledome a record of It s a very good hockey club, said Hartley. We saw that they went into Vancouver and they beat the Canucks when the Canucks were playing real good hockey. Motor City, apparently, is also a dandy nurturing ground. Talking about former Wings forward Jiri Hudler, Hartley noted that the player s early days in Detroit turned him into the player he is today. This is a great organization you look at Yzerman, Shanahan, all those great guys that they had and all the great runs that they had, Hartley said. Whenever you re raised as a young player in this organization... look at what they ve done with all those young players, and Jiri was one of them. And right now, our young players are benefitting from Jiri s experience. = The Lines * Curtis Glencross/Matt Stajan/David Jones * Sven Baertschi/Sean Monahan/Jiri Hudler * Michael Cammalleri/Joe Colborne/T.J. Galiardi * Lance Bouma/Mikael Backlund/Brian McGrattan Scratch RW Tim Jackman = The Pairings * Kris Russell/Dennis Wideman * Chris Butler/T.J. Brodie * Derek Smith/Shane O Brien = The Goalies * Joey MacDonald * Karri Ramo = C Johan Franzen draws back in for the Wings. G Jimmy Howard (4-4-2, 2.45 GAA,.918) starts, while G Petr Mrazek backs up. Calgary Herald: LOADED:

15 Calgary Flames Johnson: Rough road ahead for Flames Four-game stretch could be deadly for slumping team By George Johnson, Calgary Herald November 2, :01 AM The North Yungas Road, also known as the Road of Death, 40 mountain-hugging miles only 10 feet wide between La Paz and Coroico, Bolivia, is widely regarded as the most dangerous road in the world. Come a week today, the Calgary Flames might put up an argument on that. Chicago to St. Paul, St. Loo to Denver. On the NHL highway, brother, that is one of, if not the, most treacherous stretches of terrain immaginable. Enough to make the most intrepid nomads give pause. So navigate at your own risk. Arguably even more daunting, yes, than the last time they sallied forth, a tortuous trek through California, Arizona and Texas. And everyone knows how that turned out... That last one was a tough one for us, sighed defenceman Chris Butler, already trying to run a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings through the handy-dandy mental shredder. I don t think we played our style of hockey, to our identity. Then we come home against Washington a mighty impressive 5-2 spanking of Ovie and Co. and we re swarming the puck, we re intense, we re playing a fast game. Maybe on the road trip we were feeling things out going into different buildings, for whatever reason. On this one, we can t afford to get away from that workman-like, grinder, blue-collar attitude that we ve kinda developed this year. Against teams like Chicago, St. Louis, Colorado, as a defenceman I look at their offensive corps, the guys up front, and when you turn pucks over against those guys same with Detroit tonight you re going to spend entire nights in your D-zone. When you do get it out, you re just dumping it in and going for a change instead of forechecking, using your team speed, which is what s allowed us to have some success. So I d say puck management is the most important thing looking ahead to this road trip. For the first time in the surprise start to the season, the local ice Adonises find themselves hovering below the water line, at The four teams they ll face on this trek of terror only happen to be the Nos. 1 though 4 in the Central Division, sport a combined record of and on home ice. The Hawks are, well, the Hawks: Skilled, deep and an authentic threat to repeat. The Blues have lost only once in regulation. Patrick Roy, the early-season Jack Adams frontrunner, has his youthful Avs playing beyond their years, up to the level of their precociousness. Yeah, conceded Butler, pondering a roll call of destinations, that is a tough road. Certainly nobody s idea of a skip down the Yellow Brick Road on the way to Emerald City. More ominously, the Flames open up at the United Center on the south side of Chicago, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown territory, where they have one limp point to show for the last 20 on offer (0-9-1). A tough building to win in, for sure, but also a fun one to play in, countered defenceman Shane O Brien, hopefully. It s loud. No problem getting jacked up for the game. And you fully understand the type of team you re up against. So we know what s ahead of us, and it won t be easy, but maybe we need to get on the road here and start finding ways to win games and maybe claw our back above.500. Should the same fate befall them on their last sojourn abroad, it d be awfully difficult to regroup. The locals left for the California opening of that swing on a laughing-gas high, unbeaten (3-0-2) in regulation. This time, they depart on the heels of back-to-back home losses, four setbacks in five overall, frantically trying to regain lost equilibrium. On Friday, the Flames fell behind 2-0, undeservedly, despite holding a wide edge in play and shots, showed that resiliency that s already become hallmark, pulling it back 2-2 only to see a go-ahead clearing pass go in off from behind the goal line on Joey MacDonald. After that, the air couldn t escape the balloon fast enough. Pfffffffffffffffffffffff! The last two efforts, definitely the Toronto game and maybe even tonight, we should ve gotten something out of, acknowledged O Brien. But through the course of the season there are always times when you re left wondering Why? Cause you re working hard and doing the right things. We re a young team, we re learning. The thing about this league is, nobody feels sorry for you. Sometimes the hockey gods arent always fair. So you ve got have a short memory in this business. Put the last one behind you good or bad and move on. And that s what we ll do: Move on. To Chicago and St. Paul, St. Loo and Denver. A tough road. An unforgiving road. A road, some might suggest at an exceedingly delicate point in a rebuilding season, to ruin. More perilous, maybe, than even the dreaded North Yungas. It s frustrating knowing we re not getting the result, acknowledged Butler, but if you look at the process, the style of game we ve been playing it s not like we came out flat, we re garbage and making a bunch of boneheaded, stupid play. So yeah, it is frustrating not getting points when maybe you think you should. Then again, I ve never been a big believer just because you feel you should ve won the game, then you re owed it. All that deserved a better fate stuff. Doesn t matter if you feel should ve won the game. That doesn t count for anything. You have to win it. Calgary Herald: LOADED: