CAROLINA HURRICANES. NEWS CLIPPINGS October 13, Two games in, what do we know about the Canes? By Chip Alexander.

Transcription

1 Two games in, what do we know about the Canes? By Chip Alexander October 12, 2014 Two games in, what do we know? We know the Canes badly miss Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner. We already knew that, but the two losses to the New York Islanders to start the season underscored how much they miss Staal's size and savvy in the defensive zone and Skinner's puck-control ability and sniping in the offensive zone. We know the power play is better. We know the penalty kill needs work. So does the Canes' defensive-zone breakouts. We know the question about who's the No. 1 goalie is still to be answered. Interestingly, we also know Canes coach Bill Peters won't hesitate to hold his veterans accountable. In Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Isles, Peters made Ron Hainsey a scratch. Not that Hainsey was injured. No, Peters said, Hainsey was a healthy scratch. Ryan Murphy replaced Hainsey -- perhaps as much a message from the man in charge as a simple lineup change. "We need a puck-mover in there," Peters said. "We put 'Murph' in there. At times he moved the puck real well. We're looking to make plays. You've got to want the puck and when you have it you have to execute with it." Peters was not happy with undisciplined penalties by Nathan Gerbe and Alex Semin that he called retaliation moves. Gerbe picked up a slashing penalty after being hit along the boards in the first period, and Semin was called for high-sticking as he was about to step off the ice to end a second-period shift. The Isles scored on both power plays -- John Tavares after the Gerbe penalty and Brock Nelson after the Semin penalty. Then, in the final minute of the second period, the Canes had the puck in the offensive zone and Andrej Sekera put on a skating, puck-handling show. The problem: the Canes' skaters were on the ice too long, the Isles put together a rush and Josh Bailey scored with 3.6 seconds left in the period for a 4-2 lead - - eventually the game-winner. One concern after the game were injuries to Eric Staal and Pat Dwyer, who both left in the third. Peters had no update and to his credit did not call them a factor in the outcome, or bring up Staal or Skinner being out. "That's the way it is in this league," he said. "Guys go down, next guy up comes in and plays. That's reality in the National Hockey League." The Canes' next game is Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres at PNC Arena and will be their last home game of the month. Asked where he wanted to see the most improvement, Saturday to Tuesday, Peters was quick to tick it off: "Execution with the puck. D-zone exits, D-zone breakouts. More poise with the puck, more options for the D and more guys cutting people off and wanting the puck -- actually wanting the puck." The guess is that's the checklist for Monday's practice (the Canes have a scheduled off-day Sunday). There were some good things to take away from Saturday's game. Jiri Tlusty had a hat trick, twice scoring on power plays in the first period. "The power play has been good,' Peters said. "We expect it to continue to be good and we've got to shore up areas of our game." Anton Khudobin was able to get his first start in net. Cam Ward started the opener Friday and Peters had been coy about his second-game starter, but said Saturday that going with Khudobin in the second of the back-to-back was planned. "It's always weird going into the first game of the season," Khudobin said. "When you go in there and try to do too much, it doesn't work out. So I kind of settled down in the third period and everything was my way." The Isles scored the four goals on 21 shots in the first and second periods -- their third score on Brock Nelson's deflection. Khudobin stopped all 10 shots in the third and will make Peters call for the Sabres game interesting. Tlusty's third goal made it a 4-3 game with six minutes left in regulation and the Canes later pulled Khudobin for a sixth attacker, but couldn't tie it. Through the first six periods of the season, the Canes have yet to hold the lead. And, of course, they're 0-2 and without a point going into the Sabres game. That much, we know.

2 DeCock: Rough start to season for Hurricanes By Luke DeCock - Staff Columnist ldecock@newsobserver.com CAROLINA HURRICANES RALEIGH A mere two periods into the season, the Carolina Hurricanes quickly reached a crossroads. They had a few early chances that went for naught. They took three penalties and the puck ended up in their net on all three. So what do you say if you're Bill Peters in your first game behind the Hurricanes' bench, down three goals to the New York Islanders a mere 40 minutes into the season? "You gotta keep playing," Peters said afterward. "You still have to do things right. You have to establish a foundation. You have to stay with it." The Canes came out and delivered with a quick Nate Gerbe goal, a Justin Faulk deflection off Gerbe's skate. There was life, there was hope, there was finally a goal. Less than four minutes later, the Islanders scored again to make it 4-1. Then 5-1. So much for that. "That was tough," Hurricanes captain Eric Staal said. "It felt like the momentum was really coming our way." Chris Terry and Staal added goals late, but it only made the final score seem closer than it really ever was. The Islanders' power play essentially won the game for them -- with a five-onthree goal, a five-on-four goal and another scored seconds after a penalty expired -- before the Hurricanes were even on the board. The sense of existential despair after two periods was palpable. Until Gerbe's goal, the biggest cheer was for Jordan Staal, limping out to the bench on crutches for pregame introductions. (Jeff Skinner was notably and worringly absent.) The Hurricanes' best defensive play involved Tim Gleason hustling back to stop the puck from going into his own, empty net on a delayed penalty. Peters lost his Hurricanes coaching debut while Cam Ward, who started at home last season, has now lost six straight PNC Arena openers -- not that he had a lot of help Friday. There were definitely moments when it was apparent what Peters is trying to get the Hurricanes to do, and not just in the third period. There were too many more when it was clear the Hurricanes can't do it yet, whether they're not ready or they're not capable, especially in their own end. Along with Anton Khudobin in net, expect Brett Bellemore and Ryan Murphy in Saturday's lineup in the second half of this home-and-home with the Islanders. It may take Peters a while to find the right mix on defense. This isn't it, not yet anyway. "We've got to look at getting better back there," Peters said. "There's no practice. Possibly a pregame skate on the Island. But we've got some guys who can come in back there. 'Murph' would add something on the power play and help us move the puck five-on-five, and 'Belly' is hard to play against." The parking lots were full of tailgaters beforehand, always a heartening sight, and an apparent 16,000 of an announced sellout crowd of 18,680 actually filled seats to watch the only game of the night in the NHL between the only two teams yet to begin their season. Half the teams in the league had scouts in the press box. The hockey world was watching. It saw nothing to defy predictions for either team, that the Islanders were headed for the playoffs, that the Hurricanes were bound to struggle. There's still time to refute those expectations, but the Hurricanes didn't Friday. They have to establish a foundation. They have to stay with it. That was Peters' message after two periods Friday. It won't change. There's still a lot of work to be done. DeCock: Islanders ruin Peters' debut with Canes, win opener 5-3 By Chip Alexander calexander@newsobserver.com October 10, 2014 RALEIGH Bill Peters waited a long time to be a head coach in the NHL. He ll have to wait a little longer to get his first victory. The Carolina Hurricanes hoped to give Peters that victory Friday in the season opener at PNC Arena, but the New York Islanders would have none of it. Brock Nelson had two goals and two assists, Johnny Boychuk a goal and two assists and goalie Jaroslav Halak was exacting enough in net as the Isles won 5-3. Peters, brought in to replace the fired Kirk Muller as coach, had an otherwise productive first training camp marred by injuries to forwards Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner. Staal will be out three to four months with a broken leg and Skinner is sidelined indefinitely after a concussion.

3 For the ninth straight season, goalie Cam Ward started in net for the Canes in a season opener. The coaching staff and players were introduced before the game Jordan Staal coming out to the bench on crutches and the sellout crowd, which included team owner Peter Karmanos, was lively. But the Isles were the better team in too many aspects. Nathan Gerbe and Eric Staal did score power-play goals and Chris Terry an even-strength goal in the third period for the Canes a late push they hope to carry over into Saturday s turnaround game against the Isles in Uniondale, N.Y. We need to respond and come ready to play, Eric Staal said. Boychuk scored a 5-on-3 goal late in the first and Nelson followed with an even-strength score just after the second penalty expired for a 2-0 lead. The 5-on-3 and then another quick play by a pretty good player cost us, but we ll get better in that regard and be ready (Saturday) night, Staal said. Nelson s power-play score in the second period pushed the Isles ahead 3-0 as center John Tavares picked up assists on all three goals. Tavares roughing penalty as the second ended led to the Canes first goal of the season. Early in the third, Justin Faulk got off a shot from the right circle and the puck glanced off the skate of Gerbe in front of Halak. But the Isles quickly answered on Mikhail Grabovski s goal for a 4-1 lead. Grabovski, a free-agent signee in the offseason, beat Ward high to the blocker side. Travis Hamonic made it 5-1 with a shot from the point, but Terry scored from the right circle. Then Staal on a late power play. The Canes carried the play much of the first but Halak, acquired by the Isles in a trade in May, turned back every serious threat. I didn t mind our start. I thought we started on time, Peters said. But obviously we took a couple of penalties that put us behind the eight-ball. A holding penalty against Brad Malone, followed by a highsticking call against Jay Harrison gave New York s 5-on-3 advantage, and the Isles converted their chances. Boychuk drilled a shot from the left point for a 1-0 lead. Nelson then scored just after the 5-on-4 power play expired, beating Ward with a top-shelf shot. The Canes had chances to take the lead in the first. Center Victor Rask, making his NHL debut, nearly scored off a rebound on an early power play, and Staal later had a good look in front. I think any time you can get a lead it makes it a little easier obviously, Peters said. If we could have got one there it could have changed things for sure. Ward allowed five goals on 26 shots and Anton Khudobin may start Saturday s game. But Peters said the goaltending in the opener wasn t a big issue as some shaky defensive zone play. I thought he was fine, Peters said of Ward. I thought we broke down too many times unnecessarily. Any time you do that good players are going to make you pay, and that s what happened. Alexander: Harrison says wearing A is honor not to be taken lightly Posted by Chip Alexander on October 10, 2014 There were a number of candidates and several players shared the distinction, the letter, during preseason games. But the Canes' alternate captains have been named and three were chosen. Andrej Sekera will be a permanent alternate captain this season, and Jay Harrison and Ron Hainsey will rotate in wearing an "A" until alternate captain Jordan Staal recovers from his broken leg and is able to rejoin the lineup. Harrison has been a captain and alternate captain at various levels of hockey and in various tournaments, but never in the NHL. "To represent the club in a leadership role is a great privilege," Harrison said. "It's an honor I don't take lightly. But at the same time it doesn't really change my role. It doesn't define a leader on a hockey team because they have that designation on their jersey or called on to deal with referees. "Being a leader happens behind the scenes. It may reaffirm some of the things I've done and it certainly doesn't change them." Harrison, 31, is the player who organized the informal workouts before training camp began. Before defenseman Haydn Fleury left camp, returning to the Red Deer Rebels, the first-round draft pick praised Harrison for being a mentor, for offering advice, making him feel comfortable. "Guys wanting advice generally tend to seek it out," Harrison said. "Guys are independent, as well, and you have to let them learn." Harrison said one of the duties of being an alternate captain would be in helping players such as Victor Rask and Patrick Brown enjoy Friday night, enjoy their NHL debut against the New York Islanders. He recalled his first game, both in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs and later his first with the Canes, saying, "What makes those memories so rich and memorable is the fact you had those guys making it special for you. At the same time, we've got a job to do. They know that and we know that. So it's a very cool combination."

4 Sekera, 28, is more the strong-but-silent type who quietly goes about his business and leads through his work ethic and sustained good play. Hainsey, 33, is the consummate professional in his preparation and play, and like Harrison has been know to drop the gloves and come to the defense of teammates on the ice. Eric Staal has been the Canes' team captain since January 2010, when the "C" was passed to him from Rod Brind'Amour. While disappointed his brother won't be on the ice for months, Staal said the newly selected alternate captains -- and others in the room -- would step in and be strong, at times forceful. "We've got quite a few leaders in this room, some older guys who have been around and gone through a lot of experiences," Staal said. "For me to be able to work with them as leaders, it will be good. We've got some marquee guys that are important to our team that don't wear letters, but regardless we've got a lot of guys ready and willing to step up and be counted upon as part of the leadership group in this room." Nelson, Boychuk help Islanders top Canes 5-3 Posted 10:20 p.m. Friday By JOEDY McCREARY, AP Sports Writer RALEIGH, N.C. These New York Islanders didn't look much like the team that finished last year in last place. Which makes sense: So many of the contributors Friday night weren't with them when last season ended. Johnny Boychuk had a goal and two assists in his Islanders debut, leading them past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3. Brock Nelson began his second NHL season with two goals and two assists, but three other Islanders who played key roles in this one weren't around for the end of last year. Free-agent signee Mikhail Grabovski had a goal, trade acquisition Jaroslav Halak made 21 saves, and John Tavares had three assists in his return after injuring a knee during the Olympics. "This is a big starting point for us, the new faces contributed, and that's why they're here," Nelson said. "If we get more than a couple guys on the score sheet, we're going to be a pretty good hockey club." Travis Hamonic also scored a goal for the Islanders, who scored twice on the power play. Boychuk picked up from Boston last week for draft picks and Nelson scored 1:48 apart in the first period. Nelson later added a deflected goal off a Boychuk shot in the second to put New York up 3-0 and in control of this matchup of the Metropolitan Division's two worst teams last year. "Johnny came in and just kind of fit in right away," Tavares said. Eric Staal, Nathan Gerbe and Chris Terry scored third-period goals while Cam Ward made 21 saves for the Hurricanes. New coach Bill Peters said losing his NHL head coaching debut felt "not great right now, actually" because Carolina "took a couple of penalties that put us behind the 8-ball, couldn't kill them, and gave them momentum." Carolina briefly made this interesting, making it 3-1 just 1:25 into the third when Gerbe deflected Justin Faulk's slap shot past Halak. But Grabovski restored the Islanders' three-goal lead at 5:11 after he was left alone in front of Ward, and Hamonic made it 5-1 with 7:41 remaining. Staal's goal came with 1:34 to play. "We were trying to use the momentum," Staal said. "When you get one, you feel the energy coming in the building, and the crowd's into it.... (Grabovski's goal) was tough." Andrej Sekera added two assists for the Hurricanes, who are ushering in a new era: Jim Rutherford the only general manager the club had known since it moved from Hartford in 1997 stepped aside during the offseason to make way for protégé Ron Francis, then took the GM's job with Metropolitan Division rival Pittsburgh. Francis fired Kirk Muller after 2½ seasons and brought in Peters from Detroit's staff. The roster was mostly left intact, though two key faces were missing: Jordan Staal (broken leg) and Jeff Skinner (concussion). The Islanders had eight players on the roster making their debuts and so many of them did so much of the work in this one. Halak, brought in to replace Evgeni Nabokov, was at times spectacular in goal. Grabovski, signed to a four-year deal after a 13-goal season in Washington, scored his momentumchanging goal when the Hurricanes were caught in a line change.

5 That came after Boychuk had a hand in each of the first three goals. He blasted a slap shot between Ward's pads for a 5-on-3 goal with 2:54 left in the first. "It's not like I'm going to sauce it through the middle of the ice," the notoriously heavy-shooting Boychuk said. "I'm probably not that kind of guy." He later assisted on Nelson's goal with 1:06 remaining in the period. Tavares took a pass from Boychuk and slipped a cross-ice pass between Faulk's legs to Nelson, who beat Ward high to make it 2-0. The Islanders pushed the lead to 3-0 with 12:22 left in the second when Boychuk uncorked a power-play shot that clipped Nelson's knee and got past Ward. NOTES: C Ryan Strome added two assists for New York.... Carolina has lost five of its last six openers, and has given up five goals in three of its last four openers.... The Islanders improved to in openers.... The teams meet again Saturday night in Uniondale, New York. Isles top Canes to open final season at Coliseum Posted 10:56 p.m. yesterday By IRA PODELL, AP Hockey Writer UNIONDALE, N.Y. The New York Islanders knew this would be a special day on Long Island when they first saw the schedule months ago. They felt it hours before the first puck dropped for their last home opener at Nassau Coliseum. It has been decades since the Islanders have been a hockey dynasty, and the club has reached the Stanley Cup playoffs only once since They hope to bring a little more glory to the old barn before they ship off to Brooklyn. John Tavares and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist, and the Islanders stayed perfect in the young season by beating Carolina 4-3 on Saturday night to sweep a two-game series from the Hurricanes. In the darkened arena before game time, the sold-out crowd illuminated the seating area with specks of white from cellphones they held up creating a planetarium-type atmosphere. And the noise was deafening. "It was crazy," said forward Josh Bailey, who scored the winning goal in the second period. "The last time we heard it like that was definitely in the playoffs. From the time we were getting ready here, we could hear it out there." Tavares and Nelson powered the Islanders' offense again after they filled the score sheet in a 5-3 win at Carolina on Friday night. Nelson had two goals and two assists in the opener, and Tavares had three assists to jump into 16th place on New York's career scoring list. "It was exciting," Nelson said. "I think everyone was looking forward to this date. We started the season yesterday, but coming back to the rink today, it felt like we were starting all over again." Cory Conacher added a goal for the Islanders, who have been on Long Island since joining the NHL in Carolina's Jiri Tlusty scored two power-play goals in the first period and completed his second NHL hat trick with 5:58 left in the third. Alexander Semin had two assists, and backup Anton Khudobin made 27 saves. It just wasn't enough to keep Carolina from an 0-2 start. "I think we competed hard," Tlusty said. "We did better things, but they have a real good power play. They took over the game." Chad Johnson stopped 21 shots to earn his first win with the Islanders. After scoring two goals in the first period for the second straight night, the Islanders poured it on again in the feisty middle frame to grab a 4-2 lead. Nine penalties were called in the second including a fight between New York's Matt Martin and Carolina's Jay Harrison. Nelson gave New York a 3-2 lead during a power play when he deflected in a lunging slap shot drive from inside the middle of the blue line by new defenseman Johnny Boychuk at 6:47. The Islanders then capitalized in the closing seconds to forge their first two-goal lead of the night. The Islanders nudged the puck into the Carolina zone, and Frans Nielsen spotted Bailey driving down the middle and hit him with a pass in the slot from the right circle. Bailey popped it past Khudobin with 3.5 seconds remaining to make it 4-2. "You have to execute with the puck, and we didn't do enough of that," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. The Islanders got on track quickly, scoring a power-play goal just 3:50 into the game when Tavares took a cross-zone feed from Nelson near the top of the left circle and slapped a drive past Khudobin for his first of the season and first since Feb. 8, just before his season-ending knee injury at the Olympics. "Every goal feels great," Tavares said. "There is no feeling really like it. It was just nice to kind of hit my target. I got all of it." The Islanders were quicker and more engaged early and threatened to jump ahead even more on their second power play of the game at 5:17.

6 But the Hurricanes found their legs and killed that one, and then quieted the crowd and seemingly grabbed the momentum when Tlusty scored his first 36 seconds into Travis Hamonic's hooking penalty with 5:47 left in the opening period. Before that goal could be announced, the Islanders grabbed the lead just 31 seconds later. Kyle Okposo let go a hard drive as he entered the Hurricanes zone at the left point, and Khudobin gloved the puck but fumbled it and dropped it. Tavares got it at the right post, spun and flung a pass across the front of the crease to Conacher, who was alone at the left post for an easy tap-in with 5:47 remaining. However, New York couldn't carry the advantage into the intermission after Matt Martin was whistled for tripping with 1:04 to go. Eric Staal took a pass from Semin in the middle of the right circle and sent a perfect pass to Tlusty at the left post for a redirect into the net with 15.5 seconds left in the first to tie it 2-2. NOTES: Tavares, who had three assists in the opener on Friday, has 14 goals and 13 assists in 20 games against Carolina. The 27 points are his most against any team.... The Islanders are in home openers. Skinner to IR, Boychuk back from Checkers Posted 5:41 p.m. today RALEIGH, N.C. The Carolina Hurricanes recalled Zach Boychuk from the Charlotte Checkers Sunday and put Jeff Skinner on injured reserve. Skinner, who suffered a concussion a week ago, has yet to take the ice in the Canes' two regular season losses. His IR will be retroactive to the date of his diagnosis, Oct. 5, Ron Francis, team general manager said. The concussion is Skinner's third in four seasons. The 22-yearold missed 16 games of the season with his first concussion. He missed more time in February 2013 after sustaining his second concussion following a hit against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last season, Skinner missed 11 games after sustaining an unspecified upper-body injury. Boychuk, 25, played 11 games with the Hurricanes in , totaling four points (1g, 3a) and earning a plus-1 rating. He'll be on the ice when the Canes host the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday at PNC Arena (7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network, 99.9 FM The Fan). Hurricanes start season with 5-3 loss to Islanders by Peter Koutroumpis on October 11, 2014 RALEIGH, N.C. The Carolina Hurricanes scored three goals in the third period but it wasn t enough as they dropped their home-opener 5-3 to the New York Islanders at PNC Arena on Friday. It was the two teams National Hockey League (NHL) seasonopener and the first of a back-to-back set they would play to begin their respective seasons. Nathan Gerbe, Chris Terry, and captain Eric Staal all posted goals, while starting goaltender Cam Ward made 21 saves in the losing effort. Coming into the game, the Hurricanes had won six of the last seven meetings between the clubs with Ward holding a record to go along with a 2.52 GAA and one shutout in 26 career appearances against the Isles. However, on this night, the Islanders played like they wanted to claim back some of their respect to make up for past shortfalls against Carolina, and showed they were the better team. Led by forwards Brock Nelson (2g, 2a), John Tavares (3a), and recently acquired defenseman Johnny Boychuk (1g, 2a), New York outshot Carolina with goalkeeper Jaroslav Halak making many key saves to keep the Hurricanes at a distance throughout. The night was a special one for rookies Victor Rask and Patrick Brown who played in their first career NHL game, while head coach Bill Peters recorded his first game as a bench boss in the league albeit as a loss. Not great right now, Peters said as he described his feelings following the game. I didn t mind our start. I thought we started out fine and then obviously there were a couple of penalties there that put us behind the eight ball we couldn t kill em and then it gave them momentum. The first 10 minutes showed high energy output from all four lines as Carolina put pucks towards Halak, but the Islanders

7 defensive zone play bought enough time to eventually take control of the game at the other end of the ice. Special teams play made the difference early on for New York as a 5-on-3 opportunity with 3:07 remaining in the opening period reaped its benefit. With both Brad Malone and Jay Harrison sitting in the penalty box, Tavares helped orchestrate the Islanders first two goals of the game. Boychuk unleashed a point shot that beat Ward through a crowd sitting in front of him to put the Islanders ahead 1-0 with 2:54 remaining. Tavares slid the puck to Kyle Okposo, who then set the defenseman up to unleash the one-timer from the open space inside the blue line. Remaining on the power play, Boychuk moved the puck over to Tavares who then found Nelson open in the slot to put a wrist shot up high over Ward s glove hand, just as both teams returned to even strength. The Islanders carried their 2-0 lead into the second period and added to it when Nelson scored his second of the game at the 7:38 mark. At some point during the period, Carolina lost its ability to penetrate the Islanders zone effectively and New York worked to keep its foot on the pedal. I thought once we started moving our feet and making some good puck decisions, I felt we started to gain some momentum, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said. From the Carolina bench, Peters saw the difference in work output from his team while it struggled to get on the board during the period. I think it was just us, lack of execution, more than anything, Peters said. I thought we executed well, the first half of the first period, even to the 15-minute mark, then I think our execution went away a little bit. Faced with a three-goal deficit with 20 minutes remaining to play, Peters message to his team was to keep playing hard. You gotta keep playin, you still gotta do things right, establish a foundation, he said. You gotta stay with it. Peters also made some personnel changes on the fly during the middle of the period, switching Alexander Semin and Elias Lindholm from their respective lines. It wasn t workin with what we were doin, he said. We were down three, you gotta try something and that s a change we knew we could go to at any time. The Hurricanes responded with three goals in the third period, and the power play (2-5) accounted for two of them. Early and late-period man-advantage goals from Gerbe and Staal sandwiched Chris Terry s one-timer from the opposite right faceoff circle at even-strength. However, the output wasn t enough to get any closer as Carolina couldn t narrow the Islanders lead to less than two goals at any point during the period. A defensive miscommunication below the goal line and in the corner between defensive partners Harrison and Ron Hainsey left Mikhail Grabovski all alone to receive a pass from Ryan Strome that beat Ward high on the blocker side at the 5:11 mark. New York defenseman Travis Hamonic followed that goal up seven minutes later as he snapped a clean shot from the top of the circle that beat Ward high to his blocker side, and gave the Islanders their largest lead of the game at 5-1. While eventually bringing the score back down to two goals with 94 seconds left in the game, it wasn t enough time for Carolina to stage a comeback in front of its sold out crowd of 18,680 in attendance. We were just tryin to use the momentum, Staal said. I felt the momentum was pushin good our way, but obviously not enough. Hurricanes unable to make comeback in 4-3 loss to Islanders Peter Koutroumpis UNIONDALE, N.Y. The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders faced each other for the second time in 24 hours on Saturday. As the puck dropped at Nassau Coliseum, the ending was a similar one and the Hurricanes suffered their second straight defeat, this time losing 4-3 to the Islanders. The bright spots on the night for the visitors were forward Jiri Tlusty posting his second career hat trick, scoring all of Carolina s goals including two on the power play, and captain Eric Staal assisting on one of them to earn his 400 th career assist. On the other hand, the dark spots included missed defensive assignments and taking undisciplined penalties. Getting his first start of the season as part of Carolina head coach Bill Peters plan to get both goalies playing early in the season, netminder Anton Khudobin made 27 saves, but couldn t come up any better than Cam Ward did the night before in a 5-3 loss to the Islanders at home. Before the game, despite losing in his head coaching debut, Peters felt the quick turnaround against the same opponent on the road would be helpful. It s really a good opportunity when you think about it, Peters said.

8 Playin the same team, you get a chance to exact a little revenge. Now you ve seen em play, now you know what to expect. Trying to build on a three-goal third period finish at PNC Arena, Tlusty helped Carolina keep pace with Isles captain John Tavares (1g, 1a) and his teammates as both teams were tied 2-2 following the opening period. However, a penalty-filled second didn t work to the Hurricanes favor as New York scored a power play goal to take the lead at 6:47, and added a period-ending marker that became the eventual game-winner. A goal with three seconds left in the second is not the way you want to finish the period, Peters said. We have to focus, and we have to be smart. We had a great offensive shift, but one little turnover and it s back in our face. While Khudobin faced 31 total shots, the Hurricanes offense was limited, particularly during the second and third periods, being outshot 22-13, and faced another uphill climb heading into the final period trailing 4-2. Even with Tlusty s third goal of the game coming with six minutes remaining to play, the Hurricanes were unable to net the equalizer and claimed another loss to begin the new NHL season, now sitting at 0-2. New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes final score 5-3: Islanders lose focus in would-be blowout season opener by Catherine Silverman The New York Islanders start their season off strong in an eventual 5-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes The New York Islanders made sure to start their season off with a reminder to everyone that this year, they re here to compete for the Cup. The metropolitan division team started off their season opener with a spectacular power-play goal from newcomer defenseman Johnny Boychuk late in the first period. The team would go on to take an early 3-0 lead largely due to the blue liner, who was traded to New York by the Boston Bruins earlier last week. Boychuk would earn two assists on the subsequent two goals, scored by Isles centerman Brock Nelson. Boychuk and Nelson were joined by Travis Hamonic and Mikhail Grabovski to bring the score to 5-1 following a third period power play goal by Carolina s Nathan Gerbe, but the team lost steam towards the end of the third period and lost their grip on the monstrous lead. Carolina ended up scoring two unanswered goals in those final ten minutes of the final period, narrowing the Islanders lead to a mere 5-3. Overall, the Islanders looked like the stronger team everywhere but the faceoff circle, where Carolina proved stronger throughout the entire game and on the penalty kill. The Hurricanes were by no means the worst team seen by hockey fans thus far in the season, but they were far from the best. In order to truly compete for the Stanley Cup this year, New York will need to polish up their play overall. Despite a few road bumps most likely attributed to start-ofseason rust, the New York Islanders came out of the gates strong. The addition of Boychuk is already proving to be a useful one, as is that of Jaroslav Halak in goal. Halak s only issue all game was his weak third period (all three Carolina goals were scored in the final twenty minutes), but things seem to have improved in net for the Islanders overall. The two teams will play again Saturday night, this time at Nassau Coliseum. It will be the Islanders final home game at the arena.

9 Brock Nelson's 4-point night leads New York past Carolina 5-3 in opener Friday, / 9:45 PM / News The Canadian Press RALEIGH, N.C. - Brock Nelson had two goals and two assists, Johnny Boychuk added a goal and two assists in his Islanders debut, and New York beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Friday night. Key free-agent acquisition Mikhail Grabovski had a goal, Travis Hamonic also scored one and John Tavares had three assists in his return after injuring his knee during the Olympics. Boychuk picked up from Boston last week for draft picks and Nelson scored 1:48 apart in the first period. Nelson later added a deflected goal off a Boychuk shot in the second to put New York up 3-0 and in control of this matchup of the Metropolitan Division's two worst teams last year. Jaroslav Halak made 21 saves in his Islanders debut. Eric Staal, Nathan Gerbe and Chris Terry scored third-period goals for Carolina. Cam Ward made 21 saves. The Hurricanes lost Bill Peters' NHL head coaching debut. At the Rink: Hurricanes at Islanders Saturday, / 12:55 PM By John Kreiser - NHL.com Columnist / At the Rink blog UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Back in the day, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum was known to the locals as "Fort Neverlose" because the New York Islanders rarely lost there. The Islanders hope to channel some of that old-time success when they host the Carolina Hurricaneson Saturday in their final home opener at the Coliseum before the franchise moves to Brooklyn next year. The Islanders missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season despite having a winning record on the road because they were just in what used to be one of the toughest buildings in the NHL for visiting teams. That includes two losses in as many games to the Hurricanes, who are in their last 14 visits to Long Island. "That's something that has to change. We know that," forward Kyle Okposo said Saturday when asked about the Islanders' struggles in their own building. "We have to be better at home. Last year we would have been right there if we had a halfway decent home record." A packed house will see if the revamped Islanders can complete a home-and-home sweep of the Hurricanes after their season-opening 5-3 win in Raleigh on Friday. Coach Jack Capuano knows the Islanders will miss the playoffs again if they don't improve their performance at home. "It's crucial; if we want to make the playoffs, we have to win at home," Capuano said Saturday. "We know that to be successful, [our play at home] has to be better than it was last year." Capuano will go with the same forwards and defensemen that generated five goals on Friday, but will start Chad Johnson in goal after Jaroslav Halak made 21 saves to win his Islanders debut. "That's why you have two quality goaltenders," Capuano said when asked why he was starting Johnson, who excelled as Tuukka Rask's backup in Boston last season and signed with New York as a free agent this summer. Carolina will also change goaltenders, with Anton Khudobin getting the start after Cam Ward was beaten five times on 26 shots.

10 The Islanders' victory spoiled Bill Peters' coaching debut with Carolina. "I liked our start," he said after the morning skate, "but the back-to-back penalties [late in the first period] hurt us and put us on our heels." The Islanders scored once during a 5-on-3 advantage and made it 2-0 on Brock Nelson's goal one second after the second penalty expired. The Hurricanes spent the rest of the night playing catch-up. Peters, who spent the past three seasons as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings, said he's glad to get a quick chance for a quick payback. "It's really a good opportunity when you think about it," he said. "You're playing the same team, you get the chance to exact a little revenge. You've seen them play and you know what to expect." Here are the projected lineups: HURRICANES Jiri Tlusty - Eric Staal - Alexander Semin Nathan Gerbe - Victor Rask - Elias Lindholm Brad Malone - Jay McClement - Patrick Dwyer Chris Terry - Riley Nash - Patrick Brown Justin Faulk - Andrej Sekera Ryan Murphy - John-Michael Liles Tim Gleason - Jay Harrison Anton Khudobin Cam Ward Scratched: Brett Bellemore, Ron Hainsey Injured: Jeff Skinner (concussion), Jordan Staal (broken leg) ISLANDERS Cory Conacher - John Tavares - Kyle Okposo Mikhail Grabovski - Brock Nelson - Ryan Strome Josh Bailey - Frans Nielsen - Nikolay Kulemin Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Cal Clutterbuck Thomas Hickey - Travis Hamonic Nick Leddy - Johnny Boychuk Brian Strait - Griffin Reinhart Chad Johnson Jaroslav Halak Scratched: Colin McDonald, Eric Boulton Injured: Michael Grabner (lower body), Lubomir Visnovsky (back) Matt Carkner (back), Calvin de Haan(upper body) George Stroumboulopoulos debuts as host of Sportsnet's Hockey Night in Canada Saturday, / 9:45 PM / News The Canadian Press The George Stroumboulopoulos era has officially begun. Stroumboulopoulos debuted as the host of Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night, anchoring Sportsnet's new interpretation of the venerable TV franchise in spite of the apparent displeasure of long-time host Ron MacLean and partner Don Cherry. The Gemini Award winner was one of the key additions made to the program when Rogers purchased its rights as part of a 12-year, $5.2-billion deal with the NHL that brought an end to 62 years of Hockey Night in Canada on the CBC. Stroumboulopoulos was dynamic throughout the pre-game show, leading several discussions with analysts pulled from the CBC's former Hockey Night in Canada crew and Sportsnet's roster of hockey experts. "Welcome to Hockey Central Saturday, my name is George Stroumboulopoulos. It's a blast to be with you," said the 42- year-old Mississauga, Ont., native as he introduced a panel with Hall of Famer Mark Messier, former player Nick Kypreos and seasoned journalists Elliotte Friedman and Damien Cox. Stroumboulopoulos was energetic in all of his segments, referencing the popular adult cartoon show "Archer," during the opening panel and playfully shoving Kypreos during a demonstration of proper defensive techniques. Not everyone on Hockey Night in Canada was thrilled with the changes. MacLean is now only responsible for leading the discussion on Coach's Corner with Cherry and a segment that will focus on the hometowns of NHLers that will air live on Sundays. At the start of Saturday's Coach's Corner segment Cherry asked how much time he had to get through his list of topics. "I only got five minutes, eh? This is what you call phasing a guy out, you know what I mean?" said Cherry. "At least you're still in the phasing part," replied MacLean. "Yeah, yeah, you're phased out," said Cherry. They then discussed Cherry's prediction that the Toronto Maple Leafs would not draft any Canadian players, compared to the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings who selected seven Canadians in last summer's NHL draft.

11 The highlight of the pre-game show, however, was a pre-taped interview between Stroumboulopoulos and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The pair sat on a couch at 24 Sussex, discussing Harper's hockey fandom, how well his kids play the game and the 21-year Stanley Cup drought affecting all seven of Canada's NHL teams. "In this household we cheer for the Leafs in the East and the Flames in the West," said Harper with a miniature Stanley Cup visible on a side table over his shoulder. "But I just want to see a Canadian team win the Cup. "Looking at the teams this year, my guess would be the Canadiens have the best shot but we've been surprised every year." Stroumboulopoulos and Harper also toured the jersey room, a walk-in closet that houses all of the prime minister's hockey memorabilia. Harper took particular pride in showing off a Maple Leafs sweater signed by all the surviving members of the 1967 team that last won a Stanley Cup for Toronto. The prime minister also discussed how he asked for details on Team Canada's Olympic roster before the lineup was officially announced by general manager Steve Yzerman. "I have the advantage that in this position you can pretty well command your audience," said Harper. "So when they were putting together Team Canada for the Sochi Olympics I had the management of the team come here and explain how they were going to make their picks." Chicago Blackhawks score 4 in third, beat Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in home opener Sunday, / 12:35 AM / News The Canadian Press CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks had Brad Richards at second-line centre for much of training camp, and then coach Joel Quenneville returned Andrew Shaw to that role near the end of the preseason. Sure looks like a smart move right now. Shaw, Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad combined for two goals and five assists, and the Blackhawks used a four-goal third period to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in their home opener on Saturday night. "It is satisfying. Playing with those two guys, you know they're going to make plays," Shaw said, "so I just try to go to the dirty areas and get them the puck and go to the net and they seem to make a lot of things happen." Shaw, Kane and Saad helped lead Chicago back from a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference final last season, but the Stanley Cup champion Kings won Game 7 in overtime. The Blackhawks then signed Richards in the off-season, but it looks as if Shaw is right at home playing centre behind captainjonathan Toews. "That line had a couple of shifts that were pretty impressive in the third period," Quenneville said. Zemgus Girgensons and Tyler Ennis scored in the first period for Buffalo, which lost 3-1 to Columbus in its season opener on Thursday night. Drew Stafford had two assists and Jhonas Enroth had 41 stops. "In the third period, their star players turned it up a notch and we didn't," Sabres coach Ted Nolansaid. Shaw and Kane each had a goal and an assist in the Blackhawks' fifth consecutive win against the Sabres. Saad had a career-high three assists and Corey Crawford made 21 saves. "I think we started really well, and we forgot to play defence," said Marian Hossa, who had a short-handed goal in the third. "They just kept coming and it was a tie game. But we had more chances and more shots, and eventually we played better defensively." The game was tied at 2 when Kane one-timed a backhand pass from Shaw past Enroth at 5:58 of the third. It was the first of the season for the Buffalo native, who has five career goals against his hometown team. Chicago poured it on from there. Hossa had a short-handed score at 10:03, Patrick Sharp converted a long power-play slap shot and Daniel Carcillo tapped in a feed from Saad with 2:37 left. "We just got outplayed," Ennis said. "We didn't have any power plays going in the third and we were giving up tons and it's not acceptable to play like that on the power plays with the man advantages." Coming off a 3-2 shootout win at Dallas in their season opener, a victory that Quenneville said they stole from the Stars, the Blackhawks jumped out to a fast start against the Sabres. Shaw tipped Niklas Hjalmarsson's long shot past Enroth just 59 seconds into the game. Duncan Keiththen had another long shot go off the stick of a Buffalo player and into the upper right corner for a 2-0 lead at 2:52 of the first. With the crowd of 22,012 looking for a quick knockout, Enroth settled down and the Sabres went to work on Crawford. Girgensons poked home a rebound to get Buffalo on the board, and Ennis scored on a short-handed breakaway to make it 2-2 at 18:40. Stafford set up the tying score when he intercepted a pass from Richards near the blue line and played it forward to a streaking Ennis, who skated in on Crawford for his first goal of the season. The Blackhawks went 1 for 4 on the power play. Chicago had a chance to go in front in the final seconds of the first, but Enroth made a great save onjonathan Toews right in front of the net.

12 Buffalo had the best opportunity in the scoreless second period. After Blackhawks defenceman David Rundblad failed to control the puck at the point, Nicolas Deslauriers got loose for a breakaway, but was stopped by Crawford, leading to chants of "Co-rey! Co-rey!" from the crowd. NOTES: The Flames scratched C Brian Flynn and Ds Tyson Strachan and Nikita Zadorov.... F Kris Versteeg and Ds Kyle Cumiskey and Michal Rozsival were the scratches for the Blackhawks... Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon received a standing ovation before he participated in the shoot the puck contest in between the second and third periods. Early returns positive for Predators' Laviolette Sunday, / 3:00 AM / NHL Insider By John Manasso - NHL.com Correspondent NASHVILLE -- As the Nashville Predators prepared for a meeting that preceded their season opener on Thursday, general manager David Poile stood in the runway glancing at the players and coaching staff in the dressing room whom he had assembled. Poile admitted to being anxious. Even for one of the longest-tenured general managers in NHL history, it was understandable. For the first time since 1998, Poile had hired a new coach in Peter Laviolette who brought a new style, and, as a consequence, Poile had remade the roster. If Nashville's season opener is any indication, then the early returns are positive. The Predators outshot the Ottawa Senators and, while down by a goal in the third period, struck three times within a span of less than nine minutes to earn a 3-2 victory. Nashville ranked 23rd in the NHL last season in shots per game (29.0) and tied for 18th in the NHL in goals-for per game (2.61). As a team that has struggled offensively for the past couple of seasons, the opener brought some welcoming sights. The hope is that the new coach can keep it up. Nonetheless, Laviolette said the Predators are not nearly as far along in learning his system as they eventually will get. "I think that training camp was really good in the sense that we did our best to push the pace on the guys and really get them skating and charging up and down the ice," he said. "I think as far as the system goes, we worked on pieces of it throughout camp. I don t think any team is probably really where they want to be. I think they've got a good foundation laid for what they hope, we hope will lead us to success, and from there we have to work and build on that every day "We got a long way to go. Every day will be working towards getting better." Toward the second half of last season, Poile seemed to conclude what the Predators were doing offensively was not working. He kept talking about wanting "a different look" for Nashville's corps of forwards. Publicly during the season, he seemed to point the finger more at the players but at season's end he decided to replace Barry Trotz, the only coach the Predators had ever had, and go with a new philosophy. Trotz emphasized two-way play and puck possession. His goalies and defensemen flourished while the forwards, at times, were lacking. Laviolette will look to use an aggressive forechecking system that also allows defensemen to jump into the play offensively. To install such a system, as Laviolette said, that meant a lot of skating during camp. "It was great," said right wing James Neal, Nashville's highestprofile offseason acquisition, of camp. "Up tempo, fast -- all the things I think I've seen before with his Flyers teams, his Hurricanes teams. We played a lot against each other, being in Pittsburgh and playing against Philly. We had big rivalries and that playoff series we had was crazy against Philly. Pretty familiar with he likes to do. You like the way he coaches. You like the way he goes about things. He's been a great change for everybody in here. Everyone's going to play for hard for him and excited to do that." Prior to Laviolette's arrival, Poile already had begun to alter the composition of the Predators defense corps. Its strength is its mobility, making it suited towards jumping into the rush -- players like captainshea Weber, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, Seth Jones and Mattias Ekholm. Poile said last season, much as in the way he built the United States entry for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, that he believed a more mobile and offensive defense was the direction in which the game was going. So, in a way, Nashville's defense corps began to change before its coach did. That puts Laviolette in a position to capitalize. Weber, who led all NHL defensemen in goals last season with 23, scored the go-ahead goal on Thursday deep in the offensive zone, pinching in and skating behind the net to convert a wraparound attempt. Both Laviolette and Weber said the goal was an instinctive play, unrelated to the coach's new system. Yet under Trotz, one would rarely if ever find a defenseman behind the opposing net in the third period, especially in a game in which his side was not losing. "Our defensemen have the green light to get up and join the rush," Laviolette said. "There was a look there (Weber) saw and he took it, and then coming out the other side and finding its way in. Certainly, our defensemen, they can push from the backside and (join) the offense."

13 Perhaps a new coach, one with a Stanley Cup-winning pedigree, is the kind of jolt the Predators needed. Trotz got them to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in both 2011 and 2012 before Nashville failed to qualify the following two seasons. Laviolette said just as the players are still learning his system, so he continues to learn their personalities and to get to know them. "It's new for a lot of people," he said. "It's new for a guy like James. It's new for me. Even for the guys that have been here, there's been enough change where they're learning as well. I think those relationships will build over time. It's just coming to work with each other on a daily basis that will help build those relationships." Weber ranks among a handful of Predators who played under Trotz for years. He talked about the adjustment to having a new personality behind the bench. "It's been good," he said. "Sometimes a fresh face and a new voice is good, and I think it's been really good for our team this year. Players have reacted well, at least from talking to guys in the room. Everyone seems to like where we're headed and what he's trying to do." In addition to coaching an offensive style, Laviolette is known for having a fiery personality. While it's very early into his tenure, the players have seen some glimpses of that. "It's been coming in spurts in practice," said Neal, who described Laviolette as very personable. "But the biggest thing is how passionate he is about our team and about the game. He's a good speaker. He gets the guys going." Weber said Laviolette's competitiveness is evident. "Every time he talks, he's intense," said Weber, who is not the vocal type but smolders with intensity. "It's good. It's a good thing to have because it trickles down to guys in here and the way we're feeling and hopefully the way we're going to play." Where the NHL got the Pronger thing wrong (Trending Topics) By Ryan Lambert October 10, :19 AM It should never shock anyone when the NHL gets something wrong. It gets in a lot of practice in this regard, usually at least once a week. But this thing with Chris Pronger working for the Department of Player Safety actually might be the wrongest they ever got it. Let's start out with the acknowledgment, first and foremost, that no, just because Pronger would be weighing in on suspensions not involving the Flyers, his former team would not essentially have free reign to start two-handing every star forward who came across the blue line. That is not, as Greg pointed out yesterday, how the system works. Everyone weighs in, and a decision is ultimately rendered by the man in charge. Even if Pronger was sitting in on every suspension meeting involving a Flyer saying, Oh that spear to Johnny Boychuk's face by Zac Rinaldo? I think a five and a game was plenty, he'd be shouted down by the other people in the room and that'd be the end of it. Eventually, people would stop listening. But what the league is really doing in giving Pronger a job in that department, specifically, is essentially opened them up for some remarkably easy criticism. Heavy, easy criticism, every time an Eastern Conference opponent within 10 points of the Flyers had a player involved in a questionable hit. Here's a scenario: It's late February and the Flyers are four points out of a wild card spot currently occupied by the Blue Jackets. James Wisniewski hits Brian Gionta from behind but it's one of those things where you can make an argument that the guy put himself in a vulnerable position at the last second. The league suspends him two games, which seems a little harsh but not outside the realm of what would normally be reasonable. Now, you might be able to say that everything's fine and dandy with that process. But what do you think Blue Jackets fans will say? How about, Well of course they suspended Wisniewski two games. Look who's working for the Department of Player Safety! Here's another: Someone takes a no-doubt-about-it, he-triedto-kill-him run at Sidney Crosby. Doesn't really matter who. Crosby's on the shelf for a few weeks or more with another upper-body injury. This offender gets off relatively light with three games, with the suspension video citing his lack of repeat offender status, as well as the fact that Crosby changed direction at the last second and had his chin taken out. What do you suppose Penguins fans have to say about it? Probably something like, Of course they let him off the hook easy. Look who's working for the Department of Player Safety! The Flyers and Penguins have a rivalry, etc. There are plenty of scenarios you could play out exactly like this. Even if they're wrong about Pronger making a call in either of these cases maybe Pronger advocated for less punishment for Wisniewskil, and a stiffer one for the guy who

14 clobbered Crosby the fact that you could even perceive it that way is toxic to the idea that fans can trust in the league's ability to punish people properly. And maybe those people would have complained about the same thing anyway, but why give them additional (and, one should note, well-founded) ammo? The league's goal in operating the Department of Player Safety should be to levy justice while simultaneously striving to avoid any whiff of impropriety, even when it's pretty obvious there's always going to be bias in the system. This league is one in which everyone knows everyone else, having worked for or with or against them. Almost to a man you can draw lines for multiple biases in the department, plus there's the fact that even if you can be perceived as a neutral, maybe you just don't like a particular player (let's say, for instance, a certain Denverbased beat writer works for the league and has to render a decision to a certain young Kings defenseman; potential for needlessly colorful language in the suspension video aside, a pre-existing bias would certainly enter into the equation). The idea that Pronger could poison the entire DOPS office with his pro-flyers rhetoric is silly and immature and more than a little bit based in fanboyism. The argument that he might be able to impact decisions that could be beneficial to his nowformer team at least has a wobbly leg to stand on. That can't be acceptable for the NHL. There's also the fact that he's seriously still collecting a paycheck from the Flyers, which should render him unable to hold any other jobs in hockey until his contract is over. The Flyers were playing last night as the news that this was really and truly happening started to filter out. And obviously Marc Savard is kinda in the same boat where he's working as a scout in junior hockey. The latter instance is a little more defensible, simply because you can say, Oh, well, nothing he does impacts the NHL or anything like that. Meanwhile, everything Pronger would do in his DOPS role would impact it. Let's put it another way. If Pronger retired tomorrow and joined the Player Safety committee, then even though he is still exactly the same person making exactly the same decisions, there's one thing that's different: He wouldn't be violating the CBA. (Though that'd stick the Flyers with a big penalty, of course.) Because let's face it here, the Flyers and Bruins are basically saved from having to dump huge amounts of money which would otherwise hit them as a penalty for having intentionally circumvented the cap by the fact that these players are no longer physically capable of playing hockey. You feel gutted for the players, of course, to lose their livelihood, but the Bruins and Flyers are basically rewarded for being bad actors under the old CBA because they were lucky enough to have those players get injured. Likewise, there has to be some disgruntled Canucks fan out there looking to kneecap Roberto Luongo the second there's a retirement rumor, just to save the Canucks the recapture penalty. It cannot be stated emphatically enough: Pronger joining the league office, or drawing a paycheck from the Flyers' front office (which he technically hasn't done so far as we know) is in direct violation of Article 26 of the CBA: A player cannot be paid by anyone other than his team, to do anything but play, while he is under a contract. Which Pronger still is, and you can't interpret it as being anything other than a load of BS. The Flyers are, as per the rules of the CBA agreed upon by league and players alike, no longer cap compliant. Are they gonna have to clear any roster space? Seems like the answer is no, which should have 28 other teams all kinds of pissed. (And hey, here's another bit of potential impropriety: The Bruins and Flyers sure do make a lot of money for the league, eh? Funny how they get to skirt this rule with their two players taking jobs elsewhere.) The problem isn't necessarily the conflict of interest, even if it was there, it's that the league's own rules should prevent this from happening. It literally couldn't be any clearer, and yet here it is, happening anyway. Obviously, Pronger will be a significant font of wisdom from which the suspension crew could draw. Few have ever patrolled the blue line more effectively than he, and only slightly more have ever been as eager to throw an elbow into an opponent's chin just as a nice little how-do-you-do. This is like when master art forgers and hackers start working for the government after they're arrested: They're using their unmatched skills for good instead of evil. But in this specific instance, such a CI agreement would be stupid. The league generally doesn't seem to have much credibility with the fans to begin with, y'know? How long did we laugh to each other about how much of a joke the suspension process used to be? Wheel of Justice and everything, right? And then over the last few years, Brendan Shanahan built things up to the point where the Department of Player Safety actually has a little bit of cachet. It still gets things wrong, but it's clearly been enacted in good faith, for the most part. So why take a sledgehammer to it the second Shanahan's out the door by bringing in a literal team employee, regardless of who it is? If Matt Cooke suffered a career-ending injury tomorrow and took the same DOPS job owing to his unrivaled ability to try to cripple his opponents people would likewise be perfectly right to criticize the decision. You want to bring a guy of Pronger's caliber to weigh in on the incredibly important topic of player safety. That makes perfect sense. Who wouldn't? But maybe you just wait a few more years before you let him do it. Because then everyone's fine with it. And there's no debate to be had. And the CBA doesn't get violated to the benefit of one team over 29 others in the process. Pretty simple. But then the NHL has never done simple well.

15 NHL Draft heading to Buffalo in 2016, according to report By Sean Leahy October 10, :51 PM All of the NHL Draft hype is currently about where Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will land on a Friday night next June in South Florida; but the 2016 crop is pretty good as well. Those future stars of the league will hear their names called in the city of Buffalo, according to the Buffalo News. The paper broke the story on Friday that NHL comissioner Gary Bettman will be in Buffalo on Monday to announce that the city will host the 2016 entry draft. Once McDavid and Eichel know their futures, the attention will shift to the 2016 class, which will see names like Auston Matthews, Jakob Chychrun, Sean Day and Max Jones atop the draft board. This is all part of Buffalo's masterplan of hosting every major hockey event going forward, it seems. Last month, they hosted the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. Currently, the city is slated to host the 2015 U-18 Women's World Championships, then the International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey World Championship in May, followed by the next two NHL Combines. First Niagara Center first hosted the NHL Draft back in 1998, which saw Vincent Lecavalier go no. 1 overall to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Sabres take defenseman Dmitri Kalinin with their first pick at no. 18. The 2016 Draft will be hosted by an Eastern Conference team for the sixth straight year. That trend could continue into 2017 if the Toronto Maple Leafs have their wish of hosting every major NHL event that season come true. Charlotte Earns First Win Of Season In Overtime Created: October 12, :13 pm Written by Nicholas Niedzielski After dropping the front end of their season-opening three-inthree road trip, the Checkers found the win column, riding hot goaltending from Drew MacIntyre and a clutch overtime goal from Ben Holmstrom to a 2-1 overtime victory. Following a scoreless first period, the second saw the Wolves jump out to a lead, but later in the period Chicago right wing Cody Beach was assessed a major penalty and a gamemisconduct for a hit on Justin Shugg, giving Charlotte a fiveminute power play. With an extended man-advantage, Alex Aleardi buried a loose puck thrown in front by Keegan Lowe and evened things up. Aleardi, who recorded seven goals in his rookie campaign with Springfield last season, was filling the spot in the lineup left by Zach Boychuk, whose promotion to the Hurricanes was announced shortly after the beginning of this game.a tight third period saw both squads come away with good chances but no goals, and at the end of regulation the game was still deadlocked at one, leading to the Checkers first overtime appearance of the season. In four games that ended in overtime last season, the Checkers were victorious in three, and that hot streak carried over. Just over 90 seconds into the extra frame, Holmstrom corralled a puck put on net from the corner by Rasmus Rissanen and snapped it over Wolves goalie Jordan Binnington s glove to secure Charlotte the two points. MacIntyre, another new face to the organization, was a force in the crease for the Checkers, turning away 42 of the 43 shots he faced. MacIntyre s play in goal was an integral part of the victory, as he kept the Checkers in the game despite the team being outshot He was also a piece in a penalty killing unit that shut the Wolves down once again, blanking them on their four opportunities. The Checkers will now shift their focus and look to get a winning-streak going with Friday s home-opener against Grand Rapids, who sit at 1-1 after splitting their opening weekend series with Lake Erie. NOTES

16 Rookie Phil Di Giuseppe led the team with three shots on goal The Checkers were 1-for-4 on the power play, capitalizing on a five-minute major assessed to Cody Beach, who was also given a game-misconduct Both Aleardi and Holmstrom notched their first goals in a Checkers sweater Rookie Brock McGinn marked his first professional point, an assist on Aleardi s goal Holmstrom and Brendan Woods each have points in consecutive games Forward Zach Boychuk was scratched from the game as he was recalled to the Carolina Hurricanes, while defenseman Austin Levi was a healthy extra Rookie defenseman Dennis Robertson missed his second straight game due to injury. TODAY S LINKS Buffalo Sabres Schedule offers little respite for Sabres By Mike Harrington on October 13, :34 AM Sabres goaltender Jhonas Enroth hasn t received much help in the third period of Buffalo s opening games. Only two games into the new season, coach Ted Nolan fretted late Saturday night that his team is slipping back into old habits. The Buffalo Sabres aren t getting shots. They re giving them up by the bucketful. They re getting taken to the cleaners in third periods. And by the way, they have a brutal October schedule that isn t going to give them too many breaks. Today s matinee against the Anaheim Ducks in First Niagara Center (3 p.m., MSG, Radio 550 AM) is the first of two matchups in a 10-day span against a team coming off a 116-point season. That was the most in the Western Conference 16 points more than Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles and nine more than Chicago. The Sabres have already played Columbus and Chicago, two playoff teams from last year, and a loss today would put them at 0-3 for just the second time in franchise history. Of course, last year was the first time. But look what else is planned for October. Yikes. There are games at San Jose and Los Angeles, in addition to the rematch against the Ducks. There are two meetings with defending Presidents Trophy winner Boston. The first 10 games in November are equally arduous, with two games against Pittsburgh and one each against the New York Rangers, Montreal, St. Louis, Minnesota and Detroit on the docket. The one thing in order to turn a franchise around is you look at the clubs like L.A. and Chicago and think 10 years back, Nolan said. Where were they? Same thing now. We ve got young kids going through a transition period and we have to weather the storm early. We have to learn to play with big boys. It s a man s league. We ll have our learning curves. The Sabres have a pretty steep one so far. They are one of just five NHL teams to lose their first two games in regulation, joining Toronto, Philadelphia, Carolina and Colorado. Through