CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS November 20, 2013

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1 Canes Semin sidelined with a concussion By Chip Alexander November 19, 2013 Updated 15 hours ago RALEIGH The Carolina Hurricanes, a team badly struggling to score goals, have lost another of their best offensive players. Canes coach Kirk Muller said Tuesday that winger Alexander Semin has a concussion and will be sidelined indefinitely. Semin was injured Saturday in the Canes road game against the St. Louis Blues when he took a shoulder hit from Blues forward Alex Pietrangelo in the chest and under the chin. Semin was taken to the dressing room and briefly returned to play before again leaving the game. It s the second concussion in seven months for Semin, 29, who has three goals and six assists this season. The Russian forward missed the final two games of last season after suffering a concussion in a game. Any time you have a head injury it s a concern, general manager Jim Rutherford said Tuesday. Whether it s a first concussion or a third, it s certainly a concern. Hopefully we can get Alex back soon. The Canes (8-9-4) have scored two or fewer goals in 11 of the past 12 games and are averaging 1.86 goals per game, 28th in the NHL through Monday s games. Carolina was 25th on the power play at 12.5 percent, scoring one power-play goal on 21 chances in the past seven games. That has really surprised me, Rutherford said. One thing I was least concerned about before the season was our offense, based on how we scored last year and having the same players back and adding players like Nathan Gerbe. Our priority was our defensive play and making adjustments on the defensive side, and we improved. We have not been able to combine the offensive side and the defensive side. If we could put the two together we d be hard to play against. It has hurt that forward Jeff Skinner had missed the past 11 games with an upper-body injury. Skinner had three goals and six assists in the first 10 games and was the team s top scorer before being hurt Oct. 24 against the Minnesota Wild. Skinner took part in the morning skate Monday before the Bruins game but did not play. He was at practice Tuesday at Raleigh Center Ice, but Muller was not sure about his availability for Thursday s road game against the Detroit Red Wings. Muller said Skinner wanted to practice Tuesday and Wednesday before a decision was made. Skinner appeared to be stick-handling and shooting the puck well in Tuesday s session at RCI. He looked good and did all the stuff we wanted in practice, Muller said. Rutherford said he would not rule out making a move to help bolster the offense. Nor did he rule out a goaltender trade. Goalie Cam Ward made his first appearance Monday since sustaining a groin injury Oct. 24, making 28 saves in the loss to the Bruins. Goalie Anton Khudobin, out since Oct.13 with an ankle injury, was at practice Tuesday and could play in about a week. Justin Peters had started 10 straight games with Ward and Khudobin sidelined. Peters was an emergency recall from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL following Khudobin s injury, and Rutherford said he would be exposed to NHL waivers if reassigned to the Checkers. Rutherford said there would be risk involved in putting Peters on waivers given his solid play in recent weeks. He s shown he can play at this level, Muller added. Rutherford said the options being considered were carrying three goalies on the roster, trading a goalie or putting Peters on waivers with the intent of sending him to Charlotte. It s also possible Khudobin could go to the Checkers on a conditioning stint. There are several ways of looking at it and it s already on our radar screen, Rutherford said. The good thing is we don t have to decide today. Despite losses in the past two games, the Hurricanes were fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 20 points through Monday the New York Rangers were third with 20 points, with one game in hand. Our team has hung in there in the standings despite all of this going on, Rutherford said.

2 The Goaltending Picture Tuesday, / 6:00 PM / Tracking the Storm By Michael Smith In the opening weeks of the regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes utilized their goaltending duo of Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin in rotation. Five games into the season, Khudobin went down with an ankle injury, and Justin Peters was recalled from Charlotte. Five games after that, Ward went down with a groin injury, and Mike Murphy was recalled from Charlotte. In three short weeks, the Canes goaltending picture was erased, the easel wiped clean. Peters subsequently started 10 games in a row, going in the latter part of that block of games and setting a career high for consecutive games started without a regulation loss (five). The Canes goaltending picture was being redrawn. Peters, 27 and a veteran who has seen varying time with the Canes over five seasons, had proven his worth at the NHL level, turning away 166 of his last 175 shots faced (.949 save percentage). This is the best stretch of games that Justin has played in his pro career. He was a difference-maker. He got us some points in a bunch of those games, Hurricanes President and General Manager Jim Rutherford said. I can see his development improving all the time, even more so this year when you look at some of the things he does now. He s had a very impressive run. Now Ward is once again healthy. Khudobin, who s had a bit more of a prolonged rehab due to the nature of his injury, is practicing with the Canes again; it was a week before Ward returned to game action after rejoining the team at practice. First, Khudobin has to get healthy to be in the picture, head coach Kirk Muller said. So right now we re just dealing with two healthy guys (Ward and Peters), and we ll go with really who s the guy that s going to best give us the chance to win every night. Like Ward, who admitted he was pushing to get back into the lineup as early as last week, Khudobin will have to be 100 percent before he gets consideration to play in goal. We can t use these games to get fine-tuned. It s not exhibition anymore, Muller said. We ve got to win hockey games. So if you step in, you have to step in with the mindset that you can win the hockey game. Assuming the Canes wind up with three healthy goaltenders in a week or so, then what? Carolina has a few options. The first would have been the most likely a few weeks ago -- reassigning Peters to Charlotte where he will continue to see regular starts and provide the Checkers with much-needed goaltending help. But since he has played in 11 games, even on emergency recall, he will need to first clear waivers, as designated by the new collective bargaining agreement signed by the NHL and NHLPA earlier this year. Considering the way Peters played in November and the number of teams currently experiencing goaltending issues due to injuries or otherwise, he might not clear, and the Canes would lose an NHL-capable goaltender who they have groomed since selecting him in the second round of the 2004 NHL Draft with no return. Another option, then, is to explore trade options. Of course, this sacrifices depth in one position with the goal of bolstering another, but it could be a viable way to salvage a return in an otherwise difficult situation. A third option is to keep three goaltenders on the roster, but that s not exactly ideal considering it would limit available depth at forward and defense. Peters, however, is on a one-way contract, so he will earn the same amount of money whether he s in the NHL or the AHL. Justin did a great job and showed that he can play at this level, and so can the other two, Muller said. We ve got a nice, healthy problem right now. If we do get three guys, we will have to make a decision. A difficult one, at that. We re going to have a tough decision to make. We don t have to make it yet, but we re aware of it, Rutherford said. We ve got everybody weighing in on it, and we ll make the decision at the time when we have to.

3 Alex Semin out of Hurricanes' lineup with concussion Forward will be sidelined indefinitely CBC Sports Posted: Nov 19, :11 PM ET Last Updated: Nov 19, :20 PM ET Alexander Semin will be out of the Carolina Hurricanes' lineup indefinitely with a concussion, according to head coach Kirk Muller. The oft-injured Russian forward sustained the ailment after taking a hit from St. Louis defenceman Alex Pietrangelo on Saturday in Carolina's 4-2 loss. Semin, 28, has struggled to find his scoring touch this season with the Hurricanes, scoring just three goals and six assists in 20 games. The six-foot-two, 209-pound winger is coming off a 13 goal, 31 assist campaign in 44 games during the lockout-shortened season last year. Originally drafted in the first round (13th overall) by the Washington Capitals in 2002, Semin has never played a full season in the NHL. In 533 career games, the winger has 214 goals and 248 assists, while scoring a career high 40 goals in Hurricanes' Alexander Semin has concussion USA TODAY Sports 3:18 p.m. EST November 19, 2013 Just as New York Rangers star Rick Nash is getting off the NHL's concussion list, another key player is going on. The Carolina Hurricanes announced that forward Alexander Semin has been diagnosed with a concussion after absorbing a hard hit on Saturday. The Hurricanes' third-leading scorer left the game briefly early in the second period after St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo stepped up and hit him behind the net with a clean check. He skated four more shifts but didn't return for the third period. Semin will get further tests on Wednesday, coach Kirk Muller told reporters. Semin missed the final two games of last season because of a concussion. Nash, who said he was playing on Tuesday night, suffered two concussions within a calendar year and ended up missing 17 games. Daily Primer Nov. 20: Crosby, Ovechkin square off Wednesday, / 3:00 AM / NHL Insider NHL.com Two of the NHL's biggest stars will go face-to-face Wednesday at Verizon Center. Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins will face Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in this week's Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN,

4 TSN2). Washington (12-8-1) trails Pittsburgh (13-8-0) by one point for the Metropolitan Division lead. "Of course, it's a challenge for me, and for him I think," Ovechkin told reporters Tuesday about facing Crosby. "But, don't forget [Evgeni] Malkin, don't forget Nicky [Nicklas Backstrom] I don't think it's only two of us right now." Here's a closer look at the action Wednesday: Minnesota Wild at Ottawa Senators -- Each team will be looking to bounce back from losses Tuesday. The Wild had a rare off-night defensively and dropped a 6-2 decision to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. It was the second regulation loss for the Wild in their past 14 games and snapped an eight-game point streak. The Senators suffered a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. Ottawa has dropped three of its past four games. Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals -- This will be the first time the Penguins and Capitals meet as division rivals since March 28, 1993, the final season of the Patrick Division. Pittsburgh has won the past four meetings, including a threegame, season-series sweep in Despite their firepower up front, the Penguins have scored 29 goals in their past 13 games. Washington is in its past nine games after winning five of its first 12. Columbus Blue Jackets at Calgary Flames -- Columbus reportedly held a players-only meeting following a 7-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets mustered 14 shots on goal; Edmonton had 15 in the first period alone. Calgary returns to Scotiabank Saddledome to begin a three-game homestand after snapping a six-game skid with a 5-4 shootout victory against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. New Jersey Devils at Anaheim Ducks -- The Devils, who have points in eight of their past 11 games, begin a threegame trip through California. New Jersey rebounded from a 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Prudential Center on Friday night by beating Pittsburgh 4-1 on Saturday. Anaheim returns to Honda Center after a tough four-game road trip that saw the Ducks score six goals and earn one point in the standings. Over the Boards: Text from Richards relaxes Giroux Wednesday, / 3:00 AM / Over the Boards By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer PHILADELPHIA -- A text message from a guy who recently walked in Claude Giroux's shoes helped the Philadelphia Flyers captain rediscover his passion so he could start to break out of his scoring slump. "It wasn't going right, and I got a nice text from Mike Richards. I think he gave me a boost to relax and play the game," Giroux told NHL.com on Tuesday prior to playing the Ottawa Senators at Wells Fargo Center. "It's a great game. There's a reason why we play in the NHL. It's because we know what we're doing. It's just about going back to basics, going out there, have fun, play the game." Giroux couldn't remember exactly when he got that text from Richards, the former Flyers captain who is now playing for the Los Angeles Kings. He said it was a couple of weeks ago, well before he scored his first goal of the season against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 9. He also wouldn't reveal what Richards wrote in that text message, but it was enough to lift Giroux's spirits and get him pointed in the right direction. Giroux has five points (two goals) the past five games. Not coincidentally, the Flyers are in those games. "It's easy for people to be like, 'Just go and score a goal,'" Giroux said. "To hear it [from Richards], it kind of made me just relax and think about how I'm lucky enough to play this game for a living. I'm in one of the great organizations and we have fans that cheer their heart out. Just looking at the position I'm in now, I feel really lucky, and it just makes me more motivated to play better." Giroux knows he was not playing well. He had no points through the first five games and only seven assists through the first 15 games. He was feeling the pressure, especially after a 7-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Nov. 1, when he was seen outside the Flyers' dressing room having an animated conversation with team owner Ed Snider. "I take things really personal when I don't play well, and I'll be the first one to be hard on myself," Giroux said. "It was my game. I was aware that I wasn't playing well. I was disappointed in my game, knowing I could play better." The Flyers were losing, and Giroux wasn't scoring. It was a toxic mix. "If he would have had two goals in the first few games, there would be things he'd do differently around the net, but when you don't score and the team is losing, you put pressure on yourself, especially him," Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek told NHL.com. "He's a hardworking guy and he's a winner, so when things don't go well, he put a lot of pressure on himself. I think that was his biggest problem." The pressure isn't off now that Giroux is feeling better about his game. It's never off in Philadelphia, especially with the Flyers still trying to claw back into a playoff spot after an abysmal start that cost coach Peter Laviolette his job. "Fans care," Giroux said. "Fans want to win. If they didn't care about winning, that wouldn't be as fun." Giroux, though, is trying to embrace the fun after not having any of it for too long. He's smiling more. He enjoys being around the rink the way he did a few years ago, when the Flyers were a playoff team and he was almost a 100-point player, the guy Laviolette called "the best player in the world." Sure, it helps that the Flyers have started to win a few games, but for Giroux, the credit for his attitude adjustment goes to Richards, one of the few guys in the world who could feel his pain.

5 "I talk to him once in a while, but yeah, obviously he played here; he was captain," Giroux said. "It was nice for him to reach out and talk to me a little bit." Turris still benefitting from Spezza's injury Nobody around the Ottawa Senators wanted to see center Jason Spezza go down five games into last season with a back injury that cost him the next 45 games, including two in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In hindsight, though, Spezza's injury might have been the best thing to happen to center Kyle Turris. Spezza's injury forced Turris to play first-line minutes against the best defensive forwards and top defense pairs. He had an up-and-down season, but still finished with 29 points in 48 games. "It changed my career," Turris told NHL.com. "There are lessons I learned from that last season that I may never have learned." Spezza is healthy and playing more than 19 minutes per game for the Senators, so Turris doesn't have to face guys like Zdeno Chara and Dion Phaneuf on a regular basis, but those lessons from last season have helped him get off to a hot start this season. Turris has 19 points (one more than Spezza) and a plus-8 rating in 21 games. Turris was actually playing 16 seconds more per game than Spezza prior to the game Tuesday because of his bigger role on the penalty kill. "Having Chara hopping over the boards every time you go out last year, and now seeing that happen to Spezza just a few days ago, makes me realize I have to help him out," Turris said. "I have to take advantage of the opportunities I get against the people I get [to play against]. Hopefully, it takes a little bit of the heat and attention off of Spezz so it'll give him more room and more opportunity because there's not much space for him." Kings skaters uncovering Scrivens' best attributes The trust between Kings goalie Ben Scrivens and his teammates started to develop before Scrivens posted back-toback shutouts and three wins overall in the New York area last Thursday through Sunday. "A new guy coming to a team, it might take a little bit of time to get some confidence in him, but he stepped in right from the first game he played [against the Florida Panthers] and got that shutout," Richards told NHL.com. "That helped. Confidence works both ways." Scrivens made 20 saves in a 3-0 win against the Panthers on Oct. 13. It was also right around that time when Kings skaters started to realize that one of Scrivens' strengths is how he handles the puck and helps the breakout. Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr told NHL.com that Scrivens' ability to play the puck has helped aid the blueliners in their transition from Jonathan Quick (Grade 2 groin strain) to Scrivens. "When you haven't played a whole heck of a lot with each other, you're trying to work on communicating with one another as best you can about what you like to do," Regehr said. "Everyone has tendencies on what they like and what they don't like. That's probably the biggest adjustment right now, but it really helps a lot if he can come out and play the puck." Jets finding 'will to win' in the third If the Winnipeg Jets played as well in the first 40 minutes of the game as they do in the final 20, they might be in a playoff position right now. Then again, imagine where the Jets would be if they weren't among the League's best third-period teams this season? The Jets are sixth in the Central Division with 23 points in part because they have scored 25 goals in the third period, tied for second most in the NHL. In the 13 games in which the Jets have gained at least a point, including 10 wins, they've outscored the opposition 18-8 in the third period. They have scored at least one goal in the third period in six straight games and are in those games. "I can't completely identify it because if I could, I'd have it for 60 minutes and not only the third," Jets coach Claude Noel told NHL.com. "One of the things I sense is we don't lose hope even though we're down, if that's the case. Our will to win and succeed is real good, and it's led by Andrew Ladd. He's the one that leads us in a lot of ways, but he leads with his will." Noel said the key is to get his team to play with the understanding that the first 40 minutes are just as important as the final 20. It's a work in progress and staying patient is the key. "It's a constant build," Noel said. "It's almost like a maturing process that we're trying to expedite, but if we could expedite it, we'd all do it. We're trying to get the most out of our team, but we're trying to build a process of winning, of practicing, of existing that we can call our foundation that leads us to get over the line, not near the line. You would like to have it come a lot sooner than it does, but you have to go through it. There is no manual. It's like parenting." Zajac in comfort zone playing with Jagr A few weeks ago, New Jersey Devils forward Patrik Elias said that he and Andrei Loktionov worked well as Jaromir Jagr's linemates because neither of them were straight up-and-down players. "He swings a lot," Elias told NHL.com on Oct. 29. "If he plays with some other guys here and has to play just up-and-down hockey, he would skate into them all the time." Well, Devils center Travis Zajac, a guy who plays an up-anddown game but can be creative in the offensive zone, is working just fine with Jagr too. Zajac has been Jagr's center for the past four games and feels he's been at his best this season with No. 68 on his right side because it's forcing him to be ready for the puck at all times and to expect it when he should least expect to get it.

6 Zajac has a goal, two assists and a plus-7 rating since he's started to center Jagr and Dainius Zubrus on a regular basis. He had an assist and was a plus-4 in New Jersey's 4-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. He had three points and was a minus-5 in his previous 14 games. "I'm actually playing more of the game I want to play with him, a puck-possession game," Zajac told NHL.com. "We're big guys, we're heavy on pucks, we win a lot of battles. For me, that's where I'm good, going to the net, give-and-goes. I would say I'm more in my comfort zone. I'm good when I'm skating, over the puck and aggressive. I think that's been the best part of my game the past few weeks." This and that * There's been a lot of talk about how Steve Mason is a different goalie now in Philadelphia than he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Voracek can attest to that. Voracek said he used to be able to score on Mason when they played together in Columbus. But now? "I can't score on him in practice," he told NHL.com. "It's crazy. It's crazy." Voracek said Mason hasn't changed anything about his personality. "He's exactly the same guy," he said. "In Columbus, it was tough for him because everybody was expecting so many things after he won his Calder [Trophy]. Here, when he got traded, he got that fresh start, that reset in his mind, and he knew it too. He knew if he played well he could be one of the best goaltenders in the League. He's got some of the best numbers in the League now. It's funny how that happens." * One thing Bobby Ryan appreciates about playing for the Senators is the media attention. It's not that he's an attention seeker, but he likes the fact that in Ottawa the Senators are the No. 1 team and there is a certain responsibility that comes with that. "It's nice to be held accountable," Ryan said. "When you're not performing and you have to answer questions, that all comes with it. I think it motivates you." * Jets center Bryan Little has 12 goals on 50 shots. It's the fewest amount of shots on goal among the 20 players who had at least 10 goals entering Tuesday. Asked if he'd like to see Little shoot more, Noel basically said no. "I wouldn't sit here and say to Bryan Little that he needs to shoot more," Noel said. "Would I like him to shoot more? I think he's intelligent. He's a good distributor. He shoots when he needs to shoot. I would never say he passes up shots. "The fact that he's scoring now and having success, that speaks volumes because he does things every day the right way," Noel also said. "Now he's getting rewarded for it, but he hasn't changed anything." Teams, players to watch at season's quarter mark Wednesday, / 3:00 AM / Trophy Tracker By Corey Masisak - NHL.com Staff Writer With the first quarter of the season complete, NHL.com looks at some of the biggest storylines -- and award contenders -- that have developed through the first part of the season. The start of the season has provided plenty of surprises and disappointments to supplement the teams and players that have met preseason expectations. Whether it is through traditional statistics or the breakthrough of advanced metrics into the mainstream conversation, there are several teams worth watching as the season heads for the halfway point. Here's a look at some of the surprising statistics from the season's first quarter, with an eye toward how teams and players might perform in the next quarter. NOTE: Most of the advanced statistics in this story are from ExtraSkater.com [ an easy choice for the Calder Trophy among hockey websites in : TEAMS TO WATCH New York Rangers -- The Rangers began the season with a nine-game road trip, two top-six forwards on the mend and a new coach and system. A couple weeks in they looked terrible and were down three top-six forwards, including their best, Rick Nash. With Nash returning Tuesday, the Rangers are whole for the first time this season. They have another five-game trip coming up but after that play 11 of 13 at Madison Square Garden before the holiday break. Not only have the Rangers played much better recently, they have been possessing the puck much better (a likely cause for improvement and an indicator of better things to come). When the Rangers were near the bottom of the NHL standings, they were among the worst in the League in shot attempts, or Corsi. In seven of the past nine games the Rangers have had a Corsi-for percentage of higher than 50 percent at even strength, and they've climbed into a tie for 10th place in the League at 51 percent overall. New York's PDO, which combines the team's shooting percentage and save percentage, is also low at The average is typically about 100 and teams generally progress or regress toward that number as a season moves along. So expect the Rangers 5.4 shooting percentage in 5-on-5 play to improve. Los Angeles Kings -- The Kings have been a dominant possession team for years and they were a prime example of a team playing better than its record showed and/or unlucky for much of the season before it all clicked at the end of the season.

7 This season the Kings are again among the League leaders in Corsi (all shot attempts) and Fenwick (shots on goal plus misses, no blocked shots). They are first in Corsi-for percentage at even strength at 58.1 and Fenwick-for percentage at They are second behind the Chicago Blackhawks in Corsi-for percentage when the score is close (tied or a one-goal lead/deficit) at However, the Kings are seventh in the Western Conference and goaltender Jonathan Quick is out for a while with a groin injury. It will be interesting to watch which direction the Kings go. The team's shooting percentage at even strength could improve from 6.4 percent, but can Ben Scrivens and Martin Jones continue a high standard of goaltending? Scrivens actually has better numbers so far than Quick. Colorado Avalanche -- The unquestioned surprise of the season's first quarter, the Avalanche stormed to the top of the League standings with new coach Patrick Roy and MVP candidate Matt Duchene. Colorado's goaltending, from Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, was fantastic and Roy has utilized the team's speed, particularly at forward, well. There are questions about Colorado's ability to continue at this level of success. The goaltending was amazing but in reality a little too amazing. There was bound to be some regression, particularly in the team's penalty-kill save percentage. The Avalanche have been among the worst teams in shots on goal allowed per two minutes on the PK, but until a recent loss to the St. Louis Blues, Varlamov and Giguere were among the League leaders in penalty-kill save percentage. While the Avalanche do have lots of swift skaters up front and can strike quickly on the counterattack, they have been spending too much time in their zone. Colorado is tied for 23rd in the NHL in Corsi-for percentage at even strength (48.2), though they are slightly better in close-score situations (49.5). The other issue for the Avalanche is the overwhelming strength of the West. Colorado was and atop the NHL standings (by points percentage). Now, after a three-game losing streak, they've fallen to eighth in the West by total points (fifth in points percentage). Roy is a Jack Adams Award candidate and Duchene has led a resurgent offense, but the Avalanche need to hang on to the puck a little more to remain near the top of the conference standings moving forward. PLAYERS TO WATCH Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild -- Suter's ability to devour ice time is remarkable. He's averaging -- yes, averaging -- 29:36 of ice time per contest. There have been 40 instances of a player logging at least 29:36 in one game this season; Suter is averaging that much every night. If Suter maintains that pace over the course of an 82-game season, it would be the most anyone has averaged since Chris Pronger played 30:14 per game for the St. Louis Blues in , and won the Hart Trophy in the process. Not only does Suter have the top three single-game time on ice totals, they came consecutively, in a seven-day span. The least Suter has played was 23:27 against the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 3. There are only 30 other defensemen averaging that much ice time. Can Suter continue to play this much? Can he continue to play so well while doing so? He's one of the frontrunners for the Norris Trophy and a big reason the Wild have moved toward the top of the standings in the West. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals -- Ovechkin finished last season on a scoring binge and has continued it into this one. After scoring twice Sunday against the Blues, he is tied for the League lead with St. Louis' Alexander Steen with 17 goals. Ovechkin had 23 in his final 23 games of While Ovechkin s shooting percentage (15.5 percent) likely will regress a little, he has finished three seasons at 13.6 or higher. There also are a couple of positive indicators for him. One, he's scoring again at even strength. Half of his 32 goals in were on the power play, as well as seven of his first 13 this season. Finding different ways to score at even strength, like he did against the Blues, will be one way for him to keep up something approaching this pace. Two, he's shooting more. Ovechkin was a shots-on-goal dynamo for most of his career, posting some of the highest totals in League history, including 528 in That number dropped for three consecutive seasons after that, and he didn t lead the League for the first time in his career in He's got 110 in 21 games (he missed two), and continuing at his current clip of more than five per game would get him to 463 if he stays healthy. That would be the third-highest total in League history. Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins -- Check out everyone's lists for top Norris Trophy contenders to this point in the season and Chara's name probably won't be on many of them. He is playing well, and a little luck in his favor could change that by the season's midpoint. Chara has one of the lowest individual PDOs in the League at 96.5, mostly because the Bruins are shooting 4.3 percent when he's on the ice. That's the lowest on the team, and a progression toward somewhere in the 7-9 percent change should be expected. That alone would boost his point total. He's also above 55 percent in Corsi-for percentage and Fenwick-for percentage at even strength, but he's been on the ice for eight Boston goals and 12 against. All of those numbers suggest Chara's traditional metrics likely will improve, which could have him back in the Norris discussion in short order. Suter has played his way into Norris Trophy lead Wednesday, / 3:00 AM / Trophy Tracker

8 By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer With the first quarter of the season complete, NHL.com looks at some of the biggest storylines -- and award contenders -- that have developed through the first part of the season. Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter lives the quiet life as a part-time farmer in Wisconsin during the offseason. If he continues to play the amount of productive minutes he's playing this season, he may want to let someone else ride his tractor out into the soybean fields next summer so he can sit on the couch and put up his feet. Suter has been the NHL's busiest and best defenseman through the first quarter of the season. He plays nearly half the game and most of the time it's 30 mistake-free minutes. He had 13 assists entering the Wild's game Tuesday at the Montreal Canadiens, but that number doesn't even come close to describing Suter's effectiveness this season. Goalie Josh Harding has been the big story in Minnesota and rightfully so, but Harding wouldn't be among the League's best goalies this season and the Wild wouldn't be among the League's best teams if it weren't for Suter, who was the runnerup for the Norris Trophy last season. Suter isn't flashy in the way that Erik Karlsson and P.K. Subban are, but he's effective on every inch of the ice because of his intelligence and ability to always be in the right position. He doesn't get tired because he doesn't chase the puck. The Wild are the best in the NHL at limiting opposition shots on goal largely because Suter plays half the game and gives the Wild a chance to play more offense than defense. The Wild outshot the opponent in 14 of their first 21 games. They've given up 30 shots on goal in a game four times. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Suter's total time on ice of 108:19 in three games (36:06 per game) from Nov is the most ice time any NHL player has played in three straight games since the League started tracking time on ice in He played more than 30 minutes in 10 of his first 21 games this season. The third period typically is Suter's busiest, but that's not a surprise considering the Wild have been in so many one-goal games and there's nobody that coach Mike Yeo trusts more to play in tight games. Entering Tuesday, Suter had logged more than 11 minutes of ice time in five of 21 third periods this season as well as at least 10 minutes in five more. He's averaging almost threeand-a-half minutes of ice time in overtime. FINALISTS Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Phoenix Coyotes: Ekman-Larsson, 22, quietly has become one of the best defenseman in the NHL and this season he's helped the Coyotes become one of the more dangerous offensive teams as well. Ekman-Larsson was tied for fourth among all defensemen with 16 points heading into games Tuesday. He has four goals, including three game-winners, 12 assists, a plus-12 rating and he's averaging nearly 26 minutes of ice time per game. He had 24 points in 48 games last season. However, with defensemen it's never always about the numbers. Ekman-Larsson plays more than four minutes per game on the power play and it's no surprise that Phoenix's power play is the best it has been in years (22.4 percent, fifth in the NHL entering Tuesday). The Coyotes also are a top-five offensive team (3.29 goals per game) entering Tuesday in part because Ekman-Larsson has controlled play from the blue line. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks: Vlasic, like Ekman- Larsson, deserves more attention for what he's been doing in San Jose. Even with Dan Boyle still around, Vlasic arguably has become the Sharks' most versatile defenseman. He can move the puck, jump into the play and create offense all without sacrificing his defensive ability. Sharks assistant coach Larry Robinson said he thinks Vlasic should get serious consideration to play for the Canadian Olympic team because of the all-round game he has put on display nightly this season. Vlasic has 11 points and a plus-10 rating. He's playing more than 20 minutes a game and the Sharks typically are creating offensive chances when he's in the game. Bruins' Seidenberg leaves with first-period injury Wednesday, / 12:51 AM / News By Tal Pinchevsky - NHL.com Staff Writer NEW YORK -- Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg left the Boston Bruins' game against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night after one shift with a lower-body injury and did not return. Late in his first shift of the game, Seidenberg was injured during a scramble in front of the net, although it wasn't immediately apparent that he was hurt on the play. Boston iced the puck shortly after the hit, forcing Seidenberg to stay on the ice. He left after the next faceoff and did not return. Coach Claude Julien said after the 2-1 victory that it was "obviously a lower body injury where he couldn't come back" and that Seidenberg would be evaluated after the team returned to Boston. In 20 games this season, Seidenberg has six assists and a plus-10 rating. He has missed five games in the previous three seasons. St. Louis plays in 1,000th career NHL game Tuesday, / 10:46 PM / News Tampa Bay Lightning captain Martin St. Louis skated in his 1,000th career NHL game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center. He became the 286th player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-game milestone.

9 St. Louis, the franchise's ninth captain, has played 1,000 career games split between the Calgary Flames (69 games) and the Lightning (931 games). He is the 27th active player to skate in 1,000 or more NHL games and the 45th college player in NHL history to accomplish the feat. St. Louis also becomes just the 16th undrafted NHLer to reach the 1,000 game plateau since the inception of the universal draft in The Laval, Quebec native is the Lightning's all-time leader for points with 912, assists with 568, game-winning goals with 61 and shorthanded goals with 28. He ranks second for games played with the franchise with 931, goals with 342 and powerplay goals with 88. St. Louis is the Lightning all-time postseason leader with 63 games played, 33 goals, 35 assists, 68 points, 10 power-play goals, three shorthanded goals, eight game-winning goals and three overtime goals. St. Louis is a six-time NHL All-Star, was awarded the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player in and is a two-time recipient of the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer. St. Louis is also a three-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and was honored with the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player as voted on by the NHLPA, as well as the Plus/Minus Award for having the league's highest plus/minus rating. The Lightning will honor St. Louis' achievement before their next home game on Monday, November 25 when they host the New York Rangers. Aucoin announces retirement from NHL Tuesday, / 2:26 PM / News NHL.com Defenseman Adrian Aucoin, who played 18 seasons in the NHL with seven teams, announced his retirement Tuesday. In 1,108 games with the Vancouver Canucks, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets, Aucoin had 121 goals and 399 points. He had four assists in 36 games with the Blue Jackets last season. "Having the opportunity to realize my childhood dream of playing in the NHL and being able to have played professional hockey for 20 seasons has been an incredible experience," Aucoin said in a release issued by the NHL Players' Association. "I really enjoyed playing with and against some of the best players in the game and getting the chance to play in front of such great hockey fans. Thanks to my family, teammates, friends, fans and everyone in the hockey community who helped me in my career. I will look back on it with fondness and pride for the rest of my life." A 1992 fifth-round pick of the Canucks (No. 117), Aucoin had his best season in when he led all NHL defensemen with 23 goals, also the most ever scored in a season by a Canucks defenseman. Aucoin also had 18 power-play goals, which was third in the League among all players. Aucoin currently works in player development for the Blackhawks. Hurricanes forward Semin out with concussion Tuesday, / 1:15 PM / News NHL.com Carolina Hurricanes forward Alexander Semin is out indefinitely with a concussion, according to Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller. Semin was injured Saturday during the Hurricanes' 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on a hit by Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. Semin returned to the ice briefly after the hit, but left the game for good in the second period. The 29-year-old was out of the lineup Monday against the Boston Bruins. Semin, who was second on the Hurricanes with 44 points last season, has three goals and six assists in 20 games this season. Panthers to dedicate press box to Roger Neilson Tuesday, / 12:16 PM / News NHL.com The Florida Panthers will honor one of the NHL's most respected and innovative coaches Monday with the unveiling of the Roger Neilson Memorial Press Box at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. Neilson, who died from cancer at the age of 69 on June 21, 2003, was named the first coach of the Panthers on June 2, The dedication will take place at noon. The Panthers face the Philadelphia Flyers, another team Neilson coached, Monday night. Neilson led the Panthers to a mark in their first season, establishing a League record for a first-year club with 33 wins, 83 points and a.493 points percentage. He would finish fourth in voting for the Jack Adams Award as the League's coach of the year. "We are humbled and honored to dedicate the BB&T Center press box in Roger Neilson's name," Panthers president and CEO Michael R. Yormark said in a statement. "He is a hockey legend, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and our organization's first head coach. We are also very proud to partner with Roger's House as we make this special announcement."

10 Neilson coached the Toronto Maple Leafs ( ), the Buffalo Sabres ( ), Vancouver Canucks ( ), Los Angeles Kings ( ), Chicago Blackhawks ( ), New York Rangers ( ), Philadelphia Flyers ( ) and for two games with the Ottawa Senators in April Those final two games with the Senators were the 999th and 1,000th regular-season games; he finished with a record of , and reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs 11 times. Among his most well-known innovations was the use of videotape he used to analyze other teams, leading to the nickname "Captain Video." He was the first to use microphone headsets to communicate with his assistant coaches. After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of cancer, on Dec. 9, 1999, Neilson continued coaching between treatments before succumbing to the disease in During his courageous battle he established the Roger Neilson Forever Hockey Fund to help bring children and hockey and fun together. Neilson operated and worked as an instructor during the summer at Roger Neilson's Hockey Camp, an offseason clinic at the University of Windsor, as well as a fiveweek international camp he started in Roger's House is the legacy that was created in Neilson's honor by the Ottawa Senators Foundation in collaboration with The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Ontario Ministries of Health, and Children and Youth Services. The result is a freestanding eight-bed palliative care facility on the grounds of CHEO for children with progressive life-limiting illness. The overwhelming contribution and support of the Ottawa community made the dream of Roger's House a reality. Roger's House opened its doors to guests and family on May 15, Neilson was awarded a Doctor of Laws by McMaster University in 2001, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in November 2002, and was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in NHL Three Stars: Pacioretty tricks Wild; Oilers hang seven on Blue Jackets By Harrison Mooney 8 hours ago Puck Daddy Johnny Boychuk plays defense on Rick Nash. Totally legal defense. No. 1 Star: Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens The Minnesota Wild had won four straight coming into Montreal with Josh Harding leading the way, but Pacioretty and the Canadiens flipped the script in a big way. Pacioretty registered the natural hat trick, and no surprise -- he had 10 shots on goal in the 6-3 win. That was, as you might expect, a game-high. No one else had more than five. Here's the trick: No. 2 Star: Marek Mazanec, Nashville Predators The Preds' rookie stopped all 27 shots he faced for his first career shutout in the Predators 2-0 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings. No. 3 Star: David Perron, Edmonton Oilers Perron scored twice and added two assists in the Oilers' complete thumping of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The final score in this one was 7-0. Devan Dubnyk needed just 14 stops for the shutout. Honorable mention: The Boston Bruins were outshot by the New York Rangers 44-22, but Tuukka Rask was on point, making 43 saves in a 2-1 Bruins win Brenden Morrow scored twice in the St. Louis Blues 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Joffrey Lupul picked up three assists and Phil Kessel scored twice as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Islanders, 5-2. Sometimes Kessel makes goal-scoring look so easy:... Kimmo Timonen's three-point night led the Philadelphia Flyers to another win, 5-2, over the Ottawa Senators The Colorado Avalanche ended their losing streak with a dominant 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Semyon Varlamov was the game's first star, making 37 saves, although he probably didn't even need to be that good The Florida Panthers and the Vancouver Canucks needed a shootout to decide their game, because of course they did, and Tim Thomas bested Roberto Luongo, stopping all three shooters he faced for a 3-2 Panthers win Matt Frattin, Anze Kopitar, and Justin Williams all had two-point nights in the Los Angeles Kings' 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Did You Know? The last time the Red Wings dropped seven in a row was 2002, a year they won the Stanley Cup. So this is a good thing, maybe? Dishonorable mention: Seriously though, the Red Wings have dropped seven straight, and eight straight at home. Win more games, Red Wings Corey Crawford was pulled after allowing 3 goals on 7 shots Considering the Oilers' struggles scoring at home, and the fact that it's the Oilers, the Blue Jackets surrendering seven goals is pretty embarrassing. Tim Thomas, Roberto Luongo and their dramatic juxtaposition By Greg Wyshynski 16 hours ago Puck Daddy

11 Think about what Tim Thomas was the last time his skates were on the ice in Vancouver. Think about him hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2011 for the first time, after clutching the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. Think of his role as American hockey folk hero, turning a journeyman s life into the starting goalie for the Boston Bruins, as well as a role on the U.S. Olympic team in the previous season. Think about how he was the blue-collar answer to Roberto Luongo s anointed hockey royalty, the success to his failure, the tires to his pump. Maybe in a different series, Luongo becomes the underdog, becomes the guy we all rooted for to finally win. Yet it was Thomas that helped the hockey world fall for the Bruins no small feat for a Bostonian team as they were the brutal underdog answer to the Vancouver Canucks' effete but nefarious collection of chronic underachievers. Could any of us have foreseen how dramatically that script would be flipped in the next two years? The two face off Tuesday night in Vancouver for the first time since June 15, 2011, as Thomas and the Florida Panthers visit the Canucks. Luongo has started 18 games for the Canucks, with a 2.36 GAA and a.912 save percentage. Thomas has played as well as one could hope for, after a year layoff and in back of the chaos in Florida, rather than the steady Bruins defense: 4-6-0, a 2.87 GAA and a.907 save percentage. He s surrendered more than two goals just twice in 11 games. But off the ice, they ve all but reversed roles since Because of what Thomas did and what was done to Luongo. In 2011, Luongo was, frankly, unlikeable. His elephantine, cap-cheating contract had critics. Fans rooted for his continued playoff meltdowns, just to see what the postseries reaction would be. Even his gold medal victory, which should have been the ultimate redemption story, was tainted with a late U.S. goal before Sidney Crosby bailed him out. Against Thomas, Luongo couldn t stop a puck in Boston and came off as petulant when he criticized Thomas for not stopping the lone goal in Vancouver s 1-0 Game 5 victory, saying his style of goaltending would have prevented it. When he took heat for the comment, Luongo famously said: "I have been pumping his tires ever since the series started. I haven't heard one nice thing he had to say about me." Oof. But again, times have changed, as have their respective reputations. Thomas s decision not to attend the Boston Bruins celebration at the Obama White House lit that fuse, leading to public scrutiny of his politics and accusations that he had hurt the Bruins' chemistry. The accessible, champion of the people suddenly morphed into the distant, reserved and bitter outsider. It wasn t as simple as discovering a player didn t share their politics. Fans were taken aback by Thomas doing something selfish, putting himself before the team; it was the complete antithesis of what we witnessed in the Stanley Cup run. The backbone of the Bruins had become its clown nose. The pressure and criticism grew too much for Thomas, so he quit. He quit the Bruins, quit the NHL, quit the public life. He disappeared. Luongo thought about quitting too, actually, with regard to his contract. His contract had prevented the Canucks from dealing him away after handing Cory Schneider the crease in He considered working with the NHLPA to have it voided earlier this season, before staying the course. When he stood in front of cameras and said his contract sucked, the fans connected with him. When the Canucks jerked him around and treated him with a general lack of respect despite his accomplishments, the fans felt for him. His brilliantly self-deprecating humor be it on his Twitter feed or his TSN appearances had us laughing with LOLuongo for once. So now it s Luongo that has the support of the masses, as his surreal conflict with the Canucks was resolved with Schneider s trade. It s Luongo whose quirky tweets become stories, whose personality has been embraced by fans as an example of a player who gets it. The Canucks remain a team that s not exactly huggable, and John Tortorella s prickly presence doesn t help; but Luongo s the guy you find yourself rooting for, despite his team s antics. Like many probably did with the Bruins and Thomas two years ago. Maybe there s still another redemption story in the cards for Thomas, although I think that would require a level of candor about his sabbatical he s not comfortable with revealing. I ve suspected that the jarring juxtaposition between being hero of the people and right-wing pariah was too much for him to handle. Luongo, meanwhile, has handled the transition from punchline to man of the fans deftly. Perhaps the writing was on the wall that Thomas would prevail in Game 7 and the Bruins would be champions in Vancouver. But the paths the two have taken since have been anything but predictable, and not just because Thomas was the one who ended up goaltending for Florida, after all. New Year s Eve puck drop; in praise of backups; Charlie Sheen, Sabre (Puck Headlines) By Harrison Mooney 18 hours ago Puck Daddy

12 The newest member of the Buffalo Sabres: Charlie Sheen. You laugh, but I bet he's more NHL-ready than Mikhail Grigorenko. [Charlie Sheen] Speaking of Grigorenko, he's been sent to the AHL on a conditioning assignment, along with Rasmus Ristolainen and Johan Larsson. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov has also been sent back to the London Knights. [Sabres] The Knights are going to be pretty happy to have Zadorov back. [Buzzing the Net] "In connection with the NHL Winter Classic Game to be played on New Year s Day, the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting a New Year s Eve event called The Puck Drops Here, which will mimic the dropping of the lighted ball in Times Square, but with a 6-foot diameter lighted puck." Um. Awesome. [Ann Arbor Chronicle] The St. Louis Blues have some questions in goal that they'll have to answer in short order here. [STL Today] How Ben Scrivens scammed the system. [LA Kings Insider] How Scrivens and Josh Harding are proving the value of good backup goalies. [Eye on Hockey] Ilya Bryzgalov, asked if he needs to change anything about the way he does thing off the ice: What do you mean. The way I go to restaurants? [Edmonton Journal] Adrian Aucoin has officially retired after 17 NHL seasons. [NHLPA] Tim Thomas says a spot on the U.S. Olympic team was a major factor in returning from his self-imposed exile. [Sun Sentinel] Bad news, American hockey fans hoping for Olympic gold: Team USA tends to play pretty terribly overseas. [Wall Street Journal] How Alex Ovechkin improved his even-strength play by letting others do a little puck-carrying. [Japers Rink] Sean McIndoe defends the Ottawa Senators' decision to keep Wade Redden over Zdeno Chara. Sure, it looks bad now but then? [Grantland] Elliotte Friedman suggests the Edmonton Oilers hire Paul Maurice to give Dallas Eakins a little help behind the bench. [CBC] A valuable guide for when and how to use the #IslesTwitter hashtag, because too many of you are doing it wrong. [Eye on Isles] Jessica Merighi on pink hats, "a term used for women who are not fans of the sport but watch games for some random stupid reason, like their boyfriend." [Days of Y'Orr] What's wrong with Evgeni Malkin? [Much Ado About Malkin] Introducing a new stat: the Bieksa rating, which measure things like toughness, good Canadian kid-ness, and visorlessness. [Canucks Army] David Clarkson after 10 games. [Leafs Nation] How do fantasy owners survive the Steven Stamkos injury? My advice would be to just quit, but apparently there are other things you can do. [Dobber Hockey] Finally, Blake Wheeler has some sick mitts for a big man: Oilers investigated Ilya Bryzgalov to make sure he wasn t a terrible guy By Greg Wyshynski 19 hours ago Puck Daddy Ilya Bryzgalov s reputation precedes him, which is problematic when his reputation is that of a bear-fearing Cosmonaut who s loopier than a roller coaster and isn t seen as a model teammate. The Edmonton Oilers knew that reputation when they began mulling over whether to sign Bryz this month. So they looked into how accurate it was, as GM Craig MacTavish told Pierre LeBrun in an enlightening piece on Tuesday: "We did homework in terms of the character," said MacTavish. "You hear both ends of the spectrum. You heard people say, 'He's a good guy, he's not a problem, he's going to be very easy to work with.' Then you also heard, 'He's a terrible guy.' I've never seen this varied an opinion on a guy. Normally people focus in on the same conclusion. But this was quite different." "These are the yes factors: he's going to be highly motivated, he's got a history of having a high-level game, and he's on a short-term contract," said MacTavish. "Plus, it didn't cost us anything but the contract to get him, we didn't have to spend the assets to trade for a goalie. The downside was not much at this point." LeBrun reports that Oilers Coach Dallas Eakins sought the advice of Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Randy Carlyle, who coached Bryzgalov with the Anaheim Ducks. Eakins and assistant GM Scott Howson (ahem, that s SPECIAL ASSISTANT to the GM, thanks) also visited Bryzgalov and his family in Philadelphia. Where they presumably met his huskie, a.k.a the most beautiful woman he's ever known. MacTavish pulled no punches: This is a chance for Bryzgalov to change that reputation in the NHL. From ESPN.com: "Everybody likes an underdog story, and he can quickly get into that position here," said MacTavish. "He's a colorful character. If he plays well, he's got a chance to really resurrect his image and his game. There's a lot on the line. It probably won't be seamless, but he's got a chance. That he does, because the Oilers took one on Ilya Bryzgalov.

13 TODAY S LINKS CAR home Boston Bruins Dennis Seidenberg knocked out with undisclosed injury Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff November 19, :22 PM NEW YORK -- Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg will not return to tonight s game against the Rangers because of an undisclosed injury. Seidenberg skated just one shift for 1:01 of ice time in the first period before retreating to the dressing room. This is the third time this season the Bruins have lost a defenseman. Johnny Boychuk hurt his back in the second period of the Bruins 3-2 shootout win over Anaheim Oct. 31, and Adam McQuaid was hurt in the first period of a 3-1 win over Toronto Nov. 9 when turning and pursuing a puck. If neither Seidenberg nor McQuaid is available Thursday against St. Louis, Kevan Miller could be recalled from Providence. UPDATE: Seidenberg has a lower-body injury, according to Claude Julien. Seidenberg got tangled up with Derek Dorsett on his first shift. Seidenberg's availability for Thursday is unknown. McQuaid, who resumed skating on Monday, is doubtful for Thursday. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Tonight's Bruins lineup Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff November 19, :09 PM Based on pregame warmups: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Loui Eriksson Carl Soderberg-Chris Kelly-Reilly Smith Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Dougie Hamilton Dennis Seidenberg-Torey Krug Matt Bartkowski-Johnny Boychuk Tuukka Rask Chad Johnson * Henrik Lundqvist (6-8-0, 2.41 GAA,.919 save percentage) will start in goal for the Rangers. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins give Buffalo permission to interview Jim Benning Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff November 19, :55 PM The Bruins have officially given the Buffalo Sabres permission to interview assistant general manager Jim Benning as a candidate to replace fired Sabres GM Darcy Regier. Benning, who is on a short list in Buffalo, was one of Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli s first hires. Before arriving in Boston in 2006, Benning was Buffalo s director of amateur scouting. He worked in the Buffalo organization for 12 seasons. The other known candidates are Pittsburgh s Jason Botterill and Montreal s Rick Dudley. Regier and coach Ron Rolston were fired last week. Pat LaFontaine is Buffalo s new president of hockey operations. Ted Nolan is the interim coach. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins