Calgary Flames Flames snap scoring drought but fall 4-1 to Flyers McGrattan looking forward to great 1-2 punch

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks rout San Jose Sharks, Ducks 6, Sharks Final: Ducks 6, Sharks Ducks torch Sharks, but believe they can do better in the new year Boston Bruins Bruins feel Dennis Seidenberg s absence in 5-3 loss Islanders rally for win at TD Garden Chara returns to lineup; injury is undisclosed Tavares, Nielsen lead Islanders to win over Bruins Shawn Thornton won t pursue new appeal on ban Game 40 preview: Islanders at Bruins Thornton to serve remainder of sentence B's Shawn Thornton won't appeal suspension further Buffalo Sabres Jets, Montoya shut out Sabres Sabres stagger in Winnipeg Sabres notebook: Tallinder out at least a week with injury Calgary Flames Flames snap scoring drought but fall 4-1 to Flyers McGrattan looking forward to great 1-2 punch Dallas Stars Dallas Stars have one New Year's resolution and it's to Dallas Stars' run is convincing them they can play with the best teams in NHL Kevin Connauton, Cameron Gaunce stepping up for Dallas Stars after slew of injuries Dustin Jeffrey gets start vs. Kings with Ray Whitney sitting out with illness Stephane Robidas progressing after suffering broken leg in November Sergei Gonchar misses his fourth game with concussion-like symptoms but appears to be improving Ill Ray Whitney a game-time decision for Stars tonight against Kings Detroit Red Wings Alumni showdown: Red Wings net two wins, plus Yzerman, Gordie, Russian 5 provide thrills Not much has changed about Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman on, off ice Jiri Fischer makes memorable return for Red Wings' alumni Ticker: Alumni Showdown is fun for all ages Overheard from the Alumni Showdown: Hall of Famers had a ball Three Winter Festival questions with Jeff Seidel: Alumni games a hot ticket Helene St. James: Red Wings will win today's Winter Classic Alumni Showdown extra points: Fans show Stevie Y. love, save some for Sergei Helene St. James: Winter Classic finally here - Detroit Red Wings' smiles, snow brighten day Hockeytown's heroes shine at Comerica Park in Alumni Showdown Alumni Showdown, Game 2: Red Wings top Maple Leafs in shoot-out U-M coach Red Berenson impresses fellow alumni in Wings' 5-4 victory Alumni Showdown, Game 1: Red Wings top Maple Leafs, 5-4 NHL 1/1/2014 DAILY BRIEF Red Wings Continued Detroit Red Wings, beware: Home teams haven't fared well in Winter Classic history Winter Classic rouses heartwarming memories; nostalgia key to game's appeal Winter Classic forecast: 18 degrees expected for game between Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs Red Wings, Leafs alumni bask in moments frozen in time Enormity of Winter Classic gives Red Wings chills Getting the old Wings gang back together makes for poignant moments Alumni Showdown scenes: At 74, Red Berenson still impressive on ice Winter Classic cold presents a challenge to spectators Wings take second game in shootout; Steve Yzerman gets standing ovation Jiri Fischer, Red Berenson are Red Wings' heroes in first alumni game Michigan's Luke Glendening might get shot with Red Wings at Big House NHL warns Winter Classic fans about possible sale of unauthorized merchandise Winter Classic Alumni Showdown provides memories that will last a lifetime for all involved Steve Yzerman, skating for the first time since retiring, enjoys brief stint in Alumni Showdown Red Wings' Luke Glendening is especially excited about his fifth outdoor game at Winter Classic Red Berenson stars in the Red Wings-Maple Leafs alumni game as oldest player Red Wings soak up the atmosphere at the Big House, but focus on winning Winter Classic vs. Maple Leafs Former Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs agree: Alumni Showdown opener was a great time Red Wings' Daniel Alfredsson feels much better, but status for Winter Classic undetermined Red Wings reassign Tomas Jurco, recall Luke Glendening on eve of Winter Classic By the numbers: A look at the Winter Classic between Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs Ex-Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom excited to skate with fellow legends in Alumni Showdown Red Wings-Maple Leafs Winter Classic Alumni Showdown to be once-in-a-lifetime experience Red Wings alums thrill packed Comerica Park Tribute to Probert, Yzerman's return highlight alumni game Winter Classic is still just a game -- that counts Glendening to play in fifth outdoor game at Winter Classic Daniel Alfredsson chance at playing in Winter Classic seems slim Edmonton Oilers Oilers drop the ball on New Year's Eve Edmonton Oilers open second half of another non-playoff season against Phoenix Coyotes Edmonton Oilers defy logic for close to 65 minutes before Phoenix Coyotes pot OT winner Edmonton Oilers look to kick off tough road swing with win in the desert Florida Panthers Florida Panthers finish strong month with shootout loss to Rangers MERRY NEW YEAR: Panthers End Winning Month with 2-1 Shootout Loss to Rangers Late gaffe leads to Panthers' 2-1 shootout loss to Rangers

2 Los Angeles Kings Kings drop fourth in a row Kings suffer fourth loss in a row December 31 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter December 31 postgame quotes: Anze Kopitar Game 41: Los Angeles at Dallas December 31 postgame notes December 31 postgame quotes: Ben Scrivens Rehab assignment for Quick Doughty, irked by Bollig s hit, good to go Waking up with the Kings: December 31 Minnesota Wild Reusse: Next Wild coach could come from Recycling Club What comes next as tension, losses overtake the tumbling Wild? After the Winter Classic live on NBC on Wednesday, the U.S. will unveil its 25-man roster for the Winter Olymp Wild-St. Louis game recap Schwartz nets goal in 6th straight game, helps Blues beat Wild Wild drops sixth consecutive game; Yeo remains on hot seat A numerical look at the Wild in the first half Minnesota Wild: Time is running short for Mike Yeo and playoff hopes Tom Powers: Is new coach the jolt Wild need? Minnesota Wild: Yeo wants Mitchell more involved Minnesota Wild makes Blum first D callup Blues 2, Wild 1: Minnesota poses little threat in loss to St. Louis Montreal Canadiens Semin lifts Hurricanes to overtime victory over Canadiens Hurricanes best Canadiens in NYE overtime About last yuck! 2014 has to be better than that Bournival expected to take Brière s spot against Hurricanes Nashville Predators Nashville Predators see benefits of rested Mike Fisher New Jersey Devils Henrique, Ryder Score to Lift Devils Over Penguins Devils feel they may be putting together a mid-season run Devils: Lucky horseshoe, new linemates key Adam Henrique hot streak Devils, Penguins instant analysis Pittsburgh Penguins at Devils GAMEDAY Devils lose Patrik Elias in tough 2-1 victory over Penguins Gameday notes: Cam Janssen reveals secret to beating Penguins Devils' Pete DeBoer: Penguins' key to overcoming injuries is having the 'best player in the world' in Sidney C Devils' Steve Bernier expects to play vs. Penguins: 'I got lucky. It could have been bad' Devils goalie Cory Schneider: If I don t get named (to U.S. Olympic team), it s on me Christmas horseshoe, new line help turn Henrique s fortunes; Added snot effective for Devils Devils end 2013 by beating Penguins to climb above.500; Hope to continue surge in second half Devils provide no update on Elias apparent shoulder injury; DeBoer expects to know more in morning Bernier and Volchenkov to be game-time decisions for Devils; Malkin still out for Penguins Adam Henrique, Michael Ryder score to lift Devils over Penguins, 2-1 New York Islanders Brodeur leads Devils over Penguins Tavares, Nielsen score two each in Islanders' comeback Islanders' Strome still in adjustment mode New York Rangers Brad Richards, Henrik Lundqvist power NY Rangers in shootout win over Panthers Rangers' Brad Richards looking to snap 10-game goal drought in Florida, says stretch has been 'weird' & he has Rangers' Michael Del Zotto under-performing offensively, 'jittery with the puck,' scratched vs. Panthers, Alai Rangers Del Zotto a healthy scratch for 8th time this season Richards lifts Rangers to shootout win Rangers coach Vigneault denies dig at Del Zotto Rangers 2, Panthers 1 (SO): Wrapping up AV says no shot meant at DZ Rangers rally late, beat Panthers in shootout Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto benched again Rangers-Panthers in review Happy New Year! Rangers 2, Panthers 1 (shootout) post-game notes It s Go Time! Rangers at Panthers Ottawa Senators Phillips to return Thursday, Neil and Spezza out, Stone recalled from Binghamton MacArthur thanks Karlsson for unselfish gesture that ends 10-game goal drought Ottawa Senators call up Mark Stone Chris Phillips returns Thursday against Winnipeg Jets 3 Philadelphia Flyers Flyers and Emery put out the Flames Brayden Schenn, Flyers keep on rolling Flyers Notes: Mason carries Flyers in shootout win Flyers rally to win in second straight shootout Schenn leads the way in win over Flames Instant Replay: Flyers 4, Flames Flyers top Flames to sweep Western Canada Flyers-Flames: 5 things you need to know Flyers Notes: Yes that Tom Sestito Brayden Schenn bails out Luke Schenn in win Flyers rally to tie, top Canucks 4-3 in shootout Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes Keith Yandle nets winner in overtime win over Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes' Keith Yandle anxiously awaiting Olympic roster Phoenix Coyotes poised to terminate Gilbert Brule s contract Sarah McLellan's Coyotes blog Pittsburgh Penguins Surprises in store for Penguins bedeviled in New Jersey again behind early goal, tight defense Penguins notebook: Maatta scratched for first time Penguins notebook: Orpik, Martin wait on U.S. roster decision Penguins fall to N.J. Devils, 2-1 San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks lose 6-3 to Anaheim Ducks Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl has successful knee surgery San Jose Sharks forward Matt Nieto can't wait to face Ducks San Jose Sharks place Marty Havlat on injured reserve Sharks falls to Ducks Miserable second period costs Sharks in Anaheim Instant Replay: Ducks fly away with 6-3 win over Sharks In the Crease: Sharks close out the year in Anaheim Nieto excited to play close to home Sharks need to make adjustments in rematch vs. Ducks Sharks place Havlat on IR, recall Hamilton from Worcester Hertl has successful knee surgery

3 St Louis Blues Blues grind up Wild Blues have interest in hosting a Winter Classic Hockey Guy: Blues develop depth, roll on Halak can be backup against Wild; Backes still not ready Tampa Bay Lightning Captain rises to occasion for Bolts Lightning faces daunting two-week stretch Lightning-Canucks preview Toronto Maple Leafs Mirtle: Phaneuf contract a necessary evil for Leafs Maple Leafs sign Dion Phaneuf to seven-year contract extension Signing Dion Phaneuf just one part of Leafs building process: Cox Winter Classic: Bernier wins battle for Leafs No. 1 goalie role: DiManno Winter Classic: Snowy conditions forecast for big game Leafsbeat: Here s how NHL, Leafs stack up at season s halfway point Maple Leafs: Nazem Kadri rumoured to be available in a trade Winter Classic: Supersized event good for game and Motown: Cox Maple Leafs sign Dion Phaneuf to seven-year extension Ex-Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark think Dion Phaneuf can have long run with 'C' Leafs, Red Wings alumni strut their stuff prior to Winter Classic Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri in spotlight again after comments from coach Randy Carlyle Maple Leafs might not face injured Daniel Alfredsson at Winter Classic Maple Leafs rave about ice at Michigan Stadium Maple Leafs, Red Wings set for Winter Classic Winter Classic 2014: Detroit Red Wings sweep Toronto Maple Leafs in alumni doubleheader Winter Classic 2014: Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings hope wind helps more than it hurts Toronto Maple Leafs could have done better, and worse, with Dion Phaneuf s contract extension Toronto Maple Leafs sign captain Dion Phaneuf to seven-year contract extension Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks team awards after 41 games Canucks second half must be equal to the first I Watched This Game: Canucks vs. Philadelphia Flyers, December 30, Canucks Hat Trick: Goals, goals and goals (lack of) Canucks send Welsh to the minors; other moves coming? Washington Capitals Tom Wilson: When you hit a guy hard and clean, you ve got to be ready to fight Carlson and Alzner give Washington a solid shutdown pair Five thoughts on the Capitals 3-1 loss in Ottawa John Carlson, others hope for call to Team USA Mika Zibanejad and Clarke MacArthur, with an empty-net goal, also scored for Ottawa ( ). Websites ESPN / Phaneuf has chills, they're multipying ESPN / Babcock solves the Classic curse ESPN / Don't forget about the game ESPN / Come along on a World Junior journey CNN/Sports Illustrated / Allan Muir>NHL POWER RANKINGS CNN/Sports Illustrated / Taking the NHL Outside: The making of stadium hockey CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Bombings cause Olympic jitters; NHL trade rumors, more links TSN.CA Kerry Fraser/ Rule interpretation on goal against Mike Smith YAHOO SPORTS / 2014 Winter Classic: NHL believes bigger is better with world-record bid Winnipeg Jets Jets shut down Sabres Jets shut out Sabres Montoya will be in net for Jets tonight SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks rout San Jose Sharks, 6-3 By Lance Pugmire 9:46 PM PST, December 31, 2013 "The Beleskey-Bonino-[Kyle] Palmieri line of getting in there, doing some forechecking it got the crowd into it," Boudreau said. The game was the 500th consecutive for Cogliano, making him just the fifth NHL player to play in 500 straight games from the beginning of his career. LA Times: LOADED: What the Ducks want out of 2014 they produced Tuesday night. In a high-energy blitz of talent and toughness that answered a road loss to the San Jose Sharks two days earlier, the Ducks scored five goals in an 11-minute 25-second stretch to win, 6-3, at Honda Center. "Huge for us, because it shows when we play our game, we win," said Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano, who capped the scoring with a short-handed goal early in the third period. Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf already had two assists when he outraced the Sharks on an earlier third-period breakaway, closing it with a muscled shot that beat San Jose goalie Antti Niemi and forced his removal from the game. SUMMARY: Ducks 6, San Jose Sharks 3 The Ducks (29-8-5) are now at home, and before a standing-room-only crowd, they pierced doubts that crept in during their start against their nearest Pacific Division pursuers, San Jose (25-9-6) and the Kings. The point made is that their natural skill and roster depth, complemented by hustle, aggression and home-crowd encouragement, can take them to lofty places. "We're a good hockey club, and we know it," Getzlaf said. "Obviously, the Sharks are one of the best teams in the league. We proved we've got to keep playing our game no matter who we're playing." Now riding a better start than even the Stanley Cup-champion Ducks while becoming just the third NHL team in the last 25 years to have a home point streak of 17 games or more, the Ducks got a club-record ninth straight win from goalie Jonas Hiller (33 saves). "Hilly won the game for us; they could've had a 5-1 lead after one," Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said after Hiller instead stopped all 17 Sharks' shots in the first. The Ducks set another team record by taking 25 second-period shots 20 in the first 11 minutes scoring three goals to counter two San Jose goals on eight shots in the frenzied 20 minutes. The Ducks' scoring burst started on Niemi when defenseman Francois Beauchemin followed a Ryan Getzlaf blast that left the goalie sprawled. San Jose tied it again 95 seconds later when Logan Couture hit the crossbar and Hiller backed the puck across the goal line. But the Sharks' James Sheppard committed a high-sticking penalty on Sami Vatanen, and Ducks center Nick Bonino converted on the power play, sprawling to strike a rebound shot off a Getzlaf try. Getzlaf's interest in scoring goals is a telling part of the Ducks' success. He's never scored more than 25 in a season but already has 20. With the lead, Hiller was caught out of position after clearing the puck and San Jose's Joe Thornton charged to shoot, but defenseman Ben Lovejoy slid forward, extended his stick and knocked Thornton's shot out of harm's way. Lovejoy became a father for the first time to daughter Lila on Tuesday morning. "Big momentum boost," Boudreau said. " [It] personifies him as a blood-and-guts individual. In the hospital all day having a baby, and puts in that kind of effort." Bonino then padded the Ducks' lead, taking the puck away from San Jose's Andrew Desjardins behind the Sharks' net and passing to Matt Beleskey for a 4-2 lead with 1:30 left in the second. The importance of winning the game was seen in Beleskey's knee-dropping, arms-raised motion.

5 Anaheim Ducks Ducks 6, Sharks 3 posted by ERIC STEPHENS Published: Dec. 31, 2013 Updated: 10:14 p.m. ANAHEIM -- The big early push that the Ducks were determined to make in their rematch with the San Jose Sharks never came about. It just took one period longer for them to make good on their plan. Nick Bonino and Matt Beleskey capped a three-goal outburst in the second to break open a tie game and the Ducks went on to a rousing 6-3 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. The Ducks (29-8-5) got goals from six players in avenging a 3-1 loss in San Jose on Sunday and restoring their lead in the Pacific Division to seven points over the Sharks. And they got their offense going by taking control of the game in the second. Dan Boyle and Logan Couture erased one-goal leads the Ducks managed but Bonino's swept in a rebound that San Jose goalie Antti Niemi left in front to snap his team's long drought on the power play. Beleskey then made it 4-2 by going to the net and slipping the puck past Niemi after Bonino started the scoring sequence by taking the puck away from Sharks center Andrew Desjardins behind the San Jose net. Ryan Getzlaf made it 5-2 when he chased Sharks goalie Antti Niemi early in the third. Andrew Cogliano greeted backup Alex Stalock with a shorthanded goal off a rebound of Saku Koivu's initial shot on a breakaway chance. A big part of San Jose's win Sunday was its ability to dictate its high-temp attack from the first puck drop and score twice in the first to put the Ducks on the defensive. The Ducks vowed to jump out quickly Tuesday but were chasing the puck instead. With the Sharks (25-9-6) throttling them at seemingly every turn and opening up a big edge in shots on goal, the Ducks took advantage of one of their rare opportunities in the offensive zone to get the jump on the scoreboard. The puck swung around to Beleskey at the point and the winger let loose a shot that Palmieri got a stick on and deflected past Niemi for a 1-0 lead. And the Ducks were lucky to walk into the dressing room with that advantage. Patrick Marleau appeared to score as the buzzer sounded but a video review confirmed that the puck crossed the goal line after time ran out. Francois Beauchemin also added his first goal of the season to start the Ducks' big second period. Jonas Hiller made 33 saves to win his ninth straight start while Getzlaf added two assists for a three-point night. Orange County Register: LOADED:

6 Anaheim Ducks Final: Ducks 6, Sharks 3 posted by ERIC STEPHENS Published: Dec. 31, 2013 Updated: 10:14 p.m. ANAHEIM -- The big early push that the Ducks were determined to make in their rematch with the San Jose Sharks never came about. It just took one period longer for them to make good on their plan. Nick Bonino and Matt Beleskey capped a three-goal outburst in the second to break open a tie game and the Ducks went on to a rousing 6-3 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. The Ducks (29-8-5) got goals from six players in avenging a 3-1 loss in San Jose on Sunday and restoring their lead in the Pacific Division to seven points over the Sharks. And they got their offense going by taking control of the game in the second. Dan Boyle and Logan Couture erased one-goal leads the Ducks managed but Bonino's swept in a rebound that San Jose goalie Antti Niemi left in front to snap his team's long drought on the power play. Beleskey then made it 4-2 by going to the net and slipping the puck past Niemi after Bonino started the scoring sequence by taking the puck away from Sharks center Andrew Desjardins behind the San Jose net. Ryan Getzlaf made it 5-2 when he chased Sharks goalie Antti Niemi early in the third. Andrew Cogliano greeted backup Alex Stalock with a shorthanded goal off a rebound of Saku Koivu's initial shot on a breakaway chance. A big part of San Jose's win Sunday was its ability to dictate its high-temp attack from the first puck drop and score twice in the first to put the Ducks on the defensive. The Ducks vowed to jump out quickly Tuesday but were chasing the puck instead. With the Sharks (25-9-6) throttling them at seemingly every turn and opening up a big edge in shots on goal, the Ducks took advantage of one of their rare opportunities in the offensive zone to get the jump on the scoreboard. The puck swung around to Beleskey at the point and the winger let loose a shot that Palmieri got a stick on and deflected past Niemi for a 1-0 lead. And the Ducks were lucky to walk into the dressing room with that advantage. Patrick Marleau appeared to score as the buzzer sounded but a video review confirmed that the puck crossed the goal line after time ran out. Francois Beauchemin also added his first goal of the season to start the Ducks' big second period. Jonas Hiller made 33 saves to win his ninth straight start while Getzlaf added two assists for a three-point night. Orange County Register: LOADED:

7 Anaheim Ducks Final: Ducks 6, Sharks 3 posted by ERIC STEPHENS Published: Dec. 31, 2013 Updated: 10:14 p.m. ANAHEIM -- The big early push that the Ducks were determined to make in their rematch with the San Jose Sharks never came about. It just took one period longer for them to make good on their plan. Nick Bonino and Matt Beleskey capped a three-goal outburst in the second to break open a tie game and the Ducks went on to a rousing 6-3 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. The Ducks (29-8-5) got goals from six players in avenging a 3-1 loss in San Jose on Sunday and restoring their lead in the Pacific Division to seven points over the Sharks. And they got their offense going by taking control of the game in the second. Dan Boyle and Logan Couture erased one-goal leads the Ducks managed but Bonino's swept in a rebound that San Jose goalie Antti Niemi left in front to snap his team's long drought on the power play. Beleskey then made it 4-2 by going to the net and slipping the puck past Niemi after Bonino started the scoring sequence by taking the puck away from Sharks center Andrew Desjardins behind the San Jose net. Ryan Getzlaf made it 5-2 when he chased Sharks goalie Antti Niemi early in the third. Andrew Cogliano greeted backup Alex Stalock with a shorthanded goal off a rebound of Saku Koivu's initial shot on a breakaway chance. A big part of San Jose's win Sunday was its ability to dictate its high-temp attack from the first puck drop and score twice in the first to put the Ducks on the defensive. The Ducks vowed to jump out quickly Tuesday but were chasing the puck instead. With the Sharks (25-9-6) throttling them at seemingly every turn and opening up a big edge in shots on goal, the Ducks took advantage of one of their rare opportunities in the offensive zone to get the jump on the scoreboard. The puck swung around to Beleskey at the point and the winger let loose a shot that Palmieri got a stick on and deflected past Niemi for a 1-0 lead. And the Ducks were lucky to walk into the dressing room with that advantage. Patrick Marleau appeared to score as the buzzer sounded but a video review confirmed that the puck crossed the goal line after time ran out. Francois Beauchemin also added his first goal of the season to start the Ducks' big second period. Jonas Hiller made 33 saves to win his ninth straight start while Getzlaf added two assists for a three-point night. Orange County Register: LOADED:

8 Anaheim Ducks Ducks torch Sharks, but believe they can do better in the new year By Elliott Teaford, Daily Breeze Posted: 12/31/13, 10:12 PM PST The Ducks showed exactly why they have the best record in the NHL heading into They torched the San Jose Sharks for five goals during an electric 11-minute, 25-second stretch of overpowering offensive dominance Tuesday night at the Honda Center. But they also had extended moments of uncertainty during their 6-3 victory that underscored their need for improvement in the new calendar year. They were caught flatfooted again and again at the start and only took control after a between-periods chat from coach Bruce Boudreau. Good enough wasn t good enough. You re not a good team in this league unless you re self-aware of things, Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. I didn t play well the last couple of games and as a group we didn t, either. That s part of looking in the mirror and talking amongst ourselves and getting ourselves ready to go. Bruce has always voiced his opinion on the way things need to be and that s pushed us to get better. We weren t happy with our effort. We came out in that first period and relied on our goalie too much and he made some big saves to keep us in it. The Ducks (29-8-5) rebounded from a lackluster opening period by turning a shaky 1-0 lead into a 4-2 advantage by the end of the second. They didn t let up in the least to start the third and led 6-2 only 2:25 into the final period. Kyle Palmieri gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead in the first period, but San Jose s Dan Boyle countered only 35 seconds into the second. The score wasn t tied for long, however. Francois Beauchemin, Nick Bonino (power play), Matt Beleskey, Getzlaf and Andrew Cogliano (shorthanded) scored to put the Ducks in command. Bonino s goal ended an 0-for-22 drought with the power play for the Ducks, who were 19 for 131 (14.5 percent) in the season s first half. The power play right now is like a golf game, Boudreau said. We ve finished the front nine and we were horrible. We have a whole bunch of bogeys and triple bogeys, but it s a fresh slate on the back nine and we can shoot a 35 on the back nine and have a great second half of the power play. The Ducks certainly had a sellout crowd of 17,424 in a mood to forget the opening period after playing what might have been their best period of the season in the second. The Ducks outshot the Sharks 25-8, setting a club record for the most shots in a second period. Getzlaf s 20th goal of the season and Cogliano s 12th while playing in his 500th consecutive game cemented the victory and underscored their remarkable depth. After all, six players scored for the Ducks, who improved their league-best home record to It s always nice if you look at the standings and you see your team up there, but we got there because we worked hard, goaltender Jonas Hiller said after his club-record ninth straight victory. You can t look at the standings for the rest of the year and just stay there. We have to keep working. LA Daily News: LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Bruins feel Dennis Seidenberg s absence in 5-3 loss By Fluto Shinzawa January 01, 2014 Dennis Seidenberg watched Tuesday s 5-3 loss to the Islanders, just like he will be an observer for the rest of this season. Neither Seidenberg nor the Bruins prefer him in his navy suit instead of his Black-and-Gold uniform. It may be coincidence the Bruins lost the two games in which Seidenberg s wrecked right knee has kept him sidelined. The two-game sample size is small, much like the Islanders margin of victory three weird bounces led to three goals in Tuesday s setback at TD Garden. But the results so far do not indicate a smooth ride for the Seidenberg-less Bruins. We ve lost two in a row now, said coach Claude Julien. We don t like being in that situation. So hopefully we get a positive response on Thursday. Seidenberg has missed six games this season. The Bruins are in those games. They ve allowed 22 goals in those games for a 3.67 goals-against average. It is well off their season-long mark of 2.10 goals against, second-fewest in the NHL after Los Angeles (1.95). Against the Islanders, the Bruins took a 3-1 lead into the third period. The Islanders rallied for four straight strikes. When Seidenberg is at his best, he can quiet down opponents with a solid hit, a shove out of the danger area, a smothering shift against a dangerous sniper. The Bruins won t have that asset for the rest of the year. It s frustrating, obviously, when you have two leads and it ends up going the way it does, said Milan Lucic. The Bruins have no choice but to power their way through the calendar without Seidenberg. The trade market has yet to form ahead of the March 6 deadline. Too many teams remain in the playoff hunt. Many clubs are tight against the salary cap. Battle-tested defensemen like Seidenberg are hard to find and even tougher to acquire. Until the likes of Chris Phillips and Andrej Meszaros become available that s assuming Ottawa and Philadelphia fade from the postseason chase the Bruins have to improve in all areas to survive Seidenberg s loss. In Tuesday s loss to the Islanders, the Bruins used Zdeno Chara and Johnny Boychuk as a shutdown pair against the Islanders top line of Thomas Vanek, John Tavares, and Kyle Okposo. Tavares submitted a line. Okposo scored a goal and had two assists. Vanek added two helpers. The Bruins shutdown duo has had better nights. The issue, however, is how Seidenberg s loss touches the blue-line depth. Matt Bartkowski and Adam McQuaid were the second-pair defensemen. For now, Bartkowski is assuming Seidenberg s job as the physical, second-pair, left-shot defenseman. In Saturday s 4-3 loss to Ottawa, with Seidenberg and Chara unavailable, Bartkowski led the team in ice time. Against the Islanders, Bartkowski played 19:48 while matched mostly against New York s second line of Michael Grabner, Frans Nielsen, and Cal Clutterbuck. Nielsen had two goals, both on the power play. Bartkowski has the speed, strength, and puck-carrying ability to play a top-four role. He played well in the second round of last year s playoffs against the Rangers when Seidenberg (hamstring) and Andrew Ference (foot) were unavailable for stretches. This will be Bartkowski s chance to show his bosses he s capable of a repeat performance Guys have to step up and learn how to play in front of the net, goaltender Tuukka Rask said. Seids is really good at it. Today, we missed him. But we have full confidence in guys. The younger guys can step up. The worry, however, is the effect Seidenberg s absence will have on the team s two most important players: Chara and Rask. Chara s job will not change. The Bruins have and will continue to ask Chara to match up against opposing top forwards. But in those game-defining moments, when the Bruins are protecting a late lead, Julien and assistant coach Doug Houda, who manages the defensive shifts, won t have Seidenberg as an option. It will be tempting to tab Chara for some of those shifts. Chara played 25:14 against the Islanders. It s a good bet Chara s average workload will be squarely in that range, with an increase sure to come in the playoffs. When Slovakia calls upon Chara in Sochi, it will be for half of every Olympic game. It s not an ideal situation. Chara broke down and ran his tank dry last season against Chicago. The Bruins must be cautious with Chara s workload, which is easier said than done. They ll face a similar issue with Rask. Because of Seidenberg s absence, the coaches will be eager to give Rask more starts. It s the right move. He is more reliable than Chad Johnson. But Seidenberg s two-game sitdown coincides with two losses for Rask. On Saturday, Julien pulled Rask after the Senators scored three goals on 12 shots. The Islanders tucked five pucks behind Rask. In the opening minute of the third, Tavares shot the puck with his skates below the goal line. The puck ticked off Rask for the game-winning goal. Later on the power play, Tavares slipped a half-slapper through Rask from the left circle. I couldn t stop the puck when it mattered and they got those bounces, so that s the result, said Rask (26 saves). Rask has started 32 of 40 games. Rask is on pace for a career-high 65 starts. He could be Finland s No. 1 goalie in the Olympics. Chara and Rask need help. For now, they ll have to wait. Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Islanders rally for win at TD Garden By Amalie Benjamin January 01, 2014 For those good at reading lips, the Bruins were an interesting group on Tuesday night. There was cursing from Claude Julien, more from Milan Lucic, and a whole lot of unhappiness which was well-directed at themselves. Amid a host of bad penalties and worse bounces, the Bruins allowed four power-play goals to the lowly Islanders, the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference, in a 5-3 New Year s Eve loss. It was the second time the Bruins suffered a bad loss to the Islanders after the ugly defeat at the Nassau Coliseum Nov. 2, and it was the team s second straight defeat overall. Obviously you ve got to give [them] credit for the good game, but a lot of it is our own doing not playing the way we should and taking too many penalties, Patrice Bergeron said. We knew they had a good power play [18th in the league] and we didn t do a good job on the PK. We can give them credit, but still we could ve played a lot better. Julien agreed with the notion that the loss was in many ways self-inflicted. I think when we took the 3-1 lead we kind of relaxed and they came back hard and they kind of got the momentum back and we couldn t regain it, he said. They made their own breaks. He added, A lot of things I didn t like tonight. Obviously our penalty kill wasn t very good, some of the decision-making, even again, we talked about our forecheck we were late, we weren t winning battles, they dominated the battle areas and when you start losing those kind of things, to our team it s certainly not a good sign. The four power-play goals against tied a season high for the Bruins, who allowed that many to the Devils Oct. 26, in their last regulation loss at TD Garden. The Bruins had gone in Boston since that game. We ve got to be a lot better, everyone, everyone that s on the ice, Bergeron said of a penalty kill unit that lost Dennis Seidenberg and his 2:24 of shorthanded time per game over the weekend. We all take a lot of pride in our PK. We ll have to look at videos and compete and be a lot better. Of course, that wasn t just on the power play. The Bruins were assessed 10 penalties, including three to Lucic on one play at 16:03 of the third period (boarding, unsportsmanlike conduct, game misconduct). Some, the Bruins thought, were bad calls. Others were poor choices on their part. But the four power-play goals against for a team that entered the game third in the league (87.1 percent) on the penalty kill were truly problematic. Pressed on the penalty kill issue, Julien attributed it to one thing: Sloppiness. And that sloppiness couldn t be cleaned up, as it is so often, by Tuukka Rask. The goalie allowed five goals on 31 shots one game after being pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots. That last game, though, Rask discounted as an aberration after he wasn t scheduled to start. This one, he took on himself. I couldn t stop the puck when it mattered, then get those bounces, so that s the result, Rask said. It feels like everything s going in, one way or the other. One of those bounces saw the tying goal credited to Kyle Okposo go off Brad Marchand s left skate and slip past Rask with three seconds left in the second period. There was the delay of game penalty on Rask that gave the Islanders the power play their third in a row that resulted in that tying goal. The Bruins appeared to be taking control of the game, scoring two goals in 25 seconds in the second period, with Bergeron notching a power-play goal at 12:33 and Daniel Paille adding a tip-in of a Zdeno Chara shot at 12:58 to go up 3-1. But Frans Nielsen took a Thomas Vanek pass and put it past Rask at 16:30 for his second of the game, after Gregory Campbell failed to clear the puck on the power play. And then there was that dagger with three seconds to go in the period. The winning goal came just 32 seconds into the third, as Bruins killer Vanek set up John Tavares for a wrister to make the score 4-3. It s frustrating, obviously, when you have two leads and it ends up going the way it does, Lucic said. They get two goals behind the goal line and everything else that went on, but at the end of the day we lost a game and it [stinks] losing that way. The Islanders added their fourth power-play goal at 13:17 of the third, after a double minor for roughing by Marchand. Tavares also tallied that one, giving him a four-point night. The Bruins started the scoring at 4:25 of the first, on David Krejci s 100th career NHL goal, a second-effort flip past Evgeni Nabokov. New York tied it on Nielsen s first of the night at 5:56, the Islanders first power-play score of the game. Our penalty kill didn t do a very good job, but it s not just them, it s the whole team, Krejci said. We win as a team and we lose as a team. Obviously it s a disappointing loss, but we have to move on. Boston Globe LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Chara returns to lineup; injury is undisclosed By Amalie Benjamin January 01, 2014 Three days after he was a late scratch in Saturday night s game against Ottawa, Zdeno Chara was back on the practice ice in Wilmington and back in the lineup against the Islanders Tuesday night. The Bruins defenseman had been held out against the Senators with an undisclosed injury, participated in half of practice Monday, then was a full participant in the morning skate Tuesday. Chara s absence was even more notable given what had happened the night before, when Dennis Seidenberg suffered a knee injury that will cost him the rest of the season. If you look at it, it is not always the case that you re going to be 100 percent, Chara said. A lot of players go through that. And that s just the way it is. You re going to have to battle through some aches and pains, but I think it s pretty common in this sport or any kind of sport. He added, I wouldn t want to go out there and be kind of a weak link. I can still contribute and play my game. The Bruins set out to limit Chara s minutes this season to allow him to be at his best during the playoffs. Chara is averaging 25:03 of ice time. He averaged 24:56 last season. But Chara s minutes isn t worrying coach Claude Julien. To be honest with you, I think we made a mistake by saying that, Julien said. Because that s all people are looking at right now. We didn t say he couldn t handle it, we said we wanted to minimize it and we do minimize it when we have everybody healthy and everything else. But he s a great athlete, he s still in good shape, he can still handle all those minutes. That s not an issue. Questionable calls Milan Lucic was assessed a game misconduct at 16:03 of the third period to go with a questionable boarding penalty and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a hit on the Islanders Travis Hamonic. Well, I hit him from the side, so I mean, it is what it is, Lucic said. Obviously I didn t feel like it was a penalty. I saw the video of it, it s not a penalty. So my comments don t really matter right now. It s not going to change that he called the penalty, so that s all it is.... That wasn t the only penalty the Bruins took issue with. Matt Bartkowski was called for holding at 5:28 of the second. To me, that s a battle, Julien said. Lucic s penalty at center ice and [Brad] Marchand s, some of those penalties are penalties that ended up hurting us a lot on the road, so we have to take ownership of that.... The loss ended an eight-game home winning streak for the Bruins Step for Eriksson One day after skating before practice with Carl Soderberg and strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides, Loui Eriksson (concussion) participated in the morning skate Tuesday. There s never a timetable for guys coming off those kind of injuries, so it s always day to day and depending on how they continue to process, Julien said... The Bruins recalled forward Nick Johnson on an emergency basis with Soderberg out (concussion symptoms). There is no timetable for Soderberg s return. Boston Globe LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Tavares, Nielsen lead Islanders to win over Bruins By DOUG ALDEN / Associated Press / December 31, 2013 BOSTON (AP) Despite falling behind by two after a pair of goals 25 seconds apart midway through the second period, the New York Islanders were confident they would have plenty of time and opportunities to rally against the Boston Bruins. The chances were plentiful, and many came courtesy of the Bruins, whose usually strong penalty kill unraveled. The Islanders capitalized on repeated penalties and came from behind for a 5-3 win on Tuesday night. John Tavares and Frans Nielsen scored a pair of goals each and Kyle Okposo had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, who netted four unanswered goals in the final 23:30. Even though we didn t have a great start, we just stuck with it. Being down by a goal on the road isn t always the worst thing in the world, said Tavares, whose goal 32 seconds into the third period gave New York its first lead. Once they got ahead, the Islanders never let the Bruins back into the game. It seemed like we started to get our legs going and obviously, the power play, Tavares said. It s good to see it come through in a big way. Tavares goal early in the third was the only one the Islanders scored with both teams at full strength. The other four came on power plays against the Bruins, who entered with the third-best penalty kill in the NHL. Thomas Vanek had a pair of assists, and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 31 shots for the Islanders. We didn t force anything, Okposo said. Then when they were tired, I thought we capitalized on making some opportunities. Boston coach Claude Julien disputed several of the penalties that led to New York s eight power plays, but he didn t excuse the Bruins poor penalty killing and discipline. Some of those penalties are penalties that ended up hurting us a lot down the road, so we have to take ownership of that, Julien said. The Bruins appeared to be in command after Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara scored 25 seconds apart to put Boston up 3-1 midway through the second period. The momentum dissolved quickly as Boston spent most of the final four minutes trying to kill penalties. They scored that third goal a little bit too quick for my liking, and I thought they grabbed the momentum, Nabokov said. But we didn t put our heads down and we found a way back in the same period. I thought it was huge. Okposo s power-play goal with three seconds left in the second period tied it 3-3. Tavares gave New York its first lead with a tough-angle wrist shot 32 seconds into the third. Nielsen started the comeback on a one-timer from the slot with 3:30 left in the second to pull New York within 3-2, scoring his second power-play goal of the game. The Bruins were back at full-strength for all of three seconds before the Islanders went right back on the power play when Milan Lucic was called for cross-checking during the faceoff. Boston killed that penalty, but gave New York another opportunity when a clearing attempt by goalie Tuukka Rask went over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty with 41 seconds left in the period. Okposo s wrist shot just seconds before the horn sent the game into the third tied 3-3. Tavares sealed the win later in the period. We knew they had a good power play and we didn t do a good job on the PK, Bergeron said. We can give them credit but still, we could've played a lot better. Bergeron s power-play goal with 7:27 left in the second gave Boston a 2-1 lead, which Chara added to 25 seconds later with a slap shot from the point. It was the 10th goal of the season for both Boston veterans. Nielsen tied it with a power-play goal 5:56 into the second on a one-timer from the top of the right circle off a crossing pass from Tavares. The goal came just 24 seconds after Matt Bartkowski was called for holding. David Krejci broke a scoreless tie 5:25 in for his 100th NHL goal, scoring off a rebound of a shot by Jarome Iginla. NOTES: The Islanders finished 4-for-8 on the power play.... Okposo, who assisted on Nielsen s first goal, extended his point streak to seven games.... Reilly Smith assisted on Bergeron s goal, giving him 17 for the season.... Chara returned after missing one game with an undisclosed injury. Boston Globe LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Shawn Thornton won t pursue new appeal on ban By Amalie Benjamin December 31, 2013 WILMINGTON There were just 90 minutes left until his decision had to be finalized, and Shawn Thornton s teammates were taking the ice at Ristuccia Arena. He needed to choose. With time ticking down to the noon deadline on Tuesday, Thornton made the call, hitting the ice a few minutes after his teammates. After a mostly sleepless night spent weighing the possibilities, the rights and wrongs, the Bruins enforcer opted not to pursue a second appeal on his 15-game suspension handed down by Department of Player Safety chief Brendan Shanahan Dec. 14. As Thornton said Tuesday morning, I m not going to lie to you, it wasn t an easy decision. I ve been thinking about it for the last 36 hours, not much sleep. But I feel for the team it s probably the right thing to do at this point, not going through the whole process again for a third time. Thornton had seven days since Gary Bettman upheld the suspension to decide whether he wanted to go to an independent arbitrator for an incident Dec. 7 against the Penguins. In that game, Thornton slew-footed Brooks Orpik and punched him twice, leaving him concussed. Earlier in the game, Orpik hit Loui Eriksson, leaving Eriksson with his second concussion in 45 days. I m still not happy with the amount of games I got, Thornton added. I know I m not a victim, but I m not happy with the amount of games I got. But I respect the decision. Like I said, I d rather just move on mentally and just focus on getting ready for the [Jan. 11] instead of focusing on getting ready for another hearing. Factoring into his decision were both the limited time left to get to the arbitrator Tuesday night s game was already the 11th Thornton has missed as well as the potential for being a distraction to his teammates. Orpik returned last Friday night, playing 20 minutes and 38 seconds in Pittsburgh s 4-3 overtime victory at Carolina. Orpik has played in the past three games, averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time. Thornton said because of the timing, it might have been too late to save any of the 15 games on his suspension. He believed the earliest he could get in to see the arbitrator was Saturday or Sunday. Saturday s game against the Winnipeg Jets is Thornton s 13th game of the suspension. You respect that, Bruins coach Claude Julien said. It s his decision and you have to respect it. I think at the end of the day I don t know what his thoughts are, but when it s all said and done, it s just a matter of going on. For me, I think it might not be a bad thing for him to just focus on his return vs. the process of going through it. Thornton has been skating with the team since it returned from a trip across Canada on Dec. 16. He has traveled with the team as he has gone through the hearings and appeals process thus far, both of which now have come to an end. The enforcer said he doesn t believe the experience will change the way he plays. As he put it, It won t affect the way I do my job. My job is still to protect my teammates. My job is still to play productive minutes when I m out there. Play hard. Play the game within the lines. And that s what I ll try and continue to do, even though I stepped outside of it once. Despite the act for which Thornton has appeared contrite many around the game have offered words of support, both privately and publicly. That includes Orpik, who said, I think he knew he made a mistake and regretted it right away. The pair have talked since the incident, which Thornton said helped him get through the aftermath. Not only have his teammates voiced their support, but Thornton said he received text messages and phone calls from players around the league. There was a lot of guys not just in this locker room especially in this locker room, my teammates have always supported me but there was a lot of guys throughout the league that reached out to me that I didn t know had my number, Thornton said, listing bad boy Raffi Torres, who has a long suspension history, including 25 games for a postseason hit on Marian Hossa, as well as Paul Bissonette, Jay Rosehill, and Adam Burish. A lot of kind texts, a lot of phone calls that were very, very appreciated. With the decision made and the situation mostly behind him, Thornton faces a return to the ice, with a reputation that could have been severely damaged. Asked about that reputation, Thornton said, I m not going to let this define me. I think I obviously made a mistake. One mistake, I think, doing the job that I ve done for 600-something games, including playoffs. It s a tough question to answer because I know I made a mistake, but this won t define me. I m going to move on and continue to play and put this in the past. Boston Globe LOADED: