Anaheim Ducks Ailing Ducks on road to recovery Ducks keep on rolling at home

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Ailing Ducks on road to recovery Ducks keep on rolling at home Boston Bruins Bruins hold off Oilers Iginla nets 2 goals in Bruins' 4-2 win over Oilers Boston was special to Andrew Ference Game 32: Bruins at Oilers Notebook: Shawn Thornton faces suspension today Bruins strike Oil early B's face run-and-gun Oilers Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: Flames fire Feaster, try to get GM jump Another one-goal game, another loss for Sabres Despite suspension, Senators' Cowen wouldn't change much about hit on Girgensons GM search gets crowded for Sabres as Flames fire Feaster Sabres' Hodgson out with injury, Leino back in to face Senators Buffalo Sabres fall to Ottawa Senators Calgary Flames Game Story: Calgary Flames 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1 (OT) Flames score OT win over Carolina after forging ahead without Feaster, Weisbrod and Baertschi Flames players focusing on playing better in wake of Feaster/Weisbrod firings Amid tumultuous day in Flames front office, Hartley gets a vote of confidence Burke leaves door open for select smaller skilled players (such as Johnny Gaudreau) to play for Flames Johnson: Burke axes Feaster as he unveils vision to build a big, bossy, belligerent band of brothers Junior team has its eyes on Monahan again after Flames' front-office shakeup 'He did his best:' Jay Feaster is fired, Brian Burke steps in as acting GM Chris Butler lifts Calgary Flames over Carolina Hurricanes in overtime Calgary Flames fire General Manager Jay Feaster and Assistant GM John Weisbrod Calgary Flames interim GM Brian Burke didn't take long to make move Calgary Flames' Brian Burke: Successful teams are big Sportak: Patience a virtue in Calgary Flames rebuild Francis: Timing of Calgary Flames shake-up makes sense Calgary Flames move forward with search for new GM Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley reacts to GM Jay Feaster's firing Carolina Hurricanes Butler scores in OT, Flames edge Hurricanes Flames fan Hurricanes in OT NHL 12/13/2013 DAILY BRIEF Chicago Blackhawks All the pluses are adding up for Kane Bowman has Blackhawks set for success Blackhawks visit Lurie Children s Hospital Hawks showing off their firepower Kane having MVP-type season for Hawks Blackhawks hand out toys to kids at Lurie Children's Hospital Blackhawks leading NHL in attendance Tickets for Hawks-Penguins at Soldier Field sold out quickly Hawks' Teravainen continues producing despite busy schedule Hawks reportedly enter partnership with downstate teams Andrew Shaw sparking the Blackhawks' power play Colorado Avalanche First goal is key to Colorado Avalanche success Matt Duchene big, Avalanche rally to beat Jets in Winnipeg shootout Winnipeg Jets postgame: Duchene hoists team on his back Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets top Rangers 4-2, lose another goalie to injury Blue Jackets: Former Rangers eager for New York return Blue Jackets notebook: Loss to Rangers was a low point Michael Arace commentary: Will NHL s increased revenues trickle down? Jackets, Rangers at a glance Before the puck drops: New York Rangers Not at their sharpest, Blue Jackets find a way to win 'Lady Jackets' focus on supporting one another and central Ohio Dallas Stars Gone in 60 seconds: Two Nashville goals in final minute of first period deflate Dallas Stars Calgary Flames express interest in former Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk Nashville Predators winger Eric Nystrom on time with Dallas Stars: 'It was an awesome experience' Plano native, Nashville Predators first-round pick Seth Jones seeing playing time fluctuate Dallas Stars can't overcome early deficit, fall to Nashville Predators, Stars' Aaron Rome should play first NHL game of the season Legwand, Predators take bite out of Stars Detroit Red Wings Tampa Bay 2, Detroit 1 (SO): Red Wings' shoot-out struggles have 'cost us a lot of points so far' Ticker: Jolly old Red Wings will man Salvation Army kettles tonight New Detroit Red Wings' Daniel Alfredsson scoring, providing leadership on, off ice Red Wings cont'd Tampa Bay 2, Detroit 1 (SO): Red Wings lose in yet another shoot-out Detroit Red Wings' injured Darren Helm, Danny DeKeyser shoulder burden together Detroit Red Wings' Jimmy Howard not concerned about knee injury as Jonas Gustavsson takes over Lightning stifle Red Wings offense, hand them another shootout defeat Red Wings' Jimmy Howard will learn extent of injury Friday Red Wings lose their 11th consecutive game that has gone to a shootout, falling 2-1 to Lightning

2 Live blog: Detroit Red Wings visit Tampa Bay in game featuring Eastern Conference contenders Winter Classic 'Ice Man' arrives at Michigan Stadium ready to build rink Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Is it time to reevaluate the goalie situation with Jimmy Howard struggling? Red Wings shuffle top two lines for Tampa Bay, which has Valtteri Filppula but not Steven Stamkos Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard doesn't believe knee injury will sideline him long-term Red Wings' Johan Franzen can't explain scoring surge; team needs him to keep producing St. Louis nets lone SO goal; TB edges Detroit Edmonton Oilers Oilers make a game of it against Bruins but lose MacKinnon: Forecast for Oilers: rocky road ahead Surprise, surprise Iginla scores two in this building How do Edmonton Oilers handle Boston Bruins behemoth Zdeno Chara? Kevin Quinn won t do SportsNet TV call with Bruins and Oilers Edmonton Oilers need only look at David Perron to learn how to play the heavy teams Around 30 relatives at arena for Boston Bruins Jarome Iginla's game against Edmonton Oilers Jeff Petry back in Edmonton Oilers lineup after head woes broadcast backup a real heavyweight Edmonton Oilers can look to Boston Bruins for example of successful rebuild Edmonton Oilers in tough versus big, strong Boston Bruins Florida Panthers Florida Panthers goalie Tim Thomas questionable for game vs. Capitals Florida Panthers making strides in close games with improved personnel BJUGSTAD EARNING KEEP THOMAS LEAVES PRACTICE: Status for Friday v Capitals is Questionable Dylan Olsen making the most of NHL opportunity Preview: Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers, 7:30 p.m., Friday Panthers honor Beezer with bobblehead night Boyes, Thomas lead Panthers past Red Wings in SO Los Angeles Kings Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is on pace to play for U.S. at Olympics Kings lean on shutdown defense in 3-1 win over Maple Leafs Ducks' Corey Perry stays hot in 2-1 win over Wild LAKings.com feature: Net Gains; Conversation with Bill Ranford Next: LAKings.com feature: Net Gains; Conversation with Bill Ranford Kings Weekly Preview Waking up with the Kings: December NHL record set Minnesota Wild Postgame: Wild coach Yeo unhappy with officiating, San Jose's 'embellishment' San Jose-Wild game recap Road woes continue for Wild in loss at San Jose Wild notes: Coyle shows signs of sparking second line Wild calls up Bulmer as Zucker scratched; Yeo challenges 2nd line Sharks 3, Wild 1: Penalty kill is Minnesota's undoing Minnesota Wild keep defense intact as they face Sharks Wild's Brett Bulmer: 'I want to see what he can do,' coach says Montreal Canadiens James Duthie spurns overtures from Rogers to stay with TSN Add to In the Habs Room: Flyers given too much time, space Game Report: Habs lose second straight About last night Nashville Predators Predators' home edge returns vs. Stars Hutton back in net again Nashville Predators defeat Dallas Stars New Jersey Devils Jaromir Jagr not happy Devils blew 2 points in Columbus Devils: Anton Volchenkov feeling better after rest day Devils Jaromir Jagr not thinking about retirement on eve of potential final game in Pittsburgh Devils place Harrold on injured reserve; Tedenby assigned to Albany (AHL) on conditioning loan Volchenkov back skating with Devils; Schneider to start in Pittsburgh Devils' Jagr looking to stick around in NHL a little longer New York Islanders Isles Snap 10-Game Skid With 3-2 SO Win vs Sharks Islanders make roster moves, take Evgeni Nabokov and Brian Strait off of injured reserve Islanders lose to Coyotes for 11th drop in last Sloppy Islanders fall to Coyotes, closing out awful trip Brian Strait back on ice vs. Phoenix Cautious Islanders delay Ryan Strome's debut until Saturday Ryan Strome, Islanders call-up, will sit against Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday New York Rangers Reunion With Ex-Teammates Turns Sour for Rangers Henrik Lundqvist benched as NY Rangers lose again at home in 4-2 loss to Blue Jackets NY Rangers GM Glen Sather's 'personnel' doesn't fit with Alain Vigneault's style Rick Nash admits situation with Blue Jackets got 'a little messy' before trade from Columbus to NY Rangers in Dylan McIlrath, also known as 'Diesel,' wants to bring toughness and defensive discipline in NHL debut Thursda NY Rangers will be without Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal and Derick Brassard against Columbus Blue Jackets Thursda Lundqvist at center of Rangers free-fall Lundqvist pulled as Rangers fall to Blue Jackets Loading up on Blue Jackets hasn t gotten Rangers very far Rangers look to The Undertaker for toughness, starting tonight Blue Jackets 4, Rangers 2: Wrapping up Rangers cont'd Dubinsky, Anisimov talk MSG return McIlrath excited to make NHL debut Dubi, Artie (but not Gabby) back at MSG Rangers notes: Defenseman Dylan McIlrath makes NHL debut

3 Rangers lose fourth straight home game, 4-2, to Columbus Blue Jackets Rangers go physical with call-up of Dylan McIlrath Rangers-Blue Jackets in review Blue Jackets 4, Rangers 2 post-game notes & quotes It s Go Time! Blue Jackets at Rangers NHL Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is on pace to play for U.S. at Olympics 'He did his best:' Jay Feaster is fired, Brian Burke steps in as acting GM Ottawa Senators Anderson saves Senators Scanlan: Nolan rides wave from Latvia to Buffalo, and back Cowen: I wouldn t do anything differently Wiercioch pushes for more player safety Gameday Preview Sabres at Senators Senators prediction panel: Game Ottawa Sens goalie Craig Anderson believes you have to show a little emotion after a win Ottawa Sens defenceman Jared Cowen wouldn't change anything about his hit Hometown boy Ceci makes NHL debut tonight for Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators get big win over Buffalo Sabres Philadelphia Flyers Briere back home Flyers bounce back, defeat Montreal Flyers show resiliency Flyers Notes: Briere is welcomed warmly in his return Flyers prevail with retooled first line VandeVelde signs with Flyers Flyers' 'Favorite Things' auction includes 'Get Lost' welcome mat Briere anxious for return Redemption achieved with win over Montreal Back in Philly, Briere's heart is where his home is McCaffery: Flyers moving on from Briere, slow start Flyers hustle their way to win over Canadiens For Briere, new home with Habs becoming sweeter Line shakeup pays dividends for Flyers in win observations from Flyers-Canadiens Instant Replay: Flyers 2, Canadiens Briere on Philly fans: 'I try to defend them' Briere unsure what to expect from Flyers fans Flyers sign Chris VandeVelde to 1-year deal Flyers' 6-game road trip by the (ugly) numbers Flyers-Canadiens: 5 things you need to know Berube, Flyers not satisfied with play on road trip Briere still feels at home in Philly Raffl makes most of move to the top line Flyers get home cooking with win over Montreal Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes cruise past the New York Islanders Phoenix Coyotes look East to move up standings Sarah McLellan's Coyotes blog It's time for the Coyotes to feast on the East Pittsburgh Penguins Kovacevic: A great day to appreciate No Power play, penalty kill help put Penguins on another 100-point pace Penguins notebook: Popularity with female fans brings test event to Consol Penguins wait for decision on Thornton's disciplinary hearing Penguins Notebook: No concussion tests yet for injured Orpik San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks put end to four-game slide Joe Pavelski back on San Jose Sharks' third line Sharks' power play keys win over Wild Sharks get off the schneid with 3-1 win over Wild Wild coach accuses Sharks of 'embarrassing' embellishment Wild coach accuses Sharks of embellishment Instant Replay: Pavelski powers Sharks to 3-1 win vs. Minnesota Sharks aim to break out of offensive slump vs. Wild Sharks reunite 'American Express' line In the Crease: Sharks, Wild meet again St Louis Blues Cash register could be ringing for Steen, but he's not listening Blues fans are staying away Blues back on a roll after beating Leafs Live: Blues 6, Maple Leafs Blues counting on Schwartz as they face visiting Leafs Blues vs. Maple Leafs Tampa Bay Lightning Depleted Bolts beat Red Wings in shootout Bolts notes: Suspension part of Panik s learning curve Lightning tops Red Wings in shootout Panik in 'humble pie' stage Panik didn't expect 2-game suspension for Alzner hit, but 'you accept it and go from there' Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leafs: Bad habits reappear in ugly loss to Blues: Feschuk Maple Leafs let great one get away in Blues star Alex Steen: Feschuk Maple Leafs impress Blues coach Ken Hitchcock Maple Leafs penthouse-doghouse: Jake Gardiner-Morgan Rielly pairing shines for Toronto Leafs refused to approve Rogers NHL deal: Cox World juniors: Team Canada touches down in Toronto NHL expansion: Which cities best fit Gary Bettman s criteria? L.A. Kings goalie Martin Jones continues spectacular start to NHL career NHL: Blues turn back Jets, face Leafs next Blues' Jaden Schwartz steps up against Maple Leafs Have to be great to win in NHL Western Conference Maple Leafs hit sour note in St. Louis against Blues Former Maple Leaf Alexander Steen works hard for his goals Wendel Clark says Leafs 'going in right direction' Wendel Clark: The Code a 'blurred line' in hockey Maple Leafs suffer loss in St. Louis against Blues Blues' Steen reflects on Leafs ahead of St. Louis tilt Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer sent to an early exit in loss to St. Louis Blues Toronto Maple Leafs face tricky decision on Morgan Rielly Brian Burke leaves little doubt as to his plan for the Calgary Flames Brian Burke doesn t plan to be patient with Calgary Flames Calgary Flames fire Jay Feaster, Brian Burke steps in as interim GM Vancouver Canucks

4 Sarah McLachlan has some fans on Canucks just not John Tortorella Canucks defence a D-light John Tortorella doesn t trust Zack Kassian lining up with Sedin twins Is the rivalry dead? Bad blood in Canucks-Bruins battle still lingers for some Botchford: Missing a linemate, Sedins lonely at the top Gallagher: Back-end depth leaves Canucks on thin ice Own the Podium to receive cash injection Washington Capitals Michal Neuvirth joins Hershey on conditioning stint John Erskine nearing return to Capitals lineup Oates on Brooks Laich skating: I don t want to get my hopes up Websites CNN/Sports Illustrated / Team Canada women s hockey coach Dan Church suddenly resigns CNN/Sports Illustrated / Calgary Flames fire GM Jay Feaster; does Brian Burke want Mike Futa? CNN/Sports Illustrated / Zetterberg, Howard injuries tough on Red Wings, but gold for HBO s 24/ CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Ovechkin goes for 50-in-50; Luongo s Christmas photo; more links USA TODAY / Flames fire general manager Jay Feaster YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Burke's big challenge in Calgary; Quenneville's elite company; Crosby vs. Ovechk Winnipeg Jets Roy still the real deal Good + bad another loss 'I'm not a moral victory guy': Noel Wright's value exceeds mere numbers Roy more than just a coach for Avs Avs edge Jets 4-3 in shootout Jets left scratching heads after another loss Duchene commands spotlight in win over Jets Another blown point for Jets SPORT-SCAN, INC Anaheim Ducks Ailing Ducks on road to recovery Obviously the result was I wasn t playing as good and I didn t feel my skating was as good. There were other notables on the Anaheim Ice surface. Mark Fistric, who performed well in Beauchemin s absence, should also be available Sunday after sitting out Wednesday s game against Minnesota to rest his upper-body issue. Sheldon Souray has been targeting a return before the Olympic break in early February. The veteran defenseman, who tore a tendon in his right wrist in July, took part in a workout that included some light battle drills. The most promising sign could be young winger Jakob Silfverberg returning to the lineup before the end of the month. Silfverberg s solid start with the Ducks was derailed Oct. 25 because of a broken hand from a slash by Ottawa s Jared Cowen. Silfverberg said the first thing is building up strength in his right hand so he can feel comfortable unleashing shots that require the most pressure on it. It is possible that he could gain clearance from the team s medical staff Friday. It s very much a day-to-day thing right now, Silfverberg said. I hope to play on the next road trip but I can t really say that. But in my mind, I want to see myself playing on the road trip and I hope I will. You can t really tell right now. The Ducks cleared some room for their regulars by sending center David Steckel and defensemen Alex Grant and Nolan Yonkman back to Norfolk (AHL). Steckel played in four games and won 58.3 percent of his faceoffs but it was Grant who became the second defenseman this season to score goals in his first two NHL games. Grant s goals have come on his only two shots. It is that kind of unexpected contribution that has helped the Ducks get back to their winning ways. Now Coach Bruce Boudreau must work his injured back into the mix without disrupting the chemistry that has been built in their absence. My worry is the rest of the team thinking, Oh, all our healthy guys are here. Now we don t have to work as hard. Consequently when that happens, you end up losing, Boudreau said. Beauchemin was most impressed with the replacements jumping in and playing with confidence. Whoever came in the lineup, played great for us, he said. That s huge for our team and for the depth that we have. It shows that a lot of people are doing a lot of good stuff. Orange County Register: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Ducks keep on rolling at home ANAHEIM Winners of four in a row and collectors of points in seven straight games, the Ducks had a sparsely attended practice Thursday to take advantage of a rare three-day break between games. It was no optional workout for Francois Beauchemin, Mathieu Perreault and some of the numerous Ducks who have been recovering from injuries. And there appears to be great benefit for the immediate future. Beauchemin and Perreault both signaled their readiness for Sunday s home game against Edmonton. An upper-body injury kept Beauchemin out for 10 games while a lower-body ailment put Perreault on the shelf for four. Three weeks now, said Beauchemin, who last missed this amount of games in 2009 when he tore his ACL. It s a long time. It s the most I ve missed in awhile. I m just pretty anxious to get back out there. Perreault had been at less than full strength for a while but finally opted to rest after being unable to walk normally following last week s home game against the Kings. It is one reason why he was non-productive for a month-long stretch. For me to be good on the ice, I need to be 100 percent so that s why I took the time off and made sure I took care of it. Perreault said. I could have probably sat out before then but I thought in my head I could battle and play with it. By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER ANAHEIM It is well into December and the Ducks just aren't ready to go without gaining points at home. Corey Perry extended his career-best goal scoring streak to seven games and Alex Grant became the second defenseman this season to score in his first two NHL games as the Ducks took a 2-1 decision over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night at Honda Center. The Ducks (22-7-5) remain the only team not to have lost a regulation game at home, having gone and gaining points in all 14 home contests. They've also won four straight, are on a stretch overall and hold a three-point lead over the Kings in the Pacific Division. Early in the second period, Grant got some room down the right wing and snapped a wrist shot past Wild goalie Josh Harding. Grant was only filling in because Mark Fistric sat out with an upper-body injury. It was reminiscent of Nov. 30 in San Jose when Grant got into the lineup only because of injuries on the Ducks blue line and scored on his only shot, sparking a third-period rally that eventually got the Ducks a point in a shootout loss.

5 After scoring in his NHL debut, Grant's second goal came on just his second shot, and the Nova Scotia native joined Edmonton's Taylor Fedun earlier this season to tally in his first two games since San Jose's Marcus Ragnarsson in Definitely never imagined that, Grant said. I ll take it. I just got a great pass across ice from Cogs (Andrew Cogliano). Took it in and kind of looked towards the middle. He cheated a little bit and came off his post. I just put it on net and it happened to go in. Harding kept it a one-goal game with some stellar saves, most notably on Perry and Teemu Selanne. But the red-hot Perry changed that at the 13:27 mark of the second. Ryan Getzlaf hit Hampus Lindholm with a pass from behind the goal line back out to the point. Lindholm ripped a shot that went wide of the net but the puck bounced back to the side of it, where Perry quickly batted it past Harding. Jason Pominville's power-play goal at 3:48 of the third cut into the lead but Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller preserved it with the best of his 23 saves, stopping Minnesota's Charlie Coyle with his left pad after Coyle went around Sami Vatanen to get a breakaway. It was little bad luck that Sami fell there in the neutral zone, Hiller said. And then you just want to stop it. I tried to stay with him and was able to get on the break when he was turning back and just was able to get my pads out. Orange County Register: LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins hold off Oilers By Amalie Benjamin December 13, 2013 EDMONTON, Alberta They just had to hold on. The Bruins scored three goals in the first period in Edmonton, and looked ticketed for an easy victory. But these Bruins have just 12 healthy forwards (three from Providence), six healthy defensemen (one from Providence), and two semi-healthy goaltenders. This is a team that has spent the week coming down, one after the other, with flu-like symptoms that have left them weakened and sluggish. So it wasn t that easy, even against a team that has the fewest points in the Western Conference. The Bruins allowed two goals in the second period and had to kill two crucial penalties in the second half of the third period to leave Rexall Place with the 4-2 win, their fourth straight. The Bruins were outshot, 11-0, to start the third and finally recorded their first shot 13-plus minutes into the period. At the end we were just hanging on, coach Claude Julien said. Our bench was short. We ve been struggling with the health of our team right now, and you can see it was a matter of either win it in regulation, or I don t think we come out of here with a win. But they did, needing every single one of Chad Johnson s career-high 39 saves to do it, though Julien was critical of the goals allowed. Didn t like the goals we gave up for what we expect out of our team, Julien said. I thought some of those were sloppiness. But credit to them because they came out, they played the way we know they can play. They skated, they showed their skill level, and they gave us a real tough game. Johnson (6-1) got the start because Tuukka Rask was felled, like many of his teammates, with a stomach bug. Rask, who took Johnson s start Tuesday because the backup was sick, missed practice Wednesday, and yielded to Johnson Thursday. Johnson was good, especially in the third period, Julien said. I m sure he d like to have that second goal back, but that third period, he s the reason. He kept us in there. Just made the big saves when he had to. The key was a penalty kill of Brad Marchand s interference penalty with 11:06 to go in the third. The Bruins, down some of their best penalty killers, survived it despite the unit of Johnny Boychuk, Zdeno Chara, Gregory Campbell and Jordan Caron spending at least 1:30 of the two-minute minor in their own zone. Two minutes in their [offensive] end, Boychuk said. They have such a good power play. Try to just take away their shooting lanes and try to take away seams. But they re very skilled and they find those seams. But we managed to kill it off and that was probably a key kill for us. Fortunately for the Bruins, they scored three goals in the first period, starting with a long-distance shot by Dennis Seidenberg who took a puck to the right side of the jaw in the third period that got by Oilers starting goaltender Devan Dubnyk at 10:25 of the first. The shot was flicked in on Dubnyk from just inside the blue line. It wasn t a particularly hard shot, nor was there anyone in front of the Edmonton goaltender. Still, it went past him, giving Seidenberg his first goal of the season, unassisted. (Seidenberg has made that a strange part of his arsenal, with at least three goals from that range or longer in the past three seasons. There was one three years ago against Tampa Bay, and one in 2012 against Ottawa.) The Bruins added a second at 16:11, as Jarome Iginla got one (and then another, later) in his hometown of Edmonton with help from a screen by Milan Lucic. Two nights after Iginla was showered with adulation in his return to Calgary, he got two in front of a contingent of about 30 friends and family, the second coming with 44 seconds left and into an empty net. Just two minutes later in the first period, at 18:17, the Bruins added one from Marchand, who benefited from Patrice Bergeron s patience in making the pass on the two-on-one. For the Oilers, that goal was not a rare occurrence. Edmonton leads the league in shorthanded goals against, with Marchand s the seventh scored on them this season. The Oilers came back with more force in the second period, starting with a goal by David Perron, his 13th of the season, at 3:25 of the second period. They had better chances and better push after the break, and after Dubnyk was pulled for Jason LaBarbera. The Oilers added another by Perron at 17:27 of the second on a wraparound into the right corner of the net, with Johnson too slow to get to the other post. That put the Oilers down, 3-2, heading into the third. That s when the pressure really started. You ve got to give the Oilers credit, Iginla said. They re a dynamic young team and they can create a lot of chances. When they start feeling it, they can get it going. They turned it up and they played well, but we also probably didn t have the same legs that we ve had at different times. Finding a way to just win the game, that s the most important thing. We had a one-goal lead going into the third period and we found a way to win. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Iginla nets 2 goals in Bruins' 4-2 win over Oilers AP / December 13, 2013 EDMONTON, Alberta The Boston Bruins seemed to be cruising toward a win before they had to hold on to beat the Edmonton Oilers. Jarome Iginla scored a pair of goals, and the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins outlasted the West cellar-dwelling Oilers 4-2 on Thursday night. Dennis Seidenberg and Brad Marchand also had goals for the Bruins (22-8-2), who have won four in a row and eight of 10. The Bruins had a 3-0 lead after the first period, but found themselves under siege for much of the rest of the game. I told the guys that they would come back hard on us, Boston coach Claude Julien said. I didn t like the goals we gave up for what we expect of our team. They were sloppy, but credit to the Oilers.

6 They skated and showed their skill level and gave us a really tough game. At the end we were just hanging on. Our bench is short and we have been struggling with the health of our team and you could see that it was a matter of winning it in regulation or I don t think we come out of here with a win. Marchand said all that mattered was the fact the Bruins skated off on top. It s a road win, and we have to be happy with it, he said. We know we are not going to put our best game on the ice every night, but we want to keep building. With all of the injuries we have right now, every win is huge. Backup goalie Chad Johnson made 39 saves. He was especially tested in the third period when the Bruins were outshot It was a tough game to hold on in, he said. Sometimes it is like that. Sometimes you have to hold on. We battled really hard. I thought the guys did a good job killing penalties and battling defensively. David Perron netted both goals for the Oilers ( ), who have lost two of three. They dropped to at home. "I don t know if we won a battle in the first period, Oilers coach Dallas Eakins said. I don t know if we were, The Bruins are in town, they re one of the best teams in the league and we need to play cautious. You can t play cautious against anybody, you'll get killed if you give them too much time and space. But even though we weren t winning the battles, I didn t think the first period was as bad as the shot clock showed or the score was. Edmonton goalie Devan Dubnyk whiffed on a long shot from the blue line by Seidenberg, who sent the puck in while his team made a line change at 10:25 of the first period. Boston made it 2-0 with four minutes left in the opening period on another long shot goal as Edmonton-area native Iginla scored on a slap shot, with Milan Lucic providing a screen in front. It was Iginla s first game in Edmonton as a member of a team other than the rival Calgary Flames. The Bruins took a dominating three-goal edge with a short-handed goal with 1:43 left in the first. Philip Larsen s shot was blocked at the point, allowing Boston to go on a 2-on-1 break that was capitalized on when Patrice Bergeron fed Marchand for his fifth goal. The Oilers have allowed an NHL-high seven short-handed goals this season. Edmonton backup goalie Jason LaBarbera replaced Dubnyk to start the second period. The Oilers got on the board 3:25 into the second period when Perron gained the zone and beat Johnson stick-side with a quick wrist shot for this team-leading 13th goal. Edmonton cut the deficit to 3-2 with 2:33 left in the second. Perron picked up the puck behind the net and fought off Bergeron with one hand while hooking the puck around and into the net. The teams were tied in shots through two periods. The Oilers pressed hard for the tying goal in the first 13 minutes of the third period outshooting the Bruins 10-0 but were unable to get a shot past Johnson. Edmonton were all over Boston s zone, but the Bruins were able to seal the victory on Iginla s empty-net goal in the final minute. NOTES: It was Edmonton D Andrew Ference s first game against the Bruins since he joined the Oilers as a free agent during the summer and was named captain.... The Bruins are battling the flu, and hardest hit was goalie Tuukka Rask, who served as the backup to Johnson.... The Bruins were also without forward Shawn Thornton, who was out pending a disciplinary hearing for his actions that caused an injury to Pittsburgh s Brooks Orpik.... Out with injuries for Boston were forwards Daniel Paille (upper body), Loui Eriksson (concussion) and Chris Kelly (broken ankle), and defensemen Doug Hamilton (lower body) and Adam McQuaid (lower body).... The Oilers were missing forwards Boyd Gordon (shoulder) and Ryan Smyth (neck), and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov (concussion). Defenseman Jeff Petry returned to the lineup. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Boston was special to Andrew Ference By Amalie Benjamin December 13, 2013 EDMONTON, Alberta When Andrew Ference left the Bruins after last season, after one Stanley Cup and one other run to the Final, they were in the market for an alternate captain, and named David Krejci to share the vacated A with Chris Kelly. But if you ask Ference, who faced his former team for the first time as a member of the Oilers Thursday night, the Bruins had a lot of options in that area. And that, he said, was why the Bruins have been so successful, leadership isn t confined to a few players. That s why it was a special team., he said. It was a group of guys that took a lot of pride in wearing that jersey and knew that it came with more than just going out and skating around for a couple hours. In Ference s seven seasons in Boston, he watched his teammates move downtown, get involved with their neighborhoods and communities. That s what he did, and what he believed was important to building a true team. It was just immersing yourself in what Boston is, Ference said. It was special for me. A lot of great memories. That helped him as he arrived in Edmonton and was named captain of a young Oilers team that has struggled this season, entering Thursday night with the fewest points in the Western Conference. He applied some of the lessons he learned in Boston, but it wasn t that easy. You learn a lot from all of those guys, from Zdeno [Chara], from [Patrice] Bergeron, from Kelly, all the leaders on that team, and there s a whole bunch of them, Ference said. You learn little pieces from every one of them. You can t just carbon copy something from one team to the next because it s different players, different atmosphere, but you can start with the same ideals and the same things that made it successful. When Ference was named captain, his former teammates and coaches were pleased, believing it was well-deserved. Andy was such a good individual and player for us, coach Claude Julien said. I know he s captain here. I always felt he had the personality and demeanor to be a real good leader. He was on our team. Z really relied on him quite a bit. Everything he s done, from how hard he played and what he put on the ice to what he did in the community, to also what he and his family did with new players coming in, their wives, he was always very good to help out. Those kind of things don t get forgotten. Positive change The Bruins switched up their lines in the third period of Tuesday s game in Calgary, putting Matt Fraser with Brad Marchand and Bergeron, and dropping Reilly Smith to a line with Carl Soderberg and Ryan Spooner. It paid dividends, with Smith scoring the winning goal. You just try not to think about it, Fraser said. You have two world-class players in Bergy and Marshy. I think with that practice [on Wednesday] it gives you a chance to get a little more comfortable so when you get up there you re not flying everywhere and trying to do too much. That s when you often times find yourself getting in trouble. Fraser, who is from Red Deer, played his first games in Calgary and Edmonton this week, less than a week being called up. Red Deer is halfway between the cities. Obviously, it s exciting, he said. I ve been in this rink a few times before in junior. I don t know if it makes me more nervous or more excited to know that I have friends and family in the crowd. When it comes down to it, it s just another day and it s business as usual. Asked how big a rooting contingent he had, Fraser said, Paid a little bit of money for some tickets today, that s for sure. These kind of moments are pretty special in your career. Shawn Thornton s hearing is set

7 Shawn Thornton s in-person hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. in New York. Thornton has missed three games, which will count toward his suspension, one that will be at least six games, and likely more. Thornton has never been subject to supplementary discipline by the NHL, but will be for his attack on Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik last Saturday. Orpik was removed from the ice on a stretcher and is on injured reserve because of a concussion, which will factor into the suspension... Dennis Seidenberg took a deflected puck to the right side of his jaw in the third period against Edmonton. Seidenberg returned to the bench, and appears to be fine, though his jaw was significantly swollen in the dressing room after the game... Tuesday s game marked the 600th in the NHL for Gregory Campbell. His father, Colin Campbell, played 636 NHL games. That makes the Campbells the sixth father-son pair to each play at least 600 games, joining Gordie and Mark Howe, Bobby and Brett Hull, Dave and Adam Creighton, Pat and Mike Stapleton, and Greg and Ryan Malone... Chad Johnson started in goal for the Bruins in place of Tuukka Rask, who missed practice on Wednesday with the bug that has hit the team, and finished with a career-high 39 saves in the 4-2 win. He was pretty down and out, Julien said of Rask, who had taken Johnson s scheduled start against the Flames because Johnson came down with the illness on Monday... There was no update on Daniel Paille, who went back to Boston Wednesday to be examined with an upper-body injury... Adam McQuaid skated again on Thursday. He s unlikely to play Saturday night in Vancouver, Julien said, since he hasn t yet practiced since aggravating his lower-body injury. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Game 32: Bruins at Oilers Posted by Amalie Benjamin December 12, :36 PM EDMONTON -- Welcome to cold and snowy Edmonton where the Bruins will have yet another reunion tonight. This time it's Oilers captain Andrew Ference, who parted ways with the organization after last season's run to the Cup Final. Of course, many of Ference's former teammates aren't actually in the city. The Bruins continue to lose players at an alarming rate, with Daniel Paille the latest to be sent back to Boston for evaluation. We should know more on his condition later today. We'll have to see if Tuukka Rask is recovered enough from the flu to play against Edmonton. Otherwise it'll be backup Chad Johnson. Game time: 9:30 p.m. TV/Radio: NESN/98.5 The Sports Hub Records: Bruins , Oilers Projected lineups: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Matt Fraser Carl Soderberg-Ryan Spooner-Reilly Smith Nick Johnson-Gregory Campbell-Jordan Caron Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Torey Krug Matt Bartkowski-Kevan Miller Tuukka Rask Chad Johnson Notes: The Bruins opted not to skate this morning in Edmonton. That might be tied to the flu bug that has struck the team this week.... The Bruins remain without four forwards (Loui Eriksson, Daniel Paille, Chris Kelly, Shawn Thornton) and two defensemen (Adam McQuaid, Dougie Hamilton), with McQuaid the closest to returning. McQuaid skated on Wednesday in Edmonton before the team's practice.... Edmonton has the fewest points in the Western Conference. Only the Islanders and Sabres have fewer in the East. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Notebook: Shawn Thornton faces suspension today Friday, December 13, 2013 Stephen Harris, Bruins Notebook EDMONTON, Alberta Today is the day of reckoning for Shawn Thornton, whose hearing before NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan will be held at league offices in New York. Shanahan is expected to come down hard on the Bruins forward for his assault on Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik last Saturday, many predicting a suspension of games. The closest precedent is probably Todd Bertuzzi s 2004 attack on Colorado s Steve Moore, which led to a 20-game suspension. The circumstances were somewhat similar: Bertuzzi was mad about an unpenalized Moore hit that injured Canucks captain Markus Naslund, as was the case with Orpik s shot that injured Loui Eriksson. Moore ignored Bertuzzi s attempts to fight. And Bertuzzi then attacked him. The key difference was Moore was gravely injured, suffering three fractured neck vertebrae, a concussion and other injuries. Many are also questioning how Orpik was so grievously injured on the short little jabs Thornton threw. And there is a suspicion, among many, that Orpik will make a very quick recovery and return to the ice as soon as the suspension is announced. A lengthy suspension without pay will be a serious setback for the 36-year-old Thornton, who is earning more than $1 million for the first time in his 17-year pro career. Here s a thought: Thornton has spent seven seasons defending and fighting for his teammates, doing the dirty work to make their jobs a little safer and easier. The rest of the Bruins ought to pitch in to cover the $100,000-plus that could vanish from Thornton s paycheck. Thornton will be permitted to practice and travel with the team during the upcoming suspension. Tough to hear It was a challenging several days for Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, who was 2,500 miles away when all his team s problems began to pile up. It s been an amazing week, said Chiarelli. It was an incredible weekend. I was across the continent in California. I m watching all this stuff unfold and it s hard not to be there. Not that I could do a lot, other than just oversee what was going on. It was a huge game against Pittsburgh (on Saturday). A lot of stuff happened, a lot of disappointing stuff. And then, of course, there were all the injuries, the recalls from Providence, the (Dion Phaneuf hit) against Kevan Miller. So much stuff happened in a short period of time. I mean, you re used to this stuff. You re always used to things happening, just not all in such a short period of time. As a manager you re like, All right, this is a great chance to evaluate some of the younger guys. That s how I look at this. These guys are getting a look. They re legitimate candidates for our team at some point and we re getting a good look at them. Chiarelli has seen good things with all the call-ups: defenseman Miller, wingers Nick Johnson and Matt Fraser and center Ryan Spooner. McQuaid still out Defenseman Adam McQuaid skated on his own for a second straight day. But barring a miracle, said coach Claude Julien, he won t be ready to play in Vancouver tomorrow. More players came down with the flu yesterday.

8 We ve just got to play through it, said Julien. We ve got no extra players, so we have to suck it up and play throught it.... Dennis Seidenberg did not miss a shift after being nailed on the right jaw by a Jeff Petry shot. After the 4-2 B s win, Seidenberg (goal and assist) had a hideous-looking baseball-sized lump on his jaw but apparently no major damage.... This was a homecoming for Fraser. It s exciting, he said. I don t know if it makes me more nervous or excited that I have friends and family in the stands. I paid a little bit of money for tickets today, that s for sure. But these kind of moments are pretty special in your career. It s no different for anyone who s playing in their home town: It s a special moment that you want to share with people. Ference s new role Ex-Bruin Andrew Ference, who faced his ex-mates for the first time, on serving as team captain for the young Oilers: It would obviously be easier if we were winning a whole bunch, said Ference. I had really good teachers, if you want to call them that, guys who showed me the right way to go about things. The key with all those good leaders was they were just themselves. They didn t try to be someone they weren t. They didn t have all the answers. I m just trying to be myself, provide leadership through example on the ice. Ference talked about adjusting to life here, and about missing Boston. You make the most of wherever you are, he said. There s good in every city.... Of course, we miss our friends in B oston, and certain things w e were involved with there.... Let s face it: W e live a great life. As a hockey player, if you re finding things to complain about, you re not doing something right. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins The first period we did exactly what we wanted to do, Julien said. We got pucks in deep, we managed the puck, we really played well. In the second period they go their legs going and we didn t get the puck deep enough where we had success in the first. The Seidenberg goal was gift-wrapped by Edmonton goalie Devan Dubnyk at 10:25. Seidenberg brought the puck slowly up ice, killing time as his teammates went to the bench for a change. He reached the Oilers line and flipped a harmless-looking shot toward the net which beat Dubnyk on the short side. At 16:11, Seidenberg was moving faster as he rushed deep into the offensive zone. The defenseman circled the net from left-to-right, then fed a pass from the corner into the right circle. Iginla belted a one-timer past Dubnyk to make it 2-0, with Milan Lucic providing a big screen in front. You don t get the perfect screen that often, but that was pretty much it, Iginla said. A great, great screen. (A shot) anywhere by him would probably be a good shot there. It went to 3-0 at 18:17, when Patrice Bergeron blocked a power-play shot by Philip Larsen and skated up the right side of the ice 2-on-1 with Marchand. Bergeron was patient, holding, holding, before slipping a perfect pass across that Marchand snapped into the top of the cage. Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was pleased to see his team start so well. But he also isn t all that troubled by the team s penchant for less-than-complete performances. As long as the points keep coming, it s nothing to be too upset about. You know what: I wouldn t characterize this as all that troubling, Chiarelli said. It is something we have to fix. There is a pattern of that, I don t disagree. But I don t expect us to play three good periods every game. It s about focus and that stuff. I don t lose sleep over it. I recognize it as a problem that we have to try to fix over time. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins strike Oil early B's face run-and-gun Oilers Friday, December 13, 2013 Stephen Harris Thursday, December 12, 2013 Stephen Harris EDMONTON, Alberta The Bruins knew how dangerous the talented young Oilers could be, and it certainly showed last night. Fortunately for the B s, they built a big enough cushion early and received stellar 39-save goaltending from Chad Johnson to slip away with a 4-2 victory. The Bruins have had a nasty habit of playing well for only a portion of games, yet finding ways to win often with late, third-period fireworks. Last night, they had their fireworks early against the still-have-a-lot-to-learn Oilers. The B s dominated early, taking a 3-0 lead in the first period, but the Oilers stormed back to nearly steal the game. The B s held on with Jarome Iginla netting his second goal of the game into an empty net with 43.4 seconds left. They showed their skill level and gave us a really tough game, said Bruins coach Claude Julien, his team on this Canadian trip. At the end, we were just hanging on. We re struggling with the health of our team and it was a matter of either win it in regulation, or I don t think we come out of here with a win. Johnson had maybe his best game as a Bruin. He was backed quickly by a nice offensive cushion via goals by Dennis Seidenberg (No. 1), Iginla (7) and Brad Marchand (5). But if he thought he was in for an easy night, he was dreaming. Johnson was good, especially in the third period, Julien said. He s the reason he kept us in there. There was lot of traffic in front of him, but he battled and gave us the opportunity to win this game. Johnson and Co. delivered a critical penalty kill with 3:08 left, and then another manpower shortage when the Edmonton net was empty. The Oilers stormed hard and threw a lot of testers at Johnson, but the B s hung on. The first period was all Bruins. EDMONTON -- Backup goalie Chad Johnson gets the start as the Bruins bid to go to on their Canadian trip tonight against the young and talented Oilers. "Everyone knows they're a team that has a lot of speed, a lot of skill," said B's coach Claude Julien. "That's the way the Edmonton Oilers do things around here. They loved their team back in the days when they won 4-5 (Cups) in a row because of that. "We're a team that plays a little bit different kind of a game. These kind of games make for interesting matchups, because if we don't manage the puck well and allow them to have the puck all night, their speed is going to burn us. If we manage the puck well and play a territorial game like we should, then we'll hopefully make it tough on them." The Bruins, of course, are missing five injured and one suspended player, and several members of the team are in various stages of battles with the flu. Boston Herald LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: Flames fire Feaster, try to get GM jump on December 12, :54 PM Staff