Colorado Avalanche Gabe Landeskog has support of teammates, Avalanche organization Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche preview

Transcription

1 SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 4/8/2013 Anaheim Ducks A Kings-Ducks hockey game at Dodger Stadium edges toward reality Ducks' Corey Perry steps up with Ryan Getzlaf out Ducks endure Kings' pressure, edge closer to playoff spot DUCKS 4, KINGS 3 (SO): Ducks pluck out victory against Kings in playoff-type matchup Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf using walking boot Kings, Ducks to play outdoor game at Dodger Stadium in 2014? Boston Bruins Bruins coach Claude Julien demotes Tyler Seguin to third line Tyler Seguin demoted to third line in Bruins' practice Sunday Jaromir Jagr zigzags through lines Bruins take aim at offense Julien: Not yet on Krejci-Jagr pairing Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: Young players must fill leadership void Gerbe, Miller lead Sabres to shootout victory Postgame audio: Shootout survival This time, it's for real: Leafs-Wings set for Jan. 1 at The Big House Sabres try to write 'same story' by runnin' past struggling Devils Buffalo Sabres win in a shootout Rochester Amerks top Albany in shootout Calgary Flames Hall: Candid Baertschi pours out his feelings, demonstrates he s growing up fast Reinharts revel in fairy-tale script for son Max s first NHL game Game Day: Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche Five questions for the Flames Prospects should get look in coming weeks Project: Draft 2013 for Flames Baertschi recalled to Flames Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks Game Day: Tied with Predators Hawks' Quenneville riding hot hand in goal Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery earned a Nashville rerun Good chance Patrick Sharp will be back in Blackhawks lineup Tuesday Blackhawks first team in NHL to clinch playoff spot with 5-3 win Saad s maturity growing fast with Hawks teammates Blackhawks first in West to win playoff berth Blackhawks Shaw even provides some comic relief Blackhawks host 'Hockey Fights Cancer Night' Sharp, Bolland out for Hawks; Emery starts in net Toews leads Blackhawks over Predators Colorado Avalanche Gabe Landeskog has support of teammates, Avalanche organization Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche preview Columbus Blue Jackets Wild 3, Blue Jackets 0: Killer instinct lacking Bob Hunter commentary: No matter how you add it up, Jackets all but eliminated Blue Jackets notebook: Wild s Backstrom rebounds with shutout NHL: Blue Jackets blanked by Wild Dallas Stars Jamie Benn's shootout goal completes Stars' comeback win over red-hot Sharks With Jagr out the door, Jamie Benn looking like his old self again As the world counts them out, Dallas Stars stepping up With future in limbo, Dallas Stars' Glen Gulutzan trying to focus on the present He said it: Stars coach Glen Gulutzan after a 5-4 (SO) win in San Jose After impressive start, Lane MacDermid sits for Dallas Stars with upper body injury Stars scoring summary: Pair of helpers, shootout winner caps big night for Jamie Benn Benn, Lehtonen save Stars in shootout win Detroit Red Wings St. Louis 1, Detroit 0: Red Wings drop one point behind Blues in standings Red Wings getting a look at Riley Sheahan against Blues Red Wings' downtime tight after late return from Colorado to face Blues It's a challenge keeping Red Wings' Johan Franzen pumped up Blues 1, Red Wings 0: Notes, quotes from Sunday's loss Mike Babcock: Red Wings rookie Riley Sheahan needs seasoning Blues blank Wings, jump ahead in Western playoff chase Winter Classic to start at 1 p.m.; Hockeytown Festival schedule also announced Red Wings changing composition of team on the fly Blues, Brian Elliott edge Red Wings, 1-0, as Detroit is shut out at home for first time in two years Detroit Red Wings-Toronto Maple Leafs to meet in 2014 NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Did the NHL Winter Classic lose some luster because it was postponed? NHL Winter Classic to take on 'a lot more meaning' with Red Wings, Maple Leafs in same division Red Wings struggle to generate attack, lose again at home, but Mike Babcock liked the effort Loss to St. Louis drops Red Wings behind Blues in standings Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers have to be more intense against talented Ducks captain Shawn Horcoff Ducks pond may not be a safe place for Schultz Are the Edmonton Oilers improving as the season continues? Oilers' Justin Schultz all business Florida Panthers Florida Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen stymies Ottawa Senators DINEEN OFFICIALLY UPSET: Panthers Coach Upset with 'Lack of Respect'

2 CLEMMENSEN STRONG ON SUNDAY: Panthers Beat Anderson and Sens 2-1 Thanks to Great Start by Clemmensen Clemmensen stars in net and Kulikov scores to lift Panthers to 2-1 win over Sens Los Angeles Kings A Kings-Ducks hockey game at Dodger Stadium edges toward reality Kings see value even in 4-3 shootout loss to Ducks DUCKS 4, KINGS 3 (SO): Ducks pluck out victory against Kings in playoff-type matchup Kings look fresh against Ducks despite playing day before Kings, Ducks to play outdoor game at Dodger Stadium in 2014? April 7 postgame notes April 7 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter April 7 postgame quotes: Bruce Boudreau April 7 postgame quotes: Anze Kopitar April 7 postgame quotes: Drew Doughty Minnesota Wild Wild signs Gophers leading scorer Erik Haula; Lineup update vs. Blue Jackets Wild gets big win in Columbus; Dany Heatley to undergo shoulder surgery Wild-Columbus game recap Haula leaves U, signs two-year deal with Wild Shoulder surgery could speed Heatley's return Backstrom carries Wild past Blue Jackets Wild beats Columbus, gets back on track Minnesota Wild shuffle defensemen for Columbus, Marian Gaborik Minnesota Wild sign Gophers' Erik Haula Minnesota Wild winger Dany Heatley to undergo shoulder surgery Wild 3, Blue Jackets 0: Minnesota ends three-game skid Montreal Canadiens Dave Stubbs: Habs' Eller tugs on Chara s cape Jack Todd: Bergevin s best move? Therrien In the Habs' Room: We played a full 60 minutes against Bruins: Josh Gorges Sunday a day of rest for Habs; Beaulieu recalled from Bulldogs Cory Conacher pots first goal as a Sen Nashville Predators Predators notebook: 'Excited' Austin Watson makes NHL debut Nashville Predators lose again to Chicago Blackhawks Predators playoff hopes continue to fade with another defeat New Jersey Devils Devils Losing Streak Hits 7; Ovechkin Keeps Up His Pace Devils' Lou Lamoriello: Ilya Kovalchuk will begin skating soon Devils shake up lineup: Jacob Josefson, Adam Larsson to face Sabres Dainius Zubrus key to Devils' league-leading 10th shorthanded goal Devils' losing streak continues in 3-2 shootout loss to Sabres As they play: Devils vs. Sabres at Buffalo Devils notes: No timetable on Kovalchuk Devils fall to Sabres, 3-2, in shootout NJ Devils fall to Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, in shootout as Ryan Miller stops 37 shots Devs hopes dim as winless streak hits Devils' woes continue as team fall to Sabres New York Islanders Islanders' confidence builds during strong playoff run New York Rangers Kadri at Center of Maple Leafs Turnaround Maple Leafs and Red Wings Will Meet in Winter Classic After All NY Rangers, with red-hot power play, can make up ground in playoff race against Maple Leafs Rangers NHLPA player rep Martin Biron believes visors eventually will become mandatory even if it doesn't happ Richards now goal-oriented New linemates help Rangers' Brad Richards snap funk Rangers up next: at Maple Leafs Improved special-teams play gives Rangers boost during playoff push NHL Russia revelling as team on the rise Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators drop fourth in a row to lowly Florida Panthers Coach Paul MacLean tells Ottawa Senators players no more kid stuff Philadelphia Flyers Bad timing for Flyers Flyers sign second round pick Barely in playoff hunt, Flyers face crucial game vs. Islanders Flyers might be doomed by 6:28 glitch Eric Wellwood leaves Phantoms game with injured lower leg With 10 games to go, a daunting task With just 10 games to go, task daunting Jets end Flyers' four-game win streak Flyers Storylines: With 10 games left, no margin for error Flyers sign Mark Alt to entry-level contract Flyers Notes: Steve Mason makes his debut Flyers got what they needed with minor moves Flyers still have a path to the playoffs Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes go on road in chase of Stanley Cup playoff spot NHL hoping to keep Coyotes in Phoenix Bettman: More interest in Coyotes than ever Pittsburgh Penguins Morrow s value to Pens should come in playoffs Penguins clinch playoff berth Penguins recall rookie winger Beau Bennett Connecticut invades Frozen Four with Quinnipiac and Yale Adams a cool cat killing penalties for Penguins Penguins secure playoff spot as New Jersey loses to Buffalo San Jose Sharks

3 San Jose Sharks lose in shootout 5-4 to Dallas Stars Sharks lose to Stars 5-4 in shootout McLellan: 'I didn t like our game, basically, the whole night' Torres: 'They made it easy for me' St Louis Blues Blues, Elliott blank Detroit Hockey Guy: Elliott stands tall in Motown Blues could soon be adding Jaskin Blues grind out shutout win behind Elliott Tampa Bay Lightning Lightning defenseman Ohlund mulls retirement Lightning lose crucial ground in loss to Capitals Lightning loses to Capitals Lightning's Ohlund ponders how to retire Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul returns to the ice Winter Classic do-over: Maple Leafs to battle Red Wings in 2014 game Maple Leafs: Inexperienced James Reimer faces battledhardened Henrik Lundqvist in game against Rangers Leafs can impact New York teams' hopes Maple Leafs accustomed to pressure Lupul back on the ice Leafs to play in Winter Classic Injured Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul skates with team, but no timetable for return Vancouver Canucks Canucks Notebook: Kesler 'itching' for a return to game action Vigneault, Henrik are milestone men in win over Flames Canucks Hat Trick: More Cory glory, Zack back on attack, the Kesler countdown Canucks Schneider in a happy place Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin s offensive tear continues with hat trick against Panthers Capitals want to learn from lackluster finish against Panthers Brooks Laich, Martin Erat to miss Capitals game vs. Lightning Alex Ovechkin scores empty-net goal Capitals vs. Lightning: Alex Ovechkin scores two more goals as Washington tops Tampa Bay, Capitals defenseman Mike Green looks to be back in an offensive groove Capitals notes: Brooks Laich to see specialist about latest injury Alex Ovechkin leads way as Caps win fourth straight Alex Ovechkin stays hot as Capitals take sole possession of first place Websites USA TODAY / Winter Classic details announced Winnipeg Jets Jets sign netminder Olkinuora Keeping tabs on Byfuglien's minutes Jets notes Buff just 'sitting around a lot' now It's all about intensity now College stopper on Chevy's list signs up Weird week for Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien Anaheim Ducks SPORT-SCAN, INC A Kings-Ducks hockey game at Dodger Stadium edges toward reality Details are still being worked out, but plans call for a regular-season game on Jan. 25, 2014, using the NHL's portable rink and refrigeration equipment. Community events would be part of the project. Helene Elliott 5:02 PM PDT, April 7, 2013 An outdoor game between the Kings and the Ducks, to be played amid the palm trees and history of Dodger Stadium, is moving closer to reality. Details are still being negotiated but plans call for the teams to face off in a regular-season game on Jan. 25, 2014, using the portable rink and refrigeration equipment the NHL owns and has deployed at sites such as Chicago's Wrigley Field and Boston's Fenway Park. A formal announcement is tentatively set for April 17 or 18. The NHL Players' Assn. must approve components of the plan and the NHL and the Dodgers must agree on financial aspects, including the division of revenue, but no snags have cropped up that appear big enough to derail a project the Kings have energetically promoted. The game would be played at night to avoid sun on the ice. The rink could be in place a week before and a week afterward to stage community events, minor-league games or alumni games with Dodger Stadium as a stunning backdrop. The Kings are considering designing a special commemorative uniform that would be worn only for that game. The Kings and New York Rangers played an exhibition game in the parking lot outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1991, memorable for the ice being overrun by grasshoppers. The NHL has since favored cold-weather cities for outdoor games, but advances in technology and the novelty of a game in Southern California won over skeptics who opposed a warmweather site. The game between the Kings and Ducks would be the first of two outdoor games that weekend. The second would be played Jan. 26 in New York, with Yankee Stadium the preferred venue. John Collins, the NHL's chief operating officer, and Don Renzulli, the NHL's senior vice president of events, visited Los Angeles in early March to discuss logistics for an outdoor game, and talks continued from there. A league executive declined to comment Sunday. As expected, the NHL on Sunday announced the Detroit Red Wings will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2014, at Michigan Stadium. That matchup was scheduled to take place this year but was a casualty of the lockout. Trade winds Rick Nash couldn't wait to get out of Columbus and join the New York Rangers. But Marian Gaborik waived his no-trade clause to leave New York and join the Blue Jackets, an odd turn of events before last Wednesday's trade deadline. Who won and who lost in all those trades? The Penguins made the biggest splash by acquiring Jarome Iginla from Calgary for a first-round draft pick and two mid-level prospects, as well as adding winger Brenden Morrow from Dallas and defenseman Douglas Murray from San Jose. Acquiring center Jussi Jokinen from Carolina for a

4 conditional draft pick also might prove important while Sidney Crosby recovers from a broken jaw. Not only did the Penguins get a player who could play on their top line and is one of the NHL's top shootout snipers, they got Carolina to pay part of Jokinen's salary through next season. The Blue Jackets enhanced their speed and credibility by giving up Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and defenseman John Moore for Gaborik, who is signed through next season. They probably won't make the playoffs this season but they have given fans hope, and there's no price tag on that. "It's going to be fine. I feel good about this," Gaborik told reporters in Columbus following his debut. The Rangers wanted some aggressiveness and got it in Ryane Clowe at the price of three draft picks in 2013 and The Kings did well to obtain defenseman Robyn Regehr from Buffalo for second-round draft picks in 2014 and 2015 and hope to re-sign him after this season. With new doubt hanging over Willie Mitchell's ability to return from knee problems, Regehr could stabilize the Kings' defense and penalty killing for a while. Vancouver added depth up the middle by acquiring free-agent-to-be Derek Roy from Dallas, but he's small 5-foot-9 and that won't help in the physical West. The Minnesota Wild got a two-way talent in Jason Pominville, acquiring the former Buffalo captain and a fourth-round draft pick in 2014 for goalie Matt Hackett, forward Johan Larsson, a first-round pick in 2013 and a second-round pick in Among the biggest losers is Calgary, which waited too long to begin an overhaul. The Flames got little for Iginla, couldn't persuade goalie Miikka Kiprusoff to accept a trade to Toronto, and got only a conditional first-round pick and two so-so prospects for defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. "I should have had the intellectual honesty even earlier and said, 'This isn't working,' " General Manager Jay Feaster told reporters in Calgary. "So shame on me, but I'm making sure we're going to correct that going forward." Buffalo is retooling and might be forced to trade forward Thomas Vanek and goalie Ryan Miller before they become free agents. And Nashville, once considered a good place to play, has become a place to leave. Martin Erat wanted out and was dealt to Washington for promising forward Filip Forsberg, defenseman Ryan Suter left as an unrestricted free agent last summer, and defenseman Shea Weber signed a 14-year, $110-million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers before the Predators matched it. They've always been competitive, but small markets have limitations and the Predators might have reached theirs, sad to say. LA Times: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Ducks' Corey Perry steps up with Ryan Getzlaf out Perry scores in regulation and makes the winning shootout shot as captain Getzlaf sits out the Ducks' 4-3 victory over the Kings. By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times 11:15 PM PDT, April 7, 2013 Kings goalie Jonathan Quick also let all three shots past him in the team's most recent shootout, a March 30 loss at Minnesota. "Just tried to mix it up," Perry said of his fifth shootout goal this season. "I've done a bunch of stuff throughout the year just trying to find holes." The dagger? No Duck was willing to call the Kings dead in the Pacific Division standings, but they certainly are feeling strongly about their nine-point lead with nine games remaining. "They've been playing well; everyone knew they were hitting their stride," Perry said. "It's huge. If we continue to put teams behind us, we're going to be in good position going forward and building confidence going into the playoffs." Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau called it "a big win," considering only two of their remaining games are against teams in playoff position. In the Kings' dressing room, defenseman Drew Doughty said his team's disparity in shots on goal proved "we outplayed them. "I don't think there's any doubt about that. We came back three times down a goal. That shows a lot of character and how bad we want to win. It's just too bad we didn't get both" points. A game after allowing an embarrassing short-handed goal by his net, Ducks goaltender Viktor Fasth stopped 35 shots. Getzlaf status Getzlaf sat out his second consecutive game because "we want him to heal as much as possible," Boudreau said before the game. Afterward, Boudreau said Getzlaf's eligibility for Monday's home game against Edmonton would hinge on a morning skate conversation. "Ryan, can you play?" Boudreau said he'd ask. "And we'll go from there." Slap shots Kings center Jeff Carter scored his fifth regulation goal in six games and added a shootout goal. Ducks defenseman Sheldon Souray had two assists and was positioned to pass Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz for the NHL lead in plus/minus goals differential while on the ice until Dustin Brown scored with 3:45 left to force overtime. MONDAY VS. EDMONTON When: 7. Where: Honda Center. On the Air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830. Record vs. Oilers: 0-0. Etc.: Left wing Taylor Hall has 28 assists for the Oilers. LA Times: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Corey Perry is linked with Ryan Getzlaf by more than just their membership on the Ducks' first line. So when Perry's close friend remained sidelined Sunday against the Kings by a leg injury, it was clear who was carrying the heaviest burden in the captain's absence. Consider a regulation goal and the winning shootout shot proper compensation. "When you don't have your top guy out there, everyone knows there's going to be holes and roles to fill," Perry said after the 4-3 victory at Honda Center moved the Ducks (26-8-5) nine points ahead of the defending Stanley Cup champions in the Pacific Division standings. Perry gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead late in the second period, taking an Andrew Cogliano pass and beating Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier to his right in a one-on-one battle. With the Ducks up, 2-1, in the shootout, Perry again went to Bernier's right for the winner, soiling the goalie's 9-0 record as a starter. Ducks endure Kings' pressure, edge closer to playoff spot By ERIC STEPHENS ANAHEIM Three months of impressive work by the Ducks in this blur of a compacted and shortened season was narrowed down to one defining game against the Kings on Sunday night. Like their current battle to claim their second Pacific Division title, the Ducks were forced to hold off the hard-charging Stanley Cup champions and 65 minutes weren't enough to get the job done. Three shootout goals were. Bobby Ryan, Saku Koivu and Corey Perry all scored against Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier and the Ducks walked away with two critical points and an important 4-3 victory in front of an overflow crowd of 17,494 at Honda Center.

5 Bernier made 19 stops but was powerless against Ryan, Koivu and Perry and the Ducks (26-8-5) got the extra point to build their division lead to nine points over the Kings ( ) with nine games left in the regular season. It also got the Ducks closer to clinching a playoff spot, perhaps on Wednesday night against Colorado. "They've been playing well," said Perry, who had a second-period goal. "Everybody knows they're hitting their stride at the right time. We knew it was going to be an emotional big man's game out here. "When you can come away with a big win like that, it's huge." Matt Beleskey gave the Ducks a 3-2 lead with his first career power-play goal early in the third period after Bernier couldn't cleanly glove Sheldon Souray's slap shot from the point. But even though they played Saturday and beat Edmonton in an afternoon affair, the Kings looked like the fresher team in the third and it paid off. Consistent pressure ultimately led to the Kings forging a third tie with 3:45 left as Dustin Brown batted in a loose puck for his 15th goal of the season after he and linemates Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams hemmed the Ducks in their end. "We did it three times," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said of erasing one-goal deficits. "Can't complain about that. Heck of a game." Jeff Carter got the only shootout goal for the Kings ( ). Viktor Fasth made 35 saves through regulation and overtime for the Ducks. Playing without injured captain Ryan Getzlaf for the second straight game, the Ducks grabbed a rare first-period lead on a goal by Kyle Palmieri and never trailed in compensating for their center's absence. Getzlaf has a leg injury. "I think everybody quite frankly stepped up a little bit today and knew that we didn't play a very good game against Dallas the other night," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We wanted to prove that we were capable of playing without Ryan Getzlaf." Said Souray: "We needed that just for the team, just for the psyche. He's a world-class player and he means so much to us." The Kings maintained their current No. 4 spot in the West, one point ahead of division mate San Jose and four more than Minnesota and St. Louis. They outshot the Ducks, 16-5, in the third period and, 38-22, for the game. "I think we dominated the whole game," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "The only thing that is frustrating is we only get one point rather than two. We definitely deserved the two points. "We outplayed them. I think there's no doubt in anybody's mind about that." The tense, physical affair only created more visions of the first playoff series between the Southern California rivals located just 40 miles apart. "That's long-term thinking," Souray said. "We've got more short-term goals. We still have a long way to go to fine-tune our game before the playoffs start, no matter who it is. "There's reasons to play before that. We'll take care of those things before we get ahead of ourselves." Orange County Register: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks DUCKS 4, KINGS 3 (SO): Ducks pluck out victory against Kings in playofftype matchup By Elliott Teaford, Staff Writer Posted: 04/07/ :30:34 PM PDT It sure looked and sounded like a Stanley Cup playoff game when the Ducks and the Kings tangled Sunday night at the Honda Center, with the teams trading highlight-reel caliber scoring chances and molar-rattling checks on almost every rush down the ice. The Kings rallied not once, not twice, but three times to force the Ducks into overtime and then a shootout. Corey Perry won it for the Ducks in the shootout, whistling a quick shot past Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier in the third round for a 4-3 victory. Matt Beleskey's power-play goal gave the Ducks a 3-2 lead early in the third period, but Kings team captain Dustin Brown swatted a loose puck out of midair and into the back of the net to tie it 3-3 in the closing minutes of regulation time. Kings coach Darryl Sutter conceded the Pacific Division race to the Ducks after his team's 4-1 rout of the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday at Staples Center. Sutter apparently forgot to tell his players, because they refused to surrender anything to the Ducks on Sunday. Give the Ducks an inch and they might take a mile. Playing without leading scorer and team captain Ryan Getzlaf for the second consecutive game because of a right leg injury suffered Wednesday, the Ducks jumped ahead of the Kings on Kyle Palmieri's goal only 2:54 into the game. The Kings countered with Drew Doughty's power-play goal on a blast from near the left point 5:59 into the second period. Perry put the Ducks ahead 2-1 with a goal off a breakaway, but Jeff Carter tied it for the Kings with his team-leading 23 rd goal of the season. Each of the previous games was decided in the third period, with the Ducks winning 7-4 in Anaheim on Feb. 2 and the Kings taking a 5-2 victory Feb. 25 in Los Angeles. So, it figured the teams would have to settle matters in the final period again. LA Daily News: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf using walking boot By Elliott Teaford, Staff Writer Posted: 04/07/ :09:49 PM PDT Team captain Ryan Getzlaf has been using a walking boot since suffering a right leg injury during the Ducks' victory Wednesday over the Dallas Stars, coach Bruce Boudreau said before his team's 4-3 shootout victory over the Kings on Sunday at the Honda Center. Getzlaf's status for tonight's game against the Edmonton Oilers won't be known he until he and Boudreau have the same morning conversation they've had since Thursday. Getzlaf didn't play in Friday's loss to the Stars or Sunday's win over the Kings. "I'm not giving him any days off," Boudreau said. "If he can play, he's playing. That's it. We need him. So, when he's ready to play, he'll play. It's not Bruce giving him a day off because he's hurting. It's Bruce, saying, `Ryan, can you play? Yep, OK, then you're playing."' LA Daily News: LOADED: Anaheim Ducks Kings, Ducks to play outdoor game at Dodger Stadium in 2014? By Elliott Teaford, Staff Writer Posted: 04/07/ :29:04 PM PDT Hockey pucks and Dodger Dogs, anyone? The NHL is working to stage an outdoor game between the Kings and the Ducks next season at Dodger Stadium, a Kings spokesman confirmed

6 Sunday. The game would be played on a January night in order to ensure the best possible ice conditions on the NHL's portable rink. "It's still in the planning stages and nothing is certain, but there is an aggressive plan to make it happen," said Mike Altieri, Kings vice president of communications and broadcasting, in an . Altieri declined further comment. Said Tim Ryan, Ducks executive vice president and chief operating officer: "There is nothing confirmed, but we would certainly have interest in being in the game." The NHL has held outdoor games for many years, but all but one of them have been contested in cold-weather cities like Boston, Chicago and Edmonton. Playing a game in downtown Los Angeles, even in winter, would present unique challenges, however. In fact, the Kings played outdoors one other time, facing the New York Rangers on a make-shift rink set up in the parking lot of a Las Vegas hotel in The ice conditions were poor because of high temperatures and there was a mid-game bug infestation, as well. The league announced Sunday an outdoor game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs would be played next season at Michigan Stadium on the University of Michigan campus. Other outdoor games, including one at Dodger Stadium, reportedly are in the works, too. LA Daily News: LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins coach Claude Julien demotes Tyler Seguin to third line By Michael Vega Globe Staff / April 7, 2013 WILMINGTON After being demoted midway through the first period of Saturday night s 2-1 loss at Montreal, moving from second-line center to third-line wing, Tyler Seguin found himself wearing a gray sweater and skating on the third line along with Daniel Paille, Chris Kelly, and Jay Pandolfo during Sunday s practice at Ristuccia Arena. With Patrice Bergeron out indefinitely with a concussion, Seguin had been forced to make an adjustment and center Brad Marchand and Jaromir Jagr on the second line. But when he struggled with that assignment, Seguin was dropped to the third line with Paille and Gregory Campbell, who earned a promotion and skated with Marchand and Jagr on the second line in practice in preparation for Monday night s game against the Hurricanes at TD Garden. Right now, I don t think we ve got a [No.] 1, 2, 3 or 4 [line], coach Claude Julien said. As you can see, there are good players on every line. We move players around a little bit, maybe to balance things for the time being. But right now it s about playing your game as an individual; you shouldn t care where you are, you should care what you bring. Seguin declined to speak with reporters following practice, saying he had been told not to talk. He s been fine like that, Julien said when asked how Seguin handled his demotion. There are no issues. I don t feel like I have to explain myself to every player for every move that I make. They understand that we re trying to win here and that s all that should matter. Asked about Seguin s play the last two games no goals, no assists, three shots, including none in 16:15 minutes of ice time against the Canadiens Julien replied, I m not into making assessments. I m not into throwing players under the bus. I m into making them better players, so if there are some issues, I ll talk to them individually. Julien said his reasoning behind his shuffling of the lines was to get some flow going consistently to keep the momentum of the game going in our favor. Asked if was difficult to break up his top line of Milan Lucic-David Krejci- Nathan Horton, Julien said, They were our best line [Saturday], so it s hard to break up that line. Right now I m trying to fix the other lines that aren t bringing much for the time being, so that s where I stand with that. Getting it to net Given how Saturday night s game ended, with the Bruins attempting nary a shot during a six-on-four advantage over the last 57 seconds, Julien made getting the puck on net a point of heavy emphasis during practice. We didn t shoot pucks [Saturday night], Julien said. We shot pucks today. It s as simple as that. I ll say it again, it was disappointing as a coach to watch that, to have the puck in their own end the whole time and not having a shot. Sometimes we tend to look for the perfect plays, but there was no excuse. There is no excuse for us not creating a shot. We looked at it over again, and we could ve easily had five great opportunities to put pucks on the net and we didn t. The power-play work [Sunday] was about making sure we got pucks to the net and that s what we did. Finding his way After the Bruins acquired Jagr last Wednesday, it seems Julien has had some difficulty finding a spot for the future Hall of Famer, who has yet to be paired with his fellow Czech teammate, Krejci. We re short on centermen, so it s not about finding a place for Jags, Julien said. Because, again, it s really not about Jags. We didn t get him to build the team around him. We got him to fill in a spot we think will help us. When guys are back and we have a healthy team, he ll be in a spot where I think he ll be good.... Defenseman Adam McQuaid, who was expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a shoulder strain, was back on the ice, skating with the team for the first time since suffering his injury. He started skating and didn t take much contact today, Julien said. He s not in [Monday], if that s what you want to know, but he s progressing and going in the right direction.... Chris Kelly, who missed his 14th straight game Saturday night after breaking his left tibia March 11, was also back on the ice, skating with the team in a full practice for the second time since injuring his leg. Same thing, he s doing well, said Julien, who indicated Kelly s status remained day-to-day. We ll see how things go with the medical staff, because I still need the clearance from them, but he practiced a little harder [Sunday] and so he s inching closer and closer every day. Michael Vega Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Tyler Seguin demoted to third line in Bruins' practice Sunday By Michael Vega, Globe Staff WILMINGTON Tyler Seguin, who was moved back to wing from center midway through the first period of Saturday night's 2-1 loss at Montreal, found himself wearing a grey sweater and skating on the third line along with Daniel Paille, Chris Kelly and Jay Pandolfo. With Patrice Bergeron out indefinitely with a concussion, Bruins coach Claude Julien has had to shuffle his lines to stoke production out of his players, including Seguin, who declined to discuss his demotion following Sunday's practice at Ristuccia Arena. "We move players around a little bit, maybe to balance things for the time being,'' Julien said. "But right now it s about playing your game as an individual; you shouldn t care where you are, you should care what you bring. "He s been fine like that. There s no issues. I don t feel like I have to explain myself to every player for every move that I make. They understand that we re trying to win here and that s all that should matter.'' Asked how he viewed Seguin's play the last two games, Julien replied, "I'm not into making assessments. I m not into throwing players under the bus. I m into making them better players, so if there s some issues, I ll talk to them individually.''

7 Seguin, who had been switched from wing to center Brad Marchand and Jaromir Jagr when Patrice Bergeron was injured, was dropped down to the third line with Paille, and Gregory Campbell was promoted to center Marchand and Jagr on the second line in Sunday's practice at Ristuccia Arena in preparation for Monday night's home game against the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden. In other news: Adam McQuaid, who was expected to miss 4-6 weeks after suffering a shoulder strain, was back on the ice and skated with the team for the first time since suffering his injury. Chris Kelly (broken left tibia), who traveled with the team to Montreal and sat out for the 14th straight game Saturday, was also back on the ice, skating with the team. On Friday, when Kelly skated for the first time with the team, coach Claude Julien indicated his status was "day to day." Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins No updates on him, Julien said. (General manager) Peter (Chiarelli) said we ll give you guys some updates on him when it s warranted. We certainly don t want to be answering the same question every day with a situation that s very unknown and could be good one day, bad the next. So we ll certainly update you guys when the news starts getting positive, and he s heading in the right direction. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins take aim at offense Team goal: Createbetter scoring bids Monday, April 8, 2013 Matt Kalman Jaromir Jagr zigzags through lines Monday, April 8, 2013 Matt Kalman, Bruins Notebook WILMINGTON Jaromir Jagr s first stop upon joining the Bruins via trade last week was on the right wing, with Tyler Seguin as his center. After his team s slow start to Saturday s loss to the Canadiens in Montreal, coach Claude Julien shifted Jagr to a line with Gregory Campbell at center. During practice yesterday at Ristuccia Arena, Jagr was still skating with Campbell, but with Brad Marchand on the left wing instead of Daniel Paille. So at least for the near future, it appears Julien is going to stay away from connecting Czech Republic natives Jagr and center David Krejci. I know a lot of people would like to see that because they played together (on the Czech Olympic team). I never say no, I don t think.... We ll see, Julien said yesterday. I think I m waiting to get that puzzle to be put together as far as getting our guys healthy and then at that point I think we ll have a better idea of that. Julien hasn t had his full arsenal of forwards lately with Patrice Bergeron (concussion) joining Chris Kelly (broken leg) on the shelf. Kelly is nearing a return. Despite little to show for their efforts on the scoresheet of late, Julien has also given the line of Krejci centering Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton passing grades. We want to keep the momentum going, Julien said. You ve got Krejci s line coming out there and brining some good flow and then we ve got some lines that there just was no flow to it. So we re trying to get some flow going on a consistent basis here to keep the momentum of the game going in our favor. Kelly s close Kelly was pretty close to playing Saturday in Montreal, but Julien is still waiting on medical clearance to use the center. He practiced a little harder (yesterday) so he s inching closer and closer every day, Julien said. Kelly has been out since March 11, but he has been skating for about a week.... Defenseman Adam McQuaid joined the full squad for practice for the first time since he strained his shoulder March 19 in Winnipeg. McQuaid was ruled out for tonight s game at the Garden against the Carolina Hurricanes but is progressing, according to Julien. No news on Bergy Tomorrow will mark a full week since Bergeron suffered the fourth concussion of his NHL career. WILMINGTON There s offense to be had from the Bruins 23 skaters that practiced yesterday at Ristuccia Arena. Coach Claude Julien is convinced of it. One of the few ways he has at his disposal to try to squeeze more goals out of his club is again juggling the lines. However, an offense that has scored two or fewer goals in eight of the last 11 games probably won t score more without a change in mindset. We need to find ways to score more goals, Julien said after a practice focused on scoring chances and shots on net. Our group here is capable of scoring more goals. And we know there s some guys that aren t scoring that normally score. And it s been a bit of a story for us this year. So we ve got to find ways to get them to produce and a lot of it is support and a lot of it is wanting to take pucks to the net, whether it s carrying it, via shots or being passing it with net-front presence. So I think we can do a lot of those things that will help us get more offense. The Bruins woke up yesterday after their 2-1 loss Saturday night in Montreal to the first-place Canadiens with the league s 14th-ranked offense at 2.65 goals per game. Milan Lucic heads into tonight s game at the Garden against the Carolina Hurricanes having scored once in his last 22 games. Brad Marchand has scored twice in his last 17 and Tyler Seguin has two goals in his last 10. The latest incarnation of the forward lines featured Marchand skating with Gregory Campbell and newcomer Jaromir Jagr. Seguin skated on right wing with combinations featuring Jay Pandolfo, Daniel Paille and Chris Kelly, who is hoping to return in short order from a broken leg. Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton stayed together. Kelly and Patrice Bergeron s injuries, in addition to the trade for Jagr, have discombobulated things a bit. That shouldn t be an excuse, Lucic said. But it s just bearing down when we get those chances. I think we ve done an all right job of creating. But it s just bearing down.... It s a mindset and all that, so hopefully we can get a couple here that can get something going in the right direction. The B s lack of determination to create offense is evident beyond the scoring numbers. The league s 24th-ranked power play takes a lot of heat. Maybe it would be better if the Bruins weren t last in the league with just 97 power-play opportunities this season. Teams that pay the price and bear down tend to draw more penalties. Teams that score more can also avoid losing four one-goal decisions like the Bruins did in last spring s first round of the playoffs. Julien has made his moves. Now it s the players turn, whether they like the maneuvers or not. It s out of our control, Marchand said. Sometimes the coach feels like it s going to spark the guys to switch things up and hopefully that s the case. But again, it s out of our control, we don t have any say, so whatever the lines are we just go out and work the same way and try to contribute. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins

8 Julien: Not yet on Krejci-Jagr pairing Matt Kalman WILMINGTON Bruins coach Claude Julien is well aware that many are clamoring for Czech Republic natives David Krejci and Jaromir Jagr to skate on the same line in an effort to spark an offense that s scored two or fewer goals in eight of the Bruins last 11 games. But with Patrice Bergeron and Chris Kelly out with injuries, and Krejci s line with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton playing well (albeit with little production), Julien s staying away from a Krejci-Jagr marriage. Jagr skated most of the loss in Montreal Saturday night with Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell. Even at Sunday s practice, the latest line changes had Jagr skating with Brad Marchand and Gregory Campbell while Krejci s line stayed intact. I know a lot of people would like to see that because they played together (on the Czech Olympic team), Julien said. I never say no, I don t think.... We ll see. I think I m waiting to get that puzzle to be put together as far as getting our guys healthy and then at that point I think we ll have a better idea of that. Horton has gone two games without a goal after scoring four straight. Krejci is point-less in his last two and Lucic has scored just one goal in his last 22 games. Still, Julien is leery of breaking up that trio. We want to keep the momentum going," he said. "You ve got Krejci s line coming out there and bringing some good flow and then we ve got some lines that there just was no flow to it. So we re trying to get some flow going on a consistent basis here to keep the momentum of the game going in our favor. Boston Herald LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: Young players must fill leadership void By Mike Harrington News Sports on April 7, :47 PM, updated April 7, 2013 at 11:47 PM There are still points to try to earn, a long shot playoff berth for the Buffalo Sabres to push for. But the last 10 games are about much more than that. It can be the first look at a new core. A player like Christian Ehrhoff is on a long-term contract. So is Tyler Myers. And others like Tyler Ennis, Cody Hodgson and Andrej Sekera can all start to take much more of the reins than they have in the past. I was just thinking about this the other day, Ennis said prior to Sunday s game against the New Jersey Devils.. The first team I was on here when we went to the playoffs ( ), there s just a handful of guys left. It s kind of strange. It s definitely got to be a group of us now stepping up to make a difference. It s there for us. I know we re a committed, focused group and that s not going to be an issue. We just have to take advantage of it and get this team where it needs to be. The next wave of players is coming, said Steve Ott, often mentioned as a captain possibility next season. That s kind of going to be their team going forward here. Even when I m gone, you d hope these guys will be here for a long time and continue to be solid hockey players. It s their turn to take the next step to become leaders on and off the ice. Myers is in the first year of his seven-year extension and has struggled for large stretches of the season. But he knows the trades of Jordan Leopold and Robyn Regehr off the blue line and captain Jason Pominville sends a message that the younger players need to seize control. It s certainly leaning towards that direction it seems, Myers said. It s a much younger team already with the three guys that we lost. There s always talk and rumors about Thomas Vanek and [Ryan Miller] and their situations too. We ll cross that bridge when that time comes. There s guys in the room that are going to have to step up, not only on the ice but to take a leadership position in the room. Interim coach Ron Rolston said watching the dressing room dynamic will be one of the unique elements of the final 10 games. They re in a situation now where for them it s to be the next core of leaders coming up for us, Rolston said. And before you can be a leader in any capacity, you ve got to be consistent. You ve got to take care of your own game because if you re not, there s not a lot of people who are going to follow you if you can t be consistent. While the Leopold and Regehr trades were pretty much expected, Myers admitted he was shaken by the loss of Pominville, a player he s seen every day since his NHL career began in It was definitely pretty strange not seeing him come into the rink the next morning, Myers said. I know what he meant to this organization being here so long, being the person he was and the player he was. After a brutal start to the season, Myers entered Sunday plus-3 in the last four games and averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time in them. Ennis, meanwhile, was trying to shake a seven-game goal drought. You have to worry about getting better, Ennis said. You look at the standings and you know where you are. There s been a lot of changes all year but you have to get better in areas every day. You improve in those areas and as a whole everything starts to get better. I think we re seeing a little bit of that right now.... Thomas Vanek missed his sixth straight game with an upper body muscle strain and did not even take the morning skate but Rolston said the Sabres leading scorer has not suffered a setback. We wanted to give him today off completely because he s been out there a lot, Rolston said. Just wanted to give him the complete rest day off so he ll be back out there [today]. Rolston said he s still holding out hope Vanek can play Tuesday in Winnipeg. The Sabres have no extra players on hand so the only ones not in the lineup Sunday were Vanek and fellow injured forward Ville Leino. Former Sabres defenseman Henrik Tallinder was a scratch for the Devils after playing the last four games. Tallinder, in the third season of a fouryear, $13.5 million contract, has one goal and three assists in 18 games with a plus-3 rating.... Goaltender Matt Hackett, acquired from Minnesota in the Pominville trade, had a huge debut Sunday for the Rochester Amerks in a 3-2 shootout win over Albany. Hackett made 39 saves in the game and stopped all three Albany attempts in the shootout. Zemgus Girgensons, Buffalo s second No. 1 pick last June, scored a shorthanded goal with 4:25 left to force overtime. Girgensons has five goals for the Amerks. Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Gerbe, Miller lead Sabres to shootout victory Buffalo hears the boos as Devils control play By Mike Harrington News Sports on April 7, :41 PM, updated April 7, 2013 at 11:45 PM If the First Niagara Center ice was a pinball machine, the New Jersey Devils would have been guilty of a tilt most of Sunday night.

9 There were multiple stretches where the Devils hemmed the Buffalo Sabres in their own zone, and a couple that lasted more than two minutes. The play was so interminable and the crowd was so restless the Sabres were getting Bronx cheers just for getting the puck out over their own blue line. The Sabres were outshot, 39-26, in the game and even gave up yet another short-handed goal. But they didn t fall apart mentally in the kind of spots they crumbled in earlier in the season. They were physical at plenty of key times and got great goaltending from Ryan Miller. When Nathan Gerbe beat Martin Brodeur for the only goal of the shootout, they somehow pulled out a 3-2 win over the Devils in one of the stranger games the crowd of 18,703 has seen in a long time. Resilient is what it was, said interim coach Ron Rolston. We got through it and didn t break. It worked out all right. The Sabres have won three straight for the third time this year and pulled within four points of the idle New York Islanders for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The defending East champion Devils, meanwhile, are in complete panic mode. They are ninth, and winless in seven games (0-3-4) for the first time since November Buffalo got a first-period goal from Patrick Kaleta his first in 53 games dating to last February and a second-period tally from Steve Ott. Jochen Hecht and Cody Hodgson got full marks for great passes. The Sabres took that 2-1 lead into the third but the Devils got even at 5:46 on a short-handed goal by defenseman Mark Fayne, his first goal of the season. As Dainius Zubrus skated unimpeded through the Buffalo zone and behind the net, he found Fayne for a quick snapshot from the right circle that beat Miller. That s a tough one, Ott admitted. All five of us are accountable.... We definitely need to fish [Zubrus] out hard, if not lay a body on him so he doesn t have an opportunity to make a play out there. The fans didn t like the short-handed goal, in part because it was Buffalo s NHL-high seventh of the year against its power-play unit. And the crowd wasn t happy with the extended stretches of play in the Sabres zone either. Whether trying a clear or a pass, the Sabres simply couldn t clear the zone for about a 15-minute stretch spanning the first and second periods. They were hemming us in the zone but we did a great job on those twominute shifts keeping them to the outside, blocking shots, said Ott, reaching hard to find positives. They weren t getting great scoring opportunities yet our fans were booing us every opportunity they had. They want to see better but sometimes it s going to be a battle, Miller said of the fans. Sometimes it s going to be hard. We need their help. We need them to be behind us. We hear them. We know they re not happy but the encouragement we can get when we re in a tight game, that can help for some of these young guys. So we d appreciate it. They hang around, stay for the whole game, be excited, have fun. We re trying our hardest out there. You saw some sacrifice out there. Analyzing the fan base is obviously a slippery slope. Especially given the way this season and much of the last six years have gone for a group of ticketholders that has had its patience pushed to the max. That s the way it s been since I ve been here, Rolston said. We understand what it is. Our job is to continue to do what we can do to change that. That s all we can do. Keep working at it... win games at home and hopefully get them back. And the crowd did respond when it was warranted like on Ott s goal, a spectacular three-way passing play with Hodgson and Gerbe. And the entire 100 level was on its feet for the shootout and roared when Miller made the final save on Travis Zajac. I would be proud if I was from Buffalo to say, My Sabres won that game. Miller said. It s the kind of game you re going to have sometimes. We re going to try to clean it up so it s a little prettier but if it s like that and we get two points I don t really mind. Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Postgame audio: Shootout survival April 7, :53 PM By Mike Harrington Here's how I sum up Sunday's odd shootout win over the Devils: Some stretches of brutal play, some nifty passing on both goals, some terrific physical play at times, great goaltending and a survival test. I didn't like all the postgame chatter about the fans. Steve Ott has talked about it a couple times this year. Same for Ron Rolston. They haven't been here nearly long enough to have a valid opinion on the subject in my mind. What I liked was this team's physical play. Ott had 10 hits -- 10! -- and Mike Weber had eight to go along with seven blocks. Patrick Kaleta had seven hits. John Scott had three in a seaosn-high 9:11 of play and his mid-ice hit on David Clarkson in the second period helped stem the Devils' momentum. Really like Ryan Miller lately too. He's 3-1 in his last four games with a 1.73 GAA and save percentage of.945. A trip around the locker room before I head to the Toronto airport for the trip to Winnipeg. Ron Rolston Ryan Miller Steve Ott Patrick Kaleta Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres This time, it's for real: Leafs-Wings set for Jan. 1 at The Big House April 7, :26 PM By Mike Harrington The NHL might be the only entity in the world that likes making announcements on Sunday mornings (see end of lockout) but they made a nice one today with the confirmation that the lockout-canceled Winter Classic of Jan. 1 has been rescheduled for Jan. 1, Same setup: Maple Leafs-Red Wings at The Big House on the University of Michigan campus with a concurrent schedule of NHL Alumni, college and high school games on a rink at Comerica Park in Detroit, home of the Tigers. The league said today it expects to have enough alumni available that it will play two alumni games on New Year's Eve. A world record crowd for an ice hockey game could attend the main event, potentially surpassing the 104,173 that saw the Michigan-Michigan State game at Michigan Stadium in The league also announced that HBO will again do the award-winning "24/7" series on the Leafs and Wings. And remember, BOTH teams will be in the Sabres' division next season. And the game will be a marketing dream as well. Check out the jerseys at the top of this post. Plain awesome. Think a few of them might sell? Buffalo News LOADED: Buffalo Sabres Sabres try to write 'same story' by runnin' past struggling Devils April 7, :14 PM By Mike Harrington