SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 2/14/2014 Anaheim Ducks Selanne injured in Finland victory, expected to play in next game

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1 SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 2/14/2014 Anaheim Ducks Selanne injured in Finland victory, expected to play in next game Boston Bruins Bruins in the Olympics: Chara, Rask struggle; Bergeron shines Thursday Buffalo Sabres Sabres Omark a no-show in Rochester Omark fails to report to Amerks after being waived by Sabres Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks begin Olympic play, as U.S. and Canada roll U.S. hockey over Russia an upset maybe but no Miracle U.S. game Saturday vs. Russia should offer plenty of intensity Tracking the Blackhawks: Hockey results, updates from Sochi Blackhawks: Brandon Pirri shines for AHL All-Stars Colorado Avalanche Kiszla: Paul Stastny does America and father proud in rout of Slovakia Paul Stastny stars against country his dad reps in Euro Parliament Columbus Blue Jackets It's OK to root for Russia in the Olympics, CBJ Fan Dallas Stars Alex Ovechkin-led Russians beat Slovenia Canada beats Norway 3-1 in its men's hockey opener US crushes Slovakia 7-1 in men's Olympic hockey Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn helps lead Canada past Norway Detroit Red Wings Former Red Wing Damien Brunner excited to see former teammates at Sochi Olympics Olympics hockey roundup: Pavel Datsyuk shut out, but Russia and Canada win in 'unbelievable' atmosphere Sweden? Or Switzerland? 'Americans, they don't know anything... outside their country' Henrik Zetterberg's back flares up at Sochi Olympics; will he keep playing? Punchlines: It's cold in U.S., but heating up in Sochi: Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg (back) out indefinitely, will miss rest of Sochi Olympics Winter Olympics: Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk, Russians open with 5-2 win over Slovenia Winter Olympics: Red Wings' Tomas Tatar scores for Slovakia in 7-1 loss to United States Winter Olympics: Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg has herniated disc, status for Friday in doubt Winter Olympics: Heavily favored Canada starts slowly but outlasts Norway 3-1 in opener Edmonton Oilers Kessel and Stastny lead USA to 7-1 win over Slovakia in men s hockey Florida Panthers Give some but not all to Panthers, county report advises Los Angeles Kings Doughty draws Team Canada praise Montreal Canadiens Canada defeats Norway 3-1 in Olympic hockey opener New Jersey Devils Sochi Olympics 2014: Former Devil Peter Stastny watches his son star against his native Slovakia Swiss Alps skier as tot, Damien Brunner had bumpy ride to Devils, Olympics Johan Hedberg signs with Albany to fill in for injured Keith Kinkaid, expects to play this weekend Johan Hedberg signs with Albany to fill in for injured Keith Kinkaid, expected to play this weekend New York Rangers Ranger Brian Boyle's take on Olympic hockey Olympics: Henrik Lundqvist turns back Czechs It s Go Time! USA vs. Slovakia (7:30 a.m.) Ottawa Senators Ottawa Sens sniper Bobby Ryan makes engagement announcement on Twitter Philadelphia Flyers Flyers doctors in Sochi to attend to NHL players Snider's moves: 'We're always trying to win' Olympic Q&A: Meszaros: Every time is 'special' Olympic Q&A: Raffl: A chance 'to show what you can do' Olympic Q&A: Timonen: 'It's going to feel special' Pittsburgh Penguins Kovacevic: Finns have 'been waiting' for Maatta Sochi hockey notebook: Crosby scoreless but still efficient Like a giant sponge, Brooks Orpik soaks up everything U.S.-Russia: A new kind of Olympic Cold War San Jose Sharks Sharks in Sochi Sharks' Marleau helps Canada triumph in Olympic opener St Louis Blues Three Blues contribute to Team USA romp over Slovakia Media Views: How Dan Kelly put the Blues on the map How the Blues did Thursday at the Olympics Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts shuffle roster, recall goaltender Nothing comes easy on St. Louis Olympic journey Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel leads U.S. to win over Slovakia in Sochi Olympic opener 0 Vancouver Canucks Torts talk: Canuck coach speaks from heart Washington Capitals The Slovenians were respectable for two-plus periods.

2 Websites ESPN /Takeaways from Canada's win ESPN / Takeaways from a dominant U.S. win ESPN / Just A Thought ESPN / Perfect start for Team USA ESPN / Here's your Olympics hockey primer ESPN / Canada's slow start is nothing new ESPN / Tense moments for Russia in opener ESPN / Offensive outburst paces Finland NBCSports.com / Report: Sabres Omark hasn t reported to AHL NBCSports.com / Turns out Hanzal was a healthy scratch against Sweden NBCSports.com / Salo on Maatta: I don t see the ceiling He s special NBCSports.com / Russian coach says Datsyuk still struggling with lower-body injury NBCSports.com / Smith to back up Luongo against Austria Friday NBCSports.com / Johan Hedberg signs PTO with Devils AHL team NBCSports.com / More traffic, less fancy needed for Canada NBCSports.com / Win s a win? Canada beats Norway NBCSports.com / Ovechkin: Russians got casual after early lead vs. Slovenia NBCSports.com / Russia opens with win, beats Slovenia NBCSports.com / Sweden captain Zetterberg misses practice (Update: back injury, day-to-day) NBCSports.com / Switzerland to start Berra, not Hiller, against Sweden NBCSports.com / Sharp, Hamhuis come out for Team Canada; Duchene, Subban go in NBCSports.com / In routing Slovakia, Americans display the kind of depth that you need to have NBCSports.com / Star-studded Canada will be a work in progress, says Babcock CNN/Sports Illustrated / Live blogging Team USA vs. Slovakia at Sochi CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Henrik Zetterberg does Detroit no favors; referee paranoia; more links USA TODAY / Sweden's Henrik Zetterberg returning to Detroit USA TODAY / Paul Stastny leads USA rout of Slovakia USA TODAY / Small Victory USA TODAY / USA's rout of Slovakia answers many questions USA TODAY / Eruzione: U.S. gold in Russia would be great sequel Wall Street Journal / Out of the Miracle's Shadow YAHOO SPORTS / Russia takes some time to shake the tension in opening-game victory over Slovenia YAHOO SPORTS / Canada takes 'work in progress' approach against industrious Norway in Olympic opener SPORT-SCAN, INC

3 Anaheim Ducks Selanne injured in Finland victory, expected to play in next game BY SCOTT M. REID / STAFF WRITER Published: Feb. 13, 2014 Updated: 11:23 a.m. ADLER, Russia Finland coach Erkka Westerlund expects Teemu Selanne to play against Norway Friday despite suffering an apparent neck injury in the Finn s Olympic opening 8-4 victory against Austria Thursday. Although Selanne, 43, left the game with three minutes remaining in the first period, Westerlund described the injury as a small upper body injury, not serious. Selanne s teammates also expect the Ducks superstar to play Friday. We were told that he will be ready, added Aleksander Barkov, Selanne s linemate. He s a warrior, forward Jussi Jokinen said of Selanne. I think he ll be back for us. Even with his abbreviated appearance, it was another record breaking afternoon on Olympic ice for Selanne. With his first shift he joined countryman Raimo Helminen as the only men to play in six Olympic tournaments. Then 5:15 into the first period, Selanne extended his Olympic scoring record with an assist on a Mikael Granlund goal that tied the game 1-1. Selanne now has 38 points in Olympic play. Before the game, the Finnish staff expected to limit Selanne s playing time against Austria given the level of their opening opponent and the demands of the Olympic tournament s schedule. He s an old man so he needs some rest, more, than other guys, Finn forward Petri Kontiola joked. Also in the game, Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen had three assists for Finland. Orange County Register: LOADED:

4 Boston Bruins Bruins in the Olympics: Chara, Rask struggle; Bergeron shines Thursday Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff February 13, :01 PM Three of the four Boston Bruins players competing in the Sochi Games began their Olympic journeys Thursday. Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, who is serving as captain of Slovakia in his third Olympics, suffered a 7-1 loss to the US team Thursday. Jonathan Quick made 22 saves in his Olympic debut for the US, but the story was the lack of defense from a team anchored by the big Bruin. Slovakia's next game is Saturday vs. Slovenia at 3 a.m. Boston time. The result was better for goalie Tuukka Rask's Finnish team, though Rask himself was not on top of his game, giving up four goals on 20 shots in Finland's 8-4 win over Austria. Austria had two early leads in the game before taking control. "The first goal, everybody was caught sleeping there," Rask said. "After that second goal, everybody kind of woke up and got back to playing again." Finland plays Canada at noon on Sunday. Speaking of Canada, Patrice Bergeron's team wasn't dominant but had no trouble dispatching Norway, 3-1. Bergeron, who was paired on a line with John Tavares and Jamie Benn and played on the wing, had two assists in 10:59 of ice time. He'll face Rask's team Sunday. "I'm just happy to be here and chip in whichever way I can," Bergeron told NBC. "Whether it's the right side or the left side, it doesn't matter to me." Center David Krejci and the Czech Republic lost to Sweden on Wednesday in their first game of the tournament and they play again Friday at 3 a.m. vs. Latvia. Boston Globe LOADED:

5 Buffalo Sabres Sabres Omark a no-show in Rochester By John Vogl on February 13, :06 PM updated February 13, 2014 at 11:52 PM Linus Omark, waived by the Sabres last week and assigned to Rochester, has not reported to the Amerks and is out of the country. Rochester held its first post-all-star break practice Thursday evening, and Omark did not join the team. The forward was expected to be present after clearing waivers Saturday. The 27-year-old is on an Olympic vacation and not in the United States, agent Kevin Epp told The News by phone. The Swede previously said he would rather play in his homeland than the minor leagues. I m not really sure what the exact next steps are, Epp said, just trying to figure out where he can go, where they can reassign him, where they want to have him, where he s going to be best-suited for them and their situation. Omark, acquired from Edmonton in December for a conditional sixth-round draft pick, spent 29 games with the Oilers American Hockey League affiliate this season. He put up 14 goals and 29 points but told the organization he had no desire to spend the season in the minors and planned to return to Sweden. Faced with a Christmas deadline, the Oilers traded him to Buffalo. Omark failed to score and totaled just two assists in 13 games with the Sabres. The 27-year-old was a regular scratch the past few weeks. If Omark s wish is to play in Sweden, the Sabres could assign him to a European team. Due to transfer agreements, he cannot play without their consent. There s a chance they could assign him there, said Epp, who hopes to have a resolution in the next few days. There s a chance he ll still report to Rochester and a chance they ll have him back in Buffalo. Who knows right now? It s kind of up in the air. Buffalo News LOADED:

6 Buffalo Sabres Omark fails to report to Amerks after being waived by Sabres February 13, :18 PM By John Vogl Linus Omark, waived by the Sabres last week and assigned to Rochester, has not reported to the Amerks, The News has learned. Rochester held its first post-all-star break practice this evening, and Omark did not join the team. The forward was expected to be present after clearing waivers Saturday. The 27-year-old is on an Olympic vacation and not in the United States, agent Kevin Epp told The News by phone. The Swede previously said he would rather play in his homeland than the minor leagues. "I m not really sure what the exact next steps are," Epp said, "just trying to figure out where he can go, where they can reassign him, where they want to have him, where he s going to be best-suited for them and their situation." Omark, acquired from Edmonton in December for a conditional sixth-round draft pick, spent 29 games with the Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate this season. He put up 14 goals and 29 points but told the organization he had no desire to spend the season in the minors and planned to return to Sweden. Faced with a Christmas deadline, the Oilers traded him to Buffalo. Omark failed to score and totaled just two assists in 13 games with the Sabres. He was a regular scratch the past few weeks. If Omark's wish is to play in Sweden, the Sabres could assign to him a European team. Due to transfer agreements, he cannot play without their consent. "There s a chance they could assign him there," said Epp, who hopes to have a resolution in the next few days. "There s a chance he ll still report to Rochester and a chance they ll have him back in Buffalo. Who knows right now? It s kind of up in the air." Buffalo News LOADED:

7 Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks begin Olympic play, as U.S. and Canada roll By Chris Kuc, Tribune Olympic Bureau 9:58 PM CST, February 13, 2014 SOCHI, Russia Patrick Kane s postgame plans included a phone call to discuss his day in Russia with his father back in the United States. The Team USA winger had plenty to talk about as did five other Blackhawks who took the ice Thursday in the men s hockey tournament of the Winter Games in Sochi. It was a mixed bag for the group, with Kane helping the U.S. hammer Slovakia 7-1 and Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith part of Canada s 3-1 victory over Norway. At the other end of the spectrum, Slovaks Marian Hossa and Michal Handzus were on the receiving end of Team USA s dominating performance. No matter the outcomes, the players were thrilled to be representing their countries. All of these guys have played in big games and have been in pressure situations, but I don t think anything compares to playing for Team Canada, said Toews, who didn t get a shot off in 16 minutes, 15 seconds of ice time. I don t care who you are, there are still some nerves and still some excitement. Once you get through that you just go out there and play your best. It was Sharp s first appearance in the Olympics after failing to make the Canada squad that won the gold in the 2010 Vancouver Games. The winger didn t record a shot on goal in 14:21 while playing on a line with Toews and Rick Nash. I m excited to be here, Sharp said. I feel like I deserve to be here. I just want to have a good tournament and help my team win whatever way I can. The players saw their first game action since making the long journey from the U.S. to Russia and are still shaking off jet lag despite three days of practices. Just like the rest of the guys, I felt better as the game went along, Keith said. I just hope I keep getting better as the tournament goes along. I m feeling better, but still different with the time change and adjusting to the big ice and things like that. I just want to peak at the right time. Kane, who had two assists in the USA s offensive onslaught against Slovakia, was semi-chagrined that he failed to find the back of the net while six of his U.S. teammates were able to do just that. For some reason, throughout my career I ve never really played well in those big blowout games, Kane said. I don t know why. Hossa had a strong game for Slovakia, thanks in part to playing on a line with Hawks teammate Handzus and fellow winger Tomas Tatar. The veteran led Team Slovakia with 18:59 of ice time and assisted on Tatar s goal. It s bigger ice, so we had a little more room, Hossa said. When we had the puck, I felt good. The line, I felt we had a couple of great scoring opportunities and I'm sure as the tournament goes on it s going to get more comfortable. Kane s phone calls to his father, Pat Sr., in Buffalo, N.Y., will continue as the Games progress. He s always interested to hear different things and what s going on, Patrick Kane said. I try to talk to him as much as possible. Has the elder Pat doled out any advice? He thinks it s a big stage so he wants me to be as ready as possible for every game, Kane said. Try to take control a little bit. Other than that, it's pretty much, Have fun and play your best out there. Chicago Tribune LOADED:

8 Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Sun Times LOADED: U.S. hockey over Russia an upset maybe but no Miracle BY MARK POTASH Staff Reporter February 13, :00PM Updated: February 14, :27AM Mike Eruzione insists he and his teammates were just playing hockey when the U.S. Olympic team faced the mighty Soviet Union in the 1980 Games at Lake Placid. But it was impossible to ignore that the game was much more than that. We got a telegram from a lady in Texas I remember this like it was yesterday, Eruzione said. All the telegram said was, Beat those commie bastards. And it had nothing to do with a hockey game. The United States will face Russia in the Sochi Olympics on Saturday in a matchup sure to invoke memories of the Miracle on Ice the Americans 4-3 victory over the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the 1980 Games that is considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of competitive sports. But compared to that, this will be just a game. In 1980, the Olympic spirit meant something entirely different when the U.S. team faced the Soviet Union. The Cold War was still going strong. The Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan six weeks earlier. Beating the Soviet Union in anything was a victory for our way of life. This wasn t a movie. It meant something to the country, Eruzione said. We didn t know it at the time. But after the Olympics, we realized [it]. And 34 years later, I still talk to people, and everybody has a story to tell: I remember where I was when we won. And I go, We? I didn t know you were on the team. But that s what it was like. And that s what makes the Olympic Games special because it s a nation that feels a part of it. And clearly in 1980, a nation felt a part of us. The politics of the day provided the backdrop for an upset that Sports Illustrated named the top sports moment of the 20th century. The U.S. team was made up of college players. The Soviet Union had the dominant hockey program in the world, with full-time, state-supported hockey players. Before facing the United States, the Soviet Union was in Olympic competition, outscoring opponents A year earlier, it beat an NHL all-star team in a best-of-three series 2-1 at Madison Square Garden winning the final game 6-0. Twelve days before the Olympic matchup, the Soviet Union beat the U.S. team 10-3 at the Garden. When we went to the Olympic Games, we weren t even thinking about the Russians, Eruzione said. They were in another bracket. We had to worry about Sweden, Czechoslovakia, West Germany, Romania and Norway to get to the medal round. Once we got to the medal round, then we started thinking about the next team to play, and that was the Soviets. The miracle game wasn t without some anticipation. ABC tried to have the game moved from its 4 p.m. (Chicago time) start to prime time. When the Soviet Union declined, the network chose to broadcast the game on tape delay. It was shown live only in Canada. The game was a story unto itself. Mark Johnson scored to tie it 2-2 with one second left in the first period and 3-3 with 11:21 left. Eruzione scored the tiebreaking goal with 10:00 to go, and the gritty, gutty Americans made it stand for a victory that was as everlasting as it was exhilarating. Even for those who went on to the NHL, it was the experience of a lifetime. The 80 experience is by far the greatest pleasure I ve ever had playing hockey, said Neal Broten, who played 17 years in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils. I ve played on a lot of teams. Our team was the most unselfish. Guys didn t care, and you sacrificed for one another. We were a true team. That s why we had success in 80. The United States again will be looking for the upset but not a miracle when they face the Russians. These aren t the commie bastards that haunted American sports fans in the 70s and 80s. Sixteen members of the Russian team play in the NHL. Many U.S. and Russian players are NHL teammates such as Jimmy Howard and Pavel Datsyuk or John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. This will be better hockey. It might be a better game. But it won t be any more than that. There was only one Miracle on Ice.

9 Chicago Blackhawks U.S. game Saturday vs. Russia should offer plenty of intensity BY MARK LAZERUS Staff Reporter February 13, :00PM Updated: February 14, :27AM rivals meet again in an even bigger game, with even higher stakes, next week. I ve played against Russia before in some different tournaments, Kane said. But it s a different animal in the Olympics and in their hometown. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: SOCHI, Russia J.P. Parise, furious about a penalty call, slammed his stick on the ice, wheeled around and took a few purposeful strides toward referee Josef Kampalla, raising his stick above his head and barely checking his swing. Parise was inches away from smashing the stick over the petrified official s head close enough that Kampalla cowered against the boards and braced for impact. It was It was the final game of the famed Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union, the first time NHL professionals squared off against what they foolishly presumed was a team of amateurs. It was everything. If it happened nowadays, I think he d be banned from every hockey rink in the world, a laughing Zach Parise said of his dad. That just shows how emotional the series was. The elder Parise was assessed a match penalty and didn t get to celebrate the dramatic and historic victory with his teammates in full gear. No regrets, though. Apparently, after he did it, the refs shaped up a little bit and started calling the game fair, Zach Parise said. So I think he did the right thing. There s just something about playing Russia, even in the post-soviet era. The history, the iconic names, the legendary games for so many years, they all seemed to revolve around the Russians. Now, at the Sochi Games, the Russians are once again the centers of attention, under indescribable pressure to pull out an unlikely gold medal on their home soil. Alex Ovechkin s face is on seemingly every billboard and Coke machine. A picture of Evgeni Malkin is plastered eight stories high on the side of a building near the Olympic park. Fans are wandering the streets with giant cut-out heads of Ilya Kovalchuk. And captain Pavel Datsyuk is risking the ire of his fans and team back in Detroit to play despite an apparent knee injury. I participated in four Olympics, and I don t remember such an interest in ice-hockey players, Soviet goaltending legend and former Blackhawks consultant Vladislav Tretiak said. That interest will reach a fever pitch Saturday (6:30 a.m. Central time) at the Bolshoy Ice Dome, where the United States and Russia will renew their rivalry in arguably their highest-profile meeting since the Miracle on Ice in Sure, it s only a preliminary game. But a bye to the quarterfinals might be at stake, and the site of the game has elevated it to big-game status. I think it ll be loud, Hawks star Patrick Kane said after Team USA throttled Slovakia 7-1 in its opener Thursday, a game in which Kane had two assists and Paul Stastny had two goals. And it ll definitely be a hostile environment. I think it ll be a lot more enthusiastic and intense than this game today. All the players involved know the history of Russian hockey; a few even have some blood in it. Parise s dad was on the Canadian team for the Summit Series. Ryan Suter s dad, Bob, was a defenseman on the 1980 U.S. team that shocked the Soviets and the world in Lake Placid, N.Y. And Russian forward Viktor Tikhonov is the grandson of the former Soviet coach of the same name, the man who was behind the bench in Forty years later it s almost the same thing, where we re going to be playing the Russians, Parise said. I don t think there are a lot of fatherson combinations that can say they share that experience that we have. If Russia s tougher-than-it-should-have-been 5-2 victory Thursday against Slovenia was any indication the noise was absolutely deafening at Bolshoy it ll be a singular experience. Unless, of course, the historic

10 Chicago Blackhawks Tracking the Blackhawks: Hockey results, updates from Sochi Updated: February 14, :27AM Staff Michal Handzus, Slovakia 1 shot in 17:41 in 7-1 loss vs. United States Niklas Hjalmarsson, Sweden Friday vs. Switzerland, 6:30 a.m., NBCSN Marian Hossa, Slovakia 1 assist, -1 rating, 1 shot in 18:59 in 7-1 loss vs. United States Patrick Kane, USA 2 assists, +2 rating, 2 shots in 15:38 in 7-1 win vs. Slovakia Duncan Keith, Canada 1 assist, +1 rating, 1 shot, 2 penalty minutes in 16:39 in 3-1 win vs. Norway Marcus Kruger, Sweden Friday vs. Switzerland, 6:30 a.m., NBCSN Johnny Oduya, Sweden Friday vs. Switzerland, 6:30 a.m., NBCSN Michal Rozsival, Czech Republic Friday vs. Latvia, 2 a.m., MSNBC Patrick Sharp, Canada +1 rating, 2 penalty minutes in 14:21 in 3-1 win vs. Norway Jonathan Toews, Canada 10 faceoff wins in 16:15 in 3-1 win vs. Norway Chicago Sun Times LOADED:

11 Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks: Brandon Pirri shines for AHL All-Stars February 13, 2014, 12:15 pm Tony Andracki While the Chicago Blackhawks are on the Olympic break, the American Hockey League wages on. Wednesday night, the AHL All-Stars took down Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League in a 7-2 win. Brandon Pirri of the Rockford Icehogs (the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate) scored two goals and added an assist in the victory. Pirri won the AHL's scoring title in with 22 games and 53 assists. The 22-year-old center was up with the NHL club for 28 games this season, scoring six goals with five assists and a +6. Chicago Wolves goalie Jake Allen also contributed for the AHL All-Stars, stopping 14 shots from Färjestad. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED:

12 Colorado Avalanche Kiszla: Paul Stastny does America and father proud in rout of Slovakia By Mark Kiszla Posted: 02/13/ :33:21 PM MST1 comments Updated: about 3 hours ago SOCHI As a proud member of the his country's Olympic hockey team, Avalanche star Paul Stastny bleeds red, white and blue. Peter Stastny, however, carried the flag in the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Games in 1994 for what was then the newly indepedent country of Slovakia. So which team was Pops cheering for Thursday, when Slovakia played his son's United States men's squad in the opening game of the Olympic hockey tournament. "He's USA all the way," Paul Stastny said. Good thing. Team USA crushed Slovakia 7-1. Father and son went home happy, especially after Stastny scored twice in America's six-goal outburst during the second period. "Blood is more important, so family first," Stastny said. Paul Stastny of the United States scores a goal against Jaroslav Halak of Slovakia during men s ice hockey Thursday at the Sochi Winter Olympics. The victory was impressive on a number of levels for the Americans, who are considered no better than the fourth-best team in the Olympic field, behind Sweden, Russia and Canada. After scoring only one time in six games during the 2010 Winter Games in Canada, Stastny provided firepower from the center position considered the weakest link on the U.S. squad. "We talked before the game about how the line of Stastny, (Max) Pacioretty and (T.J.) Oshie could be our best line, and it turned out to be that for us," U.S. coach Dan Bylsma said. Jonathan Quick was solid in goal, making 22 saves. Team USA also looked good skating on the big Olympic ice sheet, with smart spacing and accurate passing a solid compliment to roster speed Bylsma thinks can be a distinct advantage, provided his players chase the puck with a purpose. It worked to perfection against Slovakia. But up next in pool play will be a far greater challenge: Russia. "Russia has more a tic-tac-toe style and they make beautiful goals," U.S. forward David Backes said. "So we need to make sure we focus on getting the puck in and grinding them down with the North American style." Denver Post: LOADED:

13 Colorado Avalanche Paul Stastny stars against country his dad reps in Euro Parliament By Terry Frei In the wake of the Avalanche s Paul Stastny scoring twice in the USA s 7-1 victory this morning (our time) over Slovakia at Sochi, I know most Colorado and many hockey fans know this story, but I m going to toss it out as a reminder and for others, too. This somehow remains underplayed nationally and internationally, as it was in 2010, when Stastny also played for the United States at Vancouver. I ve seen the connection to Paul s father, Peter, acknowledged in passing in some stories, and only vaguely, but that s about it. To me, it s amazing that the father of a current USA player was on the ice for Czechoslovakia against the Miracle on Ice team in Lake Placid in 1980, defected, came to North America and the NHL, carried the flag in the 1994 opening ceremonies FOR the reborn Slovakia, and now represents the nation in the European Parliament as he has homes in Bratislava and St. Louis. Paul, born in Quebec City and raised mostly in St. Louis, even speaks Slovak. It s a great story that Paul s playing for the USA after his father and uncles represented another nation in the famous 80 hockey competition, but there s also so much more to it. I ve written about Peter and his brothers in connection with Paul several times over the years (OK, maybe more than that), but here s my recent pre- Olympic column. Denver Post: LOADED:

14 Columbus Blue Jackets It's OK to root for Russia in the Olympics, CBJ Fan Tom Fellrath FEB 13, :18a ET Russia forward Vladimir Tarasenko battles for the puck along the boards against Slovenia in a men's ice hockey preliminary round game during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Bolshoy Ice Dome. It's an odd position to be in, that's for sure. Here we are in Columbus, Ohio, rooting for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The franchise is among the more openly patriotic that I've come across, what with the special recognition of active servicemembers or veterans at every home game and an annual military appreciation night every season. With that as backdrop, you'd think that it's a no-brainer to root for Team USA in the Olympic men's hockey tournament. Why, even Todd Richards, the Blue Jackets head coach, will be assisting Pittsburgh's Dan Bylsma behind the bench. U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A, right? Well, kind of...but consider this: The Blue Jackets have five players who are Olympians as well. And they're all Russians. That's right. Four CBJers on the twenty-five person Russian Federation roster. A full sixteen percent of Team Russia is under contract to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The volume and concentration of players with a single non-usa Olympic team is without compare. Sure, Detroit has six Olympic Swedes, but they also have players skating for Russia, Slovakia and USA. The Blue Jackets Olympians are Russians...and nothing else. These aren't bench sitters, either. No healthy scratches in this bunch. Not when you have reigning Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky in net. Not when you have Fedor Tyutin and Nikita Nikitin patrolling the blue line. Not when you have Artem Anisimov sniping away. No, these are quality players that should all be expected to contribute along the way. We know these guys and root for them all throughout the year, so why wouldn't we cheer them on now? I'll admit that this is a bit awkward - I still remember the grim days when the United States and the now-former Soviet Union seemingly were locked in a death spiral. Disliking Russia - heck, hating Russia - was an instinctive behavior when I was younger. That's all past us now (at least I hope so), but it's hard to give up the old habits. Now, however, we have four very solid reasons to do so. Team Russia plays on Thursday (against Slovenia), Saturday (United States - Oh boy!) and Sunday (Slovakia) - all games start at 7:30 AM. I gather that if the broadcasters find a single game compelling, they'll re-run it at 6PM. That said, I have a feeling what will be on the air at six on Saturday night! So there you go. Root for Team USA - I'll presume that most of you are American citizens, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with cheering for your home country do to well. At the same time, save a little enthusiasm for Team Russia...because, as a Columbus Blue Jackets fan, you have four very compelling reasons to do so. foxsportsohio.com LOADED:

15 Dallas Stars Alex Ovechkin-led Russians beat Slovenia 5-2 By LARRY LAGE Feb :21 PM EST SOCHI, Russia (AP) Alex Ovechkin and the Russians got off to a breathtaking start against Slovenia, then relaxed. The result was a closerthan-expected win over a country playing hockey in the Olympics for the first time. The Russians' jaw-dropping skills, though, were still enough to beat Slovenia 5-2. "We started well, got the lead and then we stopped playing," Ovechkin said. The surprising result led one Russian reporter to tell coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov it would be a "death sentence," to leave goaltender Semyon Varlamov in net against the U.S. on Saturday. Yes, they're taking hockey pretty seriously here perhaps as much as Canada did during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Varlamov, who plays for the Colorado Avalanche, gave up two goals on just 14 shots and needed to kick his right leg out to deny Anze Kopitar when the game was still in doubt. The Russians still had enough offense to overcome Varlamov's performance. Ovechkin scored 1:17 after the puck dropped with a wrist shot that made the crowd roar. He made the flag-waving fans gasp 2:37 later with a drop pass to set up Evgeni Malkin's goal to give Russia a 2-0 lead. "We were a little bit in awe at the start," said Slovenia's only NHL player, Anze Kopitar, who plays for the Los Angeles Kings. "Guys like Malkin and Ovechkin can make you pay pretty quick." The Slovenians were respectable for two-plus periods. Ziga Jeglic had two goals in the second period one before Malkin scored and one after to pull his team within a goal. "We said in our locker room, 'We have nothing to lose,'" Jeglic recalled. "We played a little better and Russia was a little weaker. It's too bad in the end that we didn't surprise them." Russia created a cushion in the first half of the third period when Valeri Nichushkin and Anton Belov scored. Moments after the game was over, the team raised their sticks to a standing ovation from the more than 11,000 fans in the Bolshoy Ice Dome. The crowd had chanted, "Ro-ssi-ya! Ro-ssi-ya!" before players were even on the ice, then kept it up throughout the game. Russian captain Pavel Datsyuk, who is used to getting a lot of vocal support with the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena, called it an "unbelievable" atmosphere. "I would like to say thank you to our fans," Datsyuk said. "They helped us." Russia has 16 players from the NHL and two stars, Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov, who left the league to go back home to play in the Kontinental Hockey League. Slovenia coach Matjaz Kopitar, the father of Anze Kopitar, said his team respected the Russians too much. "That's the reason we started slow and shaky they were somehow afraid," he said. Soon after the start, Ovechkin charged down the left side of the ice and his wrist shot from the left circle was so sharp that Slovenia's goaltender, Robert Kristan, had no chance to stop it with his glove. The Washington Capitals forward showed he could pass, too, lightly touching the puck near center ice to give Malkin an opportunity to score. The Pittsburgh Penguins star took full advantage, deking to his right in front of the net and shooting left to beat Kristan. Instead of rolling to a rout, the Russians had to make some key stops and clutch shots to win. Kristan, who faced 18 shots in the first period and 35 in the game, gave his team a chance to stay competitive. A little more than a year ago, no one even thought the Slovenians would even be playing in the best-on-best tournament. Slovenia earned a spot by knocking off Belarus, Ukraine and Denmark to qualify. "We're definitely not playing the flashiest hockey, but it got us here, so it's got to be something right," Anze Kopitar said. Dallas Morning News LOADED:

16 Dallas Stars Canada beats Norway 3-1 in its men's hockey opener By LARRY LAGE Feb :14 PM EST SOCHI, Russia (AP) Shea Weber and Jamie Benn scored in the second period Thursday to help defending Olympic champion Canada shake off a sluggish start and defeat Norway 3-1. Patrick Thoresen redirected a shot in front of the net to pull the Norwegians within a goal on a power play 22 seconds into the third. Drew Doughty restored the two-goal lead 1:25 later in the period with a backhander. "Kind of a bad first period, we knew we weren't going to be perfect," Doughty said. "But the most important thing is we got better as each period went on and that's what we were looking for." Canada's Carey Price made 19 saves in his Olympic debut, which included a giveaway that led to the only goal he allowed. "Other than that, he was solid," coach Mike Babcock said. Goaltender Roberto Luongo, who helped the Canadians win gold in 2010 as the host nation, is scheduled to start Friday's game against Austria. Babcock said Mike Smith will be in uniform as his backup. The star-filled team likely will not be tested until it faces Finland on Sunday in the third game of the round-robin preliminaries. Lars Haugen made 35 saves for the Norwegians. For the second straight Olympics, the Canadians opened against Norway and entered the second period in a scoreless tie. But this time Canada didn't go on to rout the overmatched team as it did last time with an 8-0 victory. "We've taken a lot of steps as a hockey nation, and as a team," Haugen said. "We're a lot better than we were four years ago, and I think we showed that." The Canadians were in control for most of the game. Weber's slap shot perhaps the hardest in the world broke the scoreless tie at 6:20 of the second period. Benn scored from the left circle off a slick, cross-ice pass from Patrice Bergeron, who also had an assist on the first goal. Early on, Canada looked as if its talented players all of them in the NHL were slowed by jet lag. It had only one more shot than Norway in the scoreless first period. "They are a hard team to play against because they don't take a lot of chances," Canada forward Martin St. Louis said. In the second, the Canadians stepped up the pressure when they had the puck and didn't give up a shot for about 18 minutes. Canada was so dominant midway through the game that it appeared to be on a power play during even-strength situations, but the Norwegians didn't trail by more than a goal until Benn scored. Norway, meanwhile, has only one player from the world's top hockey league: New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello. "Every team here is good, and we know we have to get better as things go on," Sidney Crosby said. "But I thought second and third we definitely got to our game a lot more." Norwegian defenseman Mats Trygg had an undisclosed injury during the third period, and coach Roy Johansen didn't know if it was serious enough to keep him out of future games. As Trygg was trying to get off the ice, he fell after an official ran into him. A teammate helped him get to the bench, pushing him from behind as he slid on his knees. Dallas Morning News LOADED:

17 Dallas Stars US crushes Slovakia 7-1 in men's Olympic hockey By GREG BEACHAM Feb :48 AM EST SOCHI, Russia (AP) With just one game to prepare for its Olympic showdown with Russia, the United States men's hockey team decided to cram an entire tournament's worth of hard work and highlights into one spectacular opener. Paul Stastny scored twice during a six-goal barrage in the second period, and the Americans got off to a roaring start in Sochi with a 7-1 victory over Slovakia in preliminary-round play Thursday. Ryan Kesler, David Backes, Phil Kessel and Dustin Brown also scored as the U.S. battered Slovakia for six consecutive goals in a 13:51 span, turning what was expected to be a tough matchup into a laugher with their relentless offense. "I guess you never really expect to beat a team like that 7-1, and you never do it in a tournament like this," captain Zach Parise said. "We just capitalized on the chances we had, moved the puck well and used our speed." Although their goal celebrations declined from elation to excitement to sheepishness while the score skyrocketed, the Americans answered any lingering questions about their offensive abilities and their aptitude on the big Olympic ice by decimating a Slovak roster studded with NHL players. "You have to do a lot of skating out there on the big ice, but I think we handled it all right," said Kessel, who led the U.S. with two goals and an assist. Jonathan Quick made 22 saves in his Olympic debut for the U.S., which hopes to improve on its silver-medal finish in Vancouver despite a roster that isn't thought to have the offensive power of Canada, Russia or Sweden. In their only warmup for Saturday's game against Alex Ovechkin and the host Russians, the Americans had more than enough potency to leave Slovakia's two goalies battered. "For the first time on the big ice for most of us, I thought we did pretty well," Stastny said. "Our strengths are our puck possession and our speed, and we were really able to use both of them. All four lines just kind of clicked, and so did our D-men." Jaroslav Halak stopped 20 shots before getting pulled when Stastny tipped home Kevin Shattenkirk's pass to put the Americans up 5-1 with their fourth goal in 12:04. Peter Budaj replaced Halak, but Kessel and Brown piled on goals in the next 1:47. Tomas Tatar scored for Slovakia, which traveled to Sochi without highscoring Marian Gaborik and veteran defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky due to injury. Nobody anticipated such a defensive collapse by a talented roster anchored by Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Zdeno Chara. Slovakia's last two Olympic appearances have been humiliations: The Slovaks blew a third-period lead and lost to Finland in the bronze medal game in Vancouver, depriving them of their nation's first Olympic hockey medals. "We're going to be better," said Tatar, the Detroit Red Wings' young forward. "We had a solid first period and then tied it. We've just got to play way better in our defensive zone. I think we're going to be ready to play the next game. We have a lot of talent in our locker room, and we're going to sort it out." John Carlson opened the scoring for the U.S. in the first period, and Tatar tied it with a nasty wrist shot in the opening minute of the second. Kesler put the Americans back ahead 1:02 later with a one-timer through Brown's screen, and Stastny scored 1:06 later on a fat rebound of Max Pacioretty's shot. The hits just kept coming, and the U.S. didn't let up until Brown redirected Carlson's pass to make it 7-1, sending the once-boisterous Slovak crowd into frustrated silence at Shayba Arena. Patrick Kane, T.J. Oshie and James van Riemsdyk added two assists apiece, with the speedy Kane looking particularly comfortable on the wide Olympic ice. The U.S. had lost to Slovakia in each of the teams' two previous Olympic meetings, giving the game special meaning to Stastny. The two-time U.S. Olympian has a famous Slovak father: Hall of Famer Peter Stastny played extensively for the Czechoslovakian and Slovak national teams alongside his lengthy NHL career. "It was good to finally get it on the third try," Stastny said. The Americans' scoring outburst made their goaltending situation seem secondary for a day, but Quick still handled the Slovaks' chances well. U.S. coach Dan Bylsma waited until Wednesday to choose Quick for the first start over Ryan Miller, who backstopped the Americans to silver medals in Vancouver while winning the tournament MVP award. Quick, who didn't get in a game in Vancouver, emerged as one of the world's top goalies while leading Los Angeles to a Stanley Cup championship in 2012, but he missed seven weeks of the Kings' current season with a groin injury. Dallas Morning News LOADED:

18 Dallas Stars Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn helps lead Canada past Norway Posted Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014 By LARRY LAGE SOCHI, Russia Shea Weber and Jamie Benn scored in the second period Thursday to help defending Olympic champion Canada shake off a sluggish start and defeat Norway 3-1. Patrick Thoresen redirected a shot in front of the net to pull the Norwegians within a goal on a power play 22 seconds into the third. Drew Doughty restored the two-goal lead 1:25 later in the period with a backhander. "Kind of a bad first period, we knew we weren't going to be perfect," Doughty said. "But the most important thing is we got better as each period went on and that's what we were looking for." Canada's Carey Price made 19 saves in his Olympic debut, which included a giveaway that led to the only goal he allowed. "Other than that, he was solid," coach Mike Babcock said. Goaltender Roberto Luongo, who helped the Canadians win gold in 2010 as the host nation, is scheduled to start Friday's game against Austria. Babcock said Mike Smith will be in uniform as his backup. The star-filled team likely will not be tested until it faces Finland on Sunday in the third game of the round-robin preliminaries. Lars Haugen made 35 saves for the Norwegians. For the second straight Olympics, the Canadians opened against Norway and entered the second period in a scoreless tie. But this time Canada didn't go on to rout the overmatched team as it did last time with an 8-0 victory. "We've taken a lot of steps as a hockey nation, and as a team," Haugen said. "We're a lot better than we were four years ago, and I think we showed that." The Canadians were in control for most of the game. Weber's slap shot perhaps the hardest in the world broke the scoreless tie at 6:20 of the second period. Benn scored from the left circle off a slick, cross-ice pass from Patrice Bergeron, who also had an assist on the first goal. Early on, Canada looked as if its talented players all of them in the NHL were slowed by jet lag. It had only one more shot than Norway in the scoreless first period. "They are a hard team to play against because they don't take a lot of chances," Canada forward Martin St. Louis said. In the second, the Canadians stepped up the pressure when they had the puck and didn't give up a shot for about 18 minutes. Canada was so dominant midway through the game that it appeared to be on a power play during even-strength situations, but the Norwegians didn't trail by more than a goal until Benn scored. Norway, meanwhile, has only one player from the world's top hockey league: New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello. "Every team here is good, and we know we have to get better as things go on," Sidney Crosby said. "But I thought second and third we definitely got to our game a lot more." Norwegian defenseman Mats Trygg had an undisclosed injury during the third period, and coach Roy Johansen didn't know if it was serious enough to keep him out of future games. As Trygg was trying to get off the ice, he fell after an official ran into him. A teammate helped him get to the bench, pushing him from behind as he slid on his knees. Star-Telegram LOADED:

19 Detroit Red Wings Former Red Wing Damien Brunner excited to see former teammates at Sochi Olympics 2:03 PM, February 13, 2014 By Helene St. James SOCHI, RUSSIA Damien Brunner can't wait to see all his old friends. No one not Swedish is more hopeful Henrik Zetterberg will play Friday, but even if he doesn't, Brunner won't be down. It's not in his repertoire. Brunner is among the handful of Swiss NHLers that will have to be at their most sublime Friday afternoon when Switzerland plays Sweden in a second preliminary game. "They are favorites by a mile," Brunner said, "but we try to get some points out of it." Brunner has a handful of friends on Sweden, first and foremost captain Henrik Zetterberg, with whom he played in Switzerland while the NHL was mired in a labor dispute in the fall of Brunner spent the then-lockout shortened 2013 season with the Wings, showing off his scoring skills at times on a line with Zetterberg. The Wings offered Brunner the same twoyear, $5 million deal he ended up taking with New Jersey last fall after hoping through the summer for higher offers. Zetterberg is questionable to play Friday because of a bad back, and while it would benefit Switzerland if he sat out, Brunner said he is hoping, "I have a couple of shifts against Hank. We played together on the big ice, we played together on the small ice, and now we are Olympic opponents. Maybe a little trash talk, but I will let him do the talking." Brunner, 27, is making his Olympic debut. He's run into nearly every Wing he knows. Former line mate Gustav Nyquist, a Swedish Olympian, called Brunner, "clueless, doesn't know what's going on, but he's always happy." Niklas Kronwall said Brunner "is happy as can be." The "clueless but happy" description trended while in Detroit. Brunner laughed it off then and now, saying, "hey get me wrong. We'll see if I'm clueless when we play them." Detroit Free Press LOADED: