SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks 721332 Sped-up Anaheim Ducks learn from last season's pitfalls 721333 Ducks like what they see in Lindholm Boston Bruins 721334 Sharpshooter Jarome Iginla just a little off-target so far with Bruins 721335 Bruins: Brad Marchand remains on third line 721336 Bruins work hard, but fall short 721337 Game 5: Red Wings at Bruins 721338 Red Wings put rally on ice 721339 Jarome Iginla still shooting for first tally 721340 Wings brilliant in beating Bruins 721341 Bruins' comeback attempt falls short 721342 Bruins try to keep momentum going Buffalo Sabres 721343 Sabres beaten to the punch, again 721344 No Pominville tribute is Sabres dark moment 721345 Sabres notebook: Vanek keeps an eye on team s progress 721347 Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame inductee, ex-nhl star Marchant gives back to WNY 721348 Sabres send Sulzer back to Amerks 721349 Tallinder back for Sabres, Ristolainen out; Vanek facing his future team? Calgary Flames 721350 Johnson: As nine-game deadline nears, Sean Monahan must pass a final gruelling gauntlet 721351 Flames notes: Squad breaking season up into five-game segments 721352 Skeet shooting is Flames latest team bonding activity 721353 Calgary Flames' fourth line adding punch without penalties Carolina Hurricanes 721354 Canes have Ruutu back but goalie Khudobin on IR 721355 Muller shakes up lines in practice 721356 Canes set to place goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve Chicago Blackhawks 721357 Hossa's back passes back-to-back test 721358 Hawks' Smith hopes he's here to stay 721359 Blackhawks at Hurricanes 721360 Area rinks running out of time and ice 721361 Blackhawks have revved up their power play so far this season 721362 Sharp's focus on one goal for Blackhawks 721363 Hossa concerned about timing, not his back 721364 Blackhawks game day 721365 Early adjustments paying off for Nordstrom 721366 Blackhawks notes: Sharp 'couldn't be happier' 721367 Sharp family welcomes baby Sadie Colorado Avalanche 721368 Avalanche's success comes in part from new defensive system 721369 Unbeaten Avs, injured Cody McLeod resume practice after 3-0 road trip 721370 The Beat Life on the road 721371 Survivor Game to be played at Pepsi Center before Avalanche-Stars on Tuesday Columbus Blue Jackets 721372 Blue Jackets: Metro jumbled by some bad starts 721373 Blue Jackets notebook: Boll, Tyutin back, but Calvert, Comeau now hurt NHL 10/15/2013 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars 721374 Tyler Seguin's former Bruins teammate Brad Marchand said trade was a 'rude awakening' 721375 Tuesday preview: Top-ranked rookies Valeri Nichushkin, Nathan MacKinnon face off 721376 Dallas Stars place Kari Lehtonen on injured reserve, goalie will miss at least two games 721377 Dallas Stars activate Aaron Rome for first time after hip surgeries, send him to AHL 721378 Heika: Dallas Stars go to school early Monday morning as coach Lindy Ruff looks for response after lack-luster 721379 Monday practice update: Lines stay the same, Ruff calls Tuesday a `Bounce-back game' for everyone 721380 He said it: Quick Q&A with Kari Lehtonen after on-ice workout in Denver 721381 Chris Mueller clears waivers, Stars activate Rome, place Lehtonen on IR Detroit Red Wings 721382 Detroit 3, Boston 2: Why the Red Wings won Monday 721383 Detroit Red Wings' Jonas Gustavsson shows more promise as Jimmy Howard's backup in win over Bruins 721384 Detroit beats Boston! In hockey, Red Wings avenge Tigers with 3-2 matinee victory 721385 Game thread: Red Wings handle Bruins in Boston matinee 721386 Jonas Gustavsson gets late call but stands tall for Wings in season debut 721387 Jonas Gustavsson starts for Wings while Jimmy Howard rests hand 721388 Jonas Gustavsson steps up in relief of injured Jimmy Howard as Red Wings beat Bruins, 3-2 721389 Red Wings will need Jonas Gustavsson to take some of the workload off Jimmy Howard this season 721390 Blog recap: Detroit Red Wings nip Boston Bruins 3-2 for second straight victory 721391 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Are weekday matinees good and how do you follow them? 721392 Mike Babcock: 'Good start for the kid' after Red Wings' Luke Glendening makes NHL debut 721393 Red Wings amazed they didn't get any power plays, but grateful for tremendous penalty killing vs. Bruins Edmonton Oilers 721394 Goaltending woes continue to plague Oilers in loss to Capitals 721395 Odds are stacked against the Edmonton Oilers for their meeting with the Penguins in Pittsburgh 721396 Difficulties against Washington Capitals for Edmonton Oilers 721397 Nail Yakupov to sit in press box as Edmonton Oilers take on Alex Ovechkin's Capitals Florida Panthers 721398 Florida Panthers goalie Tim Thomas making good progress 721399 Florida Panthers listless effort shows against Ben Scrivens, Los Angeles Kings 721400 Preview: Panthers at Predators, Tuesday 8 p.m. 721401 Bjugstad poised to make season debut Tuesday Los Angeles Kings 721402 Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter could play together on same line for Kings 721403 Semyon Varlamov, Tomas Hertl off to quick starts 721404 Kings on improvement; Doughty, Kopitar quotes 721405 Changes in top two lines; Darryl Sutter quotes 721406 Waking up with the Kings: October 14
Minnesota Wild 721407 Postgame: Brodin shines in Wild's third consecutive win 721408 Backup goalie leads Red Wings over Bruins 721409 Pominville's happy homecoming lifts Wild to win over Buffalo 721410 Wild-Buffalo game recap 721411 GameDay: Wild at Toronto 721412 Wild notes: Fontaine cherishes first goal 721413 Hanging with Ed Hochuli, and a lot of Wild-Sabres updates 721414 Minnesota Wild's Jason Pominville comes home a winner 721415 Wild 2, Sabres 1: Jason Pominville has happy homecoming 721416 Minnesota Wild recall goalie Darcy Kuemper again 721417 Wild: 'Hockey dad' Brian Rolston following brother's Sabres 721418 For Thomas Vanek, return to Minnesota next year could be good move 721419 Minnesota Wild: Johan Larsson enjoying new life with Sabres Montreal Canadiens 721420 It s up to me to produce, Daniel Brière says after dropping to Canadiens fourth line 721421 Dave Stubbs: Rewarding, bizarre win for Habs in Vancouver 721422 Gionta will be in lineup against Jets; Brière demoted to fourth line Nashville Predators 721423 Nashville Predators to face rookie they once coveted 721424 Preview: Florida Panthers at Nashville Predators New Jersey Devils 721425 Devils' Lou Lamoriello: 'I believe in these players and this coaching staff' 721426 How bad are the 0-3-3 Devils? These numbers don't lie 721427 Devils' Cory Schneider touched by greeting from Winnipeg fans 721428 Devils' Cory Schneider after loss in Winnipeg: Close isn't good enough 721429 Devils lose to Winnipeg Jets, 3-0, remain winless through six games 721430 As they play: Devils vs. Jets in Winnipeg 721431 Devils' Ryan Carter, hurt in practice, will sit out again with upper body soreness 721432 Gross on the NHL: Rangers, Devils lucky their division stinks so far New York Islanders 721433 Islanders looking to bounce back on homestand New York Rangers 721434 Rangers Put Backup Goaltender on Waivers 721435 Ryan McDonagh takes his share of blame for Rangers defensive woes 721436 NY Rangers place Rick Nash on IR, Martin Biron and Arron Asham hit waivers 721437 Martin Biron, Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan McDonagh, Brian Boyle react to NY Rangers placing Biron on waivers 721438 NY Rangers place goalie Martin Biron and right wing Arron Asham on waivers 721439 With no Nash timetable, Rangers eye Miller 721440 Rangers place Biron, Asham on waivers 721441 Gross on the NHL: Rangers, Devils lucky their division stinks so far 721442 Rangers place Marty Biron, Arron Asham on waivers 721443 Rangers place Rick Nash on IR, waive Martin Biron, Arron Asham 721444 Madison Square Garden reveals new 'bridges' Ottawa Senators 721445 Value of Turris backed by numbers 721446 Senators on thin ice following poor defensive display 721447 Phoenix Coyotes owner Anthony Leblanc thinking of Ottawa Senators 721448 Erik Karlsson says don't worry, it's early in Ottawa Senators' season Philadelphia Flyers 721449 Gustafsson hopes to make mark on defense 721450 Skating shape a priority for Flyers 721451 Flyers' power-play unit not intact 721452 Gus trying to show he should stay in Flyers' lineup 721453 Flyers dread own power plays 721454 Gustafsson playing with real gusto 721455 Flyers know their special teams must improve 721456 McGinn impresses in first game back with Flyers 721457 Raffl comes from strong hockey family Phoenix Coyotes 721458 Lengthy road trip provided Phoenix Coyotes chance to find identity 721459 No setbacks for Klesla in return to Coyotes lineup Pittsburgh Penguins 721460 More changes for Penguins' Malkin 721461 Penguins notebook: Letang still not cleared to play 721462 More space behind smaller nets creates more offense 721463 Penguins notebook: Bennett misses practice, likely out 721464 Penguins get first extensive taste of Western Conference 721465 Shelly Anderson's Penguins chat transcript: 10.14.13 721466 Penguins' Sidney Crosby named NHL 3rd star of the week San Jose Sharks 721467 San Jose Sharks' top scorers since Brent Burns' move to forward 721468 Sharks' Brent Burns goes from defenseman to offensive force 721469 Hertl named NHL's First Star of the Week 721470 Sharks preparing for battle of undefeateds St Louis Blues 721471 Last season's disappointing finish planted seed for Blues' fast start 721472 Blues-Sharks matchup box 721473 Newcomer Roy gives Blues just what they ordered 721474 Blues riding No. 1 line to great success Tampa Bay Lightning 721475 Bolts' special teams needing work 721476 Marine serving in Afghanistan surprises family at Lightning game 721477 Lightning looks for boost on penalty kill 721478 Lightning to host 'Go Green Night' Tuesday against the Kings Toronto Maple Leafs 721479 Maple Leafs: Decision looms on Rielly s future 721480 Minnesota Wild at Toronto Maple Leafs: Tuesday NHL game preview 721481 Lupe s Troops: Master Corporal Kyle Kowalenko 721482 Maple Leafs: Carlyle drills club on defence 721483 OHL: Phenom Connor McDavid may have already outgrown Otters: Feschuk 721484 Morgan Rielly decision day drawing closer 721485 Broll is more than just muscle for Leafs 721486 Leafs-Wild Gameday 721487 Toronto Maple Leafs wild win over Edmonton Oilers thrilled fans, but not coaching staff: There was a lot of Vancouver Canucks 721496 Willes: Six forwards not enough for pressure game 721497 Canucks need to pull out of two-game tailspin heading into tough road trip 721498 Kuzma: Canucks struggle adjusting to Torts system 721499 Flyers always a sideshow, but Canucks have issues to solve themselves 721500 Torts Report: Schroeder closer to playing, Hamhuis closer to consistency, Higgins closer to goals
Washington Capitals 721488 Braden Holtby s huge save in Capitals 4-2 win over Oilers 721489 Brooks Laich: Capitals second line can play better 721490 Did Colorado offer blueprint to stop Washington s power play? 721491 Capitals lines the same ahead of Edmonton matchup; John Erskine skates 721492 Capitals seek stronger starts 721493 Capitals stay positive, get much-needed win against Oilers Websites 721501 FOXSports.com /Ducks go mighty on Throwback Night victory 721502 NBCSports.com / Hertl, Varlamov, Giguere and Crosby named NHL s three stars of week 721503 USA TODAY /Power rankings: Sharks take top spot 721504 USA TODAY / Rangers put Martin Biron, Arron Asham on waivers Winnipeg Jets 721494 Montoya posts fourth shutout of career, all in season's first games 721495 Rookie Trouba doesn't look out of place on Jets blueline SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129
721332 Anaheim Ducks Sped-up Anaheim Ducks learn from last season's pitfalls Helene Elliott 7:35 PM PDT, October 14, 2013 Since losing their opener at Colorado, the Ducks have won four straight games and have matched the best start in club history with eight points. But if last season should teach them anything, it's that how you finish is more important than how you start. The Ducks lost only twice in regulation in their first 16 games and peaked at 22-3-4 after beating the league-leading Chicago Blackhawks on March 20. Their subsequent letdown was dramatic: They were 8-9-2 to finish the lockout-shortened season and, although they were first in the Pacific Division and seeded No. 2 in the West, their first-round playoff loss to the hitting-their-stride Detroit Red Wings wasn't much of an upset. Travel, parity and a punishing schedule that includes an interruption for the Sochi Olympics will make it difficult to sustain excellence. But the Ducks say they've learned their lesson and this season hope to maintain a pace that's quicker and more consistent. "The last four games we've been playing at a different speed than we're accustomed to, than we have been playing in the past," Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We're playing faster and I think our balance is really good up front on the four lines. So I like those things." Right wing Corey Perry, who scored all three of his goals and all six of his points in the last four games, agreed an up-tempo style can benefit the Ducks. "We're going to play that quick game. We're going to forecheck teams. And we're going to turn over pucks," Perry said. "If we keep doing that and build on what we're doing and getting better each and every game, it's going to be the same thing as last year, but hopefully we'll go a little bit longer." Goaltender Jonas Hiller, who is 3-0-0 with a 1.30 goals-against average and.959 save percentage in his three starts this season, said the team "didn't find an extra gear in the playoffs" last spring. That can't happen again. "I don't know if it was because we were satisfied or if it was just because we had a tough year, but I think everybody has another year on their back and has a little more experience," he said. "And I think everybody remembers how we felt after that Detroit series and I don't think we want to feel like that." More scrutiny for fighting The United States Hockey League, a Tier I league that feeds players to colleges and eventually the pros, announced Monday it will consider adopting tougher fighting penalties. That's good. Too bad it didn't happen until Dubuque defenseman Dylan Chanter suffered a seizure Saturday after he was involved in a fight and his unhelmeted head struck the ice. Thankfully, Chanter is out of the hospital and resting at the home of his host family in Dubuque, Iowa. "He was feeling much better Sunday," team spokesman Zach Fisch said. USHL President and Commissioner Skip Prince acknowledged the injury "was the accidental and unintended outcome of an infraction that resulted in a fighting major penalty to both players." Prince added, "still it raises the question as to whether those penalties should have been, or should in the future be made even more severe in order to curtail them from occurring." Fighting is punished in the college ranks with a major penalty, ejection and suspension for the next game. Which leads to the question of why it isn't treated the same way in the USHL, whose mission is to prepare players for college hockey. The USHL's penalties should be even tougher because its players are younger. Prince also said the USHL will work with USA Hockey "to determine how to further reduce dangerous play generally, and this type of incident in particular." A commendable sentiment, one that must be carried out before someone else is gravely injured. Slap shots New York Rangers forward Rick Nash, who suffered a head injury on a hit by San Jose's Brad Stuart last week, was placed on injured reserve. Stuart got a three-game suspension that concludes Tuesday, after the Sharks (5-0-0) play at St. Louis.... Forward Nail Yakupov, chosen No. 1 by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012 entry draft, was a healthy scratch Saturday and is expected to be a spectator again Tuesday. The move triggered rumors he might return to his native Russia to play in the KHL, but Edmonton media reports say the rumors aren't true.... Congratulations go to Kings right wing Justin Williams for recording his 500th NHL point on Sunday. He's a consummate professional and stand-up guy who faces the media win or lose.... Rookie defenseman Seth Jones has been one of the Nashville Predators' best players so far. The No. 4 pick in last June's entry draft is averaging 23 minutes and 30 seconds of ice time per game, most recently paired with veteran Shea Weber. LA Times: LOADED: 10.15.2013
721333 Anaheim Ducks Ducks like what they see in Lindholm By ERIC STEPHENS ANAHEIM Eyebrows were raised a bit when the Ducks selected Hampus Lindholm with the sixth pick of the 2012 draft as other talented defensemen who garnered more attention sat on the board. Three games hardly make an NHL career and this is a 19-year-old who is still feeling his way around the dressing room. But three games have been enough to show his tantalizing potential. Lindholm has had the look of a player beyond his years since Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau put him into the lineup last week in Winnipeg and had his first breakout game Sunday with two assists for his first NHL points in a 4-1 win over Ottawa. Time will tell if Lindholm ultimately lives up to his high draft selection, but the Ducks are liking what they re seeing at this point. He s played only three games but three solid games, Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin said. I think you can see how well he skates. Even if he does make a mistake, his skating ability is so good that he ll recover from his mistake. He knows he s got good hands and handles the puck pretty good. Lindholm put his talent on display in the second period when he shook off a shaky shift in the defensive end by taking the puck up ice on a rush down the right wing and throwing a backhand pass to Corey Perry that the winger fired into the net. Boudreau was one of many to say the Swede needed more seasoning in the minor leagues and maintained it remains a possibility. But Boudreau is becoming a believer. He s making everybody smile, Boudreau said. That s what we want, the better players to play. If he makes us better, he s going to stay here. But again, we don t want to anoint him and put too much pressure on him. Lindholm credits his defense partner Beauchemin with his early success and said the veteran is a good communicator and someone he can trust at all times. He makes it easy out there, Lindholm said. He s always making the right decision. He s always in the right spot when I get the puck. It s easy to make a quick play to him. He s always free somewhere on the ice. If I just get my head up and look for him, he s going to be there. He makes it simple for me. Penner returns Dustin Penner returned to practice and Boudreau reported improvement in the big winger after he missed Sunday s game. Penner has a lower-body ailment. We took him off at the end and didn t do extra skating at the end, Boudreau said. It was just a precautionary thing. He s getting better. And I thought he looked pretty good on the ice today. Forwards Andrew Cogliano and Kyle Palmieri didn t practice, but Boudreau called them maintenance days for the two and expects them to play Wednesday against Calgary. Noesen done Right wing prospect Stefan Noesen is lost for the season because of torn ligaments in his left knee that occurred during a practice with the American Hockey League s Norfolk Admirals last week. Noesen, who played in his first two AHL games, tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments. Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.15.2013
721334 Boston Bruins Sharpshooter Jarome Iginla just a little off-target so far with Bruins By Fluto Shinzawa October 15, 2013 There was no fault with Jarome Iginla s first five-on-three one-timer in the third period of Monday s game. Red Wings goalie Jonas Gustavsson, making his first start in place of an injured Jimmy Howard (hand), burst out of his crease. As Iginla let his left-circle one-timer fly, Gustavsson took away the angle and booted out the puck to keep the Red Wings ahead by two goals. Moments later, the puck was back on Iginla s blade. A locked-in Iginla usually deposits such cookies behind goalies and then reports to the bench for obligatory fist bumps. But the screaming follow-up bid practically sailed out of TD Garden and dunked into the Charles River. Had Iginla tucked in one of those two pucks, the Bruins might have scripted a cheerier outcome than a 3-2 loss. One, I just missed by a couple of inches, Iginla said of his first shot. The right-corner one, I missed by a mile. That was just trying to hit it too hard. Too excited. When you re feeling it, those go in. Unfortunately, they didn t. It was an important time of the game. It could have been a big difference. Through his first five games as a Bruin, Iginla has no goals and one assist. The Bruins are paying Iginla $6 million to see his blasts hit the back of the net, not tattoo the glass. When the Bruins have a five-on-three power play for 1:53, as they did Monday, they do not expect Iginla to shank sparkling chances. I think he can shoot the puck a lot better than we ve seen him, said coach Claude Julien. We know he s a good shooter. Whether that s pressing or whether that s circumstances, I don t know. He s been around the league long enough. He s going to find his way and he s going to score some goals for us. He s going to be the player we thought he would be for our hockey club. Right now, it just isn t there. I see maybe a little hesitation in shooting. When a player has confidence, his release is a little quicker, too. The two-man advantage (Niklas Kronwall and Dan Cleary, two of Detroit s regular penalty killers, were in the box) was drawn up for Iginla to succeed. As the point man, Zdeno Chara s first look was to Iginla on his left. Iginla s moneymaker is his one-timer. He likes to lock and load from the left circle. Repeatedly, Chara feathered feeds into Iginla s wheelhouse. The design was perfect. The execution was not. I had some great looks, said Iginla. I ve had some great looks for a few games. I m getting more chances. You get to a five-on-three, you get chances like that, you want to score. Missing out on a couple of those, I think it s just being a little too anxious. Just lifting my head up. You want to get that goal for the team. Get one and get feeling it. Iginla is a natural shooter. Whether it s his snap shot or trademark slapper, shooting the puck comes easy. His mechanics are fluid, his instincts sharp. Iginla is a future Hall of Famer. He will be remembered as one of the most dynamic power forwards of his generation. But this is the start of his first full season in a city other than Calgary. Even former captains like Iginla, who make the game seem simple, can see their swings go sour under the pressure of performing for a new organization. So he presses. He leans a hair too much into his shot. Just that extra muscle is enough to bend the puck out of his crosshairs. Iginla has scored 530 times. Among active players, only Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne can boast of more goals. But even proven scorers lose their touch. The body can scream all it wants to put the puck in the net. Sometimes, the mind says otherwise. You just want to will it in the net as opposed to letting it happen, Iginla said. Iginla is doing almost everything right. He landed a team-high five shots on the Detroit goal. The Wings blocked four other Iginla attempts. Iginla missed the net with two other strikes. Iginla leads the Bruins with 19 shots. He landed three shots and missed with three others in Saturday s 3-1 win over Columbus. Iginla had a game-high seven shots in last Thursday s 2-0 loss to Colorado. On his five other rips, three were blocked while two missed the cage. In his debut, Iginla showed he still plays with snarl when he went toe-to-toe with Tampa Bay s Radko Gudas. The numbers show that the puck is on Iginla s stick. He isn t hesitating to fire away. The Bruins would be more concerned if scoring chances weren t opening up for him. If the opportunities continue, Iginla s first Boston goal will come soon. He just can t change the things he s doing finding seams, lurking around the net, playing a north-south game to create those chances. Probably going to the net is the biggest thing, Iginla said. You just go to the net and swing, and you just get one. It s amazing how much better you feel and how much better the puck feels. It s just the timing, not trying to be anxious, and hoping it goes in as opposed to just shooting and letting it go in. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.15.2013
721335 Boston Bruins Bruins: Brad Marchand remains on third line By Amalie Benjamin October 15, 2013 games between the teams will be played at Joe Louis Arena... Shawn Thornton played in his 500th NHL game... Detroit used backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson after starter Jimmy Howard was injured in a 5-2 victory over the Flyers Saturday. The team didn t know it would have to use Gustavsson until after warm-ups, though. [Howard] got hit in the hand and he s got some blood in the hand, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said, adding that the hand was too swollen for Howard to play. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.15.2013 After moving from the second line to the third during Saturday s game in Columbus, Brad Marchand found himself back there against Detroit Monday, paired with Chris Kelly and Jordan Caron. Marchand had struggled playing with Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson, and the line had difficulty building chemistry. Since Reilly Smith was added, the second line has scored twice, both off the stick off Eriksson. I don t think it matters who you play with on this team, Marchand said. We ve got a great team and everyone s in the NHL for a reason. But he added, I ve got to be better and I know that. It s been a wake-up call. Marchand played better Monday in his 16:32 of ice time, recording four shots on net, but he had two giveaways. Brad competed harder and seemed to be a little bit better, for me, anyways, coach Claude Julien said. The winger is trying to simplify the game at the moment, to get back to what he does well, to contribute to a team that he led in goals (18) and points (36) last season. I m not blind, I know I don t have the most skill in the league, Marchand said. I ve just got to stay within myself and get back to what got me here and what made me successful. I think you just get in that summer hockey routine and I kind of dragged that into the season a bit. Got to get away from that and get back to playing good hockey. In the first four games, Marchand had some especially bad giveaways, in addition to not being as active in the offensive zone. And he hadn t played with the same emotion and peskiness that s been his trademark. In fact, Marchand has yet to spend a minute in the penalty box this season, and has seemed more timid overall. It s a balance he s still trying to find. I think it s very easy to tell that after my last suspension I ve calmed down a lot in that area, he said. It is tough. I don t want to be sitting out for eight to 10 games if I do something wrong again. You do got to juggle that, but I mean, at the same time I ve got to do my job and try to play physical when I can. In rally mode With a day off Sunday, many of the Bruins used their time wisely sitting on the couch, watching the Patriots and Red Sox. They were rewarded with two incredible comebacks, mirroring the one the Bruins performed against Toronto in Game 7 of the first round of last season s playoffs. I think it was the first time that I ve ever jumped out of my couch and cheered for something in a long, long time, Milan Lucic said of David Ortiz s tying grand slam. And one member of the Bruins got to witness the Sox comeback in person. Julien attended the game, making for a late night before Monday s matinee. What a day for Boston fans, right? Julien said. When you look at the Patriots game ending which I heard on the radio on my way to the Sox game and then to witness that comeback last night, it was pretty awesome. I like to think that maybe we started it against Toronto; I don t want to feel left out. Lost time Lucic missed two shifts in the third period because of an equipment issue. [Adam McQuaid] tried to hit me [with a pass] off the side of the net, but [the puck] hit the Achilles protector and it blew it right off, he said. Lucic said it was the first time he d seen that happen. Marchand replaced him for those shifts... Defenseman Dougie Hamilton was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. He played the first three games, then was replaced by Matt Bartkowski on Saturday. Bartkowski was in there again Monday, playing alongside Dennis Seidenberg... Monday s game marked the second and final trip to TD Garden for the Red Wings. The final two
721336 Boston Bruins Bruins work hard, but fall short By Amalie Benjamin The puck came close to crossing the goal line multiple times, with the Bruins swarming and flailing and just missing. There were chances, in five-on-five situations, on the power play, from close in, and from far away. They just didn t quite get there. Boston, in fact, notched 30 shots to Detroit s 27, plus added 17 missed shots, and had a whopping 22 attempts blocked. That meant that Red Wings backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson seemed to be under fire most of Monday afternoon. Still, it didn t result in much for the Bruins, who scored once in the first period a Loui Eriksson tip of a Johnny Boychuk shot from the blue line and didn t score again until 80 seconds remained in a game they would lose, 3-2, to Detroit in front of 17,565 at TD Garden. We re really struggling with our finish lately, coach Claude Julien said. It looks like we re feeling the pressure of scoring goals and they re not coming easy. Even the game in Columbus, took us a while to get going there, obviously Colorado. I think our goal-scoring confidence is probably not where we d like it to be right now, but you ve got to work through those things. But, later in the news conference, Julien corrected himself. I should have put it this way: I think we re pressing, Julien said. That s what we re doing, we re pressing right now. I don t think our guys don t feel they can score. I think we re pressing right now and that s probably what you re seeing. Once we get some goals I think we ll be pressing a little less. So I guess everything I said earlier about the lack of confidence is a lot of BS. Of course, it didn t help that Gustavsson was playing probably the best game I ve seen him play, as Milan Lucic said. We were creating chances, moving the puck, but the finish wasn t there, Lucic added. Obviously right now, if you look at the last three games, bearing down is probably the biggest thing. The Bruins have been saved by the performance of Tuukka Rask so far, with the goalie allowing only a single goal in each of the four games to start the season. But some defensive lapses Monday led to three tallies against him, including one by Daniel Cleary that he didn t see. Julien called all three goals poor coverage on our part it was of our own doing. It was mental errors, Rask said. It s not good enough that you re almost there. You ve got to get there and have the guys. Little mental mistakes today, but today it was more costly than the other nights. The Cleary goal turned out to be the winner, and it came at 10:41 of the second period, just 2:20 after Stephen Weiss had scored Detroit s second of the game. The Red Wings got their first goal at 11:33 of the first period, when Patrice Bergeron had the puck taken away by Pavel Datsyuk, who got it to Henrik Zetterberg for the score. All those three pretty much, we just fell asleep for a second there, Rask said. The guy had an extra second and all of a sudden the puck s in the net. I m not blaming myself, really, but still it s a game like that when you don t really get that many scoring chances, and once they get them you d like to be there and stop the puck. There were chances for the Bruins to get back in the game, including a lengthy five-on-three opportunity starting at 4:56 of the third after Cleary got nabbed for tripping just seven seconds after Niklas Kronwall got called for hooking. That unit went without normal quarterback Torey Krug, who couldn t get on the ice during the power play, and couldn t convert, that the most egregious of the missed chances on five man-advantage opportunities. The Bruins, in fact, haven t scored on the power play since the second game of the season, against Detroit, when the team scored twice. Asked why the power play struggled Monday, Krug who had four shots blocked started with the obvious: We didn t score goals. That s what we re judged on. And that s true. It s tough to win games when the team isn t scoring, and for the most part, the Bruins are having difficulty getting the puck past opposing goaltenders, averaging just 2.40 goals per game. (It helps that they re allowing just 1.60 per game, third-best in the league.) The Bruins did find the back of the net once more after Eriksson s score. With 18:40 gone in the third and the team in desperation mode, the Bruins made a bid to be the third local comeback story of the holiday weekend. Lucic backhanded the puck past Gustavsson, recording the 100th goal of his NHL career. But the Bruins couldn t find the requisite magic, and they fell to the Red Wings. The Bruins now sit at 3-2-0 on the season as they attempt to find some rhythm. After a strange start, the Bruins begin a stretch in which they play more regularly and, perhaps, can start to get into a flow. Asked to give his assessment so far, Rask said the team had been, Not awful, not great, not bad. He added, You would like to be there right off the bat. There s no excuses for us not to be on top of our game. Everybody knows each other and knows our system. But, then again, it s a long season and there s going to be ups and downs. We ve just got to stick with our game plan, work hard every night, and bring in the effort. Play with emotion. That s when we are at our best. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.15.2013
721337 Boston Bruins Game 5: Red Wings at Bruins By Amalie Benjamin, Globe Staff The Bruins will have exactly 16.5 minutes to prepare for their game against the Red Wings, given that they haven't skated since they came off the ice on Saturday after their win over Columbus. The team did not practice Sunday and didn't have a morning skate Monday morning, so it will be interesting to see how their legs look early in this one. Boston is facing Detroit for the second time this season, both games at TD Garden. In fact, today's game marks the final time the Red Wings will be in Boston this year, with the final two games in the series both at Joe Louis Arena. The Bruins beat the Red Wings 4-1 on the strength of two power play goals on Oct. 5. Puck drop: 1 p.m. TV/Radio: NHL Network/NESN/98.5 The Sports Hub Records: Boston 3-1-0, Detroit 3-2-0 Projected lineups: The Bruins didn't practice yesterday or skate this morning, so it's unclear if Claude Julien will put Brad Marchand back on the second line or keep Reilly Smith there. It's also unknown whether Matt Bartkowski will revert back to the odd man out or whether he'll be back on the second defensive pairing with Dennis Seidenberg. Notes: The Bruins are playing their second of 17 matinees on the schedule this season. So far they've won their only afternoon game, on Saturday in Columbus.... The Bruins are wearing their third uniform for the first of 12 games this season.... Shawn Thornton is playing his 500th NHL game today.... Milan Lucic is one goal away from 100 for his career. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.15.2013
721338 Boston Bruins Red Wings put rally on ice Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Steve Conroy The Bruins could have kept the good times rolling at the Garden yesterday. After the Patriots and Red Sox worked their comeback magic Sunday, the B s had chances and lots of them to complete a comeback of their own. But the Detroit Red Wings, who saw the neighboring Tigers fall Sunday to the Sox, were having none of it. After going into the third period down two goals, the B s came up empty on a 5-on-3 power-play that lasted nearly two minutes and then squandered another late man-up situation before winger Milan Lucic finally made it a one-goal game with 1:20 left in regulation. With goalie Tuukka Rask pulled for the extra skater, the B s kept the Wings hemmed in their zone but could not come up with the equalizer, losing 3-2. Granted, it would have been a little less dramatic than either of Sunday s improbable victories, but it certainly would have been a nice capper for the Columbus Day weekend. The B s fired 30 shots on the net guarded by Jonas Gustavsson, but they wound up for a lot more than that. The Wings blocked 22 shots and the B s simply missed the net 17 more times. Yeah, it is (frustrating), said defenseman Torey Krug, who took eight shots, only two of which hit the net. They did a really good job of coming out (and) taking away the shooting lanes. At the same time, we ve got to be better. Personally, I ve got to be better doing that. Jarome Iginla, still looking for his first goal with his new team, led the B s with 11 shots taken, five of which hit the net. On the two-man advantage the winger seemed to be firing one-timers at will, but he came up empty. It was an important time of the game, Iginla said. It could have been a big difference. The B s have not had great hands early in the season. They were shut out Thursday by Colorado, got a couple of gift goals in a 3-1 win Saturday over Columbus and then came up short yesterday. I think we re pressing right now, coach Claude Julien said. Once we get some goals, we ll be pressing a little less. The Bruins didn t play all that badly, but when they slipped up, the Red Wings were there to capitalize. On Detroit s first goal in the first period, Henrik Zetterberg beat Reilly Smith to an open spot to convert Pavel Datsyuk s terrific cross-ice pass. Winger Loui Eriksson got that goal back before the period was out, tipping home defenseman Johnny Boychuk s shot to make it 1-1. But the Wings took control in the second period when they again found some space in prime scoring areas to get goals from Stephen Weiss and Daniel Cleary. I thought we were a little loose defensively, especially on the backcheck, Julien said. We need to come back harder and better. Just because you re a couple of feet away from that guy doesn t mean you have him. There wasn t a full commitment there, and when you play a team like Detroit, they don t need that many chances. Still, the game seemed to be there for the taking in the third period. To help matters along, the in-game Garden crew showed the highlights of the Sox win on the video board at one stoppage in the third period, inciting the crowd a bit. But the B s just couldn t pull even. I knew what the roar was for, but I didn t want to look at that, Weiss said of the baseball highlights. But they re a good hockey club. They ve got a lot of pride over there and they re not going to quit. So we knew that, and at the end of the day that s two big points for us. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.15.2013
721339 Boston Bruins Jarome Iginla still shooting for first tally The B s didn t have to kill a penalty, the first time that has happened since March 21 against the Ottawa Senators. Krejci was called for roughing, but he was sent off with Danny DeKeyser on matching minors. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.15.2013 Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Steve Conroy Bruins Notebook Some day after Jarome Iginla hangs up his skates, he ll walk into the Hall of Fame easily. When you have 530 career goals a total that will surely be growing in the near future that s pretty much the case. But while Iginla s goalscoring credentials are unassailable, he s had his share of droughts throughout his career, too. And five games into the Bruins portion of his terrific career, Iginla s in another one. The winger has yet to find the back of the net this season, a fact that was made all the more frustrating by yesterday s 3-2 loss to Detroit in which Iginla had five shots on net (he took 11 total) but came up empty. At times you squeeze a little too hard, said Iginla, who has a team-high 19 shots on net so far this season. It s all those cliches, sayings you hear. You try to swing a little too hard and I lift my head a little bit. And I m just not in a groove there. You just want to kind of will it in the net as opposed to let it happen. Iginla knows things will turn around for him. Unfortunately I ve been here many times, he said. It s all part of the game and you just try to work hard and keep going and keep getting the chances and always keep saying that the next one is going to go in. So (center David Krejci) and (winger Milan Lucic) have been playing great and working hard, and I m trying to work hard with them. I ve had really good chances for a number of games. Whenever you win you never feel as bad; you just shrug it off and say next time. But whenever you lose by a goal it always feels a lot worse when you know that one of those could have made a difference. Coach Claude Julien has plenty of confidence that Iginla will break out soon, too. I think he can shoot the puck a lot better than we ve seen him, because we know he s a good shooter, Julien said. But he s been around the league long enough, he s going to find his way and he s going to score some goals for us and he s going to be the player that we thought he would be for our hockey club. So right now it just isn t there and I see maybe a little hesitation in shooting where, when a player has confidence, their release is a little quicker. Rask rarity For the first time this season, goalie Tuukka Rask gave up more than one goal in a game, but he couldn t really have been faulted on any of the three he allowed. I m not blaming myself really, but still, it s a letdown when you don t really get that many scoring chances and then once they get them you d like to be there and stop the puck, Rask said. But they re also a good team, they scored a lot of goals. Tough loss. Still buzzing Like a lot of places around the city yesterday morning, the Bruins dressing room was buzzing over the dual miracle comebacks from the Red Sox and Patriots on Sunday. Lucic is a huge fan of the other sports teams in town, and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. A lot of frustration as a fan that obviously ended up with some great comebacks and some great finishes, Lucic said. Obviously being able to be a part of last year in that Game 7 against Toronto and seeing something like that yesterday... especially in the eighth inning there when Big Papi (David Ortiz) hit that grand slam. I think that was the first time I ve jumped out of my couch and cheered for something in a long, long, time. It was a great day of New England sports watching. Milestone men Winger Shawn Thornton played in his 500th NHL game while Lucic s goal late in the third period was his 100th of his career.... Despite showing some early promise, the Bruins are just 2-for-19 on the power play this season after an 0-for-5 in the loss....
721340 Boston Bruins Wings brilliant in beating Bruins Monday, October 14, 2013 Stephen Harris There are no perfect games in hockey. But the Detroit Red Wings, with their patient, professional and opportunistic quality of play, probably come as close as a team can to a flawless 60 minutes. So it was at the Garden yesterday, where the Bruins weren t all that bad. They actually played pretty well. Just not well enough to match the strong and smart three-zone performance of the Wings, who put on a clinic in a 3-2 victory. If you looked at the first two periods, we only gave them three scoring chances, the Bruins Milan Lucic said. But they scored (on all three). That s how good a team they are. You make three mistakes and (they re) in the back of your net and we re talking about what kind of players they have and how good a team they are. And when the Wings weren t taking full advantage of small mistakes a Patrice Bergeron mid-ice turnover, a couple of step-too-late backchecks by Reilly Smith and Brad Marchand, a missed coverage or two they were playing very strong defense. They blocked 22 shots in front of veteran backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson (to four blocks by the Bruins), and a penalty-kill against which the B s were 0-for-5 and struck out on a 5-on-3 that lasted 1:53. Still, the B s did have chances, just not much finish. Loui Eriksson deflected in a Johnny Boychuk shot in the first period, and Lucic popped in a backhander from between the hashmarks to cut the Detroit lead to a goal with 1:20 left. But sorry, Boston fans: No late miracle this time. Lucic talked afterward about the lengthy 5-on-3, which featured good puck control, some good looks on some shots, but no finish. We were taking our shots, said Lucic, whose goal was No. 100 of his career. I think it was just kind of an example of how the whole game went. We were creating chances, we were moving the puck, but the finish just wasn t there. Obviously I think if you look at the last three games, bearing down is the biggest thing when we get our opportunities. But other than that, I thought we played hard. For us, I think we did lot of good things. We just made a few mental errors that are fixable. But I think the effort was there. But Lucic had lavish praise for the Red Wings, who play such a sound style of hockey and work very hard. They re well coached, he said. They ve been an elite team since 1995. They re hard to play against on both sides of the pucks. We saw that (yesterday). They were blocking a lot of shots. Gustavsson was square to a lot of shots and he was doing real well getting post to post. That s proably the best game I ve seen him play. You ve got to give them credit for playing a full team game. Four or five times the Bruins produced flurries of pressure around Gustavsson s crease. Pucks were there for the asking. But the B s couldn t put them in, taking 17 shots that missed the net. We had our chances (with) those rebounds and scrambles, Lucic said. They blocked a lot of pucks. That s what stopped us from making it 3-2 earlier. Still, Lucic felt as though he and his linemates, David Krejci and Jarome Iginla, continued improvement that began Saturday in Columbus, where the B s won, 3-1. We were playing a lot more with the puck, he said. We were able to generate speed through the neutral zone and chances off the rush. We ve got to keep working at it. Once we start bearing down, it ll be right where we want it to be. Lucic expressed full faith in Iginla, who had five shots on goal yesterday (and 19 in the first five games), but is still awaiting his first goal as a Bruin. I think right now if he gets one they ll come in bunches, Lucic said. We know he s a professional. He s definitely a guy who is not going to be frustrated, and will work through this. We believe in him and have his back. Lucic missed time in the third period as equipment man Keith Robinson did a very strange, hurry-up repair job on one of his skates. Turns out that an Adam McQuaid shot hit the Achilles tendon protector that goes up at the back of the boot and actually tore it off. Lucic missed two shifts as Robinson reattached the section to the boot. It s a first for me, Lucic said. That s never happened to me and I ve never heard of it happening. The Bruins are well acquainted with struggles to find their game during the regular season. This is a team adjusting to a slew of lineup changes. The problems are not enormous just bad enough to be fatal against a mature and professional team like Detroit. We had chances, we had our looks, Lucic said. We ve just got to go back. We ve had our struggles in the past and we ve always been able to overcome it. I think it all comes down to bearing down. They could learn a lot watching the Red Wings. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.15.2013
721341 Boston Bruins Bruins' comeback attempt falls short Monday, October 14, 2013 -- Steve Conroy The Bruins certainly had their chances to complete the Boston sports hat trick this afternoon. But after the Patriots and Red Sox shocked the sporting world with their improbable victories on Sunday, the B's fell a goal short today and lost 3-2 to the Detroit Red Wings at the Garden. Coming into the third period down 3-1, the B's missed opportunities on a lengthy 5-on-3 and then in another man-up situation. Milan Lucic did make it a one-goal game (Loui Eriksson scored in the first period) with 1:20 left in the third, but even though the B's pressured with Tuukka Rask on the bench for an extra skater, they could not get the equalizer. The B's landed 30 shots on the goal manned by Jonas Gustavsson, but they took far more than that. The Red Wings blocked 22 Bruin shots and the B's simply missed the net 17 more times. Torey Krug took eight shots, but only two hit the net. "Yeah, it is (frustrating)," said Krug. "They did a really good job of coming out taking away the shooting lanes. At the same time, we've got to be better. Personally, I've got to be better doing that. That's part of my role. They did a good job of blocking shots and we've got to do a better job of getting shots to the net." Jarome Iginla, still looking for his first goal, led the B's with 11 shots taken, five of which hit the net. The B's didn't give up a ton of scoring chances, but the Wings capitalized on the mistakes the B's did make. All the Detroit goals, from Henrik Zetterberg, Stephen Weiss and Daniel Cleary, were the result of various Bruins' getting beaten to open scoring areas. "They don't need many chances to score goals," said Krug. The B's are off on Tuesday before traveling to Sunrise, Fla. to practice on Wednesday there in preparation for their next game against the Panthers on Thursday. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.15.2013
721342 Boston Bruins Bruins try to keep momentum going Monday, October 14, 2013 -- Steve Conroy The Bruins will try to keep the good sports vibes going when they host the Detroit Red Wings after the Red Sox stunned the Wings' Motown brethren the Tigers last night on the strength of David Ortiz' eighth inning grand slam. Prior to that incredible contest, the Patriots staged their own shocking victory with Tom Brady's improbable touchdown pass in the waning seconds to knock the New Orleans Saints from the ranks of the unbeaten. There may not be a bigger sports fan on the Bruins than Milan Lucic, who took it all in. "A lot of frustration as a fan that obviously ended up with some great comebacks and some great finishes," said Lucic this morning. "Obviously being able to be a part of last year in that Game 7 against Toronto and seeing something like that yesterday...especially in the eight inning there when Big Papi hit that grand slam. I think that was the first time I've jumped out of my couch and cheered for something in a long, long, time. It was a great day of New England sports watching." Now, as the ALCS takes a break for travel, the spotlight is on the Bruins-Wings matchup. "I think there's that special buzz right now in the air with sports," said Lucic. "It's probably a good way to set the stage going into this game. I know the guys are all talking about it going into the game here today. Obviously, we have a lot to live up to." In their first meeting on Oct. 5, the B's dominated the Wings in a 4-1 victory. They don't expect it to be thatr easy again against a Wings team that is now e member of the B's Atlantic Division. "I think it'll become more and more of a rivalry as the season goes on and we play them more with them in our conference and division now," said Lucic. "You get up for a game a little more when you lose the last one. They're a really good team with a lot of pride. You don't ever like to lose a game the way they did last time, 4-1. We expect them to come out with their best. We know this time they're not coming off the back-to-backs so we have to be ready for them. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.15.2013