SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks 719186 Class is out as Ducks lose opener 719187 Season opener is a non-starter for Ducks 719188 Penner takes a seat for Ducks' opener 719189 Final: Avalanche 6, Ducks 1 719190 Ducks scratch Penner for Wednesday's season opener 719191 Ducks are grounded in season opener Boston Bruins 719192 Bruins even stronger despite offseason movement 719193 Lightning 719194 David Krejci sets a good example for Bruins 719195 Bruins would like a practice facility close to home 719196 Expectations remain championship or bust for Bruins 719197 Bruins set to start another chase of Stanley Cup 719198 Snippets from Media Day 719199 Bruins aim high despite big changes 719200 Bruins strive to avoid mediocre spells on ice 719201 David Krejci back on ice, but iffy for opener 719202 Milan Lucic hits ice running 719203 Krejci a question mark for opener 719204 Boston paying up after Stanley Cup loss to Chicago Buffalo Sabres 719205 Sabres notebook: Girgensons earns a memento in NHL debut 719206 Sabres power play short-circuits in loss to Red Wings Calgary Flames 719207 Johnson: Baertschi taking on challenge laid down by Burke 719208 Flames captain pumped to meet Golden Bear 719209 Flames blueliners wary of a Capital Crunch 719210 Hartley plans on Flames meritocracy 719211 Flames starter Ramo anxious for fresh start 719212 Habs enforcer Parros released from hospital, out indefinitely with concussion 719213 Calgary Flames aim to prove naysayers wrong 719214 Calgary Flames' TJ Brodie skates into spotlight this season 719215 Sean Monahan excited about challenge with Calgary Flames in season-opener 719216 Calgary's Karl Alzner likes his Washington Capitals to be strong this NHL season Carolina Hurricanes 719217 DeCock: Faulk quietly takes a lead role for Canes 719218 Karmanos plans to keep on running Carolina Hurricanes 719219 Hurricanes sign Radek Dvorak Chicago Blackhawks 719220 Hawks expect 3rd line to be a force 719221 Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad scores from third 719222 Classy Blackhawks are winners on, off the ice 719223 Power play key to Kane's scoring totals 719224 Saad strong example of Blackhawks' scoring depth 719225 Toews joins debut of Mayers' new radio show 719226 Saad growing up fast with Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche 719227 Avalanche briefs: Stuff of legend Sakic on the move 719228 First-round draft pick Nathan MacKinnon shines in NHL debut 719229 Kiszla: Avalanche hockey in Rockies reborn 719230 Patrick Roy's Avalanche coaching debut a smash hit in wipeout of Ducks 719231 Patrick Roy, Teemu Selanne center of attention as Avs open with Ducks 719232 Postgame Avalanche-Ducks: The Passion of Roy NHL 10/3/2013 DAILY BRIEF Avalanche cont'd 719233 Joe Sakic s glass-encased locker stall moving to Pepsi Center concourse Columbus Blue Jackets 719234 Blue Jackets out to prove their worth 719235 Blue Jackets notebook: Tyutin might miss start of season Dallas Stars 719236 Heika: Dallas Stars vaunted Russian rookie Valeri Nichushkin just wants a chance to be himself 719237 Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers preview: Tyler Seguin must get the best of ex-teammate Tim Thomas 719238 Everything you need to know about the Dallas Stars in one place 719239 A look at where some of last year's Dallas Stars landed this offseason 719240 By the numbers: Breaking down the Dallas Stars' playoff drought, Lindy Ruff's regular season record and more 719241 Schedule analysis: Dallas Stars will face tough road challenges early on but will spend most of January at hom 719242 How the Dallas Stars will line up in season opener; 'there s potential for a lot of scoring from the second li 719243 Dallas Stars more than ready for season opener; 'It's not just another game' 719244 New Stars coach Lindy Ruff hoping team will compete in new system Detroit Red Wings 719245 New Red Wing Stephen Weiss says 'sky's the limit' for line with Alfredsson, Franzen 719246 Detroit 2, Buffalo 1: Red Wings' early goals hold up on opening night 719247 Detroit 2, Buffalo 1: Why the Red Wings won Wednesday 719248 Helene St. James' Red Wings opening night observations 719249 Jeff Seidel: In opener, Red Wings show why many are optimistic 719250 Detroit 2, Buffalo 1: Red Wings win season opener at home 719251 Drop the puck, please: Stephen Weiss, Daniel Alfredsson antsy to start Detroit Red Wings careers 719252 Helene St. James: Detroit Red Wings should dazzle 'em in Eastern Conference 719253 Detroit Red Wings open season in top 5 of USA TODAY power rankings 719254 Detroit Red Wings' opinions vary on NHL's new hybrid icing rule 719255 Red Wings get victory but leave plenty of room for improvement in opener 719256 Jimmy Howard, penalty kill power Red Wings in opener 719257 Detroit News predictions: How far will the Red Wings go? 719258 Red Wings' Jonathan Ericsson likes NHL's new hybrid icing rule 719259 Daniel Alfredsson, Stephen Weiss excited to debut as Red Wings 719260 Opening night takes on added meaning for brothers Drew Miller of Red Wings, Ryan Miller of Sabres 719261 Detroit Red Wings as 2014 Stanley Cup champions? At least seven media members predict it 719262 Blog recap: Detroit Red Wings open regular season with 2-1 victory over Buffalo Sabres 719263 Red Wings spent too much time in the box, but penalty killers stepped up big vs. Buffalo 719264 Photo gallery: Detroit Red Wings open season with a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres 719265 Penalty killing propels Red Wings to season-opening 2-1 win over Buffalo in Eastern Conference debut
Red Wings cont'd 719266 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Which Eastern Conference team will be biggest rival? 719267 Red Wings' Daniel Alfredsson, Stephen Weiss poised to begin new chapters in career with different club 719268 Red Wings 16-1 to win Stanley Cup; odds to win Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference are better 719269 Red Wings prepared to unleash their skill, winning ways on 'big, tough' Eastern Conference 719270 CAPUTO: Red Wings are different, but still very good 719271 Red Wings outlast Sabres in season opener 719272 Demise of Red Wings greatly exaggerated 719273 Daniel Alfredsson, Stephen Weiss ready for first game with Detroit Red Wings Edmonton Oilers 719274 Ask Matty: Oilers' Devan Dubnyk in make-or-break season to prove he s a No.1 goalie 719275 Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins impressed with Jesse Joensuu s gritty performance 719276 WHL Morning Skate: Brandon Wheat Kings captain returns in time to face visiting Edmonton Oil Kings 719277 Edmonton Oilers winger Ben Eager on waivers. Again 719278 Taylor Hall not the least bit happy with Jacob Trouba s head-hunting 719279 Oilers forward Luke Gazdic brings tough, responsible play without the goon 719280 Oilers display same tendencies that have been holding the team back Florida Panthers 719281 Greg Cote: Glum outlook for Florida Panthers can t temper excitement 719282 Florida Panthers open season with renewed sense of optimism 719283 Florida Panthers name Tim Thomas starting goalie 719284 NEW LIFE FOR PANTHERS: Florida Kicks off Season With Renewed Hope After Tallon's Moves 719285 New Panthers owner, new players bring new optimism 719286 Veteran goalie Thomas to start in opener for Panthers 719287 Sun Sentinel season predictions for Florida Panthers 719288 Preview: Panthers at Stars, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Los Angeles Kings 719289 Kings expect Anze Kopitar to shake off his playoff scoring woes 719290 NHL preview: Winning culture in place for Kings 719291 Landing in Minneapolis 719292 New LA Kings app available 719293 October 2 practice quotes: Brown, Doughty 719294 October 2 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter 719295 Stoll on special teams, faceoffs Minnesota Wild 719296 Gameday preview: Los Angeles at Wild 719297 Veterans man top Wild power-play unit, youngsters the second 719298 Wild season preview: In Year 2, Ryan Suter shines in the light 719299 Reusse: After false start, Granlund tries reclaiming 'phenom' status with Wild 719300 Four keys to the Wild season 719301 Hurt late last season, healthy Heatley hopes to bounce back for Wild in final year of deal 719302 Wild-Kings opener closing in; Matt Dumba's NHL debut may wait 719303 Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise, Ryan Suter want more for encore 719304 Minnesota Wild: Second power-play group young, talented 719305 Minnesota Wild's top line loaded with firepower 719306 Minnesota Wild: To take next step, 'we have to be better' Montreal Canadiens 719307 The thirst for blood and protecting hockey s code 719308 Mirtle: Hockey doesn t need designated fighters 719309 Duhatschek: Staged fights putting hockey s reputation in tatters 719310 Hockey fights stuck in no-man s land 719311 Habs' Parros released from hospital, out indefinitely with concussion 719312 Former NHL tough guys don t see a problem with fighting 719313 Stubbs: Béliveau celebrates 60 years as a Hab 719314 Pat Hickey: Time for a renewed debate about fighting in hockey 719315 Here s something for Habs fans to celebrate 719316 Parros released from hospital; out indefinitely Nashville Predators 719317 Nashville Predators seek boost from newcomers 719318 Nashville Predators face new Central Division 719319 Nashville Predators: forwards 719320 Nashville Predators: defensemen 719321 Nashville Predators: goaltenders 719322 Nashville Predators' miserable season adds pressure for Barry Trotz, David Poile 719323 Nashville Predators hope Phil Housley can help unleash offense 719324 Nashville Predators select Patric Hornqvist as an alternate captain New Jersey Devils 719325 Devils coach Pete DeBoer: 'We're capable of winning the Stanley Cup' 719326 Devils: Cory Schneider to start in Pittsburgh; Martin Brodeur's streak will end 719327 Devils 2013-14 season begins: What should the opening night lines look like? 719328 Devils put Alex Urbom on waivers to open roster spot for Patrik Elias 719329 Devils' Jaromir Jagr: Tarnishing his reputation at age 41 isn't a concern 719330 Devils: Martin Brodeur's streak of opening night starts is in jeopardy 719331 Devils voted unanimously against hybrid icing, but new rule passed 719332 Devils: Team motivated by dire media predictions 719333 Sullivan: Devils' Martin Brodeur learned many lessons from his dad 719334 The 2013-14 Devils, position by position New York Islanders 719335 To contend, Islanders need a faster start 719336 After paying his dues in minors, Jack Capuano a major factor behind Isles' bench New York Rangers 719337 NY Rangers' power play still a work in progress ahead of season opener vs. Coyotes 719338 Carl Hagelin confident in game shape for eventual return; previewing NY Rangers, Islanders, Devils, overall NH 719339 New regime doesn t mean complete overhaul for Rangers 719340 Lundqvist done partaking in (or mentioning) Rangers contract talks 719341 Losing relationship with Richards kills Tortorella 719342 Nash vows return to regular-season form 719343 Rangers look to start fast during long road trip 719344 Rangers at Coyotes tonight pre-game notes 719345 Rangers preview: Position by position 719346 The Vigneault era begins good coach still has to prove himself NHL 719347 Finally Secure in the Desert, the Coyotes Devote Their Focus to the Ice
719348 NHL season preview: Who will thrive after realignment, and what's worth watching 719349 Ticker: Steve Yzerman suggests NHL give game misconducts for fighting Ottawa Senators 719351 Sens brawlers fight for fisticuffs 719352 Lehner fuming over stick rule change 719353 Scanlan: Spezza psyched for C change, but can he stay healthy? 719354 Lehner finally settled in 719355 Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson's tweets ripping Bell disappear 719356 Ottawa Senators goalie Robin Lehner unhappy that he's been forced to change sticks by NHL 719357 Ottawa Senators believe fighting belongs in the NHL 719358 Snapshots Philadelphia Flyers 719359 First-Goal Flyers 719360 Flyers fall to Maple Leafs in opener 719361 A few hints that this Flyers season might be better than the last one 719362 Flyers Notes: Mason starts in goal for Flyers' opener 719363 Brayden Schenn one of few bright spots for Flyers 719364 Maple Leafs drop Flyers, 3-1, in opener 719365 Eagles 'Flyered' up for season opener 719366 Rosehill replaces Laughton tonight 719367 Mason rewarded; Flyers set lineup 719368 Steve Mason named Flyers' starting goalie for season opener 719369 Mason in goal for season opener; Emery trying hard not to be disappointed 719370 Skate Update: Mason gets the start for Flyers 719371 2013-14 NHL preview: Metropolitan Division 719372 Flyers Notes: Simmonds stoned on penalty shot 719373 Power play dooms Flyers in opening loss to Leafs 719374 Flyers on alert for fisticuffs flying in opener 719375 Flyers-Maple Leafs: 5 things you need to know 719376 Giroux feels 'lucky' to have good veterans around 719377 Flyers season preview: Which team will we see? 719378 Hextall 'excited' to finally get season started 719379 Flyers opt not to use Laughton 719380 Flyers can't hold lead, fall to Maple Leafs 719381 Schenn promoted to top line in loss to Toronto Phoenix Coyotes 719382 Dear Yotes fans: It s a new season with a different vibe for the Phoenix Coyotes, and it s time to play hockey 719383 Phoenix Coyotes' Shane Doan and teammates rarin to go 719384 Coyotes preview: A look at the new Pacific Division Pittsburgh Penguins 719385 Penguins captain's 9th season begins with club battling expectations 719386 Penguins blue line is stacked with plenty of depth, talent 719387 Jagr's likeness removed from Pens' locker room 719388 Pens' Vokoun out 3 to 6 months 719389 Penguins sign forward Kobasew, recall Bennett 719390 Penguins' Dupuis not showing his age 719391 Penguins notebook: Devils have new lineup, but same old style 719392 Penguins goalie Tomas Vokoun to miss at least 3-6 months after clot 719393 Penguins sign winger Chuck Kobasew 719394 Penguins recall winger Beau Bennett before Thursday game against New Jersey San Jose Sharks 719395 San Jose Sharks' journey for an elusive Stanley Cup trophy begins 719396 San Jose Sharks call up Matt Pelech from San Francisco Bulls 719397 Sharks add 2 youngsters to perennial playoff mix 719398 Competitive Couture still improving as a player 719399 Sharks look to correct one glaring weakness 719400 Boyle offers insight on Canucks' Tortorella 719401 Sharks recall Pelech, Hamilton reassigned St Louis Blues 719402 Morrow may have to sit out Blues' season opener 719403 Blues say past two seasons have taught them a lot 719404 Blues-Predators matchup box 719405 Hockey Guy: Parros injury rekindles fight debate 719406 Visa issues may sideline Blues' Brenden Morrow 719407 Blues' ready to ride their deep, deep defense 719408 Blues believe they have all the right ingredients this season 719409 Visa problem could keep Morrow out of Blues' opening night lineup Tampa Bay Lightning 719410 Bolts dilemma: Who s going to be goaltender? 719411 Meet the Lightning 719412 5 must-see games at the Forum 719413 NHL realignment affects Bolts 719414 Lightning starts season in Boston 719415 Tampa Bay Lightning coaching staff 2013-14 719416 Lightning season: What they're saying 719417 Bowness gives Lightning experience behind bench 719418 New NHL division makes Lightning frequent fliers 719419 Tom Jones' guide to the 2013-14 NHL season 719420 If we're serious about reducing head injuries in hockey, then eliminate fighting, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman s Toronto Maple Leafs 719421 Maple Leafs: Jonathan Bernier expected to start against Philadelphia Flyers 719422 Maple Leafs: Bernier shines in win over Flyers 719423 Maple Leafs worry about Montreal s George Parros 719424 Maple Leafs: George Parros thanks Montreal Canadiens fans after injury in fight with Colton Orr 719425 Maple Leafs: Tim Leiweke demands a Stanley Cup or else 719426 Maple Leafs fine start marred by senseless violence: Cox 719427 Maple Leafs' penalty killing shines again in win over Flyers 719428 Jonathan Bernier sharp in net as Maple Leafs beat Flyers 719429 Maple Leafs' Rielly still learning the ropes 719430 No down time for Maple Leafs as they face Flyers 719431 Third star: Maple Leafs' Steve Bernier... oops 719432 Jonathan Bernier shines as Maple Leafs shut door on Flyers 719433 George Parros s injury won t change anything when it comes to fighting in hockey 719434 Toronto Maple Leafs eight-year deal with Phil Kessel: What it all means 719435 George Parros injury: Incident in Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens game revives debate over fighting 719436 NHL Bloggers Panel: Everyone agrees, the Toronto Maple Leafs have made some mistakes Vancouver Canucks 719449 It s back to the future with Luongo 719450 Willes: For better or worse, no more regular season rut for Canucks 719451 Fighting is here to stay, say Canucks 719452 Botchford: Only subtle differences for Canucks this season 719453 New guy Stanton will play second game of his NHL career in Canucks opener Thursday 719454 Gillis defends record as Canucks GM Washington Capitals 719437 Martin Erat searching for clarity in his role with Capitals
719438 Mikhail Grabovski records first opening-night hat trick in Capitals history 719439 Five thoughts on the Capitals loss to the Blackhawks 719440 HARRIS: In a Cup ceremony that runneth over, motivation for the Caps Websites 719455 ESPN / First goodbye for Teemu Selanne 719456 ESPN / Patrick Roy not mellowing with new job 719457 ESPN / Night of firsts for Avs; Penner gets message 719458 ESPN / Downie excited to win games in Colorado 719459 ESPN / Avs looking to the past to build the future 719460 ESPN / Status quo not acceptable for fighting rules 719461 USA TODAY / Red Wings win debut as Eastern team 719462 USA TODAY / Hurricanes sign Radek Dvorak to one-year contract 719463 USA TODAY / Revamped Bruins prepare for another run 719464 USA TODAY / Penguins goalie Tomas Vokoun out 3 to 6 months Winnipeg Jets 719441 Just call him the CALDER KID 719442 Jets favour fisticuffs 719443 Scheifele no slouch in season debut 719444 Jets players believe hockey needs fighting 719445 Winnipeg Jets blueliners pull weight on offence 719446 Winnipeg Jets sing praises of rookie defenceman Jacob Trouba 719447 Scheifele happy to get off to quick start with Winnipeg Jets 719448 Winnipeg Jets players say fighting has important place in hockey SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 719186 Anaheim Ducks Class is out as Ducks lose opener Helene Elliott 11:09 PM PDT, October 2, 2013 DENVER Patrick Roy's Hall of Fame goaltending career was built on athleticism and unceasing passion. He appears to have carried that fire over to his coaching career, which began Wednesday with a 6-1 rout of the Ducks and a confrontation with Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau at the glass that separated their benches at the Pepsi Center following the seasonopening game for both teams. Roy claimed he was angry over a hit Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy had leveled against Nathan MacKinnon, the skillful forward the Avalanche chose first overall in June's entry draft. MacKinnon, 18, had two clever assists on Jamie McGinn goals in his NHL debut. "I don't think this league needs that type of cheap shot," Roy said. Boudreau contended that Lovejoy had merely tripped MacKinnon and the real problem was that Roy had yelled at Ducks players throughout the game. "Bush league," Boudreau said. Boudreau and his players also were incensed that Roy put out heavyweights Cody McLeod and Patrick Bordeleau for the final seconds. "He put their big guys at the end. Probably to make a big show out of it. But not surprised," Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin said. It bubbled over in a shouting match at the end, in which Roy pushed at and nearly knocked over the partition between the benches before relative sanity was restored. Roy received a game misconduct penalty. "There was no need for it. They got the game won. Just pull your players off and show a little class," Boudreau said. "He's going to be in for a long year if he's going to yell at every player and yell at the refs every stoppage in play. It's just not the way the game is played." Then again, the way the Ducks' defense performed Wednesday isn't the way the game should be played, either. Beauchemin's intercepted pass led to a successful breakaway by Ryan O'Reilly at 15:39 of the first period, but the Ducks weren't out of it until Colorado scored three in the middle period against a near-helpless Viktor Fasth. The Ducks took 36 shots at Semyon Varlamov but were frustrated until Jakob Silfverberg got one past Varlamov at 19:53 of the third period. Corey Perry had one shot on goal; the same was true for Ryan Getzlaf, who was dismissed with a five-minute fighting penalty after a scrap with Steve Downie that Getzlaf said was in defense of a roughed-up Lovejoy. "We didn't compete the way we wanted to. We stopped moving our feet a little bit," Getzlaf said. "When you've got a skating team like that and kind of stand still a little bit they catch you flat-footed. That's something that we're going to have to look at, and look at moving the puck a little bit quicker out of our zone and getting going." The Ducks' defense figured to be thin early in the season while Sheldon Souray recovers from wrist surgery and Luca Sbisa recovers from an ankle injury, but this was close to utter disarray. "A lot of breakdowns in the D zone," Beauchemin said. "A lot of odd-man rushes that shouldn't happen and second chances, rebounds and stuff. Those pucks, we've got to get." The Avalanche converted two of five power plays, while the Ducks were 0 for 2. Boudreau made a healthy scratch of left wing Dustin Penner, whom the Ducks had signed in hopes he'd rediscover his scoring touch alongside Getzlaf and Perry, his linemates on the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup championship team. Boudreau said the Ducks are "counting on Dustin to be a big part of this club" but felt they had to reward players like Patrick Maroon for having a better training camp. In the end, it didn't matter that Penner didn't play. The problem was that the players they did have in the lineup didn't come to play. "We didn't have the pushback that you'd like to have," Boudreau said. "You want them to score a goal and you to be so mad and you go in there and dominate the next five minutes, and we were in a 'Woe is me' type thing. Those are things that you can't do." LA Times: LOADED: 10.03.2013 719187 Anaheim Ducks Season opener is a non-starter for Ducks By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER DENVER In order to flip the switch, you must be able to find it first. The Ducks will need another game to look for it because they were in the dark for their season opener Wednesday night against Colorado. Semyon Varlamov and the Avalanche never let them into the light. Varlamov made 35 saves, and the Avalanche ushered in the Patrick Roy era as coach by obliterating the Ducks, 6-1, in front of a spirited, hopeful crowd at Pepsi Center. And the 18,007 in attendance got to see the same fire Roy showed as a star goalie with the franchise as he knocked over the center-glass partition between the benches while trading harsh words with Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau at high volume. Roy complained afterward about Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy sticking his leg out at his rookie No. 1 overall draft pick Nathan MacKinnon, calling Lovejoy's play a cheap shot. Boudreau was furious at Roy yelling at his players, some of whom had gotten into a scrum with Avalanche enforcers Cody McLeod and Patrick Bordeleau in front of the Colorado bench right as the game ended. It's not our job to be going back and forth with their players, Boudreau said. And then all of a sudden I told him, that's bull it's bush league.
The problem for the Ducks was that moment was the most fire they showed all night. Defensive breakdowns were the order of the night, with Ryan O'Reilly starting them off by picking off Francois Beauchemin's pass and beating goalie Viktor Fasth. Colorado blew it open in the second with three goals. Steve Downie scored on a third rebound after Fasth stopped O'Reilly twice down low. John Mitchell made it 3-0 and then Jamie McGinn got the first of his two goals. Beauchemin and Cam Fowler were on the ice for four of the six goals against. Fasth made 23 saves but was under siege. A lot breakdowns in the (defensive) zone, Beauchemin said. A lot of oddman rushes that shouldn't happen. Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.03.2013 719188 Anaheim Ducks Penner takes a seat for Ducks' opener By ERIC STEPHENS DENVER Dustin Penner was dropped from the top line to the fourth in recent practices and found himself dropped out of the Ducks' lineup altogether Wednesday night. Penner was a healthy scratch for the Ducks' season opener against the Colorado Avalanche. A poor training camp is at the root of his early demotion after signing a one-year, $2 million deal to great fanfare this summer. Instead of reuniting with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry after having success with the two when they came up together in 2005, Penner is watching Patrick Maroon skate in that prime top-line spot. Following the team's morning skate at Pepsi Center, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau was pushing the notion that the team isn't already giving up on Penner before the season begins. The feeling is the big winger still needs to work his way into peak condition. We really are counting on Dustin to be a big part of this club, Boudreau said. I just think you have to reward certain people for having good training camps. And you have to make a point of if you don t have a great training camp, that this isn t just given to you (or) everything's given to you. So that s was the case. And in Dustin s defense, the last 10 days he s worked extremely hard. He s not quite where he wants to be. But he s getting closer, a lot closer than when he first came into camp. Boudreau said Maroon's performance in camp earned the first game at this stage. Maroon was thrilled at getting the nod. Obviously I'm very excited to be on the opening night roster, Maroon said. That doesn't mean anything though. I still got to continue to play well, continue my success of just competing hard and doing the best I can every game, show them I want to be here. Maroon, 25, has averaged 23 goals over his five American Hockey League seasons and led Norfolk with 26 goals and 50 points in 2012-13. Skating issues have been what has kept the burly power forward from making an impact at the NHL level. But the St. Louis native has worked on his fitness since coming to the Ducks' organization and improved his skating to where it earned him 13 games with the parent club last season. Maroon also scored his first two NHL goals. The credit for his improved fitness, Maroon said, goes to working with former NHL defenseman Rik Wilson, a Long Beach native who owns a training facility in St. Louis. We had a really good summer this year, Maroon said. I can t thank him enough. Obviously I've got to continue what I did in the summer and continue this in the season. Hopefully be a player every game and in the lineup every night. SILFVERBERG READY Left wing Jakob Silfverberg was activated from injured reserve and made his Ducks debut. Silfverberg was dealing with a lower-body injury suffered during the third period of the Ducks' Sept. 22 exhibition game against the Avalanche. He did not play in the final two exhibition games but returned to practice Monday and has been skating the last few days. He's good to go, Boudreau said. Silfverberg, 22, was acquired from Ottawa at the NHL draft in the Bobby Ryan trade. To make room for the winger, Devante Smith-Pelly was sent down to Norfolk. Hampus Lindholm will have to wait before he makes his NHL debut as Boudreau went with the veteran Mark Fistric, who also played in his first game as a Duck. Lindholm had an impressive training camp as he led the Ducks with three goals. Boudreau said Lindholm, 19, the club's 2012 first-round pick, was under consideration. It was a thought, the coach said. But at this stage, we want him to watch a game. At least to see how the intensity and the speed is ramped up an awful lot more than what he was doing last week. Not him individually but the game. FASTH IN GOAL Boudreau said there isn't a scripted plan in place with regard to how he'll use goalies Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth. Fasth got the first start against the Avalanche but it figures that Hiller will play on the opening trip, perhaps Saturday in Minnesota. We've talked as a group, the goaltenders, (goalie coach) Dwayne Roloson and myself of what the long-term plans are but they're all subject to change obviously, the coach said. Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.03.2013 719189 Anaheim Ducks Final: Avalanche 6, Ducks 1 October 2nd, 2013, 9:22 pm posted by ERIC STEPHENS DENVER - Semyon Varlamov stopped 35 shots in a razor-sharp performance and the Colorado Avalanche routed the Ducks, 6-1, on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams at Pepsi Center. Ryan O'Reilly scored in the first period and the Avalanche blew the game open in the second, getting goals from Steve Downie, John Mitchell and Jamie McGinn to make Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy a winner in his first game at Colorado's new coach. McGinn later added another score as Nathan MacKinnon set him both times in a sparkling NHL debut after being selected first overall in the entry draft back in June. The Ducks, who were missing the injured Luca Sbisa and Emerson Etem, were no match in this one. Varlamov was stellar from the game's first few moments as he stopped a scoring chance by the Ducks' Saku Koivu. Matt Beleskey was turned aside later in the first and Jakob Silfverberg was robbed in the second when the Avs goalie got a glove on his open chance at the last second. Silfverberg did spoil the shutout for Varlamov and Roy by scoring with ninetenths of a second left, his first with the Ducks. Viktor Fasth got the surprise start in goal for the Ducks but didn't get a whole lot of help from his teammates. Downie was able to convert a powerplay goal on another rebound that wasn't cleared out after O'Reilly had been stopped twice by Fasth. Silfverberg was making his Ducks debut along with defenseman Mark Fistric and newly acquired center Mathieu Perreault, who skated on the second line with Silfverberg and Teemu Selanne, who began his 21st and final NHL season. Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.03.2013
719190 Anaheim Ducks Ducks scratch Penner for Wednesday's season opener October 2nd, 2013, 3:27 pm posted by ERIC STEPHENS DENVER -- Dustin Penner was dropped from the top line to the fourth in recent practices and has now found himself dropped out of the Ducks' lineup altogether. Penner is a healthy scratch for the Ducks' season opener Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche. A poor training camp is at the root of his early demotion after signing a one-year, $2-million deal to great fanfare this summer. Instead of reuniting with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry after having great success with the two when they came up together in 2005, Penner is watching Patrick Maroon skate in that prime top-line spot. Following the team's morning skate at Pepsi Center, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau was already pushing the notion that the team isn't already giving up on Penner before the season begins. The feeling is the big winger still needs to work his way into peak condition. "We really are counting on Dustin to be a big part of this club," Boudreau said. "I just think you have to reward certain people for having good training camps. And you have to make a point of if you don t have a great training camp, that this isn t just given to you [or] everything's given to you." "So that s was the case. And in Dustin s defense, the last 10 days he s worked extremely hard. He s not quite where he wants to be. But he s getting closer, a lot closer than when he first came into camp." Boudreau said Maroon's performance in camp "earned the first game" at this stage. Maroon was thrilled at getting the nod. "Obviously I'm very excited to be on the opening night roster," Maroon said. "That doesn't mean anything though. I still got to continue to play well. Continue my success of just competing hard and doing the best I can every game. Show them I want to be here." Maroon, 25, has averaged 23 goals over his five American Hockey League seasons and led the Norfolk Admirals with 26 goals and 50 points in 2012-13. Skating issues have been what has kept the burly power forward from making a real impact at the NHL level. But the St. Louis native has worked on his fitness since coming to the Ducks' organization and improved his skating to where it earned him 13 games with the parent club last season. Maroon also scored his first two NHL goals. The credit for his improved fitness, Maroon said, goes to working with former NHL defenseman Rik Wilson. Wilson, a Long Beach native. owns a training facility in St. Louis. "We had a really good summer this year," Maroon said. "I can t thank him enough. Obviously I've got to continue what I did in the summer and continue this in the season. Hopefully be a player every game and in the lineup every night." Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.03.2013 719191 Anaheim Ducks Ducks are grounded in season opener By Pat Graham, The Associated Press Posted: 10/02/13, 11:23 PM PDT DENVER >> Semyon Varlamov was sharp in making 35 saves, and Jamie McGinn scored two goals, leading Colorado to a 6-1 win over the Ducks on Wednesday night in Patrick Roy s coaching debut with the Avalanche. Ryan O Reilly, John Mitchell, Matt Duchene and Steve Downie added goals for the Avalanche, who improved to 19-8-7 on opening night. Top pick Nathan MacKinnon set up both of McGinn s goals with no-look passes. Alex Tanguay, back with Colorado for the first time since the 2005-06 season, had three assists. Varlamov stuffed the Ducks all evening but lost his bid for a shutout with seven seconds remaining when Jakob Silfverberg slipped a shot by him. Silfverberg (lower body injury) was activated before the game. Viktor Fasth struggled for the Ducks, allowing three goals in the second period. Things got heated after the final horn, with some players getting into a skirmish near the benches. Even Roy got into the act as he jawed from behind the glass. The Ducks Dustin Penner was scratched from the season-opening lineup because of a lackluster training camp. The right wing signed a one-year deal worth $2 million to return to Anaheim after winning a Stanley Cup in 2012 with the rival Kings. Starting in his place was Patrick Maroon, who got into a fight with Cody McLeod. You have to make the point of if you don t have a great training camp, this isn t given to you, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. LA Daily News: LOADED: 10.03.2013 719192 Boston Bruins Bruins even stronger despite offseason movement By Fluto Shinzawa October 03, 2013 Despite a few additions and some key subtractions, Claude Julien s Bruins look to be just as strong as last season heading into Thursday night s opener. Five core players from last year s Bruins are not with the 2013-14 version that will start off the season against Tampa Bay on Thursday night. Of the five, the ex-bruin whose departure created the most significant vacancy is a skilled, Formula 1-fast right wing who can also play center. Rich Peverley will be missed more than Tyler Seguin, Nathan Horton, Andrew Ference, and Anton Khudobin. Peverley was the No. 3 right wing before the Bruins traded him to Dallas. Before they slumped last year, Peverley and Chris Kelly teamed as one of the game s best third-line duos. They were penalty-killing partners. The leftshot Kelly and the righthanded Peverley, who won more draws than they lost, gave coach Claude Julien options on important defensive faceoffs. Peverley was one of the team s fastest skaters. He played on every line, both center and wing. Peverley was a point man and a down-low guy on the power play. Reilly Smith, Kelly s new right-hand man, does not possess Peverley s versatility. Otherwise, the Bruins head into the season opener as though it s business as usual. A team that replaced three of its four right wings will hum along as if no roster churn happened. We re trying to build a winner, said general manager Peter Chiarelli. That s where our expectations are. The 2013-14 team is not one assembled via happenstance. This template, formulated by Chiarelli, president Cam Neely, and assistant GMs Jim Benning and Don Sweeney, is one that worked in 2010-11. Two more wins last year would have been further confirmation of the blueprint s staying power. The Bruins had no intention of changing their formula, even amid the offseason turnover. Horton wanted out. The Bruins itched to trade Seguin and his six-year, $34.5 million contract. The Bruins couldn t afford Peverley s $3.25 million average annual value. Cap-wise, they couldn t write the check for Ference
that he deserved on the market (four years, $13 million from Edmonton). The Bruins believed they could land a cheaper backup goalie than Khudobin. Hockey operations identified and targeted the best replacements. Chiarelli pulled the trigger on the transactions: trading Seguin and Peverley for Smith and Loui Eriksson, signing Jarome Iginla and Chad Johnson. Free agent signee Torey Krug, Ference s fill-in, developed in Providence last year under the watch of Bruce Cassidy and Kevin Dean. The result is a lineup that has undergone surgery. Seventy-five percent turnover on the right wing voters might demand a similar percentage in Washington in the next election cycle is not insignificant. The stitches, however, are invisible. Iginla shares Horton s assets: bite, north-south speed, joy in shooting the puck. Iginla and Milan Lucic will be flanking strongmen for David Krejci, who plays bigger every time his linemates flex their muscles. Iginla is a natural leader, one the Bruins considered naming their alternate captain before pasting the A on Krejci s sweater. While Boston could be his final NHL team, Iginla s final landing spot will be in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame. The tool that could make Iginla even more dangerous than Horton is his one-timer. Horton s go-to piece was his wrist shot a heavy, accurate snapper. Iginla can snap the puck off the rush, but his trademark is his onetimer, usually from the left circle. Iginla unloads it often and with pleasure. On the power play, the Bruins haven t had a similar right-shot one-time presence during Chiarelli s time. When Iginla winds up, either at the left dot or in the high slot, he will spread out the offensive formation. Teams will have to respect Iginla s shot. If they cheat his way, shooting lanes will open for Krejci, Lucic, and Krug. The uncertainty regarding Iginla is how he ll pace himself until the playoffs. Horton had a history of regular-season cruise jobs. But in the postseason, when healthy, Horton was one of the Bruins best. Iginla, primarily a left wing with Pittsburgh last season, submitted a 0-0 0 playoff line against the Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals. The three previous years, Iginla s Flames didn t qualify for the playoffs. The Bruins acknowledge that Seguin, formerly their No. 2 right wing, could tear apart the ice in Dallas. It s possible, perhaps even likely, that Seguin will outscore Eriksson. But Eriksson s superior hockey sense and skill set fast, strong on the puck, crafty in close quarters, dependable defensively will make the second line better. You ve got a smart player in Eriksson that understands the two-way game, Julien said. With Bergeron being such a good two-way player, he s certainly going to complement that. Let s not kid ourselves. He s a highly skilled player with real good vision and shoots the puck well. He finds holes. I think it s just a matter of time before you see those guys really be a force game in and game out. Krug does not have Ference s experience. Ference plays a more physical game. But Krug plays at a higher tempo. Krug is a natural power-play quarterback and will direct the attack from the point on the first unit. Johnson, who has backed up top-flight goalies Mike Smith and Henrik Lundqvist, will be in a similar position. Tuukka Rask will make 60-plus starts. The Bruins are asking Johnson to be dependable, if not spectacular, every fourth game or so. There are still questions for me that have to be answered, said Chiarelli. But I like what I ve seen so far. Whenever you can bring in new faces and young faces, it helps the outlook of the room and of the team. I feel it energizes them. I see that happening. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.03.2013 719193 Boston Bruins Lightning October 03, 2013 Staff When, where: Thursday, 7 p.m., at TD Garden. TV, radio: NESN, WBZ-FM (98.5). Goals: Steven Stamkos 29, Martin St. Louis 17, Teddy Purcell 11. Assists: St. Louis 43, Stamkos 28, Purcell 25. Goaltending: Anders Lindback (10-10-1, 2.90 GAA), Ben Bishop (3-4-1, 2.99). Head to head: This is the first of four meetings. The Bruins won all three games last season. Miscellany: On Tuesday, St. Louis was named the ninth captain in franchise history... Former Providence College defenseman Matt Taormina is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.03.2013 719194 Boston Bruins David Krejci sets a good example for Bruins By Amalie Benjamin Globe Staff October 03, 2013 The accepted wisdom is that there is no switch to flip, no easy way for a player to automatically lift his game and his production when the postseason comes. Accepted wisdom? Meet David Krejci, and the Bruins top line. He is proof that you can, Milan Lucic said. I mean, us as a line, we re all proof that we can. It s not that Krejci (or the line) has been a disappointment in the regular season, though there were struggles at times last season. But the center has been that much better in the postseason, that much more productive, as he raises his game from very good center to the best in the NHL. In the two seasons the Bruins have gone to the Cup Final in the past three years, Krejci has increased his points per game from 0.83 to 0.92 in 2010-11 and from 0.70 to 1.18 in 2012-13. Lucic, too, rebounded from a subpar 0.59 points per game last season to record 0.86 in the playoffs. That s significant. It s a lot easier to get up for a playoff game than, let s say, Game 55 in January, Lucic said. But, you know what, 2 points is 2 points at the end of the day, so you want to do whatever you can to create that consistency in your game to bring that high level of play night in, night out. Talking amongst each other, that was our main focus heading into this year, was to try to implement that high level of play in an 82-game schedule. So how do they make that happen? Maybe the bounces aren t going to be there every game, but the one thing you can control is your effort, Lucic said. That s one thing that we re obviously going to have to put a lot of work into is our effort. If we take care of that, it always seems like everything else tends to take care of itself. Krejci did come up with a few other theories for the change in production: the familiarity of opponents, the scouting, the style of hockey. But, he acknowledged, It s a really tough question. It s a little different hockey, he said. You see the same team 4-7 times and I guess maybe when you make those little adjustments, maybe that helps our line and our team, as well. When you play in the regular season, you see one team one night, another [team]. It s a little different. And while some of the credit goes to the coaching staff and scouting staff for pointing out the adjustments that need to be made, it s on Krejci and his line to make those adjustments. Maybe that s what helps our line, Krejci said. Maybe that s why we are so good in the playoffs, because we re smart players and we can adjust
quickly. Maybe that s why we re successful. But it s a tough question. I don t have an answer for that. As the season starts, Krejci and Lucic are focused on things other than their playoff production. They have had to get used to a new linemate in Jarome Iginla albeit one who slots pretty cleanly into the spot left by Nathan Horton and Krejci is trying to bounce back from back spasms that he suffered last Friday in Saskatchewan. The center said he will be a game-time decision for Thursday s opener against the Lightning after the back spasms, which he hasn t dealt with in six or seven years, knocked him out of practice for most of the week. He did return to the ice Wednesday at TD Garden. He just seems to play big in big games, which is great to have on your team, Lucic said. I saw him also have a [73-point] season here one year, so you know he can do it in the regular season as well. It s not just him. I think it s [that] all of us have to find that consistency in our game. That s what the main goal is heading into this season. It was something that coach Claude Julien noted when announcing that Krejci had earned the alternate captain role vacated by Andrew Ference. As he said, In the playoffs, he comes up big. With that A on his sweater, Krejci will be responsible for even more leadership on the ice and in the dressing room. So, too, will Lucic, despite wearing no letter. And it certainly wouldn t hurt if the pair can transition seamlessly with Iginla, if they can get just a bit closer to the heights that they hit once the games matter the most. Hopefully we re going to be as consistent as we can this season, Krejci said. We know it isn t going to always be easy, but we have to count on each other. Sometimes a guy is going to have a tough time, but that s why he s got linemates, teammates to bring him back up. That s what we have to do. Said Julien, You have to play to your highest level, and that s the expectation of the 20 players in the dressing room. And not just in the postseason. That highest level needs to be there every day, Game 1 or Game 55 or the Stanley Cup Final. So that s the plan for the line the hope even if they re not entirely sure how to make that happen. I think it s more of a mental thing, an excitement thing, Lucic said. That s the million-dollar question. I wish I had all the answers. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.03.2013 719195 Boston Bruins Bruins would like a practice facility close to home By Amalie Benjamin October 03, 2013 The Bruins have been readying themselves for the season, but behind the scenes, they have been working on finding new ice for just that purpose. The team continues to work toward finding a new practice facility to replace Wilmington s Ristuccia Arena. The hope at this point would be to incorporate a facility into the plans for the old Boston Garden space, adjacent to the current TD Garden. My hope would be that we would have a premier, world-class training facility, Bruins principal Charlie Jacobs said. Not to say that we don t have one at Ristuccia, but we think we can do better, a little bit of an upgrade. If it works out with our partners at Boston Properties and we re still penciling the numbers there is a good chance that we would have one right next door, in addition to obviously some retail, some mixed-use, some restaurants. If that doesn t happen, he said, the team will continue discussions with New Balance on a facility in Brighton, and with the Skating Club of Boston. There are a number of different opportunities out there for us, Jacobs said. This might be Option 1 in my book, at the moment. Things change, though. It s an evolving process. He said the team has looked at models across the NHL, but this would be the most optimal because it would complement some of the other aspects of the development on the old Garden site. There is no timeline, but the plans have been submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority. The expectation is they will be reviewed in November with a preliminary permit potentially forthcoming. I think it would benefit us greatly if we were to have our own practice facility right here, Jacobs said. Raising pain Jacobs said he watched the Blackhawks raise their championship banner Tuesday night before switching the channel to the Bruins own show, Behind the B. Really? said team president Cam Neely. I did not watch it. I would prefer to watch our own. You have a hard time watching someone else lift the Cup and raise a banner, so I didn t watch it. Hopefully we ll be watching one in the near future here. And that doesn t seem like such a far-fetched idea. The keynote is to say we re really not going to play for second place, owner Jeremy Jacobs said. We re here to win and I think that the organization is in a good place to do that. I think we ve got the right combination. Soderberg out Carl Soderberg was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Friday s game against the Jets in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, when he injured his left ankle. That means he will not be available for Thursday s opener against Tampa Bay, but could play Saturday if he has improved. He said he didn t remember how it happened, though coach Claude Julien had said Soderberg caught a rut on the ice. It felt really bad after the game, said Soderberg. It s felt much better every day. As for when he could return, I have no idea, he said. It feels much better, so we will see. We can take a couple of days, but we have no idea. Jordan Caron is expected to skate as the third-line left wing in his place, along with Chris Kelly and Reilly Smith. Let s make a deal It sounds as though the Bruins are working toward a deal with defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, one of the few key members of the team without a contact for next season. Seidenberg, who has said it s not easy to play in a contract season, was signed to a four-year deal after being traded with Matt Bartkowski from Florida. Asked how high a new contract was on the agenda, general manager Peter Chiarelli said, It s pretty high. We ve had discussions, and we ll figure something out there.... Chiarelli said the team could use its three young defensemen Torey Krug, Dougie Hamilton, and Bartkowski similar to a platoon in baseball, based on what s needed that particular night... The Bruins placed defenseman Kevan Miller on waivers Wednesday, with the purpose of assignment to Providence of the AHL. Miller had survived the last cuts of training camp, but was the eighth defenseman on a team that usually carries seven. Boston Globe LOADED: 10.03.2013 719196 Boston Bruins Expectations remain championship or bust for Bruins By Jeff Pini / Boston.com Correspondent / October 2, 2013 The expectations are as high as ever as the Bruins drop the puck on the 2013-14 season Thursday night against Tampa Bay. The team s management transitioned the Bruins through some personnel changes while maintaining the goal of competing for a championship. We re trying to build a winner and those are where our expectations are, said general manager Peter Chiarelli. We ve added some new bodies,