Anaheim Ducks Etem, many others dinged up on Ducks

SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks 718023 Etem, many others dinged up on Ducks Boston Bruins 718024 Rookie Matt Lindblad making good impression with Bruins 718025 Bruins close to final roster 718026 Bruins looking much stronger on the power play 718027 Niklas Svedberg s turn to impress Claude Julien 718028 Chris Kelly s world turns Buffalo Sabres 718029 Sabres sign Zadorov, top Blue Jackets 718030 Sabres notebook: Rolston says fine sends a message to league Calgary Flames 718031 Johnson: Will one-time poster boy prospect Sven Baertschi make Flames after middling pre-season? 718032 Berra puts himself in the conversation to stay with Flames, but Phoenix scores 3-2 OT pre-season win 718033 Flames notes: Stajan has stepped up big time in pre-season and teammates have noticed 718034 Flames send six players to minors 718035 Flames camp reaches the final exam 718036 Calgary Flames lose to Phoenix Coyotes in final pre-season tilt 718037 Calgary Flames' Lance Bouma s goals a pleasant surprise 718038 What's the deal with Calgary Flames' Michael Cammalleri? 718039 Calgary Flames send six players to AHL Abbotsford Carolina Hurricanes 718040 Canes, like rest of NHL, adjust to new rules in preseason 718041 DeCock: For Hurricanes, now it gets real Chicago Blackhawks 718042 Power play a priority for Hawks 718043 Nordstrom's staying power with Hawks a surprise 718044 Repeat feat in SI forecast for Kane, Hawks 718045 Remedy for Blackhawks power-play woes could be more shots 718046 Nordstrom has made big jump, improving odds of making Hawks 718047 Nordstrom hanging on with Blackhawks 718048 Bickell wants to cash in on first-line status 718049 Nordstrom gaining attention 718050 Khabibulin ready for different role in return to Blackhawks 718051 Blackhawks notes: Bollig's parody video has Kane crying Colorado Avalanche 718052 Nathan MacKinnon "back ready to go" for Avs; Stefan Elliott demoted Columbus Blue Jackets 718053 Sabres 3, Blue Jackets 0: No injuries a silver lining in exhibition loss 718054 Blue Jackets notebook: Progress slow but steady in Horton s rehabilitation 718055 Blue Jackets notebook: New rules open space behind net, could alter icing NHL 9/26/2013 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars 718056 Heika: Stars' Valeri Nichushkin trying to break mold of young Russian wingers 718057 Stars Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin bring different résumés to Rangers' first pitch 718058 Mike Modano to help launch Stars 'Little Rookies' youth hockey program Saturday in Allen 718059 Heika: Texas Stars decide to run same system as Lindy Ruff in Dallas Detroit Red Wings 718060 Pittsburgh 5, Detroit 1: Red Wings' Mike Babcock says Penguins 'made us look bad' 718061 Pittsburgh 5, Detroit 1: Red Wings walloped at home by Penguins 718062 elm feeling 'quite a bit better,' but has no return date from injuries 718063 Daniel Alfredsson, Jonathan Ericsson out for Detroit Red Wings tonight 718064 Petr Mrazek retains his and Red Wings' confidence despite failing to stop Penguins 718065 Wings overmatched against regular-season Pens' squad 718066 Red Wings' Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Kronwall will skip game vs. Penguins 718067 Red Wings' Mike Babcock: Top-end players in lineup didn't lead way in loss to Pittsburgh 718068 Loaded Pittsburgh Penguins rout Detroit Red Wings team that rested its top players, 5-1 in preseason 718069 Blog recap: Detroit Red Wings' preseason losing streak hits three in 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh Penguins 718070 Red Wings' Darren Helm skates with team, reports progress, but still no timetable for return 718071 Red Wings recall Riley Sheahan, Xavier Ouellet for tonight's preseason game as several regulars sit 718072 Penguins too much for Wings 718073 Helm skates on a line, but still hasn't been cleared for contact Edmonton Oilers 718074 Taylor Hall ranked 39th on TSN list of top NHL players. Eberle snubbed. 718075 Perron s scoring touch powers Oilers offence 718076 Ryan vs. Ryan? Not anymore. Edmonton Oilers waive winger Ryan Jones 718077 Edmonton Oilers defenceman Justin Schultz worked hard over the summer 718078 Edmonton Oilers place Ryan Jones on waivers Florida Panthers 718079 Panthers Kris Versteeg receives medical clearance 718080 GONE FISHING: Panthers, Lightning to Play Across Alley in Estero 718081 KRIS IS BACK: Versteeg Returns Thursday v. Lightning 718082 Panthers' Versteeg rebuilt, reinvigorated Los Angeles Kings 718083 Kings prospect Linden Vey's day seems to be coming 718084 Forbort, Shore loaned to Manchester 718085 Quick: There s definitely work to be done 718086 Brown, Muzzin injury updates

Minnesota Wild 718087 Yeo gets to experiment, and Wild gets a victory 718088 Wild wins again: Yeo heaps praise on Coyle, "wasn't crazy" about Zucker 718089 Trying to figure out the Wild's roster situation 718090 Tom Powers: Scoring more a worthy goal for Minnesota Wild 718091 Minnesota Wild: Jason Zucker hurts his chances for roster spot 718092 Minnesota Wild: Mikko Koivu settles into role as team's elder statesman 718093 Minnesota Wild: Players still trying to get used to hybrid icing rule 718094 Minnesota Wild: Justin Fontaine hopes new role pays off with roster spot 718095 Minnesota Wild: New father Mikko Koivu ready to get back on ice Montreal Canadiens 718096 In the Room: Canadiens Nathan Beaulieu trying to make up for lost time 718097 Senators take advantage of Canadiens rookie defence corps 718098 Mostly unchanged Canadiens look to youth to build off second-place season 718099 Habs will ice young lineup against Senators Wednesday night Nashville Predators 718100 Habs will ice young lineup against Senators Wednesday night 718101 Nashville Predators' Viktor Stalberg out 3-4 weeks with shoulder injury 718102 Nashville Predators' Viktor Stalberg hurts shoulder, out 3-4 weeks New Jersey Devils 718103 Devils Send Matteau to Minors 718104 Devils assign Stefan Matteau, Jon Merrill, Eric Gelinas, five others to Albany (AHL) 718105 Devils ranked second-worst Eastern Conference team, according to Sports Illustrated 718106 Devils take day off; Andrei Loktionov, Jaromir Jagr skate on their own 718107 NY Rangers coach Alain Vigneault cuts roster down to 30 ahead of final preseason games 718108 Kindle Fire Navy Yard Shooting Mariano Rivera Kenya Mayoral Race Miss America 718109 Sislo s goal carries Devils past Flyers New York Islanders 718110 Islanders' Josh Bailey prepared to shift around New York Rangers 718111 NY Rangers coach Alain Vigneault cuts roster down to 30 ahead of final preseason games 718112 NY Rangers and Derek Stepan: Scenario for how to fit Stepan under New York's cap, explanation of long-term inj 718113 Alain Vigneault may trim NY Rangers roster down following 5-3 loss to Edmonton Oilers to see core group vs. Ca 718114 Decisions loom for Rangers Vigneault 718115 Rangers, new coach Alain Vigneault to face John Tortorella and Canucks 718116 Rangers make nine cuts as preseason winds down; McIlrath, Kristo, Haley among those assigned to Hartford 718117 Rangers-Oilers in review 718118 It s Go Time! Rangers at Oilers Ottawa Senators 718119 Scanlan: Sens beat Habs, but keeping stars healthy would be a real victory 718120 Senators update: No Spezza, no Anderson against Montreal Wednesday 718121 Ottawa Senators knock off Montreal Canadiens in NHL pre-season action 718122 Let's get the season going! 718123 Ottawa Senators battle early injury bug 718124 Ottawa Senators' Matt Kassian figures he'd get a longer suspension than Phil Kessel for a similar spear 718125 Senators lift Da Costa to top line for Montreal game 718126 'Stuff could happen' as Ottawa Senators, Habs meet again Philadelphia Flyers 718127 Simmonds returns; Voracek sits out with sore back 718128 What Flyers defenseman Coburn did on summer break 718129 For Flyers, Simmonds in, Voracek out 718130 Is Laughton still a lock to make Flyers? 718131 Flyers Injury Update: Simmonds in, Voracek out 718132 As opener nears, Holmgren faces roster decisions 718133 Flyers Notes: Giroux intended to play all along 718134 Mason ready for challenge in goal Phoenix Coyotes 718135 Phoenix Coyotes slip past Calgary Flames in OT 718136 Phoenix Coyotes invite fans to tailgate in Glendale Pittsburgh Penguins 718137 Penguins-Red Wings rivalry could blossom with NHL realignment 718138 Fleury solid in Penguins' preseason finale 718139 PSU official 'very confident' about outdoor NHL game at Beaver Stadium 718140 No report on Brooks Orpik after on-ice collision 718141 Sidney Crosby, wingers a good mesh San Jose Sharks 718142 San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi opens with confidence 718143 No changes coming to Sharks' dominant PP unit St Louis Blues 718144 Halak, Elliott still searching for themselves in preseason 718145 Blues' fourth line has plenty of company 718146 Big night for Halak, Elliott in Minnesota Tampa Bay Lightning 718147 Lightning have options for final roster decisions 718148 Lightning-Panthers preseason preview 718149 Lightning's Drouin still in opening-day roster mix Toronto Maple Leafs 718150 Kessel takes punishment for stick-swinging incident in stride 718151 MLSE head Tim Leiweke pitches culture change to season ticket holders 718152 Wendel Clark has some words of wisdom for David Clarkson: Feschuk 718153 Maple Leafs-Sabres brawl: Buffalo s Corey Tropp out indefinitely with broken jaw 718154 Maple Leafs Phil Kessel on stick-swinging: I don t know what else I was supposed to do 718155 Maple Leafs take brunt of punishment, but at least Sabres get something: Cox 718156 Maple Leafs David Clarkson explains his actions 718157 Morgan Rielly a lock (almost) to start season with Leafs 718158 Leafs' Clarkson may care 'too much' 718159 Leafs goalies race too close to call

Maple Leafs Continued 718160 Leafs' Phil Kessel has two regrets about slashing Sabres' John Scott 718161 Toronto Maple Leafs will get by without suspended David Clarkson: GM Dave Nonis 718162 Toronto Maple Leafs Phil Kessel after slashing suspension: The second slash it was probably uncalled for 718163 Toronto Maple Leafs David Clarkson on suspension: I sometimes make decisions with my heart, not my head 718164 Which Toronto Maple Leafs hopefuls stand to benefit the most from David Clarkson s suspension? Vancouver Canucks 718177 Canucks Zack Kassian ready to get nailed for fitness 718178 AV slated to meet Vancouver media Thursday 718179 Canucks: 'Nailed' by Tortorella, Kassian will use suspension to get into better shape 718180 Canucks: Flip-flopped styles on view as old bench boss back in town with Rangers 718181 Sedins: Vigneault saw our star potential 718182 Kuzma: Things we ll miss about Viggy; and things we won t 718183 Gallagher: Let s see the Alain Vigneault who made so many friends in Vancouver 718184 The 2 O Clock: Ryan Whitney makes S.I. s Twitter 100 list, but not Roberto Luongo? We rage in way more than 718185 The 10 O Clock: What are the Canucks doing wrong? According to some people, just about everything. 718186 Kassian takes Torts criticisms in stride, vows to be better when he returns from suspension 718187 Coach Tortorella spares the rod on his struggling Canucks Washington Capitals 718165 Five thoughts on the Capitals 4-1 win over the Predators 718166 Capitals place Tomas Kundratek on waivers 718167 Capitals roster notes from George McPhee, Adam Oates as team enters final three preseason games 718168 Martin Erat to take a turn at center Websites 718188 ESPN / Penner needs to prove himself in Anaheim 718189 USA TODAY / Age is just a number to Martin St. Louis 718190 USA TODAY / Top U.S. prospects facing off in Pittsburgh 718191 USA TODAY / Sizing up the Atlantic Division 718192 USA TODAY / Power rankings: Red Wings, Penguins favored Winnipeg Jets 718169 Options for Jets lineup clear as mud 718170 Top trio ready to TAKE OFF 718171 Ice getting thinner for final few 718172 Making the most of opportunities 718173 Pasquale headed to IceCaps 718174 Jets coach keeps the pressure on ahead of games against Boston 718175 Leafs-Sabres brawl still a hot topic with Winnipeg Jets 718176 Winnipeg Jets coach Claude Noel turns up the heat SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

718023 Anaheim Ducks Etem, many others dinged up on Ducks By ERIC STEPHENS 2013-09-25 19:42:47 ANAHEIM Collisions are woven into the fabric of hockey, but rare are the ones where the forces on both sides pay a painful price. Neither the Ducks Emerson Etem nor San Jose s Raffi Torres came out unscathed after smashing together in the teams exhibition game last week. Etem is still hobbling because of a lower-body injury and has been unable to practice. It has led Coach Bruce Boudreau at least consider not having him when the season opens Wednesday at Colorado. At least Etem isn't in the same boat as Torres, who will be lost to the Sharks for at least six weeks because of an apparent ACL injury. If he skates the day before, then he can play, Boudreau said. But if he doesn t skate at least the day before... we've got to make sure that he's healthy before we go. Boudreau added that Etem s superior skating ability and peak physical condition make him different from others. But Etem said that there's no plan to get him back on the ice and it's likely he won't play in Saturday's exhibition finale against the Sharks. It just pretty much goes by feel at this point, Etem said. I'm just trying to get stronger day by day just making sure that when it is time to play, then I'm ready to go. Boudreau called Torres' play a dirty hit, but Etem wouldn't join him in that assessment. Torres wasn't disciplined by the league. We were both moving pretty good there, Etem said. Obviously I don't want to pinpoint or say anything about the hit, whether I thought it was dirty or not. It was just a fast-paced hockey play. Stuff like that happens. I signed up for this sport. I expect things like that to happen. Center Peter Holland is further along after taking in a hard, hourlong skating session under the direction of assistant coach Scott Niedermayer before practice. Holland also has an unspecified lower-body injury. He has been wearing a brace on his left knee and also has it wrapped tight. He hurt himself in a recent practice and wasn't available for the past two exhibition games. The injury comes at the worst possible time for Holland, who was getting a long look at a roster spot. It s frustrating not being out there, especially when you re in a position like I am fighting for a job, he said. Bruce had said he had me slotted in five of seven exhibition games and so obviously to miss a couple in a row there is tough. But I'm doing my best to be ready for Saturday. Hopefully we can make that happen. The Ducks are already hobbled and Boudreau is frustrated in not being able to have his desired line combinations together. Jakob Silfverberg got hurt late in Sunday's game against Colorado but Boudreau is hoping that he will be able to practice Friday. Left wing Matt Beleskey has played in just one game and isn't 100 percent. Defenseman Luca Sbisa has a sprained ankle and is out until next week at the earliest, while Sami Vatanen is also not at full strength after getting hurt in San Jose. But the injury pileup didn't keep Boudreau from putting the Ducks through a grinding 90-minute-plus practice Wednesday that included a fair amount of contact, with players here and there checking for nicks and bruises. You re damned if you do and damned if you don't, Boudreau said. I assume if you're on the ice with us, you're healthy to get into anything that we do. If you have a different colored jersey on, a noncontact jersey, then that's one different story. But nobody has that out there. So we assume they can go. THEODORE SENT DOWN Shea Theodore has a new contract in his hand and a one-way ticket out of town. A day after he signed a three-year entry level deal, Theodore was sent back to his junior hockey team, the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. Theodore, 18, the Ducks' first-round pick in this year's draft, is going to get another year of seasoning although he showed himself well in his first pro training camp. The Ducks also sent goaltender Frederik Andersen to Norfolk (AHL). Defenseman Garnet Exelby was released from his pro tryout and also assigned to Norfolk. Orange County Register: LOADED: 09.26.2013

718024 Boston Bruins Rookie Matt Lindblad making good impression with Bruins By Fluto Shinzawa Globe Staff September 26, 2013 The odds of Matt Lindblad breaking camp with the Bruins do not weigh in his favor. Lindblad is a future NHL fourth-liner for a team whose fourth line of Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton is among the league s best. That Lindblad has stuck with the varsity until now, however, reflects how much the undrafted forward caught his bosses attention. Maybe he doesn t stay, acknowledged coach Claude Julien. But at least we feel comfortable with him being a call-up. This is where we have to look at some of those guys. As a first-year player, maybe you say at the end of the day, he ll benefit more from playing some more pro games and playing more often. But he s here because I think he belongs here right now. The more we look at him, the better idea we ll have and the more experience he ll get out of that. The three-year Dartmouth forward centered the fifth line in Wednesday s practice at TD Garden Earlier this year, Lindblad had no thoughts of attending an NHL camp. Had this been a normal September, Lindblad would have been in Hanover, N.H., for his senior year, pursuing his degree in government. But last spring, the Bruins began their courtship. During spring break, Lindblad returned home to Illinois to discuss the offer with his parents. On April 11, Lindblad signed a two-year, entry-level offer. Lindblad is now seven credits short of his degree. It was one of the toughest decisions of my life, if not the toughest decision, Lindblad said. All year, I hadn t really thought about it. I just assumed I d come back for my senior season at Dartmouth. But my agent called me and said I had the opportunity to leave. And a good opportunity at that a team that genuinely has interest in you and wants you to be part of their squad. As a junior, Lindblad was second in team scoring with 10 goals and 18 assists in 30 games. Lindblad was a go-to player at Dartmouth. As a pro, whether in the NHL or AHL, Lindblad projects to be a bottom-six center or wing. Lindblad will also see time on the penalty kill. Last year, after signing his contract, the 6-foot-1-inch, 193-pound Lindblad reported to Providence for the end of the AHL regular season. Lindblad scored one goal and had four assists in four games. Providence coach Bruce Cassidy compared Lindblad with Chris Kelly a smart, versatile, two-way forward. I think I m pretty reliable defensively, Lindblad said. I m doing a lot of PK. Overall, I m a pretty good two-way player. I really value defense and the defensive side of the game. I think that s shown the last couple weeks. Lindblad centered Matt Fraser and Nick Johnson during Wednesday s practice. Lindblad should play Thursday night against the Jets at Winnipeg. Then, either before or after the Bruins team-building trip to Vermont, Lindblad will be assigned to Providence. It is the expected destination for the first-year pro. But Lindblad s assignment will take place later than anticipated. Final roster close The Bruins have most likely decided their roster for next Thursday s season opener against Tampa Bay at the Garden. Three of the four lines have been set from camp s opening. Jarome Iginla will be on the right side with Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Loui Eriksson will be on the second line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The longtime Paille-Campbell-Thornton threesome will comprise the fourth line. The third line, which had two openings at the start of camp, looks like Kelly between Carl Soderberg and Reilly Smith. Soderberg scored both goals in last Saturday s 2-0 win over Detroit. Soderberg has also seen time on the No. 2 power-play unit. Smith has showed speed, quickness, and smarts throughout camp. The final fight is for the 13th forward s position. Johnson and Jordan Caron are the two top candidates. Both would require waivers to be assigned to Providence. Lindblad, Matt Fraser, and Ryan Spooner are on their entry-level contracts. On defense, Zdeno Chara skated with Johnny Boychuk on the No. 1 duo during Wednesday s practice. Dennis Seidenberg and Dougie Hamilton were paired on the second duo. Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid were the fifth and sixth defensemen. Matt Bartkowski practiced with Kevan Miller on the extra pair. Bartkowski should be the No. 7 defenseman. Bartkowski leads the team with five preseason assists. Bartkowski has been dynamic carrying the puck and physical in the defensive zone. But Krug s power-play touch will give him the nod. Miller satisfied As the No. 8 defenseman, Miller will be assigned to Providence prior to the regular season. But it s been a successful camp for the rugged Miller, who should be among the first call-ups Zach Trotman (righthand shot) and David Warsofsky (left) are the others if and when injuries hit. Either way, I m happy where I m at, Miller said. Whether I m down in Providence or up in Boston, I understand what the coaching staff and organization expect of me. I just want to keep doing what they expect me to do. Either way, I m going to be happy. Miller scored two goals and had 14 assists for Providence last season. If Miller makes it to the NHL, he will not be relied on to score. The right-shot Miller, who played four years at the University of Vermont, plays an in-your-face game. Miller s NHL comparable is McQuaid. That s part of my game, Miller said of his physical nature. I like to embrace it. It s something that comes with the territory with the kind of player I am. I enjoy that part of the game. Svedberg gets call Niklas Svedberg will start against Winnipeg on Thursday at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. Tuukka Rask will start in Friday s preseason finale in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, also against the Jets. Svedberg is most likely destined for Providence, where he will be the No. 1 goalie. Svedberg is better served seeing plenty of AHL action instead of backing up Rask for 60-plus games. Chad Johnson posted a shutout against Detroit on Saturday... If possible, Julien s lineup on Friday will be the one he rolls out for the regular-season opener. It doesn t mean it s going to happen, Julien said. We may have to look at some guys again in order to make that final decision. So that could be a possibility, too. But we ll try and get as close as we can to it.... The Bruins were scheduled to play in Winnipeg and Saskatoon last year, but the preseason games were scrubbed because of the lockout. Boston Globe LOADED: 09.26.2013

718025 Boston Bruins Bruins close to final roster Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff September 25, 2013 12:36 PM The Bruins have completed practice at TD Garden and are traveling to Winnipeg this afternoon. They will play the Jets in Winnipeg tomorrow. The rematch is Friday in Saskatoon. The Bruins opening night roster is most likely set. Here is the lineup from today s practice: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Loui Eriksson Carl Soderberg-Chris Kelly-Reilly Smith Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Matt Fraser-Matt Lindblad-Nick Johnson Ryan Spooner-Jordan Caron Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid Matt Bartkowski-Kevan Miller Tuukka Rask Chad Johnson Niklas Svedberg * The third line, which had two openings before camp, appears locked up. Carl Soderberg and Reilly Smith will be Chris Kelly s wings. Soderberg could see time on the No. 2 power-play unit. Smith could see some penalty-killing shifts like Rich Peverley did in previous seasons. * Matt Bartkowski projects to be the No. 7 defenseman. Bartkowski and Torey Krug have been very good in camp. Krug s power-play touch, however, gives him the edge over Bartkowski. Krug will be the quarterback on the No. 1 unit. * Chad Johnson is the likely backup goalie. * The final fight is for the spare forward position. Nick Johnson and Jordan Caron are the two likely finalists. Both would require waivers to be assigned to Providence. Matt Fraser, Matt Lindblad, and Ryan Spooner are on their entry-level deals. Boston Globe LOADED: 09.26.2013

718026 Boston Bruins Bruins looking much stronger on the power play Team has a revamped unit and strategy By Amalie Benjamin Globe Staff September 25, 2013 Zdeno Chara stands, stick ready, body working. He fights for space, his elbow moving around the torso of an opposing defenseman, a little bump pushing his 6-foot-9-inch frame and 255 pounds into better position. This, for now, is the face of the Bruins new-look power play, a big body in a big spot for a team that has struggled significantly on what should be an advantage. Their power play rated poorly a tie for 25th in the NHL in 2012-13. The team has succeeded despite its power play, not because of it, and that s long been something that the Bruins would like to change. Since the 2009-10 season, the Bruins have finished no higher than tied for 14th on the power play, scoring on 14.8 percent in 2012-13, 17.2 percent in 2011-12, 16.2 percent in 2010-11, and 16.6 percent in 2009-10. But now they might be on to something. The Bruins scored two more power-play goals in Monday night s exhibition win over Washington, both by the hand of Chara one on a redirect from the net front on a Dennis Seidenberg shot, one from the point on a five-on-three. That s nine preseason power-play goals in five games. (For the record, the Bruins had 18 power-play goals all of last season.) It should be pointed out, of course, that the Bruins are not always facing opponents top penalty-killing units. But that doesn t take away from the fact that they re having unusual success and keeping it simpler than in previous years, something that seems to have helped. Obviously [the power play s] been pretty good for us in the preseason, Milan Lucic said. I think we just need to stay sharp and keep working on it in practice. I think the best thing is our puck movement is a lot better. I think there s confidence in making those good passes and guys are shooting the puck when they have the opportunity as well. That isn t due entirely to Chara, of course. There s a newcomer whose power-play skill has been a significant feature of his game. Of Jarome Iginla s 530 career goals in the NHL, 165 have come on the man advantage. He has scored at least 10 power-play goals in 10 of his 16 seasons. And that s not even taking into account the abilities of fellow newcomer Loui Eriksson, who should be taking shifts with the second power-play group. Iginla will likely be on the first unit, along with Torey Krug, David Krejci, Chara, and Lucic. It should be a dynamic fivesome, with Krug having proven in the playoffs that he can man the point, freeing up Chara for net-front duty. Once there, he is tough to move, tough to see around, and certainly tough to play against. Z s not just in front to screen, Z s in there for more than that, coach Claude Julien said. People don t see him as a quick skater, but he s got the long reach in retrieving those loose pucks; he s very good at it as well. With that long reach, he can either poke it back to the half-walls or he can get it himself. I think there s a lot more qualities in Zdeno in front than people think. And I know people see the size of him for a screen, but he does more things than that to be valuable in front. It has shown. Of course, it s early, and there is the possibility that putting Chara in front will increase his likelihood of injury. So there are caveats. But while it won t always go the way it did in the Bruins first preseason game they scored four goals on six man-advantage opportunities against the Canadiens almost anything would be an improvement over last season. We are just getting used to it, Chara said. It s not always working the way we want, but that s the way it is sometimes. We aren t always getting the perfect looks, but at times we have to keep it simpler and always work hard. It doesn t matter who we have over there, we just have to keep outworking those four guys. There has been puck movement. There have been well-directed shots from the point. There have been redirects that have found their way past that goal line and onto the scoreboard. A major part of that has been Chara, who has said that he doesn t mind being stationed in front of the net. He also doesn t mind being back at the point. He like everyone else on the Bruins bench just wants to see some results from the hard work on the power play. He was in front with a lot of chaos going on and a lot of loose pucks, so he creates some havoc in front of there, Julien said of Chara s performance against the Capitals on Monday. You re going to see him at the point at times and on that five-on-three, you saw what his shot can do as well from back there. So we continue to look at that, and we may start with that and may switch during the season; 82 games is a long year, so nothing is carved in stone. Restoring power The Bruins are hoping new additions Jarome Iginla and Loui Eriksson add some life to their power play. Projected first power-play unit: Torey Krug David Krejci Zdeno Chara Milan Lucic Jarome Iginla Second power-play unit: Dougie Hamilton Dennis Seidenberg Patrice Bergeron Carl Soderberg Loui Eriksson Note: Johnny Boychuk and Brad Marchand could replace Seidenberg and Soderberg on second unit. Bruins power play, last five seasons: Season: 2008-09, Percentage: 23.6, Rank t-4th Season: 2009-10, Percentage: 16.6, Rank 23d Season: 2010-11, Percentage: 16.2, Rank 20th Season: 2011-12, Percentage: 17.2, Rankt-14th Season: 2012-13, Percentage: 14.8, Rank t-25th Boston Globe LOADED: 09.26.2013

718027 Boston Bruins Niklas Svedberg s turn to impress Claude Julien Thursday, September 26, 2013 Author(s): Matt Kalman In the final weeks of training camp, Bruins coach Claude Julien and his staff determined that the best way to assess the goaltenders was to give each a full preseason game. So now that ensconced No. 1 goalie Tuukka Rask, prospect Malcolm Subban and free agent acquisition Chad Johnson all logged at least 60 minutes in one contest, it s scheduled to be Niklas Svedberg s turn tonight in Winnipeg against the Jets. We need to still look at him closely and decide which one of the two we re going to start with anyways, Julien said in reference to Svedberg and Johnson, who are the only two left in camp competing to back up Rask after Subban was assigned to Providence of the AHL. Svedberg played 34 minutes in his only other preseason action and stopped 12-of-13 shots to earn the win against the Washington Capitals. It might appear that with Svedberg still just 24 years old and with only one year of North American pro hockey under his belt, the native of Sweden would be the natural choice to start the year in Providence. After all, there won t be a lot of playing time at the NHL level with Rask getting the bulk of the starts. Svedberg definitely doesn t see it that way. No, I mean it s two different leagues, Svedberg said. I want to be in the best league, which is the NHL. So that s my goal and first I ll focus on the game (tonight). And I ll take it after that. Playing time in the preseason has been hard to come by, but Svedberg already impressed the B s with his AHL performance last year. With his 2.17 goals-against average and.925 save percentage, Svedberg won the Baz Bastien Award as the league s top goalie. Now it s up to Svedberg to prove he can duplicate those statistics at the sport s highest level, and he might have only one game to do it. You ve got to try to take advantage of every chance you get, so that s the way it is on every level, Svedberg said. You re going to get a few chances to begin with and you ve got to try to make the best of them. Julien says he doesn t put much stock in practice performances, so he wasn t about to downplay the challenge Svedberg faces in Winnipeg. To me it s about evaluating guys in game situations, Julien said. As long as he has a good work ethic in practice and has a good attitude, I m good with that. But at the end of the day, it s what you do in game situations. So this is the opportunity we re going to have to see him (tonight). Line em up Julien said that, if possible, he d like tomorrow night s lineup against the Jets in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to closely resemble the one he ll employ on opening night. The Bruins open the regular season a week from tonight at the Garden against the Tampa Bay Lightning. We re trying to fine tune our game, but at the same time we ve got to continue to evaluate our players here, Julien said. (Tonight s) game will mean a lot. Again, I want to be as close as I can to my lineup (tomorrow night), but that doesn t mean it s going to happen. We may have to look at some guys again in order to make that final decision. So that may be a possibility too. But we ll try to get as close as we can to it. Boston Herald LOADED: 09.26.2013

718028 Boston Bruins Chris Kelly s world turns Thursday, September 26, 2013 Author(s): Matt Kalman When Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli swung a deal in February 2011 with Ottawa that brought Chris Kelly to Boston, his famous quote was that Senators players always were asking to play on the veteran forward s line. Since that night, it has seemed like the Bruins have tried every player possible on Kelly s line. I ve played with lots of players in my career, I think. I m sure some of them said, Oh no, I ve got to play with this guy. Yeah, most of them probably said, Oh no, I ve got to play with this guy, Kelly said after yesterday s practice at the TD Garden. You just try to make the game as easy as possible and keep it simple, and I ve been fortunate to play with so many good players. The most recent incarnation of Kelly s line has included Carl Soderberg, a natural center who has shifted to left wing, and Reilly Smith, who was acquired from Dallas in the Tyler Seguin trade. That trio, which has been together for the past two preseason games, stayed intact yesterday before the team departed for its final two exhibitions against the Jets in Winnipeg (tonight) and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (tomorrow). Kelly s able to rattle off the names of his many wingers, including Seguin, Brian Rolston and Benoit Pouliot. The best combination the 33-year-old Kelly has skated with since joining the Bruins, of course, featured the laser shot of Michael Ryder and the speed skating of Rich Peverley during the run to the Stanley Cup in 2011. That line epitomized the two-way contributions the B s look for from the third line. Neither of Kelly s current linemates, or the five other forwards still competing for a job on the opening night roster, can match what Ryder and Peverley brought. Nonetheless, nearly a week together has nurtured some ever-important chemistry. Every day it gets a little easier, the 22-year-old Smith said. Especially the last two games have gone pretty well. They re really good players, so they make it a lot easier to play with them. You know Kelly s a really smart guy, and he definitely keeps me on the ice from wandering or drifting somewhere. And Carl is a big, strong forward, gets to the net and he s able to create space for himself. They re two easy guys to play with, so it s been good so far. Ryan Spooner, Nick Johnson, Matt Lindblad, Jordan Caron and Matt Fraser are the other forwards still in camp attempting to win one of the jobs alongside Kelly. Ever since camp opened, it s been assumed Soderberg, who joined the Bruins from his native Sweden last spring, will hold down one of those jobs this season. So Smith and the other five players are competing for one job, and the Bruins coaching staff and management have two more games to make a choice. I think we can swap guys in. We could leave them like that and see how much more we can get out of them. It s a matter of balancing that stuff, Bruins coach Claude Julien said. We really need to make sure we give the other guys a good look too to be able to make that decision. In the meantime, Kelly s wings might keep rotating. He s determined to mesh with whoever Julien places at his side. System-wise, if they have any questions, I try to help them out that way and try to make the game as easy as possible for both of them, Kelly said. I think that s every centerman s job. Boston Herald LOADED: 09.26.2013

718029 Buffalo Sabres Sabres sign Zadorov, top Blue Jackets By Mike Harrington News Sports Reporter @BNHarrington Google+ on September 25, 2013-11:47 PM updated September 26, 2013 at 1:32 AM The Buffalo Sabres had big expectations for Nikita Zadorov when they drafted him 16th overall in June. And while he may not play in the NHL this season, the 6-foot-5 Russian clearly has been one of the surprise stories of training camp. Zadorov s play has impressed the Sabres enough that the team signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract Wednesday night. Terms were not disclosed. The 220-pounder looked good in summer development camp, was a standout in the prospect tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings earlier this month and hasn t looked out of place in NHL exhibitions either. Zadorov, who did not play in Wednesday s 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in First Niagara Center, has a plus-4 rating in three games and scored the Sabres first goal in Sunday s 5-3 loss in Toronto. He is advanced and he s continued to get better, General Manager Darcy Regier said during the first intermission Wednesday. He was good in Traverse City and he s continued to get better here so he s on a nice path. I m really happy. It s my first pro contract, Zadorov said in his improving English. I m in Buffalo here and just working to make the team. Zadorov had six goals, 19 assists and 54 penalty minutes in 63 games last year for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League and is expected to return there to play this year. Zadorov, 18, said at the NHL Entry Draft in Newark, N.J., in June that he felt he could be more of an offensive player in spite of a reputation that has been built largely on some punishing body checks. The goal Sunday, on a feed from John Scott as he moved up on the play in the Toronto zone, was a good example of that. For sure I want to try to do more, Zadorov said. I never played that way before. Just last year when I came to Canada, the coaches showed me how to play an offensive game, how to score goals. I like it. I knew that he s a great skater, a pretty skilled guy, said Sabres center Mikhail Grigorenko, a Russian World Junior team member with Zadorov last year. I think he s probably surprised a lot of people that such a big guy could skate and could have amazing hands. The Sabres knew top pick Rasmus Ristolainen, taken eighth overall, was likely to make the team and played a mature game because he had competed professionally in Finland against older players. Zadorov had not until this preseason. Z is coming from juniors and really learning from other guys, coach Ron Rolston said this week. Part of the surprise is how he s picking things up and his progress within the camp. Regier said the Sabres intended to get Zadorov signed as soon as they could. The deal does not impact whether or not he makes the team; if he plays in juniors this year, the contract doesn t kick in. I m working on my physical play, my shot, everything, Zadorov said. I m in here right now. If I have a chance, I want to try to play here and make the team. I m a young guy. It s a great experience for me. The Sabres currently have nine defensemen in camp and Regier said they will keep seven or eight. Barring another decision, the easiest move is putting Zadorov in junior. He would be going back to London, arguably one of the top junior teams in the Canadian Hockey League, Regier said. They host the Memorial Cup next year, so that means he s playing deep into the season, deep into the spring. He s performed well here too so we ll continue to have the conversations over the next few days.... An announced crowd of 17,346 saw the Sabres improve to 4-1-1 in the preseason with Wednesday s win. Ville Leino opened the scoring at 4:58 of the second period, with Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons (empty net) tallying in the third. Jhonas Enroth made 26 saves, 13 while the team was short-handed for the shutout. Ryan Miller will play in the preseason finale Friday in Carolina. One downer was a hand injury suffered by rookie winger Joel Armia late in the second period. He did not return and Rolston said the team s No. 1 draft pick in 2011 would need further evaluation. Buffalo News LOADED: 09.26.2013

718030 Buffalo Sabres Sabres notebook: Rolston says fine sends a message to league By Mike Harrington News Sports Reporter @BNHarrington Google+ on September 25, 2013-11:45 PM Ron Rolston tried to be diplomatic Wednesday when addressing the fine he received from the National Hockey League as part of the fallout from Sunday s brawl in Toronto. But the Buffalo Sabres first-year coach said the league s message will have to be heeded by all bench bosses. It will definitely be in the mind-set, Rolston said. They don t want altercations like that and how it escalated. They are concerned with that. They want coaches in the future to be mindful of it. Rolston was fined for player selection and team conduct with the player selection aspect a clear reflection of his use of enforcer John Scott against Toronto s Phil Kessel. Scott had been on the ice when Toronto s Jamie Devane fought Corey Tropp, leading to a broken jaw suffered by Tropp that the Sabres said Wednesday will keep the winger out of action for five to six weeks. The full line brawl erupted before the puck was dropped again. It s just more reputation but he had played the whole game, played well and was playing a good game for us, Rolston said of Scott. He had an assist on the first goal. He s worked hard on his game to play hockey too. But I think obviously reputation is a big part of that. Tropp s injury left the Sabres down three forwards because of injuries to Cody McCormick and Marcus Foligno. He had already played nearly nine minutes and certainly would have pushed the 11-12 range on a regular shift over the final 10 minutes. I don t think it was that unrealistic I would be out there, Scott said. I don t know what kind of precedent that sets but I never knew you couldn t put who you want on the ice, added Sabres winger Steve Ott. That s a very confusing thing. I don t understand how they came about it. The league did not disclose the amount of Rolston s fine but it s believed both he and Toronto coach Randy Carlyle were hit $10,000, with Caryle s fine coming as part of David Clarkson s automatic 10-game suspension for leaving the bench. I was pretty surprised, Scott said. I didn t expect that. I was a little shocked by it. It was strange because I was already on the ice and we had first change. I think it s foreign territory as far as player selection and coaches getting fined. I get the whole incidents for the second line change if Ron was to put him out there and something would start to create a scene, Ott said. There was no intention of creating a scene there. Scott said he had no problem with the three-game preseason suspension handed to Kessel for chopping at Scott s legs with his stick. It s one of those things he s just protecting himself, Scott said. I would have done the same thing. Cracked Ott about Kessel, Well, I m sure he s pretty excited to be missing the rest of preseason.... Asked during Wednesday s game against Columbus if he was surprised Rolston was fined, General Manager Darcy Regier smiled and said, a little bit. I guess the only thing he could have done was pull John off the ice, Regier said. As Ron and I discussed, it s a tough position for him to be in. Regier spoke to NHL executives Colin Campbell and Brendan Shanahan over the incident, the first full-scale brawl in a Sabres game since the infamous dust-up here with Ottawa in 2007. That also ended in a goalie fight, between Martin Biron and Ray Emery. I think there was concern about the incident on a league level, Regier said. It s one of those things the last time we had a situation like that was when Chris Neil hit Chris Drury. That s quite a few years ago. They don t happen very often, which is probably a good thing.... The Sabres lineup for Wednesday s game against Columbus featured an all-first-round pick line of Mikhail Grigorenko centering Zemgus Girgensons and Joel Armia. Cody Hodgson centered Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford, Tyler Ennis was between Ott and Ville Leino and Johan Larsson was between Scott and Patrick Kaleta On defense, Henrik Tallinder and Tyler Myers were paired together for the first time since Tallinder returned to the team this season. Of course, they spent Myers entire 2009-10 Calder Trophy season together. Rolston said he wanted to get Mark Pysyk some time playing with Christian Ehrhoff after Pysyk had spent most of camp with Tallinder. I think he s been playing great in the games he s played, Tallinder said of Myers. He looks tremendous to me. That s hockey. Confidence. That s what it is. If you re afraid of making mistakes or trying to push it too hard, things will not happen for you. You just have to relax in a good way.... Rolston said McCormick (hand) could play in Friday night s preseason finale at Carolina. Foligno has an upper-body muscle strain and will not play in that game, but Rolston said he expects Foligno to be ready for the season opener next Wednesday in Detroit. Not playing for Buffalo Wednesday were Nakita Zadorov, Luke Adam, Brian Flynn, Kevin Porter and Alexander Sulzer. Buffalo News LOADED: 09.26.2013

718031 Calgary Flames Johnson: Will one-time poster boy prospect Sven Baertschi make Flames after middling pre-season? By GEORGE JOHNSON, Calgary Herald September 26, 2013 12:00 AM Auditions are over. The show opens out-of-town next Thursday at the Verizon Centre in D.C. Curtain goes up at 5 p.m. MT Will Sven Baertschi be part of the 23-man cast? Whatever happens, happens, he replied Wednesday, post-game. If they decide to send me down, if they decide to keep me, it s up to them. I can t influence it. I think I got some good opportunities here and there, but it is what it is. Not so very long ago, he was the poster-boy for a bright, bold, technicolour future. Now he s a game-time decision to start this season with the big club. In what amounted to a very important evening for Baertschi s immediate future here, the final pre-season tilt before coaches and management huddle in the war room to set a course of action, it wasn t if he did anything wrong, exactly. He just didn t... set Times Square ablaze. And training camp for the non-certainties, the exhibition games in particular, is all about standing out. About getting noticed. About going above and beyond. Sven Baertschi is, make no mistake, a creative player on a team in dire need of them. The Flames have been waiting for him to give them a compelling reason to make the issue moot. The thing was, he said following the 3-2 OT loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, I was trying to play as well as I can and things weren t going well. So it kinda sucks if you come after a sh---y season like last year and it just doesn t work out. For me, there were a lot of good things out there tonight. One shift to Gally and you saw what happened. I got scoring chances and stuff. For me, focusing on myself, not on what outside people think, is what s important. He s only 20. We tend to forget that. Yet this, it must be said, represents an extremely delicate moment in the development of Sven Baertschi. Those pockets of potential, that stirring introduction to this city in a three-goal, five-game debut two years ago, the strong finish after being demoted last season, have only whetted people s appetite for more. Could be the expectations are unrealistic, and he s taking them more to heart than he lets on. Baertschi, usually the most talkative, personable guy you d ever went to meet, bristled slightly when asked if he felt this camp had been a struggle. No. Not at all. You can t tell if it s a struggle, especially from outside. I feel good. I feel comfortable. But you can always improve, right? I played sick against Edmonton. That was my best game so far this pre-season. Playing with (Jiri) Hudler and (T.J.) Galiardi was exciting. I was happy. I couldn t really keep it up on the same level but at the same time I was still making plays, still performing, three nice assists three games in a row. I take that as a positive thing. By shipping Sven Baertschi to Abbotsford now, do the Flames run the risk of breaking him, crushing his self-esteem altogether, or at least pushing it back? And even if so, should it matter anyway? Mental resilience is a key component of becoming a trustworthy pro, and dealing with setbacks, with adversity, is part of growing up in the game. We told all the guys at the development camp, said boss Bob Hartley when asked about the Sven. We said No one here is guaranteed a spot on this team. He was in that room. Translation: Play dictates placement. Could be Baertschi be too comfortable? Hard to believe of a guy who has only 25 regular-season games to offer as collateral but maybe he feels he s past the point of having to prove himself at this level. And if so, he s dead wrong. He not have felt he belonged at the summer development camp and then the pre-training camp prospects gathering in Penticton, but the team wanted him there for a reason. And they do pay his wages. Might his confidence be frayed? That s certainly possible. And, as mentioned earlier, the projections for his future are been so bright, so blinding. It s a tricky situation. He s putting a lot of pressure on himself, said assistant to the general manager Craig Conroy. We ve talked to Sven, told him Hey, do what you do. Have fun. Smile. For a while there, at the Penticton tournament he seemed... he just wasn t in a good place. He didn t seem to be enjoying himself. The weight of the world seemed to be on his shoulders. When he s at his best, he s playing with speed, moving his feet, making plays. At the beginning of camp, I felt like he was standing around a little bit, watching. But people have piled a ton of pressure on Sven, saying he s going to be this and that, he s going to be the next Jarome. It takes time. This is a league for men. And he s just starting out. With Bob, it s going be getting in the forecheck. You can t just come in, swing your stick and hope you get it. You ve got to get in, use your body and take pucks away. I think he understands that and he s trying to do it but he s gotta play, too. He s got to skate, shoot the puck. In the defensive zone, a little more aware of where his point, where the puck s coming and a little more battle. But he s working hard, working with the coaches and he wants to do it. So while you don t want to put too much pressure on him, you want to see him getting better game in and game out. With the injured Hudler and Michael Cammalleri, both port-siders, expected back for Ovie and Co. on Thursday where does No. 47 slot in? Curtis Glencross also a spot cemented on the left side. Then there s Bouwma, whose four goals and feistiness in pre-season, to consider and perhaps even a relocated Mikael Backlund. Auditions are over. The show opens next week. Will Sven Baertschi be part of the cast? It s not an issue for me, he said Wednesday night. I ve been through it last year. It s something I don t bring home. It has nothing to do with my private life. I can t do anything more about it now. It s over. We ll wait and see. Won t be long now. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 09.26.2013