Capital 3, Panthers 2

Photo by Anna Armstrong

The Florida Panthers traveled to the nation's capital Saturday to take on the Washington Capitals in their first game of a home-and-home series. The Cats, playing their fifth game in seven nights, were attempting to avoid fatigue. In addition, they were coming off a difficult defeat Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead, only to see Carolina storm back and hand the Panthers a 5-3 loss. Subsequently, they fell six points behind the Hurricanes in their hunt for a playoff birth.

The Caps, winners of New Year's Day's thrilling NHL Winter Classic, lost their last game to Tampa Bay, 1-0 on a Martin St. Louis overtime goal Tuesday. Alex Ovechkin was limited in practice this week because of what is believed to be an ailing left wrist. He recently received a cortisone shot and claims he is fine.

Florida struck first at 3:49 of the first-period when David Booth snagged a puck in the right corner and sent a pass to Dmitri Kulikov at the left point. Kulikov then found a wide open Mike Santorelli parked in front of the net, who pushed the puck past Washington goalie Semyon Varlamov.

Please read the rest of the story at The Hockey Writers.

NHL Happenings

Panthers 4, Hurricanes 3

Bryan Allen fooled Carolina netminder Cam Ward with a slap shot 1:16 into overtime as the Florida Panthers edged the Hurricanes 4-3. Ward made 24 saves on the night.
Florida also had goals from Cory Stillman, Chris Higgins, and Dennis Wideman. The Panthers blew a two-goal lead in the third-period but were able to prevail. Scott Clemensen blocked away 34 shots in the win.
Zac Dalpe, Zach Boychuck, and Jay Harrison each scored goals for Carolina.

Fantasy Fodder:
Florida
B. Allen 1G/+1
D. Wideman 1G/+1
D. Kulikov 1A/+1/2PIM
M. Santorelli 1A/+1
R. Dvorak 1A/+1/3SOG
S. Matthias 1A/-1
C. Higgins 1G/+1/4PIM
C. Stillman 1G/1A/+2
E. Dadonov 1A/+1/3SOG
M. Frolik 2A/+1/5SOG
Scratches: D. Hordichuk

Carolina
J. McBain 1A/-1
T. Gleason -3/6PIM
T. Bodie 1A/+1
Z. Dalpe 1G/+2
E. Cole 2A/+2/4SOG
J. Harrison 1G/+2
E. Staal 1A/5SOG
Scratches: J. Tlusty, Joni Pitkanen, J. Jokinen
___________________________________________________________________

Bruins 2, Maple Leafs 1
Marc Savard's tie-breaking goal in the second-period turned out to be the decisive marker as the Boston Bruins got passed the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1. Nathan Horton also scored and recorded an assist for the Bruins. Boston goalie Tuuka Rask, a day after his confidence was questioned by coach Claude Julien, was phenomenal, stopping 36 of 37 Toronto shots. Mikhail Grabovski had the lone goal for the Maple Leafs. Toronto goalie James Reimer making his second straight start was the hard-luck loser stopping 31 shots. The young netminder has now appeared in three games and sports an impressive .957 SV% and 1.35 GAA.

Fantasy Fodder:
Boston
M. Lucic 1A/+1/3SOG
N. Horton 1G/1A/+2/4SOG
Z. Chara 5SOG
D. Seidenberg 1A/2PIM/3SOG
M. Savard 1G/+2/2PIM
Scratches: M. Stuart

Toronto
L. Schenn 1A
F. Beauchemin 6SOG
P. Kessel 8SOG
M. Grabovski 1G/5SOG
Scratches: B. Lebda, J. Mitchell

_______________________________________

Blackhawks 4, Kings 3
Both the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks entered tonight's play with three-game losing streaks. At the end of the night, it was Chicago snapping their skid and the Kings losing their fourth straight for the second time this year. Jonathan Toews scored the game winner in the third-period to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 victory. Toews also added an assist. Patrick Sharp continued to play well against the Kings finishing with two goals and registering an assist. Marian Hossa also had a goal for Chicago. Corey Crawford earned the win making 26 saves.
Ryan Smyth had two goals and Michal Handzus added another for Los Angeles. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick saved 24 shots in the loss.

Fantasy Fodder:
Chicago
P. Sharp 2G/1A/2PIM/4SOG
J. Toews 1G/1A/2PIM/ 6SOG
B. Bickell +1/2PIM
M. Hossa 1G/+1/6SOG
T. Kopecky 2A
P. Kane 1A
Scratches: N. Boynton, J. Dowell, J. Scott

Los Angeles
J. Johnson 2A
R. Scuderi 2PIM
A. Kopitar 1A/-1/2PIM/4SOG
J. Williams 1A/+2/4PIM/3SOG
R. Smyth 2G/+1/3SOG
M. Handzus 1G/+1
Scratches: P. Harold, A. Ponikarovsky, W. Mitchell
___________________________________________________________________

Islanders 5, Flames 2
John Tavares scored two goals and added an assist as the New York Islanders downed the Calgary flames 5-2. Matt Moulson also scored twice for the Isles and Michael Grabner tallied an empty netter. New York goaltender Rick DiPietro started the game but was forced to leave in the second-period with an apparent lower body injury. He had stopped 13 of 14 shots and staked the Isles to a 4-1 lead. DiPietro missed most of the last two seasons with a bad knee. Nathan Lawson who was just called from Bridgeport of the AHL finished the game and made 28 saves on 29 shots. David Moss scored twice but was the only Flame to find the back of the net. Goalie Henrik Karlsson made a rare start for Calgary kicking out 21-25 shots in the loss.

Fantasy Fodder:
New York
P. Parenteau 2A/+1/2PIM
M. Moulson 2G/ +2
Z. Konopka 1A/5PIM
T. Harmonic 1A/+1
M. Grabner 1G/+1/4SOG
A. MacDonald 2A/+1
F. Nielsen 1A/5SOG
J. Tavares 2G/1A/+1/5SOG
Scratches: T. Gillies, B. Comeau

Calgary
M. Giordano -2/4SOG
A. Pardy 1A/2PIM
J. Iginla 5SOG
O. Jokinen -1/4SOG
T. Jackman 1A/2PIM/4SOG
T. Kostopulos 5PIM/4SOG
D. Moss 2g/ +1/6SOG
A. Kotalik -1/4SOG
A. Babchuk 1A
Scratches: C. Conroy, B. Mikkelson
___________________________________________________________________

Canucks 4, Sharks 3
Alexandre Burrows, Jannik Hansen, Daniel Sedin, and Alexander Edler each tallied goals as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-3. Burrows scored the winning goal midway through the third-period. Goalie Cory Schneider rejected 32 shots for the win.
Ryan Clowe, Jamal Mayers, and Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks. San Jose netminder Antti Niemi had a busy night, saving 43 of 47 shots in the defeat.

Fantasy Fodder:
Vancouver
K. Ballard 1A/+1
E. Ehrhoff 2A,/+1/5SOG
J. Tambellini 5SOG
A. Burrows 1G/1A/+1/5SOG
T. Glass 10PIM
R. Kessler 1A/+1/4SOG
M. Raymond 1A/+1/ 3SOG
D. Sedin 1G/1A/ +1/3SOG
A. Edler 1G/3SOG
H. Sedin 1A/+1/4PIM
J. Hansen 1G/+1
Scratches: A. Alberts, A Volpatti

San Jose
J. Mayers 1G/+1/5PIM
P. Marleau 1G
D. Heatley 2A
J. Thornton -3
D. Boyle 1A/-1/2PIM/4SOG
R. Clowe 1A/-1
L. Couture +1/2PIM/7SOG
K. Huskins 1A
M. Vlasic 2PIM
B. Mashinter 5PIM
B. Ferriero 1A
Scratches: J. Pavelski, T. Mitchell, D. Joslin
____________________________________________________________________

Notes:

• Ryan Kessler was questionable with a heel injury but did play.
• Brad Stuart participated in Monday's practice. He was hit with a puck on the back of the head in Sunday's game.
• Mark Frazer is back with Devils. He missed time with a broken hand. Mark Fayne was sent down to Abany of the AHL to make room for him.
• Jonanthan Toews returned on Monday.
• Nick Bonine was sent back down to AHL Syracuse to make room for newly acquired Maxim Lapierre.
• Mikkel Boedker was sent back down to the minors
• Liam Reddox and Linus Omark were called up to Edmonton from Oklahoma City
• Ryan McDonagh was summoned by the Rangers from Hartford.
  

NHL Happenings

Thrasher 4, Canadians 3, OT
Dustin Byfuglien continued his quest for the Norris Trophy by scoring the winning goal in overtime as the Atlanta Thrashers defeated the Montreal Canadians 4-3. Byfuglien leads all NHL defensemen with 16 goals and 41 points. Oleg Pavelec was magnificent, stopping 47 of 50 Montreal shots. Andrew Ladd, Rich Peverley, and Evander Kane scored the other goals for the Thrashers. Montreal goalie Carey Price kicked out 24 of 28 shots in the loss. His record fell to 2-7-1 in his last ten games. Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban, and Brian Gionta each scored goals for the Canadians.

Fantasy Fodder:
Atlanta
Z Bogosian 1 A
E Kane 1G/1A/+1/4SOG
C. Thorburn 1A
D. Bufuglien 1G/+2/4SOG
T. Enstrom 3A/+3
P. Cormier 1A/+1/3SOG
R. Peverley 1G/+1/4SOG
Scratches: B. Eager, J. Slater, F. Meyer

Montreal
S.Gomez 1A/+1/5SOG
T. Plekanec 1G/-1/3SOG
J. Wisniewsky 2A
B. Gionta 1G/+1/9SOG
R. Hamrlik 1A/5SOG
M. Pacioretty 1A/7SOG
P. Subban 1G/-1/3SOG
Scratches: A.Picard, L. Eller
____________________________________________________________________

Panthers 3, Rangers 0
Thomas Vokoun made 32 saves to earn his fifth shutout of the season and help give the Florida Panthers a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers. David Booth and Chris Higgins were able to slip pucks past Ranger goaltender Martin Biron. Biron played well also, stopping 33 of 35 Panther shots. Stephen Weiss added an empty netter for Florida.

Fantasy Fodder:
New York
S. Avery 9:14 TOI
B. Dubinsky minus 2
D. Stepan minus 2/3SOG
Scratches: D. Boogaard, M. Gilroy

Florida
D. Wideman 1A/3SOG
S. Weiss 1G/+2/3SOG
D. Booth 1G/4SOG
C. Higgins 1G/+2
J. Garrison plus 2/3SOG
Scratches: D. Hordichuk, S. Reinprecht ____________________________________________________________________

Flyers 3, Red Wings 2
James van Reimsdyk, Daniel Carcillo, and Scott Hartnell each scored goals to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The Flyers, up 3-0, were able to hold off a late Detroit comeback. Valtteri Filppula and Henrik Zetterberg each scored third period goals for the Red Wings. Detroit starter Jimmy Howard was pulled in favor of Chris Osgood at the start of the third period. Howard allowed 3 goals on 27 shots. Osgood stopped all five shots he faced. Flyer goalie Brian Boucher kicked out 25-27 shots for the win.
Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart was helped off the ice after being struck in the face by a Jeff Carter shot.

Fantasy Fodder
Philadelphia
D. Carcillo 1G/+1/4SOG
M. Richards 1A
S. Hartnell 1G/+1
J. van Reimsdyk 1G/+1/5SOG
V. Leino plus 1/ 2PIM/4SOG
M. Carle 1A/+1
D. Briere 1A/+1/2PIM
Scratches: E. Gustafsson, N. Zherdev, M. Leighton

Detroit
N. Lidstrom 1A/-1
H. Zetterberg 1G/4SOG
D. Helm 4SOG
J. Franzen 1A/+1/3SOG
T Holmstrom 1A
Scratches: J. Kindl, P. Datsyuk, P. Eaves
_____________________________________________________________________

Wild 6, Coyotes 5, OT
In a fast and furious third-period, Minnesota's Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored with 26 seconds remaining in regulation, leading to Cam Barker's game winning goal 46 seconds into overtime, as the Minnesota Wild downed the Phoenix Coyotes 6-5. Andrew Brunette scored twice, Nick Schultz and Brent Burns added goals, and Mikko Koivu had four assists for the Wild.
Jose Theodore stopped 39 shots to pick up the win. Phoenix goaltender Jason LaBarbara blocked 39 shots in the loss. Ray Whitney scored twice for Phoenix, while Scottie Upshall, Keith Yandle, and Ed Jovanovski each scored once. Shane Doan added two assists for the Coyotes. He now has a six game scoring streak, and has 21 points in the last 19 games.


Fantasy Fodder:
Phoenix
S. Upshall 1G/+1
R. Whitney 2G/+1
K. Yandle 1G/1A/+1/2PIM/5SOG
E. Belanger 1A
L. Stempniak 1A/6SOG
V. Fiddler 1A/ 4SOG
Scratches: P. Bissonette, O. Ekman-Larsson, M.Boedker

Minnesota
B. Burns 1G/2A/+1/3SOG
M. Koivu 4A/+4/ 4SOG
A. Brunette 2G/1A/+3/3SOG
K. Brodziak minus 3
C. Clutterbuck +2/2PIM
E. Nystrom 1A
M. Havlat minus 4/4SOG
C. Barker 1A/-1/4PIM
P. Bouchard 1G/1A/-1
N. Schutz 1G
Scratches: M. Scandella, B. Staubitz
____________________________________________________________________

Predators 4, Blue Jackets 1
Shea Weber had a goal and two assists, and Pekka Rinne stopped 19 of 20 shots as the Nashville Predators beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. The Predators have now won fifteen straight home games over Columbus. Nick Spaling, Patric Hornqvist, and Sergei Kostitsyn also scored for Nashville. R.J. Umberger tallied the lone goal for the Blue Jackets. Steve Mason stopped 22 shots in the loss. Preds' center Cal O'Reilly suffered a broken fibula and will likely be missing from action for some time.

Fantasy Fodder:
Columbus
D. Brassard 1A/+1
R. Umberger 1G/+1
A. Vermette minus 3/3SOG
R. Nash minus 3
Scratches: A. Murray, M. Commodore, K. Wilson

Nashville
S. Weber 1G/2A/+2/5SOG
D. Legwand 1A/+2/2PIM
N. Spaling 1G/+1
R. Suter 1A/+2
P. Hornqvist 1G/1A/+1/5SOG
J. Ward 1A/+1
C. Wilson 2A/+2
S. Kostitsyn 1G
Scratches: A. Sulzer, C. Mueller, L. Klasen
_____________________________________________________________________

Stars 4, Blues 2
Kari Lehtonen snapped a personal four-game losing streak, blocking all but two of 30 shots as the Dallas Stars bested the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Brad Richards had a goal and two assists, and Brenden Morrow scored a pair of goals for Dallas. James Neal potted his 14th goal of the season, but only his first in two weeks. David Backes and Alexander Steen scored the Blues only goals. Matt D'Agostini assisted on both markers. Blues netminder Jaroslav Halak made 23 saves on 27 Stars shots for the loss.

Fantasy Fodder:
Dallas
T. Daley 1A
B. Morrow 2G/2SOG
J. Benn 1A
T. Petersen 1A/+1
J. Neal 1G/+1
L. Eriksson 1A/3SOG
K. Skrastins +2
B. Richards 1G/2A/+1/3SOG
Scratches: B. Sutherby, M. Fistric

St. Louis
E. Brewer 1A/3SOG
A. Steen 1G/8SOG
M. D'Agostini 2A/+2/4SOG
D. Backes 1G/+2
Scratches: T. Strachen
_____________________________________________________________________

Canucks 2, Avalanche 1
Alexandre Bolduc scored his first career NHL goal and added an assist as the Vancouver Canucks trimmed the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Vancouver winger Mason Raymond also scored. It was his first game back after recovering from a broken thumb. Roberto Luongo also returned to action after the birth of his son, and kicked out all but one of 32 shots. Luongo was denied the shutout when Paul Stastny ripped a wrist shot by him. Craig Anderson was the hard-luck loser but played well. He stopped 27 of 29 Vancouver shots.

Fantasy Fodder:
Vancouver
C. Ehrhoff +1/2PIM/3SOG
T. Glass 1A/+1
R. Kessler 6PIM
M. Raymond 1G/+1/3SOG
A. Bolduc 1G/1A/+2/2PIM
Scratches: A. Rome, A. Volpati

Colorado
J. Liles 1A/4SOG
M. Duchene 1A/4SOG
P. Stastny 1G, +1, 3SOG
Scratches: J. Holos, D. Koci, C. McLeod
____________________________________________________________________

Ducks 2, Blackhawks 1
Jonas Hiller was brilliant, saving 40 of 41 shots as he lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Perry scored the game winning goal. Andreas Lilja also scored for the Ducks on his first marker of the season. Bryan Bickell's 11th goal of the year was the only score for Chicago. Corey Crawford stopped 16 of 18 shots. He missed his last three contests because of a severe flu.

Fantasy Fodder:
Chicago
P. Sharp minus 1/2PIM/3SOG
B. Bickell 1G/5SOG
B. Campbell 1A/+1
D. Bolland 1A/2PIM/6SOG
Scratches: Jonathan Toews, Nick Boynton, John Scott

Anaheim
A. Lilja 1G/2PIM
J. Lupul 1A/+1
T. Lydman 1A
M. Belesky 1A/+1
B. McMillan 1A/+1
Scratches: M. Lapierre, S. Brookbank, P. Mara

NHL Happenings

Maple Leafs 5, Senators 1
James Reimer in his first NHL start kicked out 32 of 33 Ottawa shots as the Toronto Maple Leafs embarrassed the Senators 5-1. Ottawa goalie Brian Elliott allowed 3 goals on 7 shots and was replaced after the first sixteen minutes of play by Mike Brodeur, who made 12 saves. Tyler Bozak scored twice for the Maple Leafs, while Joey Crabb, Tomas Kaberle, and Phil Kessel each registered two assists. Sergei Gonchar tallied the only goal for Ottawa.

Hurricanes 6, Devils 3
Martin Brodeur was ineffective yet again, and was pulled in the first period after allowing 3 goals on ten Carolina shots. Devil backup Johan Hedberg played in relief the rest of the way. Rookie Jeff Skinner and Sergei Samsonov scored two goals apiece for the 'Canes. Tuomo Ruutu had a goal and three assists, and rookie Zac Dalpe netted his first NHL goal after being called up from Charlotte, Carolina's AHL affiliate yesterday. Carolina netminder Cam Ward earned the win blocking 25 of 28 shots. Patrick Elias had a goal and an assist, Matt Corrente registered two assists, and Rod Pelley and Travis Zajac each scored a goal for New Jersey.

Sabres 7, Bruins 6, SO
Tyler Ennis scored the decisive shootout goal, and Drew Stafford registered his second hat trick in two weeks as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins 7-6. Jason Pominville had two goals and two assists, and Thomas Vanek registered a goal and an assist for Buffalo. Boston goalie Tuuka Rask was pulled after allowing 3 goals on 16 shots. He was relieved by Tim Thomas who also allowed 3 goals. Zdeno Chara and Tyer Seguin each had a goal and an assist, while Steven Kamfer, Dennis Seidenberg, Brad Marchand and Andrew Ferrence each netted goals for the Bruins. Ryan Miller was far from his best. He kicked out only 34 of 40 shots but was able to get the win for Buffalo.

Lightning 2, Rangers, OT
Nate Thompson scored on a pass from Dana Tyrell in overtime as the Tampa Bay Lightning out-dueled the New York Rangers 2-1. In the first period, Tyrell scored on an assist from Thompson. Marion Gaborik forced the overtime for the Rangers when he slipped the puck by Tampa Bay goalie Cedrick Desjardins with 45.6 seconds left in overtime. Desjardins won his second consecutive start after being recalled from Norfolk in the AHL on December 20th. Henrik Lundqvist played well, stopping 31 of 32 shots in the Ranger loss.

Capitals 3, Penguins 1, The Winter Classic
Eric Fehr netted a pair of goals for Washington and Mike Knuble scored once as the Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Winter Classic played outdoors in a makeshift arena in Pittsburgh. Superstars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin went scoreless. Evgeni Malkin scored the only goal for the Pens. Semyon Varlamov, who earned the first star honors, stopped 32 shots for the victory. Marc-Andre Fleury was the hard luck loser for Pittsburgh, stopping 29 of 32 Capital shots.

Flames 2, Oilers 1
Mark Giordano tipped in an Alex Tanguay wrist shot for the winning goal as Calgary beat Edmonton 2-1. Tim Jackman also scored for the Flames. Mikka Kiprusoff was brilliant again kicking out 16 of 17 shots. Oiler goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was also outstanding stopping 28 shots. Edmonton rookie Jordan Eberle was forced to leave the game in the second period when he injured his ankle slamming into the boards. His status is unknown at this time.

Sharks 1, Kings 0
Devin Setoguchi scored the only goal of the game on his 24th birthday as the San Jose Sharks nipped the Los Angeles Kings 1-0. Kent Huskins and Marc-Edouard Vlasic each registered assists on the play. Antti Niemi earned his ninth NHL shutout stopping all 29 shots. Jonathan Quick stopped 18 of 19 San Jose shots but took the loss.

Injuries
Marek Zidlicky will be out "long term" according to Minnesota coach Todd Richards. Zidlicky's timetable to return is likely to measured in months, not weeks.
Boston center Gregory Campbell missed tonight's game because of the flu.
Atlanta defenseman Zach Bogosian missed yesterday's game due to a knee injury. He is considered day-to-day.
The Hurricanes called up defenseman Brett Carson from Charlotte to take the place of injured Joni Pitkanen. Zac Dalpe was also called up to fill in for Jussi Jokinen.

Puck Pugilists
Colton Orr of Toronto 24 PIM
Chris Neil of Ottowa 17 PIM

Chi-Sox Conundrum

ESPN's Buster Olney and MLB.com's Scott Merkin both believe that Chris Sale is the likely favorite to become the Chicago White Sox closer in 2011. Bobby Jenks, the team's primary closer since 2006, recently signed a two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. J.J.Putz, who may have been considered for the job, signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

When Jenks was benched at the end of last year's season because of injury, and which some claim ineffectiveness, the closing chores were shared between Sales and Matt Thornton. Both southpaws were effective, with Thornton picking up eight saves and Sale four. So who deserves to be the closer heading into the 2011 season?

The 22 year old Sale made his major league debut last season in the same year he was drafted. He was immediately regarded as Chicago's number one prospect. A starter in college, he pitched only 10.1 innings in the minors, all in relief, before being called up to the majors. With the White Sox he was dominant (12.34 K/9) while showing decent control (3.86 BB/9) in 23.1 innings, also in relief. He posted a 51GB/12LD/37FB line and ended with a stellar 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 2.74 FIP. These numbers all indicate an excellent skill set. There are, however, some questions. Will he be able to maintain his unusually high 87% strand rate, or .278 BABIP? And most of all, will he be able to maintain his 51% ground ball rate. If not, this can be a cause of concern, especially in the cozy confines of U.S. Cellular Field. He doesn't pitch low in the zone and his arsenal is one that is not conducive to producing many ground balls. He possesses a good fast ball that reaches 96MPH, a good slider, and a decent changeup. Sale does not have a smooth delivery, and some scouts believe his motion will cause undue stress on his elbow.

Matt Thornton turned 34 years of age in September. He is known for having only one pitch, an unbelievable fastball with great lateral movement that he throws 90% of the time. Thornton pounds the upper half of the zone with it, which jams right-hand batters up and in, and moves away from lefties. He throws it with such velocity (96.2 MPH) that it is almost impossible to hit, let alone get a good swing on. From 2008-10 he averaged 10.78 K/9, 3.23 BB/9, 4.15 K/BB all indicating superb dominance, control, and command. He also averaged a 2.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 2.45 FIP. However, his GB% has decreased from 53% in 2008 to 40% in 2010, although he was able to reduce his hr/f from 11% to 6%. He also had five blown saves in each of the past two years.

The question that Ozzie Guillen faces is whether he will trust the young Sale's lack of experience, or the elder Thornton's ability to maintain his heater's effectiveness. Who do you think will be the Chi-Sox closer in 2011?

NHL Happenings

Johan Hedberg stopped 28 of 29 shots to help the New Jersey Devils defeat the Atlanta Thrashers 3-1. The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Devils. It was also the first win for coach Jacques Lemaire since he took over for recently fired John MacLean. Mark Fayne, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Ilya Kovalchuch had goals for the Devils. Dustin Byfuglien scored his 15th goal of the year for Atlanta. He leads all NHL defensemen with 40 points. Goalie Chris Mason took the loss.

James Wisniewski deflected a Michael Cammalleri shot for the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Montreal Canadians a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Wisniewski was playing in only his second game with Montreal since being acquired in a trade with the New York Islanders earlier this week. He also scored a power play goal and added an assist in the second period. The Panthers took an early 2-0 lead with goals from Stephen Weiss and Dmitri Kulikov. But Montreal then dominated the rest of the game. Alex Auld stopped twenty shots for the win. Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun played well in the loss, blocking 45 of 48 shots.

Pekka Rinne made 22 saves to earn his first win since coming back from a knee injury, as the Nashville Predators defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Rinne had lost his previous three starts. Patric Hornqvist, after failing to register a point last night on 14 SOG, tipped in a Shea Weber shot to give the Preds a 2-0 lead. Minnesota's Chuck Kobasew made it a one goal game when he scored at 18:06 of the third period. But the Preds sealed the victory with empty net goals from Joel Ward and Sergei Kostitsyn in the final minute. Cody Franson also scored for Nashville. Niklas Backstrom saved 28 of 30 shots in the loss.

Jakub Voracek put a wrist shot past past goalie Brian Elliott's leg pads in overtime as the Columbus Blue Jackets ousted the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Voracek, who was a healthy scratch the past two games, also added an assist. The Blue Jackets had a 3-0 lead midway through the second-period on goals from R.J. Umberger, Rick Nash, and Samuel Pahlsson. But the Senators stormed back on an unassisted second-period wrist shot by Mike Fisher, and third- period goals from Nick Foligno and Daniel Alfreddson, the latter a wrist shot with just over a minute left in regulation. Elliot stopped 19 shots for the Senators. Steve Mason in the win saved 35 of 38 shots for Columbus.

Jason Blake and Lubomir Visnovsky each netted two goals and added two assists to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a convincing 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Teemu Salanne, Saku Koivu, and Toni Lydman also had two assists apiece. Rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky
continued his recent poor play, stopping only 22-27 shots. The lone goal scorers for the Flyers were Andreas Nodl and Jeff Carter, who also added an assist. Jonas Hiller was brilliant behind the net again, stopping 35 Flyer shots.

Backup goalie Cory Schneider was phenomenal, stopping 44 of 45 shots to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. It was Vancouver's fourth consecutive win. Dallas netminder Kari Lehtonen suffered his second difficult game in the past two nights and was pulled after allowing four goals on only ten shots. He was relieved by Andrew Raycroft who saved all eight shots he faced. Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Raffi Torres, and Kevin Bieksa all scored for Vancouver. Brenden Morrow's power play goal was the only marker for the Stars.

Alexander Steen scored a goal and added an assist, and Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves as the St. Louis Blues won their fifth straight game beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3. Brad Boyes, Erik Johnson, and Alex Pietrangelo also scored, and Barret Jackman added two helpers for the Blues. Shane Doan potted two goals, Laurie Korpikoski scored once, and Scottie Upshall had two assists for the Yotes. Ilya Bryzgalov took the loss, saving 18 of 22 shots.

Tom Kostopoulos and Tim Jackman each had a goal and an assist as the Calgary Flames got the best of the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Mikka Kiprusoff stopped 19 of 21 shots for the win. Jerome Iginla continued his strong December play, netting a goal. Daniel Winnik and Tomas Fleischmann scored third-period goals but the Avalanche rally fell short. Craig Anderson made 23 saves in the loss.

P.A. Parenteau lifted a snap shot passed goalie Jimmy Howard in overtime as the New York Islanders defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3. The Isles, arguably the NHL's weakest team, has beaten the Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins in consecutive nights. Dwayne Roloson was stellar, stopping 38 of 41 shots. Despite winning only six of 19 games, he maintains a decent .916 SV% and a 2.64 GAA. John Tavares, who recently broke out of a lengthy slump, had a goal and two assists. Matt Moulson and Jesse Joensu also scored for the Isles. Detroit rookie Tomas Tatar scored his first goal in his NHL debut. Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula also netted goals for the Red Wings. Jimmy Howard was only able to stop 19 of 23 shots in the loss.


NHL Nomads:
The Montreal Canadians traded fan favorite Maxim Lapierre to the Anaheim Ducks for Brett Festerling and a 2012 fifth round pick.
Edmonton sent Linus Omark down to Oklahoma City.
Phoenix sent Brett MacLean down to the San Antonio Rampage.
After clearing waivers, Canuck's defenseman Ryan Parent has been sent down to the minors.
Florida center Steve Reinprecht was placed on waivers.
Edmonton defenseman Shawn Bell has been called up from Oklahoma City.

Injuries:
Evander Kane returned to action after missing his last game with an injured arm.
Devil's Colin White missed tonight's game because of the flu. He remains doubtful for Sunday.
Carolina forward Jussi Jokinen will probably miss Saturday's game with a lower body injury.
Carolina defenseman Joni Pitkanen is also doubtful for tomorrow's game. He is suffering from the flu and also has a lower body injury.
Red Wing center Patrick Eaves suffered an upper body injury after scoring a hat trick on Wednesday. He is considered day-to-day.
The Islanders placed defenseman Radek Martinek on IR with a wrist injury.

Fantasy Futility:
Richard Peverly minus 3 +/-
Andrew Ladd minus 3 +/-
Cam Barker minus 3 +/-
Danny Briere minus 3 +/-
Mike Richards minus 3 +/-

NHL Happenings

Rookie goaltender Cedrick Desjardins picked up his first win in his NHL debut as the Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Montreal Canadians 4-1. Desjardins was traded by the Canadians to Tampa Bay before the start of this season. He made 27 saves. Montreal goaltender Carey Price was chased after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Steven Stamkos had two goals and two assists. Pavel Kubina and Martin St. Louis also scored for the Lightning. Max Pacioretti had a goal for the Canadians.


Tobias Enstrom scored two power play goals, and Brian Little and Tim Stapleton each scored in the first two rounds of a shootout as the Atlanta Thrashers defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2. Ondrej Pavelec picked up the win when he stoned Blake Wheeler and Tyler Seguin during the shootout. Tim Thomas was the hard-luck loser.

R.J. Umberger tipped a Rick Nash wrist shot past Jonas Gustavsson for the game winner as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Steve Mason stopped 20 of 22 shots for the victory. Kristian Huselius had two goals for the Blue Jackets, while Nikolai Kulemin and Tyler Bozak each had a single tally for the Leafs.

San Jose snapped its two game losing streak when Joe Thornton tipped in the game winner as the Sharks topped the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Antti Niemi stopped 26 shots for the win. Marty Turco making his third straight appearance was saddled with the loss after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Patrick Sharp, Troy Brouwer, and Brian Campbell scored for Chicago. Scott Nichol, Benn Ferriero, Dany Heatley, and Ryane Clowe each found the back of the net for San Jose. Dan Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic each picked up a pair of assists.

Milan Hejduk scored the lone goal in a shootout to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The Avalanche darted out to a 3-0 first period lead on goals by TJ Galiardi, Paul Stastny, and Thomas Fleischman. Edmonton tied it on a second period goal by Taylor Hall, and third period goals by Ales Hemsky and Andrew Cogliano. Dustin Penner had two assists. Colorado goalie Craig Anderson picked up the win, while Devan Dubnyk suffered the loss for the Oilers.

Michael Leighton picked up his first victory of the season as the Philadelphia Flyers outlasted the Los Angeles Kings 7-4. Leighton had not played since last year's Stanley Cup final. He was finally activated after spending the entire season on IR rehabilitating from back surgery. He stopped 32-36 shots. Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier was ineffective allowing six goals on only 22 shots. He was finally relieved by Jonathan Quick. Mike Richards scored two goals and had two assists for the Flyers. He was joined by fellow teammates Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere, James van Riemsdyk, and Ville Leino who each scored a goal. Ryan Williams potted two goals, while Justin Williams and Jack Johnson each scored once for L.A. The Kings Kyle Clifford, Wayne Simmonds, and Michal Handzus were a minus 3 plus/minus for the night.

Injuries:

Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf has been put on IR after sustaining multiple sinus fractures when a deflected puck hit his face a couple of days ago. He will miss at least two games.

The swelling is so severe, it will take two weeks to determine treatment for Oiler defenseman Ryan Whitney's ankle. If surgery is needed, he will miss the remainder of the year.

Atlanta's Nik Antropov was placed on IR with an injured hip. The injury was worse than originally thought.

Thrasher winger Evander Kane was unable to suit up for tonight's game with an undisclosed arm injury. He attempted to practice but was forced to leave the ice after six minutes.

Blackhawk forward Jonathan Toews will miss two weeks with a shoulder injury. Fortunately, the injury was not as severe as originally feared.