Czech Team Breathes Sigh of Relief After Demel Scare
It is the worst nightmare of anyone who has ever played or watched ice hockey: The sight of a player lying unconscious on the ice for a prolonged period of time. Concerned teammates, opponents and fans stand in stunned silence while medical personnel work carefully but quickly to attempt to save the player’s life and transport him to the hospital. That horrific scene unfolded last Friday in a Czech Extraliga game between home team BK Mlada Boleslav and visiting HC Vitkovice Steel. Shortly past the five-minute mark of the opening period, Vitkovice forward Petr Strapac hammered veteran Mlada Boleslav forward [...]
Publ.Date : Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:45:39 +0000

Comebacks, Goaltending Keep Detroit?s Streak Alive
1. Nov. 5 — Red Wings 5, Ducks 0 | RecapThe start of the home winning streak was the end of a six-game slide. Nicklas Lidstrom scored twice and Jimmy Howard made 22 saves. 2. Nov. 8 — Red Wings 5, Avalanche 2 | RecapJohan Franzen had a hat trick as Detroit jumped to a 3-0 lead and never looked back. 3. Nov. 11 — Red Wings 3, Oilers 0 | RecapJimmy Howard’s third shutout of the season was supported by goals from Drew Miller, Niklas Kronwall and Valtteri Filppula. 4. Nov. 12 — Red Wings 5, Stars 2 | [...]
Publ.Date : Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:45:49 +0000

Kings Miss Opportunity for Two Big Points
Scoring goals, not preventing them, has been the Los Angeles’ Kings problem this season — so when the Kings led 3-0 after one period of their game at Phoenix on Tuesday night with All-Star goaltender Jonathan Quick in goal, the game was in the bag, right? No so fast. The Coyotes, not one of the NHL’s higher-scoring teams, started finding the range in the second period, climbing within 4-3 at the second intermission. Radim Vrbata’s power-play goal with 2:27 left in regulation forced overtime, and the Coyotes scored twice in the shootout for a stunning 5-4 victory. Phoenix is now [...]
Publ.Date : Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:45:42 +0000

Deadline Activity Could Depend Health of Key Players
There is less than a week until the trade deadline, and teams around the League are in the process of trying to fill some last-minute shopping needs. Some of those teams’ decisions could be affected by a collection of key figures who currently are unavailable because of injury. The big questions for those teams will be: Does the return of said injured player (or players) fill the needs that we have, and are we confident said injured player will indeed return and be effective? If the answer to either of those questions is no, then expect that team to be [...]
Publ.Date : Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:45:42 +0000

MacKenzie Finds His Niche in Columbus
Derek MacKenzie said that like a lot of things that come out of the mouth of former Stanley Cup-winning coach Bob Hartley, the words were not easy to hear. As a young player trying to break into the League with Atlanta, MacKenzie was often called up and then sent quickly back to the Chicago Wolves of American Hockey League. Between 2001-02 and 2006-07, he played 28 games with the Thrashers spread out over four seasons. Center – CBJ GOALS: 5 | ASST: 6 | PTS: 11SOG: 54 | +/-: 3 During one discussion after a demotion, Hartley questioned MacKenzie’s identity [...]
Publ.Date : Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:45:40 +0000

Playoff Push: Caps Fall Short in Carolina
The Washington Capitals had a golden opportunity to move back into playoff position Tuesday night. No such luck. The Caps were blown out by the Carolina Hurricanes in a 5-0 loss at the RBC Center. Washington could have pulled even with the Florida Panthers in the Southeast Division at 65 points apiece, while also moving ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both Florida and Toronto were idle Monday. Washington wasn’t the only team to fail Monday — the New York Islanders were also shut out in a horrid 6-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The [...]
Publ.Date : Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:45:43 +0000

In the Cage: Crawford Back on Track?
Every Monday during the season, goalie specialist and founder of The Goalie Guild Justin Goldman will provide you with an in-depth analysis of fantasy goaltenders in NHL.com’s weekly segment: “In the Cage.” From updated goalie rankings to guys you should keep a close eye on and much more, Goldman will be your fantasy goalie expert all season long. No goalie was under more pressure to bounce back last week than Chicago’s Corey Crawford. He was a thorn in his team’s side at the start of their lengthy nine-game road trip, giving up 10 goals on just 55 shots in consecutive [...]
Publ.Date : Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:45:42 +0000

Power Rankings: Red Wings Now No. 1
There’s a shakeup at the top, three new faces at the bottom, and a season-high five Canadian franchises cracking this week’s Super 16. The Detroit Red Wings and their incredible 23-game winning streak are atop the rankings, dethroning the New York Rangers, who have continued to win but aren’t doing so in the impressive fashion of the team from Hockeytown. One of the three new faces this week are the Calgary Flames, who have clawed into a playoff spot in the West after a slow start. The two other teams to crack the rankings this week aren’t in playoff positions [...]
Publ.Date : Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:45:47 +0000

Playoff Push: Devils Move into Fourth in East
The New Jersey Devils continue to find ways to win hockey games and climb up the standings in the Eastern Conference. The Devils scored late in both the first and second periods Sunday night and hung on for a 3-1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. With its third straight win, New Jersey (34-20-4) jumped ahead of both the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins in the standings. Martin Brodeur made 21 saves for the Devils and improved his record against Montreal to 43-18-5. By moving into fourth place in the East, the Devils would have home-ice advantage [...]
Publ.Date : Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:45:44 +0000

A Somber Mood As Kubina Leaves Tampa Bay
TAMPA — Once Pavel Kubina was held out of practice and scratched from both Tampa Bay Lightning games this week, it was just a matter of time until the defenseman was gone. On Saturday, the Tampa Bay Lightning pulled the trigger and traded the defenseman to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for two draft picks and minor-league forward Jon Kalinski. Sunday, an emotional Kubina cleaned out his locker at Tampa Bay Times Forum for the last time. “Steve (Yzerman) brought me to the office a couple of days ago and asked me for a list of five teams,” Kubina said. [...]
Publ.Date : Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:45:47 +0000