Empty Netter Assists - 12-23-09

Penguins

-Is Evgeni Malkin's (above) recent rash of penalties a problem?

-Why are the Penguins having so much trouble with the Devils this season?

-We can't embed this, but Maxime Talbot has yet a new commercial. This one is for Valley Pool and Spa.

-What Stanley Cup hangover?

-Jordan Staal's face getting a little less prettier:

-Jordan Staal talking about his face being a little less prettier:

-Marc-Andre Fleury has his very own McFarlane sports figurine now:

-We dig the fact that they gave him the Cup, but his goatee is way overdone. He looks like Ethan Hawke from "Training Day:"

-The economy is so tough these days. Even Fleury has to take a second job as a mall Santa. We think:

-The NHL is selling an ornament in honor of Mellon Arena's final season:

-Happy 26th birthday to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Chris Conner. Conner has appeared in six games with the NHL club this season recording one assist.

-Happy 45th birthday to former Penguins forward Petr Klima. Much more renown for his time with the Red Wings and Oilers, Klima came to the Penguins early in the 1996-97 season by way of a trade with the Kings for a conditional draft pick. Klima appeared in nine games and recorded four points for the Penguins, but his performance was so underwhelming that he failed to meet conditions specified in the trade agreement and the conditional pick was forfeited.

-Happy 33rd birthday to former Penguins forward Mikael Samuelsson (right). Currently a member of the Canucks, Samuelsson was a part of two of the biggest trades - one negative, the other decidedly positive - in frachise history. Towards the end of the 2002-03 season, the Penguins acquired Samuelsson, forward Rico Fata and defensemen Joel Bouchard and Richard Lintner from the Rangers in exchange for scoring star Alex Kovalev, who the team unsuccessfully tried to sign to a contract extension, forward Dan LaCouture and defensemen Mike Wilson and Janne Laukkanen. After appearing in a ho-hum 22 games, Samuelsson was sent to the Panthers, along with first- and second-round picks in exchange for the first-overall pick and a third-round pick. The Penguins would take Marc-Andre Fleury with the first overall pick.

Atlantic Division

-After making history, the Devils and goaltender Martin Brodeur took the day off.

-With goaltender Brian Boucher dealing with a hand injury, the Flyers recalled goaltender Johan Backlund from Adirondack of the AHL.

Northeast Division

-The Bruins demoted former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Andy Wozniewski to Providence of the AHL.

-The city of Boston gave away tickets for two separate public skates at Fenway Park on Jan. 3 and 10. But scalpers got a hold of the tickets and are selling them for as much as $1,800 a pop.

-Thirty years ago today, former Bruins defenseman Mike Milbury established his credentials as a level-headed voice on violence in the sport of hockey.

-Canadiens defenseman Paul Mara is dealing with a hand injury.

-Maple Leafs forward Viktor Stalberg is dealing with a shoulder injury.

Southeast Division

-Former Penguins forward Rick Tocchet (right) is still trying to figure out this coaching thing in Tampa Bay.

-This might be a larger commentary on the Thrashers. Just into his third NHL season, Tobias Enstrom has set the Thrashers' franchise record for assists by a defenseman with 86.

-After years of simply being potential stars, Panthers forwards Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss are actually starting to play like stars.

Central Division

-The Blackhawks recalled forward Bryan Bickell from Rockford of the AHL. Bickell has been recalled and demoted several times over the past week due to salary cap concerns.

-Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita was the victim of identity theft when someone set up online checking to his bank account and swiped $100,000. The bank did put the money back into Mikita's account. The thief or thieves have note been caught.

-Predators captain Jason Arnott returned to the lineup after missing a game due to an "upper-body" ailment.

Northwest Division

-Daniel and Henrik Sedin each had a goal and two assists for the Canucks in a 4-1 defeat of the Predators. Roberto Luongo (above) made 20 saves for Vancouver which snapped Nashville's four-game winning streak.

-Check out the nifty pass by Daniel to set up Henrik:

-We're not sure whose leg this is, but we can't imagine Luongo was crazy about its placement:

-We can't imagine Nashville's Jason Arnott is happy with the placement of of Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo's hand here:

-And we can't imagine Nashville's Dan Ellis is happy with the placement of Canuck forward Mason Raymond's butt:

-Nashville's Shea Weber had issues with Vancouver's Ryan Kesler:

-Happy times for the Canucks. Not so much for Nashville's Francis Bouillon:

-The Canucks moved into the top eight in the Western Conference for the first time this season.

-Some fans of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" had some fun with Predators forward Dave Scatchard:

-Flames forward Craig Conroy, an occasional first- or second-line center, has yet to score a goal this season.

Pacific Division

-In a showdown of the Western Conference's top two teams, Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton each had a goal and an assist for the Sharks who edged the Blackhawks, 3-2. Evgeni Nabokov (above) made a whopping 45 saves in the win which was San Jose's third in a row. Chicago had a four-game winning streak snapped.

-Awkward Photo of the Day: Chicago's Dustin Byfuglien and San Jose's Joe Thornton:

-Chicago's Troy Brouwer wasn't exactly too subtle with this trip on San Jose's Marc-Edouard Vlasic:

-Not impressed:

-A goal and an assist from Ryan Getzlaf helped the Ducks pull out a surprising 4-2 win at Colorado. The Ducks, who were actually down, 2-0, with fewer than eight minutes left in regulation, also got two assists from Corey Perry. Jonas Hiller made 25 save in the win.

-Colorado's Scott Hannan went all out in his Smurf jersey to knock away the puck from Anaheim's Corey Perry:

-Ducks defenseman and former Penguin Ryan Whitney has picked up his game as of late. Fire Ray Shero.

-The Coyotes recalled forward Kevin Porter from San Antonio of the AHL.

-The Kings recalled forwards Corey Elkins and Oscar Moller from Manchester of the AHL.

-This is a few days old, but check out this own-goal Dallas' Ivan Vishnevsky scored on his own empty net Monday against the Sharks:

Patrick Division

-James Mirtle has the dates of all your Olympic Roster announcements listed by dates. Belarus will reveal its roster today.

-Former Rangers/Thrashers/Blackhawks/Kings goaltender Milan Hnilicka has joined HC Slavia Praha in the Czech Republic.

-Jonathan Bombulie of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice ranks the top 10 AHL fights of the decade. When a brawl that features two shirtless players at center ice is ranked No. 9, you know it's a good list.

-Happy 83rd birthday to former Pittsburgh Hornets forward Bob Solinger.

(Photos: Malkin-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; "Santa"-Pittsburgh Penguins; Samuelsson-Doug Pensinger/Getty Images; Tocchet-Photobucket; Luongo-Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press; Raymond, Salo, Weber and Bouillon-Rich Lam/Getty Images; Nabokov, Byfuglien and Brouwer-Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images; John Kreese-Photobucket; Hannan-David Zalubowski/Associated Press)