Empty Netter Assists - 12-24-10
(Note: We're going to once again postpone our "play-by-play" recap of the second episode of "24/7" for tomorrow. Consider it a Christmas Day present.)
Penguins
-Dave Molinari's recap from last night's game. "That was as good as we've seen him play, maybe ever." - Alex Goligoski on Marc-Andre Fleury (above, with Sidney Crosby and Maxime Talbot).
-The Washington Post's recap. "He won them the game." - Washington's Mike Green on Fleury.
-The Associated Press' recap. "Save for the fact that you can’t see through leather, we probably would have won the game." - Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau suggesting a would-be goal by defenseman Mike Green was legit. A video review proved inconclusive.
-NHL.com's recap. "You almost wish this one was the outdoor game." - Dan Bylsma.
-Highlights:
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-Fleury's overtime save against Washington's Mike Green deserves a second look:{youtube width="480" height="295"}50BwnnowgCY{/youtube}
-So does Sidney Crosby's goal:
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-Alex Ovechkin > Evgeni Malkin and Zbynek Michalek:
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-Matt Cooke is prone to penalties but getting a delay of game penalty by throwing the puck out of play in the offensive zone from your defensive zone? That doesn't happen too often:
-Happy times for Pascal Dupuis:
-Happy times for the Penguins. Not so much for Washington's Michal Neuvirth:
-Neuvirth kept his eyes on this puck:
-Happy times for the Penguins:
-Ovechkin kicked up some ice:
-Sidney Crosby is popular:
-Spelling isn't popular in Was _ ington apparently:
-Dan Bylsma speaks:
-Fleury speaks:
-So... Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal or Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux (PG+)?
-Happy 81st birthday to former Penguins coach George "Red" Sullivan. The franchise's first coach, he led the team to a 27-34-13 record during its inaguarl season of 1967-68. In 1968-69, the team went 20-45-11. He was replaced in the 1969 offseason by Red Kelly. In 150 games with the Penguins, Sullivan had a 47-79-24 record for 118 points.
-Happy 25th birthday to current Penguins forward prospect Nick Johnson (right). A third-round pick in 2004, Johnson appeared in six games last season with the Penguins and scored two points. He is current with the club's AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
-Happy 37th birthday to former Penguins defenseman Shawn Heins. Acquired midway through the 2002-03 season in a trade which sent a draft pick to the Sharks, Heins' Penguins career amounted to 27 games and two points that campaign. In the 2003 offseason, Heins joined the Thrashers as a free agent. He currently plays for Gottéron of the NLA in Switzerland.
Atlantic Division
-Josh Bailey had two goals and an assist for the Islanders in a 5-1 win at New Jersey. Teammate Blake Comeau added a goal adn an assist while Dwayn Roloson made 34 saves in the victory. The Devils lost their fourth consecutive game and their first game in the return of head coach Jacques Lemaire.
-Cool Photo of the Night: New Yorks John Tavares and his shadow:
-Roloson kept his eyes on this puck:
-A good look at Roloson's lid:
-“He said, ‘I need your help.’ At that time, I couldn’t say no to him. Lou works hard for this organization. What he has done for me and my family. I have no choice.” - Lemaire on his decision to come out of retirement when asked by general manager Lou Lamoriello.
-"It was probably the greatest night of my life, to play in my first game here." - Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello, a Norwegian native, on making his NHL debut last night.
-After the game, the Rangers demoted Zuccarello to Connecticut of the AHL.
Northeast Division
-Scott Gomez had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens in a 3-2 win at Carolina. Carey Price made 22 saves in the victory.
-Carolina's Erik Cole took a five minute major for this dangerous hit on Montreal's Jaroslav Spacek:
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-"Terrible play on my part. Thankfully I was able to stay in the game to make up for it. But no excuse. It cost us the game tonight." - Cole on the hit.
-Check out this hit by Canadiens defenseman and former Penguin Hal Gill on Carolina's Tuomo Ruutu:
-Fire Ray Shero.
-Shawn Thornton scored two goals for the Bruins in a 4-1 defeat of the Thrashers. Patrice Bergeron added a goal and an assist for Boston while teammate Daniel Paille recorded two assists. Tim Thomas made 26 saves in the victory.
-Check out Thorton's second goal:
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-Check out this shorthanded goal by Bergeron:
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-After a big, clean, legal hit by Atlanta's Freddy Meyer on Boston's Milan Lucic, a pretty ugly line brawl took place:
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-Thinking out Loud: Jack Edwards should be a wrestling announcer based on that hyperbole.
-Lucic will have a discipinary hearing with the NHL for his role in the brawl.
-Ironically, before last night's brawl, it was revealed Lucic texted Atlanta's Evander Kane to thank him for knocking out Matt Cooke last season.
-Thornton and Atlanta's Eric Boulton had a healthy scrap:
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-Brian Elliott made 25 saves and led the Senators to a 2-1 win at Nashville. The Predators have lost three consecutive games.
-Elliott kept his eyes on this puck:
-Happy times for Nashville's Marcel Goc. Not so much for Elliott:
-Nashville's Pekke Rinne had issues with this puck:
-Bruins forward Brad Marchand is dealing with an undisclosed injury.
-Sabres defenseman Derek Roy left last night's game with a left kee injury.
-The Senators demoted goaltender Mike Brodeur to Binghamton of the AHL.
Southeast Division
-Victor Hedman and former Penguins Adam Hall and Ryan Malone had goals in an 11-round shootout and gave the Lightning a 4-3 win against the Rangers. Fire Ray Shero. Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist in regulation for Tampa Bay while Dan Ellis made 34 saves in the victory.
-Check out this regulation goal by New York's Derek Stepan:
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-Check out this shootout goal by Rangers forward and former Penguin Erik Christensen:
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-Ellis kept his eyes on this puck:
-Happy times for Malone:
-Two goals from Christopher Higgins led the Panthers to a 4-3 win at Buffalo. Stephen Weiss added a goal and an assist for Florida while teammate Evgeny Dadanov recorded two assists. Tomas Vokoun made a whopping 45 saves in the victory. Former Penguin Jordan Leopold scored two goals for the Sabres.
-The Lightning demoted forward Johan Harju to Norfolk of the AHL.
Central Division
-Patrik Berglund scored two goals for the Blues in a 4-3 win against the rival Red Wings. Teammate David Backes recorded two assists while Jaroslav Halak made 35 saves in the victory. Brian Rafalski and Henrik Zetterberg each had two assists for Detroit.
-Funny Face of the Night: St. Louis' Vladmir Sobotka blocking a shot by Rafalski:
-Second Funny Face of the Night: St. Louis' Jay McClement:
Northwest Division
-Henrik Sedin had a goal and three assists for the Canucks in a 7-3 win at Columbus. Alex Burrows and Daniel Sedin each had a goal and two assists for Vancouver while teammate Raffi Torres scored goals against his former team. Cory Schneider made 24 saves in the victory. R.J. Umberger scored two goals for the Blue Jackets.
-Check out this pass from Vancouver's Alexander Edler to set up Daniel Sedin for a goal:
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-Check out this pass by Vancouver's Jannik Hansen to set up Ryan Kesler for a goal:
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-Check out this pass by Daniel Sedin to set up Henrik Sedin for a goal:
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-Third Funny Face of the Night: Umberger getting hit by Vancouver's Andrew Alberts:
-"I want to apologize to fans. That was absolutely, utterly, embarrassing." - Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel.
-Alex Tanguay's shootout goal gave the Flames a 3-2 win at Dallas. Miikka Kiprusoff made all of 14 saves in the victory. Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist for the Stars.
-Fight of the Night: Calgary captain Jarome Iginla and Dallas' Jamie Benn:
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-A good look at the fight and the aftermath:
-Calgary's Robyn Regehr > Dallas' Brandon Segal:
-Kiprusoff kept his eyes on these pucks:
-Kiprusoff alone in the spotlight:
-Dallas Kari Lehtonen had issues with this puck:
-Two goals and an assist by Matt Cullen helped the Wild win at Colorado, 3-1. Niklas Backstrom made 36 consecutive saves in the victory which was Minnesota's third consecutive.
-Excited times for Colorado's Matt Duchene:
-Colorado captain Adam Foote had issues with Minnesota's Cal Clutterbuck:
-Thirsty times for Backstrom:
-We don't want to question the skating ability of Colorado's Kevin Shattenkirk:
Pacific Division
-Two goals and an assist by Patrick Marleau led the Sharks to a 4-1 win against the Coyotes. Captain Joe Thornton added a goal and two assists for San Jose while teammate Joe Pavelski recorded two assists. Antti Niemi made 24 saves in the victory.
-Shootout goals by Dustin Brown and Jarret Stoll gave the Kings a 3-2 win against the Oilers. Jack Johnson had a goal and an assist in regulation for Los Angeles while Jonathan Quick made 27 saves in the victory.
-Happy times for Quick and teammate Drew Doughty:
-Fourth Funny Face of the Night: Edmonton's Taylor Hall:
-The world kind of came crashing down here on Edmonton's Devan Dubnyk:
-Dubnyk got a little help on this puck:
-Not so much here:
-Kings defenseman Matt Greene (concussion) was given medical clearance to resume playing.
Adams Division
-Sweden's Elitserien has apparently expanded to Philadelphia:
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-Former Canucks/Predators/Hurricanes/Capitals forward Scott Walker was named the head coach of the OHL's Guelph Storm.
-Former Rangers defenseman Bryce Lampman has joined ERC Ingolstadt of the DEL in Germany.
-Elizabeth Turgeon, the 18-year-old daughter of former Sabres/Islanders/Canadiens/Blues/Stars/Avalanche forward Pierre Turgeon was killed in a car crash in New Mexico.
(Photos: Penguins/Capitals-Greg Fiume/Getty Images; Johnson-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins; Islanders/Devils-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; Senators/Predators-Frederick Breedon/Getty Images and Mark Humphrey/Associated Press; Lightning/Rangers-Paul Bereswill/Getty Images; Red Wings/Blues-Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images; Canucks/Blue Jackets-Paul Vernon/Associated Press; Flames/Stars-Ronald Martinez/Getty Images and LM Otero/Associated Press; Wild/Avalanche-Doug Pensinger/Getty Images; Coyotes/Sharks-Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images; Oilers/Kings-Stephen Dunn/Getty Images and Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)