Empty Netter Assists - 01-09-11

Penguins

-Dave Molinari's recap from last night's game. "Some guys have to step it up." - Pascal Dupuis.

-The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune's recap. "To beat them in their barn, it shows our team is getting better." - Wild defenseman Marco Scandela.

-The St. Paul Pioneer Press' recap. The Wild has won eight of their past 11 games.

-The Associated Press' recap. The Wild is now 9-1-2 all-time against the Penguins.

-Highlights (so to speak).

-It was that kind of night for Dan Bylsma:

-Even the glass was falling out:

-Bylsma speaks:

-Sidney Crosby speaks:

-Crosby is shutting it down until he's healthy.

-Dan Bylsma is one Penguin who won't be going to the All-Star Lame Game.

-Dustin Jeffrey's overtime goal gave the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a 2-1 win against the Providence Bruins. Brad Thiessen made 18 saves in the victory.

-Highlights.

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-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender John Curry has rebounded after a rotten 2009-10.

-Joey Haddad had two goals and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Reading Royals.

-Former Penguins forward Miroslav Satan has joined Dynamo Moscow of the KHL.

-Happy 44th birthday to former Penguins forward Dave McLlwain. A ninth-round pick in 1986, McLlwain spent parts of three seasons with the Penguins. As a rookie in 1987-88, McLlwain appeared in 66 games and scored 19 points. In 1988-89, he saw action in 24 games and scored three points. He appeared in three postseason games that spring and recorded one point. During the 1989 offseason, McLlwain was traded to the Winnipeg Jets along with Randy Cunneyworth and Rick Tabaracci for Jim Kyte, Andrew McBain and Randy Gilhen. After spending time with the Jets, Sabres, Islanders, Maple Leafs and Senators, McLlwain came back to the Penguins at the 1996 trade deadline in a trade which sent a drat pick to Ottawa. He finished that season by appearing in 18 games for the Penguins that season and scoring six points. During the 1996 postseason, McLlwain played in six games and failed to record a point. In the 1996 offseason, McLlwain

-Happy 33rd birthday to former Penguins goaltender Mathieu Garon. Acquired midway through 2008-09 in a deal which sent Dany Sabourin, Ryan Stone and a draft pick to the Oilers, Garon's Penguins career amounted to four games, a 2-1-0 record, 2.91 goals against average and .894 save percentage that season. In the postseason, he appeared in one game and made eight saves on eight shots while earning his first Stanley Cup ring. During the 2009 offseason, he joined the Blue Jackets as a free agent. He currently still plays for Columbus.

Atlantic Division

-Brian Boucher made 34 saves for the Flyers in a 2-1 defeat of the Devils. The win was the Flyers' third in a row and moved them ahead of the Penguins for first place in the Eastern Conference.

-Boucher didn't keep his eyes on this puck:

-Boucher and Andrej Meszaros having a moment:

-Martin Biron made 24 saves for the Rangers in a 2-1 win at St. Louis. Brandon Dubinsky had two assists for New York which has won three consecutive games.

-An overtime goal by John Tavares gave the Islanders a 4-3 win at Colorado. Jeremy Colliton scored two goals for New York while teammate Blake Comeau added a goal and an assist. Kevin Poulin made 34 saves in the victory. Milan Hejduk scored two goals for the Avalanche.

-Tavares' goal:

-Flyers coach Peter Laviolette will coach one of the all-star teams.

Northeast Division

-An overtime goal and an assist by Max Pacioretty gave the Canadiens a 3-2 comeback win against the rival Bruins. Carey Price made 27 saves in the victory. Patrice Bergeron scored both of Boston's goals.

-Pacioretty's goal and a post-game skirmish:

-A goal by Montreal captain Brian Gionta with 47 seconds left in regulation tied the game:

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-Check out this save by Price on Boston's Steven Kampfer:

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-Montreal's Travis Moen and Boston's Adam McQuaid had a solid bout:

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-Moen has at least one fan:

-Gionta being popular, not tall:

-Drew Stafford's overtime goal gave the Sabres a 2-1 win at Phoenix. Former Penguin Jordan Leopold had a goal and an assist for Buffalo while Ryan Miller made 33 saves in the victory.

-Stafford's goal:

-With 12 goals in his past 14 games, Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski is one of the hottest players in the NHL.

Southeast Division

-Eric Fehr, Mike Green and captain Alex Ovechkin each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals in a 3-2 win against the Panthers. Semyon Varlamov made 25 saves in the victory. David Booth had two assists for Florida.

-Dwayne Roloson made 31 saves for the Lightning in a 2-1 defeat of the Senators. Tampa Bay has won four out of its past five games. Ottawa has lost five consecutive games.

-The Panthers recalled defenseman Keaton Ellerby from Rochester of the AHL.

Central Division

-Jiri Hudler's shootout goal gave the Red Wings a 2-1 win at Vancouver. Jimmy Howard made 34 saves in the victory.

-Check out this ridiculous save by Howard on Vancouver's Daniel Sedin:

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-Check out this hit check by Vancouver's Keith Ballard on Detroit's Drew Miller:

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-Pekke Rinne made 42 saves for the Predators in a 2-1 win at San Jose. Nashville has won five consecutive games.

-Nashville's Andreas Thuresson kicked up some ice here:

-San Jose's Dany Heatley kept his eyes on this puck:

-Cool Photo of the Night: San Jose's Kent Huskins peering up ice:

-Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood is dealing with a groin injury.

-Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman put together a quality piece on Red Wings coach Mike Babcock:

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-With forward Nick Spaling dealing with an "upper-body" injury, the Predators recalled forward Andreas Thuresson from Milwaukee of the AHL.

Northwest Division

-Canucks defenseman and would be Penguin Dan Hamhuis appeared on Hockey Night in Canada's After Hours segment last night:

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Pacific Division

-Jarret Stoll scored two goals for the Kings in a 6-4 defeat of the Blue Jackets. Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams each added a goal and an assist for Los Angeles while teammate Jack Johnson recorded three assists. Jonathan Quick made 30 saves for Los Angeles. Captain Rick Nash scored two goals for Columbus.

-Check out this fluky misplay by Quick which led to the first career goal for Columbus' Matt Calvert:

-Mathieu Garon had issues with this puck:

-Prior to last night's game, Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski was honored for playing in his 1,000th career game:

-The Kings signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a seven-year contract worth $30.5 million. He will  have a salary cap hit of $4.3 million.

Patrick Division

-Eric Levine made 33 saves for the Robert Morris men's team in a 2-1 loss to North Dakota.

-Grant Blakey scored two goals and helped Mercyhurst rout Connecticut, 9-4.

(Photos: Wild/Penguins-Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press and Jamie Sabau/Getty Images; Devils/Flyers-Matt Slocum/Associated Press; Bruins/Canadiens-Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images; Sabres/Coyotes-Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Predators/Sharks-Ezra Shaw/Getty Images; Blue Jackets/Kings-Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)