Empty Netter Assists - 01-12-11
Penguins
-The Penguins didn't get any other all-star selections beyond Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin (above).
-The complete roster:
Forwards
Corey Perry (right) – Anaheim Ducks
Jarome Iginla – Calgary Flames
Eric Staal – Carolina Hurricanes
Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
Patrick Sharp – Chicago Blackhawks
Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks
Matt Duchene – Colorado Avalanche
Rick Nash – Columbus Blue Jackets
Loui Eriksson – Dallas Stars
Brad Richards – Dallas Stars
Ales Hemsky – Edmonton Oilers
Anze Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings
Patrik Elias – New Jersey Devils
Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
Evgeni Malkin – Pittsburgh Penguins
David Backes – St. Louis Blues
Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning
Martin St. Louis – Tampa Bay Lightning
Phil Kessel – Toronto Maple Leafs
Ryan Kesler (right) – Vancouver Canucks
Henrik Sedin – Vancouver Canucks
Daniel Sedin – Vancouver Canucks
Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
Defensemen
Dustin Byfuglien – Atlanta Thrashers
Tobias Enstrom – Atlanta Thrashers
Zdeno Chara – Boston Bruins
Duncan Keith – Chicago Blackhawks
Niklas Lidstrom – Detroit Red Wings
Brent Burns – Minnesota Wild
Shea Weber (right) – Nashville Predators
Marc Staal – New York Rangers
Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators
Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
Dan Boyle – San Jose Sharks
Mike Green – Washington Capitals
Goaltenders
Jonas Hiller – Anaheim Ducks
Tim Thomas – Boston Bruins
Cam Ward – Carolina Hurricanes
Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens
Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers
Marc-Andre Fleury – Pittsburgh Penguins
-The NHL also unveiled the All-Star Lame Game jerseys:
-Eh... there have been worse all-star jerseys. But there have a been a ton better.
-What role does Arron Asham have with the Penguins (PG+)?
-Today would've been the 81st birthday of former Pittsburgh Hornets and Penguins defenseman Tim Horton (right). An all-star with the Maple Leafs, Horton came to the Penguins in the 1971 offseason when he was claimed from the Rangers in an intra-league draft. His only season with the Penguins was 1971-72. He appeared in 44 games and scored 11 points. During that spring's playoffs, he appeared in four games and recorded one point. During the 1972 offseason, he was claimed by the expansion Sabres in an intra-league draft. Midway through the 1973-74 season with Buffalo, Horton was killed in an automobile crash Feb. 21, 1974. In 1977, Horton was the first Penguins player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Horton was the founder of the doughnut and coffee chain which bears his name.
-Happy 32nd birthday to former Penguins forward Marian Hossa. Acquired at the 2008 trade deadline along with Pascal Dupuis in one of the biggest deals in franchise history which sent Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a first-round pick to the Thrashers, Hossa's Penguin's career amounted to 10 points in 12 games during the rest of the 2007-08 regular season. In the playoffs, Hossa was one of the team's top players appearing in 20 games and scoring 26 points including a series clinching overtime goal in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference semifinal round series against the Rangers (below). After helping the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup final for the first time in 16 years, Hossa stunned the hockey world by joining the team which beat the Penguins in the final, the Red Wings as a free agent. He is currently a member of the Blackhawks.
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-Happy 36th birthday to former Penguins goaltender Jocelyn Thibault. Acquired in the 2005 offseason in a deal which sent a draft pick to the Blackhawks, Thibault spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins. In 2005-06, he saw action in 16 games and went 1-9-3 with a 4.46 goals against average and .876 save percentage. During that season, Thibault was in for a 3-2 defeat of the Canadiens, Nov. 10, 2005, the first shootout victory in franchise history. He rebounded from injuries in 2006-07. While serving as Marc-Andre Fleury's backup, Thibault appeared in 22 games, went 7-8-2, had a 2.83 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and one shutout. He saw action in one playoff game that spring and made one save on one shot. During the 2007 postseason, Thibault joined the the Sabres as a free agent. In 38 career regular season games with the Penguins, Thibault had an 8-17-5 record with a 3.52 goals against average and .894 save percentage.
-Happy 38th birthday to former Penguins goaltender Rich Parent. A free agent in the 2000 offseason, Parent's Penguins career amounted to seven games, a 1-1-3 record, a 3.07 goals against average and .887 save percentage in 2000-01. He was released in the 2001 offseason.
Atlantic Division
-Daniel Briere had a goal and three assists for the Sabres in a 5-2 win at Buffalo. Scott Hartnell added two goals and an assist for Philadelphia while teammate Kimmo Timonen recorded two assists. Sergei Bobrovsky made 38 saves in the victory. Cody McCormick had a goal and an assist for the Sabres.
-Hartnell had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick:
-Briere being popular, short:
-The Flyers are 23-6-2 against Eastern Conference opponents this season.
-Briere played the "I'm a Flyer and I've been suspended" card when discussing his omission from the All-Star Lame Game.
-With his team struggling with an 11-29-2 record, Devils forward Patrik Elias says he's not deserving of his all-star selection.
-The Rangers immediately put Wojtek Wolski on the team's first line with Marian Gaborik last night.
Northeast Division
-Alex Auld made 35 saves for the Canadiens in a 2-1 win against the Rangers. Montreal has a three-game winning streak while New York had its own three-game winning streak snapped.
-Check out this laser of a goal by Montreal's Benoit Pouliot:
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-Cool Photos of the Night: New York's Steve Eminger slamming Montreal's Lars Eller along the boards:
-Happy times for New York's Brandon Dubinsky"
-Tim Thomas made 31 saves for the Bruins in a 6-0 shutout of the Senators. Patrice Bergeron had a hat trick for Boston while teammates Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin each recorded a goal and an assist.
-Bergeron's hat trick:
-Ottawa's Matt Carkner and Boston's Daniel Paille had issues:
-Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson debated his all-star snub with officials during the game:
-We think.
-The Senators' losing streak of six games is their longest since 1995-96.
-Two goals by Clarke MacArthur led the Maple Leafs to a 4-2 win at San Jose. Nikolai Kulemin recorded two assists for Toronto while James Reimer made 40 saves in the victory. Patrick Marleau scored both of the Sharks' goals.
-Check out this goal by Toronto's Phil Kessel:
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-Sharks forward Logan Couture was injured and did not return after this dirty knee on knee hit by Toronto's Colton Orr:
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-San Jose's Antti Niemi kept his eyes on this puck:
-This game was in San Jose right?
-Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson earned his 600th career win against the team which fired him in 2008.
-Chances are this is the best parody of a Rihanna/Eminen video involving the Maple Leafs and Canadiens you'll see all day:
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-Sabres defenseman and Pittsburgh native Mike Weber has found a role as a pest in Buffalo's defense.
Southeast Division
-An overtime goal and an assist by Dennis Wideman gave the Panthers a 4-3 win against the Capitals. Stephen Weiss had three assists for Florida while teammate Cory Stillman recoreded two assists. Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves in the victory. Marcus Johansson scored two goals for Washington.
-Washington captain Alex Ovechkin seemed less than thrilled with his new hair cut:
-Jeff Skinner's shootout goal gave the Hurricanes a 6-5 win against the Flames. Jussi Jokinen had two goals and an assist in regulation for Carolina while Cam Ward made 27 saves in the victory. Niklas Hagman and captain Jarome Iginla each netted a goal and an assist for Calgary.
-Check out this little bit of robbery by Calgary goaltender Henrik Karlsson in overtime:
-Talk about a jersey foul. The Hershey Bears, the Capitals' AHL affiliate, are wearing the logos of the Texas Stasr and the Manitoba Moose, the last two teams they've beatend for the Calder Cup, on the shoulders of their jerseys.
-Thinking Out Loud: We'd blame the Capitals for this, but we all know they don't really have the experience of beating any team for any sort of cup.
-Panthers forward Mark Cullen resumed skating for the first time since rupturing an Achilles tendon in training camp.
Central Division
-Two goals by Nick Spaling led the Predators to a 5-1 defeat of the Wild. Marcel Goc and Joel Ward each had a goal and an assist for Nashville while Pekke Rinne made 25 saves in the victory which was Nashville's sixth in a row.
-Rinned kept his eyes on this puck:
-Not so much here for Minnesota's Jose Theodore:
Northwest Division
-Shootout goals by Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler gave the Canucks a 4-3 win against the Islanders. Roberto Luongo made 38 saves in the victory. Blake Comeau had a goal and an assist for New York.
-Check out Raymond's shootout goal:
-Fight of the Night: Vancouver's Tanner Glass and New York's Matt Martin:
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-A good look at the fight:
-New York's Kevin Poulin kept his eyes on this puck:
-Avalanche forward Chris Stewart resumed practicing for the first time since breaking his hand Nov. 29.
-Flames coach Brent Sutter ripped goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff after last night's game.
Pacific Division
-Ilya Brzygalov made 37 saves for the Coyotes in a 4-3 win at Columbus. Martin Hanzal had two assists for Phoenix. Fedor Tyutin recorded two assists for the Blue Jackets.
-Phoenix's Derek Morris dumped Columbus' Derek Dorsett pretty good here:
-Kari Lehtonen made 39 saves and led the Stars to a 4-2 defeat of the Oilers.
-Dallas' James Neal scored a fluky goal which rimmed around the back bar of the net:
-Former Penguins defenseman Michal Rozsival is expected to make his debut with the Coyotes Saturday.
Adams Division
-Former Coyotes/Rangers forward Petr Prucha joined SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.
-Former Oilers/Bruins/Stars/Canadiens goaltender Andy Moog is recovering from a heart attack.
(Photos: Malkin, Perry and Weber-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Kesler-Rich Lam/Getty Images; Horton-Penguins Hockey Cards; Flyers/Sabres-Dave Sandford/Getty Images; Canadiens/Rangers-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; Senators/Bruins-Elsa/Getty Images; Maple Leafs/Sharks-Ezra Shaw/Getty Images; Capitals/Panthers-Joel Auerbach/Getty Images; Wild/Predators-Mark Humphrey/Associated Press; Canucks/Islanders-Paul Bereswill/Getty Images; Coyotes/Blue Jackets-Paul Vernon/Associated Press)