Empty Netter Assists - 02-18-11

Penguins

-If it weren't for a groin injury in training camp, Ryan Craig (above) might've started the season on the Penguins' NHL roster.

-"I have the utmost respect and regard for Mario Lemieux, but we're not going to engage in a public debate on this. We are very comfortable with the way the league responded to Friday night's game." - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Lemieux's comments regarding Friday's Penguins-Islanders game.

"The difference is Steve Moore broke his neck, and (Maxime) Talbot had nothing. It's kind of the NHL's trademark. They crack down when a player is hurt, otherwise they go with a shorter suspension. It's a pretty sad reality." - Canadiens defenseman Alex Picard comparing the attack of Islanders forward Matt Martin on Talbot to the 2004 attack of former Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi on former Avalanche forward Steve Moore.

-Marc-Andre Fleury is good people:

-Happy 75th birthday to former Penguins captain and Pittsburgh Hornets forward Ab McDonald (right). Chosen in the 1967 expansion draft, McDonald spent one season with the Penguins. During the franchise's innagural campaign of 1967-68, he played all 74 games and scored 43 points, including a team-leading 22 goals. He also served as the Penguins' first captain and was the first player in franchise history to wear No. 20. In the 1968 offseason, McDonald was traded to the Blues in exchange for Lou Angotti.

-Happy 44th birthday to former Penguins forward Glenn Mulvenna. Signed by the Penguins in the 1987 offseason, Mulvenna's career amounted to one game in the 1991-92 season. He signed with the rival Flyers in the following offseason.

Atlantic Division

-Shootout goals by former Penguin Erik Christensen and Mats Zuccarello gave the Rangers a 4-3 win against the Kings. Fire Ray Shero. Artem Anisimov and Ryan Callahan each had a goal and an assist in regulation for New York while Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves in the victory which was the 200th of his career. Captain Dustin Brown scored two goals for Los Angeles.

-Zuccarello's shootout goal was ridiculous:

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-Check out this tremendous save by Lundqvist on Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar:

-Lundqvist and teammate Brandon Dubinsky having a moment:

-Happy times for the Rangers:

-The Islanders signed forward P.A. Parenteau to a one-year contract extension worth $1.25 million.

-The Devils recalled forward Jacob Josefson from Albany of the AHL, demoted defenseman Jay Leach to Albany and placed forward Tim Sestito on waivers.

Northeast Division

-David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin and Blake Wheeler each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins in a 6-3 win against the Islanders. Tuuka Rask made 34 saves in the victory. John Tavares scored two goals for New York.

-New York's Zenon Konopka demonstrated the fluid skating ability which has made him a mainstay in the NHL:

-Boston's Nathan Horton didn't seem to appreciate the placement of Islanders defenseman Bruno Gervais' foot:

-New York's Nathan Lawson kept his eyes on this puck:

-Funny Face of the Night: Boston's Brad Marchand:

-New Bruins forward Chris Kelly, recently acquired from the Senators, is having trouble joining his new team on account of immigration paperwork. Kelly is a native of Toronto.

-Canadiens defenseman James Wisniewski was hospitalized last night in Edmonton when he took a puck to the face:

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-Wisniewski posted this picture of the aftermath on his Facebook page:

Southeast Division

-The Thrashers recalled forward Nigel Dawes from the Chicago of the AHL and placed forwards Freddy Modin ("upper body") and Alex Burmistrov (foot) on injured reserve.

Central Division

-Danny Cleary had a goal and two assists for the Red Wings in a 6-2 win at Tampa Bay. Pavel Datsyuk added two goals for Detroit while teammate Niklas Kronwall netted a goal and an assist. Jimmy Howard made 38 saves in the victory.

-Check out the passing on this play to set up one of Datsyuk's goals:

-Tampa Bay's Dwayne Roloson had issues with this puck:

-Even the ice crew in Tampa Bay twirls octopus:

-"This is the best team we met all year, no questions asked." - Lightning coach Guy Boucher on the Red Wings.

-A goal and an assist by Martin Erat led the Predators a 3-1 win against the Canucks. Pekke Rinne made 35 saves in the victory.

-Rinne kept his eyes on Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin:

-Happy times for Nashville's Mike Fisher:

-Heart felt times for his better half, entertainer Carrie Underwood:

-A hopeful Taylor Swift and Alex Ovechkin fan in Nashville:

-Happy times for Nashville's Sergei Kostitsyn (right) and Erat:

-Vanouver's Jannik Hansen and Nashville's Kevin Klein kicked up some ice:

-It was revealed Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is hospitalized due to a stomach ulcer.

-The Blue Jackets placed forwards Derick Brassard (hand) and Derek Dorsett (concussion) on injured reserve and recalled defenseman John Moore from Springfield of the AHL.

-The Blues recalled goaltender Ben Bishop from Peoria of the AHL and placed goaltender Jaroslav Halak (hand) on injured reserve.

-The Red Wings signed forward Jan Mursak to a two-year contract extension. Terms were not disclosed.

Northwest Division

-Two goals by Ales Hemsky led the Oilers to a 4-1 win against the Canadiens. Nikolai Khabibulin made 36 saves in the victory.

-Edmonton's Ryan Jones successfully applied the smelly glove defense on Montreal captain Brian Gionta:

-We think.

-The Canucks lose another defenseman. Kevin Bieksa will be sidelined two to three weeks due to a broken foot.

-Unlike the Winter Classic, it's going to be plenty cold for the Heritage Classic in Calgary.

Pacific Division

-Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist for the Sharks in a 3-2 win against the Capitals. Antti Niemi made 23 saves in the victory. Captain Alex Ovechkin netted a goal and an assist for Washington.

-Check out this laser Ovechkin scored on:

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-Teammate Nicklas Backstrom had a laser of a goal also:

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-Cool Photo of the Night: Pavelski and Washington's Alexander Semin:

-Washington's Michal Neuvirth kept his eyes on this puck:

-Happy times for Ovechkin:

-The Capitals have not won in San Jose since Oct. 30, 1993.

-A goal and an assist by Lauri Korpikoski led the Coyotes to a 4-3 win against the Thrashers. Teammate Keith Yandle recorded three assists while Ilya Brzygalov made 33 saves in the victory which was Phoenix's sixth consecutive win. Rich Peverly had a goal and two assists for Atlanta.

-The Ducks acquired former Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu from the Senators in exchange for a sixth-round pick this summer.

-Ruutu and new teammate Maxim Lapierre have a bit of a history resulting from the elbow by Ruutu to Lapierre, then of the Canadiens, in 2008:

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-The Sharks recalled defenseman Nick Petrecki and forward Tommy Wingels from Worcester of the AHL.

(Photos: Craig-Justin K. Aller/Getty Images; Kings/Rangers-Chris Trotman/Getty Images; Bruins/Islanders-Paul Bereswill/Getty Images; Red Wings/Lightning-Chris O'Meara/Associated Press; Canucks/Predators-Frederick Breedon/Getty Images and Mike Strasinger/Associated Press; Canadiens/Oilers-John Ulan/Canadian Press; Capitals/Sharks-Tony Avelar/Associated Press and Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)