Empty Netter Assists - 12-07-11
Penguins
-"It's a game that I've marked on the calendar. I still talk to the guys. Just because you changed teams, it's not that you're not friends anymore. It's going to be weird. It's going to be exciting. Emotionally, it will be special." - Flyers forward Maxime Talbot (above) on facing the Penguins Thursday.
-If you haven't heard, the Penguins are dealing with a bunch of injuries.
-Dan Bylsma speaks:
-Brooks Orpik speaks:
-Craig Adams speaks:
-Why is Consol Energy Center so quiet?
-Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff suggested the Penguins' new conference with the proposed realignment be named after Mario Lemieux.
-The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signed defenseman Dan Henningson.
-Happy 35th birthday to former Penguins forward Georges Laraque (right). Acquired at the 2007 trade deadline in a deal which sent Daniel Carcillo and a draft pick to the Coyotes, Laraque spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins. He finished 2006-07 by appearing in 17 games for the Penguins and recorded two assists and 18 penalty minutes. In that spring's postseason, Laraque appeared in two games and failed to record a point. Laraque followed that up in 2007-08 by l playing 71 games, scoring 13 points and leading the team with 141 penalty minutes. He appeared in 15 playoff games that spring and scored three points and recorded four penalty minutes. In the 2008 offseason, Laraque joined the Canadiens as a free agent. In 88 regular season games for the Penguins, Laraque scored 15 points and recorded 159 penalty minutes. In 17 postseason games, he scored three points.
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Atlantic Division
-Two goals by David Clarkson, including one in overtime, gave the Devils a 3-2 win against the Maple Leafs. Martin Brodeur made 29 saves in the victory.
-Clarkson's overtime goal:
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-Check out this rocket of a one-timer by New Jersey's Ilya Kovalchuk:
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-"He spent enough on tickets. He deserved two goals." - Devils coach Peter DeBoer on Clarkson who had over 50 friends and family members at the game in Toronto.
-John Tavares and former Penguins prospect Matt Moulson each had a goal and an assist for the Islanders in a 5-2 win against the Lightning. Fire Ray Shero. Captain Mark Streit recorded two assists for New York while teammate Al Montoya made 23 saves. Tampa Bay has lost five consecutive games.
-Happy times for New York's Travis Hamonic and Kyle Okposo:
-Streit being popular:
-Unsanitary times for Moulson:
-Save of the Night: Lightning goaltender and former Penguin Mathieu Garon stopping New York's P.A. Parenteau:
-Check out this tic-tac-toe play to set up New York's Milan Jurcina for a goal:
Northeast Division
-Bruins forward Tyler Seguin was a healthy scratch after he missed a team meeting.
-Maple Leafs forward and former Penguin Colby Armstrong is hoping to return to the lineup from a sprained ankle Friday.
Southeast Division
-Ondrej Pavelec made 39 saves for the Jets in a 2-1 win against the Bruins. Boston had a 15-game point-scoring streak snapped.
-Happy times in Winnipeg:
-The Jets claimed forward Ben Maxwell off waivers from the Ducks and assigned him to St. John's of the AHL.
-Winnipeg also activated defenseman Brett Festerling from injured reserve and demoted him to St. John's.
-The Lightnin recalled defenseman Evan Oberg from Norfolk of the AHL.
-Capitals forward Matt Hendricks is day to day due to an undisclosed injury.
-“We’re in a conference with teams that have always drawn very well. Each year, Toronto and Montreal are featured teams. Boston and Buffalo always draw well. And [Tampa Bay] is developing into a great intrastate rivalry." - Panthers president Peter Yormark on realignment.
-"You could have a [conference] one year where all seven teams are terrible. Then, in another [conference], there could be eight good teams and four don’t make the playoffs. That seems a little unfair.” - Capitals forward Jeff Halpern (right) on realignment.
-"The whole concept, in general, works for the league. But it's not good for us, individually, or Florida. Our travel is going to increase significantly. It's going to make it more difficult and challenging." - Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman on realignment.
Central Division
-Brian Elliott made 27 saves for the Blues in a 3-2 win against the Red Wings. Jason Arnott recorded two assists for St. Louis while Pavel Datsyuk netted a goal and an assist for Detroit.
-Defensive Play of the Night: Check out this "save" by Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart:
-All kinds of heck broke loose here in the Red Wings' crease:
-A shootout goal by captain Rick Nash gave the Blue Jackets a 3-2 win against the Canadiens. R.J. Umberger, a native of a certain area located in the Appalachian Mountains, had a regulation goal and an assist for Columbus while teammate Curtis Sanford made all of 18 saves in the victory.
-Blue Jackets forward Kristian Huselius left the game left th game in the second period due to a groin injury.
-The NHL suspended Predators forward Jordin Tootoo two games for hitting Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller in the head Saturday:
-"I like the idea that we don't have to go out to the West Coast more than once. The time zones are key, too. If you can limit the number of two-hour differences on times for the fans watching away games that's terrific." - Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz on realignment.
Northwest Division
-Brendan Morrisson had two goals and two assists for the Flames in a wild 7-6 win against the Hurricanes. Captain Jarome Iginla added two goals and an assist for Calgary while teammate Olli Jokinen recorded three assists. Miikka Kiprusoff made 28 saves in the victory. Captain Eric Staal had two goals and an assist for Carolina.
-Roberto Luongo (13) and Corey Schneider (20) combined to make 33 saves for the Canucks in a 6-0 shutout of the rival Canucks. Daniel Sedin had a hat trick for Vancouver while teammate Jannik Hansen added two goals.
-Sedin's hat trick:
-Goal of the Night: This give and go between Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa and Hansen which led to a goal by Hansen:
-Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo left the game in the second period after taking a slap shot to the throat.
-Vancouver also saw forward David Booth leave the game in the first period due to an ankle injury.
-The Avalanche lost defenseman Ryan Wilson to a head injury in the first period.
-A goal and an assist by captain Mikko Koivu led the Wild to a 2-1 win against the Sharks. Matt Hackett made 34 saves in the victory.
-Happy times for Hackett and teammate Marco Scandella:
-A good look at Hackett's lid:
-Spitting times for Hackett:
-Hackett kept his eyes on this puck:
-"I'm still shaking. I was shaking the whole time. It's my dream to play in the NHL, and to get my first win like that, it's the best feeling in the world." - Hackett on making his NHL debut. Hackett replaced starter Josh Harding who left the game in the first period due to an "upper-body" injury.
-Wild forward Devin Setoguchi left the game due to an undisclosed leg injury.
-“I don’t think it’s fair. I’d like to see them even it out, so that every team has the same chance of making the playoffs. Personally, I’d like to have the same shot as everybody else. If you’re in one of those conferences with eight teams? It’s going to be much tougher. I’m sure there’s a solution.” - Flames forward Alex Tanguay on the two western conferences in the realignment plan having eight teams while the two eastern conferences have seven.
Pacific Division
-Two goals by Bobby Ryan led the Ducks to a 3-2 win against the rival Kings. Teemu Selanne recorded two assists for Anaheim while teammate Jonas Hiller made 37 saves. It was Anaheim's first win under new coach Bruce Boudreau.
-Ryan scored the game-winner with roughly 48 seconds left in regulation:
-Pass of the Night: Anaheim's Corey Perry setting up captain Ryan Getzlaf for a goal:
-Attentive times for the Kings' and Ducks' benches:
-Hiller kept his eyes on this puck:
-Jason LaBarbera made 30 saves for the Coyotes in a 3-2 win against the Predators. Nashville lost its fourth consecutive home game.
-Stars defenseman and former Penguin Alex Goligoski could return to the lineup Thursday from a broken thumb.
-The Ducks recalled forward Nick Bonino from Syracuse of the AHL and demoted goaltender Jeff Deslauriers to Syracuse.
-The Coyotes demoted forward Patrick O’Sullivan to Portland of the AHL.
-The Sharks recalled defenseman Justin Braun from Worcester of the AHL.
Norris Division
-Non-Hockey Note of the Day: Seventy years ago today, the world changed forever.
(Photos: Talbot-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; Laraque-Dave Sandford/Getty Images; Lightning/Islanders-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Bruins/Jets-Marianne Helm/Getty Images; Halpern-Patrick McDermott/Getty Images; Red Wings/Sharks-Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images; Wild/Sharks-Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press and Ezra Shaw/Getty Images; Kings/Ducks-Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)