Empty Netter Assists - 12-23-11
Penguins
-Deryk Engelland (above) will have some extra free time this holiday season.
-"It's a great atmosphere. Like you're playing in a playoff game." - Manitoba native Arron Asham on playing in Winnipeg.
-"I’m not super Internet guy you know? I just read news." - Evgeni Malkin on why he uses Twitter. (PG+)
-Mike Colligan of The Hockey Writers takes a look at Malkin's evolution.
-Dan Bylsma and his ugly sweater speak:
-The Civic Arena's demolition continues:
-Penguins forward prospect Josh Archibald was selected to the United States' roster for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championships. (PG+) Also selected were Western Pennsylvania native forwards J.T. Miller (Coraopolis), Brandon Saad (Gibsonia), goaltender John Gibson (Baldwin) and defenseman Steve Johns (Wampum). The entire roster can be found here.
-Happy 29th birthday to current Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek. A free agent signing in 2010, Michalek has spent the past two seasons with the Penguins. In 2010-11, Michalek appeared in 73 games, scored 19 points and led the team with 149 blocked shots. During last season's playoffs, he played in seven games and recorded one assist. This season, Michalek has appeared in 14 games and has scored four points. In 87 regular season games with the Penguins, Michalek has 23 points.
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-Happy 28th birthday to former Penguins forward Chris Conner. A free agent signing in the 2009 offseason, Conner spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins. In 2009-10, Conner appeared in eight games and scored three points. During the 2010 postseason, Conner played in one game and failed to record a point. Last season, Conner set career highs in games (60), goals (seven) and points (16). During last season's playoffs, he played in seven games and scored one goal. This past offseason, he joined the Red Wings as a free agent. In 68 career regular season games for the Penguins, Conner scored 19 points. In eight postseason games, he had one goal.
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-Happy 35th birthday to former Penguins forward Mikael Samuelsson. Acquired late in the 2002-03 season along with Joel Bouchard, Richard Lintner and Rico Fata in a deal which sent Mike Wilson, Alex Kovalev, Janne Laukkanen and Dan LaCouture to the Rangers, Samuelsson's Penguins' career amounted to 22 games and two assists that campaign. In the 2003 offseason, Samuelsson and two draft picks were traded to the Panthers for two draft picks, one of which was used to select Marc-Andre Fleury. Samuelsson is currently a member of the Panthers.
-Happy 47th birthday to former Penguins forward Petr Klima. Acquired early in the 1996-97 season in a trade which sent a conditional draft pick to the Kings, Klima appeared in nine games and scored four points that campaign for the Penguins. He was released midway through the season. As a result, the Kings were forced to return the draft pick.
Atlantic Division
-A goal and an assist by Brandon Dubinsky led the Rangers to a 4-2 win against the rival Islanders. Anton Stralman recorded two assists for New York while teammate Martin Biron made 24 saves. Former Penguins prospect Matt Moulson netted a goal and an assist for the Islanders. Fire Ray Shero.
-Dubinsky's goal was a real snipe:
-Check out this save by Biron on the Islanders' Michael Grabner:
-Check out this nifty pass from the Rangers' Artem Anisimov to set up Marian Gaborik for a goal:
-Islanders defenseman and former Penguin Mark Eaton returned to the lineup after missing 13 games due to a left knee injury. With his return, the Islanders demoted defenseman and Upper St. Clair native Dylan Reese to Bridgeport of the AHL.
-It's looking like the weather will be unseasonably warm for the Winter Classic.
Northeast Division
-James Reimer made 40 saves for the Maple Leafs in a 3-2 win against the rival Maple Leafs. Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak.
-Pass of the Night: Toronto's Joffrey Lupul setting up Phil Kessel for a goal:
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-Check out this snipe of a goal by Toronto's Nazem Kadri:
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-Hit of the Night: Buffalo's Paul Gaustad on Toronto's John-Michael Liles:
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-Happy times for the Maple Leafs. Not so much for Buffalo's Andrej Sekera:
-Reimer was all over this puck:
-Sabres forward Thomas Vanek left last night's game due to an "upper-body" injury.
-An overtime goal by Bobby Butler gave the Senators a 4-3 win against the Panthers. Captain Daniel Alfredsson had a goal and two assists for Ottawa while teammates Erik Karlsson and Chris Neil each collected a goal and an assist. Craig Anderson made 32 saves in the victor. Kris Versteeg recorded two assists for Florida.
-Butler's goal:
-Defensive Play of the Night: Ottawa forward Erik Condra had a nice "save" to prevent a goal:
-Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller is calling for stiffer penalties for contact with goaltenders.
-Senators forward Peter Regin will be sidelined indefinitely due to a shoulder injury.
-Quebec nationalist groups are planning on protesting at an upcoming Canadiens game over the hiring of English-speaking Randy Cunneyworth.
Southeast Division
-Ondrej Pavelec made 27 saves for the Jets in a 4-0 shutout of the Canadiens. Blake Wheeler collected two goals and an assist for Winnipeg.
-Check out Winnipeg backup goaltender Chris Mason's sweet new pads:
-Happy times for the Jets. Not so much for the Canadiens:
-Painful times for Winnipeg's Chris Thorburn and Montreal's Alexei Emelin:
-Pavelec and teammate Zach Bogosian having a moment:
-Panthers forward Stephen Weiss left last night's game due to an "upper-body" injury.
-Lightning forward Ryan Shannon will be sidelined two to four weeks due to a "lower-body" injury.
-The Malones - Tampa Bay's Ryan and Colorado's Brad - are cousins and they face off tonight.
Central Division
-Martin Erat's goal with 8.4 seconds left in regulation gave the Predators a wild 6-5 comeback win against the rival Blue Jackets. Erat and teammate David Legwand each finished with a goal and an assist while captain Shea Weber recorded three assists for Nashville. Pekka Rinne made 26 saves in the victory. Jeff Carter recorded a hat trick for Columbus.
-Erat's goal:
-Carter's hat trick:
-Happy times in Nashville:
-Rinne lost track of this puck:
-Linesman Brad Lazarowich had to break up Columbus' Derek Dorsett and Nashville's Jordin Tootoo:
-The Blue Jackets blew two three-goal leads.
-Carter set a franchise record for fastest hat trick by scoring his three goals in a span of 3:18.
-The Blackhawks demoted forwards Jeremy Morin and Brandon Pirri to Rockford of the AHL.
-Former Penguins defenseman Marc Bergevin is carving out a nice career as an executive with the Blackhawks.
-The Blackhawks decided to make this:
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Northwest Division
-Two goals by Curtis Glencross led the Flames to a 3-2 win against the Red Wings. Miikka Kiprusoff made 29 saves in the victory.
-Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall stepped up to hammer Calgary's Tim Jackman, but that led to a two-on-one goal for Calgary's Blake Comeau:
-Jordan Eberle scored two goals for the Oilers in a 4-1 defeat of the Wild. Nikolai Khabibulin made 30 saves for Edmonton.
-Minnesota's Nicklas Backstrom and Edmonton's Ryan Jones got up close and personal:
-The Wild placed captain Mikko Koivu on injured reserve due to a leg injury and recalled former Penguins forward Jeff Taffe from Houston of the AHL.
-The Canucks demoted forward Mark Mancari to Chicago of the AHL.
Pacific Division
-Shootout goals by Jarret Stoll and captain Dustin Brown gave the Kings a 3-2 win against the rival Ducks. Drew Doughty recorded two assists for Los Angeles while teammate Jonathan Quick made 20 saves. Niklas Hagman and Lubomir Visnovsky each had a regulation goal and an assist for Anaheim.
-Los Angeles' Colin Fraser and Anaheim's Matt Beleskey had issues:
-The Kings won in their first game under new coach Darryl Sutter.
-Kings forward Mike Richards returned to the lineup after missing eight games due to a concussion.
(Photos: Engelland-Jamie Sabau/Getty Images; Sabres/Maple Leafs-Abelimages/Getty Images; Canadiens/Jets-Marianne Helm/Getty Images; Blue Jackets/Predators-Frederick Breedon/Getty Images and Mark Humphrey/Associated Press; Wild/Oilers-John Ulan/Canadian Press; Ducks/Kings-Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)