Empty Netter Assists - 01-15-12

Penguins

-Dustin Jeffrey is back in the lineup for real this time.

-"I am one of those guys that is on the bubble, outside looking in." - Steve MacIntyre (above) on this role an enforcer.

-Dan Bylsma speaks:

-Two goals and an assist by Bryan Lerg led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 6-4 win against the St. John's IceCaps. Ryan Craig scored two goals for the Penguins while teammate Ben Street recorded a goal and an assist. Brad Thiessen made 23 saves in the victory.

-Peter Lenes had two goals and two assists for the Wheeling Nailers in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones.

-Happy 37th birthday to former Penguins defenseman Martin Strbak. Acquired along with Sergei Anshakov early in the 2003-04 season in a deal which sent Martin Straka to the Kings, Strbak's Penguins career amounted to 44 games and 14 points with the Penguins that season. During the 2004-05 lockout, he joined HC Kosice of the Slovak Extraliga. He currently plays for Lev Poprad of the KHL.

Atlantic Division

-Martin Biron made 20 saves for the Rangers in a 3-0 shutout of the Maple Leafs. Derek Stepan had a goal and an assist for New York.

-Pass of the Night: Stepan setting up former Penguins forward Mike Rupp for a goal:

-Check out the move Stepan pulled out to score his goal:

-Prior to the game, captain Dion Phaneuf and the Maple Leafs paid tribute to the Canadian military with camouflage jerseys in warm ups:

-New York forward and former Penguin Ruslan Fedotenko left the game in the second period due to a back ailment.

-Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky missed his second consecutive game due to a shoulder injury.

-Martin Brodeur made 21 saves for the Devils who beat the Jets, 2-1. Winnipeg has lost five out of its last six games.

-Goal of the Night: Check out this re-direction goal by New Jersey's Patrik Elias:

{youtube width="465" height="266"}BmGLTaIOea4{/youtube}

-Check out this save by Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec on New Jersey's Henrik Tallinder:

-Devils forward and former Penguin Petr Sykora recorded the 700th point of his NHL career. Fire Ray Shero.

-New Jersey forward Adam Henrique missed the game due to a groin injury.

-Two goals by Michael Grabner led the Islanders to a 4-2 win against the Sabres. Former Penguins prospect Matt Moulson had a goal and an assist for New York while teammates PA Parenteau and John Tavares each recorded two assists. Fire Ray Shero. Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves in the victory.

-Fight of the Night: New York's Matt Martin versus Buffalo's Joe Finley:

{youtube width="465" height="266"}NvFH3411kec{/youtube}

-Buffalo's Drew Stafford got a faceful of ice courtesy of New York's Milan Jurcina:

-Nabokov recorded his 300th career win.

-Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk is sidelined indefinitely due to a concussion.

-It doesn't sound like Flyers captain Chris Pronger is dealing with his concussion all that well.

-Brodeur has a 16-year-old son who is a goaltender at famed boarding school Shattuck-St. Mary’s.

-The Islanders inducted former captain Patrick Flatley into the team's hall of fame.

-Forward Sean Avery of the Connecticut Whale, the Rangers' AHL affiliate, was a healthy scratch in a recent game for disciplinary reasons.

Northeast Division

-A shootout goal by captain Daniel Alfredsson gave the Senators a 3-2 win against the Canadiens. Craig Anderson made 33 saves for Ottawa.

-Alfredsson > Montreal's Carey Price:

-Happy times for the Senators:

-Anderson got a glove on this puck:

-Ottaway's Chris Neil > Montreal's Tomas Plekanec:

-Canadiens defenseman PK Subban will not be disciplined for a hit to the head of Bruins forward David Krejci Thursday. The hit in question:

{youtube width="465" height="266"}heF3OY2Pnoo{/youtube}

-EN Says: Just more of the same typical inconsistency from the NHL. NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan can wear a nice suit and put out all the Web videos all he wants, but all that does is mask the continued inconsistency from his office.

-The Sabres recalled defenseman Joe Finley from Rochester of the AHL.

Southeast Division

-Cam Ward made 33 saves for the Hurricanes who beat the Bruins, 4-2. Carolina has defeated Boston in all three meetings thus far this season.

-Cool Photo of the Night: Carolina's Andreas Nodl leading a rush up ice:

-Happy times on the Piedmont:

-Ward kept this puck out:

-Boston's David Krejci and Carolina captain Eric Staal were ready for this faceoff:

-Staal > Boston's Benoit Pouliot:

-Intense Photo of the Night: Boston' Joe Corvo battling Carolina's Jussi Jokinen for a puck:

-Boston's Milan Lucic had issues with Carolina's Brandon Sutter:

-Jets forward Blake Wheeler was hospitalized after being hit in the throat with a puck.

-The Jets recalled defenseman Paul Postma from St. John's of the AHL.

-With a success rate of 13.5 percent, the Lightning's once dangerous power play ranks 28th in the league.

Central Division

-Martin Erat, Mike Fisher and Sergei Kostitsyn each had a goal and an assist for the Predators who beat the Flyers, 4-2. Pekka Rinne made 36 saves in the victory. Sean Couturier and Wayne Simmonds each collected a goal and an assist for Philadelphia.

-Hit of the Night: Nashville's Ryan Ellis on Philadelphia's Wayne Simmonds:

-Happy times for Rinne and teammate Patric Hornqvist:

-Two goals by Todd Bertuzzi, including one in overtime, gave the Red Wings a 3-2 win against the rival Blackhawks. Pavel Datsyuk and Ian White each recorded two assists for Detroit while teammate Jimmy Howard made 25 saves.

-Bertuzzi's overtime goal:

-Blackhawks forward and former Penguin/Red Wing Marian Hossa tied the game when he scored with 51.7 seconds left in regulation:

-Fire Ray Shero Ken Holland.

-Lucky Save of the Night: Howard fanning on a puck with his stick but recovering to make a save on Chicago's Michael Frolik:

-Howard had a little less luck on this play which led to a goal by Chicago's Andrew Shaw:

-Check out this re-direction goal by Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom:

-The Red Wings tied a franchise record with thier 14th consecutive home win.

-Kevin Shattenkirk's shootout goal gave the Blues a 3-2 win against the Wild. Jaroslav Hpalak made 29 saves in the victory.

-Check out this save by Halak on Minnesota's Kyle Brodziak:

-Halak > Minnesota's Devin Setoguchi:

-St. Louis' Ryan Reaves and Minnesota's Brad Staubitz had a solid tilt:

{youtube width="465" height="266"}hQem31DDhXM{/youtube}

-The Blue Jackets claimed Colton Gillies off waivers from the Wild.

-The Predators placed Jerred Smithson (undisclosed) on injured reserve due and recalled forward Chris Mueller from Milwaukee of the AHL.

-The Blues demoted defenseman Cade Fairchild to Peoria of the AHL.

Northwest Division

-Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 2-1 defeat of the Stars. Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 21 saves in the victory.

-Check out this save Giguere made on Dallas' Jamie Benn:

-Giguere looked for the puck through traffic here:

-Wild captain Mikko Koivu suffered a left shoulder injury in last night's game against the Blues.

-Former Penguins forward Nick Johnson has found a home in Minnesota.

Pacific Division

-Thomas Greiss made 25 saves and led the Sharks to a 2-1 win against the Blue Jackets. San Jose has won six out of its past seven games.

-Save of the Night: Greiss on Columbus' Derek Dorsett:

-Check out this mid-air tap-in for a goal by San Jose's Ryan Clowe:

-Check out this save by Greiss against Columbus' Fedor Tyutin:

-San Jose's Andrew Desjardins was knocked woozy on a hit to the head by Columbus' Dane Byers:

{youtube width="465" height="266"}otPaRZxyak0{/youtube}

-Dorsett and San Jose's Marc-Edouard Vlasic each got a little grabby:

-"That's exactly what we want to eliminate from the game, exactly." - Sharks coach Todd McLellan on the hit.

-EN Says: That's a suspension one would presume. But presuming anything with this garage league can be dangerous.

-Captain Dustin Brown and Mike Richards each had a goal and an assist for the Kings who beat the Flames, 4-1. Justin Williams recorded two assists for Los Angeles while teammate Jonathan Quick made 29 saves.

-New/Old Flames forward Mike Cammalleri scored in his first game back in Calgary:

-Kings coach Darryl Sutter got a win over his brother, Flames coach Brent Sutter.

-The Coyotes recalled defenseman Chris Summers from Portland of the AHL.

Smythe Division

-Brooks Ostergard made 37 saves for the Robert Morris men's team in a 1-0 loss to Holy Cross.

-Paul Chiasson and Trent Frey each scored two goals for the Mercyhurst men's team which routed American International, 7-2.

-Amanda Makela made 17 saves for the Mercyhurst women's team which defeated Niagara, 4-2.

(Photos: MacIntyre-Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Rangers/Maple Leafs-Abelimages/Getty Images; Islanders/Sabrse-John Dunn/Associated Press; Senators/Canadiens-Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images; Bruins/Hurricanes-Grant Halverson/Getty Images; Flyers/Predators-Mike Strasinger/Associated Press; Wild/Blues-Jeff Roberson/Associated Press; Avalanche/Stars-Ronald Martinez/Getty Images; Sharks/Blue Jackets-Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)