NHL Columns: Pro Sports Daily

Sens brass revisit ticket price structure

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November 20

Ottawa Sun

columnist Chris Steveson

"The crowd of 17,039 at Scotiabank Place for the visit by the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins last night was the second smallest of the year after the Penguins first visit (17,014, Oct. 12) and isn't going to help the Senators' average attendance figure this season. But, hey, as Senators president Cyril Leeder pointed out yesterday, "winning is the best marketing tonic." A convincing win over the Cup champs — even with a decimated Pittsburgh blue line — was a positive step for the Senators, representing one of their best wins of the season against a quality opponent. But you can't win them all, so Leeder said the club is closely examining its ticket pricing policies to try and make ..."

Time to fix Rangers

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November 19

New York Post

columnist Larry Brooks

"LET'S face it. The Rangers are in trouble. Not only are they plagued by roster deficiencies that have been exacerbated by a couple of injuries with which the organization seems unequipped to cope, but nearly every team in the East that finished behind them last season seems improved, perhaps dramatically so. The Islanders are better. The Thrashers are better. The Lightning is better. The Senators are better. The Sabres are better. And they are all harder to play against than the Rangers, every single one of them. See, that's the most disturbing part of the season, the most disturbing part of the way the team has been constructed and, to an extent, the way it has been coached. This mix of ..."

Kings show what they are missing in 3-2 loss to Philadelphia

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November 19

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"Anyone who has followed the Kings for more than a few seasons is conditioned to wait for the next shoe -- or skate -- toduring even the most prosperous of times. No matter how many good things happen, an injury or slump always seems to come along to delay their progress and dash fans' hopes yet again. There has been more prosperity this season than most in recent memory, but it's worth wondering how long that will last now that left wing Ryan Smyth is projected to be out of the lineup for as long as a month after suffering an upper-body injury Monday. The Kings' first full game without Smyth, the fearless, experienced forward who did so much to galvanize linemate Anze Kopitar this season, ..."

10 steps along the way in transforming Chicago Blackhawks

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November 19

Chicago Tribune

columnist david Haugh

"Since John McDonough took over as team president on Nov. 20, 2007, here are the 10 most significant moments of his tenure, in chronological order. Dec. 19, 2007: The Hawks announce Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita will rejoin the team as ambassadors. April 2008: No April Fools' joke. On the 1st, the Hawks announce they will televise all 82 games. Four weeks later, the reach extends when the Hawks sign a three-year deal with WGN-AM to broadcast games. June 16, 2008: Healing another wound, Pat Foley is hired after a two-year hiatus to do play-by-play on TV. July 18, 2008: The team opens the door wider by holding a fan convention -- the only one of its kind in the NHL."

After two years at Chicago Blackhawks helm, John McDonough looking ahead

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November 19

Chicago Tribune

columnist David Haugh

"On the Jumbotron inside the United Center, Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook was being interviewed Sunday night moments after scoring the winning goal in overtime to beat the Sharks. From his suite, President John McDonough stopped applauding only long enough to shake hands with other excited members of the front office. Winning their fourth straight game against one of the NHL's best teams provided the perfect way for the Hawks to begin preparations for a six-game, 11-day trip that begins Thursday night in Calgary. Well, almost perfect. As Seabrook spoke on the giant scoreboard, McDonough noticed something. "See," McDonough said, nodding to the image of Seabrook's side profile. "He ..."

Wild at their worst, and that's saying something

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November 19

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"Here's some refreshing news from Wednesday night's Wild game: They adhered to the new system splendidly. Adjusting to the new style of play had no effect whatsoever on the outcome. Instead, they lost to the Phoenix Coyotes because they were old-fashioned terrible. "This is probably our poorest performance of the year," said coach Todd Richards. From the games I've seen, that's really saying something. At least they weren't alone. The officials had a bad night, too. Over and above what appeared to be a couple of missed offsides calls by the linesmen, referee Kelly Sutherland called the all-timer toward the end of the first period. Sami Lepisto went to flick the puck around the boards and ..."

Phil Kessel shines amid Leaf gloom

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November 19

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"One of the silver linings to an otherwise gloomy Maple Leaf season has been the remarkable health of the club so far. While other teams have been losing players by the bushel, the Leaf have only Mike Van Ryn gone indefinitely and Mike Komisarek rehabbing a short-term injury. Of course, that could also be read as a negative story. If the club is this bad without injuries, Lord help it if a bunch come along. A good news angle that comes without a similarly negative flip side, meanwhile, has been the performance thus far of forward Phil Kessel. In seven games, Kessel has been exactly as advertised in terms of ability to put the puck in the net. Including the five goals he's scored as a Leaf, ..."

And on the other hand, here's Lindy

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November 19

Buffalo News

columnist Bucky Gleason

"Lindy Ruff laughed when he was asked Wednesday whether there was a time he could have or should have been fired as coach of the Buffalo Sabres. He's among the most media-savvy coaches in the NHL, but it didn't take a degree in public relations to see where the line of questioning was going. Ruff has been a head coach for 12 seasons, one more if you count the lockout. He's been through two ownership changes, three if you count the NHL taking control the year Rigas & Son were headed for the clink. The Bills over the same span have had five head coaches, six if you count Perry Fewell after he replaced Dick Jauron. It's no wonder the only things Ruff was counting Wednesday, other than the ..."

A tale of two NHL youngsters, Filatov and Schenn

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November 18

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"Nikita Filatov, once viewed as exceptional, is now the exception. Precedent, of course, is always worth a headline, and in this case, the unusual decision Tuesday of the Columbus Blue Jackets to loan the 19-year-old Filatov to CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League as a means of furthering his hockey development was certainly noteworthy. It's happened to other top Russian picks, but only when they have essentially failed as prospects. In Filatov's case, the Blue Jackets still very much believe that one day he'll be a 30- or 40-goal scorer in the world's best league, and that he still wants to be an NHL player."

Fleury sorry Rangers saw him at his worst

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November 18

New York Post

columnist Larry Brooks

"This was the final game of 1999-2000, the first of Theo Fleury's three seasons as a Ranger, and there he was, not on the ice, but a healthy scratch. And not only was he a healthy scratch for the first time in his career, but a healthy scratch as ordered by interim head coach John Tortorella and interim GM Don Maloney, men who had been on the job for all of three games following the respective dismissals of John Muckler and Neil Smith. This turn of events is why Fleury referred to Tortorella and Maloney as "wannabes," on Page 212 of his recently published autobiography, "Playing With Fire," in which he alleges sexual abuse from junior coach Graham James beginning at the age of 14 and ..."

Foppa's body continues to betray

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November 17

Denver Post

columnist Adrian Dater

"There are two things you always feel toward Peter Forsberg: envy and pity. Envy for his Hall of Fame hockey career (he'll make it no matter what), his gazillions of dollars (he's probably made even more money from getting in early on the Crocs craze as a distributor than he has in hockey) and for drawing more swoons from women than that kid currently playing in those vampire movies. Pity for the years of false hope and buzzard's luck he has had to endure because of his stubborn body. Monday brought the latest piece of misfortune for Foppa: Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis told The Associated Press that he learned Forsberg will stay in Sweden this season. An NHL source with ..."

Kings, still in the spotlight, will see if they can take the heat

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November 17

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"Even in this wired world, news about the Kings seems to travel slowly. Writers and broadcasters in the eastern U.S. and Canada are taking note of the Kings' good start, apparently getting the news via Pony Express. The revelation that center Anze Kopitar is a skillful player just hit Canada, where he was the subject of a story last week in the nationally circulated Globe and Mail. With attention come scrutiny and the next test in Kopitar's evolution. "You don't want the spotlight to be a heat lamp, but it does get a little warm sometimes and he's got to be prepared for that," Coach Terry Murray said. "I think that's really good stuff. He's going to mature really quickly with it." Murray's ..."

Carolina Hurricanes finally win one. Cause for celebration?

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November 17

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"So, Jim Rutherford, your hockey team won Sunday for the first time since Oct. 9, ending a 0-10-4 streak with a shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild. Congratulations! "I don't see this as a team to congratulate us," the Carolina Hurricanes' general manager said Monday, his tone a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "I had a few people call me last night and offer congratulations, and I didn't know what to say, really." The Hurricanes' streak tied a franchise record set in 1992, when they were the Hartford Whalers, and it was baffling. This is a tremendously talented team and not much different from the squad that made a strong second-half push to earn the sixth playoff seed last ..."

Gambling? What gambling?

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November 17

Toronto Sun

columnist Bill Lankhof

"National Football League executives pat themselves on the back, noting they haven't had a major gambling scandal in close to 50 years. National Hockey League vice-president Bill Daly calls gambling on NHL games by players or club officials a "hypothetical" issue. Mostly, professional sports league administrators speak about how they have the twin-headed monster that is gambling and associated crime covered. "Bull," says Arnie Wexler, the former executive director of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling, a renowned speaker and a self-described "recovering compulsive gambler" who has counselled numerous professional and college athletes. "This is a huge problem not only with ..."

Capital pains

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November 17

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"With a horde of media types scrunched around him, a candid Mike Fisher, tongue planted firmly in cheek, offered a recipe for success for his Ottawa Senators against the hated Maple Leafs tonight. Muzzle the fans. No big revelation here. Road teams always come into hostile barns attempting to silence leather-lunged throngs, especially early in games. Except this time, this critical instalment of the Battle of Ontario is being played at Scotiabank Place, the Sens' home rink. "It's going to be a battle," Fisher said, tongue in cheek. "If we can take the crowd out of it early on, we can keep going." Fisher's quip is met with a chorus of laughter from local reporters. Just one question: ..."

Daniel Sedin 'reinjured?' Why, it's 'part of the process' for Canuck

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November 17

Vancouver Sun

columnist Cam Cole

"Terminology is everything in these sensitive times. Daniel Sedin did not "reinjure" himself, as has been reported. He did not "overdo it" by flying all the way to Dallas and skating a long practice with his Vancouver Canuck teammates two weeks before his anticipated return from a broken foot. In fact, it was not a long practice, said coach Alain Vigneault, just a "normal practice, with a little skate at the end, nothing more." Sedin did not "rush back too soon," and most importantly (and please do not ask again), the fact that he was not out on the ice Monday at GM Place with the rest of the Canucks, and has skated only once since that Dallas experiment eight days ago, does not mean he's ..."

Avery's edge missing

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November 16

New York Post

columnist Larry Brooks

"Ever since John Tor torella came to New York late last February, the Rangers' head coach has responded to questions about Sean Avery by saying, "It's not about Sean Avery." Which has been undoubtedly true this season. It has not been about Sean Avery. Not even a little bit. Which is perhaps the most significant reason the Rangers have been much too easy to play against through an uneven opening 20 games, even with a volatile head coach behind their bench and even with Avery on the roster. But this has been Avery in name only. The snarl has been missing. The edge has been missing. The uniqueness that most often defies definition has been missing. The Avery that New York has come to know ..."

Back to the bad old '80s with the Leafs?

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November 15

Toronto Star

columnist Rosie DiManno

"Who knew the Eighties would be looked back on fondly as the good old days? Or that the Toronto Maple Leafs would try to emulate them? You remember the '80s: Mullets, glitter-rock, linebacker padded shoulders on ladies, cocaine and the absolute nadir for Leaf hockey – 56 points in '81-82, 57 points in '85-86, 52 points in '87-88."

Give trap its due respect

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November 15

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

columnist Rob Rossi

"I know what to expect from the Devils, and it doesn't bother me at all. Indeed, I'm caught up in defending the neutral-zone trap. Call me a sucker for strategy and a fan of rigid discipline when it comes to appreciating what hockey's most hated system routines offer — the best chance for teams to win on the road. There was no coincidence that the Devils' victory Thursday at Mellon Arena was their ninth straight away from home. They're already 2-0-0 in Pittsburgh, having allowed only two goals in those contests. (The Penguins were healthy for that first loss, so no excuses.) New Jersey's trap is perfectly designed for winning on the road during the regular season — though having Martin ..."

Do hockey bosses need to be hit over the head?

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November 14

Toronto Sun

columnist Gary Loewen

"Sometimes, solutions to sports problems seem so simple. a) In golf, because of better equipment, some courses are at risk of becoming obsolete. The PGA Tour's response? Lengthen courses ... build 7,500-yard monsters that suck up more land, more water, more fertilizer. The easy solution? Banish the superballs that fly 25% farther than their predecessors. End of hand-wringing. b) The NHL is just as irrational in dealing with increasingly violent collisions. Blindside hits are causing a string of concussions and related injuries. The reason this is happening? Equipment has become lightweight, yet more rigid and unforgiving. Modern players have the same protection as a medieval knight - ..."

This was the right tonic after ugly loss

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November 14

Columbus Dispatch

columnist Michael Arace

"The notion that a 9-1 loss is just another night at the rink, one of 82, only has merit once the next game is played. Until then, the odor lingers. On Wednesday night, the Blue Jackets suffered such a loss, at home, to the hated Detroit Red Wings. The Jackets did not wake up the next morning and make note of the lovely weather. Nine goals against can strip a team down to its barest faults. The Wings did that to the Jackets. And for 48 hours in purgatory, those faults were scrutinized within and without Nationwide Arena. The Jackets' goals-against average ticked up to 3.59, which ranked 28th in the NHL. Last season, the Jackets were ninth (2.72). Where is the defense? Is goaltender Steve ..."

Rangers got a steal in Prospal

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November 14

Bergen Record

columnist Andrew Gross

"The early leader in the NHL's best-$1.1 million-spent category this season would have to be the Rangers. Quite simply, signing veteran Vinny Prospal for a bargain-basement, one-year deal has been nearly as important as committing $37.5 million over five seasons to goal machine Marian Gaborik. In fact, it's Prospal who now wears the "A" of an alternate captain. Not bad for a guy who didn't know where he was going to be playing less than a month before training camps opened. "Vinny gets me and I get him," said coach John Tortorella, who also had Prospal with the Lightning from 2001-03 and 2005-07. "I just think Vinny competes so hard." That's one reason a 34-year-old forward bought out of ..."

Resurgent Blackhawks ride winds of change

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November 13

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"It's a two-hour flight into anonymity. See, while the Maple Leafs, even in a losing season, are at the centre of many or most sporting debates in the GTA these days that don't involve the court-worthiness of Quincy Douby, they can come to the City of Broad Shoulders and in a heartbeat be quite unimportant and invisible."

Danton's interview leaves some lingering uneasiness

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November 12

Toronto Star

columnist Garth Woolsey

"Believe him or not, this much we know for sure about Mike Danton: He was, and quite likely still is, one terribly messed-up individual. That is the overriding impression left by the former St. Louis Blues forward in his supposedly tell-all interview with Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet, which aired in an hour-long special Wednesday night. As much as Danton, now 29, presents himself as a man who has learned some life lessons the hard way and is finally approaching normalcy, one is left with the uneasy feeling he continues to delude himself, as well as those who might take his words at face value."

How an ex-Leaf goalie helped bag Gustavsson

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November 12

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"After 20 knee surgeries, including one knee replacement, Mike Palmateer can't ever think about strapping on the pads again. "I'm actually walking pretty good these days, but I have to be careful," he said Wednesday from his car phone. "I'm pretty sure that if I even looked at a pair of skates, something would tear." That, however, hasn't prevented the former Maple Leaf goaltending star from doing some effective legwork for the club as a scout. In particular, according to GM Brian Burke it is Palmateer who deserves most of the credit for turning the Leafs on to Jonas (The Monster) Gustavsson last winter and starting a courtship that ultimately resulted in Gustavsson signing with the Leafs ..."

Sharks numbers game doesn't add up

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November 12

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Ray Ratto

"The Sharks' come-from-you're-screwed 4-3 win over Nashville on Tuesday night was the first time they've had to defy gravity to win, but there's no reason to quibble about that - not when there's a more serious problem. The uniform numbers. Yeah, yeah, laugh if you want, but the Sharks have more than half their roster with jersey numbers above 40, and since none of those are 66 (Mario Lemieux), 77 (Paul Coffey), 99 (Wayne Gretzky) or anything else even resembling cool, it is clear that the team was withholding the good numbers until it knew which of the young'uns would find regular work on Farmer McLellan's plot. Well, now we know, and it's time for upgrades, starting with defenseman Jason ..."

Leafs lead the league again

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November 12

Toronto Sun

columnist Gary Loewen

"Sure, the Maple Leafs are barely entitled to passing grades most nights, but off the ice they certainly know their math. The Maple Leafs - majority-owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan - remain the most valuable NHL franchise, worth $470 million, according to Forbes Magazine's annual ranking. That's up from $448 million in 2008 and $413 million in 2007. Oh, to be a retired teacher. Completing the top 10: New York Rangers $416 million; Montreal Canadiens $339 million: Detroit Red Wings $337 million; Philadelphia Flyers $273 million; Boston Bruins $271 million; Chicago Blackhawks $258 million; Dallas Stars $246 million; Vancouver Canucks $239 million; and New Jersey Devils $223 ..."

This stinker is an aberration

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November 12

Columbus Dispatch

columnist Bob Hunter

"With the Detroit Red Wings behind the Blue Jackets in the Central Division, this was supposed to be the night when we got a good look at the leveling effect of the NHL salary cap. See how different things are? Last season in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Red Wings turned up the energy meter and swept a Blue Jackets team it had split the season series with. Last night, the third-place Wings needed less than 12 minutes to take a 4-0 lead on the second-place Jackets and hung on for a 9-1, uh, never mind. The Jackets' play was uglier than a hungover rhinoceros, but a lot of what has happened says it was more aberration than reality. The standings say that the Red Wings ..."

Rangers follow Gaborik

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November 11

New York Post

columnist Jay Greenberg

"The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Rangers. Two seasons removed from the daily grind of checking Jaromir Jagr's pulse, they now will go as Marian Gaborik goes. Different personality. Different coach. Similar reliance on one player to carry the offense, however, and in Gaborik, not quite Jagr's ability to do so. Gaborik broke 40 goals just once in eight Minnesota seasons and 35 goals twice, though admittedly with a Jacques Lemaire harness attached. John Tortorella wants Gaborik, off to a fine start with 12 goals and 10 assists, to go, go, go, and the Rangers, a healthy 11th in the league in goals scored thanks largely to their 11 in two meetings with dreadful ..."

Dad waits to hear from Danton

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November 11

Toronto Sun

columnist Steve Simmons

"For eight long and tortuous years, Sue and Steve Jefferson have waited to hear from their estranged son, Mike Danton. Tonight, at least one of them will turn on their television set to Rogers Sportsnet and watch an hour-long interview with the former Mike Jefferson. Steve will listen to Mike Danton, The Untold Story, and maybe he'll take some notes. Sue isn't sure whether she has the strength or the inclination to go there anymore. Tom, the younger brother whose life has been terribly affected by his family blown apart, will sit with his father and listen to the brother he hardly knows speak in public for the first time in years. Just what part of The Untold Story is told, how much is ..."

Chelios, Forsberg draw interest

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November 11

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"Peter Forsberg and Chris Chelios are not even in Canada right now, yet they somehow had tongues wagging at the NHL's general manager's meetings in Toronto yesterday. Are both these greybeards heading for a possible return to the league? In the case of Chelios, Phoenix Coyotes general manager Don Maloney plans on travelling to San Antonio Friday to scout the 47-year-old defenceman, who will be lining up with the Chicago Wolves. "He's there, he's savvy and he's in great shape," Maloney said. "(But) I don't know. The pace of the NHL game is so quick.""

NHL score: Toronto 2, Hamilton 0?

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November 11

Toronto Sun

columnist Gary Loewen

"Just wondering: If the CFL is successful in reducing the quota of Canadian starters to four from seven, what comes next? Don Cherry lobbying to allow NHL teams only four roster spots for Europeans? Buttressing Buffalo Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly are speaking in vague terms of a second team being set up in southern Ontario eventually. There is nothing imminent but one message is clear: The shunning of Hamilton persists ad infinitum. With Burke and Daly both playing down the veto power of the Maple Leafs, it seems that the NHL is more concerned with the impact of a new Ontario franchise on the Buffalo Sabres. Daly, on the drawback of ..."

Gustavsson can't do it all

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November 11

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Feschuk

"As a measure of Jonas Gustavsson's promise as an NHL goaltender, consider that, in the early going of Tuesday night's Leafs-Wild game, Toronto's rookie goaltender had stopped 82 of the last 85 shots he'd faced. So forget for a moment, on the morning after the Leafs' only multiple-game win streak of the season ended at two, that Gustavsson surrendered four goals in Minnesota's first 10 shots. Forget that Tuesday night's 5-2 Leafs loss at the Air Canada Centre was proof that, while a competent goalie can keep a talent-challenged team in a lot of games, he can't keep them in every game. Indeed, it was impossible to pin the defeat on the 25-year-old Monster, not after so many of the Leafs, the ..."

Hockey Hall of Fame gets a Lucky strike

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November 10

L.A. Daily News

columnist Ramona Shelburne

"The statue in front of Staples Center rightly is of Wayne Gretzky. But that special spot in every Kings' fans heart? That could only belong to Luc Robitaille. The left winger who couldn't skate, wasn't fast and always seemed to play second fiddle to a brighter star, officially became a Hall of Famer on Monday to complete one of the more improbable success stories the National Hockey League has ever witnessed. Which is just the start of the explanation why Robitaille always seemed to have a different and deeper connection with the fans here than any other player. If it was Rogie Vachon, Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor who helped Los Angeles notice the Kings, and Wayne Gretzky who helped the ..."

Hull's passion for hockey equals achievements on ice

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November 10

Dallas Morning News

columnist Mike Heika

"My favorite Brett Hull moment didn't come on New Year's Eve or during one of his stand-up comedy-style meetings with the media or even in the wee hours on that special 1999 morning in Buffalo, N.Y. It came on a regular day at Dr Pepper StarCenter in Irving, where the Stars used to practice. Hull was there as a member of the St. Louis Blues. After practice, he sat outside on a curb near the Blues' bus and talked hockey for about 30 minutes. He talked about what was wrong with the game in the mid-1990s, changes he would make and what the game needed to do to keep fans interested and excited. He was certainly opinionated, but he exuded confidence borne not of hubris so much as intense ..."

Hull's career-defining goal broke hearts in WNY

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November 9

Buffalo News

columnist Bucky Gleason

"Ten years, four months and three weeks have passed, including three days for leap years, since the doors busted open and the Dallas Stars rushed onto the ice to collect the Stanley Cup after Brett Hull scored the winner in triple overtime. Add another day if you include the date of when the game started, not when it ended. Not that anybody is counting, of course. All these years later, Hull still finds himself explaining how the goal was rightfully his and the Cup was rightfully theirs. Don't blame him for the controversy, he says. Blame the league for not sharing an in-season rule change that allowed players to have their foot in the crease so long as they maintained control of the puck. ..."

Ruff goes soft to keep team playing hard

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November 9

Buffalo News

columnist Bucky Gleason

"Just before the season, Lindy Ruff pulled his leaders aside and told them they needed to take over the Buffalo Sabres' dressing room. He made it clear that he was finished barking after every poor performance. This was their team, he told them, and taking ownership was their responsibility. It was as if Ruff recognized that his style had grown stale, that he knew adjustments were required if his team was going to go anywhere. He has said numerous times this season that the Sabres' core is no longer a bunch of kids. They're pros who know what's needed to win and should be treated accordingly. Ruff hasn't undergone a total makeover, but the shift in his approach has been obvious all year. ..."

Questionable hits need to be curbed

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November 9

Tampa Tribune

columnist Erik Erlendsson

"Debates rage throughout the course of every NHL season whenever hard hits occur. Panelists across Canada and the U.S. will dissect situations when a player gets hurt on the ice, they will look at every angle and decide whether the victim put themselves in a vulnerable position. They will argue whether a hit was clean or dirty, and most often they side with the player delivering the hit. But maybe it's time to stop the debate between clean or dirty hit and decide what is necessary and what is not. Already this season the likes of Florida's David Booth, Minnesota's Petr Sykora and New York Rangers' Chris Drury are out with concussions on hits that have been, or will be, discussed. Tampa ..."

Luck has little to do with Luc Robitaille's success

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November 9

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"Luc Robitaille was never the fastest skater or most purely gifted player on the ice at any level he played. For a while, he wasn't even the most prolific scorer. "It's funny he got 600 and some-odd goals in the NHL. It surprises me because he used to be a passer," said his father, Claude. "I would say, 'You could score once in a while.' He'd say, 'Yeah, but it was the better play. We have more chance of winning. The other guy is a better scorer than I am.' " Somewhere along the way he learned how to score like few before or since. Robitaille, whose 668 goals and 1,394 points are NHL records for left wings, today will take his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame with fellow inductees ..."

Hartnell helps net a win streak

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November 9

Philadelphia Daily News

columnist Frank Seravalli

"It would not be a reach to say that the Flyers are a different team since their Oct. 27 loss to the Washington Capitals. It would be easy to look at their injury-ravaged roster - they have been without Simon Gagne, Danny Briere and Ryan Parent for stretches - and say that, just based on the lineup. There has been a noticeable difference in the last 10-plus days. Winning four games in a row will do that. But this isn't the same inconsistent, unconfident and unproven crew that skated through the month of October at a 6-4-1 clip. Let's not forget that we are only 14 games into an 82-game campaign. Perhaps, though, this team knew that months of .500 hockey wasn't going to cut it. The Flyers ..."

Canucks' Sedins together again — tears stop falling

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November 9

Vancouver Sun

columnist Iain Macintyre

"Unseparated from birth until a month ago, Daniel and Henrik Sedin finally know what it's like to miss each other. Apparently, absence made their hearts grow fonder. Yeah, pass the Kleenex. "Every night, he cried himself to sleep," Daniel Sedin said Sunday, reunited in practice with his twin after missing one month due to a broken foot. "We've played together so long. I knew he would do pretty good, but it would be different without me. "There were a lot of games he knew he could play better, but the team was winning and that's all that matters." A lot of Canucks should be weepy at the Sedin family reunion. It boosts the National Hockey League team 11/2 players: all of Daniel and the half ..."

Consistency lacking in enforcement of instigator rule

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November 8

St. Petersburg Times

columnist Damian Cristodero

"The one thing players say they want most from on-ice officials is consistency. That is why two calls last week, both of which went against the Lightning, are worth exploring. In the first, Toronto's Niklas Hagman jumped Lukas Krajicek after the Tampa Bay defenseman cross-checked him to the ice. In the other, Lightning right wing Steve Downie fought Chris Neil after the Ottawa tough guy creamed defenseman Victor Hedman with a ferocious check. The difference: Downie was penalized for instigating a fight. Hagman was not. That's no small deal. An instigator penalty carries a two-minute penalty and a 10-minute misconduct. Add five for fighting and you've got 17 penalty minutes. In other words, ..."

AWOL from Avs' turnabout - the fans

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November 7

Denver Post

columnist Dave Krieger

"What if they put on a hockey game and nobody came? No, it's not that bad yet. And yes, the people who remember Rockie hockey could tell you what happens when it gets that bad. But still, the Avalanche is facing what seems like a contradictory confluence of events. After finishing last season as the worst team in the NHL's Western Conference, the Avs surprised most everyone in the hockey world by sprinting to the top of the standings this season. Yet their attendance has continued the downward trajectory of the past three seasons, slipping below 15,000 fans a game through their first six home games. The obvious explanation is the economy, but the Nuggets' attendance is holding steady. In ..."

Sabres left behind in trying to step up

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November 7

Buffalo News

columnist Jerry Sullivan

"Lindy Ruff didn't bother addressing his team after this one. The Sabres were outplayed, outworked and outclassed in Friday night's 5-2 loss to the Flyers. Ruff let them talk it out among themselves. Evidently, Mike Grier did most of the talking. "It's a little disappointing," Grier said. "Good thing we have a game [tonight] to bounce back. I told the guys we've got a good record and everyone knows it. The league is going to watch how we do in these games. Teams are going to try to push us out of games. We've got to show we won't back down." Translation: When you're on top, expect to get teams' best shot. If you're going to pose as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, you ought to act like ..."

Don't panic, Wings fans: Early bumps will get fixed

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November 7

Detroit Free Press

columnist Michael Rosenberg

"The Red Wings have been great for so long that when they stumble, it's like the king is fidgeting in his throne. Is he OK? Did he wince? What next? This has inspired panic at the most ridiculous times, from the strangest places, but this week it reached a new level. Longtime team executive Jim Devellano told Larry Lage of the Associated Press that "we're going to have to fight just to make the playoffs and it's going to be a grind ... to get home-ice advantage would be a miracle." This begs the question: miracle? In hockey, "miracle" means a bunch of American kids beating Russian superstars in Lake Placid. If the Wings actually do pull off the "miracle" and get home-ice advantage, will ..."

Identity crisis has Wild losing face

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November 6

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"The problem right now is that the Wild aren't sure who or what they are. They know what they used to be. We all know that. They used to be a hard-working, airtight defensive hockey club. Ask anybody around the league, and that's what he will tell you: "Oh, man, the Wild don't give you much." That was then. Now, the Wild are stuck in the fifth dimension. They aren't anything. In between coaches and systems, they have yet to establish an identity. There is no collective personality. And it shows. Their 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night dropped them to 5-10. "Yes, I would say we're still looking for an identity," coach Todd Richards said. "I have a good idea what that ..."

New GM Fletcher knew what he was getting himself into

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November 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"Here in the State of Hokey, the Wild will invite just about anyone to yell, "Let's Play Hockey." If they need help finding "celebrities" to fire up the "Team of 18,000," I am here to help. Next game, they should bring back Doug Risebrough. That way Risebrough could get the fans riled, and then the Wild would get to fire him all over again. Thursday night at the X, it was hard to tell if there were more empty seats or empty Wild jerseys, as the Fighting Christmas Trees played pathetically while losing 5-2 to the beat-up Canucks. There are four prime figures you could blame for the Wild's lousy play so far: Risebrough, new GM Chuck Fletcher, old coach Jacques Lemaire or new coach Todd ..."

Compelling case for Killer

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November 6

Toronto Sun

columnist Steve Simmons

"The Hall of Fame case for Doug Gilmour is much like the player himself. It darts back and forth, is statistical yet empirical, creative but contradictory, and, in the end, absolutely convincing. No matter what criteria is chosen by the Hockey Hall of Fame committee -- Gilmour doesn't just meet the standards, he exceeds them. How best to measure a Hall of Fame player? A Hall of Famer must be exceptional, even if there are too many hockey examples to the contrary. A Hall of Famer must have a playoff resume. A Hall of Famer must make his teams and his teammates better. A Hall of Famer must be a player you can't take your eyes off and must be at his best when it matters most. THE PLAYOFF ..."

The battle for 29th

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November 6

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"The basement door is open, with a sliver of light peeking through the crack. The Maple Leafs can see it. An escape from the NHL outhouse is there for the taking. All that is needed is a victory tonight over the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center in Raleigh and the Leafs will find themselves in 29th spot in a 30-team league. Hey, folks, you have to learn how to crawl before you walk. And for the Leafs, mired at the bottom of the standings since the beginning of the season, any step up is monumental right now. If you want to nit-pick, the Leafs, tied at seven points with the free-falling Hurricanes, technically are ahead of Paul Maurice's club because Toronto holds a game in hand. ..."

Thrashers Loss To CBJs Is Like Déjà vu All Over Again

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November 6

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

columnist Bill Tiller

"Ever get that strange and unexplainable feeling that you seen this before? Thrashers playing at home…come out of the locker room in the red third jerseys…get down by two or three goals…mount a comeback…end the game with a final furious rally in front of the visitor's goal…but fall just short. Now, was that the Thrashers last game I just described? Was it last Thursday versus Washington? Maybe it was the Thursday before that against, again, Washington? Or was it the Saturday game against San Jose in between the two Capitals game?"