Daily Clips – 12/18/11

Malkin's hat trick buries Buffalo, 8-3

Fleury records 200th victory, Depres gets first goal in game of milestones

Sunday, December 18, 2011

By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Evgeni Malkin did not score a milestone goal Saturday night, the way Simon Despres did.

And he didn't reach a major statistical plateau, the way Marc-Andre Fleury did.

Which might be the only things he didn't manage during the Penguins' 8-3 victory against Buffalo at Consol Energy Center.

Malkin scored three goals -- his seventh career hat trick -- and set up two others which, all things considered, really isn't a bad evening's work.

"My first shot, I scored," Malkin said. "Second shot, I score again. It's a lucky day for me."

Of course, it usually is for the Penguins when they face Sabres goalie Ryan Miller.

While there aren't many holes in his resume -- with the obvious exception of a Stanley Cup, of course -- there likely is at least one more thing Miller would like to accomplish before he retires.

Have a good game against the Penguins.

His latest attempt was an abject failure, as Miller stopped just 5 of 15 shots in 29 minutes, 43 seconds of work and was pulled from the game twice.

Even for a guy whose body of work against the Penguins has run the gamut from awful to abysmal -- he began the evening with a 4-9-3 record, 3.25 goals-against average and .886 save percentage in 17 career appearances against them -- it was a wretched outing.

"I don't even think that was anywhere close to good hockey on my part," Miller said.

That's one way to put it. If you want to put a wildly positive spin on it, anyway.

Miller's struggles dovetailed with quite a few individual accomplishments by the Penguins. Among them:

• Despres scored his first NHL goal.

• Fleury made 16 saves to earn his 200th NHL victory, making him the fourth-youngest goalie to do so.

• Forward Jason Williams got his first goal as a Penguin.

• Defenseman Brooks Orpik recorded his 100th NHL point, an assist on Malkin's first goal.

• Defenseman Carl Sneep, playing in his first NHL game, earned his first point in the league by assisting on Malkin's second goal.

• Pascal Dupuis got point No. 300 with an assist on a Deryk Engelland goal.

"We haven't handed that many pucks out after a game, ever," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

Perhaps the only surprising thing is that none of those commemorative pucks ended up in the Buffalo net, because just about every other one associated with this game did.

Williams staked the Penguins to a 1-0 lead at 2:17 of the opening period, when he beat Miller with a slap shot from the blue line, and they controlled play for most of the time that followed.

"We did a great job," Malkin said. "You see how we started. We dominated in the offensive zone. I think we deserved this win."

They got it despite playing without center Jordan Staal and defenseman Paul Martin, neither of whom was deemed healthy enough to be in uniform. Their spots were taken by Williams and Sneep, who were recalled from the Penguins' minor league team in Wilkes-Barre.

Staal, who has missed three of the past four games, and Martin are on a list of injured players that includes Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek, among others.

Craig Adams might end up there, too, after leaving the game with an unspecified injury in the second period. Bylsma said he is considered day to day.

The Sabres hardly were at full-strength, either. The absentees list was headlined by Tyler Myers, Brad Boyes, Jochen Hecht and Ville Leino.

A case could be made that Miller and fellow goalie Jhonas Enroth were no-shows of a sort, too, although poor goaltending wasn't Buffalo's only shortcoming.

"We were bad in all areas," Sabres center Derek Roy said. "Power play. Penalty kill. Five-on-five. We were just bad."

The game effectively was over by the first intermission, as Williams, Despres and Malkin (two) had scored to give the Penguins a three-goal lead.

The Penguins rarely eased up the rest of the way, and Malkin seemed especially motivated, although he insisted that he wasn't focused on pumping up his personal statistics.

"I'm not thinking about points," he said. "I'm trying to find my game. ... I'm just finding my level and [trying to] continue to do better every game."

A worthy objective, to be sure. But considering how Malkin played Saturday night, perhaps not a realistic one.

On the Penguins: A part of Sid's legacy

Sunday, December 18, 2011

By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Two days after David Steckel felled Sidney Crosby with a wicked -- unintentional or otherwise -- blow to the head during the Winter Classic at Heinz Field Jan. 1, a Penguins executive was asked if Crosby had been given a concussion test in the wake of that hit.

The response was fast and firm.

No.

There was, the official said, simply no reason to.

He pointed out that Crosby has finished the game, conducted a postgame news conference and still had not reported any concussion-type symptoms.

In light of all that, what would be the rationale for having Crosby take a concussion test?

The answer came three days later, when Crosby was diagnosed with a concussion that prevented him from playing for more than 101/2 months.

Pretty tough to imagine anything like that happening in the NHL now, isn't it?

Crosby's injury -- damaging as it was to the Penguins' season and potentially devastating as it could have been, or still could be, for his career -- did a lot to make concussions the most pressing issue in hockey today; the number of players diagnosed with one since he was injured is testimony to how seriously they are now taken.

Thankfully, the days when a guy visibly dazed by a forearm or elbow to the head is considered to simply have had "his bell rung" are over.

Questions remain about how possible concussion victims are treated -- why, for example, Kris Letang received clearance to return to a game in Montreal minutes after being leveled by Max Pacioretty of the Canadiens three weeks ago is baffling -- but awareness of concussions has risen dramatically during the past year.

Perhaps the best evidence came a little more than a week ago when Crosby, after reporting a headache, was immediately taken off active duty.

The initial word was that he would sit out two games. The reality is that he shouldn't think about playing again until after he can do everything expected of a player without suffering anything that even hints at the lingering effects of his concussion.

There is much that even the world's leading experts do not know about concussions and for that reason there inevitably will be second-guessing about how a particular case is handled.

It's already clear that anytime a team doesn't fast-track a concussed player back into the lineup, a few charter members of the chronically clueless will accuse the club of coddling the player, and the player of being softer than a microwaved marshmallow.

Fortunately, most NHL executives seem capable of resisting the bleatings of those who feel their right to be entertained easily trumps the importance of a player's long-term well-being.

And if there are decision-makers who do not possess that kind of backbone, they should be fired.

It is, of course, too late to undo any damage that was done to Crosby by allowing him to play in the third period of the Winter Classic, then practice for a few days before dressing for the Penguins' next game, Jan. 5 against Tampa Bay, during which Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman drove his head into the glass.

Hindsight made it all too clear that a grievous error in judgment was made by not getting him out of the game the instant Steckel felled him.

None of that can be undone, but it doesn't have to be repeated.

And if other players can be spared some of the misery guys like Crosby, Marc Savard and Chris Pronger have endured, at least a little good will have come from what has become, unfortunately, one of the significant moments of Crosby's career.

Cooke's vow to change wasn't hollow

Matt Cooke's teammates and coaches aren't the only ones to notice the difference in how he's been approaching his work this season, to recognize that his pledge to purge dirty hits from his game has proven to be more than just so many hollow words.

The guys who have spent so much time over the years sending Cooke to the penalty box and filing postgame reports on his misdeeds are becoming aware of all that, too.

"I think he's gained a lot of respect from referees," assistant coach Tony Granato said recently. "Referees have made some comments, about how there were chances where they thought he could have finished his check and he let up."

Cooke, for the record, was assessed 12 penalty minutes during his first 31 games this season.

That put him on pace to finish 2011-12 with 32; the fewest he's had in anything approaching a full season was 64 in 2006-07. He had a career-high 129 last season.

The Penguins are hoping that Cooke -- whose blindside hit on Savard two seasons ago caused a serious concussion that has all but formally ended Savard's career -- will find a comfort zone in which he can play the body more vigorously and more often than he did through the early part of this season.

That might well happen at some point, but even if it never really does, the extreme makeover of Matt Cooke will go down as one of the most compelling developments in the NHL this season.

The metamorphosis has been remarkable, and people obviously are beginning to notice.

Martin latest Penguin to miss time with an injury

Sunday, December 18, 2011

By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins' injury report grew again when defenseman Paul Martin missed Saturday's game against Buffalo at Consol Energy Center.

Martin appeared to injure his right leg Friday night when he was checked by Ottawa's Chris Phillips.

"We're hoping it's day to day," coach Dan Bylsma said. "We're not certain."

Carl Sneep, 23, a second-round draft pick in 2006, was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and made his NHL debut against the Sabres.

The Penguins also recalled forward Jason Williams. He filled in for center Jordan Staal, who missed his second consecutive game and third in the past four because of an unspecified injury.

In regard to a couple of longer-term injury situations, Bylsma said defenseman Kris Letang, who missed his ninth game in a row because of a concussion, has not begun skating.

"Any [activity] he might be doing is light at this time," Bylsma said.

The status of center and captain Sidney Crosby, who missed his fifth consecutive game because of concussion symptoms, has not changed, Bylsma said. Crosby said nearly two weeks ago that he was just doing light exertion work.

Crosby missed 61 games because of a concussion and played eight games before being pulled back out of the lineup.

Penguins not alone

Buffalo had lost 117 man-games to injury going into the contest. That's not on the level of the Penguins' 160 man-games lost, but Sabres coach Lindy Ruff still scratches his head when he looks around the league.

"I don't ever recall teams being injury-riddled the way it is now," he said, adding that being so short-handed induces teams to aim for .500 hockey until bodies heal.

The Penguins -- who last season began having an injury list that practically rivaled a lineup in length -- have fared pretty well with players out, but they went into the Buffalo game on a 1-4 losing skid, 1-3 in the latest absence of Crosby.

Shot leaders

Penguins winger James Neal has led the league in shots most of the season and was first with 132 going into Saturday.

Right behind him was center and linemate Evgeni Malkin, with 120. Malkin missed seven games early in the season, so he was tops in the NHL with an average of 4.8 shots a game. Neal was second at 4.1.

"I'm not surprised for [Neal], but I'm surprised for me," Malkin said. "[Neal] shoots from everywhere."

Malkin said he has just following orders.

"Coaches told me to shoot. 'Shoot, Geno, shoot.' What the coaches say, I do. I have lots of scoring chances. If you don't shoot, you don't score. But it's [also a product of] the system."

Malkin had 12 goals on those 120 shots, but he also has hit a lot of goal posts.

"A lot of posts this season," he said. "I need to do something with that -- after the post, score [on a rebound]."

Asked if he would like to lead the NHL in scoring, Malkin shrugged.

"I don't think about this," he said. "You think about this. I don't."

Tough business

Ruff has been the Sabres coach since 1997-98, in a league where six coaches have been fired in the first 11 weeks of this season. The latest was Jacques Martin, let go Saturday by Montreal.

"We're in a tough business," Ruff said. "I feel fortunate ... when we've had a lot of coaches that have lost their positions. I don't think Jacques was doing a bad job. I think that's what our league is -- in our league the parity is really close and it's tough to pull away. There's high expectations."

Martin was replaced on an interim basis for the balance of the season by Randy Cunneyworth, a former Penguins winger who was Buffalo's AHL coach for several seasons.

"He's a players' coach," Ruff said, in contrast to Martin's harder edge. "I think that's what our business is. You go from a guy that's hard, to a guy that's easy, to a guy that's hard, to a guy that's easy."

Penguins sit Martin with a lower body injury

By Bob Cohn PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, December 18, 2011

Defenseman Paul Martin was out of the Penguins' lineup against Buffalo on Saturday because of a lower body injury he suffered against Ottawa early in the third period of Friday's 6-4 loss.

Coach Dan Bylsma said before the game he does not know the extent of the injury, calling Martin's status day-to-day.

With the Penguins riddled with injuries, the club Saturday called up defenseman Carl Sneep and forward Jason Williams from their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton AHL affiliate. Williams has played in two games with the Penguins this season. Sneep was making his NHL debut.

Martin has been a workhorse for the Penguins since signing a five-year, $25 million free-agent contract in 2010. He appeared in all but five games last season and in all 32 games this year, playing added minutes with fellow defensemen Kris Letang, Zbynek Michalek, Brian Strait and Ben Lovejoy all on the injured reserve list.

Malkin, Penguins thrash past Miller, Sabres

By Bob Cohn PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, December 18, 2011

Amid a mounting number of injuries and four losses in five games, the Penguins were immersed in trying times. But a welcome adversary awaited Saturday night, and the Penguins wasted little time righting their wrongs.

Buffalo's Ryan Miller is one of the NHL's top goalies. And the Penguins own him.

The Penguins scored three goals in the first nine minutes, 53 seconds to send Miller to the bench, albeit temporarily, and spark an 8-3 victory at Consol Energy Center. Evgeni Malkin scored a hat trick, and his five points tied a career best.

"We dominated in the offensive zone," he said. "We deserved this one."

Miller last beat the Penguins on Dec. 8, 2008, when George W. Bush was president and Mellon Arena was the place in town to watch professional hockey.

Miller, who yielded Sidney Crosby's overtime goal when Canada beat the United States in the gold-medal game of the 2010 Winter Olympics, is 0-5-1 in his past six starts against the Penguins.

Crosby, still sidelined by concussion-like symptoms, was absent for this game. So were several of his banged-up Penguins teammates, including defenseman Paul Martin, who suffered a lower-body injury in Friday night's loss at Ottawa.

But Malkin stepped up early with two goals, and more help came from less-expected sources, including the Penguins' newly found Wilkes-Barre/Scranton connection.

Veteran center Jason Williams, recalled from the Penguins' AHL affiliate earlier in the day, scored his first goal for the Penguins. Rookie defenseman Simon Despres, the club's top draft pick in 2009 and a Dec. 1 call-up, scored his first goal of the year, coming in his eighth NHL game.

"I have definitely been dreaming about it the last few nights," he said.

Defenseman Carl Sneep, also called up yesterday, had an assist in his first NHL game, helping on Malkin's second goal.

"I was definitely very nervous, very excited," Sneep said. "It was a great day for me."

All this happened in the first period, as the Penguins took a 4-1 lead.

"We came out flying in the first period, and that's what we needed," Despres said.

"We got it from a lot of different areas, from the score sheet but also in playing the way we need to play," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

In contrast to Miller's troubles, the Penguins' Marc-Andre Fleury became the fourth-youngest goalie (27 years, 19 days) to win 200 games since the 1967-68 expansion season. "It took a little longer than I wished," he said, referring to his recent struggles.

Miller, who was lifted for Jhonas Enroth, returned to start second period. The Penguins welcomed the news with James Neal's team-leading 18th goal after just 53 seconds. Near the end of the period, defenseman Deryk Engelland, hardly a scoring machine, sent in a wrist shot that should have been an easy save. But Miller let it escape between his legs for Engelland's second goal of the season.

Enroth replaced Miller to start the third period.

After Buffalo made it 6-3, Malkin scored his 15th goal — capping his seventh career hat trick — on the power play with 8:15 remaining when he fired his rebound through Enroth's legs. Less than two minutes later, Malkin got his second assist on a nifty drop pass to Chris Kunitz, who scored goal No. 11.

Notes: Center Jordan Staal (undisclosed injury) missed his second straight game. Defensemen Chris Letang and Zbynek Michalek (concussions) did not play. They have missed nine straight games. ... Right winger Craig Adams left the game in the second period with a "lower-body" injury.

Scoring summary

First period

Penguins, 1-0 (2:17): C Jason Williams blasted a slap shot from the right point while on the rush that slipped through G Ryan Miller's stick side.

Penguins, 2-0 (6:07): D Simon Despres scored his first NHL goal when he received a pass from LW Tyler Kennedy and one-timed a blast from the right circle that beat Miller.

Penguins, 3-0 (9:43): C Evgeni Malkin took a pass from LW Chris Kunitz, cut against the grain and into the slot before burying a wrist shot to Miller's glove side.

Sabres, 3-1 (12:55): LW Thomas Vanek used D Brooks Orpik as a screen while on a rush and beat G Marc-Andre Fleury to the glove side from the slot.

Penguins, 4-1 (17:30): D Carl Sneep shot a puck up the right-wing boards, and RW James Neal interfered with D Jordan Leopold, allowing Malkin to receive the pass in full flight. Malkin beat G Jhonas Enroth between the legs with a backhand shot.

Second period

Penguins, 5-1 (0:53): Malkin faked a shot, then delivered a pass to RW James Neal, who fired a one-timer from a bad angle that beat Miller to the short side.

Penguins, 6-1 (17:54): D Deryk Engelland took a pass from RW Arron Asham, skated down the left wing and beat Miller between the legs with a wrist shot.

Third period

Sabres, 6-2 (8:49): C Luke Adam gathered a puck from a scrum in the slot and ripped a wrist shot over Fleury's glove, off the cross bar and in.

Sabres, 6-3 (10:13): C Paul Gaustad made a move around Sneep on a 2-on-1 and flicked a shot past Fleury.

Penguins, 7-3 (11:43): Malkin gathered his own rebound and shot between Enroth's legs for his seventh-career hat trick.

Penguins, 8-3 (13:39): Malkin had a shot rejected but managed to locate the loose puck and send a drop pass to Kunitz, who buried a high wrist shot.

Shero: Crosby remains priority for Penguins

By Josh Yohe PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, December 18, 2011

OTTAWA — Sidney Crosby's yearlong bout with a concussion will not influence next summer's contract talks, Penguins general manager Ray Shero told the Tribune-Review, and the team remains committed to a long-term extension with the star center.

"The only thing on my mind is signing Sidney Crosby," Shero said. "We want him to be a Penguin for life. That's the goal. Nothing has changed."

Crosby's health has changed, of course. He remains out of the lineup with headaches, possibly indicating the concussion he sustained in January remains on some level, though an ImPACT test after the Dec. 5 game against the Boston Bruins did not indicate another concussion. He has played just eight games since Jan. 5.

Shero, however, expects Crosby to fully recover from his concussion issues.

"I'm under the assumption that he's going to play in the NHL for another 10 or 15 years," Shero said of Crosby, who turned 24 in August. "We all know he's the best player in the league when he's healthy. My mindset on Sidney Crosby is not changing. We want to sign him."

Speculation has surfaced that Crosby's health might affect the Penguins' approach to his next contract.

Crosby's current deal makes him eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1, 2013. The NHL's collective bargaining agreement states that the Penguins are permitted to exclusively negotiate with Crosby beginning in July 2012.

Shero said the Penguins "absolutely" are willing to take a financial risk that Crosby will regain full health.

"When Sid comes back, we'll see (greatness) in his game, just like when he came back in November," Shero said.

Neither Crosby nor his agent, Pat Brisson, were available for comment.

Several players leaguewide — including Philadelphia's Claude Giroux and Chris Pronger, Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner, Rangers defenseman Marc Staal and Kings center Mike Richards — are out with concussions. NHL greats Eric Lindros and Pat LaFontaine had their careers cut short because of concussions.

When Crosby returns from this latest episode is unknown, but like last season, Shero refuses to rush Crosby.

"It's best to be cautious right now in this situation," Shero said. "The future is important. It's important to us and to Sidney. We have to make sure we're very careful with him."

Crosby won't be the only player on Shero's mind this summer.

Center Jordan Staal, whose offensive game has blossomed despite recently being hampered by a lower-body injury, also has a contract that expires in 2013. Shero would like to finalize a deal with Staal, 23, this summer.

Right wing James Neal, 24, who has scored 17 goals this season, is another who figures to have Shero's attention. Neal becomes a restricted free agent this summer.

"All summers are important," Shero said. "Now we're getting into the third contracts for some of our star players. So, yeah, it is a pivotal summer. There are important decisions for the organization to make moving forward."

The current CBA expires Sept. 15. Shero is hopeful an agreement will be reached beforehand and that a new salary cap allows the Penguins to keep their team mostly intact.

"You just have to project what the cap number will be," Shero said. "You do the best you can."

Neal's price increases with every goal he scores, and Shero does not sound interested in letting the winger walk.

"When we traded for him," Shero said, "we obviously thought he was a good player. He was the right age to grow with us. It's not just his goal-scoring. He's doing a lot of good things. He's a really good player. He seems to fit in with our forward group. To get him a contract at some point is a goal."

The goal, however, is making sure Crosby remains a Penguin — regardless of time he might miss due to injury.

"Nothing," Shero said, "has changed our mind about Sidney Crosby being our priority."

On the market?

Here are the Penguins' upcoming unrestricted and restricted free agents:

Unrestricted

Player, Current, salary

LW, Steve Sullivan, $1.5 million

RW, Arron Asham, $775,000

LW, Steve MacIntyre, $600,000

C, Richard Park, $550,000

G, Brent Johnson, $600,00

Restricted

C, Sidney Crosby, $8.7 million

C, Jordan Staal, $4 million

RW, James Neal, $2.875 million

LW, Matt Cooke, $1.8 million

D, Matt Niskanen, $1.5 million

RW, Pascal Dupuis, $1.5 million

D, Brian Strait, $861,677

LW, Eric Tangradi, $845,833

D, Alexandre Picard, $600,000

D, Robert Bortuzzo, $535,000

C, Joe Vitale, $512,500

Unrestricted free agents in 2013

RW, Craig Adams, $675,000

D, Ben Lovejoy, $525,000

*Should the current salary cap of $64.3 million remain in place for the 2012-13 season, the Penguins would have about $9.4 million of cap room.

If needed, vet Munroe may get call from Pens

By Jonathan Bombulie FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, December 18, 2011

If the Penguins needed to call up a goaltender from Wilkes-Barre right now, it just might be veteran Scott Munroe instead of prospect Brad Thiessen.

Thiessen won eight straight games from Oct. 21 to Nov. 11, but since then Munroe has been significantly better.

Coming into this weekend, Munroe was 4-1-1 with a 1.55 goals-against average and .942 save percentage in his previous six starts. In that same span, Thiessen's numbers were 2-4-2, 3.26 and .864.

Munroe, 29, is an undrafted Alabama-Huntsville product who was one of the top goalies in the AHL while playing in the Flyers' system from 2006-09. He spent last season in Russia.

"That's why we brought Scott in. We knew he had experience and he was a guy that had won a lot of hockey games and was a good goalie," Baby Pens coach John Hynes said. "To have success, you have to have two guys that can play because you have call-ups, you have injuries, you have the amount of games that you play and the travel. It's nice that we have two guys that can play."

When injuries attack

The Penguins have had so many injuries on the blue line the past two weeks that they ran out of defensemen on NHL and AHL contracts. The Baby Pens had to call up two players on ECHL deals — Dan Henningson from the Chicago Express and Peter Merth from the Wheeling Nailers — just to fill out the roster.

Surprisingly, they responded with back-to-back 4-2 victories, first over Hershey, one of the AHL's top offensive teams, then over Binghamton.

Henningson, who spent the previous two seasons with the Nailers, and Merth said the transition to Wilkes-Barre was a fairly easy one.

"All the breakouts and (defensive) zone play is very similar," Merth said. "It wasn't too big of a jump."

No stars

The Baby Pens have six forwards with at least 15 points — Bryan Lerg, Colin McDonald, Ben Street, Eric Tangradi, Jason Williams and Brian Gibbons — but none of them is in the top 20 in the league in scoring.

"I really enjoy coaching teams that have a balanced attack, because it means you're difficult to play against and players are developing," Hynes said.

Williams was promoted to the NHL on Saturday.

Top pick injured

Beau Bennett, the Penguins' first-round pick in 2010, will miss six to eight weeks after having wrist surgery Dec. 8.

The University of Denver hopes to have him back for the end of the regular season and the postseason. A sophomore, he has 13 points in 10 games.

Under the radar

Here's a dark-horse forward prospect to watch: rookie wing Chris Barton.

A 5-foot-11, 180-pounder who played on a line with top prospect Stephane Da Costa the past two seasons at Merrimack College, Barton leads all ECHL rookies with 15 goals and 26 points in

21 games with Wheeling. He signed an AHL contract Dec. 9 and made his Baby Pens debut Friday, posting a minus-1 rating in a 3-2 victory at Syracuse.

One to watch: Alex Grant

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) — Defenseman

6-foot-3 — 200 pounds

Acquired: Fourth-round pick, 118th overall, in the 2007 draft

How he's doing: Grant was a healthy scratch for 14 of the Baby Pens' first 21 games, but when the rash of injuries to defensemen began Nov. 29, Grant was thrust into a more prominent role. He made the most of it, posting five assists and a plus-6 rating in his next six games. It might be Grant's last chance to make an impression. Due to injuries and slow development, he played just 18 AHL games in his first two pro seasons. His entry-level contract is up after this year.

Why he might make it to the NHL: He has a big slap shot and good size, and he doesn't mind dropping the gloves.

Why he might not: He doesn't play an assertive, physical game in the hard areas of the ice, and he's prone to defensive-zone mistakes.

Concussions in the NHL: What the league can do to curb the problem

Chris Bradford cbradford@timesonline.com | 0 comments

Remember when "clutching and grabbing" and "cost certainty" -- whatever that was -- were the two greatest threats to the National Hockey League as we know it?

Ah, those were the days.

Those issues pale in comparison to the recent concussion epidemic. Not to sound too melodramatic, but you want to hear about cost?

Because of head injuries, the NHL is without its best player (the Penguins' Sidney Crosby), its leading scorer (Philadelphia's Claude Giroux), its top goal scorer (Ottawa's Milan Michalek) and one future Hall of Famer (the Flyers' Chris Pronger). And that's just in the last 10 days.

As those injuries have shown, perhaps not all concussions are preventable. However, there are steps the league can take to make them less prevalent. It's a difficult task considering the size and speed of today's NHL while trying to adhere to the tradition and values of the league.

Here's this observer's suggestions to improve the game:

SPEED BUMPS

Issue: Coming out of the lockout, the NHL installed many bold initiatives, not the least of which was the figurative removal of the center red line. It was supposed to generate a wealth of offense by allowing two-line passes and making it tougher to clog the neutral zone with defenders. While it has worked, it has done so only marginally. Those who had visions of wave after wave of Coffey-to-Lemieux home run breakaway passes have been underwhelmed. The Art Ross Trophy winners still hover around pre-lockout totals of 115-120 points, a far cry from the nearly 200s of the Gretzky-Lemieux era.

Remedy: While speed has been the calling card of the new NHL, it has come at great human cost as players entering the offensive zone in top gear are too vulnerable to unimpeded backchecking (examples: Matt Cooke on Marc Savard and Max Pacioretty on Kris Letang) and collisions (example: Chris Kunitz on Crosby). Unfortunately, it might be a step back, but in the name of safety, it's a necessary evil to bring back the two-line pass.

HUG IT OUT

Issue: Short of putting stop signs on the back of players jerseys as they do in the pee wee ranks, hits from behind are another large contributor to head injuries (example: Victor Hedman on Crosby). Compounding the problem has been the league's insistence to call holding and interference anytime a player takes one hand off his stick to bump a player from behind against the glass.

Remedy: By allowing a "bear hug" as Toronto GM Brian Burke calls it, defensemen (usually) can actually soften the blow by having his arms between the glass and his opponent's head. Agreed. If it goes beyond that, only then is it holding or interference.

ICING ON TOP

Issue: Credit Don Cherry -- yeah, that guy -- for being on point on this issue for years. No meaningless play has caused more catastrophic injury than icing (example: Patrice Bergeron). You can count on one hand the number of meaningful touch-ups there have been in a season.

Remedy: Instead of the international no-touch icing the NHL should adopt a hybrid which still allows for a race -- but not to the puck. Instead of the end line, first player to either faceoff circle is awarded possession. Ties go to the defenseman.

LET'S CUT THE TRAP-EZOID

Issue: Easily the most ill-conceived post-lockout rule change was the institution of the trapezoids behind the goal lines. At the time, the rule seemed solely designed to prevent New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, the league's best stickhandling goalie, from playing the puck in the corners. What has resulted, besides stunted offense, is goalies are unable to help out their defensemen leaving them to susceptible to overaggressive forecheckers.

Remedy: For Pete Peeters' sake, get rid of the trapezoid. Now.

PUT 'EM UP

Issue: Somewhere along the line the onus on hitting has shifted from the hitter to the hittee. Players about to be hit are, in essence, being asked to absorb the hit. If you've watched an NHL game from 20 years ago or before, you'll see more hitting in a period of today's game then you'd see in an entire game. Perhaps it goes back to a lack of respect between today's players, but the hitting now is exponentially more violent.

Remedy: It may sound contradictory, but give players some leeway in protecting themselves as they did back in the so-called good, old days. Nothing quells hitting quite like a raised stick or elbow. Players must be allowed to protect their heads.

EQUIPMENT

Issue: While the size of goaltenders equipment is a source of constant debate, how about the size and makeup of the skaters' gear? In recent years, the league, to its credit, has been exploring using soft caps on the shoulders and elbows. It's still a far cry from the days when players wore suspenders with, literally, only two shoulder caps attached to them. Helmets are commonly improperly worn. Many players don't have the chin strap fastened tightly, others have the padding shaved out to create a sleeker fit (example: Jordan Staal).

Remedy: The league can still do a little more to reduce the size and rigidity of the shoulder and elbow pads but players are largely on their own from the neck up. Like the visor debate, it's a matter of choice. If someone doesn't care enough to protect his eyes or head, sadly, they'll get what they deserve.

SUSPEND BELIEF

Issue: Since taking over as the league's czar of discipline hardly a week -- or seemingly, a day -- has gone by without Brendan Shanahan issuing a fine, suspension or both for illegal hits to the head and hits from behind. If "Sheriff Shanny" is trying to send a message, Edmonton's Andy Sutton didn't get the message. The twice-suspended-this-season Sutton has become the poster child for why hits to the head have to be punished severely.

Remedy: If the NHL is serious about tackling the concussion issue, it's going to have to revise Rule 48 to include all hits to the head, incidental or otherwise. If a player is responsible for his stick at all times, surely he should be responsible for every part of his body. For those concerned about taking the physicality out of the game, there is already a similar head hit ban in Canadian junior and hitting is not down.

IT'S THEIR RIGHT, LET THEM SIT

Issue: Without question, fighting remains the most polarizing controversy surrounding the sport. For decades the league has walked the tight rope of allowing it to placate its rabid fan base (which overwhelmingly approves), while largely alienating a segment of society that might find the game more attractive if it was to rid itself of this blemish once and for all. However, no matter how hard it tries, the NHL will always be the fourth sport in this country. The key is to make sure the league remains relevant by never slipping beyond that. The arguments to allow fighting (spark the team, get crowd involved, settle a score) are almost completely bogus. However, every great while a fight actually does the aforementioned (examples: Max Talbot vs. Dan Carcillo and Vincent Lecavalier vs. Jarome Iginla).

Remedy: The fact is there's little to no appetite among the league's managers and players to ban fighting. That said, calling a five-minute penalty isn't just a joke, it's condoning it. There's a compromise to be had here. Keep fighting but make it rare and punish it accordingly. Why not, in addition to the fighting major, add a 10 minute misconduct and two-minute minor for delay of game (Since, you know, they're by definition misconducts and delays)? So, say a Carolina player really wants to sit 17 minutes to get the Caniacs into the game, so be it. If he does it in the third period or in a blow out, it's reviewable for suspension.

Pens Insider: Penguins 8, Sabres 3

Chris Bradford Times Sports Staff | 0 comments

ANALYSIS

PITTSBURGH -- Other than his celebration on his third and final goal of the game, everything else Evgeni Malkin did was flawless.

Malkin matched a career high with five points, including his first hat trick in more than a year and his seventh career, in Saturday's 8-3 demolition of the Sabres in what was easily his most dominant performance in 2½ years. It came at most the opportune time as the Penguins had lost four of their last five.

"It was lucky day for me. I'm glad," said Malkin. "We did a great job, you see how we start (four goals in first period). We dominated in the offensive zone, we deserved this victory."

To be sure, the absence of Sidney Crosby is a crippling loss to the Penguins. If Malkin keeps playing at the rate he has been, however, the Penguins should be able to more than keep afloat in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Then again, Malkin shining in Crosby's absence is nothing new.

The big Russian did it in 2008 when Crosby was out seven weeks with a high ankle sprain. However, since winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, claiming the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP on the way, Malkin hasn't been the same player.

That is, until the last month or so.

Malkin now has 12 multi-point games this season, including four in the last five. Malkin now has 17 points (10 goals) in his last 13 games.

Whether it's the return of good health (he missed half of last season with a torn ACL) or his confidence (this is his second season without Russian teammate Sergei Gonchar), Malkin is a force again.

In just one game, Malkin went from 18th in the league's scoring race to third, just three points behind Philadelphia's Claude Giroux, who is out indefinitely with a concussion.

"I'm not thinking about points, some times you have five points, of course, it's good," said Malkin, "It's not big (deal) for me."

PLAY OF THE GAME

Proud owner of one Vezina Trophy and an Olympic silver medal, Ryan Miller is one of the finest goaltenders in the NHL today. Saturday, however, was not one of them. Jason Williams' 75-foot slap shot just 2:17 into the first period set the tone for the Penguins' rout. For Williams, who was recalled earlier in the day for the second time in a week, it was his first in a Penguins uniform. Whether Sabres defenseman Jordan Leopold screened him or not, it was a bad goal for any goalie, particularly one of Miller's caliber. Miller was chased midway through the first period after surrendering three goals on seven shots. He returned to start the second only to give up two more goals and was pulled for good at the intermission. "He's one of the best

goalies in the league, (but) we did a good job of getting pucks through," said rookie D Simon Despres.

(((HIDDEN STAT

14: That's the number of different Penguins to register at least one point. Seven of them, Matt Niskanen, Deryk Engelland, Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Jason Williams and Alexandre Picard had two points each, while Evgeni Malkin had five.

NEWS & NOTES

PITTSBURGH -- It was a night of milestones for the Penguins in Saturday's 8-3 romp over Buffalo.

The rundown: Simon Despres scored his first NHL goal; Brooks Orpik picked up his 100th career point; Carl Sneep picked up an assist in his first NHL game; Pascal Dupuis earned his 300th career point; Evgeni Malkin surpassed Ron Schock for assists (281) in franchise history. And last, but not least, Marc-Andre Fleury picked up his 200th career win. "Last couple of games, we lost," Fleury said. "Happy to finally get it."

Only Tom Barrasso (226) has more career wins than Fleury in franchise history. And at, 27 years and 19 days, Fleury became the fourth youngest player to reach the 200-win mark since 1967. Only Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr and potential Hall of Famers Martin Brodeur and Barrasso were younger.

"Dan came in after the game he had like seven pucks to give out," said Despres, a first-round pick in 2009 who was playing in his eighth career NHL game. "It was a good milestone game and a good win for the boys."

Sidney Crosby (concussion) was officially placed on the injured list retroactive to Dec. 5, meaning he's cleared to return at any time. However, there are no indications the captain's return is imminent.

--With three more power play goals Saturday, the Penguins now have five in their last two games. They went 3-for-5 with the man advantage against Buffalo.

--Malkin's hat trick was the Penguins' first this season. Last season the Penguins had four, while not allowing one. It was Malkin's first HT since Nov. 13, 2010 at Atlanta.

--Overlooked in Malkin's five-point night was his 12 of 18 wins (67 percent) in the faceoff circle.

--The Peguins won 61 percent of the draws and out-hit Buffalo 19-10.

--Malkin and James Neal extended their points streaks to five games.

--C Craig Adams left the game in the third period with a lower body injury and did not return. He is day-to-day.

--The Penguins improved to 8-2-1 in their last 11 home games.

--It was the fifth game that the Penguins have played in back-to-back nights. They are now 6-3-1 overall, with a 3-1-1 record in the second game.

--Bylsma is now 8-2 all-time against Buffalo.

--Collectively, the Penguins are now 14-4 against the Sabres since 2007-08. They are 9-2-1 in their last dozen home games against Buffalo.

--Buffalo's Lindy Ruff is the second-longest tenured coach in the four major pro sports. Only the San Antonio Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich (1996) has coached longer with one team than Ruff, hired July 21, 1997.

Endgame: Penguins 8, Sabres 3

Saturday, 12.17.2011 / 9:57 PM / Features

By Sam Kasan

Center Evgeni Malkin was playing so well the past few games that it was only a matter of time before he burst out with some points on the scoresheet. Malkin scored three goals for his seventh career hat trick and chipped in two assists to tie a career high with five points to power the Pens to an 8-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at CONSOL Energy Center. It was an offensive assault by the Pens, as 14 different players figured in with at least one point and seven recording multi-point games.

More on Malkin and the offense here.

It was a banner night for the Pens as several players hit career milestones.

• Marc-Andre Fleury won his 200th career NHL game • Simon Despres scored first career goal • Carl Sneep played his first career game and notched first career point (assist) • Pascal Dupuis posted his 300th career NHL point • Brooks Orpik recorded his 100th career NHL point

(More on Fleury’s 200th win here). “We haven’t handed out that many pucks after a game ever, since I’ve been here,” head coach Dan Bylsma said. “Simon Despres gets his first NHL goal. That celebration and that smile says a lot about what playing in the NHL is all about. And it all caps off ‘Flower’s’ 200th win.” Despres, the Pens’ 2009 first-round draft pick, scored on a one-timer from the near circle on a power play. The puck slid under the pads of goaltender Ryan Miller. “I just tried to get it on net as best I could,” Despres said. “I was fortunate it went in. “I was pretty pumped to get a nice goal and not a bad one. I’m happy with that one.” Sneep, Pittsburgh’s second-round pick in 2006, sent the puck around the boards from behind his own net. Forward James Neal stick checked a Sabre to allow the puck to clear the zone. Malkin found the puck in the Sabres zone and barreled to the net, lifting a backhander over Jhonas Enroth’s shoulder to give Sneep his first career point. “It was a lot of fun getting to play your first game and getting a point in your first game,” Sneep said. “I had a great day. I had a blast and it’s fun to be a part of a win like that.” Sneep was called up in the morning and drove 5-plus hours all the way from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the game in Pittsburgh. And he’ll always have the memory of that elongated pass for an assist to tell his kids.

“I wasn’t even looking for (Malkin),” he said. “I just threw it up the wall. (I’ll tell my kids) it was tape-to-tape saucer pass.”

It wouldn’t be a Penguins game without an injury. With about 12 minutes left in the second period Craig Adams went to the locker room and didn’t return. Bylsma said after the game that Adams has a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The Penguins have a ridiculous 10 players currently on the injured list and have suffered 170 man-games lost this season. Currently out of the lineup are Robert Bortuzzo, Sidney Crosby, Dustin Jeffrey, Kris Letang, Ben Lovejoy, Zbynek Michalek, Richard Park, Jordan Staal and Brian Strait.

Malkin's Hat Trick Powers Total Team Effort

By Michelle Crechiolo

Saturday wasn’t just a great day for hockey – it was an absolutely fantastic night for Evgeni Malkin. The Russian superstar scored his seventh career hat trick and added two assists to give him the fourth five-point night of his career in the Penguins’ 8-3 win over Buffalo. “A great day today,” Malkin smiled after the game. “On my first shot I scored. On my second shot I scored again. It was a lucky day for me and I’m glad.” Malkin’s dominant effort gives him a team-leading 36 points on the season – which moved him into a tie for fifth place among the NHL scoring leaders.

He’s played in just 26 games, two less than Claude Giroux and four less than Steven Stamkos, Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul – the three players ahead of him. But Malkin said winning a second Art Ross trophy – which is very much within reach – isn’t his focus right now. It’s trying to regain top form after undergoing surgery back in February to repair torn ligaments in his knee, something that he still doesn’t feel he’s quite reached yet – even with a performance like tonight’s. “No, I’m not thinking about my points. I’m trying to find my game,” he said. “I lost a pretty long time with my knee, you know. I started a little bit slow and now I feel a little bit better. I’m just trying to find my level and continue to play better every game.” With the way Malkin had been playing as of late, a night like tonight was certainly overdue.

The dynamic and gifted center had truly been taking over games all over the ice, shooting pucks from everywhere and anywhere and had been getting points to show for it – just never more than two in a game. “It might be a surprise he hasn’t gotten more, but I think in some of the games that he’s played – especially recently – he’s gotten nine shots (in games) and his scoring chances are in double digits,” head coach Dan Bylsma said. “When you get scoring chances in double digits, you’re doing a lot of things well. Tonight, he obviously got the goals and assists.” Forward Chris Kunitz said Thursday the rest of the Penguins needed to follow along and pick up their game like Malkin has, and that was certainly the case Saturday. Fourteen different players got on the scoresheet for Pittsburgh, including all six defensemen and four of the recent callups from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In addition, six Penguins aside from Malkin had multiple point efforts. And after a stretch where the Penguins had dropped four of their last five games, a resounding victory like this was much needed – and well-deserved. “We did a great job tonight,” Malkin said. “I think we deserved this win.”

Fleury Hits 200 Marker

By Kaitlin Zurawsky

Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres was full of milestones for the Penguins in an 8-3 victory at the CONSOL Energy Center.

It was especially memorable for goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who became just the second goalie in Penguins’ history to notch 200 wins (Tom Barrasso, 225). Fleury became the fourth-youngest netminder to win 200 games since the expansion era, and among active goaltenders, Fleury is the second youngest to reach the milestone trailing only the Devils’ future hall of famer Martin Brodeur. “It’s pretty cool,” Fleury said. “You don’t really think about it when you come in the league, but I’m fortunate to play with many good players and many good teams.” Fleury, who stopped 23 of 26 shots against Buffalo, has become the fifth active goalie to reach 200 wins in fewer than 400 games (393). The veteran goalie has been a solid player for the Penguins, which has been the major contributor to their success amidst numerous injuries. “He’s an extremely talented goaltender, but the consistency he showed last year and again this year has really been a big part of the confidence to go out and know you’re going to be in hockey games and know you’re going to have a chance at every hockey game,” head coach Dan Bylsma said. Fleury’s consistency has seen him start in 26 of the 33 games played so far this season and a record of 16-7-2. He is on pace to tie his career high with 40 wins projected over 67 games. Continually being the rock of the Penguins’ roster throughout his career has allowed Fleury’s name to be spoken alongside the best in the game.

“I think he’s right up there at the top of the league with the best goalies,” Bylsma said.

Malkin leads Penguins past Sabres

Saturday, 12.17.2011 / 11:12 PM

Alan Robinson - NHL.com Correspondent

PITTSBURGH -- Evgeni Malkin commonly enjoys games like these with the help of Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal or Kris Letang. On this creative night of improvisation for the Penguins, Malkin's co-stars were Carl Sneep, Alexandre Picard, Simon Despres and Jason Williams. The result? The Evgeni Malkin that the Penguins have waited two seasons to see. Malkin scored three goals -- a pair of them during a four-goal first period in which much of the Penguins' offense was generated by players called up from the minors -- and Pittsburgh roughed up goalie Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres 8-3 on Saturday night at Consol Energy Center. With the help of the five fill-ins who recently joined the injury-thinned Penguins, Malkin produced his seventh career hat trick and five points. Rapidly moving up the NHL scoring list, the former Art Ross Trophy winner has four goals in two games and 12 points in his last five games. Surprisingly, Malkin – the 2008-09 NHL scoring champion– has only one other game this season with more than two points. His hat trick was Pittsburgh's first since Chris Kunitz's against Tampa Bay on Jan. 5, the final game Crosby played last season, and Malkin's first since Nov. 13, 2010 against Atlanta. "I'm not thinking about my points," Malkin said. "I'm trying to find my game. I had a long time with my knee and now I feel better. I'm just trying to find my level and play my best every game."

Malkin missed the final two-plus months of last season with torn right knee ligaments and, following surgery, he also sat out seven games this season. Still, he has 5 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in 26 games, only a season after he averaged below a point per game for the first time in his career. "It's good, but it's not a big deal for me," Malkin said of his recent surge. It is for the Penguins, who badly need his offense with Crosby (concussion-like symptoms) on injured reserve for the second time this season. Crosby can be activated at any time, but there has been no hint when he might return. Defenseman Paul Martin (lower body injury) also sat out this one. Malkin has six goals and six assists in the five games since Crosby left the lineup. Miller, 0-5-1 in his last six starts against Pittsburgh with a goals-against average above 5.00, knows how difficult it can be to shut down the Penguins when their stars are streaking. That's why he couldn't have expected this at a time when nine Penguins – including Crosby – are on injured reserve. But the Penguins needed only 6 minutes, 7 seconds to open a 2-0 lead on goals by Williams and Despres. Williams, who has spent most of the season in the minors, hadn't scored in nearly 10 months; Despres scored his first NHL goal. "We've been playing good in Wilkes-Barre and we've been bringing the same game up here," said Despres, who joked that the farm club is the "NHL's 31st team." Miller and the Sabres were coming off a 5-4 win over rival Toronto in front of a loud, animated crowd at the First Niagara Center, but they trailed by at least two goals throughout the final 53 minutes-plus. Luke Adam and Paul Gaustad scored in the third against goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, but it was much too late by then. Fleury stopped 16 shots for his 200th career victory, becoming the fourth-youngest goalie since 1967 to reach that mark. Only Grant Fuhr, Martin Brodeur and Tom Barrasso did it faster than the 27-year-old Fleury. As coaches sometimes say, momentum is only as good as that day's goaltender; on Friday, backup Brent Johnson allowed five goals in the second period of a 6-4 loss in Ottawa that was

Pittsburgh's fourth in five games. "I'm happy to get it," Fleury said. "This was a big bounce-back game for us. We got goals right away, and it was fun to see." Miller, by contrast, yielded three goals on seven shots in the first period. Jhonas Enroth gave up the second of Malkin's twin goals in a span of less than eight minutes, but Miller was back in for goals by James Neal and Deryk Engelland as Pittsburgh made it 6-1 in the second. "It's disheartening to play a back-to-back game and you don't have a save, really," said Miller, who stopped 29 shots on Friday. "That wasn't even close to good hockey on my part. They weren't very good goals." Enroth returned for the third, when Malkin finished off his big night with his 15th goal, prompting chants of "Geno, Geno, Geno" from the Penguins' 224th consecutive sellout crowd. Kunitz also scored to complete Pittsburgh's highest-scoring game of the season. It was that kind of night for the Sabres. "We've got to be better in all areas: 5-on-5, the power play, the penalty kill," said forward Derek Roy, who was upset that Pittsburgh scored on three of its five power plays. "Our penalty kill was horrible. We were letting goals in the whole time." The Penguins, who already have used 32 players this season, got six points in the first period alone from recent Wilkes-Barre call-ups. Williams' improbable goal – from beyond the blue line barely two minutes into the game – was much-welcomed by the Penguins, who had been outscored 7-2 while losing their last two home games, to Detroit and Boston. "The (final) score was the result of way team played right off the hop," Pens coach Dan Bylsma said. Despres beat Miller on a one-timer from the right circle at 6:07 off deftly executed passes by Tyler Kennedy and Williams – yes, him again – before Malkin took over. Kunitz drove hard to the net, creating space for Malkin to put a hard wrist shot between Andrej Sekera and Marc-Andre Gragnani and past Miller midway through the first period. Defenseman

Brooks Orpik got the second assist for his 100th career point; Pascal Dupuis later got his 300th. Shortly after Thomas Vanek scored his third in two nights for the Sabres, Malkin broke free on a short breakaway created by Sneep's 120-foot pass that banked perfectly off the side boards to put a backhander past Miller at 17:30. Picard, another call-up, also got an assist. "First shot , score; second shot, score again," Malkin said. "It was a lucky day for me, and I'm glad."

Malkin's 5-point game sparks Penguins

By John Mehno For the Observer-Reporter

PITTSBURGH - Just when it looked like things were falling apart for the injury-depleted Pittsburgh Penguins, they put together a big game against a quality opponent.

Evgeni Malkin had his seventh career hat trick in a five-point night as the Penguins blasted the Buffalo Sabres 8-3 before 18,584 at the Consol Energy Center Saturday night.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury won his 200th career game as the Penguins rebounded from a poor performance in Ottawa Friday night.

"We had a great start, then dominated the whole game," Malkin said. "We played a great game."

It wound up being a big night for milestones.

In addition to Fleury becoming the fourth-youngest goaltender to reach 200 wins, Pascal Dupuis recorded his 300th career point, Brooks Orpik had his 100th point, Simon Despres scored his first NHL goal and defenseman Carl Sneep had an assist in his NHL debut.

"We haven't handed out that many (commemorative) pucks out after a game in ... ever since I've been here," coach Dan Bylsma said.

The Penguins scored on three of their five power play opportunities.

Jason Williams, one of the players up from Wilkes Barre to help cover the wave of injuries, scored at 2:37 of the first period.

His goal established several trends that would play out: A lot of players (14) would get their names on the score sheet, the Penguins were ready to play, and it was not a good night to be a Sabres goalie.

Williams ripped a shot from the blue line that somehow eluded Ryan Miller.

"We knew that (Miller) has been struggling a little bit of late," Williams said. "It knuckled and was probably a little bit lucky."

The Penguins made a statement before that goal, though. Chris Kunitz came out throwing body checks, and the Sabres didn't respond to the Penguins' aggression.

"Right off the hop, we were physical and affected their team," Bylsma said. "As a result, we got some opportunities to score and we capitalized. To get a 4-1 first period, coming off a tough game and some of the injuries, that was what the doctor ordered."

Before the period was over, the Penguins had that 4-1 lead, and Miller had a seat on the bench.

Despres one-timed Tyler Kennedy's pass on a power play at 6:07, then Malkin wrapped his first two goals around Thomas Vanek's goal.

Malkin then set up James Neal with a power play goal early in the second period for a 5-1 lead.

Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff kept changing his goaltenders, subbing Jhonas Enroth for Miller, but it didn't make any difference.

Miller gave up five and Enroth three as they virtually split the time.

Deryk Engelland took what appeared to be a harmless shot, and it somehow got through Miller.

After the Sabres scored twice in 1:24, Malkin completed his hat trick with a nice individual play. Defenseman Mike Weber blocked Malkin's initial shot, but Malkin got the rebound and poked it through Enroth's pads.

Prior to Saturday, Malkin had not scored more than two points in a game this season.

"Some of the games that he's played, especially recently, his scoring chances have been in double digits," Bylsma said. "When you do that, you're doing things well."

Malkin also started slowly this season because of lingering effects from a knee injury that required surgery last season.

"Now I feel a little bit better," Malkin said. "I'm just finding my level and continue to play better every game."

The Penguins' lengthy injury list expanded Friday when Paul Martin was forced out of the game in Ottawa with a leg injury.

Sneep was called Saturday morning to come to Pittsburgh.

"The guys make it easy to play," he said. "I thought I would be a little more lost out there, that it would be more of a blur."

The Penguins have become adept at breaking new players into the lineup with all their injuries.

They may need to do it again since penalty killing specialist Craig Adams left Saturday's game with a lower body injury.

"It was a big bounce back game," Fleury said. "We got some big goals right away. I can't say enough good things about the guys. They played very hard. It was fun to watch."

Notes

Malkin and Neal had five-game scoring streaks. ... The three goalies who got 200 wins earlier than Fleury has are Grant Fuhr, Martin Brodeur and Tom Barrasso. ... Malkin has nine goals in his last 13 games. ... Malkin's power play goal was his 70th, giving him fifth place on the Penguins' career list, overtaking Jean Pronovost. ... Malkin's 281 career assists put him 10th on the team list, passing Ron Schock. ... The Penguins are 3-1-1 in the second game when they play on consecutive nights. ... The Sabres had been 8-3 on the road. ... Chicago visits Tuesday at 7:30.

Schnell fights to stick

Forward has been seeking an AHL opportunity

By Tom Venesky tvenesky@timesleader.com

With four quick punches, Ryan Schnell sent his opponent to the ice with a broken nose and a concussion.

It was 2006 and Schnell was playing with the U.S. National Team in the North American Hockey League. He was just a teenager at the time, but the fight put Schnell on a career path that has landed him firmly in the AHL as an up-and-coming tough guy.

“He was bigger and older than me,” Schnell said of his opponent from five years ago. “I hurt him pretty bad. I realized it’s (fighting) something I’m pretty good at.”

Schnell continued to establish himself as a legitimate tough guy at every level since. In parts of two season with the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League, Schnell dropped the gloves 13 times before cutting short his 2008-2009 campaign to sign with the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League.

In just 23 games with the Spirit, Schnell earned 11 fighting majors.

“When I signed in the OHL I knew what they were looking for,” he said.

It wasn’t until 2009, when Schnell joined the Wheeling Nailers and made the jump to the ECHL, that he learned his coaches were looking for more.

Sure, they wanted Schnell to be a tough, intimidating player who could stand up for his teammates. But they also wanted him to do it wisely. That meant he had to learn when to drop the gloves and when to avoid putting his team in penalty trouble.

“It’s a tough role and there was a big learning curve,” Schnell said.

But there was more. Not only did the coaches in Wheeling and in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton want Schnell to develop into a smart enforcer, they also wanted him to be able to play.

It’s a role that Schnell eagerly accepted. Not only did it come with the potential for more ice time, it also meant Schnell could follow in the footsteps of his childhood idol.

Growing up in Chicago, Schnell wanted to be a Blackhawks fan but the team simply wasn’t any good at the time. So Schnell looked across Lake Michigan toward Detroit, becoming a Red Wings fan instead.

His favorite player was Darren McCarty, a tough as nails enforcer who could also skate a regular shift and contribute on the forecheck.

“I always admired the way he played. I try to play my game like his,” Schnell said.

Now in his third season with the Pittsburgh organization, after spending most of his time either in Wheeling or as a healthy scratch, the 6-3, 225-pound Schnell has recently become the recipient of regular ice time while skating on the fourth line. He has suited up for the team’s last two games and has shown he can be a physical force on the forecheck.

The game has gotten a bit easier and the opportunities more frequent when he plays every game. And Schnell cherishes each one.

“I’m just taking it a game at a time. I really don’t know how many games I’ll be getting,” he said. “But it’s been a lot of fun skating on the fourth line and creating energy. Chipping the puck in, going into the zone full speed and making a hit … I know that’s part of my role now.”

That’s not to say that Schnell’s gloves are now cemented on. He has four fights this season – the most recent a toe-to-toe match against Hershey enforcer Joel Rechlicz on Dec. 10.

Schnell battled Rechlicz to a draw and it was anticipated he would follow it up with a bout against noted tough guy Francis Lessard when the Binghamton Senators came to town three days later.

It never happened.

It wasn’t because Schnell didn’t want to go with Lessard, but rather there simply wasn’t a reason.

“It doesn’t have to happen every game,” Schnell said. “Against Binghamton things were quiet and I was playing a lot of minutes.

“Every game is different and you have to know the right time to be physical. That’s something I learned during my time in Wheeling.”

It’s also a sign of maturity that pleases head coach John Hynes, who said just because Schnell didn’t fight Lessard doesn’t mean he didn’t contribute.

“It wasn’t an overly emotional game, but his play was solid and he was really effective,” Hynes said. “He has that fighting element and he’s used it at the right times to spark our team. But he can also play our system and has the ability to take a regular shift.”

Call it another facet to Schnell’s game, one that has evolved since that night in 2006 when he punched his opponent to the ice and realized he could throw with the best of them.

“I’m really comfortable with my game right now and you gain confidence with each opportunity,” Schnell said. “When you see certain guys on the ice, you don’t focus on if you have to fight them or not. You just play your game and be ready if it happens.”

Young guns spark Norfolk past Penguins

By Jonathan Bombulie (staff writer)

Published: December 18, 2011

WILKES-BARRE TWP. - Even with injuries and call-ups taking a massive toll on their blue line, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have been able to piece together a pretty stout defensive effort lately.

They put together a four-game winning streak, allowing a grand total of six goals during that stretch.

But on Saturday night, a new challenge presented itself at the Mohegan Sun Arena - a quick and talented Norfolk Admirals team that boasts three of the top eight rookie scorers in the AHL.

They proved too much for the Penguins to handle.

All three top Norfolk rookies - Cory Conacher, Carter Ashton and Tyler Johnson - scored goals as the Admirals blitzed the Penguins 5-2.

"We're a team that has to be everyone on board, 60 minutes. When we do that, I think we're pretty close to unbeatable," winger Geoff Walker said. "When we don't, when we have those lapses, then we get in trouble."

The loss came a few hours after the Penguins saw defenseman Carl Sneep and winger Jason Williams called up to the NHL.

That brought the total of players who could reasonably be expected to be with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at this time of the season but are instead up with Pittsburgh to seven.

"There were some different partners, some different line changes," coach John Hynes said. "We faced a good team tonight and we weren't totally in sync. Therefore, we didn't have the kind of success we want to have."

The Penguins fell behind 2-0 before the first period was five minutes old.

Cody Wild was called for interference 32 seconds into the game and Matt Fornataro scored 21 seconds into the ensuing power play. Then, at 4:32, Ashton tipped in a Radko Gudas shot from the right point to make it 2-0.

"I thought we were on our heels a little bit early," Hynes said. "I thought we had a great first shift, but we got the penalty and they scored and it kind of set some guys back."

The Penguins rallied to tie the score before the second period was two minutes old.

Ben Street tipped in a Dan Henningson shot from the left point to make it 2-1 with 9:19 left in the first.

Walker skated around the Norfolk net and backhanded a centering pass that hit Bryan Lerg's skate and skipped past goalie Dustin Tokarski to make it 2-2 1:42 into the second.

"We had a good end of the first, Streeter got a big goal, and we came out in the second the way we wanted to," Walker said.

Norfolk quickly regained momentum, however, and scored three times in the last 13 minutes of the second to take control for good.

First, Johnson flew up ice and snapped off a shot from above the right hash marks that flew into the net past goalie Brad Thiessen's glove hand.

Thiessen was pulled, having given up three goals on 10 shots. He returned for the third period and stopped all three shots he faced.

"Your focus is to try to find a way to win the game. That was why we made the change," Hynes said. "We also made the change back and felt he was playing well enough to go back in the game."

The Admirals eventually cracked relief goalie Scott Munroe too. Conacher flew up the left wing and wrapped in a shot that trickled between the goalie's pads and across the goal line at 13:31. Then, with 19.1 seconds left in the period, ex-Penguins winger Michel Ouellet scored to make it 5-2.

"We had some lapses, and they're a good team," defenseman Philip Samuelsson said. "They'll capitalize on their chances."

CLIMB TO THE TOP

By Jonathan Bombulie (staff writer)

Published: December 18, 2011

WILKES-BARRE - There are a lot of interesting things about the resume of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goalie Scott Munroe.

He hails from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, went to college in the hockey hotbed of Huntsville, Ala., worked his way up from self-taught teenager to one of the top goalies in the AHL and played in the longest game in league history.

But let's get the most sensational fact out of the way first.

If it ever came down to it, his wife could probably kick his butt.

"Yeah. I've heard that before," Munroe said.

Munroe's wife, Jade, is about to test for her sixth-degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do and is one of the top instructors in the discipline in the country.

"I'd rather have her on my side. Let's put it that way," Munroe said with a laugh.

The Penguins are glad to have Munroe on their side these days.

He patiently played the back-up goalie's role for an entire month while Brad Thiessen won eight straight starts early in the season, but when he got the net back Nov. 15, he started putting up all-star numbers. Since then, Munroe is 4-1-1 with a 1.55 goals-against average, .942 save percentage and two shutouts coming into this weekend.

He's a big reason why the team's been able to stay afloat as injuries have decimated its defense corps.

"I think it's nice that when you have new players in your lineup, they realize they can go out and play and realize if there is a breakdown, which does happen in games, your goaltender is going to be able to make the stop for you and it's not as egregious an error," coach John Hynes said.

Munroe's climb to the top of the AHL goaltending ranks was an interesting one.

A Moose Jaw native, he was playing for Notre Dame in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League when college hockey programs began to recruit him.

"I was talking to a couple schools, and things fell through or the scholarship offer wasn't quite what I was looking for, and out of the blue, Alabama-Huntsville called me," Munroe recalled. "The coach said, 'You probably don't know much about us,' and I said, 'No, I don't.' After I talked to him, I did some research online and I saw they always had a pretty strong program, a winning team, and I viewed it as maybe a chance to go in and play right away as a freshman."

The culture shock was intense.

"Going down there, it felt like a slower lifestyle, a little more laid back," Munroe said. "I thought people are pretty laid back in Canada, but then I got down there."

Munroe had a hard time understanding a Southern drawl and the locals' eyes bugged out when they heard Munroe's Canadian twang. On top of that, one of his roommates was Jamaican.

"He was a great guy. His buddies would come by the dorm and half the time, I'd be like, 'Trevor's not here,' even if that's not even what they asked me," Munroe said. "But it was pretty cool. There's a big mix of people there. It was a blast."

Munroe was never drafted, but by his junior year, he was starting to get feelers from NHL organizations. He saw the depth chart with the Philadelphia Phantoms wasn't too crowded and signed with the Flyers.

"I was just hoping to catch on somewhere," Munroe said. "I didn't think it would be the NHL. I thought it would be East Coast. At that level, I didn't really have anyone to gauge myself against."

Over the next four seasons, Munroe became the goalie he is today.

He went 83-62-13 with a 2.60 GAA and .919 save percentage with the Phantoms, where his teammates called him "Money." He earned a one-game NHL call-up in 2008-09 and was the winning goalie in the longest game in AHL history when the Phantoms beat the Albany River Rats in five overtimes in the 2008 playoffs.

"In school, we got outshot a lot of nights by some of the bigger programs and up until that point, I was self-taught. Trial and error. Sort of figured it out as I went," Munroe said. "When I

got to Philadelphia, I had some more resources, goalie coaches and some actual one-on-one training. There were some ups and downs my rookie year, but then I started to figure things out a little more."

Pens put Sabres goalies on string

By John Vogl

PITTSBURGH -- Here are the options: debacle, dreadful, farce, fiasco. Pick one, any one.

They all apply to the Sabres' 8-3 loss in Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

"We were bad in all areas," center Derek Roy said.

The first sign the Sabres in were big, big trouble came just two minutes in. Ryan Miller whiffed on a 60-foot slap shot.

The night didn't get any better.

"We saw some great goaltending tonight, didn't we?" Sabres owner Terry Pegula said outside the dressing room. "If they think they played well, we've got more problems."

Don't worry, Terry. They know they were awful. As to what they'll do about it, that question doesn't have many answers.

Miller was more effective as a yo-yo than as a goaltender, going from the crease to the bench to the crease and back to the bench during the lopsided loss. He finished with 10 saves on 15 shots in 29:43 of action. He looked skyward in disbelief on many of his goals.

"It's a little disheartening for the guys," Miller said. "They weren't very good goals. I'd like to be better for them."

The Sabres, who beat Toronto on Friday, have not won consecutive games in five weeks. Their last winning streak was a four-game run that ended with a victory over Ottawa on Nov. 11.

If they have any more games like Saturday's outing, the drought could last much, much longer.

"It's no fun for anybody," Miller said. "You don't want them to come up during the course of the season, and if they do you just park it and move forward.

"We've got to find a way to get the right energy. From my side I didn't provide any. Actually, I probably took some away from the guys not making the right reads or the right plays."

The Penguins scored three times on their opening seven shots, sending Sabres coach Lindy Ruff scrambling for Jhonas Enroth less than 10 minutes in.

After Enroth allowed a soft goal on his six chances, Miller went back to the net for the start of the second period. The Pens scored 53 seconds later.

Enroth returned for the start of the third, with Buffalo in a 6-1 hole. By then, the Sabres would have been better off yanking their whole team and getting an early flight back to Buffalo. The game was over.

"There's no secret. It was a tough night for Ryan, starting with the first goal," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "I didn't like Jhonas, the goal he lets in, obviously. Every shot starts going in it's tough on the team."

Unlike many previous setbacks, the Sabres' couldn't flash their injury card. The game may as well have been sponsored by Band-Aid with all the players out on each side.

The Sabres skated without Tyler Myers, Ville Leino, Nathan Gerbe, Jochen Hecht, Brad Boyes, Patrick Kaleta and Corey Tropp. Not to be outdone, the Penguins played minus Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal, Kris Letang, Paul Martin, Dustin Jeffrey, Ben Lovejoy, Zbynek Michalek and Richard Park.

The Pens got production from their subs. The Sabres' production was subpar.

Adding injury to insult was the loss of Tyler Ennis and Colin Stuart. Ennis reinjured his left ankle and hopes to return soon. Stuart is out at least a month with a lower-body injury.

The Penguins beat Miller and Enroth from every angle. Miller was gone the first time after just 9:43. It was the second time this season he'd been yanked in the opening half of the first period, joining the Philadelphia debacle Nov. 2.

Evgeni Malkin beat Miller once and Enroth twice, prompting some of the 18,584 fans to toss hats onto the ice with 8:17 left to celebrate his three-goal, five-point night.

"We had some players that didn't have enough," Ruff said. "I thought our defense battled pretty hard. Up front we had four or five that didn't give us much, and that hurt us."

Montreal bench built with Buffalo parts

By John Vogl

PITTSBURGH -- With Saturday's firing of Jacques Martin in Montreal, there have been 169 coaching changes in the NHL since Lindy Ruff stepped behind the Buffalo bench. The latest move has a definitive Sabres flavor.

The Canadiens dismissed Martin early Saturday morning and replaced him with Randy Cunneyworth, the former Sabres forward who coached Buffalo's minor-league club for seven seasons. The Habs also announced that Assistant General Manager Larry Carriere will join Cunneyworth on the bench, giving the former Buffalo player and executive his first rink-side position.

"Let me start off by saying how proud I am to have been offered this job," Cunneyworth told reporters in Montreal Saturday. "It's a very exciting time, and I know the task ahead is one that I'll have plenty of help with the great staff we have here. More than anything, it's an honor to be chosen as the coach of this team."

Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier said Cunneyworth will take over on an interim basis but will remain the coach for the rest of the season.

Cunneyworth began his career with the Sabres in 1980, and he ended it as a player-assistant coach with Rochester in 2000. He took over as head coach for the 2000-01 season and remained in charge of the Amerks through 2007-08.

"He's good with the players," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said before an 8-3 loss to Pittsburgh. "He's got a good rapport. He's a players' coach. I think that's what our business is. You go from a guy that's maybe hard to a guy that's easy to a guy that's hard to a guy that's easy. You find a better way to relate to some players."

Cunneyworth was serving as Martin's assistant. Gauthier said a change was necessary because he no longer knew what to expect night-to-night from the Habs, who lost, 5-3, to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night in Cunneyworth's debut.

"The message will be to get back to doing the things the players are capable of," Cunneyworth said. "We obviously have to figure out ways to get more out of our individual players. It's the responsibility of the coaching staff, but it's also the responsibility of the players themselves.

"I would hope that my coaching style is similar to the way I played. I felt for the most part I competed very hard, and hopefully I'll coach very hard, too. It's important that our team competes in all areas."

Carriere played defense for parts of four seasons with the Sabres, who selected him in the second round of the 1972 draft. He was a longtime scout for the Sabres before becoming assistant to the general manager from 1995 to 2004.

This will be the first job behind the bench for the Montreal native, who will likely help the English-speaking Cunneyworth during his dealings with French media.

"The Hawk's an awesome man, and I think he'll do a good job," Ruff said. "He's stepping into a position he's never been in before, but I think he'll be up for the challenge. He's one of my favorite people in the business. He's got a great personality. He's great with people. That's probably the reason he's going behind the bench."

It's been a tumultuous season for the Canadiens. They fired assistant coach Perry Pearn after a 1-5-2 start and axed his boss Saturday after a 4-4-4 stretch. The Habs are last in the Northeast Division but just two points behind the Sabres for sixth in the East.

"I don't think Jacques was doing a bad job," said Ruff, hired in July 1997. "I think that's what our league is. Our league is a league where the parity is real close, and it's tough to pull away. There's high expectations. I don't think their team has gone that bad."

The Sabres, who had dressed seven defensemen during the previous two games, went back to the traditional combination of 12 forwards and six blue-liners against the Penguins.

Rookie Brayden McNabb was a healthy scratch after playing nine straight games. He skated just 6:48 against Toronto on Friday night.

Right wing Colin Stuart dressed in McNabb's spot. The Sabres recalled Stuart on Friday after learning Patrick Kaleta would remain out, but Stuart didn't arrive in Buffalo from San Antonio until midway through the pregame warm-up.

Right wing Brad Boyes, out since suffering an ankle injury Nov. 23, took part in the Sabres' optional skate for the second straight day.

"Brad is in the first days of coming back off a tough injury," Ruff said. "Obviously, it's going to be awhile for him. It's just the first step. He'll probably start traveling with us, take part in game-day skates, but nothing on the heavy side."

Black preaches patience to frustrated Sabres fans

By Bucky Gleason

Sabres president Ted Black, looking for a different view from the top a while back, grabbed Sabres vice president John Sinclair and a couple of 24-ounce beers and kicked back in the 300 level to watch the game against the Flyers. If you remember, the Sabres blew a 3-0 lead in an ugly loss, a sign of things to come.

Black found the people around him to be different than the irate talk-show callers he hears and venomous bloggers he reads who want the roster blown up and everybody fired. The fans in First Niagara Center's cheap seats were no less frustrated than anyone else bleeding blue and gold, but they were more reasonable.

"The fans here are great," Black said last week. "You can get inside of a bubble and just listen to call-in shows, tweets and chats. When I talk one-on-one to fans, 99.9999 percent, our fans have been fantastic. I should say 100 percent because I haven't had a negative experience with a fan.

"The general vibe has been people are still very appreciative of what we're trying to accomplish in the big picture. Like everyone else -- Terry, myself, Darcy, Lindy -- we're frustrated in the sense that we wish we didn't have so many injuries and we wish we were performing at a higher level in terms of wins and losses."

Buffalo skated into the season with lofty standards, but so far it's nowhere near being the contending team it expected to be when Terry Pegula purchased the franchise. The Sabres have been dreadful at home. They lacked effort on some nights, cohesion on others, had too many injuries, not enough production and average goaltending.

Rumblings for Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff to be fired grow louder every year. They're the longest tenured GM-coach combination in the NHL.

In fact, there could come a time when one or both are sent packing. But if anyone is expecting a few more losses to lead them toward the door, think again. It's not happening any time soon.

"We haven't had an adequate sample size to find out how good our team can be," Black said. "Is there any thought of getting rid of Darcy or Lindy right now? No. None."

Regier has the freedom to trade players, but he's not under orders to make deals or to keep his team intact. A shake-up could be in order if it improves the chemistry and makes the Sabres a better team. They have candidates for departure, but that comes with the assumption they can get a player of equal or greater value who fits under the salary cap.

Black's remedy for fans, although difficult to swallow, is taking a few deep breaths and calling him later in the season.

"Be patient," he said. "I know it's one of the most cruel things I could possibly say to [people who] have been asked to be patient for 41 long winters. Included in that fan base is Terry Pegula. He's been patient for decades as well as a fan. We're going to continue to move forward. We are on the right trajectory, and we're not done yet."

Patience comes in short supply in professional sports, and there's even less in a town such as Buffalo that wants -- needs -- a title sooner than yesterday. The way it stands now, making the playoffs could be a chore.

Noticeably missing, along the with the power play, is energy that filled the building last season. The Sabres recovered from a terrible first half, finished 16-4-4 and made the playoffs. FNC has been quiet on most nights, in part because fans haven't been impressed with the product and haven't had much to cheer about.

"Winning is the best game entertainment going," Black said. "Winning makes management look really, really smart. The fact we're not winning and not winning at home is a downer. I also think the demographic of a Buffalo Sabres' fan is more mature in age and in their knowledge of the game.

"The analogy I would use for this market is that if you go to a rock concert, some people just want to go and listen to the music and not stand and scream and dance. Our fans are into the game. For us to have cheerleaders or something would be insulting to their intelligence. It's a more intellectual fan base when it comes to their hockey IQ."

Common sense alone would confirm free agents Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino haven't justified hefty salaries.

Ehrhoff has been playing better, and Leino was coming around before getting injured. Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad, members of their so-called core, are among many who have underachieved.

The Sabres' chemistry is off. They appear to lack trust in each other and Ruff's approach. Still, they were still in seventh place going into the weekend.

By the way, Black wasn't using injuries as an excuse so much as stating a fact. The Sabres have had an inordinate number of players getting banged up early in the season, including one stretch in which they lost six players in seven games.

Nine rookies have played this season. Paul Szczechura (No. 58 on your roster) is centering their top line.

The mission, Black said, hasn't changed. The Cup will remain their goal until they win one, at which point they'll want two.

And that's coming from the top.

"We helped to create these expectations," Black said. "We want these expectations to remain, the expectations that we're going to win the Stanley Cup. It might not happen this year, and it might not happen next year, but it is going to happen."

Kings bank on Sutter

Barring a catastrophic collapse in negotiations or a change of heart from either side, look for the Kings this week to introduce Darryl Sutter as their next coach. He's expected to replace interim John Stevens, who was filling in after Terry Murray was fired.

The announcement will likely come after the Kings return from their four-game roadie. Kings GM Dean Lombardi spoke with Sutter last week after getting permission from the Flames, who had him under contract after firing him as GM a year ago. Sutter needed to attend to personal matters before taking over.

Sutter took the Flames to the Stanley Cup finals in 2003-04, when they lost to Tampa Bay in seven games. He has coached 860 NHL games but hasn't been the bench since 2005-06, when he served as general manager and coach in Calgary.

"I think, if he gets the job, he's going to do well, just like Ken Hitchcock is doing [in St. Louis]," forward Craig Conroy said. "You know how Darryl is; he gets a lot out of guys. The team's going to do well with Darryl. If it does happen, there'll be some intense games between the Flames and Los Angeles."

Lombardi built a team many believed had a chance to contend for the Cup, but the Kings had a terrible start under Murray. Lombardi could wind up walking the plank if his decision to hire Sutter doesn't work out. The Kings would need to win at least a playoff series, more likely two, for Lombardi to keep his job.

Philly has hole on 'D'

Chris Pronger's season-ending concussion, one on a long list, was certain to get GM Paul Holmgren on the telephone looking for a defenseman even though the Flyers have played well without their captain. Philly's top five are solid, but their shaky third pairing contributes to their lack of depth.

Buffalo has an abundance of defensemen and should consider getting involved if Philly is willing to unload a good forward. The Sabres dressed seven defensemen last week against the

Senators. Andrej Sekera looks like trade bait based on his experience, mobility and the idea he could get the highest return.

It's worth a call.

Holmgren could get help from the Hurricanes, who were going nowhere before young star Jeff Skinner suffered a concussion of his own. Tim Gleason and Bryan Allen don't offer much on the offensive side, but both are reliable in their own end and are pending unrestricted free agents.

Foster finds home

Defenseman Kurtis Foster, more than three years after suffering a nasty broken leg, was hoping for a fresh start after he switched coasts with the trade from Anaheim to New Jersey. He was miserable during his brief stint while playing little for the struggling Ducks.

Foster was having a productive career when he broke his femur late in the 2007-08 while playing with Minnesota. He had a titanium rod inserted into his leg and was sidelined for all but 10 games of the next season. He spent one season in Tampa Bay and another in Edmonton before being shipped to Anaheim over the summer.

"I didn't see it coming with the Devils but I definitely wasn't happy in Anaheim this year," Foster said. "I wasn't actively looking for a move but when I was called off the ice I figured something was up. When it was New Jersey I was pretty excited."

Streaky Stempniak

The Flames are waiting for West Seneca native Lee Stempniak to have one of his annual scoring binges. The winger had eight goals and 14 points in his first 31 games, which was just under his 0.54 points-per-game average.

In each of his first six seasons, Stempniak has had streaks of 10 points in 10 games or better. Included were 14 goals and 18 points in 18 games for Phoenix in 2009-10 and 11 points during a seven-game tear last year. He has had points in consecutive games only twice this season.

"If you look purely at the numbers, it would indicate that I'm streaky," he said. "I wish I was more consistent. For some reason, it tends to come in bunches at times. It's something I'm trying to work on."

Around the boards

Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos, watching the HBO "24/7" series leading into the Winter Classic, saw Artem Anisimov apologize to Rangers teammates after turning a goal celebration into a shotgun salute. The Bolts, furious at the time, sound like they cooled off. "It makes you look at the whole thing in a different light," Stamkos said.

Edmonton sent 20-year-old forward Magnus Paajarvi, the 10th overall pick in 2009, to the AHL. He had 15 goals and 34 points in his rookie season but has had problems cracking a lineup deep with forwards. Seasoning is in order, if not a trade.