Monday NHL Morning Papers (Eastern Conference)
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Atlantic Division:
- Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello won’t use the word concussion when discussing the injury Patrik Elias suffered during Saturday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.
- More likely, it was another discouraging start and an unhappy coach – either way, something lit a fire under the Rangers Sunday night, and they responded by hammering the Montreal Canadiens, 6-2, to break a three-game skid.
- Rick DiPietro stopped Patrick Kaleta to secure a 3-2 win in the second game of his comeback from the knee surgeries that kept him sidelined for much of the past two years. “I can’t tell you how good this feels,” DiPietro said.
- Despite a 6-2 loss at GM Place on Saturday night to cap a 3-2-0 road trip, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma witnessed encouraging signs from his club over the past 11 days. “We were more determined to play our game … and that means managing the puck and executing the way we need to,” he said.
- For the Flyers, the return of goalie Ray Emery did not mean a return to their winning ways today. Left winger Brooks Laich scored two goals – including a shorthanded breakaway after he took the puck away from Flyers captain Mike Richards early in the final period – to carry the Washington Capitals to a 5-3 win at the reverberating Verizon Center.
Northeast Division:
- Buffalo enters tonight’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes in Jobing.com Arena with a 7-0-1 record against the West — the only team in the league without a regulation loss to a club in the other conference.
- Sarah Anderson of The Ottawa Citizen sat down and got some one on one interview time with Senators defenseman Chris Campoli.
- Claude Julien didn’t have a lot of answers yesterday. The Bruins coach is presiding over one extremely banged-up hockey team, and he didn’t know who would be available to him for today’s matinee against the Ottawa Senators at the Garden.
- We’ve all heard that expression: You should quit while you’re ahead. The Canadiens took it literally last night as they forged a 2-0 first period against the New York Rangers and then folded their tents en route to a 6-2 loss.
- Somewhere between the summer signing of Jonas Gustavsson and the impressive training camps of Tyler Bozak, Viktor Stalberg, Nazem Kadri and Carl Gunnarsson, Leafs Nation took a turn off the long and winding road of a team-building process and started looking for the short cut to the Stanley Cup parade.
Southeast Division:
- As the Washington Capitals’ league-leading offense shifted into high gear in recent games, one name had been conspicuously absent from the score sheet: Brooks Laich.
- While Tampa Bay players used a shotgun approach to try and score Saturday, the Panthers brought their high-powered rifles equipped with laser scopes and scored five goals on their first 15 shots to beat the Lightning 5-2.
- The Thrashers held a two-goal lead over Carolina on Saturday when it happened – again. Atlanta had to kill off a two-man disadvantage after drawing back-to-back penalties in the third period. It was a near disaster.
- Injured Lightning goalie Mike Smith has been sent back to Tampa, but he has not suffered any setbacks and could return to practice Wednesday, team athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan said Sunday.
- Speed is the biggest difference. And smarts. And let’s not forget the goaltending. The Carolina Hurricanes have brought in players in revolving-door fashion this season from the Albany River Rats, their American Hockey League affiliate. And though most already had played some NHL games, two made their NHL debuts.
Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @ACHockeyGuys
