By Stephanie Lee

Just one week into their 2011-2012 campaign, the San Jose Sharks have played four games. Last Friday, they opened their season with a 6-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Since then, San Jose has gone 0-3, losing twice to the Anaheim Ducks and once to the St. Louis Blues.

It’s no secret that the Sharks have never started the season off with a bang. In fact, in the past four seasons, the Sharks have gone 8-7 in their first four games (not including the two games in Stockholm, Sweden). According to the official Sharks website, defenseman Dan Boyle was quoted as saying, “The offense isn’t clicking for us just yet.” There’s really no telling WHEN it will click, but something has to happen for the Sharks to start scoring more and passing less. Even captain Joe Thornton said in interview with the Associated Press of the game against the Coyotes, “The lines worked out well. Everyone is still learning each other so we can still get better. But it was a good game.”

Surely it’s not all about scoring more and passing less. So if isn’t all about the goal scoring and passing, what else could it be about? Weak goaltending? Bad defense?

This season Sharks started off using their third back up goalie in Thomas Greiss. Last season, Greiss spent the season playing with Byrnäs of the Swedish Elite League to get some playing time. While with the team, Greiss played 32 games, earning 2 shutouts with a 2.92 goals against average. Compare that to the 2.76 total goals against average with the Sharks. After the Sharks made the playoffs, he was recalled back to the team just in case he was needed, and ultimately resigned with the Sharks on July 7. With Greiss back in the line up, it allowed the tandem of Antero Niittymaki and Antti Niemi to get the appropriate surgeries they so badly needed. Niittymaki undergoing groin surgery while Niemi had a cyst removed, reportedly from one of his knees. So there’s little room to judge the Sharks based off having Greiss in net when he hadn’t played in the NHL in over a year. And without their one-two punch of Finn’s, the Sharks were skating blind really. Having to use your third string goalie in place of your top two can really take some getting used to. Not to mention the new additions to the team (eight of them to be exact.)

Now, if it’s not the fact that the Sharks have been using Greiss in favor of Niemi (who started the game against St. Louis on Monday), then it could boil down to defense. Dan Boyle and Douglas Murray are the two veterans of this Sharks squad. Which means they should be the ones to be leading the blueline. Yes, Jim Vandermeer is a veteran in his own right, but not on this team. However, it appears as though Brent Burns has stepped up to whatever challenge that coach Todd McLellan has thrown their way. Through the four games played, Burns has 2 goals and 1 assist. That’s the same amount of points as Murray and Boyle combined.

Really, there’s no telling just how this Sharks squad will do. San Jose heads out on an early season six game road trip. They face the New Jersey Devils on Friday before heading to Boston to face the Bruins on Saturday.

In my heart of hearts, I want to be able to recap the game for you all, but I can’t. Mostly due to the fact that my tears haven’t quite subsided.

To lose a elimination game in double overtime on a incredibly freaky – bouncing off the glass to the blue line, onto the stick of Kevin Bieksa and fluttered into the net – kind of goal takes time to get over. It’s not the fact that we lost the game, but how we lost it. Sharks fans knew in reality (and I hate living in reality) that we were destined to lose this game.

Okay, I don’t want to dwell on the fact that the San Jose Sharks lost for the second year in a row in the Western Conference Finals, rather I want to say Thank You to the team.

Thank You to Logan Couture and the rest of our rookies. You guys have been amazing this season. Thank You to Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki for playing in tandem trying to live up to what Evgeni Nabokov was to the Sharks. Without Niemi, the Sharks wouldn’t have done nearly as well as we had. Thank you to Dan Boyle and Douglas Murray, our best defensive pair this season — combined 10 goals, 54 assists, with a +7.  Thank you to Jason Demers for being the best individual defenseman with your stunning +19! Leading the San Jose Sharks in the +/-.  Thank you Patrick Marleau for leading the Sharks in goals (37) and points (73).

Lastly, Thank You to the fans who’ve read every article I’ve done this season and will continue to do so in the off season. The San Jose Sharks said it best.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove NHL / Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

For as long as many in the Philadelphia hockey community can remember, the Flyers have had a weak spot at arguably the most critical position in all of professional sports.

That one area of weakness is within the blue paint in the club’s goal crease, and more specifically, the player that occupies that spot.  Long ignored by the Orange-and-Black, the irony of it all is substantial.

Here was a team that had won two Stanley Cups in the mid-70′s on the back of one of the greatest goaltenders to ever play the game – Bernie Parent - and for the past two decades continually built a team with a devastating arsenal of forwards and a capable defense.  But they treated the crease as nothing more than an afterthought.

Another facet of the story that I could never get my mind around is the fact that the very architect of those Flyers’ clubs – Bob Clarke - was a teammate of Parent’s in the glory days of the franchise.  Clarke got to see firsthand exactly what an elite netminder could do for a team.

Unfortunately, the only goaltending that compared to that of Parent’s during Clarke’s tenure as GM was coming from the opposition side of the ice, in the form of Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, among others.

In his time as GM, Clarke had two goalies with Cup-winning potential – Pelle Lindbergh and Ron Hextall - both of which were already Flyers’ property prior to the time Clarke took over the reigns.

With the likes of Tommy Soderstrom, Dominic Roussel, Hextall (second tour of duty), Garth Snow, Sean Burke, John Vanbiesbrouck, Brian Boucher (first tour of duty), Roman Cechmanek, Robert Esche, Jeff Hackett, Antero Niittymaki, Martin Biron, and Ray Emery, the past two decades have come and gone without a stellar number one.  And not so coincidentally, the Flyers went without a Stanley Cup during that time.

Clarke did try to rectify the Flyer goal with Burke and Vanbiesbrouck, but sadly both were past their prime and on the down sides of their respective careers by the time they came to the City of Brotherly Love.  Both experiments ended in failure.

Murmurs could be heard this past weekend from the main stream media questioning Philadelphia’s current playoff starter, Sergei Bobrovsky.  The 22-year-old rookie posted a sparkling 28-13-8 record, with a 2.59 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.

Many are concentrating on the fact that “Bob” finished with losses in his last four decisions (0-2-2), and was pulled in two of his last nine starts.

Photo Credit: Rhys Asplundh / Getty Images

While the March 22nd game against the Washington Capitals was a game Bobrovsky would like to have back, head coach Peter Laviolette is realistic about the goals that were allowed in the regular season finale against the Islanders.  “When you go back and look at some of those goals and break them down, you have a breakaway, a 5-on-3, a puck that scrambled through a bunch of players, and a guy left uncontested in front of the net,” Laviolette said after the game.

Bobrovsky, as well as backup Boucher and Leighton (one game) failed to post one shutout during the 2010-11 campaign – the first time that has occurred in a Philadelphia regular season since 1980-81.

As a result, one statistic that will be brought up ad nauseum during Philadelphia’s stay in the postseason is the fact that only two teams in NHL history have ever won a Stanley Cup after going an entire regular season without recording a single shutout – the 1981-82 New York Islanders and the 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers.

Bobrovsky admitted yesterday to the Toronto Sun that he was “nervous”, and author Mike Zeisberger got a running start with the comment.  The article was titled ”Bobrovsky unnerved already?”, saying that “Flyers’ fans hope the rookie goaltender is not the reincarnation of Roman Cechmanek.”

Bobrovsky’s interviews come complete with an interpreter, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to imagine that something could have gotten lost in translation.

Even if it didn’t, is it too much to ask a young goalie to not have butterflies entering his first playoff season in a new league in a foreign country?  Especially considering the result that the team had last year.

To say that there are the highest of expectations for Philadelphia over the next two months is an understatement.

Sometimes we expect professional athletes to be above feeling the normal range of everyday human emotion.

Those true fans of the Orange-and-Black had better get used to it, because the Toronto Sun article is bound to only be the beginning.

It’s critical that both Bobrovsky and the Flyers get a good start to this postseason, because the media has the microscope pointed directly at last year’s Cup runner-up – and specifically in the direction of the club’s blue paint.

Any type of loss that comes with a soft goal(s) will only fuel the doubting Thomases, as well as the call for the return to the Philly crease of the hero of last year’s Flyers season (Leighton).

There are already those in the Philadelphia area that are calling for Leighton to play.

Even though he has played just one NHL game all year – in December in a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings - Leighton did have a strong late-season run for the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms.

After Saturday’s season-closing game, Laviolette reiterated a familiar statement.  “I think that there’s a confidence and a belief in our team, in our goaltenders,” the coach said.  ”We’ve said that all year,” the coach said.

Make no mistake, Bobrovsky possesses that exact same confidence in his own game.  He has often carried the team on his back when their play has been subpar in front of him.

And hopefully that is what the media will see in plain view when they focus their microscope in on number 35 in the Flyers’ crease – a confident Bobrovsky.

_____________________________________________

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

Antero Niittymaki, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers back in 1998, got the chance to play against the team he spent five years playing for. In San Jose’s 5-4 come back shootout win on Wednesday night, Niitty was all sorts of spectacular. But you can’t win a game with only your goalie.

The opening period of the Flyers/Sharks game went a little like this: pass, shoot, miss the goal, hit the post, pass, shoot, miss the goal, hit the post. With no penalties or major stoppages in play, it seemed as if both teams would head into intermission remaining at a 0-0 tie.

However, with 4.1 seconds left remaining on the clock, Ryane Clowe scored giving San Jose the go ahead goal heading into the 2nd period. Niclas Wallin, who continues his point streak to 2 games with an assist, shot towards the net and Clowe directed it in past Sergei Bobrovsky. Jason Demers was awarded the secondary assist, for a total of five on the season.

Philadelphia, who hasn’t beaten the Sharks since 2000, took a 3-1 lead in the second period getting goals from Claude Giroux, Ville Leino, and Nicholay Zherdev. Giroux extended his point streak to three games, adding an assist as well on Zherdev’s goal. Scott Hartnell would also score for the Flyers in the 3rd period. San Jose looked as if they had scored a goal in the second after John McCarthy had a goal bounce off his skate and into the net. The goal was waived off after it was determined to be scored by a distinct kicking motion.

Demers scored for San Jose with a wrist shot seven minutes into the final period of the game and Couture added his 13th goal of the season on a pass from Clowe and before him Justin Braun cutting Philadelphia’s lead down to one. Midway through the third period, Joe Pavelski tied the game up by scoring off the face-off, forcing the game to go into overtime.

The Flyers and fans alike thought the game was over when Daniel Briere appeared to score the game winning goal in the final second of the game. The red light went off and players emerged from the bench in celebration. Sharks players knew it wasn’t a good goal stating they saw the time expire before the puck went in. After the official review, the goal was reversed and the game was headed to the shootout.

Niittymaki stopped both Flyers attempts, and made 31 of 35 saves. Bobrovsky stopped 29 of 33 shots in the game, allowing  Couture and Clowe to score in the shootout as well.

Philadelphia’s Jeff Carter recorded his 300th career point with an assist on Giroux’s first period goal. San Jose hasn’t lost to the Flyers since Dec 21, 2000, which was a 4-3 in Philadelphia. San Jose’s record against this team since 2000, is 7-0-2-2 in 11 meetings.

The Sharks will fly to Buffalo tonight to take on the Sabres tomorrow at 4pm Pacific time.

When the San Jose Sharks sent Thomas Greiss down to Worcester after he cleared waivers, everyone assumed the two remaining goalies would pull the 1-2 tandem. It’s been done before and it’s worked. Just 4 days ago the Sharks opened their season back in San Jose on October 16 against the Atlanta Thrashers, many fans felt it should have been an easy choice on who to start. Antero Niittymaki right? He’s 17-0 in 17 games played against the Thrashers where as Antti Niemi is 1-1-0 in just 2 games against. It appeared as if they were going to start Niittymaki, then Niemi, then back to Nitty. I just looked at my family and went “Screw it. Recall Thomas Greiss and start him. Problem solved.” No dice. Finally it seemed as if the final choice was made and we couldn’t have been more wrong.

Coach Todd McLellan opted to go with Antti Niemi between the pipes. Fans looked at this as a miss guided move as Nitty holds the better record. So when the Sharks lost in their home opener to a team who failed to make the playoffs last season and no longer had superstar Ilya Kovalchuk, the blame game started. It’s all Antti Niemi’s fault we lost, it’s the coaches fault, it’s our weak defense. Truth be had, it’s all of that. Coach Todd should have played Niittymaki but didn’t. The defense should have done their job and not failed at keeping the opposing players away. All in all, October 16 was a team failure.

Just last night was the Sharks 4th game in only 17 days. This time against the Carolina Hurricanes. And after the bad outing by Niemi, one would hope they’d go with Antero Niittymaki who is 8-2-2 in 13 games against Carolina. Mainly to keep up with the 1-2 goalie tandem that was supposed to be. But once again, fans were wrong. Antti Niemi started the game off, and he looked good at first. Despite allowing a short-handed goal by Eric Staal just 5:58 into the first period. The Hurricanes went on to score 4 more goals by 4 different guys, giving each of those 4 their first goal on the season. Chad LaRose had a 3 point night with a goal and two assists. While the Sharks got their two goals from Patrick Marleau, including a power play goal from a very funky angle that squeaked behind Cam Ward.

For a goalie who’s never played against the Hurricanes, this could have been a blow-out by the Canes. But if you ask me, a 4-2 loss to Atlanta followed by a 5-2 loss to Carolina, it looks as if Nemo is lost again. Here’s to hoping that a road trip to Colorado, Edmonton and Calgary will help find him.

Stephanie L

Once again, another San Jose Sharks training camp has come to a close. And just like every year, coaches and players alike wait to see what the team will look like. How many rookies will make the team and who they will be? This year, however, the focus seems more on the trio of Sharks goaltenders, and what General Manager Doug Wilson intends to do with them, most specifically what to do with Thomas Greiss. So we’ll start from the beginning, play a little game of catch up for those who may not care to follow hockey during the summer.

This off-season, goalie Evgeni Nabokov was not re-signed by the San Jose Sharks to relieve cap space, allowing the team to resign forwards Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. He then signed a contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. This move left many fans heartbroken and deflated, many of them feeling as though they had just had their hearts ripped right out of their chests. As a fan, when you think of the San Jose Sharks goaltending over the past nine seasons, you think of Nabby. Why? Because Evgeni Nabokov is Nabby (or John, as some fans know him): the towel-over-the-head, rarely-doing-interviews, Russian-speaking goalie. He’s Nabby.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not that we don’t like Greiss, because we do. It‘s just that after a shaky rookie season, fans were starting to wonder if he was ready to be a starter. All the while having to playing behind a workhorse athlete such as Nabokov, Greiss never got a chance to start as many games as he should have, making him relatively untested. Could this be the year he is given that chance?

Nevertheless, when Doug Wilson signed Antero Niittymaki to a two-year contract, a few select fans let out a small sigh of relief knowing that, at the very least, Greiss would have the opportunity to split the duties between the pipes for another season. The idea of having a player like Niittymaki in the teal and white would take some getting used to. The relief was short lived, however, when Wilson again gave fans a heart-wrenching blow by signing Stanley Cup winning goalie Antti Niemi. Yes, Niemi, the very same goalie who swept the Sharks in four games in the Western Conference Finals.

There is potential for Greiss to be traded is out there, it’s a matter of which team is willing to take on a young goalie who’s played very little. Should DW manage to make this happen, is it possible for Niemi to play 45+ games without getting burned out and could Niittymaki pick up the slack in the event he can’t? Or do the Sharks stick to rotating between 3 goalies all season long. It’s been done before, however with just only two goalies to swap out.

So this is where we end up: the rookie backup versus the veteran backup versus the Stanley Cup winner. Alright before all the Greiss fans get on my case, yes I understand that he is no longer a rookie. But for the sake of argument and lack of playing time, let’s call him one.

Just to break each one down a little bit:

Rookie backup – Thomas Greiss; age 24, 6′ 1″ ,200 lbs. Member of the 2006 & 2010 German Olympic hockey team. Previous season’s stats: 16 games played, 7 wins, 4 losses, 3.00 GAA with .929 SV%

Veteran backup – Antero Nittymaki; age 30, 6′ 1″, 190 lbs. Silver Medalist with the 2006 Finnish Olympic hockey team. Previous season’s stats: 49 games played, 21 wins, 18 losses, 2.88 GAA with .909 SV%

Stanley Cup winner – Antti Niemi; age 27, 6′ 2″, 210 lbs. 2010 Stanley Cup winner. Previous season’s stats: 39 games played, 26 wins, 7 losses, 2.25 GAA with .912 SV%

One can look at those stats and might say that Niemi is the better of the three. And he very well may be, but now that we’re into preseason, it’s time for each one of the Sharks goaltenders to shine, and to prove to Doug Wilson why they deserve the coveted starting position on October 8, 2010.

Stephanie Lee
NHLHS San Jose Sharks Correspondent
stephaniel@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Stegawedeus

If the last few NHL seasons were any indication as to what we can expect if we are discussing an NHL head coach, one situation that is certain is that someone will be fired prior to the 2010-11 NHL All-Star game.

This off-season alone we have already witnessed transition throughout the league at the head coaching position.

Rich Tocchet was relieved of his duties with the Tampa Bay Lightning for Guy Boucher. The Atlanta Thrashers and Columbus Blue Jackets both appointed new soldiers to man the fort as bench bosses as well.

However, we do not feel that will be the only movement made from NHL teams.

When looking around the league, outside of Barry Trotz and Lindy Ruff – the longest tenured coaches remaining within the NHL – there are many new faces in many new places.

This season, expectations are high for many clubs not considered a team in transition.

One team in which a window – or time frame if you will – has been placed upon to win a Stanley Cup are the Washington Capitals.

Bruce Boudreau – Three straight Southeast Divisional titles and that’s right, the head coach of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals could possibly find himself on the unemployment line.  Since taking over the helm in Washington early in the 2007-08 season, Boudreau has established himself as one of the top regular season bench bosses.  His .664 winning percentage is tops of any NHL coaches over that time period.  Washington’s decision to not sign unrestricted free agent goaltender Jose Theodore leaves the Capitals with two 22-year-old net minders in Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth.  The two young backstops have a combined 54 NHL regular season games to their credit, so experience could be an issue.  Boudreau’s problems have come in the postseason, where all four series that he has coached have gone the full seven games, and his Capitals have won just one of those series.  And remember Washington owner Ted Leonsis’ blog after last year’s seven-game first round loss to the Montreal Canadiens that seemed to question some of Boudreau’s tactics.

However, even with his .664 winning percentage something seems to be missing either from the on-ice product or from coach himself. The window has begun to close, and at this point it is not too far from being closed and locked.

John Tortorella – Despite leading his team to a 7-1-2 mark over the course of the season’s final 10 games, the 50-year-old New York Rangers head coach saw his Broadway Blueshirts miss the postseason in a shootout on the last day of the 2009-10 campaign.  Even though the most significant off-season signing may well be forward Alexander Frolov, Tortorella may be in trouble if the Rangers appear that they cannot make any postseason noise after the team has missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons.

The common factor here – Tortorella was the coach of this club for the past two seasons after taking over for Tom Renney. Though he did help an already talented club enter the playoffs in ’08-’09, they exited as quick as they entered.

Say what you will about the supporting cast for Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist but this Rangers club, again on black and white, is capable of being a constant threat within the Eastern Conference each year. If the season begins and there are more L’s over W’s, expect yet another change in New York.

Ron Wilson – After four consecutive 40+ win seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Wilson’s first two years in Toronto were forgettable, non-playoff efforts.  But with GM Brian Burke’s retooling of the Leafs over the past nine months, adding players like defenseman Dion Phaneuf, goaltender J.S. Giguere, and forwards Kris Versteeg, Colby Armstrong, and Clarke MacArthur, Toronto will definitely have higher expectations heading into the 2010-11 season.  And that means that if the club is not performing to the level that Burke feels it should, Wilson could have good reason to be looking over his shoulder. Also, believe what you will about the Tomas Kaberle reports that he and coach Wilson simply are not on the same page and this adds salt to the wounds.

Yes the team was blundered by injuries last season, but is it truly Wilson to blame here or do we need to point the finger directly at Burke? The tricky situation is figuring out just that. Burke has attempted to re-tool his team by the signings and trades mentioned above and feels confident enough to be a competitive club this year which in turn puts all the pressure on Wilson to make this team gel and perform up to Burke and company’s expectations.

Claude Julien – After last season’s playoff collapse, one must wonder how long of a leash Julien has attached to his name. After completing his third full season as head coach of the club, adding three straight playoff births, it might not be as short of a leash as some of the other coaches but something has to give.

Since taking over the team at the start of the 2007-08 season, Julien and his Bruins have not had a losing record. However, though plagued by injuries last season, it was his worst season with the club as they posted a record of 39-30-13.  Add to that the historic playoff blunder and assume as we are that Peter Chiarelli is keeping a close eye on Julien and his progress to start the season.

The Bruins have not been to the Conference finals since the 1991-92 season and have not earned the chance to play for the Stanley Cup since 1989-90. Teasing their fanbase for the past three years, last season plunged the knife through the hearts of the organizations faithful.

Julien, at one time, helped a disgruntled forward in Michael Ryder re-ignite his scoring touch, only to have it disappear the next (last) season. As we have been creating a common theme within this writing, sometimes the players just lose touch with their coaches and their ears no longer truly hear what the coach has to say. If such is the case in Boston, there could very much be a change as soon as January. Would we hold our breathe on this one? No, but stranger things have happened, especially around the NHL.

Todd McLellan – The San Jose Sharks – on black and white – for years have been considered a powerhouse and dominant team throughout the regular season.  However, their playoff failures have been the only consistency in their game. McLellan stepped in, replacing Ron Wilson, and has had the same success…err…situations arise. Yet no one points the finger at the coaching in San Jose.  Most use Joe Thornton as the scape goat when such is not the case, especially this past playoff season.

In two full seasons with the Sharks, McLellan has a record of 104-38-22 which is good for a winning percentage of .634 – during the regular season. He has coached his team to the quaterfinals in 2009 and the conference finals in 2010. But it was these very same Sharks that were – according to the experts – on the Stanley Cup path both years under McLellan and prior.

With two major player personnel changes from the organization this season, Rob Blake‘s retirement and Evgeni Nabokov bolting for the KHL, there are new faces swimming with the regulars.  Stanley Cup Champion goaltender Antti Niemi as well as goaltender Antero Niittymaki will be called upon in likely a #1a/#1b type scenario to attempt to carry this team to the promise land yet again this season. If there is another early playoff exit by the Sharks again this season, the finger will need to be pointed and the axe dropped.

Paul Maurice – It may come as a strange situation for some of you readers to see Maurice on this list. It’s not that Marucie is a bad coach, it seems to be more of the fact of the matter that with the team in transition, the players ears may be closing to the coaches mouth.  Anytime you lose the confidence of your team – they simply can not follow a simple game plan or the thoughts of the head coach – there needs to be a change.  Although last season the ‘Canse were plagued by injuries and issues, there is going to be a close eye on Maurice to start the season. Will he be able to have his team respond from an off year and show positives and signs of life throughout the first portion of the season?  Of course, only time permits the answer to that question.

The season is right around the corner. Thus far, it truly has the makings to be a very exciting season at that.  Who will be the first NHL coach axed in your opinion, if any? Here is to hoping for solid seasons all around and know that we do not wish any ill will among any of those employed by the National Hockey League – from staff, to players, to coaches, to upper management and beyond.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS NHL Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

Dave Strehle
NHLHS NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

For the Philadelphia Flyers it is a seemingly never-ending search, a generational attempt to find that one franchise netminder with which to call their own.

Through the years, we have seen the likes of Tommy Soderstrom, Dominic Roussel, Garth Snow, Jean-Marc Pelletier, Maxime Ouellet, Brian Boucher (in his first stint with the club), Roman Cechmanek, Antero Niittymaki, and Robert Esche anointed as the heir to the throne.

And when the younger guys have failed, then-GM Bob Clarke would delve deeply into the other end of the spectrum.

Sean Burke (twice) and John Vanbiesbrouck come to mind as two of Clarke’s desperate attempts to get the much-needed net presence to man the crease for the Orange-and-Black.

But all that ended up doing was handsomely rewarding an aging, unrestricted free agent for their previous performances with other teams, but not doing much in the way of helping the Flyers’ cause.

It’s a search that has been going on since Ron Hextall’s initial tenure in Philadelphia, which ended when he was dealt to the Quebec Nordiques after the 1991-92 season in the Eric Lindros trade.

It is coming up on the 20th season of that deal, and the Flyers have still not been able to find that one netminder to put between the pipes for the long haul.

Last season was a nightmare for the Orange-and-Black between the pipes, as the Flyers’ netminders were decimated by injuries, as they used seven goaltenders throughout the year.

Ray Emery, signed as a free agent out of the KHL prior to the season, would sustain two serious injuries that required surgery.  The hip injury that struck him in early March may even be career-threatening.

Boucher is signed for the 2010-11 season and Johan Backlund was recently re-signed for two more years.  But with Michael Leighton set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, the position is once again in a state of flux.

Philly GM Paul Holmgren, fresh off acquiring defenseman Dan Hamhuis from Nashville on Saturday, is set to tackle the ongoing goaltending issue.

Including bringing Leighton back, there are many avenues for Holmgren to explore.  Here are some of those options:

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Leighton – Picked up off the waiver wire by Holmgren in early-December, Leighton was a Godsend for a struggling team that could not find its way.  All he did was proceed to go 16-5-2 before succumbing to a high ankle sprain in March.  When he returned during Philly’s improbable postseason run, Leighton went 8-3.

The only problem was that he let in several goals of the “soft” variety in the Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Leighton has stated on the record that he wishes to return, and head coach Peter Laviolette has voiced his support for bringing Leighton back, but Holmgren has sounded a bit less-thrilled about Leighton returning after the loss in the Finals.  Days after the final loss on game six, Holmgren said that he still hadn’t seen the replay of Patrick Kane’s Cup-winning overtime goal.  He hasn’t seen the puck enter the net, and just couldn’t bring himself to see it.

Leighton’s agent Mike Liut has stated that he is seeking a deal worth between $2-3 million, which isn’t breaking the bank.

Leighton fingerprint:  Depending on how much is required to get Hamhuis signed and how much of the $8+ million surplus there is left to work with and given the fact that Leighton has proven to work well with his team, Holmgren may, indeed, be bringing Leighton back into the fold when all is said and done.

Marty Turco:  Turco has long been considered one of the top ten netminders in the NHL.  But the soon to be 35-year-old, nine-year veteran of the Dallas Stars saw a significant dropoff in play in 2009-10.

His six year streak of 30 or more wins came to an abrupt halt, as he struggled to a 22-20-11 record.

Taking a Flyer on Turco: Coupled with the salary that Turco most-likely will be demanding (he made $5.7 million last year) and his dropoff in play, a Turco signing would appear to be in the same avenue of the Vanbiesbrouck signing a decade ago.  I find this option very doubtful.

Evgeni Nabokov:  The San Jose Sharks have had a label of being “playoff underacheivers”, and Nabby has been front-and-center in the blame game.

The 10-year vet has been a workhorse for the Sharks in the regular season, registering 40+ wins in each of the past three seasons.

But it’s the postseason failures that most people will be looking at when considering Nabokov when July 1st rolls around.

Lowdown on Nabby:  Nabokov is in the same boat as Turco.  He will also be turning 35, and drew a salary of $5.375 million last season.  If he is looking for a big payday (i.e. a hefty raise), the chances that he will be wearing Orange-and-Black come training camp are slim-to-none.

Jose Theodore:  Theodore is another in this year’s 30-something, big contract netminders.  Theodore, who turns 34 in September, had one of his best regular seasons in the NHL last season.  His 30-7-7 record led the way for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals.  But after being given the nod over Semyon Varlamov as the starter in the postseason, the Capitals fell in seven games to the Montreal Canadiens.  The play of Habs’ goaltender Jaroslav Halak was the difference, as he outplayed Theodore.

The theory on Theo:  Theodore has overcome great personal tragedy and succeeded, but with his $4.5 million salary in 2009-10, he will be expecting another huge payday.  Given his age and asking price, it’s almost a sure bet that Holmgren will pass on Theodore.

Chris Mason:  The 34-year-old Mason had his best year in the NHL last season for the St. Louis Blues, reaching the 30-win mark for the first time in his career.  A late-bloomer, Mason has 20+ wins in three of his last four seasons.

The markup on Mason:  While Mason has shown no signs of slowing down, he is still 34.  Add in the fact that he made $3 million last season, and he will probably be looking for a significant raise.  This will probably be the last chance to make the big money for Mason, so it isn’t likely that he would take less for an opportunity to win.

Dan Ellis:  Drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2000, Ellis saw action in just one game (a win in 2003-04 season).

Ellis was signed by the Nashville Predators as a free agent in 2007 and had actually taken the starting job away from Chris Mason, posting a 23-10-3 mark during the 2007-08 campaign.  But in 2008-09 Ellis dropped to just 11-19-4, prompting the call-up from the minors of Pekka Rinne.  The rest, as they say, is history.

The Down low on Dan:  Ellis may be just what the Flyers are looking for…a netminder that just turned 30 and made just $1.75 million last season.  Depending on the salary neighborhood Ellis is hoping to move in to, he may be a good possibility.

Antero Niittymaki:  Originally drafted by Philly in 1998, Niitty was always the good soldier.  A fantastic goaltender and Olympic Silver Medal winner in 2006, he was never really given the opportunity to become the number one guy for the Flyers.  There always seemed to be another guy promoted or brought in and given the job…Boucher, Cechmanek, Esche, Martin Biron.  The only time that Niittymaki was given the bulk of starts for any stretch was during the Flyers franchise-worst 2006-07, in which they finished last overall in the NHL standings.  Niitty was given the reigns as the team played out the string, and his 9-29-9 mark was abysmal.

Notes on Niitty:  When Niittymaki was allowed to walk away as an UFA and Holmgren went to the KHL to lure Emery back from his exile, it continued a pattern of the Flyers looking elsewhere when they may have had their answer right under their noses.  Niitty was signed to a one-year, $600,000 contract by the Tampa Bay Lightning, then wrestled the starting job away from incumbent Mike Smith.  He finished with a more than respectable 21-18-5 record for a non-playoff team.  At $600k, the 30-year-old goalie could be the perfect fit to come back and take the starting job for Philadelphia.

Vesa Toskala:  Not nearly on the same level as either Turco or Nabokov over the course of his career, Toskala nonetheless had four consecutive 20+ win seasons with the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the 2009-10 campaign.  But the 33-year-old Finnish goaltender fell off dramatically this past season, recording a 9-12-3 mark with Toronto and the Calgary Flames.

The Toskala total:  Despite a 129-82-5 record over eight NHL seasons, Toskala has largely spent most of that time as a backup.  In San Jose, he was second fiddle to Nabokov.  When given the reigns for a less-than great Toronto team, he managed a 62-54-20 record before being shipped to Calgary, where he was again backup, this time to Miikka Kiprusoff.

But if he is looking for a raise on his 2009-10 $4 million salary, he will be looking in cities other than Philadelphia.

The Unrestricted Free Agent Dark Horses (i.e. the rest):  Johan Hedberg (37-years-old, $1.087 million in 2009-10), Peter Budaj (28 in September, $1.25 million), Alex Auld (29, $1 million), Andrew Raycroft (30, $500,000), Patrick Lalime (36 in July, $1 million), Manny Legace (37, $500,000).

Trade Possibilities:

Los Angeles:

There have been a number of trade rumors that Holmgren could opt to take if he chooses not to go the route of unrestricted free agency.  One that is making the rounds is that he is interested in either Jonathan Quick or Jonathan Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings.

With the connection that Philadelphia and L.A. share, with L.A.’s GM Dean Lombardi and Assistant GM Ron Hextall being former employees before heading west, there may be some meat to this one.

Quick is 24-years-old and his 2010-11 salary will be $1.8 million, a nice fit for Homer’s cap room.  The 6′ 1″, 223 pound netminder is coming off a stellar season in which he put up a 39-24-7 mark, leading the Kings to the number six seed in the Western Conference and a playoff spot.

In his first NHL postseason, Quick’s Kings lost in six hard-fought games.

Bernier, who will turn 22 in August, will likely make a push in training camp to unseat Quick as the starter.  L.A. management is very high on the first round pick from 2006, and with good reason.

With 28-year-old Erik Ersberg as backup, the Kings may be ready to move either Quick or Bernier for the right return.

With the Kings having room under the salary cap, forward Jeff Carter may be a return being sought after by Lombardi and company.  They were rumored to be in the bidding for Ilya Kovalchuk prior to the Atlanta Thrashers moving him to New Jersey, and their desire to bolster their forward slots has been made known.  They could go the unrestricted free agent route and sign Kovalchuk, but they will need to dole out approximately $10 million annually.

Minnesota:

Josh Harding – The 26-year-old restricted free agent made $1.1 million last season, and may be moved to a team where he has a chance to be the starter.  With Niklas Backstrom signed for three more seasons, playing time will be scarce for Harding if he remains with the Wild.

Minnesota can always use help at the forward position, and even though forwards have been sacrificed to fit the team’s salary into the cap limit, the Flyers still have a wealth up front with which to deal.

There had been rumors that Philadelphia was ready to offer up Carter to the Montreal Canadiens for either Halak or Carey Price.  But with the shocking trade that sent Halak to the St. Louis Blues, any deal with Les Habitants appears to have been quashed, as Price will undoubtedly take the reigns in the Montreal crease.

Conclusion:

Holmgren will have a busy week ahead of him leading up to Friday night’s commencement of the Entry Draft.  He needs to get Hamhuis signed, and is rumored to be talking to several clubs about acquiring a goaltender via trade.

If nothing comes to fruition, he can fit an unrestricted free agent into his salary structure.

As mentioned above, Holmgren would do well to avoid any long-term deals with the aging, high-money netminders.  This would wipe Turco, Nabokov, Mason, Theodore, and Toskala off of Homer’s list.

The UFA options the Flyers may want to explore if a trade is not consummated are Ellis and Niitymaki.  Outside of Leighton, these two would seem to have the best fit, both age-wise and monetarily.

And if this is the route Holmgren chooses, whichever goalie he signs will be a hold-over until hopefully Sergei Bobrovsky (see previous story on him here) or Joacim Eriksson will develop and be ready as the long-term netminder this franchise has lacked for so long.

If possible, either Bernier or Quick from the Kings would be the best-possible move for Holmgren.  Both goaltenders are young, and could alleviate the constant state of flux in the Flyers’ crease.

Either one would be considered a franchise goaltender.

Whichever goaltender ends up between the pipes for the Flyers when the season opens will definitely benefit from the work being done by Holmgren to shore up the Philadelphia blue line.

By week’s end, we may just know the identity of that masked man.  And along with that move comes the opportunity for Holmgren to put his permanent stamp on the franchise.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

When Scott Hartnell banged home his second goal of the night to tie up game six at 3-3 with just 3:59 left in regulation, there was a feeling that maybe another miracle was on the horizon for the Philadelphia Flyers.

But this time it was not meant to be, as Patrick Kane somehow snuck a bad-angle shot through Michael Leighton at 4:06 of overtime.

And so ended an improbable postseason run by the Orange-and-Black.

The Run to the Finals

After all, the team barely even qualified for the playoffs, sneaking in after winning a shootout against the New York Rangers on the final day of the regular season.

Then came a matchup with the number three team in the East, the New Jersey Devils, in the first round.

Martin Brodeur and company have made a habit out of torturing the Flyers through the years, but this year that draw was surprisingly favorable.

Philadelphia finished 5-1 against New Jersey in the 2009-10 regular season.  And they continued that domination in the postseason, taking the first round series, four games to one.

But much like the adversity the team faced during the regular season, it struck again against the Devils.  Philly lost forwards Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne (both with broken right feet), and Ian Laperriere (concussion, brain contusion) as the result of blocking shots.

In the second round against the seventh-seeded Boston Bruins, that adversity nearly turned to a quick exit.  The Flyers lost three close games and found themselves on the brink of elimination.

But Gagne, on crutches a week earlier, returned early and fittingly scored the game-winning goal in overtime in game four.  He then scored two more in game five, and the series-winner in the third period of game seven.

Only two teams had ever done it prior to this series, but the Orange-and-Black had overcome an 0-3 series deficit to win.

Just like the NHL ad campaign, “History Will Be Made”.

The Eastern Conference Finals brought the Montreal Canadiens, fresh off of a second-straight seven-game series upset.  They had knocked off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in the first round, then the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

The eighth-seeded Canadiens won both game sevens on the road in the first two rounds.

Montreal netminder Jaroslav Halak was on fire in dispatching of the higher-ranked teams and looked to do the same to the Flyers.

But this time, Philly had their number, taking out the Canadiens in five games.

No Adversity, No Win

Both Carter and Laperriere returned to action for the Eastern Finals, and suddenly, something was missing as the team headed to Chicago to face the Blackhawks in the Finals.

Adversity.

For a team that seemed to thrive on it, the suddenly calm atmosphere and full compliment of players appeared to take something away from the desperation that the team had used as its main form of propulsion.

Like a family that sticks together through times of great dysfunction but falls apart when harmony is finally achieved, Philadelphia lost their edge when they got past the adversity.

End of the Season – Enter Holmgren

So now General Manager Paul Holmgren has some tough choices to make for next season.

After the playoff run the Flyers had, what Holmgren has to be careful of is not to be too euphoric in analyzing his team heading towards the 2010-11 season.

True, Philly did make it within two wins of hoisting the cherished silver chalice.  That is something that cannot be ignored.

But this is also a team that was a shootout loss against New York’s “King Henrik” Lundqvist from missing the big dance altogether.

“Homer” has to realize that his evaluation of the Flyers has to fall somewhere in between Stanley Cup Finalists and a non-playoff team.

He has some big question marks to deal with and with the long run, only has a couple of weeks before the NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles.

Philadelphia doesn’t own a draft choice until the fourth round.  In order to create a bit of space at the upper edge of the cap limit and also acquire a top three round pick, Holmgren may want to deal one of his high-end paid forwards to do so in one fell swoop.

One of the top names on that list would be Hartnell.

Though he had a dreadful regular season Hartnell, really came on in the latter stages of the Flyers’ postseason run, and ended with some pretty decent stats.  He scored eight goals in the playoffs, five of which came during the Finals.

And the fiery redhead was far-and-away the best Philly player on the ice in game six.

Hartnell:  “You waited 10 years to be in the Final and it may not happen for 10 more.  You don’t know if this is the only time you are going to kick the cat.  This summer and next training camp it will give us a little more fuel to be on the right side of things.”

“I definitely don’t want to go anywhere.  I probably won’t score 40, but I’d love to.”

But is Hartnell’s “right side of things” destined to be in Philadelphia next year?

Slated to make $4.25 million in 2010-11, Holmgren will have to think long and hard about what his best-laid plans would be regarding Hartnell.  Especially with the fact that the winger has a no-trade clause in his contract.

You always get the feeling that Hartnell is always on the fine line of doing something really good or something that will cost your team in a big way, and you are never really sure which way it will go.  Too many times during the regular season and first couple of rounds of the postseason, Hartnell went the wrong way.

Hartnell’s ill-timed penalties cost Philly quite a few games, and the positives were few and far between.  His goal-scoring total dropped off from 30 in 2008-09 to just 14 during the past regular season.

Getting past some personal difficulties he suffered through during the regular season seems to have made a world of difference in Hartnell’s game.  But one thing is for sure.  With Hartnell’s performance in the Finals, his trade value will never be higher than it is at this time.

Another forward that could be moved is Carter.  He is a valuable commodity and could bring in a starting netminder and / or a high draft pick.

Though he had to deal with fractures in both of his feet over the past couple of months of the season, Carter could not provide the offense needed to get Philadelphia over the hump to win Lord Stanley.  He registered just one goal, an empty-netter, in the Finals.

Carter has one year remaining on his three-year, $15 million deal and will become a restricted free agent at the end of next season.  For the money that he will command at that time, Holmgren may not be able to fit a new deal for Carter inside the Flyers’ miniscule salary cap space.

There were rumors earlier last season that the Montreal Canadiens may move either Halak or Carey Price for Carter.  But that was before GM Bob Gainey stepped down, and before Halak’s incredible playoff performance.  My guess is that Les Habitants would be inclined to offer up Price for Carter at this time.

It was believed that at the end of this year Danny Briere would be asked to waive his no-movement clause.  Briere still has five years remaining on his eight-year, $52 million contract, and his cap hit each year of over $6 million has become an albatross, especially at the trade deadline.  When there are clear needs but no money with which to bring in help, most point to Briere’s inflated salary.

But after a Flyers’ record-setting postseason in which Briere registered 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists), breaking Brian Propp’s old mark of 28, which was set in 1987, it appears that Briere is here to stay.

Playing at his more-familiar center position, Briere became the force that had been hoped the day he was signed.

And the team justified Briere’s statements about the Flyers players being “warriors” and the team was “built for the playoffs”.  Briere especially looked the part of the warrior as he sported a nasty gash from a high-stick he took in game five that required stitches.

Gagne is another player that may be asked to waive his no-trade clause in order to move him and his $5 million salary.  There was a rumor making the rounds at the end of the season that Holmgren might attempt to move the long-time Flyer to Boston for goaltender Tim Thomas now that Tuukka Rask has grabbed the Bruins’ number one job.

There are many possibilities, but all seem to involve getting a player to waive a NTC / NMC.

UFA Leighton to be re-signed or allowed to walk?

And if the team is not convinced that Leighton is the answer in goal, the extra money could come in handy in signing an unrestricted free agent.  Dan Ellis, Antero Niittymaki, Evgeni Nabokov, and Marty Turco are among the most-interesting candidates should Holmgren go that route.

With Brian Boucher already signed through next season as the backup, Leighton would like to re-sign and stay on.

“I definitely want to stay here.  I enjoyed my time and enjoyed the guys.  It’s tough enough that we lost.  Even if it’s a good goal, you’re still going to be disappointed that you lost.  I think for me, it’s a double-whammy.  You let in a soft goal to end the season.  I hope to get the opportunity to stay here as a No. 1 and if not, then elsewhere.”

Leighton definitely had the most success of any of the rotating goaltending carousel.  With a 16-5-2 regular season mark and an 8-3 record in the playoffs, the Flyers played their best hockey with Leighton between the pipes.

Leighton’s agent, ex-NHL goaltender Mike Liut, is rumored to be looking for a multi-year deal for at least $2 million annually.  It remains to be seen if Holmgren would balk at that number.

RFAs and UFAs

As for the team’s most valuable restricted free agents, defensemen Braydon Coburn and Ryan Parent, and forwards Darroll Powe and Daniel Carcillo, Holmgren needs to re-sign at least Coburn and Powe.  Coburn had a second straight regular season in which his level of play slipped, but he proved just how valuable he was in the postseason.  Powe is a nice, cheap fourth line banger who is also an excellent penalty-killer.  Parent’s play dropped off to the point where he basically saw only spot duty in the playoffs.  And Carcillo, though bringing a great deal of energy and a surprising amount of offensive flair from time to time, became a frequent healthy scratch in the latter stages of the postseason.  He was basically rendered ineffective, as it appeared he was a bit of a marked man every time he stepped on the ice.  He drew some questionable penalty calls in his last few games that he saw action.

As far as unrestricted free agent Arron Asham, it will be interesting to see if Holmgren brings his fourth-line winger back.  Asham was a good fit on a line with Blair Betts and Powe and may take a little less money to stay.

Towing the Leino

One player that turned out to be a revelation in the postseason was winger Ville Leino.

Acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for little-used defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth-round draft pick  in February, Leino began the playoffs as a healthy scratch.

But when forwards Carter and Gagne were injured in game four of the New Jersey series, Leino was thrust into duty.

Finding a home on a line with Briere and Hartnell, Leino tied the playoff rookie scoring record with 21 points (seven goals and 14 assists).

If there are any questions as to Leino’s game or development, check out this quote from Bob McKenzie of TSN:  “The Blackhawks were talking before Game 6 (of the Finals) about how Leino was channeling Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, that he was playing at the level, and he seriously was in terms of his puck protection and his ability to make plays.”

Now that is truly a great amount of respect, putting Leino’s name in with the likes of greats Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

At just 26-years-old, it appears that Holmgren may have found a key piece of the Flyers’ future in Leino.

It was an incredible postseason run, one that Flyers’ fans will never forget.  And the team is not that far away from being ready to embark on the same challenge next year.

Training camp opens in about three months from now, and Holmgren will no doubt be a very busy man in the interim.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

Atlantic Division

• The rematch of Martin Brodeur vs. Ryan Miller will probably come some time next month in Vancouver. If Wednesday night’s game at HSBC Arena in Buffalo was a preview, we can’t wait. And neither can Brodeur. “I hope so,” he said. “We’ll see. I definitely hope so.” Brodeur figures to be Team Canada’s goalie while Miller will be in net for the U.S.
• To say it took the Flyers a little while to adjust to Peter Laviolette’s up-tempo system is a major understatement. But the growing pains appear to be over. The turnaround is in full swing. After going 2-7-1 in their first 10 games under Laviolette, the Flyers have adapted to the nuances of his attacking, two-player forecheck and left-wing lock.
• The Rangers are skipping town today as fast as they possibly can, getting a head start on a Western swing they feel can’t come quickly enough. Wednesday night, at least, their fans seemed to agree that there was nothing at the Garden worth sticking around for.
• Jack Hillen, who was hit in the face by an Alex Ovechkin slap shot in last night’s 7-2 Washington win on Long Island, suffered a broken jaw and damaged teeth. The Islanders defenseman will be out 6-8 weeks. “Jack’s been playing some real good hockey for us and for him to get hurt now [is tough],” Scott Gordon said today before the team left for Raleigh.
• Penguins defenseman Kris Letang realizes he has the potential to become a star and is also highly aware that, as a restricted free agent this summer, he soon could be paid like one. Letang, though, is attempting to delay thinking about his new contract.

Northeast Division

• Jacques Martin’s disposition was anything but sunny Wednesday night as he watched the Canadiens drop a 3-0 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The head coach arranged for the Canadiens to arrive in Florida on Sunday to give them an extra day of warm weather, but they failed to return the favour as they delivered two lacklustre performances.
• If Brian Burke can find a taker for Jamal Mayers, the Maple Leafs forward happily will pack his bags. The same goes for defenceman Garnet Exelby. “I still feel like I have a lot of hockey left,” Mayers said after practice on Wednesday. “Hopefully there are other people within the game who think so. My agent (Pat Brisson) was given permission to talk to teams and see what is out there. I am willing to do what I can to help and if that means moving on, that is what it has to be.”
• This must be prefaced with caution: The Ottawa Senators still have 28 regular-season games to play. That’s an eternity in the NHL. Anything can happen. They could fall off the map just as quickly as they could climb the standings. Nonetheless, as they ride a six-game winning streak that has taken them to a comfortable fifth place in the Eastern Conference, you’d have to think that coach Cory Clouston is beginning to attract notice as a coach-of-the-year candidate.
• After nearly two weeks of jetting from sea to shining sea, the last thing the Buffalo Sabres needed Wednesday night in HSBC Arena was overtime. Or a shootout. But the groggy Sabres weren’t in the fog you might expect after their seven-game road trip. They still found some jump in their step. They got a boost from the 2010 debuts of Andrej Sekera and Nathan Paetsch. And, of course, they have Ryan Miller.
• With the way National Hockey League coaches are so quickly dismissed, you’d think there’s a line in the management handbook that reads, “When all else fails, whack the coach.” For some organizations, the line may read, “At the first sign of trouble, fire the coach.”

Southeast Division

• It’s taken awhile – a long while – but the Thrashers will soon finally face a hard decision it dodged four months ago. The franchise is not going to keep three goaltenders and soon, it will have three. Who is the odd-man out?Johan Hedberg, Ondrej Pavelec or Kari Lehtonen?
• For much of Wednesday night’s game, Jean-Sébastien Giguère frustrated Alex Ovechkin and his teammates with stop after unbelievable stop. The Washington Capitals fired 35 shots on the Anaheim Ducks goaltender through two periods, yet had only one goal to show for their effort.
• This time, it was Cam Ward‘s turn. New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist had been stellar in three games against the Carolina Hurricanes this season, allowing a single regulation goal in each of those games. But in a 25-second span early in the first period, Carolina finally cracked Lundqvist’s armor, the first strikes in a 5-1 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden Wednesday.
• First, there was the birth of his daughter, Alina, six weeks premature, the day after Christmas. Then his early January bout with the flu. “A weird time,” Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki conceded. “There were so much other things to think about.” Niittymaki blanked the Habs as the Bolts continued to climb in the standings.
• A day after being a healthy scratch, Panthers forward Nick Tarnasky was one of the first players on the ice at Wednesday’s practice at Incredible Ice, and one of the last ones off it. For coach Peter DeBoer, that was a sign that being able to sit healthy players will help the Panthers as they battle for a playoff spot.

Hat tip to the now defunct Illegal Curve for their permission in taking over this daily series.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC