Chris Nichols

­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.

@Nichols_NHLPool on Twitter for timely NHL & poolie info, along with occasionally snarky comments.

Live blogging nightly: line combos, defensive pairings, analysis, statistical trends and more from every game on the NHL docket. Refresh the 'Live NHL Recap' page while the games are on to get new info as it is added.

Send in a brief fantasy hockey question, including all relevant league info, and it may be included in a future Hockey Hearsay blog during the week. One per person, please. Send it via Twitter for a possible response in the blog, or send via email (include your first name and hometown to represent!) if you'd prefer. chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

The Vancouver Province conveys that Mikael Samuelsson has had massages to trigger points in his lower abdomen to relieve right-leg stiffness. But nothing triggers a response from the right winger quite like when it's pointed out that his goal total has dwindled and that he's playing a secondary role with the Vancouver Canucks.

Not only did Samuelsson snap home a third-period goal Sunday to help spark a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, he's on a four-game points streak with two goals and three assists because his stride is noticeably stronger. So is his resolve on a third line with Manny Malhotra and Raffi Torres to prove that an NHL playoff pedigree really means something now and especially next spring. Even at age 34.

"I obviously want to contribute and I know I can — that's why I'm in this game," Samuelsson stressed Monday. "I get pissed when I'm not getting ice time, but you've got to have that drive or you can quit this game. Once you've been up to a level, as soon as you go down, it's tough and not so much fun."

He added: "It's a fine line. You've got to know what the team needs. Everybody wants to succeed, everybody wants to put points up. No offence to you (media) guys, but when you're on our asses and we haven't scored in three or six games, that creates that mentality, too. We want to win and who cares who scores the goals.

"I don't care if the Sedins don't score any goals. The fourth line can score goals and if we win, that's even better because you know those guys (Sedins) are going to produce sooner or later. That's the mentality you need to have as a team."

The Province postulates that with Jeff Tambellini earning the right to skate on the second line and Mason Raymond expected to practise in the next two days after suffering a fractured right thumb against Anaheim on Dec. 8, Samuelsson could be cemented on the third line and Jannik Hansen could slip to the fourth. Regardless, Torres believes that Samuelsson will continue to improve because of the way he processes the game. And the way he plays hurt, too.

"That doesn't surprise me," said Torres. "With guys like that it's work ethic. I can see from him what it takes to stay in the game. And he also plays the right way. There are times when he turns pucks over, but it's only because he knows he can make a play and he doesn't let it phase him. He's got a short-term memory. If I make a bad pass, he'll say forget about it. He's good that way."

The Edmonton Journal points out that in years past, lengthy departures by the likes of Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky would have left the Edmonton Oilers without much offensive punch. But this year’s rebuilding team has been able to compete in games, although not always win them.

Hemsky returns to the Oilers lineup tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, certain that the team is more or less in the same shape it was when he left 10 games ago.

“I think they have done a great job. They’re still playing exciting hockey and they lost some games, but tight games. They weren’t losing games 6-0,” Hemsky said after skating with Dustin Penner and Andrew Cogliano in Monday’s practice.

Hemsky has been out since Dec. 2 with a groin injury.

“We are in every game, the guys are battling really hard and (goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin) is playing great, so it’s pretty exciting,” Hemsky continued. “I just want to help the team win some games. That’s my goal.”

The Journal says that Horcoff, who will need at least another month to get his right knee back in working order, figures that’s reason enough to remain hopeful that the team will have pulled itself into the playoff race by the time he’s ready to come back.

“You want to play in meaningful games,” said the captain. “I’ve been in that situation a lot where you’re not, and it’s not a good situation to be in.”

Horcoff, who was injured on Dec. 7, skated at Rexall Place on Monday before the team practice, just to feel a stick in his hands again. He is a long way from even getting back into a scrimmage.

“They’re playing good, they’re in every game,” he added, “but it’s a results-driven business and we have to get some wins. We’re still a ways out of the playoffs and close to last (in the league), but we’re not far enough away where we don’t have a chance.

“There’s still plenty of hockey left and plenty of points out there.”

The Montreal Gazette notes that under normal circumstances, there might be a chance tonight for the Canadiens to catch the Capitals looking ahead to their much-hyped New Year’s Day Winter Classic against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. But defenceman Hal Gill said the Capitals will have some added motivation because tonight’s game marks the first meeting between these teams since the Canadiens bounced them in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

“I think they remember that and they’ve been waiting for a chance to get back at us,” Gill said. There was a little bit of everything at practice as head coach Jacques Martin tried to skate the Canadiens out of their funk, which has seen the team lost six of its last eight games.

There was work on special teams, two-on-two drills and an exercise which featured forwards creating a net presence while the defencemen fired shots from the point.

“We needed that intensity,” Gill said. “We know that we’re not playing our best hockey. We have to show more passion.”

The Capitals had their own problems earlier this month when they lost eight in a row but they are 3-0-1 in their last four games.

The Ottawa Citizen observes that for Jason Spezza, this season has hardly gone the way he had hoped it would.

He came to training camp with high hopes, feeling good about himself and in the best shape of his career. But almost immediately everything started going sideways. He struggled along with the team, and only six games in he was sidelined for five games with a groin injury. Since then it has been a tough slog, and through 32 games he had been able to manage only nine goals and 11 assists.

Now, just as he and the team appeared set to begin playing better, Spezza will be sidelined again with this right shoulder injury.

"It has been a tough year for me, a tough year for the team," he said. "I'm pretty disappointed with how things have gone. Now, for this to happen, it's definitely frustrating."

The full extent of the injury and whether it will require surgery won't be known for a week or so, until the swelling subsides.

Spezza doesn't think surgery will be necessary and expects to be back this season, though he's not sure when.

"It's not going to be immediate," he said. "It's going to be a while. I've never hurt my shoulder before, so there's kind of a grey area right now. Still a lot of swelling and stuff. Just kind of take it day-by-day and see, but it's not going to be any time soon.

"It seems like it's going to be fine without surgery. But it just happened, it's pretty fresh."

According to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Blues have signed forward Marek Svatos this morning to a one-year contract.

Svatos, 28, was an NHL free agent who was playing in Russia's KHL most recently. He had three goals and five assists in 19 games with Omsk Avangard.

Svatos will practice with the Blues this morning, but he needs to clear NHL waivers before dressing for a game, so he won't be in the lineup tonight against Chicago. He also apparently wouldn't be eligible for Friday's game. It will be known tomorrow whether or not he cleared waivers, but it is expected that he will since no other team signed the free agent.

Svatos had 32-18-50 in 61 GP in his rookie season, but the rest of his NHL career was plagued by inconsistency. He had 30 points in 66 GP, 37 in 62, 34 in 69 and 11 in 54 before leaving for the KHL.

Can he do something with the Blues, assuming nobody else claims him? Sure, it's possible. But given his track record, there's no real reason to rush out and add him today.

The best news out of St. Louis today though was the team announcing that injured forward T.J. Oshie is ahead of schedule and could return somewhere near the end of January.

GM Doug Armstrong told the media this today: "Oshie is doing very well. He's been out skating the last week or so I'd say and he's progressing very well. With his work ethic and his healing and the way he's been, we're comfortable that (Oshie's return) somewhere around the All-Star break is a realistic goal for us."

“Sometimes you have to accept that they’ve scored,” maturing Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson told The Toronto Star. “You have to keep working and not think about it. If they score a lot on you, you just have to keep going. If you feel you’re doing something wrong over time, you have to adjust to that. It takes a while sometimes.”

According to The Chicago Tribune, Patrick Kane is likely to rejoin the lineup (it has since been confirmed) and Marty Turco will get his second straight start in goal when the Blackhawks seek their fifth straight victory tonight in St. Louis.

Coach Joel Quenneville said he was pleased with Kane's patience while recovering from a left ankle injury and his effort during practice Monday at the United Center.

"He skated pretty well today and felt good," Quenneville said.

Kane, who has 11 goals and 16 assists in 28 games, said the injury and recovery process came at an opportune time.

"I'm pretty happy with where I'm at," he said. "It's a long season, and if there's any time ... to be injured, it's right now because down the stretch you want to be healthy … and make sure you're playing your best hockey."

The Tribune also reports that Turco will start against the Blues thanks to his solid play Sunday and Corey Crawford's continuing recovery from a nasty flu bug.

"Certainly it's a big win for (Turco) and us as well," Quenneville said. "It's been a while since he got into the net, and he responded to a great opportunity and took advantage of it. He kept us in the game early, made some key saves and looked sharp, looked quick."

The article notes that Crawford's recovery combined with a hot Turco might create a dilemma for Quenneville.

"It's a great situation to be in when both guys are playing well," Quenneville said. "We've got a tough decision … (but) it's a healthy problem to have."

The Dallas Morning News writes that it’s World Juniors time again and that means that people have to choose sides in the locker room.

Linemates Steve Ott and Adam Burish have a bet that if the other’s team wins the World Junior tournament that’s going on in Buffalo right now then the other has to wear that country’s sweater for one full practice. If Canada wins, Burish (who is from Wisconsin) will wear the Maple Leaf. If Team USA wins, it’s Stars and Stripes for Ott, who is from all around Canada but calls the Windsor area home.

"I typically put wagers down on Canada at this time of year, and those wagers have made me a very rich man," Ott joked in reference to the fact Canada has won five of the last six tournaments and 15 overall. "I typically use the winnings as a Christmas bonus and buy myself something nice. It’s pretty much a sure thing every year."

Ott is digging the knife in, as he will do, and Burish is just smiling at the barbs. He said he’s just proudly supporting his country and believing that Stars prospect Jack Campbell will come through the way he did last year when Team USA won the gold over Canada in overtime. But even as Burish was trying to get his two cents in, Ott shouted from across the room. "Hey, what are you talking to Burish for? He never even played in the World Juniors."

Burish, who attended the University of Wisconsin and won an NCAA championship there, shot back: "Yeah, I was getting a college education at the time, y'know, learning to read and write. I figured those things might come in handy at some time."

Michigan Live indicates that Detroit Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler obviously was happy that he scored a goal in Monday's 4-3 overtime victory at Colorado. But he knows he must build on his two-point night. He also assisted in Nicklas Lidstrom's goal.

“I don’t know what’s that word ‘relieved,’ but it’s got to be continuous now. It should be continuous,'' Hudler said. "We talked about that when I scored at home against them, and what happened? You got to stay with it.’’

Hudler snapped a 17-game goal-scoring drought and a 13-game points drought when he scored at 5:35 of the first period, on the power play, against goaltender Peter Budaj.

Hudler's only other goal this season, on Nov. 13, also came against Budaj, oddly enough.

In any event, Michigan Live relays that coach Mike Babcock hopes a burden was lifted off him.

“I sure hope so,'' Babcock said. "The Guide and Record Book, which we always go to, shows good player, shows scorer, shows competitive player, shows that he knows how to play.

“Good for him, he’s got to feel like the weight of the world is off his back. He’s a good kid, tries hard. he’s proud of the effort he puts in. I think when things go back for you sometimes it snowballs.’’

According to Fire & Ice, Devils forward Brian Rolston will be assigned to Albany of the AHL and placed on re-entry waivers.

GM Lou Lamoriello said Rolston has not been assigned to Albany yet, but will be later today. He then must report to Albany before being placed on re-entry waivers, so the earliest he can be placed on re-entry waivers is noon on Wednesday.

“This is nothing personal with Brian as far as his demeanor. There’s nobody more positive than Brian,” Lamoriello said. “It’s unfortunate it did not work out the way that we hoped that it would through no one’s fault. With his playing time and what the results have been, it’s time to put a younger player in there.”

When Rolston is placed on re-entry waivers teams will have a chance to claim him for half of his salary and half of his cap hit of $5,062,500 ($2,531,250). If Rolston is claimed, the Devils will be responsible for the other half of his salary and cap hit for the remainder of his contract, which runs through the end of the 2011-12 season. That means the Devils could end up paying a player to play for another team for the next season and a half.

The blog indicates that Lamoriello said he did not know if Rolston will play any AHL games for Albany. He said that if Rolston clears re-entry waivers without being claimed by another team he could remain with Albany or be called back up to New Jersey. He said no decision on that has been made yet, but acknowledged that Rolston could play for the Devils again this season.

“There’s nothing that he has done to warrant any type of not wanting him,” Lamoriello said. “This is a business situation. This is part of the hockey business. It’s not personal or anything about his character. We’re talking about a quality individual.”

Lamoriello said that Rolston and his agent, Steve Barltett, have been given permission to talk to other teams about a trade.

“He’s done everything asked of him,” Lamoriello said. “I still believe in Brian. He can still play in the NHL. It just hasn’t worked out. He’s not the only one that it hasn’t worked out with to this point. It’s unfortunate but we find ourselves in a position and you have to make certain decisions.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer believes that owners of the NHL's best road record - 10-2-3 - the Flyers aren't fazed to be playing away from the Wells Fargo Center. They begin a five-game road trip Tuesday in Vancouver against the surging Canucks and nine of the next 10 will be away from home.

"I'm confident in our team because it doesn't seem to matter where we play. I'm not worried about that," center Danny Briere said of the seemingly brutal schedule. "It's good for us to be on the road a little bit and spend more time with the guys. It's a good challenge for us."

The fleet Canucks will certainly be a challenge. They are on a 7-0-2 run and have climbed to second overall in the Western Conference.

Could Tuesday's game be a Stanley Cup Finals preview?

"I hope so," Briere said after Monday afternoon's practice. "I hope to see the Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals. They're a good team, but it's a long way off, and there's lots of work to be done - and lots of things can change along the way. But it would be nice. I'm not going to lie about that."

Some of the Canucks called Tuesday's meeting "a measuring stick" to see how they match up against one of the East's elite teams.

"They're a good team, a very intense team. They have some guys that like to get under your skin a little bit," said Flyers defenseman Sean O'Donnell, who is used to facing Vancouver from his 12 seasons in the Western Conference. "The Sedins are kind of the straw that stirs the drink. You have to stay out of the box" against them.

The Inquirer notes that for the first time since early in the season, the Flyers will be playing road games without star defenceman Chris Pronger, who will miss four to six weeks with a broken foot. The Flyers started the season without Pronger in their first two games, and went 1-0-1 in Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, power plays are notoriously cyclical. Fickle, even.

The Penguins have failed to generate a man-advantage goal in their past three games. And, for that matter, in nine of the past 12.

But what makes their power play's performance in recent weeks so striking is that on those nights when it isn't sputtering, it's stunning. On the three occasions during the past dozen games when they weren't shut out with the extra man, the Penguins scored three power-play goals twice and two once.

Fact is, they've gotten a single man-advantage goal just once in the past 16 games, Nov. 27 in a 4-1 victory against Calgary. The Flames game was preceded by a pair of two-goal efforts and a blanking.

"I would say it is a little bit unusual," coach Dan Bylsma said Monday. "I don't have an explanation for it." That sentiment seems to be shared by his players -- "I don't have a good explanation," center Sidney Crosby said. "If I knew how we could get two or more every game, I would do it a lot more" -- although Bylsma pointed out that some common threads run through the power play's productive games.

"When we're at our best, we're shooting and attacking, and we have that mentality," he said. "The games where we've had success, we've developed that, right off the faceoff.

"In the games where we've not had success, we seem to go through six power plays with one shot. You look at those multiple-goal games, and we have eight shots on four power plays."

Left winger Chris Kunitz, who generally provides the net-front presence for the No. 1 unit, made a similar observation to The Post-Gazette.

"If you go through the games, some of those ones when we were having success, we were putting maybe 10 or 11 or 12 pucks on the net during power plays," he said. "Sometimes you're trying to make it maybe a little too sweet.

"A lot of goals are scored from the top of the crease, banging it in, and we haven't had many of those this year. It's something we have to get better at."

The article points out that Crosby suggested that there isn't always a connection between performance and production, citing the Penguins' 3-for-4 effort during a 7-2 victory in Columbus Dec. 4 as evidence.

"Our power play wasn't great, and we got three," he said. "And there are other times when we move the puck great and get some really nice shots and it doesn't go in.

"It's kind of a weird thing to explain sometimes, but I still think it comes down to execution, and we still definitely can improve there."

After playing as a defensive pair for the last five games, The Washington Post believes that Scott Hannan and Mike Green seem to have found a good rhythm. It's a development that may not matter for too long, though, with Green's usual defensive partner, Jeff Schultz, poised to return to the Washington lineup as early as tonight against Montreal.

The problem -- what to do with too many healthy defencemen -- is one that Coach Bruce Boudreau doesn't mind too much.

"You're asking me a question that I've got to flip a coin and see what goes on and guess and hope it works," Boudreau said when asked if he would keep Hannan and Green together when Schultz returns. The defencemen have "all played well in recent games. When [General Manager] George [McPhee] made that trade, what he made this trade for was the depth and the solidity of the defence. Hopefully, that's what comes true. When you have guys like [Tom] Poti down and Schultz down and you keep getting solid defence. I think it's a great sign."

Green offered this: "Any time you've got to get used to somebody new, you have to develop that timing and confidence and get to know each other. We've only played with each other for [five] games in a row; that's pretty quick to come together and feel as comfortable as we do. It's just his experience and the way he talks. He's always positive out there, and when you're positive, good things happen and his overall experience is able to help me."

Hannan told The Post it wasn't easy to try to integrate into a new team when so little was going right.

"It's definitely not ideal or easy when you come in and the team's struggling like that and you haven't won a game in eight, but it's great to get back on track and know where things fit," Hannan said. Of skating with Green, he added: "A lot is just talking out on the ice and getting comfortable with each other. He hadn't seen me play too much and I sort of knew what kind of player he was by the way he skates and the offense, but little things in the defensive zone are things that you don't pick up until you play with a guy for a couple games and then you start to read off that. We're starting to get there."

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Thrashers recalled Patrice Cormier from AHL Chicago and he joined the team in Pittsburgh for tonight's game against the Penguins. He will make his NHL debut and will centre a line with Ben Eager and Fredrik Modin.

To make room for Cormier, the Thrashers sent Tim Stapleton to AHL Chicago.

Cormier got the word prior to the Wolves game Monday night. He caught an early flight from Chicago to join the team in Pittsburgh, just before the morning skate. He immediately called home, he said, to speak to his parents and brother. Weather conditions in the northeast will prevent his family from making it to Pittsburgh for his debut.

The AJC says that with Cormier playing centre, Bryan Little will move to the right wing. Ladd-Peverley-Stewart/ Kane-Burmistrov-Little/ Boulton-Slater-Thorburn

Niclas Bergfors and Freddy Meyer will be the scratches.

Mike: "Chris, I am interested in signing Matt Z and Stepan. I have no clue who to drop if anyone, and I can only make 2 more moves this week (h2h standard format). Also pk subban is on waivers i may want to sign him as well. My fringe forwards i was considering dropping, j. staal, a kostitsyn, savard, hemsky, brassard. Thanks for your input."

Chris: Mike, until Subban is regularly back in the line-up you may want to hold off on him since you need production nightly in H2H. In roto at least you could stash him on the bench. Not sure what your bench/ IR situation is in that league, but at least with Staal apparently very close to returning and Hemsky coming back tonight you'll have help there.

Although Stepan has been hot of late and Zuccarello has some interesting upside, I think the safer thing for the time being is to stick with your guys. Savard is being given a pretty good shot to get going between Lucic and Horton. Kostitsyn is hit or miss at times and if you were going to dump anyone it'd be him (I'd go with Stepan), but he'll generally have that top six slot and I think he'll be fine overall.

Drew: "Hey Chris, happy holidays and best in 2011! I’m in a 1 year, H2H, unlimited daily moves, no trade, 14-team pool and unsure of roster moves. 7 skater points for G, A, PPG, PPP, PiM, +/-, GWG and 4 goalie points for W, GAA, SV%, SHO awarded weekly. Rosters start 2C, 2LW, 2RW, 4D, 1U, 2G with 6B and 2IR if desired. My roster:

LW – Neal, Kovalchuk (also RW), Fleischmann, Clowe

C – Ryan (also LW), Sharp (also LW), Gagner

RW – Stewart, Skinner, Kessel, Purcell

D – Edler, Yandle, Weber, Byfuglien (also RW), Shattenkirk

G – Rinne, Pavelec, Lindback

IR – Sturm (LW), Bryzgalov (G)

I like Sturm’s potential on LA’s L1, but activating him off IR (which is the moral thing to do) means I’ll need to drop an active player. Lindback is back to G2 with Rinne’s return, but I was hoping to wait a bit longer to ensure that Rinne is sound and that Bryzgalov’s IR stint is short-lived. Then I’ll also need to drop another player when Bryz returns. What about cutting bait on Kovalchuk and Kessel? They’re killing me on +/- and not doing much offensively. Neal is slumping after a great start and Purcell is hit and miss, Gagner could go but not too many L1s out there, etc.

Thanks again and all the best."

Chris: Thanks, you too. With Bryzgalov slated to start tonight, I'd drop Lindback to make room for him and return to your three-man goalie rotation. Teddy Purcell has been decent, but if you're inclined to use Sturm (may as well as long as he's on that first line) then I'd drop Purcell to make it happen.

And I get the frustration with both Kovalchuk and Kessel, but the upside is way too great to cut bait at this point. One positive note for you specifically in an H2H format is that your +/- is reset each week, so when things turn around it'll be like starting with a clean slate. Think playoffs... you'd chance not having a couple of potential lethal goal scorers on your roster for that time of year, when a hot week or two can really make the difference? Not a chance I'd be willing to take.