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The Vancouver Province writes that while most of the questions directed at Marian Gaborik Tuesday were about his new linemate Brad Richards and the team's slow start, the importance of the Slovak star's return to Vancouver didn't become apparent until his good friend Pavol Demitra was mentioned.

It was at Rogers Arena, named something else for the fortnight, that Gaborik and his boyhood friend and Trenchin neighbour had their greatest international success at the 2010 Olympics, a time when Demitra was at the end of his career and Gaborik was just starting to make the huge money he's hauling down now.

Yes, they had the emotional tribute to Rick Rypien here Tuesday but it wasn't Rypien that Gaborik was thinking of when he comes here, but rather his friend who was killed earlier this year in the Lokomotiv plane crash is Russia.

Having been friends since Gaborik first joined the Trenchin team at age 15 and Demitra was working out with them in the late summer before he would report to the training camp of the St. Louis Blues, the two were very close. They became great friends and eventually national teammates and dressing room banter mates when they were together on those national teams and in their two years together in Minny. In fact one of the things that sustained the Slovak team during their run at the Olympics here when they got to the semi final against Canada and eventually lost their bid for what would have been the hockey mad nation's first medal in the sport when they lost to Finland was the constant good natured shots the two would exchange.

As training buddies during the summer, because they lived so close in the off-season, the two would send verbal shots at each other constantly to the amusement of their teammates, Demitra the old guy, Gaborik the young one, a routine you can essentially imagine.

“We were always giving it to each other back and forth and the rest of the guys seemed to love it,” Gaborik was remembering before the New York Rangers took on the Canucks. “We always trained together because we were so close as neighbors in Trenchin and coming back here, it's such a great building to play in with the fans who know the game so well. The loss against Finland really hurt us and that's what we remember most, not so much the success we had. But we had a lot of great guys on that team and he was the best. He was MVP of that tournament really. He played great hockey.”

When the two first met, it was Demitra who was the big star, Gaborik looking up to the guy who was in the NHL and making massive money in a country where wages can be quite low.

“He used to give me tips on how to play, what to do and what was needed to play over here,” says Gaborik. “He was just such a likeable guy right from the time I first met him and over the years we got closer. “

The Edmonton Journal recalls that it had been nine months since Ryan Whitney last played a game, which explains why the Edmonton Oilers defenceman was eager, yet anxious, when he stepped out on the ice on Tuesday.

While he was making his way back to the Oilers lineup with a surgically repaired ankle, Whitney missed the better half of the 2010-11 NHL season as well as the pre-season this fall and the club’s first four regular-season games.

“I haven’t even played a game of shinny hockey,” he said before heading out for a test run against the Calgary Flames. “I plan to keep it pretty simple for a couple of games.”

Simple wasn’t his game before the injury.

Whitney was having his best season as a pro, registering 27 points in 35 games while compiling a plus-minus rating of 13.

It all came to an abrupt, painful halt on Dec. 28, 2010.

“It’s been a pretty tough road for me just mentally,” said Whitney, whose ankle gave way when he got caught a rut early in a game against the Buffalo Sabres at Rexall Place.

“I really realized how much I miss the game, (so) I am really excited and also pretty nervous. It’s been a real long time since I’ve played a game, or even been hit.”

Whitney, 28, said he’s not without some residual sensations in his ankle, but figures that will be the case for a while. At least, it is no longer prohibitive.

“This is kind of my training camp, unfortunately, but I also think I can still help the team ... get the puck out of my end. Do some little things that will help,” he said. “But it won’t be anything fantastic to start, that’s for sure.

“There’s going to be some time when you come back and feel stuff still. It’s going to be like that for a little while, but at the same time, it’s ready to go now. I’m comfortable with how everything feels.”

A rookie's introduction to the NHL is most often one of vicious circles, according to The Winnipeg Free Press. You can't learn much without ice time but you can't get much icetime until you learn something.

So how has Alexander Burmistrov of the Winnipeg Jets stopped the tail-chasing?

With his eyes open and his head up, according to those who have watched him since he broke into the league last season as an 18-year-old with the Atlanta Thrashers.

"Definitely he's improved from last year," said linemate Nik Antropov. "I can see that in reading the game and the patience he has shown on the ice, especially in the last couple of games. The last game was phenomenal.

"It's just all the little things that not everybody can see but if you know a little bit about hockey, definitely you can see it. That's probably the most important thing from last year."

Burmistrov was an impact player Monday night when the Jets posted their first-ever win in Winnipeg's new NHL era. He assisted on both goals in a 2-1 win and recorded 20:57 of ice time, most of any Jets forward.

"I think I just have a little more comfort right now," said Burmistrov, the Jets' leader in both points, three, and plus, also three. "I have one season passed already. I understand how to play in this league. I know what level is here right now and what players play here.

"Last year, when I stepped on the ice, I looked for the stars and it was 'Oh my God.' These guys, I play against them and I'm like, shaking, you know. Now I'm just trying to be better than these players, and to work hard."

The article points out that certainly one factor in his learning to play in the NHL was living at the Antropov house in Atlanta last season.

"He helped me a lot," Burmistrov said after Tuesday's practice, before the Jets flew to Toronto, where they play the Maple Leafs tonight. "He's done a lot for me. Last year in Atlanta, I lived with him. He brought me to his house, I lived with his kids. He's an unbelievable guy and he helped me all the time.

"His kids, they're nice kids, real nice kids."

Antropov said that mentorship was simply the right thing to do.

"I've been in his shoes 12 years ago," Antropov said. "I came into the league, didn't know absolutely anything, I'm glad for me there were four or five Russian guys to take care of me, show me around, guide me around.

"That's what I'm trying to pass on to the next young guys. Doesn't matter if it's Russian or Canadian. We're here to help as veteran guys. It's what we're trying to do."

The Denver Post believes that people who thought the Avalanche got snookered in the blockbuster trade that brought Johnson from St. Louis late last season — and weren't afraid to tell it to everybody — have gone into hiding suddenly.

Johnson is the main man on a big, physical Avalanche defensive unit that has helped propel it to a 5-1-0 record to start the season. Although he played well at times after the six-player trade that sent Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk to the Blues, the fact is the trade didn't look very good by the end of the season.

But now the Avs have a healthy, motivated Johnson logging major minutes and playing well at both ends. And they have a highly promising defensive prospect, Duncan Siemens, from the deal, and a fourth-line center in Jay McClement who has also played well this season.

With five points (all assists) in a five- game road sweep that concluded Monday in Toronto, Johnson is showing the kind of two-way play that made him the top pick in the 2006 NHL draft. In the process, it has quieted the toughsters from their anonymous perches behind the keyboard.

"It's early, and I'm sure they'll always be there," Johnson said, "but I've just got to continue to play my game and let that quiet them."

Johnson revealed that, until last Christmas or so, his surgically repaired right knee hadn't really felt 100 percent. The Avs got him nearly three months later, so essentially they have gotten the fully healthy version of Johnson that the Blues hadn't had for a couple of years. A summer full of punishing workouts made Johnson feel even stronger.

Johnson is the lead point man on the power play, and he brings a heavier slap shot than probably any Avs player since Rob Blake​. Johnson also has an arsenal of nifty, shifty moves he'll occasionally use to get past defenders off the rush. But for the most part, taking care of his own end is primary in his mind.

"If you don't take care of your own end first, it just creates all kinds of problems in every other aspect of the game," said Johnson, 23. "I think we're focusing on just keeping things simple back there and making it tough to play in our end."

The Buffalo News describes how as the Sabres wrapped up their morning skate Tuesday prior to a 3-1 victory in Montreal, a group of four players headed to the faceoff dot to work on draws with assistant coach Kevyn Adams. Among them was Jason Pominville, a right winger who is steadily gaining more time in the circle.

Pominville has stepped to the dot in place of linemate Luke Adam on several occasions this season, and the captain has also become the Sabres' leader in power-play faceoffs. That's why when practice ends, Pominville meets up with Buffalo's centers for extra work.

"[Paul Gaustad] is a good faceoff guy and Kevyn was a good faceoff guy when he played," Pominville said in Bell Centre. "He talks about it a lot, and we've taken a lot of pride as a team to be better."

Pominville entered Tuesday night's game with the fifth-most draws for the Sabres. He was eighth last year with 155 faceoffs, but he'd taken 23 after just four games. He's been effective, too. He went up against the Canadiens with 12 wins and 11 losses, including an 8-2 record when the Sabres have the man-advantage.

(**Nichols' note: Pominville went 2-2 last night)

"He's taken an interest in them," said Gaustad, one of the league's top faceoff men. "He's worked on getting strong on one area of draws, and he's done a good job of it. It's repetition. It's knowing what the other team is going to do. Today we worked on what Montreal does and their traits.

"We want to be a puck-possession team, and it starts with faceoffs. It's not just centers. It's wingers pitching in, too, and helping out on draws."

The Chicago Tribune writes that Daniel Carcillo bought a house in nearby Scottsdale while he was with the Coyotes.

His second home was the penalty box.

In his two-plus seasons with the Coyotes to start his career, Carcillo appeared in 129 games and amassed 572 penalty minutes —the equivalent of 91/2 games.

"Those first two years in the league I wanted to make a name for myself and be known as a guy who isn't going to take anything from anybody, is going to protect his teammates and play the game as hard as possible," said Carcillo, who returned to his NHL roots as a member of the Blackhawks for their game Tuesday night against the Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena. "I was the only guy who played that way and played that role. I had to worry about fighting heavyweights every night. That's really not what I want to be doing."

When Carcillo wasn't residing in the box, he was flashing some offensive skill that helped round out his game. During the 2007-08 season, Carcillo had 13 goals and 11 assists to go along with 324 penalty minutes — all career highs.

"Offensively, the (second) year was pretty good and that's where I want to get back to and even improve on those numbers," said Carcillo, who was dealt to the Flyers during the '08-09 season. Another strong season in '09-10 during which he had 12 goals, 10 assists and 207 penalty minutes was followed by a subpar campaign. Carcillo had four goals, two assists and 127 penalty minutes last season with the Flyers and moved on to the Hawks with a one-year, free-agent deal July 1.

"I've always tried to be a complete player," Carcillo said. "Last year was a brutal year and I wasn't very happy. Who would be happy with six points when you know you can do better?"

The Tribune notes after sitting out the first two games this season with a suspension for confronting officials following a playoff game with the Flyers, Carcillo has settled in with the Hawks. The left wing has skated on a line with Marian Hossa and center Patrick Kane.

"I'm getting an opportunity right now to play with some good players," Carcillo said. "When you play on the second line you have worry about getting points. You have to produce and help the team win."

In his first two games, Carcillo recorded an assist while averaging 14 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time. He was able to continue his physical style of play but kept it clean as Carcillo stayed out of the box.

"He brings us energy," coach Joel Quenneville said of Carcillo. "He has some skill in his game. If you look at his reputation, in the past with the need for fighting or the need for careless penalties is something we have to be smart about. We want to make sure we find the fine line. Over time, I think everybody kind of finds their niche or they learn and so far so good. It's a work-in-progress."

After last weekend's victory in Minnesota, The Detroit News observes that coach Mike Babcock talked about Jakub Kindl's performance.

The defenseman played what Babcock felt was the best game he had played with the Red Wings.

And that's after singling out Kindl after the opening victory, and mentioning how well Kindl was playing after the two other victories.

So, Kindl, in his first opportunity as a regular in the lineup, is doing all he can to stay there.

"Good for him," Babcock said. "Now he has to bring that same work ethic and battle level to practice. If he does that, he'll continue to grow his game."

Through four games, Kindl has two assists and is averaging 14 minutes, 13 seconds with a plus-minus of plus-6, (fourth in the NHL).

Kindl (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) received a taste of semi-regular action late last season, almost passing Ruslan Salei on the depth chart before the playoffs began.

That was a glimpse of what was to come.

"I definitely feel stronger," said Kindl, who was inserted into the lineup because of defenseman Mike Commodore's sprained knee. "Last year when Drapes (Kris Draper) was still here, he and Clears (Danny Cleary) would work out (before practice) and I would join them and it's really helped me out.

"I have to be strong and solid when I'm playing, and that's my focus right now."

The New York Post says Jack Capuano will not elaborate, will not speak lines that people can try to read between, and will not rationalize his decision for the court of public opinion.

What the Islanders' coach will do is take action, and that's exactly what he did at the Coliseum Saturday night, when he decided to make Blake Comeau a healthy scratch in favor of Trevor Gillies in what would be a 4-2 win over the Rangers.

Comeau said he and Capuano spoke on Monday about the decision.

"He just told me he has confidence in me as a player," Comeau said. "To be honest, I was surprised I was taken out of the lineup."

The most the coach has said about the matter came after Saturday's game in which Gillies played a total of 2:47.

"It's a decision we made this afternoon," Capuano said then, "and I'll leave it at that."

By being terse in his answer and by reiterating he will do whatever is necessary to help the team win, Capuano was making an indirect judgment on Comeau's play through the three games, and sees no value in elaborating.

"Obviously, the points aren't coming right now, but it's only three games in," said Comeau, who so far has been held off the scoresheet.

"I'd like to score every game, but that's not the way it's going to go," Comeau said. "I felt like I was doing some other things out there and I was improving the more games I played. I was surprised to be out of the lineup but I'm moving on."

Whether he wanted to do it like this or not, it's clear that Capuano has sent a message.

"I've done a lot of thinking the last couple of days," Comeau said. "I've just got to relax and try to have a positive outlook on things and when I get back in the lineup, try to make an impact."

The St. Petersburg Times details how Dwayne Roloson has said he is done discussing his age. But the Lightning goaltender on Tuesday understood it was something that needed to be addressed.

Getting tagged for 17 goals in his past three starts while turning 42 years old will do that.

"Oh, yeah," said the league's oldest player when asked if he is up to the physical challenge. "I just spent two hours on the ice. Physically, the challenge is there. Mentally, the challenge is there. It's execution."

That has not been there.

Roloson is 1-2-1 in four games with a 5.09 goals-against average that entered Tuesday last among 54 goalies listed by the NHL. His .858 save percentage was 50th. Only Ottawa's Craig Anderson had allowed more goals than Roloson's 18.

"It's frustrating," said Roloson, who over the summer signed a one-year, $3 million deal with $500,000 in potential playoff bonuses. "But you have to put your frustrations in the right avenues and stay as positive as you possibly can to get out of this."

"We're not worried about him," coach Guy Boucher said. "We certainly haven't lost faith in him."

Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

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