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The Boston Globe describes how Milan Lucic was champing at the bit yesterday after the Bruins’ quick, efficient practice at Ristuccia Arena.

Lucic, who served a one-game suspension on Monday while his teammates beat the Canadiens, hasn’t played since last Saturday’s matinee in Philadelphia, when he was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for a hit on Zac Rinaldo. Lucic will be back in the lineup tonight when the Bruins host the Panthers.

“I can’t change my game,’’ said Lucic. “I play with a lot of emotion and I do everything I can to keep it safe and follow the guidelines of the new hitting protocol. Obviously, a big part of my game is being physical and creating emotion and I can’t lose that, that’s for sure.’’

During a telephone hearing with NHL dean of discipline Brendan Shanahan Monday morning, Lucic said he wanted to have his side heard in that he wasn’t attempting to injure Rinaldo.

“Obviously, I was upset that I had to go through that whole process again,’’ said Lucic. “[Shanahan’s] not a guy you want to talk to too much for those reasons. I wanted to make clear to him that I do understand what he’s trying to do and I want to make clear that I understand and I’m doing everything I can to not make dangerous hits. That’s one thing I did try to do in the conversation.’’

Coach Claude Julien doesn’t expect Lucic to alter his playing style in order to avoid getting in trouble.

“I hope not,’’ said Julien. “I know we’re going to make sure we let him know that we don’t want him to change his style. That suspension was because of different things. One was a playoff thing that had nothing to do with a hit, the other one was a collision with [Sabres goalie Ryan] Miller, which maybe at the time, when they look back, they maybe should have called him for that and it probably would have diminished maybe the suspension of this last one. But we’re going to ask him to go out and play the same way. We’re a physical team and we don’t want that element to creep out of our game. I don’t think the NHL wants that element to creep out of the game. They’re trying to obviously manage it the best they can but we certainly don’t want players playing afraid of finishing their checks.’’

The Toronto Sun notes how Nazem Kadri provided some headlines in the local dailies when he vowed he was ready to seize his latest — some might say last — big chance with the Maple Leafs.

But in his first game since his AHL recall, Kadri backed that boldness with the 3-2 winner in a badly needed home game against the Buffalo Sabres.

“I think anybody coming up and making that next step to the NHL will be feeling pressure and it’s just how you handle it,” Kadri said. “Last year it took me a few games to score my first one. I had some butterflies before this game for sure. But I made some plays early, got some early touches on the puck, got my feet wet.”

Kadri, who was also learning a new position at right wing, has had a few false starts since being picked seventh overall in 2009, but says his troubles with defensive play are behind him.

“I know when to recognize danger, when to try and make a play and when not to,” he added. He scored on a great drop pass from Clarke MacArthur, drew a late penalty to help stifle Sabres momentum, but had to sweat out his own tripping call before the Toronto’s league-worst penalty killing unit bailed him out.

Coach Ron Wilson, who has been one of Kadri’s toughest critics, pulled him aside after the goal, in which Kadri shot high when so many mates were getting stoned by Miller in the lower cage.

“He said: ‘Don’t change a thing, you’re playing great,” Kadri said, at the same time praising veteran linemates MacArthur and Tim Connolly for easing his transition.

“I don't like talking about the contracts of other guys. You make a deal and you have a job to do,” Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa told The Vancouver Province on the subject of his teammates accepting lower salaries to play in this city. “We never talk about money in this room. But guys sacrifice to be part of something better and we do that because it's a great organization here. The Aquilinis take care of us in every way, we travel well, we have the best trainers in the league. There's just a lot of good reasons to play here.”

The Denver Post relays that Milan Hejduk swears he has owned an iPhone for "at least a year," but according to linemate Gabriel Landeskog, a 19-year-old rookie, the 35-year-old Avalanche captain showed his age when the two met in training camp.

"All the guys have these Blackberrys and iPhones, and Hejdy pulls out this big rock from his pocket," Landeskog said. "I don't even know what brand it was, but it was pretty funny."

Hejduk is willing to have some fun with his young teammates.

"Actually, I had to wear it on my back — like a backpack," Hejduk said, referring to old military communication devices. "It was pretty heavy."

It was all laughter after practice Thursday when the age gap between Hejduk and his linemates was discussed. Ryan O'Reilly, who centers what has been Colorado's best overall line, is 20.

Hejduk won a Stanley Cup with the Avs in 2001. O'Reilly was 10 and Landeskog 8.

Said Hejduk: "It's unbelievable when you mention that. Pretty impressive too. When you're on the ice, they're regular players. You don't look at age. But when you look at the roster and see the ages, you're like, 'Oh, my God, this is unbelievable.' "

Landeskog said this of the age gap: "When you think like that, it's pretty crazy. It puts it in perspective how long Hejdy's played and how good he's been for so long. We were talking the other day how it feels to play against (Alex) Ovechkin and those guys, but being on the same line and sitting beside Hejdy in the locker room is just as cool. It's pretty special."

The Post notes that Avs coach Joe Sacco has had O'Reilly and Landeskog together for most of the season. He put Hejduk with them about a month ago.

O'Reilly is Canadian, Landeskog is Swedish and Hejduk is from the Czech Republic.

"That line is a good combination of things," Sacco said. "You have an experienced player like Milan, who's been in different situations and a guy who can put the puck in the back of the net.

"You've got a young winger on the (left) side, barely 19 years old, who plays a little more of a north-south game, in the hard areas and does a lot of the work as far as getting pucks out of the corners.

"And then you've got Ryan, who is just a real solid two-way player for us. He plays 200 feet of the ice. He can make plays offensively and is very reliable defensively. The fit, the chemistry of that line, is just real good, and they play against the (opponent's) top line just about every game, and I think that sometimes goes unnoticed."

The Arizona Republic details how amusement swept across the faces of Keith Tkachuk's sons Thursday as the former Coyotes player spoke with reporters about his standout NHL career.

"My kids are starting to realize I was actually a little bit decent when I played," he said, smiling. "They only saw the end of my career."

Oh he was decent all right. Decent to the tune of five All-Star Games and four Olympics that highlighted a memorable 19-year career. That "decency" is why he will be inducted into the Coyotes' Ring of Honor before Friday's game against the St. Louis Blues, another of Tkachuk's former teams.

It's good to have him back.

Just hearing his Boston accent Thursday conjured up memories of some of the Valley's finest hockey memories. Tkachuk was not only a gifted power forward. He was a personality, too, that helped make hockey relevant in the Southwest.

His appearance here is poignant because of the tenuous state of the team. It's hard not to think about what Tkachuk, 39, helped build and how it could vanish after this season if the club's ownership issues aren't resolved.

"I hope things settle down here and they stay and then move things to the next level," Tkachuk said.

For now, The Republic suggests, it would just be nice to see some of the energy that surrounded the early Coyotes.

Tkachuk was on the Winnipeg team that relocated here in 1996. Before the inaugural season, the team acquired Jeremy Roenick from the Chicago Blackhawks and the pair delivered a one-two punch of personality that helped make even the peripheral fan in this community pay attention.

Both were great quotes and often visible around town.

"I remember just going out to dinner with my wife at a nice restaurant and I'd call JR and he'd hook me up with reservations," Tkachuk said. "He was a great player and wonderful human being. He did a lot of great things to sell hockey here."

The greatest legacy of Tkachuk and Roenick, however, may be the impact they made on young hockey players.

"I'm seeing, today, kids are getting drafted from Arizona, kids are playing Division I hockey so I think we did something right here," he said.

He ended his career as one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals. In January of 2010, before he retired, he became just the fourth player in NHL history with 1,000 points and 2,200 penalty minutes.

Darryl Sutter stepped behind the bench with the Los Angeles Kings last night for the first time and his team came away with a 3-2 shootout win over Bruce Boudreau and the Anaheim Ducks. Here are some of Sutter's postgame thoughts, courtesy of LA Kings Insider:

(on the game…) SUTTER: “It was a hard-fought game for us. I thought we had a good start and did a lot of good things. We can improve on some of those things, get better at some of those things.’’

(on what he liked…) SUTTER: “I liked the way our forwards played. I thought they were really good in all three zones. I think we moved the puck pretty good. I know our power play didn’t score, but they certainly had a lot of good opportunities, and that’s a good thing. And then obviously, to kill that power play in overtime, against three or four of those guys that they put on the ice, we did a good job. Mitchell and Greene and Stoll and Richards and Kopitar, they really did a good job.’’

(on Doughty’s play…) SUTTER: “He will get better. I think both of those kids, Johnson and Doughty both, have huge upside and we’ve got to work on that.’’

(on his emotions today…) SUTTER: “I was pretty focused all day. I was thinking more about how to use your players. It’s like I told them before the game. `You guys better pay attention, because I’ll get Mike Richards and Brad Richardson mixed up. [laughs]’’

(on Brown and Richards…) SUTTER: “As I said, I think our forwards were good. I don’t think it’s based on who scores the goals. I think they’ve got to work together. Brown’s goal is a great play by Kopitar.’’

(on his return to the bench…) SUTTER: “There’s nothing like game day. Even when I was sitting upstairs, game day is still the best part of the whole game.’’

(on improved energy on the bench…) SUTTER: “It’s no big deal. That’s no big deal. It’s really got nothing to do with me. These young guys, that’s a big reason why I came, these young guys and then the quality of the type of people that we have with our veterans. That’s really important. We’ve just kind of got to edge our way along. If we had lost 3-2 tonight in a shootout, I’d still be saying the same things, and some of us would not be agreeing with me. You’ve got to walk before you can run. Like I said yesterday, it’s a 3-2 league and it was 3-2 again.’’

The Edmonton Sun says that Oscar Klefbom got a sneak peak at perhaps his future home on Thursday.

The Oilers prospect is in town with the Swedish world junior team, and took in the game against the Minnesota Wild with the rest of his teammates.

Sweden faces Canada in an exhibition contest Friday at Rexall Place.

“I think we’re going to have a very good (world junior) team,” said Klefbom. “We have a couple of guys that played in last year’s tournament. I think we have a chance to win gold, so I’m excited.

“I know it’s going to be hard to beat Canada, but that’s one of the things that makes the tournament more fun. It’ll be tough to beat them, we have to do everything right.”

Klefbom, 18, was selected by the Oilers in the first round — 19th overall – of last summer’s NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot-three, 204-pound defenceman is currently playing with Farjestads in the Swedish Elite League and could be at Oilers training camp next September.

“It’s a strange feeling being here,” Klefbom said. “This is my team, I like it. It’s a thrill to see everything around here, I feel good about it.”

The Toronto Sun explains how there has been no lack of confidence in James Reimer’s game since returning from injury, but when the results don’t back it up, sometimes it takes a little extra mental work to keep it up.

Back-to-back games with 40 saves should help ease whatever angst the Leafs’ No. 1 goalie might have been feeling plus jump-start the faith of those in front of him.

Reimer was at his best Thursday night at the Air Canada Centre, facing 42 shots in a 3-2 Leafs win over the Buffalo Sabres. The only two that beat him were a power-play goal that bounced off of Luke Schenn’s skate and a big, fat giveaway that sent Derek Roy in all alone.

“I felt good all along but pretty much what it is, when you are not getting the results you want, you have to be mentally tough to create confidence for yourself,” Reimer said post-game as the team scurried to catch a flight to Long Island for Friday’s game against the Islanders.

“When the statistics are there and the results are there, that confidence that comes naturally. It relieves a little bit of pressure but I’ve felt good and it’s just nice to be getting results.”

It’s so much easier for Reimer to stand tall in the net when his teammates are blocking shots and clearing lanes. Most of the night he had clear vision of enemy fire making the amount of rubber that got through not seem so daunting.

Reimer’s save percentage in each of those past two games including the 40-save effort Monday against Los Angeles — has been .952, lifting him to .906 for the season.

The Raleigh News & Observer illustrates that Carolina Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller wasn't overly concerned about goalie Cam Ward's meltdown at the bench two weeks ago in Winnipeg. Ward was showing his emotions, showing how much he cared about winning, Muller said at the time.

But Muller said Thursday that team captain Eric Staal might have taken on too much of the blame Wednesday night when he said he was the one primarily responsible for the Canes' 4-3 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

"He does not have to feel that he has to carry the whole team on his shoulders," Muller said. "That's tough on anybody. He just needs to keep playing hard, and when he does that, the special plays will come naturally."

Anyone wondering how the stress and tension of losing is affecting the Hurricanes needs to look no further than Ward and Staal. The two have been Stanley Cup champions. They have been All-Stars and have long-term financial security with the team. They've also fought through tough times before.

But Ward erupted with an uncharacteristic fury after being pulled in the second period of the Canes' Dec. 9 game in Winnipeg. He fired out an expletive or two, later saying he was "venting."

The News & Observer says that Ward responded with solid work in net against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers - beating the Canucks and losing to both the Leafs and Panthers in overtime. He allowed four goals on 19 shots against the Coyotes, the last a four-on-four goal by Lauri Korpikoski midway through the third period.

Moments after the Coyotes game came the mea culpa by a frustrated Staal, who was on the ice for the last three Coyotes goals.

"It was one of those nights where I need to step up and I didn't and let the game slip away," Staal said. "The leaders on the team have got to step up and make some plays and instill some confidence in the team and get some mojo going."

Muller can only hope Staal now will back up his words with actions. After producing three goals and seven assists in an eight-game stretch, Staal has gone pointless the past three games. He's minus-21 for the season.

"Eric has got to understand that he does not have to be the one guy making a difference or the guy making the play of the game in every game," Muller said Thursday. "He is a part of the team. He just has to keep pushing. We need him playing hard and doing his part."

ESPN Dallas reports that Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen took another step towards returning to action, practicing with the team Thursday for the first time since injuring his groin on November 28 in a game at Phoenix.

“It was fun, but it wasn’t as easy as I was hoping,” said Lehtonen, who has missed ten games due to the injury. “Tomorrow I hope I can do a little better.”

Lehtonen will get in more time on the ice Friday and then take a couple of days off as the NHL breaks for Christmas.

“I think it’s good for me.” Lehtonen said of the break. “We’ve been going pretty hard for a couple weeks now. We’ve been going pretty hard on the ice and off the ice. [Friday] I just have to get more used to those harder shots and we’ll see after Christmas where I am.”

The thought has been that Lehtonen would return sometime after the NHL’s Christmas break, and everything appears to be on schedule.

“He’s right on track,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. “He’ll be a game player right after Christmas at some point and before the new year, somewhere in that six day block.”

Gulutzan said Lehtonen’s return won’t be based on the opponent, but on the goaltender’s readiness.

“It’s going to be whenever he is ready,” Gulutzan said. “We’re not going to pick the game. He’s a great goaltender, so we don’t have to dance around any of the games. When he is ready we are going to play him.”

PhillyNews.com indicates that starting today, the fogginess that has crowded the Flyers' locker room finally could begin to clear up in Manhattan. After Claude Giroux's triumphant return from a concussion on Wednesday night, the Flyers may be closer to getting two more players back from head injuries.

Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier did not travel with the Flyers to Denver and Dallas, but they met the team in New York last night to continue rehabbing from their head injuries.

According to general manager Paul Holmgren, Schenn - out with a concussion since Dec. 3 - has been skating on his own "for a few days now." Schenn originally returned to practice on Dec. 14 in Montreal but ceased team activities for a few days shortly after that with what is believed to have been a slight setback.

Couturier, who spent last Saturday night in Pennsylvania Hospital after being struck in the head by a Kimmo Timonen shot, has not set foot on the ice since then. HBO's cameras revealed in Wednesday's episode of "24/7 Road to the Winter Classic" that Couturier also suffered a cut on his head.

While Couturier and Schenn are both doubtful to play against the Rangers tonight, Holmgren said both are expected to take part in today's pregame skate at Madison Square Garden. The Flyers have not fielded a full opening night lineup of healthy forwards since Oct. 26.

Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

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