Live Q&A & also Schneider trade take
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PENGUINS 2 @ ISLANDERS 3 (SO)
Coming in: Pittsburgh (27-25-5) was playing its first game since firing coach Michel Therrien and replacing him with Dan Bylsma. New York (16-33-6) had dropped five straight games.
Goaltending match-up: Marc-Andre Fleury (28/30, .933 SV%) vs. Joey MacDonald (35/37, .946 SV%)
Net notes: MAF had a 3-3-0 record in February with 2.93/ .910 splits coming into this matinee. MacDonald had two starts to his name this month with a pair of losses and three goals against in each.
Pittsburgh line combos
Pascal Dupuis Sidney Crosby Ruslan Fedotenko
Miroslav Satan Evgeni Malkin Petr Sykora
Matt Cooke Jordan Staal Tyler Kennedy
New York line combos
Jon Sim Mike Comrie Bill Guerin
Blake Comeau Josh Bailey Kyle Okposo
Sean Bergenheim Frans Nielsen Andy Hilbert
Key notes: Sergei Gonchar (1A, +1, 23:40 ice time, 3:57 PP, 0:25 PK, 4 SOG, 7 blocked shots) got in the scoring summary for the first time in his second game and as you’d expect it came on the PP. There should be plenty more where that came from before the playoffs roll around. Ryan Whitney (1G, -2, 23:24 ice time, 3:57 PP, 0:07 PK, 2 SOG), who can’t help but get a boost in value with his stud power play counterpart back in action, had just one point in six February games before today.
Evgeni Malkin (1G, +1, 4 PIM, 24:57 ice time, 3:57 PP, no PK, 4 SOG, 9-5 FO) had gone four games without scoring, but you know he and Sidney Crosby (1A, -1, 26:11 ice time, 3:34 PP, 0:08 PK, 5 SOG, 17-8 FO) are going to crank it up a notch for the stretch drive. Aside from wanting to push their team back in the playoff race, they’ve now got to contend with the sizzling-hot Alexander Ovechkin in the Art Ross race. Ovechkin was seven back of Malkin coming into today and two ahead of Crosby, who was only two ahead of Pavel Datsyuk. Malkin lost control twice on his shootout attempt and Crosby couldn’t score either.
Petr Sykora (+1, 21:46 ice time, 3:55 PP, no PK, 3 SOG) blasted home his shootout attempt from right in front of the net.
Mark Streit (even, 2 PIM, 23:41 ice time, 0:56 PP, 0:45 PK, 2 SOG) made it back into the line-up for the Isles today. He had been missing time with an upper-body ailment. Chris Campoli (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 20:59 ice time, no PP, 1:37 PK, 1 SOG) had one point in six tries before today and his last goal had come about a month ago.
Frans Nielsen (1G, 1A, +2, 15:29 ice time, 0:56 PP, 1:05 PK, 1 SOG, 4-9 FO) and Sean Bergenheim (2A, +2, 14:34 ice time, no PP, 1:48 PK, 1 SOG) each came up with multi-point efforts here. Nielsen stopped a four-game slide in the process and also scored in the shootout, while Bergenheim has points back-to-back after none in his past seven starts… which dates back about a month.
Andy Hilbert (1A, +2, 16:17 ice time, no PP, 1:54 PK, 4 SOG) has points in three of four now after having gone four with nadda. Jeff Tambellini (even, 12:16 ice time, 0:07 PP, no PK, 2 SOG) found the back of the net on his shootout attempt.
RANGERS 1 @ BLUES 2
Coming in: New York (30-21-6) had gone winless in seven of eight. St. Louis (23-25-7) was 3-1-3 in February.
Goaltending match-up: Henrik Lundqvist (31/33, .939 SV%) vs. Chris Mason (19/20, .950 SV%)
Net notes: Lundqvist had a road record of 10-8-2 with 2.57/ .918 splits coming in. Mason had never started vs. NYR and had a 3-1-3 mark this month with 1.70/ .933 peripherals.
New York line combos
Ryan Callahan Scott Gomez Markus Naslund
Nikolai Zherdev Chris Drury Brandon Dubinsky
Aaron Voros Lauri Korpikoski Petr Prucha
St. Louis line combos
Alexander Steen Keith Tkachuk B.J. Crombeen
Andy McDonald Patrik Berglund T.J. Oshie
Brad Winchester David Backes Brad Boyes
Key notes: Scott Gomez (1A, even, 19:02 ice time, 2:31 PP, 0:05 PK, 2 SOG, 7-7 FO) had an eight-game goalless streak headed into tonight with just three helpers in seven tilts too. Ryan Callahan (1A, +1, 19:16 ice time, 2:06 PP, 2:04 PK, 3 SOG, 1-0 FO) has points in three of his past four, as does Lauri Korpikoski (1G, even, 8:36 ice time, 0:22 PP, no PK, 1 SOG, 0-2 FO).
Carlo Colaiacovo (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 22:04 ice time, 3:05 PP, 0:09 PK, 3 SOG) had posted 19 points in his 36 GP with St. Louis before tonight’s contribution. He had a trifecta of two-point games on the month in seven starts coming in here too. Andy McDonald (1A, even, 16:47 ice time, 1:15 PP, no PK, no SOG, 1-2 FO) kept his point-per-game average on the season and in this portion of his comeback alive.
B.J. Crombeen (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 14:28 ice time, 0:03 PP, 0:35 PK, 1 SOG) had gone 15 games without a point before scoring the go-ahead goal in the third period, although he had a steady stream of PIM in the meantime.
STARS 3 @ BLUE JACKETS 2 (SO)
Coming in: Dallas (27-21-7) was looking to avoid two straight losses for the first time since early January. Columbus (28-23-5) had won four straight for the second time this season and was looking for its first five-game streak.
Goaltending match-up: Marty Turco (41/43, .953 SV%) vs. Steve Mason (20/22, .909 SV%)
Net notes: Turco had a 4-3-0 mark in February coming in with 1.81/ .934 peripherals. Mason had started twice since coming back from his brief IR stint and had stopped 58/61 shots in a pair of wins.
Dallas line combos
Loui Eriksson Brad Richards Brian Sutherby
Fabian Brunnstrom Mike Ribeiro Jere Lehtinen
James Neal Mike Modano Mark Parrish
Columbus line combos
Kristian Huselius Manny Malhotra Rick Nash
Jason Chimera Jason Williams Jakub Voracek
Raffi Torres R.J. Umberger Jared Boll
Key notes: Brad Richards (1G, +1, 9:39 ice time, 2:53 PP, 1:07 PK, 4 SOG, 3-4 GO) opened the scoring 27 seconds into this affair. He snapped a three-game pointless skid, but has goals in four of eight this month with points in 10 of 16 overall. He also got injured in this one after being hit along the boards, so check his status if he’s on your team.
Mike Ribeiro (1A, even, 2 PIM, 20:10 ice time, 3:53 PP, 0:46 PK, 1 SOG, 10-6 FO) had just one point in five Monday games headed in here. He also snapped a three-game pointless skid here. James Neal (even, 16:51 ice time, 2:24 PP, 0:03 PK, 1 SOG) got the shootout winner. Trevor Daley (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 23:08 ice time, 2:16 PP, 3:52 PK, 1 SOG) needed just four points before tonight started to match last year’s career high of 24 points. He has helpers back-to-back after six games with nadda.
Loui Eriksson (1G, 1A, +2, 21:13 ice time, 2:07 PP, 2:30 PK, 1 SOG) had two points the last time these teams met and he has points in nine of 13. Brian Sutherby (1A, +1, 7 PIM, 12:15 ice time, no PP, 1:28 PK, 1 SOG, 1-0 FO) had goals in three of five coming in, but hadn’t registered an assist since, um, November 2nd before tonight.
R.J. Umberger (2G, even, 19:29 ice time, 4:06 PP, 2:03 PK, 7 SOG, 10-3 FO) came into tonight three goals shy of matching his career best of 20 that he got in his rookie campaign in Philly. This was his fourth multi-goal game of the season and he has points in five of seven this month.
Jakub Voracek (1A, even, 13:48 ice time, 3:19 PP, no PK, 3 SOG) has helpers in three of four and had 12 points in 18 starts coming in. Kris Russell (1A, even, 15:25 ice time, 4:04 PP, no PK, 2 SOG) has come up with helpers in four of seven and eight of 15. Raffi Torres (1A, +1, 11:03 ice time, 0:03 PP, no PK, 2 SOG) has points in three of four after seven with nadda.
SENATORS 2 @ PREDATORS 0
Coming in: Ottawa (21-25-8) had won four in a row, which was the first time all season with more than two straight victories. Nashville (27-26-3) had taken six of its past eight contests, including back-to-back shootouts.
Goaltending match-up: Alex Auld vs. Pekka Rinne
Net notes: This was Auld’s first start of February. He got his first shutout of the season here and sixth of his career. Rinne had monthly splits of 5-1-0 and 2.12/ .933.
Ottawa line combos
Dany Heatley Jason Spezza Daniel Alfredsson
Nick Foligno Mike Fisher Ryan Shannon
Jarkko Ruutu Antoine Vermette Chris Kelly
Nashville line combos
Steve Sullivan Jason Arnott J.P. Dumont
Ryan Jones David Legwand Martin Erat
Jordin Tootoo Jerred Smithson Joel Ward
Key notes: Dany Heatley (1G, +1, 18:02 ice time, 3:45 PP, 0:09 PK, 7 SOG, 0-1 FO) has goals in three straight and he came into tonight needing 16 goals between now and season’s end to reach the 41-goal plateau for the fourth straight season and the fifth time in his career. He had back-to-back 50-goal campaigns coming out of the lockout, but was limited to 41 goals in 71 GP during an injury-shortened season last year. He’ll no doubt need to hit 45+ on the season if his team is to have any chance of edging into the playoffs given its current hole.
Jason Spezza’s (1A, +1, 19:12 ice time, 4:30 PP, 0:09 PK, no SOG, 9-6 FO) point streak is at six games now and he had 17 points in 19 starts in 2009 coming in. Did you see Daniel Alfredsson (+1, 19:43 ice time, 4:21 PP, 3:08 PK, 1 SOG) give Pekka Rinne a tap on the pads after stoning Heatley’s sweet move early in the third period? Love to see that stuff.
Mike Fisher (1A, +1, 19:29 ice time, 3:30 PP, 3:04 PK, 3 SOG, 3-4 FO) had gone six games without a point, while Brian Lee (1A, +1, 20:55 ice time, 3:26 PP, 1:14 PK, 1 SOG) has them in three straight after having gone nine with nadda. Nick Foligno (1G, +1, 15:02 ice time, 2:50 PP, no PK, 1 SOG, 1-0 FO) has points in four of six.
OILERS 3 @ COYOTES 1
Coming in: Edmonton (28-23-4) was 3-3-1 on the month and 1-0-0 on this four-game roadie. Phoenix (25-27-5) had one win in its past nine starts.
Goaltending match-up: Dwayne Roloson (28/29, .966 SV%) vs. Mikael Tellqvist (26/28, .929 SV%)
Net notes: Roloson had a career mark of 11-8-2-0 vs. this franchise coming in, including 2.54/ .914 splits. He was in playoff form tonight. Tellqvist hadn’t started since January 2nd.
Edmonton line combos
Dustin Penner Shawn Horcoff Ales Hemsky
Robert Nilsson Sam Gagner Erik Cole
Ethan Moreau Andrew Cogliano Marc Pouliot
Phoenix line combos
Shane Doan Olli Jokinen Peter Mueller
Joakim Lindstrom Martin Hanzal Mikkel Boedker
Todd Fedoruk Daniel Winnik Viktor Tikhonov
Key notes: Ales Hemsky (1G, 1A, even, 16:04 ice time, 3:44 PP, no PK, 2 SOG) had two goals the last time these teams hooked up. He has goals in two of three and points in four straight. He came into tonight just three goals shy of his career high of 20. Shawn Horcoff (1G, 1A, +1, 23:00 ice time, 4:02 PP, 5:08 PK, 2 SOG, 13-13 FO) has points in three straight after three with nadda and he got the ENG, while Dustin Penner (1A, even, 2 PIM, 16:32 ice time, 3:44 PP, no PK, 3 SOG) had a pair of two-pointers headed in here.
Sheldon Souray (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 26:35 ice time, 4:40 PP, 5:15 PK, 6 SOG) has goals in three of six, but that’s it for points in nine tries. Blueliner Tom Gilbert (2, +1, 2 PIM, 22:37 ice time, 4:31 PP, 2:19 PK, no SOG) had five helpers in six games coming in with 12 in 14 GP before tonight.
Shane Doan (1A, -1, 25:36 ice time, 6:32 PP, 1:54 PK, 2 SOG, 5-6 FO) has points in four of six and he had 43 points in 44 career GP vs. EDM coming in. Ed Jovanovski (1G, -1, 2 PIM, 22:44 ice time, 5:30 PP, no PK, 1 SOG) had played Edmonton 45 times before, but had just one goal before netting one tonight. He had four points in five games before this affair. Joakim Lindstrom (1A, even, 16:19 ice time, 4:22 PP, no PK, 1 SOG) had 10 points in 18 starts before this evening.
THRASHERS 7 @ KINGS 6 (SO)
Coming in: Atlanta (20-32-5) was 3-3-0 in February after wrapping up January with four straight losses. Los Angeles (24-22-8) had won seven of eight before losing back-to-back contests at home against Alberta’s teams.
Goaltending match-up: Johan Hedberg (39/45, .867 SV%) vs. Jon Quick (4/7, .571 SV%) & Erik Ersberg (17/20, .850 SV% )
Net notes: Hedberg had only one other start to date this month and he allowed three goals in it. Quick had February splits of 1.80/ .933 with a 4-1-1 record.
Atlanta line combos
Ilya Kovalchuk Todd White Bryan Little
Slava Kozlov Rich Peverley Marty Reasoner
Colin Stuart Erik Christensen Colby Armstrong
Los Angeles line combos
Patrick O’Sullivan Anze Kopitar Alexander Frolov
Kyle Calder Jarret Stoll Dustin Brown
Brad Richardson Michal Handzus Wayne Simmonds
Key notes: What a wild way to end a Monday night… wow. Atlanta had a 3-0 lead. Then a 4-1 lead. Then a 6-3 lead in the third period. It wasn’t good enough, as the ice began tilting the other way and L.A. fought back and eventually tied it in the dying seconds of regulation on the PP. It was one of those situations where you just KNEW the GTG was coming too.
Ilya Kovalchuk (2G, 1A, +2, 20:55 ice time, 3:50 PP, no PK, 4 SOG)had goals in five straight games now and he was coming off that hat trick @ANH. Todd White (1G, 1A, +2, 17:49 ice time, 4:10 PP, 0:53 PK, 2 SOG, 10-12 FO) had a couple of points in that game and has points in three of four. He had gone 13 games without a goal before striking tonight. Bryan Little (1G, 1A, +2, 2 PIM, 16:48 ice time, 3:47 PP, 0:09 PK, 2 SOG) has back-to-back multi-point efforts after 10 without a single point. He hit the post in the shootout.
Zach Bogosian (3A, +2, 19:36 ice time, 0:10 PP, no PK, 1 SOG) had gone six games without a point, while Ron Hainsey (1A, +1, 4 PIM, 24:24 ice time, 3:58 PP, 2:41 PK, 1 SOG) has points in three straight after eight with nadda. Tobias Enstrom (1A, even, 25:38 ice time, 2:28 PP, 8:03 PK, 1 SOG) had shot blanks for seven before tonight. Each of those three blueliners will be counted on for more offensive production sans Mathieu Schneider.
Marty Reasoner (1G, 1A, +1, 17:52 ice time, no PP, 6:31 PK, 3 SOG, 5-11 FO) has points in three of his four games in February. Colin Stuart (1G, even, 2 PIM, 13:35 ice time, no PP, 2:52 PK, 4 SOG, 0-1 FO) has points in three of four now and perhaps more amazingly are the SHGs in three of his past four. Rich Peverley (1A, even, 2 PIM, 19:24 ice time, 1:28 PP, 3:34 PK, 1 SOG, 4-7 FO) has been in the scoring summary in four of six, while Slava Kozlov (2A, even, 18:12 ice time, 3:47 PP, 1:26 PK, no SOG) has a five-game point streak going and he hit the 50-point plateau. He wristed his shootout attempt in.
Erik Christensen (-1, 14:08 ice time, 1:45 PP, 0:09 PK, 2 SOG, 8-7 FO) got the winner in the shootout.
Patrick O’Sullivan (2A, -1, 24:40 ice time, 4:29 PP, 2:41 PK, 2 SOG) has come up with something in seven of 11 now, while Anze Kopitar (2G, 2A, even, 24:34 ice time, 6:45 PP, no PK, 4 SOG, 11-11 FO) had 14 points in 17 GP coming in. He had a smooth deke to score in the shootout. Dustin Brown (2A, even, 20:46 ice time, 6:48 PP, 0:41 PK, 6 SOG, 1-0 FO) had tallied 14 points in 11 outings before tonight.
Drew Doughty (2A, -3, 25:05 ice time, 5:31 PP, 1:28 PK, 6 SOG) has points back-to-back after seven with none, but the 16 points in 53 GP coming in didn’t even come close to telling the story of his worth to this team in his rookie year. His fantasy value will only continue to rise. Jack Johnson (1G, 1A, -2, 26:50 ice time, 5:44 PP, 2:42 PK, 3 SOG) had gone eight games without a point.
Jarret Stoll (1G, -1, 22:12 ice time, 6:40 PP, 2:11 PK, 3 SOG, 12-11 FO) had 11 points in 10 starts coming in. Alexander Frolov (1G, 3A, +1, 24:06 ice time, 5:51 PP, 2:07 PK, 4 SOG) has averaged a point-per-game over his past 16 and then some thanks to this explosion.