March 2012 - Hockey Wiretap
Biron To Start For Lundqvist Against Devils
For the first time in more than five years, Henrik Lundqvist won't be in net for the Rangers against the Devils.
Backup Martin Biron will get the start for the Rangers against Martin Brodeur on Tuesday night at Prudential Center, snapping a string of 32 consecutive starts by Lundqvist against their rivals that dates to Dec. 17, 2006.
Jagr Returns To Flyers' Lineup
The Flyers begin their march toward the playoffs in earnest Tuesday night against the Jets, and they'll have one of their top players back from injury.
Jaromir Jagr, who missed the Flyers' past two games because of a groin injury, will return to the Philadelphia lineup.
"It's always good to get guys back on the ice," coach Peter Laviolette said.
Islanders To Play Preseason Game In Brooklyn
The Islanders will play a preseason game against the Devils at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on October 2nd.
"We're extremely excited to play the first NHL game in the new, state-of-the-art Barclays Center," Islanders general manager Garth Snow said in a statement. "We already have some of the most passionate fans in the league supporting our young team, and we are looking forward to expanding our base into Brooklyn."
The franchise's lease at Nassau Coliseum ends in 2015 and attempt to build a new arena have so far failed.
"We feel Brooklyn is an untapped hockey market that offers the Islanders with an exciting opportunity to grow its fan base," Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark said. "Barclays Center will also afford current Islander fans with great accessibility, as the Long Island Rail Road and nine subway lines will come directly to the arena at the Atlantic Terminal transit hub."
Bruins GM: Thomas Not On Trading Block
Despite being at the center of a controversy after he snubbed the Bruins' visit of the White House, Tim Thomas remains and will remain a member of the team.
"Not trading him," Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said in an email to ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun. "I have not talked to anyone and I don't plan to."
NHL Player Rankings At The All-Star Break
By Nick Obergan
With the second extended absence of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin has reasserted himself as a dominant force in the NHL, looking like the same Malkin that won the Art Ross Trophy and was a Hart finalist in 2008-09.
Malkin was ranked 17th through November, but has surged to #1, overtaking Jonathan Toews who dropped to #3 behind Malkin and teammate Marian Hossa.
Speaking of surging, John Tavares has become an elite player this year, jumping from 45th to 4th in OCPR.
The leader at the forward position last month, Phil Kessel, dropped to third place, as Chicago forwards (and OCPR staples) Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp have leaped ahead of him. On a per-game basis, only Crosby, Malkin and Claude Giroux have put up better numbers than Toews, while Sharp sits 9th and Kessel 12th in that regard.
Defensively, young Swede Erik Karlsson, who leads all defensemen in scoring, has also leaped over some great players to lead in OCPR. He has established a bit of a cushion ahead of Shea Weber, Alexander Edler and Zdeno Chara, who dropped from 1st to 4th. Interesting to note that Nicklas Lidstrom is not the top ranked Detroit blueliner, but Ian White is; White is another in a long line of players having career seasons by playing beside Lidstrom.
In net, Jonathan Quick has regained the lead among goaltenders, a spot he held in October. Jimmy Howard, the league leader in wins, dropped from 1st to 2nd, while Pekka Rinne is not far behind thanks to a heavy workload.
Take a look at the extra links for Per Game rankings to see which skaters and goalies have the best per-game totals.
All stats are as of January 26, 2012; all ranking totals are derived using the unique OCPR formulas.
Forwards
1. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh - 266.44
2. Marian Hossa, Chicago - 263.37
3. Jonathan Toews, Chicago - 252.97
4. John Tavares, NY Islanders - 252.72
5. James Neal, Pittsburgh - 245.17
6. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit - 241.33
7. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver - 230.78
8. Patrick Sharp, Chicago - 228.98
9. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay - 224.68
10. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles - 224.40
Click Here for the top-100 Forwards in Total OCPR.
Click Here for the top-100 Forwards in Per-Game OCPR.
Defense
1. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa - 266.35
2. Shea Weber, Nashville - 246.91
3. Alexander Edler, Vancouver - 221.17
4. Zdeno Chara, Boston - 214.17
5. Duncan Keith, Chicago - 212.37
6. Dan Boyle, San Jose - 209.51
7. Ian White, Detroit - 209.10
8. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis - 206.77
9. Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit - 200.43
10. Dion Phaneuf, Toronto - 199.49
Click Here for the top-100 Defensemen in Total OCPR.
Click Here for the top-100 Defensemen in Per-Game OCPR.
Goalies
1. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles - 90.62
2. Jimmy Howard, Detroit - 87.49
3. Pekka Rinne, Nashville - 86.53
4. Henrik Lundqvist - 78.87
5. Craig Anderson, Ottawa - 73.34
6. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh - 71.87
7. Antti Niemi, San Jose - 69.08
8. Tim Thomas, Boston - 68.53
9. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary - 65.96
10. Mike Smith, Phoenix - 64.02
Click Here for the top-40 Goalies.
Click Here for the top-40 Goalies in Per-Game OCPR.
Forward stats:Goals, assists, game-winning goals, plus/minus, shots on goal, shooting percentage, shifts per game, ice time per game, power play goals and assists, short-handed goals and assists, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, missed shots, minor penalties taken, and face-off percentage.
Defense stats:Goals, assists, plus/minus, shooting percentage, shifts per game, ice time per game, power play goals and assists, short-handed goals and assists, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, missed shots and minor penalties taken.
Goalie stats: Wins, losses, overtime losses, shutouts, goals against, save percentage, total saves, total goals allowed, as well as saves made and save percentage on the power play.
-- Nick is an NHL Feature Writer for RealGM. You can reach him by email nick.obergan@realgm.com or on twitter @NickObergan.
Montreal Recalls Engvist From Hamilton
The Canadiens have recallled Andreas Engqvist from the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.
Engqvist was signed by Montreal in July of 2009.
Gleason Signs Extension With Carolina
The Hurricanes have signed defenseman Tim Gleason to a four-year contract extension worth $16M.
The team said Monday that the deal keeps Gleason under contract through the 2015-16 season. He could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Grabovski Named NHL's 'First Star'
Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski, Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne and Senators right wing Daniel Alfredsson and have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending Jan. 29.
FIRST STAR -- MIKHAIL GRABOVSKI, C, MAPLE LEAFS
Grabovski tallied a League-leading five points (one goal, four assists) in two games during a shortened week prior to the All-Star break as the Maple Leafs (25-19-5) recorded back-to-back victories and drew even in points with the #7 Panthers and #8 Devils in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
SECOND STAR -- PEKKA RINNE, G, PREDATORS
Rinne extended his winning streak to nine games by posting a 2-0-0 record, 1.00 goals-against average and .961 save percentage as the Predators closed within three points of first place in the NHL overall standings at the All-Star break.
THIRD STAR -- DANIEL ALFREDSSON, RW, SENATORS
Alfredsson tallied goals in each of the Senators' two games leading into the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend and was a star attraction in front of a home crowd as Ottawa hosted the League's mid-season showcase. He tallied his team's lone goal in a 4-1 loss at Los Angeles Jan. 23 and notched the 406th goal of his NHL career in a 3-2 loss to the Coyotes Jan. 24.
Burke Tired Of Cherry Criticizing Leafs
An insider told QMI Agency that Leafs GM Brian Burke is tired of Don Cherry criticizing his team, and he is contemplating asking for a meeting with CBC brass to complain.
"He is furious at the comment Cherry made about head coach Ron Wilson not applauding for the troops and for other things too," said an insider. "He is fiercely loyal to his guys."
Bettman Remains Hopeful For Coyotes Sale
Price is not holding up the sale of the Coyotes, and it's premature to discuss a Plan B for the franchise's future, according to commissioner Gary Bettman.
Speaking after the Board of Governors meeting on Saturday during the All-Star weekend in Ottawa, Bettman remained hopeful a deal can be reached with one of three prospective buyers to keep the league-controlled Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz.
Jackets To Host 2013 All-Star Game
The Columbus Blue Jackets will host the 2013 NHL All-Star Game.
MVP Gaborik Leads Team Chara To All-Star Win
MVP Marian Gaborik scored three goals in leading Team Chara to a 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson on Sunday.
B's Thomas: White House Controversy 'Media Driven'
Tim Thomas has reiterated that his decision not to attend the White House ceremony has been blown out of proportion.
No Date Set For Formal CBA Talks
NHL fans are hoping next season won't be in jeopardy, has CBA talks have no agreed start date.
Agent: Crosby Has Neck Injury
Sidney Crosby is dealing with a neck injury, as well as symptoms from post-concussion syndrome.
Team Alfredsson Takes NHL Skills Competition
Team Alfredsson beat Team Chara 21-12 in Saturday night's NHL All-Star skills competition.
Crosby Resumes Skating
Sidney Crosby is back on the ice as he eyes a second return this season from concussion-related symptoms.
Blackhawks Acquire Morrison From Flames
The Blackhawks have acquired Brendan Morrison from the Flames for Brian Connelly.
NHL Team Rankings At All-Star Break
After November, the Bruins and Red Wings were first and second respectively, but at the All-Star break it was flip-flopped with Detroit first and Boston second.
Turco Signs With Salzburg For Remainder Of Austrian Season
Marty Turco's deal has an NHL out-clause that lasts until Feb. 27th.
Datsyuk Picked First In ASG Draft; Couture Mr. Irrelevant
Zdeno Charra won the "puck flip" on Thursday and opened the draft by taking Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk.
Bettman Reports Third Group Interested In Coyotes
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says there are three groups showing "serious" interest in buying the Coyotes.
Maple Leaf Gardens Time Capsule From 1931 Opened
Hockey gate revenues for the 1929-30 season were just over $186,000 and expected to be "close to $200,000" for the following year.
Gretzky Impressed With Blackhawks
Wayne Gretzky is impressed by the Blackhawks' ability to regroup after salary cap constraints after their championship season.
Burke Talks About Ruthlessness Needed To Be Successful GM
Brian Burke addressed a crowd of 400 business students, teachers and hockey fans on Wednesday at the University of Toronto.
Antero Nittymaki Clears Waivers
Antero Nittymaki, who was placed on waivers by the Sharks, went unclaimed.
Gov.: Thomas Wrong To Snub White House Visit
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick points to the country's growing loss of "basic courtesy and grace," when addressing Tim Thomas skipping Monday's White House ceremony.
Sharks Send Sullivan To Panthers For Kennedy
The Sharks have acquired forward Tim Kennedy from the Panthers.
Flu Ends Lidstrom's Streak At 213
Nicklas Lidstrom's consecutive-games streak ended at 213 on Wednesday night.
Neal Replaces Ovechkin In ASG
Penguins forward James Neal will replace Capitals star Alex Ovechkin in Sunday's NHL All-Star Game.