NHL: Preseason!

[Knightfall]

NHL Pre-season underway tonight

TSN.ca Staff

9/16/2005 12:08:32 PM

The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers are set to battle as the NHL pre-season gets underway tonight with three games.

Both teams, however, will be shorthanded. Calgary will be without Jarome Iginla, Daymond Langkow, Tony Amonte, Roman Hamrlik, Miikka Kiprusoff and a host of others. The Oilers will be without their second line anchored by Mike Peca.

When the Washington Capitals visit the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, they will be without rookie Alexander Ovechkin who is sitting out the first two pre-season games. Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said Ovechkin's place on the team is secure and he wants to use the first two games to get extended looks at players fighting for roster spots.

Martin Gerber, who was scheduled to start in goal tonight for Carolina, is out with a muscle strain in his back. Rookie Cam Ward is expected to play in his place. Ray Whitney also will be held out as a 'precautionary' measure with what Laviolette called a 'groin or hip or hamstring' injury.

Perhaps the biggest absence of all, however, will be Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky will not make his coaching debut tonight for the Phoenix Coyotes who are hosting the Minnesota Wild. Gretzky plans to stay upstairs for the first two pre-season games.

One thing fans can look forward to at the end of every game tonight and for the rest of the pre-season is a shootout - regardless of the score at the end of regulation or overtime.

 

[Knightfall]

NHL to use shootout in all pre-season games

Release

9/15/2005 2:56:43 PM

NEW YORK - For the 2005-06 National Hockey League regular season, all games that remain tied after a five-minute overtime period will proceed to a shootout. As part of the implementation process and as a special preview for the fans, a shootout will be conducted at the end of all pre-season games - regardless of the score at the end of regulation time or overtime.

At the conclusion of the pre-season schedule, which gets underway tomorrow night, the League will issue the final shootout guidelines that will be in effect during the regular season. Following are the policies and procedures that will be used for the shootout in the pre-season:

Following the conclusion of regulation time or overtime there will be a two-minute break, during which the ice resurfacing machine will conduct a ''dry cut,'' making approximately four passes down the center of the ice surface between the goals but adding no water to the surface.

One referee will proceed to each bench to obtain the list of three shooters from each team.

All players will proceed to the bench, with the exception of the player who is taking the first shot.

One referee and one linesman will situate himself on either side of the home-team goal line. The other linesman will place a puck on the center-ice face-off dot.

A new puck will be used at the commencement of the shootout for each team.

The teams will alternate shots. The visiting team shoots first.

Each team will be given three shots unless the outcome is determined earlier in the shootout. A team will be deemed to have won the shootout if its total of shootout goals is greater than its opponent can attain in the number of rounds remaining.

If the score remains tied after each team has taken three shots, the shootout will proceed to a ''sudden-death'' format.

In ''sudden death,'' no player who participated in the original shootout may attempt a second shot until every other eligible player on that team has taken a shot. It will be the responsibility of the official scorer to ensure that every player eligible to shoot has taken a shot.

In ''sudden death,'' if one team scores and the other does not, the game is over. If the first ''sudden death'' round results in a tie, additional rounds are conducted until a winner is decided.

Once the shootout begins, the goaltender cannot be replaced unless he is injured. No warm-up will be permitted for a substitute goaltender.

 

[Knightfall]

2005-06 NHL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 16

Washington at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Minnesota at Phoenix, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 17

Calgary at Chicago, 7 p.m.
Washington at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Phoenix at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Dallas at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Anaheim at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 18

Florida at Carolina, 3 p.m.
Buffalo at Columbus, 5 p.m.
Atlanta at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Chicago, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles at San Jose, 8 p.m.
Dallas at Edmonton, time tbd

MONDAY, SEPT. 19

Pittsburgh at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 20

NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Boston vs. Toronto, at Hamilton, Ont. (Copps Coliseum), 7:30 p.m.
Buffalo at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Los Angeles at Phoenix, 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21

Atlanta at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Washington, 7 p.m.
Boston vs. Pittsburgh, at Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Wachovia Arena), 7 p.m.
NY Islanders vs. Philadelphia, at Trenton, N.J. (Sovereign Bank Arena), 7:30 p.m.
Colorado at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Nashville at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Chicago at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Vancouver at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 22

Tampa Bay at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Florida at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Montreal at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 23

NY Islanders at Boston; 7 p.m.
Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, at Binghamton, N.Y. (Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena), 7 p.m.
Columbus at Nashville, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Florida vs. Minnesota, at Grand Forks, N.D. (Ralph Engelstad Arena), 8:30 p.m.
Detroit at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Calgary, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Phoenix at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 24

Toronto at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Carolina at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Boston vs. NY Islanders, at Manchester, N.H. (Verizon Wireless Center), 7 p.m.
Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, at Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Wachovia Arena), 7 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Nashville vs. St. Louis, at Kansas City, Mo. (Kemper Arena), 8:30 p.m.
Anaheim at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Colorado vs. Los Angeles, at Las Vegas, Nev. (MGM Grand), 10:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 25

Boston at NY Rangers, 5 p.m.
Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.
Dallas at Detroit, 5 p.m.
Pittsburgh vs. Washington, at Hershey, Pa. (Giant Center), 5 p.m.
Carolina at Nashville, 6 p.m.
Toronto at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Chicago, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders at New Jersey, 8 p.m.
Anaheim at San Jose, 8 p.m.
Phoenix at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

MONDAY, SEPT. 26

Vancouver at Calgary, 9 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 27

NY Islanders at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Boston at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Buffalo at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
NY Rangers at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Detroit at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28

Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Boston vs. Montreal, at Moncton, N.B. (Moncton Coliseum), 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Calgary, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Phoenix, 10 p.m.
Vancouver at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29

NY Islanders at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Carolina at Florida, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Atlanta at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 30

Nashville at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Washington, 7 p.m.
Chicago at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.
Buffalo vs. Minnesota, at Rochester, N.Y. (Blue Cross Arena), 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Phoenix at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Los Angeles at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 1

NY Rangers at Boston, 7 p.m.
Montreal at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Washington, 7 p.m.
Colorado at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Anaheim at Phoenix, 10 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 2

Tampa Bay at Florida, 1 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Rangers, 5 p.m.
Ottawa at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Nashville at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis, 7 p.m.
Washington at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.

 

[Welverin]

thanks for the info.

NHL Pre-season underway tonight

They have preseason games!?

 

[Agamon]

I'm listening to the Flames/Oilers right now. Weeee! It's been so long. Me = content.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Why do they have so many games on the roster starting at 10:30pm???

 

[Knightfall]

Smyth gets shootout goal as Oilers beat Flames 2-1 to kick of NHL pre-season

Copied from www.Sportsnet.ca

September 17 @ 0:26, EST

EDMONTON (CP) - Ryan Smyth's shootout goal led the Edmonton Oilers to a 2-1 exhibition win over the Calgary Flames on Friday to kick off the post-lockout NHL.

After no scoring in the five-minute overtime period, Smyth tucked a backhand shot past Brent Krahn as Edmonton's fourth shooter in the NHL's newly implemented shootout format. Jarret Stoll also scored for the Oilers, while Matthew Lombardi had the lone goal for the Flames.

A Rexall Place sellout of 16,839 greeted the Oilers for the first time in more than a year in the first of a dozen meetings with the Flames this season - four in the pre-season and eight in the regular season.

Stoll brought the house to life with the Oilers first goal, a one-timer off a feed from Chris Pronger. The third period power-play shot tied the game 1-1, but then Stoll got a checking from behind major and game misconduct just over a minute later.

Lombardi scored on one of the Flames three shots in the second period, wristing a dribbler through traffic in the high slot past Mike Morrison.

Calgary GM and coach Darryl Sutter elected to sit a host of veterans including all-star right winger and captain Jarome Iginla, goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff and trio of signees - veteran winger Tony Amonte, centre Daymond Lankow and defenceman Roman Hamrlik.

Only new Flames winger Darren McCarty, an unrestricted free agent signed from Detroit, played in the game.

Sutter, who watched the game from the press box while assistant coach Rich Preston ran the bench, may play his big guns in the Flames second pre-season game Saturday in Chicago.

Sutter started ex-Colorado backup goalie Philippe Sauve, who made 18 stops before being replaced by Krahn in the second period. the Oilers out-shot Calgary 31-25.

The Oilers will be rotating two teams through the first four pre-season games. Coach Craig Mactavish played veterans Ryan Smyth, who took two penalties, and Pronger and sat captain Jason Smith and centre Mike Peca. Another group of Oilers will play when the teams hosts Dallas Sunday.

The league's crackdown on obstruction was evident as the team's shared 22 penalties, including seven minors in the first period as the Flames had a pair of unsuccessful two-man advantages. The Oilers killed off another minute-long two-man advantage in the third period.

The game was the Flames first action since June 7, 2004 when the team suffered a 2-1 series-clinching setback to Tampa Bay in game seven of the Stanley Cup final. It was the Oilers first action since April 3, 2004 as the team missed the Western Conference playoffs by two points.

The Oilers are carrying 47 players, with the next major cut expected to be made after four of their seven pre-season contests.

NOTES:A total of $20,500 was raised in the hurricane Katrina relief efforts from the 6,423 fans who attended Wednesday night's Oilers intra-squad game, known as the Joey Moss Cup after the long-time locker-room attendant . . . . Oilers GM Kevin Lowe plus MacTacvish, Peca, Pronger and captain Jason Smith will all take part in a hot-stove session during a ticket blitz at Rexall Place on Saturday.

 

[Knightfall]

Hurricane of offence as NHL opens pre-season

Copied from www.Sportsnet.ca

It was the first chance for fans and players to get a look at the implementation of several new rules, all of which were designed to increase scoring chances.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Rookie Cam Ward made 24 saves, six players scored goals and the Carolina Hurricanes took advantage of Washington's 15 penalties to beat the Capitals 6-0 Friday night in the pre-season opener for both teams.

Michael Zigomanis, Eric Staal, Justin Williams, Matt Cullen, Colin Forbes and Cory Stillman scored for the Hurricanes, with four of the goals coming on the power play. They were last in that category during the most recent NHL season.

Despite the lopsided final score, the teams participated in a shootout to give fans a taste of what will happen following ties this season. Carolina even won that, 2-1.

The Capitals were without several of their top players, including goaltender Olaf Kolzig and 2004 top overall draft pick Alexander Ovechkin, who plans to make his NHL debut next week at home. Veterans Kevyn Adams, Erik Cole and Josef Vasicek -- along with new goalie Martin Gerber -- were among Carolina's healthy scratches.

It was the first chance for fans and players to get a look at the implementation of several new rules, all of which were designed to increase scoring chances. The first penalty came 19 seconds into the game when Washington centre Jeff Halpern was called for hooking.

Later in the period, Staal stuffed in a rebound just seconds after a two-man advantage ended to make it 1-0. Washington finished the opening period with eight penalties, giving Carolina more than 11{ minutes of power play.

The 21-year-old Ward completed his first professional season in 2004-05 with Carolina's AHL affiliate in Lowell, Mass., where he finished with a 1.99 goals-against average to rank fourth in the league.

Gerber is slated to be the starter after coming over in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks.

 

[Knightfall]

Gretzky watches Coyotes win opener

Associated Press

9/16/2005 11:57:14 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - "The Great One" was watching from above in his first game as a National Hockey League coach on Friday night. What he saw was a 3-2 victory for the Phoenix Coyotes dampened by an injury to starting goalie Brian Boucher after the game was over.

Wayne Gretzky decided to watch the Coyotes' first two exhibition games from his suite high above the ice of Glendale Arena.

"Just the first couple of games I wanted to be up top and be able to see the guys," he said before the Coyotes faced the Minnesota Wild in their pre-season opener, "just to see the team from above, that's all."

The Coyotes beat the Wild 3-2 in game that featured 22 penalties as the players tried to get accustomed to the new rules.

Each exhibition game is followed by a one-on-one shootout to show fans what will be done in tie games under the new system. On the first attempt by the Wild, Boucher injured his right groin moving to block Peter Olvecky's shot and had to be helped from the ice. The severity of the injury wasn't known, but it didn't look good.

"I don't even know what to say. I've never seen anything like that," Gretzky said. "The guy played really well, was maybe our best player in the game, and to take an injury in that kind of scenario is just not good."

It was an otherwise good night for the Coyotes, even though the crowd was sparse. The official attendance was 10,417.

Assistant coaches Barry Smith and Rick Tocchet ran things from the bench. Gretzky plans to take his spot there for Tuesday's home game against Los Angeles.

Coyotes centre Mike Ricci, who skated against Gretzky as a player, knows his new coach is serious about the job.

"He's got a quiet intensity about him," Ricci said after the morning skate. "He's not a yeller, he's not a screamer. ... He tells you, but he does it his way. He's got that look about him. That's why he's not only the greatest player but probably one of the greatest champions."

Gretzky, a part owner of the Coyotes, thought long and hard before finally committing to the demanding job. He knows that great players don't have a great history as coaches.

"I understand what people are saying, what people think," he said after the game. "I love the game. I'm going in. I like my staff. I love the scenario so far. It's exciting to be in this city. It's a beautiful arena. And I think my team is a fun team to watch and they're getting better everyday."

That system is the one Gretzky excelled at for so many years - fast and offensive-minded. The new rules aimed at speeding up the game should help.

"Our style and our mind-set is to play hard, keep our shifts short, let the puck do the work, be unselfish, try to be a disciplined hockey team," he said. "Teams that are going to stay out of the penalty box are going to have the advantage because of the new rules."

The players, many of them new to the team, like what they've heard.

"He's got it right," Ricci said. "He wants us to play a pressure, puck-control style of game and also take care of our own zone. I think he's going to give the offensive guys the leeway to use their talents, and as a player, that's all you can ask for."

Gretzky knows that for a while, he will be the story, not his team. The attention is nothing new.

"I'm kind of used to it," he said. "It's part of my life."

The Coyotes don't mind it, either. After missing an entire season because of the lockout, the NHL should welcome the story as well.

"I think any attention to the team is good," right wing Mike Johnson said. "If they come to talk about Wayne and our coaching staff, maybe they'll leave talking about our team."

 

[AIM-54]

Hurricane of offence as NHL opens pre-season

Sportsnet.ca

It was the first chance for fans and players to get a look at the implementation of several new rules, all of which were designed to increase scoring chances.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Rookie Cam Ward made 24 saves, six players scored goals and the Carolina Hurricanes took advantage of Washington's 15 penalties to beat the Capitals 6-0 Friday night in the pre-season opener for both teams.

Michael Zigomanis, Eric Staal, Justin Williams, Matt Cullen, Colin Forbes and Cory Stillman scored for the Hurricanes, with four of the goals coming on the power play. They were last in that category during the most recent NHL season.

Despite the lopsided final score, the teams participated in a shootout to give fans a taste of what will happen following ties this season. Carolina even won that, 2-1.

The Capitals were without several of their top players, including goaltender Olaf Kolzig and 2004 top overall draft pick Alexander Ovechkin, who plans to make his NHL debut next week at home. Veterans Kevyn Adams, Erik Cole and Josef Vasicek -- along with new goalie Martin Gerber -- were among Carolina's healthy scratches.

It was the first chance for fans and players to get a look at the implementation of several new rules, all of which were designed to increase scoring chances. The first penalty came 19 seconds into the game when Washington centre Jeff Halpern was called for hooking.

Later in the period, Staal stuffed in a rebound just seconds after a two-man advantage ended to make it 1-0. Washington finished the opening period with eight penalties, giving Carolina more than 11{ minutes of power play.

The 21-year-old Ward completed his first professional season in 2004-05 with Carolina's AHL affiliate in Lowell, Mass., where he finished with a 1.99 goals-against average to rank fourth in the league.

Gerber is slated to be the starter after coming over in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks.

Yikes! Well, I guess we knew it was gonna be a rebuilding year...hopefully we'll be better with our top players back...

Still, just the preseason...