NHL: Preseason!

Islanders roll over Rangers

Associated Press

9/20/2005 9:00:40 PM

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) - Alexei Zhitnik scored twice to lead the New York Islanders over the New York Rangers 5-1 Tuesday night in the pre-season opener for both teams.

Alexei Yashin, Jason Blake and rookie defenceman Chris Campoli also scored for the Islanders, who got 14 saves and an assist from starting goalie Rick DiPietro, and seven more saves from Garth Snow.

Jamie Lundmark had the only goal for the Rangers. Kevin Weekes started, making 13 saves, and backup Henrik Lundqvist stopped 16 shots.

Four of the five goals scored in the first period were on power plays, with the Islanders getting three of them. Yashin opened the scoring at 2:18 with a slapshot over Weekes glove, and then 1:38 later, Zhitnik tipped in a point shot from the slot as the Islanders scored on their first two shots.

Zhitnik scored again at 5:22 on a wrist shot to make it 3-0.

Lundmark got the Rangers within 3-1 with a power-play goal on a rebound just over two minutes later, before Blake's score with the man advantage at 14:34 pushed the Islanders' lead back to three.

The second period was scoreless, and both sides changed goalies at the 10:10 mark.

Campoli scored at 5:12 of the final period.

Fifteen of the 17 penalties called were either restraining fouls or bench minors.
 

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Modano scores winner for Stars

Associated Press

9/20/2005 10:23:06 PM

DALLAS (AP) - Mike Modano scored a tiebreaking power-play goal late in the third period to lead the Dallas Stars to a 6-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in an exhibition game Tuesday night.

Modano broke a 4-4 tie at 5:23 of the third period. Bill Guerin had two goals and two assists, and Jason Arnott added four assists for the Stars, who won for the second time in three pre-season games.

Jarret Stoll scored twice for the Oilers (1-1-1).

Stars goaltender Marty Turco struggled in his first pre-season game, allowing two goals through his pads and another on a shot that he stopped but failed to control.

Dallas' Jussi Jokinen notched his third goal of the pre-season 1:22 in, but Edmonton countered with goals by Stoll and Marc-Andre Bergeron to make it 2-1.

Guerin tied it 2-2, but Stoll's power-play goal gave Edmonton a 3-2 lead after one period.

The Stars got second period goals from Stu Barnes and Martin Skoula, while Todd Harvey countered for Edmonton and tied the game 4-4.

Modano's rebound put the Stars ahead for good, and Guerin added a power-play goal at 8:20 for the two-goal margin.

Edmonton right wing J.J. Hunter sustained a dislocated right shoulder in the first period and did not return.
 

Veteran Leafs burn Bruins

Canadian Press

9/20/2005 9:27:03 PM

HAMILTON (CP) - Ed Belfour isn't over the hill yet, and Jeff O'Neill and Mariusz Czerkawski might have productive seasons left in them, too.

The three veterans played prominent roles in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 5-0 exhibition win over Boston on Tuesday night, and head coach Pat Quinn will be hoping they all fare as well when the real games begin Oct. 5.

Belfour stopped all 14 Bruins shots in the 30 minutes he played in his first turn in the creases, other than intrasquad game last week, since the 2004 playoffs.

A familiar ''Eddie, Eddie, Eddie'' chant erupted from the capacity Copps Coliseum crowd of 18,000 when he frustrated Joe Thornton during a two-man Boston advantage. Belfour is 40 now but, heck, Johnny Bower was 42 when he helped the Leafs win their last NHL title in 1967.

O'Neill and Czerkawski, discarded by their previous teams, each scored.

Power-play goals by O'Neill and Ben Ondrus put Toronto up 2-0 in the first period.

Quinn used O'Neill on the point when Toronto got an early two-man advantage, and the six-foot-one right-winger blasted a shot past goalie Hannu Toivonen at 6:51.

O'Neill, 29, spent his first nine NHL seasons with the Carolina franchise, amassing 416 points including 198 goals in 673 regular-season games. But he scored only 14 times in 2003-2004. His wish to play for his home-city Leafs was fulfilled when he was acquired in July for a fourth-round 2006 draft pick.

''It was fun to score the goal but it wasn't as important as getting the win,'' O'Neill said after his debut in blue and white. ''We wanted to get a win and get this thing rollin'.''

Yet, he had to admit that, ''Seeing all the players who've worn this sweater while I was growing up, it's quite an honour to put it on.''

Ondrus, standing in the middle of the Boston zone, slammed in a nifty John Pohl pass from the side boards at 8:08.

The two are likely headed to the AHL farm, where Ondrus, 23, the former WHL junior star with the Swift Current Broncos, spent last winter. Pohl, 26, an American who was a college standout at Minnesota, played in the AHL at Worcester, Mass., last season and was acquired from St. Louis last month for a draft pick.

Jean-Francois Racine took over from Belfour in the middle of the second period and was just as sharp.

Czerkawski, skating on a line with youngsters Matt Stajan and Alexander Steen, scored at 11:05 of the second when he slapped a shot through Toivonen's legs.

''I had better chances in the first period, but that's hockey,'' said the 33-year-old Polish right-winger. ''I hit the goalie in the head with my first shot and lifted a shot over the cross bar with my second shot.

''I'm just happy the third try went in.''

Czerkawski has 425 points including 207 goals in 710 NHL games with Boston, Edmonton, Montreal and the New York Islanders. He scored 25 for the Isles in 2003-2004 but GM Mike Milbury didn't appreciate his playoff fade.

Leafs regular Darcy Tucker added another at 19:08 on a Kyle Wellwood feed from behind the net on a power play.

Defenceman Alexander Khavanov picked up three assists. The six-foot-two Russian, 33, was signed during the summer. He was an unrestricted free agent after playing four years for St. Louis. The Blues apparently had no interest in keeping him, but he might be good enough to catch on with the Leafs.

''It's been a while since my last game in the NHL so I wanted to go out there and enjoy it,'' said Khavanov,'' who was named first star.

Pohl deflected a puck past Tim Thomas, who'd replaced Toivonen to start the third period, for yet another power-play goal with 2:18 left.

Toronto had lost 5-2 last Sunday at home against Ottawa, while Boston was playing its pre-season opener. The Leafs' edge in experience with the referees' crackdown on obstruction was obvious. There was a parade of Bruins to the penalty box. Toronto was 4-for-13 on power plays, while Boston was 0-for-5.

''We were a little bit better,'' Quinn said of an effort that was much more satisfying than the loss to the Senators. ''All in all, it was a good outing, but we've got a lot of work to do.''

Notes: Leafs regulars sitting out were Aki Berg, Mats Sundin, Chad Kilger, Ken Klee (bruised heel), Alexei Ponikarovsky, Bryan McCabe, Tie Domi and Nik Antropov . . . Jason Allison (sore hip) remained unready to play . . . Bruins not on the ice included Glen Murray (sore ankle), Sergei Samsonov (strained back), Nick Boynton (holdout), Alex Zhamnov, Tom Fitzgerald, Shawn McEachern, Ian Moran, Hal Gill, and No. 1 goaltender Andrew Raycroft . . . Toivonen impressed with the Bruins' AHL farm team in Providence, R.I., last winter and is expected to get the backup job to Raycroft. Felix Potvin had it last year but wasn't re-signed . . . Racine was Toronto's fourth pick, 90th overall, in 2000. The 23-year-old native of St-Hyacinthe, Que., split last season between St. John's of the AHL and Memphis of the Central Hockey League. He's one of six goalies in camp . . . Nathan Perrott and Colton Orr, who fought in the AHL last winter, dropped the gloves in an insignificant first-period tussle . . . Toronto's next pre-season game is Thursday against Montreal at Air Canada Centre . . . The Leafs announced the return to their junior teams of G Justin Pogge (Calgary, WHL) and D Phil Oreskovic (Brampton, OHL).
 


Latendresse shines in Canadiens victory

Canadian Press

9/20/2005 10:00:09 PM

MONTREAL (CP) - The Bell Centre crowd has found a new favourite - 18-year-old winger Guillaume Latendresse.

Latendresse had two goals and an assist as young prospects shone in the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 NHL pre-season rout of the Tampa Bay lightning on Tuesday night.

The crowd of 18,323 chanted Guy, Guy, Guy - a honour once reserved for former stars Guy Carbonneau and Guy Lafleur - as Latendresse had a night to remember playing in front of family and friends from nearby Ste-Catherine, Que.

''I was surprised that they did that in my first game,'' he said. ''It was fun, but I had to keep my mind on what was going on on the ice.

''The veterans here have really helped me a lot. It's a big stage in my career I'm going through and I'm really happy the way it's gone so far.'' His linemates Marcel Hossa and Radek Bonk each had a goal and three assists. Steve Begin and Tomas Plekanec also scored for the Canadiens.

Jim Cambell scored early for Tampa Bay, the defending Stanley Cup champions who rested their top line of Martin St-Louis, Brad Richards and Fred Modin.

The line of Plekanec, Chris Higgins and Alexander Perezhogin also had a strong game. Coach Claude Julien said it will be tough to cut any of them if they continue to impress.

''The better they play, the more difficult it gets,'' said Julien. ''But it's a nice problem to have.''

The six-foot-two Latendresse, who drew cheers for his physical play as well as his offensive skill, was drafted in the second round in June and has been a standout in camp thus far.

However, he's most likely to be sent back to the junior Drumondville Voltigeurs.

''I'm ready if that happens,'' he said. ''I'm only 18. I can't be too disappointed if I get sent back. But even if I am, I'll know I gave it my best shot.''

The Canadiens dressed 10 veterans while Tampa Bay went with a mostly young lineup, but coach John Tortorella said his team was simply outplayed.

''I'm not making any excuses - we just didn't play well,'' he said. ''We weren't quick enough. But tomorrow's a well-deserved day off for the whole camp.''

He said the training camp roster will be cut to 28 players on Wednesday.

It was rough first game in a Tampa Bay uniform for veteran goaltender Sean Burke, who looked slow and rusty while he allowed six goals on 38 shots. He was acquired after Nikolai Khabibulin left as a free agent for Chicago.

''Burkie is a pro,'' said Tortorella. ''It's his first game. He hasn't faced a lot of shots in game situations. That's going to come now. He'll be fine.''

Added Burke: ''Two goals I wasn't happy about, but I saw a lot of pucks and that's what you need at this time of year.''

Latendresse made a good third for Bonk and Hossa, who also combine size and skill. Bonk used to play with Hossa's older brother Marian in Ottawa.

''They look alike on the ice,'' said Bonk. ''The game's so quick, you look at him and you think it's Marian.

''But they're different. Marian probably has a little better hands, but when you look at them quickly, there's no difference.''

It's a make or break year for Hossa, a 2000 first-round draft choice who has thus far failed to stick with the NHL club. He also had a goal in Montreal's opening exhibition game against Atlanta on Sunday.

''I worked hard this summer,'' said Hossa. ''This is my best shot to make the team. It's now or never. Right now, I'm very confident. I just have to be consistent.''

The Lightning fired 26 shots at Yann Danis and Jose Theodore.

While there were more penalties than in pre-lockout days, special teams didn't dominate as much as in many of the exhibition openers last weekend as the teams looked to be adjusting to a crackdown on restraining fouls.

There were 14 minor penalties called in the game - only five for hooking or holding.

''It was a little bit better than the first game, but there were still a lot of penalties,'' said Bonk. ''It's going to take some time for the referees and the players to adjust.

''It was our second game and players are catching on, but it's a big difference and it will take a couple more games to do it.''

It wasn't a perfect night for the Bonk line, which was on the ice when Campbell jumped on a giveaway to go to the net and score on his own rebound 4:54 into the game.

Begin tied it at 11:52 on a feed from Plekanec and Hossa put Montreal ahead when he banged in Bonk's rebound at 16:09. Latendresse backhanded a rebound over Burke on a power play at 18:10.

Montreal was on another man advantage when Latendresse took a feed from Hossa and beat Burke from in close 8:41 into the second frame.

Bonk made it 5-1 at 1:14 of the third on a rush with Latendresse and Plekanec scored shorthanded at 4:27. Montreal improved to 2-0 in the pre-season while Tampa Bay dropped to 1-1.

Montreal also won a demonstration shootout 2-1, with Alex Kovalev and Perezhogin scoring while Pavel Kubina replied for Tampa Bay.
 

Ooooh, this Latendresse kid is a nice surprise. Hope he sticks.

The line of Plekanec, Chris Higgins and Alexander Perezhogin also had a strong game. Coach Claude Julien said it will be tough to cut any of them if they continue to impress.

''The better they play, the more difficult it gets,'' said Julien. ''But it's a nice problem to have.''
Click to expand...

Also good news. The future looks bright indeed...
 

Kings stop Coyotes in Gretzky debut

Associated Press

9/21/2005 12:09:19 AM

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The Phoenix Coyotes' play under coach Wayne Gretzky has been anything but stellar so far. Since it's only the pre-season, The Great One isn't too concerned.

Gretzky stepped behind the Phoenix bench for the first time Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough as the Coyotes lost 8-4 to the Los Angeles Kings.

''Sure we're disappointed with that beating, and there's things we've got to work on, but this is not losing in (playoff) Game 7 or losing in game one of the regular season,'' he said. ''This is just what it is, folks - it's an exhibition game - and 10 days from now it means nothing.''

Craig Conroy and Valeri Bure scored two goals each and Pavol Demitra had a goal and three assists to lead the Kings.

Gretzky drew generous applause from a sparse crowd announced at 7,219 when he came out of the tunnel before the first period. It was his first time in the bench area during a game since he retired from the New York Rangers in 1999.

Gretzky paced from side to side in the coaches' row before the game, but settled down after the first puck was dropped.

''He's a fiery guy,'' captain Shane Doan said. ''The way he played is the way he coached, and you love that as a player to know that your coach is on your side and is into the game as much as you are.''

Associate coach Barry Smith, who acted as head coach during a 3-2 home win Friday over Minnesota and a 7-0 road loss to the Wild on Saturday, stayed in charge of the defence. Gretzky watched the first two games from suite level, analyzing the strengths of a team with a half-dozen key newcomers.

Among them was goaltender Curtis Joseph, whose importance to the club increased when Brian Boucher hurt himself trying to make a stop in a shootout demonstration for fans after the pre-season opener.

The injury is a first-degree strain - the least serious - of Boucher's right groin. He is listed as week to week, but Coyotes general manager Mike Barnett said Boucher could be out for weeks or more.

''That type of injury at that position is one you don't even think about hurrying along,'' Barnett said.

Gretzky alluded to Boucher when he explained that he sat left wing Mike Leclerc, acquired in a trade with Anaheim on Aug. 23, the last two periods after Leclerc got a slight groin pull.

''We're probably a little more sensitive to those scenarios since guys didn't play last year, so I told him not to play the second and third,'' Gretzky said. ''It's just precautionary.''

David LeNeveu gave up all seven goals in the loss at Minnesota.

Enter Joseph, ninth on the NHL career list in wins (396) after 15 years with St. Louis, Edmonton, Toronto and Detroit, who signed with Phoenix on Aug. 17. He allowed eight goals in 24 shots against the Kings.

''I made some miscalculations out there and certainly didn't find the open guy like I should,'' Joseph said. ''Certainly, you'd like to shake that one off and play again tomorrow.''

Gretzky wasn't worried about the goalie whose tenure overlapped the last nine years of his career.

''It's the easiest thing in the game of hockey, and I was a player, that you always turn back and try to blame the goaltender,'' Gretzky said. ''There's no excuse there. Curtis will be fine. It's not Curtis' fault that we got beat 8-4.''

Bure, Conroy and Sean Avery gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.

The Coyotes narrowed the gap when Ladislav Nagy went top shelf over Mathieu Garon's shoulder with 4:39 left in the second, but the Kings got their fourth power play of the game immediately after when Sean O'Donnell slammed Tim Gleason into the glass from behind after Gleason went after Petr Nedved for dumping Garon into the back of the net.

Conroy's goal on the power play made it 4-2 with 2:16 left in the period.

Shane Doan and Jason Chimera scored 1:09 apart to tie it at 4, but Joseph couldn't hold it. The Kings answered with goals by Visnovsky, Demitra and Michael Cammalleri in a 51-second span.
 

Penguins-Bruins Pregame; Sid the Kid's first preseason game...

Crosby set to debut with Penguins

TSN.ca Staff

9/21/2005 11:28:23 AM

Sidney Crosby will play his first pre-season game tonight when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Boston Bruins in Wilkes-Barre.

Crosby will be joined by veterans Mario Lemieux, Ziggy Palffy, Sergei Gonchar, Dick Tarnstrom, Mark Recchi and goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, as the Penguins intend to put on a good show for the fans in Wilkes-Barre, where their top minor league team is based.

"We have a great relationship with the people in Wilkes-Barre," coach Ed Olczyk told the Tribune Review. "The lineup we'll have in there Wednesday night, I think the people will enjoy seeing it. I look forward to getting the opportunity to stand behind the bench there. I haven't had a chance to do that yet. So it will be an exciting night for everybody."

The Penguins fell 3-2 in a shootout against Columbus in their pre-season opener using a younger line-up.

The Bruins will again be playing without forward Sergei Samsonov, who is nursing a sore back, and defenceman Nick Boynton, who remains unsigned. Bruins general manager Mike O'Connell told the Boston Globe that there was no news on Boynton, though he dismissed rumours that he was trying to trade Hall Gill to create more salary cap room.

The Bruins also won't have defenceman Brian Leetch in the line-up. He did not make the trip so he could attend the birth of his third child with his wife Mary Beth.

It's the second straight non-NHL stop for the Bruins. Boston lost 5-0 to Toronto on Tuesday in Hamilton, Ontario.
 

Wednesday's Games...

Miller registers shutout for Sabres

Associated Press

9/21/2005 8:29:33 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ryan Miller made 29 saves, Thomas Vanek scored twice and the Buffalo Sabres blanked the Washington Capitals 4-0 Wednesday night.

Washington wing Alexander Ovechkin, the top pick in the 2004 entry draft, was a non-factor in his home debut. Ovechkin took a holding penalty 26 seconds into the exhibition game and was denied on his only scoring chance of the night, a power-play shot on the doorstep with 5:56 left in the third period.

Rory Fitzpatrick and Maxim Afinogenov also scored for the Sabres. Jay McKee had two assists.

The Capitals remained winless in three pre-season games and were shut out for the second time. Washington killed off nine of 10 Buffalo power plays, but was 0-for-6 on the man advantage.

Buffalo took a 1-0 lead 6:19 into the game when Fitzpatrick, though tied up at the right post by Washington's Brian Willsie, knocked a cross-crease pass from Chris Drury past goaltender Olaf Kolzig.

Vanek tallied twice in a 4:04 span late in the second period to extend the lead to 3-0.

At 15:04, he pushed in a centring pass from J.P. Dumont from the top of the crease, giving the Sabres a power-play goal after eight opportunities. Vanek notched his team-high fourth pre-season goal at 19:09, again scoring from in front of the net on a play that withstood a video review.

Afinogenov scored off a pass from Derek Roy 5:29 into the third period.
 

Radivojevic scores winner for Flyers

Sports Ticker

9/21/2005 9:19:45 PM

TRENTON, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Despite an expanding injury list, the Philadelphia Flyers recorded another preseason victory.

Branko Radivojevic's goal 5:57 into the third period snapped a tie and lifted the Flyers to a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders at Sovereign Bank Arena.

With superstar Peter Forsberg, Sami Kapanen and Derian Hatcher already sidelined prior to the opening of training camp, defenseman Freddy Meyer suffered a broken leg in the team's first preseason game, an 8-6 triumph over Atlanta on Saturday. Meyer appeared in just one contest with the Flyers in 2003-04 but helped the American Hockey League's Phantoms capture the Calder Cup championship last season.

However, Philadelphia did not miss a beat thanks to Radivojevic, who poked a loose puck past former Flyers goaltender Garth Snow after Michal Handzus missed a wraparound attempt early in the third.

Mike Rathje, one of three free agent defensemen added over the summer, scored a power-play goal at 9:16 of the first period to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. But Wyatt Smith tallied with the man advantage less than two minutes later to draw the Islanders even.

Antero Niittymaki made 23 saves for the Flyers, who played without captain Keith Primeau and goalie Robert Esche.

Snow also stopped 23 shots for New York, which rested new captain Alexei Yashin and newcomers Miroslav Satan and Alexei Zhitnik.
 

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