NHL: Preseason!

Robitaille lifts Predators past Blues

Associated Press

9/21/2005 9:43:23 PM

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Randy Robitaille had a goal and two assists, and starting goalie Chris Mason stopped 16 of 17 shots Wednesday night to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues in the exhibition opener for both teams.

Scott Hartnell and Ryan Suter each had a goal and an assist for Nashville. Shea Weber also scored for the Predators.

Mike Sillinger scored twice for St. Louis, Jamal Mayers added a goal and new captain Dallas Drake finished with two assists.

Defenceman Eric Brewer, who was traded to St. Louis as part of the Chris Pronger trade with Edmonton, was a late scratch with a groin injury.

New St. Louis goalie Patrick Lalime did make his debut, starting and making 12 saves on 14 shots in just over 30 minutes. Lalime was replaced by Reinhard Divis, who allowed two goals on the first four shots he faced.

Lalime gave up his first goal 4:50 in when Weber beat him from the right circle. After St. Louis tied it 1-1 at 6:28 of the first period on Mayer's goal, Hartnell gave the Predators the lead again 4:54 later on another one-timer, this one from the left circle.

Divis and Nashville's Pekka Rinne each entered the game at 10:39 of the second period. Rinne allowed a goal on the first shot he faced when Sillinger banked one in off his leg from behind the net at 11:25.

Robitaille beat Divis from in front just 20 seconds later to give Nashville the lead for good.
 

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Red Wings down Avalanche in overtime

Associated Press

9/21/2005 9:14:50 PM

DETROIT (AP) - Nicklas Lidstrom's power-play goal with 1:57 remaining in overtime gave the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.

Robert Lang had two assists for Detroit.

Kyle Quincey scored in the first period for Detroit but Paul Healey tied it at 1 in the second period for Colorado.

Antti Laaksonen's goal 6:20 into the third period gave Colorado a 2-1 lead. Jason Williams tied it at 2 for the Red Wings with a goal with 3:48 remaining in regulation.

Detroit outshot Colorado 34-16. Each team is 1-1-0 in the exhibition season.
 

Ritchie scores twice in Flames win

Canadian Press

9/21/2005 11:08:53 PM

CALGARY (CP) - Byron Ritchie scored twice and Steve Reinprecht's second-period goal stood up as the game-winner Wednesday night as the Calgary Flames won 4-2 over the Chicago Blackhawks in their pre-season home opener.

A boisterous sellout crowd of 17,439 watched Calgary jump in front 2-0 on first-period goals from Robyn Regehr and Ritchie.

After Duncan Keith drew Chicago back within a goal at 5:12 of the second, Reinprecht put the Flames ahead 3-1 at 17:23, jamming a rebound past goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin after the Blackhawks' key summer free-agent addition stopped the initial shot from Roman Hamrlik.

Ritchie scored his second goal of the night into an empty net with 17 seconds left.

Cam Barker also scored for Chicago, giving the 19-year-old two goals in two games as he tries to crack the Blackhawks after playing last year for the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers.

As has been the case throughout the NHL pre-season, much of the game was spent on special teams. Calgary's power-play was especially busy in the second period receiving eight power-plays in a row at one point.

The Flames finished up 2-for-11 while Chicago was 1-for-9.

The win is Calgary's first after an opening up with a back-to-back losses last weekend while Chicago suffered its first setback after starting the pre-season with two straight wins.

Khabibulin made his debut for the Blackhawks and finished with 31 saves while Miikka Kiprusoff had 19 stops in his first action of the pre-season.

The game was Calgary's first home game in nearly 16 months dating back to its 3-2 loss in double overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning in game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup final.

Khabibulin was also the winning goalie that night.

Resurrecting memories of Calgary's magical Stanley Cup run of two years ago, boisterous Flames fans - many clad in the Flames home red jerseys - loudly greeted the home team as they took to the ice and chants of "Go Flames Go!" started up immediately after the opening anthems.

Notes: Notable scratches for the Flames included the entire top line of Jarome Iginla, Daymond Langkow, and Tony Amonte. Among Chicago's absentees were Curtis Brown, Kyle Calder, Martin Lapointe, and Jaroslav Spacek... The fans were treated to an extended shoot-out as the NHL continues to showcase one of its most exciting new rules. Tied 1-1 after the first three shooters - with Matthew Lombardi scoring for Calgary and Tuomo Ruutu for Chicago - each team trotted out four more skaters before Calgary rookie defenceman Dion Phaneuf scored to end it.
 

Oilers beat Canucks in shootout

Canadian Press

9/21/2005 11:28:11 PM

EDMONTON (CP) - Radek Dvorak's shootout winner helped the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 Wednesday.

Dvorak was the fifth shooter for the Oilers (2-1-1), who played their third game-deciding shootout in four pre-season games.

Mike Peca got his first goal in the third period to send the Oilers to overtime.

Alex Hemsky scored twice and Ethhan Moreau had a goal and an assist in his first pre-season game after a strained neck.

Ed Jovanovski, Lee Goren, Josh Green and Daniel Sedin scored for the Canucks.

Jovanovski had a Gordie Howe hat-trick - goal, assist, fight - in the first game for the post-lockout Canucks (0-0-1), who were without a number of star players.

The Canucks got three power-play goals past Ty Conklin on 12 shots in the first period.

Goren scored under a minute in, with Jovanovski both scoring and then setting up Green off a two-man advantage to silence the Rexall Place crowd of 13,457.

Todd Bertuzzi did not play for the Canucks in his first eligible game since the NHL lifted his 17-month suspension for a vicious hit on Colorado's Steve Moore in April, 2004.

Vancouver also sat a host of regulars, including captain Markus Naslund, centre Brendan Morrison, winger Trevor Linden, goaltender Dan Cloutier and defenceman Mattias Ohlund.

Edmonton outshot Vancouver 34-28 and finished 1-for-11 on the power play while the Canucks were 3-for-10 with the man advantage.

Fedor Fedorov nearly scored following a skate-to-stick on Conklin in the scoreless second as the Canucks also killed off an Oilers two-man advantage of nearly a minute.

Sedin scored off a shot that went in off Conklin's back in the third.

The teams played five minutes of scoreless four-on four overtime.

Oilers prospect Brad Winchester tatooed Sven Butenschon with a clean open-ice hit behind Vancouver's net to ignite the crowd in the third.

Peca's first goal in an Oilers uniform with just under three minutes left to tie the game 4-4. Rookie Oilers centre Yan Stastny, a touted rookie and the son of NHL great Peter, appeared in his first pre-season game. The Oilers also dressed captain Jason Smith - who was cut in a third period fight with Jovanovski - but gave Chirs Pronger the night off.

Notes: Vancouver continues the pre-season with home games against San Jose on Friday and Anaheim Saturday ... The Oilers are in Calgary Friday. ... Darryl Duke was dismissed after 10 seasons as Oilers strength and conditioning coach. ... Oilers prospect J.J. Hunter dislocated his shoulder during Tuesday's 6-4 loss in Dallas and is out indefinately. ... The Oilers are carrying 46 players but will reassign about 18 players before the end of the week.
 

Crosby earns assist in Penguins debut

Canadian Press

9/21/2005 11:28:54 PM

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (CP-AP) - Sidney Crosby wasted little time showing why he's one of the NHL's hottest commodities.

Crosby, Pittsburgh's much-celebrated top draft pick, had an assist in his NHL exhibition debut, but it wasn't enough for the Penguins in a 5-4 overtime loss Wednesday night to the Boston Bruins.

After Brad Isbister scored to give Boston a 1-0 lead, Crosby recorded his first point at 8:28 of the first period. Goalie Tim Thomas kept Crosby's backhander out of the net, but Mark Recchi followed the shot and poked in the rebound to tie the game.

Crosby had another scoring chance about five minutes later, but his wrist shot from the slot off a rebound hit the crossbar.

The 18-year-old phenom said he was satisfied with his debut, but knows there's plenty of room for improvement.

''I thought things went pretty well,'' said Crosby, who finished with 20 shifts. ''I think I can play here and help the team. I just want to continue to improve.''

Crosby indicated he may be looking to shoot first more in the NHL than he did with the Rimouski Oceanic, who he led to a berth in the 2005 Memorial Cup.

''It's nice to set up guys and give them empty nets and stuff, but these D are good,'' said Crosby. ''I have to make sure that I use shooting as an option more.''

Crosby spent most of his time on a line with Recchi and Ryan Malone, though coach Ed Olczyk did occasionally match the former junior star with his idol, Penguins superstar Mario Lemieux.

''It's pretty simple when you're playing with someone like that,'' said Crosby. ''You just give him the puck and get open. I think any guy who plays with him is excited to be out there with him.''

Olczyk liked what he saw out of the youngster in his first taste of NHL action.

''He had some great chances,'' said Olczyk, who sat most of his regulars in Pittsburgh's first pre-season game Monday night. ''I thought him and (Recchi) had some good chemistry in his first game. I'm happy with the way he played.''

Lemieux also came away impressed.

''I thought he skated very well,'' said Lemieux, who finished with two assists. ''He showed a lot of strength at times protecting the puck. That's a good start for him, he was one of the best players out there.''

Zdenek Blatny scored the game-winner, blasting a power-play shot between the pads of Jocelyn Thibault 4:02 into the extra session.

Boston's Patrice Bergeron, a teammate of Crosby on Canada's gold-medal winning squad in the 2005 world junior championships, made more of an impact on the scoreboard with two goals and two assists.

Boston took a 2-1 lead when Bergeron scored short-handed at 9:17. Pittsburgh tied it 2-2 when Sergei Gonchar scored on a power-play slap shot 21 seconds later.

The Bruins made it 3-2 lead when Brad Boyes scored on a bad-angle one-timer on the power play with 2:37 left in the period.

Bergeron's second goal, a centring pass that took a deflection and slipped between Thibault's pads, put Boston up 4-2 late in the second period. Ryan VandenBussche also scored for the Penguins.

Ziggy Palffy tied the game 4-4 in the third period for the Penguins, scoring on his second whack at a bouncing puck after Lemieux sent a centring pass into the crease.
 

Andrew Hutchinson gets five assists as Carolina edges Atlanta 5-4

Associated Press

September 21 @ 23:20, EST

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Josef Vasicek scored two goals and Andrew Hutchinson had five assists as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Atlanta Thrashers 5-4 Wednesday night.

Vasicek scored the winning goal on a power play with 1:41 left. Carolina spent most of the exhibition game on the power play with Atlanta called for 19 penalties. The Hurricanes were able to convert three of 15 power-play chances. Carolina was called for seven penalties and the Thrashers were 1-of-4 on the power play.

Despite outshooting Atlanta 38-13, Carolina never led by more than one goal.

Justin Williams, Mike Commodore and Mike Zigomanis scored the other Hurricanes goals. Peter Bondra, Shane Hnidy, Braydon Coburn and Jean-Pierre Vigier replied for the Thrashers.

Vasicek's first goal came on a rebound Atlanta goalkeeper Adam Berkhoel was unable to control. Vasicek was all alone when he slammed the puck into the goal.

Atlanta tied it at 1-1 later in the first period on a goal by Bondra, playing in his first pre-season game.

The teams traded goals in the second period. Williams gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead. Hnidy scored for Atlanta to make it 2-2 at 10:53. Commodore and Zigomanis added goals for Carolina, which led 4-3 entering the final period.

Carolina goalie Cam Ward was relieved by Justin Peters at the start of the third period. Ward faced eight shots and made five saves in two periods of work. Peters stopped four of five shots.

Atlanta centre Patrik Stefan was injured with 7:44 left after a hard open-ice collision with Erik Cole. Stefan was carried off the ice on a stretcher after an eight-minute delay.

Vigier made it 4-4 for the Thrashers on a power-play goal with 7:26 left. That was one of the few bright spots in the final 20 minutes for Atlanta, which had seven penalties in the period.

Atlanta didn't manage a shot in the first 10 minutes of the final period.
 

Sturm lifts Sharks past Mighty Ducks

Sports Ticker

9/22/2005 12:51:55 AM

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- After setting up the tying goal late in the third period, Marco Sturm took care of matters himself in the shootout.

Sturm's goal on San Jose's third shot of the shootout lifted the Sharks to a 2-1 triumph over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

In a game that had few penalties and even fewer goals, Anaheim took a 1-0 lead on tough guy Todd Fedoruk's tally at 12:45 of the second period. Sturm helped San Jose draw even, assisting on Niko Dimitrakos' goal with 3:09 remaining in the third.

Vesa Toskala, who made 35 saves for the Sharks, stopped prospect Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne and Sergei Fedorov during the shootout. Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere denied Patrick Marleau and Dimitrakos, but Sturm broke through to give San Jose the victory.

Ryan Getzlaf, who along with Perry was a first-round pick of the Mighty Ducks in 2003, recorded an assist.

Giguere turned aside 33 shots for Anaheim.
 

Thursday's Games...

Brule scores OT winner for Blue Jackets

Associated Press

9/22/2005 9:14:22 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - First-round draft pick Gilbert Brule scored on his second prime chance in overtime to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 3-2 exhibition win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

Brule, taken with the sixth overall pick, was stopped on a shot in the crease by Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard with 40 seconds left in overtime.

The Blue Jackets kept pressing, and Francois Beauchemin's shot from the point was deflected by Howard, the puck bouncing to the right circle where Brule again went high and scored past Howard.

Pascal Leclaire was solid in goal for Columbus, stopping 37 of 39 shots - the most saves he's had in any NHL game.

Howard, a star at the University of Maine, faced 28 shots and had 25 saves.

The Blue Jackets have not scored on their last 23 power-play chances, going 0-for-9 against the Red Wings.

The Blue Jackets went up 2-0 thanks to a great individual play by David Vyborny - and a bit of luck.

Vyborny handled the puck to help kill a Detroit power play late in the opening period. Moments later, he skated behind the net, tossing a blind, backhanded pass to the left hash where Joe Motzko stepped up and chipped the puck past Howard.

In the opening minute of the second period, Joakim Lindstrom threw a shot from the left dot at Howard. The puck hit the near post, ricocheted at a 45-degree angle off Howard's back and then dribbled into the net.

Less than a minute later, the Red Wings drew to 2-1 on a quick power-play goal as Robert Lang's hard shot from the top of the left circle beat Leclaire on the glove side.

The Wings forced overtime on Mark Mowers' power-play redirect of Brett Lebda's blast from the point with 43.1 seconds left in regulation.

Columbus defenceman Radoslav Suchy sustained a back strain in the second period and did not return. Center Jan Hrdina was hit from behind by Kirk Maltby and appeared to twist his left knee during the third period. He was helped off the ice.
 

Blackhawks edge Wild in exhibition play

Associated Press

9/22/2005 10:49:11 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Pavel Vorobiev scored early in the third period and had the lone shootout goal in the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-2 exhibition victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.

After Vorobiev gave Chicago a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 3:26 of the third period, Minnesota's Stephane Vellieux tied it at 11:44 during a 5-on-3 advantage.

Minnesota's Marc Chouinard opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period, and Brian Lee tied it midway through the second period.

Adam Munro made 21 saves for the Blackhawks (3-1-0), and Dwayne Roloson stopped 27 shots for the Wild (2-2-1).
 

Weiss paces Panthers to victory

Associated Press

9/22/2005 9:36:09 PM

ATLANTA (AP) - Stephen Weiss scored two goals, Roberto Luongo made 31 saves in just over 32 minutes and the Florida Panthers defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 in a pre-season game Thursday night.

The Thrashers, playing at home for the first time since the lockout, dropped to 0-4 in the pre-season despite outshooting the Panthers by a staggering 54-19.

The announced crowd of 10,218 - the actual turnout appeared closer to 7,000 - saw a penalty filled game in the keeping with the league's mandate to cut down on obstruction and create more scoring chances.

All but one goal was scored on the power play.

''There's going to be a lot of 5-on-4s and 5-on-3s because obviously the referees want to make a statement,'' Atlanta coach Bob Hartley said. ''It makes for some interesting hockey.''

Peter Bondra scored twice for the Thrashers, his second goal coming with just 1:52 remaining. But Jean-Marc Pelletier made two big saves on Marc Savard in the third period - one on a breakaway, the other halting a 2-on-1 break.

The Thrashers spent more than 12 minutes on the power play in the first period, outshooting Florida 24-6. But, with Luongo making several big saves, Atlanta came away with just a 1-0 lead on Bobby Holik's goal.

Florida took control in the second period, scoring three straight power-play goals in a span of about 10 minutes. Juraj Kolnik scored from the top of the circle, then Weiss beat Mike Dunham twice with good work in front of the Atlanta net.

Weiss deflected in Mike Van Ryn's shot from just inside the blue line, then flipped a rebound past Dunham.

''I'm just trying to play my game,'' Weiss said. ''The offensive zone is a little more open and you have room to make plays.''

Luongo faced 32 shots before turning over the net to Pelletier with 7:55 left in the second period. The backup goalie stopped 20 of 22 shots.

''The game was a good workout,'' Luongo said. ''The last half of the first period, they were on the power play the whole 10 minutes. It was tough, but you have to battle through it.''

Bondra pulled Atlanta to 3-2, ripping a wrist shot past Pelletier for the lone even-strength goal of the night. But Thrashers defenceman Niclas Havelid was called for hooking with just seconds remaining in the period, and Florida took advantage with Anthony Stewart's power-play goal 53 seconds into the third.

Van Ryn assisted on three of Florida's goals.

Atlanta squandered a chance to get back in the game when three Florida penalties in the space of less than two minutes gave the Thrashers an extended two-man advantage.

The Thrashers had another two-man edge late in the game, but Holik ruined it with a tripping penalty.
 

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