The Bulletin Board keeps you abreast of the latest news
around the NHL Monday-Friday.
- Finally Sidney Crosby is ready to
return. The best player in the game will
suit up for Pittsburgh tonight to take on the New York Islanders, against whom
Crosby has 18
goals and 44 assists in 32 career games including 35 points
in 17 home games. Crosby will skate
with familiar linemates
Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. This will be just the third time in the Penguins' last 103 games that the team will have Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal in the lineup together. Pittsburgh went 37-23-8 without Crosby. Will
Crosby be at or close to top form? Will
the referees make sure that he is protected?
Will any Islander be daring enough to touch him? Versus has picked up tonight’s game, so you
can find out the answers to all those questions at 7:00 p.m.
- It seems like a while ago that both Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were both at the top of their games.
Crosby obviously has been injured, but Ovechkin’s slump is more of a
mystery. He’s gone point-less in four
games for just
the second time in his career and is on pace for just 32 goals this
season. Since the 2011 All-Star Game
Ovechkin has been outscored
by Phil Kessel 20 to 14 and Kessel has 50 points to Ovechkin’s 36.
- Boston won its eighth consecutive game on Saturday, 6-0 over
the New York Islanders. Chris Kelly scored twice for Boston, which is now 6-0 this
season when Kelly tallies a goal. The
Bruins have outscored
their opponents 42-14 during the win streak.
- Florida beat Pittsburgh 3-2 on Saturday and remains two
points ahead of Washington in the Southeast Division. The last time Florida led its division this late
in the season was March 2000, 68 games
into the year.
- 2011 first-overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins picked up five
assists on Saturday, becoming the fourth
rookie since the lockout to have a five-point game.
- Winnipeg upended Philadelphia 6-4 on Saturday to give the
Jets a three-game winning streak.
Winnipeg has scored 15
goals in two games against the Flyers this season.
- Toronto crushed Washington 7-1 on Saturday as Jonas
Gustavsson made 40 saves. Washington is
2-7-1 without
Mike Green this year.
- The Blue Jackets snapped
an unbelievable 0-12-5 streak in Nashville with Saturday’s 4-3 overtime
victory. Columbus improved to 4-13-2 on
the season.
- Pugilist and Twitter celebrity Paul Bissonnette scored
a rare goal on Saturday in front of his mother.
- Patrick Marleau’s hat trick propelled San Jose past Colorado
4-1 yesterday.
- Phil Kessel scored his league-leading 15th and 16th goals on
Sunday but Toronto fell to Carolina 3-2.
- Crosby’s return has drawn all the headlines, but St. Louis
forward David Perron, who has also been out for nearly a year with a
concussion, has also been cleared
for contact.
- The Philadelphia Flyers are scheduled to unveil
their Winter Classic jerseys this morning.
No word on when the Rangers will do so.
- The Flyers will retire Mark Howe’s jersey No. 2 before their
game against Detroit on March 6.
- Philadelphia goalie Ilya Bryzgalov drew negative press last
season when he was highly critical of Winnipeg in the face of rumors that the
Coyotes might move north. Bryzgalov apologized
for his comments last week and handed a kid with a “Boo Bryzgalov” sign his
goalie stick prior
to Saturday’s game.
- New York Islanders’ goalie Evgeni Nabokov is out
indefinitely with
a groin pull. Rick DiPietro is also
day-to-day and suddenly the Islanders’ goalie triumvirate has been whittled
down to just Al Montoya. In light of the
injuries the Bridgeport Sound Tigers - the Islanders’ AHL affiliate – signed former
Ranger Steve Valiquette to a pro
tryout. Valiquette had been coaching
at Quinnipiac University.
- Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek is out
eight weeks with a broken arm. So
much for those Cody Franson trade rumors, the Leafs can’t afford to part with
him now.
- Former Ranger Corey Potter will be out a month with
an ankle injury.
- As had long been speculated, Tom Gaglardi officially purchased
the Dallas Stars out of bankruptcy.
- There are seven games on the schedule
tonight, but Crosby’s return is all anyone is talking about.
Past editions of the Bulletin Board:
9/21/11
- 2011 First-Round Draft Picks Shine In Preseason Action >
9/22/11
- Jody Shelley Delivers First Controversial Hit of 2011 Season >
9/23/11
- Shanahan Impresses As New NHL Disciplinarian >
9/26/11
– Sidney Crosby Participates In “Controlled Scrimmage” >
9/27/11
– Montreal Signs Chris Campoli >
9/28/11
– Top 2011 Draft Picks Shine In Preseason Action >
9/29/11
– Sestito Suspended Four Games For Hit On Deveaux >
9/30/11
– Kings Lock Doughty Up With Huge Deal >
10/3/11
– Former Rangers’ Prospects Grachev And Horak Make NHL Clubs >
10/4/11
– Steve Valiquette Is The New Goalie Coach At Quinnipiac University >
10/5/11
– Waiving Of Avery Could Wreak Havoc On The Stars’ Salary Cap Situation >
10/6/11
– Hockey Is Back >
10/7/11
– Jagr Picks Up Point #1,600 In Flyers’ Season-Opening Victory >
10/10/11
– Early Goalie Controversy In Washington? >
10/11/11
Prospal Scores Again For Columbus >
10/12/11
– Pittsburgh Rolling Without Crosby And Malkin >
10/13/11
– Sidney Crosby Cleared For Contact >
10/14/11
– Aaron Asham Is The Talk Of The League >
10/17/11
– Mark Messier Will Run The New York City Marathon >
10/18/11
– Colorado Wins Fifth-Straight Road Game, Leads Western Conference >
10/19/11
– New-look Flyers Off To Fast Start >
10/20/11
- Kessel Carrying The Leafs >
10/21/11
- Dale Weise Scores First NHL Goal >
10/24/11
– Vancouver Acquires David Booth >
10/25/11
- Jagr Scores First Two Goals Of The Season >
10/26/11
- Columbus Finally Wins >
10/27/11
– Montreal Fires Former Rangers’ Assistant Coach Perry Pearn >
10/28/11
– Philadelphia And Winnipeg Combine For 17 Goals!? >
10/31/11
- Edmonton And Ottawa Riding Surprising Hot Streaks >
11/1/11
– Chicago’s Stanley Cup Hangover Is In The Past >
11/2/11
- Ovechkin Benched >
11/3/11
– Brodeur Now Tied For Most Losses In NHL History >
11/4/11
- Predators Lock Up Pekka Rinne >
11/7/11
– Blues Fire Payne, Bring In Hitchcock >
11/8/11
– Boston Is Back >
11/9/11
– Blues Cruise In Hitchcock’s Return >
11/10/11
– Bizarre Scene In Tampa Bay >
11/11/11
– The Blue Jackets Are Awful >
11/14/11
– Milan Lucic Gives Ryan Miller A Concussion >
11/15/11
– Lucic Avoids Suspension For Hit On Miller >
11/16/11
– Malkin And Duchene Trade Beautiful Goals >
11/17/11
– Jhonas Enroth Finally Sputters >
11/18/11
– The Blues Are 4-0-1 Under Ken Hitchcock >
11/21/11 – Crosby Returns >
Click
here for our full 2011-2012 Season Archive >
Follow us on Twitter (@NYRBlueBulletin and @kevinbaumer) and on Facebook.
