NHL News from Around the League

After the vomit-inducing Penguins game last night, we're glad you're still with us.  Had the Pens blown that lead I suspect some of you would have thrown yourselves off one of Pittsburgh's many bridges .


In Boston last night people were throwing something very different.  Bruins rookie Blake Wheeler, who recently changed his number from 42 to 26, scored the first hat trick of his career.  Hats came pouring down from the stands, as usual.   So did a bra.  It's not know who threw the undergarment on the ice, but at least one fan left the TD Banknorth Garden with a little less support than when she walked in.  With the goals Wheeler is now tied for the rookie goal lead. In New York the Rangers Chris Drury scored a hat trick last night as well, but only received hats.  Poor guy.


The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly talking to Brendan Shanahan.  The St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins are also interested.  Shanahan apparently wants nothing to do with the Blues.  Bringing in a veteran leader like Shanahan would help the Blackhawks a great deal, not unlike Gary Roberts helped out the young Penguins recently.  The Hawks are a young team who need someone to help them stay focused and keep them level.  The Penguins no longer need someone like that .


The New York Rangers are asking the NHL for a compensation draft pick in the 2009 draft.  They state that they should receive the 17th overall pick next year  as they were unable to sign the 2006 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov due to his death.  I'm not touching that one with a ten foot pole.


Icethetics has a preview of the new Tampa Bay Bolts Lightning jersey.  Seriously.... "BOLTS?"  That's ridiculous.  I like the jersey design, but I've always hated when teams use letters instead of logos, especially when the letters are used to spell out a team nickname, not even the team's actual name.  What's next?  A Montreal jersey with "HABS" on it?  A Leafs jersey with "BUDS?"  A Senators jersey with "SENS?"  Oh... wait... that last one is coming soon .


Faceoff-Factor scores with another great piece of research .  They've used the totals to date of Penguins players and extrapolated them to an 82 game schedule. Malkin looks like he will have an amazing season.


Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo recorded his second straight shutout last night as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 1-0.  The team captain has three shutouts in five games and four so far this season.

"Therriening up" the lines paid off for the Washington Capitals last night .  The Caps went for an all power line, having Sergei Fedorov center Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin.  Semin had two goals, Fedorov had one and Ovechkin assisted on all three as the Capitals beat the Hurricanes 3-2.


Unable to buy a team and move it to Canada, Jim Balsillie now wants to buy the Montreal Canadiens (article is translated from French).  Both Gary Bettman and current Canadiens owner George Gillett have denied that the team is for sale.

Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur had successful surgery on Thursday to repair his torn bicep.  The timetable for his return is still three or four months.


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