On Monday, Scottie Upshall was traded by the Phoenix Coyotes to the Columbus Blue Jackets along with Sami Lepisto for defenseman Rostislav Klesla. 

It was the third time in his career that he's been dealt around the trade deadline.

After missing the morning skate because of travel issues, Upshall played with his new team for the first time on Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks, and scored a goal. 

Not bad for a debut, huh? Well, turns out this isn't the first time Scottie has turned such a trick.

Proof after the jump. 

Continue reading this post »

Remember the puck-stealing ordeal that enveloped the Stanley Cup Final last June? 

Well, with the Philadelphia Flyers in Chicago to take on the Blackhawks over the weekend, it became a story once more. 

According to a report on Philly.com, later picked up by TSN, Chris Pronger still has the puck from Game 2, and he knows what he wants to do with it.

"I have it," Pronger said. "It's tucked away somewhere. It'll wind up on eBay at some point. All proceeds will go to the person that buys its charity."

We'll see who plops down the money for that puck, where that money goes, and what happens to the puck in the long run. Until then, you better believe this is going to be a story people will be talking about in Chicago, and probably elsewhere.

There's no word on what happened to the puck that Patrick Kane used to beat the Flyers in overtime of Game 6.  A Chicago restaurant -- Harry Caray's, to be exact --  has publicly offered a $50,000 sum for that piece vulcanized rubber, but Pronger says he doesn't have that one. 

According to Yahoo Sports, former NHL player Mike Danton is hoping a return to the league is in his future.

Arrested in April 2004, Danton spent 63 months in jail for a conspiracy to commit murder. The target was his agent, David Frost. The 135th overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft was released from prison in 2009.

Danton's parole ends today, which ends his court-mandated meetings with corrections officials and enables him to travel without restriction. 

The 30-year-old currently plays with the St. Mary's University Huskies in Halifax. 

It's unclear whether any teams would even take a chance on the forward at this point, who has been out of the league for six years, and isn't exactly making headlines on the ice in Nova Scotia, but it's a story to keep an eye on.

Danton played in 87 NHL games for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues from 2000-2004.

Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom received an nice 10-year contract extension in May, and it appears his teammates are already reaping some benefits of the deal.

According to official team blog Dump 'n' Chase, after a recent practice, Capitals players returned to their lockers and found a single box which contained a brand new Apple iPad from Backstrom.

The 22-year-old didn't seem to think the gesture was too big of a deal.

"My teammates have been so helpful to me these first three years," he said. "They’ve helped me play good and make everything easier for me. I just wanted to thank them for helping me out. Signing a new contract, I wanted to show them my appreciation."

Continue reading this post »

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for the Islanders on the injury front, it has.

Islanders' center John Tavares suffered what was being described as a "mild concussion" in Saturday night's 5-4 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars.

Tavares was involved in a center-ice collision with the Stars' Adam Burish late in the first period. The contact seemed light and harmless until the second-year forward was slow to return to his feet and required assistance in leaving the ice.

A team release said Tavares would be re-evaluated on Monday, prior a home matinee against the New York Rangers.

The Islanders have already lost Mark Streit (shoulder) and Kyle Okposo (shoulder) to long-term injuries.

Head over to Lighthouse Hockey and discuss the latest potential hit to the Islanders' lineup.

We aren't even through the NHL's preseason schedule and Sean Avery is already in the headlines. This time, however, the often controversial Ranger was outdone in New Jersey.

In the third period of Saturday's exhibition game, Ilya Kovalchuk and Avery got into a heated exchange, which ended with the Devils' $100 million dollar man making a gesture to the Rangers' perennial pest.

Remember, Chicago's Nick Boynton was suspended for the Blackhawks' first regular season game after making a throat-slashing gesture to Tampa Bay's Blair Jones.

Will the NHL come down on Kovalchuk, or does the Russian's star power deflect any possible punishment?

History was indeed made in the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, as suggested by the league's well-recieved (and well-spoofed) television commercials.

Now, keeping in tune with the Stanley Cup Final, a new promotion is set to be launched on Saturday night during Game 1 in Chicago, according to Street and Smith's Sports Business Daily.

"There Are No Words" will highlight the "inability of players to articulate their boundless after fulfiling a lifelong dream to win a championship"

According to the article, YouTube has listed 68,000 tribute videos under the category of "History Will Be Made".

This latest campaign can't possibly top such numbers, can it?

Continue reading this post »

SBN's own Habs Eyes On The Prize has posted a great piece on Philadelphia's Claude Giroux, his hometown of Hearst, Ontario, and the residents' conflicting emotions regarding the outcome of the Canadiens-Flyers Eastern Conference Final series.

Read the article written by Francis Bouchard here, and don't forget to keep pace with the blog for everything Canadiens as we approach tonight's pivotal Game 5 in Philadelphia. 

Don't forget, Flyers fans, there's always SBN's Broad Street Hockey for your Philadelphia hockey news and discussion.

(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers will try to secure a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals when they host the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals tonight at Wachovia Center .

After posting a 3-0 victory in Game 4 on Saturday, the seventh-seeded Flyers are now just one win away from winning this best-of-seven series and making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1997, when they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings.

Meanwhile, the eighth-seeded Canadiens will try to stave off elimination, something they were able to do in the first two rounds. Montreal is 5-0 in elimination contests this postseason, having rallied from a 3-1 series deficit against Washington and also coming back from a 3-2 hole against Pittsburgh in Round 2.

The Flyers turned in a dominant performance in Saturday's Game 4 at Montreal, with Claude Giroux and Ville Leino each scoring in the second period to lift Philadelphia to the 3-0 decision. The Flyers rebounded nicely from a 5-1 thrashing in Game 3, a loss that ended a six-game winning streak.

"We've responded all year from disappointing losses, and tonight was no different," said Philadelphia captain Mike Richards. "I had full confidence that we would do that...we cycled, we didn't turn the puck over, and that's something we have to continue."

Giroux also added an empty-net goal in the late stages of regulation and he now has 16 points on eight goals and eight assists in this postseason.

Michael Leighton, coming off his first postseason loss in Game 3, needed to make just 17 saves to post his third shutout of the series. He is the first Flyers goaltender to notch three shutouts in one playoff series.

"It's nice any time you get a shutout, but I'm not really concerned about shutouts right now, I'm concerned about winning," Leighton said.

Philadelphia also welcomed back forwards Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere to the lineup on Saturday. Carter had been out of action since April 20, when he broke his foot in Game 4 of the quarterfinals against New Jersey, while Laperriere, a fearless shot blocker, missed 10 games with a mild concussion and brain contusion after absorbing a slapshot versus the Devils.

Jaroslav Halak turned away 22 shots for Montreal, which is trying to get back to the Cup Finals for the first time since the Habs won it all in 1993.

"We have to win the next one," said Montreal forward Scott Gomez. "There is nothing else we can say. Good thing is we've got the experience and we're ready to do it, but we're going to have to be at our best to beat these guys, especially (on the road)."

Montreal has come back from 3-1 down to win a series twice in its history and both have come in the last six years. Before pulling off the feat in Round 1 against Washington, the Canadiens also mounted a big comeback in 2004 when it defeated Boston during the first round that year.

The Flyers are 18-2 all-time when leading a series three games to one. The last time they coughed up a 3-1 edge was in the 2000 conference finals against New Jersey.

Philadelphia and the Habs are battling for the East title despite being the bottom two seeds in the conference, marking the first time since the NHL adopted its current playoff format in 1994 that the seventh and eighth seeds in either conference are playing a series with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals on the line.

The Flyers are 6-1 as the host in this year's playoffs after going 24-14-3 in Philadelphia during the regular season. Montreal, which will host Game 6 on Wednesday if it can win tonight, is 5-5 as the guest in this postseason.

The Flyers and Canadiens are meeting in the playoffs for the sixth time. Montreal won three of the previous five encounters, but Philly beat the Habs in five games the last time the franchises met in the 2008 conference semifinals. Prior to that, the previous two encounters were for conference titles, with Montreal earning a trip to the Cup Finals in 1989 -- two years after Philly beat them for the Prince of Wales Trophy in 1987.

Continue reading this post »

The Philadelphia Flyers will welcome two crucial pieces of the team's success back to the lineup for Saturday afternoon's game four of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals, according to a post on the Flyers' official website.

Flyers forwards Ian Laperriere and Jeff Carter will return to the lineup for this afternoon’s crucial Game 4 against Montreal at the Bell Centre, the club confirmed this morning (3:00 p.m., NBC).

Carter has not played since April 20 in New Jersey, when the Flyers defeated the Devils in Game 4 of their first round series. Carter suffered a fractured right foot when he was hit by a Chris Pronger slap shot, while Laperriere blocked a puck with his face in the clinching Game 5 on April 22, causing a brain contusion and mild concussion. Both players were thought at one point to be lost for the season.

Laperriere will likely play in his regular spot on the fourth line with Blair Betts and Darroll Powe, replacing Andreas Nodl. It was unclear who would come out of the lineup for Carter, although reports have surfaced that it will be Daniel Carcillo, and Carter will play wing with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne.

It remains to be seen whether Carter and/or Laperriere are at full strength, but regardless, it gives the Flyers' a new look against a Canadians team desperate to tie the series heading back to Philadelphia next week.

Continue reading this post »

(Sports Network) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to draw even in the Eastern Conference finals today, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 at Bell Centre.

After being outscored by a 9-0 margin in losing the first two tests of this best-of-seven series in Philadelphia, the eighth-seeded Canadiens stormed back on home ice with a decisive 5-1 victory in Game 3 on Thursday.

While Montreal will attempt to even the series at 2-2 this afternoon, the seventh-seeded Flyers will try to grab a three games to one lead before heading back to Philadelphia for Game 5 on Monday.

Thursday's loss was the most lopsided setback of this postseason for the Flyers and was also the club's worst defeat since dropping a 6-0 decision to Pittsburgh in the fifth and final game of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals.

In Game 3, Jaroslav Halak stole some of Philadelphia goaltender Michael Leighton's thunder, making 25 saves to anchor Montreal's impressive victory at Bell Centre. The rest of the Canadiens finally solved Leighton, who registered consecutive shutouts by turning away all 58 shots Montreal had fired at him in the first two games of this series.

Dominic Moore and Tom Pyatt both picked up a goal and one assist for the Habs, while Michael Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Marc-Andre Bergeron also tallied.

"(Halak) made some big saves early in the game," said Montreal head coach Jacques Martin. "I think that (Philadelphia) had three chances in the first five minutes of the hockey game. Then after that I think our team kind of took over and played a strong game at both ends of the ice."

Montreal has been resilient this postseason, rallying from a 3-1 series deficit against Washington and a 3-2 hole against defending champion Pittsburgh in Round 2.

"We moved the puck much better tonight," Gionta said. "We entered their zone a lot better tonight. Our forecheck was good."

Cammalleri's goal was his 13th of this playoffs, placing him fourth on Montreal's franchise list for most tallies in one postseason. Frank Mahovlich is next on the list with 14 goals in the 1971 playoffs.

For the Flyers, Simon Gagne scored the lone goal when he tallied in the third period. Philadelphia also lost for the first time since Game 3 of its conference semifinal matchup with Boston, which held a 3-0 series' lead before the Flyers rallied for a historic comeback. The Flyers had outscored the opposition 24-8 during their six-game win streak.

Meanwhile, Leighton, a journeyman goalie claimed off of waivers by Philadelphia for the second time in his career back in December, had won four straight since taking over the starting job after Brian Boucher hurt both knees during Game 5 against Boston.

The Ontario native, who turned 29 on Wednesday, finished with 33 saves.

"I'm not going to dwell on them scoring that many goals. We know we have to play better defensively and offensively," Leighton said.

On the injury front, the Flyers could get one of their injured forwards back today in Ian Laperriere, who has been sidelined since April 22 with a concussion and brain contusion. Media reports out of Philadelphia and Montreal are saying Laperriere will play today, but Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren is maintaining that both Laperriere and Jeff Carter are day-to-day,

Carter, the club's leading goal-scorer during the regular season, has been sidelined since April 20, when he broke his foot in Game 4 of the conference quarterfinals against New Jersey. Carter is not expected to play today.

Philadelphia and the Habs are battling for the East title despite being the bottom two seeds in the conference, marking the first time since the NHL adopted its current playoff format in 1994 that the seventh and eighth seeds in either conference are playing a series with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals on the line.

The Canadiens are 4-3 on home ice during the postseason after going 20-16-5 at Bell Centre in the regular season. Philadelphia had a poor 17-21-3 record as the guest this season, but is 4-4 on the road in the playoffs.

The Flyers and Canadiens are meeting in the playoffs for the sixth time. Montreal won three of the previous five encounters, but Philly beat the Habs in five games the last time the franchises met in the 2008 conference semifinals. Prior to that, the previous two encounters were for conference titles, with Montreal earning a trip to the Cup Finals in 1989 -- two years after Philly beat them for the Prince of Wales Trophy in 1987.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Kurtis Foster and his family are mourning the loss of their first child, Lila, who passed away on May 10, just five days after her birth.

Foster rose to prominence on the ice this season by setting career-highs in assists and points. The 28-year-old was also named as one of three finalists for the Bill Masteron Trophy, which is given to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The winner will be announced next month.

From The Peterborough Examiner:

"Her time with us was a blessing and beautiful Lila enjoyed hearing lullabies and Mother Goose from her loving parents, grandparents and family," Lila's obituary states in The Examiner on Wednesday.

"Thank you Lila for the love you have brought and for touching our lives forever. We will miss you always little Peanut."

I followed this guy's resurgence this season with the Lightning, and can't imagine what he and his family are going through at the moment. Send your good thoughts to the Foster camp in the weeks to come.

Continue reading this post »

(Sports Network) - Returning home with a 2-0 series lead, the Chicago Blackhawks will try to take an even stronger hold on the Western Conference finals when they host the top-seeded San Jose Sharks tonight at United Center.

The Blackhawks have stolen home-ice advantage away from San Jose, taking both Games 1 and 2 at HP Pavilion. After posting a 2-1 decision in the opener of this best-of-seven series, Chicago recorded a 4-2 win Tuesday night at the Shark Tank.

Chicago has tied an NHL record with seven straight road wins in a postseason, matching the mark that was last achieved by Colorado in 1999.

However, the second-seeded Blackhawks, who will also host Game 4 on Sunday, are just 3-3 as the host during these playoffs after posting a strong 29-8-4 record on home ice in the regular season.

"We know we haven't done near what we want to do at home," said Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews.

The Sharks are 3-2 as the road team this postseason after going 24-14-3 away from San Jose prior to the playoffs.

San Jose fell to 0-5 all-time in conference final home games on Tuesday, as Toews registered a power-play goal and one assist to lead the Blackhawks to the 4-2 victory. Toews, currently riding an 11-game point streak, tops all playoff scorers with 16 assists and 23 points.

Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer also tallied for the Blackhawks, while Antti Niemi made 25 saves on 27 shots.

Patrick Marleau netted both goals for San Jose, which got an 18-save effort from Evgeni Nabokov.

"Early in the game, I thought we were quick. We had some jump to loose pucks," said San Jose head coach Todd McLellan. "We were playing the game the we wanted to play. It turned on us. That's happened two games in a row. Somehow we have to harness what we start with and continue on. We can't let little bumps in the road slow us down."

The Blackhawks are in good shape to return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1992, when they were swept by Pittsburgh. Chicago is 17-2 all-time when taking a two games to none lead in a playoff series. The Sharks have never made it to the Cup Finals.

This marks the first-ever playoff series between the Sharks and Blackhawks, but Chicago had the upper hand in the 2009-10 season series, taking three out of four from San Jose.