TORONTO -- Guy Carbonneau has a special bond with three of this weekend's inductees. He won the Stanley Cup with Joe Nieuwendyk and Ed Belfour in Dallas in 1999, and he played in some legendary games in the Montreal-Toronto rivalry against Doug Gilmour.

Carbonneau talked to NHL.com about both:

What's it like to be here this weekend to help honor two of your ex-teammates that you went through so much with?

"It's unbelievable. I always say you make a lot of friends just by playing hockey but probably your best friends will always be the players you won the Cup with. I remember '86, '93 and '99 was a great season for everybody. Having a chance to play against all four guys that are inducted, and especially with Joe and Eddie in '99, it's a thrill."

What was it like to go against Gilmour in those Montreal-Toronto rivalry games?

"He was a great competitor. He was a lot more offensive than I was, but we played the same style. Neither of us wanted to give an inch and those are great memories. Any time you play against a great competitor makes you raise your game a little bit and that's what I always enjoyed."

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl

TORONTO -- Lanny McDonald won the Stanley Cup with Doug Gilmour and Joe Nieuwendyk in 1989, his final season in the NHL. In retirement, McDonald watched Gilmour go on to become a legend in Toronto and Nieuwendyk win the Stanley Cup twice more, first in Dallas and then in New Jersey.

But, prior to joining forces with Gilmour and Nieuwendyk, McDonald played in some tough games against Mark Howe, both when he played with his dad in Hartford and then alongside Brad McCrimmon in Philadelphia.

"Unfortunately I made a mistake to run Mark in Hartford one game and got an elbow from Gordie later on," McDonald told NHL.com on Sunday. "Mark was one of those quiet, calm guys that just played the game at the top level all the time. When you look at the plus minus of him and Brad McCrimmon that year, one was plus-85 and one was plus-83, that tells you how good he was game in and game out."

McDonald, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992, also expressed his excitement to see Gilmour and Nieuwendyk.

"They both win a Cup there (in Calgary) and Nieuwendyk goes on to win two more Cups and Gilmour has a phenomenal career not only point-wise but especially how he played in the playoffs every year," McDonald said. "It's an absolute honor to hang out with these guys and be a part of this celebration."

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl

TORONTO -- I caught up with Mark Howe for a one-on-one after he received his Hall of Fame jacket at the Legends Classic on Sunday. Here is what he had to say about being Gordie Howe's son, the moment he realized he will be in the Hall of Fame, nerves going into Monday's induction speech and how he goes about his normal life after such an emotional, whirlwind weekend:

Q: You're getting a lot of questions about your father and what it means to have your father here with you, but you talked at the Fan Forum about the moment in Philadelphia when you became Mark Howe, not just Gordie's son. Does it feel that way again here, that this is your induction?

"I know it's my induction but part of being the son of Gordie Howe is accepting that fact. And, it's a fact that I figure I'm the luckiest person on the face of the earth to have Gordie Howe as my father. What I hope for this weekend is that maybe I get the attention just because my dad wants me to get the attention when historically it has always gone to him. My wishes are that the people come here and pay me the respect and put him secondary. I would never consider it that way, but it would make him feel better."

Q: We always hear guys talk about how it's an unbelievable feeling, but at some moment it sets in that you're going into the Hall of Fame. What was that moment for you?

"It started yesterday. When I walked out onto that ice yesterday and I was the first individual out there, I had a moment to reflect, and I'm saying, 'Wow, this is starting to really mean so so much.' It's making me really look forward to Monday and being able to thank so many people that have been so important in my life. It's going to hit home because everybody around him, my friends and family, say you don't know what honor you've received yet. Yeah, I'm waiting and it's coming. Today was a better feeling than yesterday, so I know how special tomorrow is going to be."

Q: The speech is also a nerve-wracking experience for some that go into the Hall of Fame. Are you nervous?

"No. Historically I always get a little nervous, a little pumped up. I wrote my speech on a flight going down to Tampa to go scout a game, and it came from my heart. Historically whenever I speak I just speak from my heart and I don't read, but I'm going to be reading (Monday night) because I want to try to get the words correct and get the people in there. I'm sure I'll be a little bit nervous. The hardest part is it brings up so many emotions. How do you put 56 years of life into five minutes. They're awesome emotions, but I just want to be able to keep my emotions under control."

Q: You go back to being a scout after you leave the Hall of Fame. Is it going to be hard to go back into your regular day to day routine?

"No, it's easy because I'm in hockey rinks and I'm around hockey people all the time. It's been my life and it's something I love, something I have a great passion for. Not often do I sit back and reflect on my past a lot, my history, but I'm going to reflect on this day. I'm sure a lot of the people I run into in the scouting world, they're all going to come up to me and pay their respects. I'm going to be reminded of it quite often I'm sure."

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl

Former NHL head coach and player Barry Melrose starts a new gig this season: He will be blogging for NHL.com throughout the 2011-2012 season.

I've got another list this week, and it is the five greatest skaters ever to play in the NHL. Here we go:

No. 5 Pavel Bure

When he was in Vancouver, he was so scary against. If he got a step on you, it was going to be a breakaway. The saying everyone used to use with Bure was, "if he's even, he's leaving" because if someone was side-by-side with him, no in the NHL had a chance of catching Pavel Bure. For about a five-year period there, I don't think anyone had as many breakaways in the NHL as Bure did.

He was just so fast, so slippery, so quick. He could beat everybody wide, so if you got aggressive and tried to cheat out wide, he'd jump to the middle and beat you. If you tried to stand up on him, he'd throw it through your legs and go around you. He was just a great, great offensive player and speed was his major weapon. He could make some great moves, but he beat everybody with his speed.

Bure had a tremendous second gear. You'd be going with him and think you had them, and then … bam. He was a lot like the roadrunner in that cartoon. It seemed like the coyote had him a bunch of times and the roadrunner would just kick it into another gear and the coyote would be left in the dust. Well, a lot of defensemen were left in the dust with Pavel.

Evgeni Nabokov may only be 1-3 with the New York Islanders, but he’s got a long history of success against the Vancouver Canucks he can draw upon – or not.

Heading into Sunday’s meeting, Nabokov put little credence in a 14-6-2 record compiled against the Canucks during nine seasons with the San Jose Sharks.

“To be honest with you I never really look at it that way because every game is a little different,” Nabokov said. “They have a little bit different team and I am obviously on a different team, so I don’t ever look in the past and say ‘oh I have that type of record so it is going to be a good game or a bad game.’ ”
 
The truth is Nabokov is too busy trying to get used to his own team to worry much about the opponent. The veteran Russian’s first season with the Islanders hasn’t been made easier by a three-goalie rotation with Rick Dipietro and Al Montoya. Asked about his adjustment to a new team, Nabokov said, “I would tell you much more if I would play much more, but it’s a little bit different obviously with the rotation of the three goalies. We try to work on certain things in practice.”

Nabokov started the season watching five of the first six games – three from the press box and two more as the backup – then played three straight before getting hurt Oct. 27 against Pittsburgh and sitting out the next three games. He returned in Boston Nov. 7, but only lasted 14 minutes after giving up three goals on 12 shots, and started a two-game western swing back in the press box Thursday in Colorado.

DiPietro will back up Sunday. Al Montoya practiced Saturday in Vancouver, but is being held out for precautionary reasons after getting knocked around during Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Avalanche. Nabokov spent parts of practice stressing communication with his defensemen, all part of the adjustment.

“It’s coming along but always every game is a learning curve to see what certain guys like to do and so how I react to certain things,” Nabokov said after practice Saturday. “I felt like I need to learn more about them and how they like to get open, to hear their voices and what they like to say and all that.”

As for the Canucks, Nabokov is trying not to overthink his history.

“You make things complicated sometimes,” he said. “Just go, react and play and read the play when it is presented. To sit here and think what Sedins going to do, what Kesler going to do, what Salo is going to do, I think I would drive myself nuts.”

The Islanders didn’t skate as a team Sunday morning, but defenseman Milan Jurcina was out for extra work with a couple coaches, a strong indication he will be a healthy scratch for a second-straight game, with Mike Mottau in for him. Nothing is expected to change up front despite having scored the fewest goals (28) in the league, so here are the rest of the lines for Michael Grabner’s return to Vancouver – now on a top line, an opportunity he wouldn’t have gotten with the Canucks:

Michael Grabner - John Tavares - Matt Moulson
Brian Rolston - Frans Nielsen - P.A. Parenteau
Blake Comeau - Marty Reasoner - Kyle Okposo
Jay Pandolfo - Josh Bailey - Matt Martin
 
Mark Streit - Steve Staios
Andrew MacDonald - Travis Hamonic
Mark Eaton - Mike Mottau
 
Evgeni Nabokov starts, with Rick Dipietro backing up and Al Montoya scratched

The Vancouver Canucks will try to bring the final period of a six-game road trip home with them – and leave the period that preceded it in the rear-view mirror for good – when they play host to the struggling New York Islanders on Sunday night.

Vancouver showed how dominant it could still be while outshooting Anaheim 22-2 and scoring three times in the third period to make things interesting Friday. But it wasn’t enough to overcome the defensive collapse that spotted the Ducks a four-goal lead, resulting in a 4-3 loss to finish the recent trip with a 3-3-0 record.

In a lot of ways, those final two periods have been a microcosm of a Canucks’ season that is stuck at .500 and yet to meet the expectations set a year ago. There have been stretches where they look like the team that won the President’s Trophy and came within a game of adding the Stanley Cup. But too often they have been undone by a lack of either of execution or intensity as several key players try to rediscover their form.

"When we've been at our best, we've shown we're a better team,” captain Henrik Sedin said after a morning skate Sunday. “You've got to show up for 60 minutes each game and we haven't done that. There have been games where we've been good for 50 minutes, but those 10 minutes where we haven't played our best have hurt us.”

Coach Alain Vigneault said the inconsistency comes down to half a dozen shifts, and is, "all abot being a professional."

"You look at the at road trip and in my mind we should have won five out of six games," Vigneault said. "But there is five or six percent of those games where for whatever reason we are not making the right plays and when we don't make the right plays the puck ends up in the back of our net. We’re not that far off, but we’re five or six per cent off and that's six, seven shifts in a game that are hurting us right now."

Given how things finished in Anaheim, it should be no surprise that the Canucks are expected to start with a similar lineup against the Islanders, even if some might be surprised to see Jannik Hansen alongside Daniel and Henrik Sedin in place of Alex Burrows.

Hansen scored twice in the final frame, and three of his four goals this season have come on the right side of the Sedins, including one in Chicago three games ago.

“There’s a good chance that’s what we’re going to do,” coach Alain Vigneault said of leaving Friday’s third-period lines intact. “We came on real strong there.”

Here are the rest of those lines from the end of the Anaheim game, though it’s still possible David Booth could move back onto the second line with Ryan Kesler, with Chris Higgins dropping back and moving across to the right side of the third:
 
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Jannik Hansen
Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler - Alex Burrows
Manny Malhotra - Cody Hodgson - David Booth
Aaron Volpatti - Maxim Lapierre - Dale Weise

Vancouver’s defensive pairings will again include Aaron Rome, who was not suspended after receiving a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for elbowing after Friday’s high hit on Anaheim forward Devante Smith-Pelley. Rome got a call from NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan, and said the conversation will help in the future.

"Those calls are good to let you know where you stand and what you can and can't do so there's not a grey area. It was good in that sense,” said Rome, who was suspended for the final four games of the Stanley Cup Finals for a late hit on Boston’s Nathan Horton. “We had a good conversation. He let me know what I can and can't do. He let me know the decision process and where the league is coming from and wants the players to have a sense of what's legal and what's not. … It was close.”

Dan Hamhuis - Kevin Bieksa
Alex Edler - Sami Salo
Keith Ballard - Aaron Rome

Roberto Luongo will be back in goal for the Canucks Sunday after getting pulled after four goals on 10 shots in the second period in Anaheim.

CHICAGO – One of the better talkers inside the Blackhawks locker room is forward Daniel Carcillo, but he’s currently having a little trouble speaking because of stitches left behind from oral surgery to repair a bottom tooth plus cuts to his upper and lower lips.

Carcillo was accidentally hit with a puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets this past Thursday after Grant Clitsome hit him square in the mouth with a clearing attempt behind the net. Carcillo didn’t have time to get out of the way and the puck knocked out a tooth – which was his third lost since he started playing hockey.

The other two are the front upper teeth, which were knocked out by a stick back when he used to play for the Phoenix Coyotes.

“It happens (playing pro hockey),” Carcillo said of getting hit in the face with the puck. “I’ve never had it happen to me until now, but obviously we’re not wearing shields and it’s a fast game. If someone shoots a puck at your face and you’re two feet away, there’s really not much you can do.”

Carcillo said he had surgery Saturday to install the post for an artificial tooth but didn’t know the number of stitches it took to close the cuts. Carcillo, who will be in the lineup Sunday night against the Edmonton Oilers, said that Clitsome apologized for what happened.

Following Edmonton’s Sunday skate at the United Center, Oilers coach Tom Renney said that former Blackhawks forward Ben Eager – who won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010 – will return to the lineup against his former team (7 p.m. ET)

Eager was a healthy scratch Friday night in Detroit. Renney, however, hasn’t made his mind up about who will come out of the lineup to make room. The thinking among Edmonton reporters is that Lennart Petrell will be the odd man out, but after two straight losses it could by a number of guys.

Renney said he will think about it Sunday afternoon and make a game-time decision. Eager played against the Boston this past Thursday, but Renney said it wasn’t anything he did in that 6-3 loss that prompted his exit from the lineup against the Red Wings the next night.

“I don’t want guys out too long,” Renney said. “We’ve got a young team here and players have to play. It might not be what they’re not doing out on the ice (when they get scratched). It’s who’s out and who needs to get back in.”

The Oilers are looking forward to wrapping up this six-game road trip and hoping to end their two-game losing streak. They’ve dropped three of the first five on the trip.

“Our last really, really good game from start to finish for us was (vs. the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 3),” Renney said. “That was because nobody really cared, other than making sure we all played off the same page and just did a really good job of everything together. We need to get back to that.”

Since that game, Edmonton has averaged just two goals a game and won just once in four outings. Simplifying things against the Blackhawks is what the Oilers are hoping will get them back on track.

“Sometimes when you’re squeezing the stick, whether you’re young or old or a forward or D-man … even a goaltender, you go a little outside of yourself and outside of what’s required of you within the team concept to have success,” Renney said. “That can be damaging.”

Here's the projected lineup for the Oilers tonight:

Taylor Hall - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle or Alex Hemsky
Ryan Smyth - Shawn Horcoff - Alex Hemsky or Jordan Eberle
Ryan Jones - Sam Gagner - Eric Belanger
Ben Eager – Anton Lander –Lennart Petrell or Magnus Paajarvi

Ladislav Smid - Tom Gilbert
Corey Potter - Andy Sutton
Theo Peckham - Jeff Petry

Nikolai Khabibulin
Devan Dubnyk

CHICAGO -- Center Dave Bolland will miss his third straight game for Chicago with a foot injury that he hurt while blocking a shot against the St. Louis Blues last week.

Bolland will make the Hawks' annual upcoming six-game "circus trip" to the West coast and Western Canada, with the hope of making his return at some point on that venture.

"He's going to be on the trip," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said following Chicago's optional skate at United Center on Sunday. "Hopefully he gets to play in one of the first two games."

Here is the Blackhawks’ projected lineup for their game Saturday game against the Edmonton Oilers:

Viktor Stalberg - Jonathan Toews - Marian Hossa
Daniel Carcillo - Patrick Kane - Patrick Sharp
Bryan Bickell - Marcus Kruger - Michael Frolik
Andrew Brunette - Jamal Mayers - Rostislav Olesz

Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook
Niklas Hjalmarsson - Nick Leddy
Steve Montador - John Scott

Corey Crawford will start in net for the Blackhawks and Ray Emery will back him up.

At 13:16 of the second period in the Flames/Avalanche game, video review upheld the referee's call on the ice that on Milan Hejduk's shot the puck hit a Calgary Flames stick on the way into the net. Good goal Colorado.