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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 1:33 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Schenn to make Flyers debut tonight



Tonight won't be Brayden Schenn's first NHL game -- he played one game in 2009-10 and eight last season with the Los Angeles Kings -- it will be his first with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The much ballyhooed prospect, acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent former Flyers captain Mike Richards to L.A., started the season with the AHL Adirondack Phantoms. After 4 goals and 4 assists in eight games, the Flyers saw all they needed and recalled the 20-year-old forward yesterday.

Coach Peter Laviolette wouldn't say where -- or even if -- Schenn would play tonight, but there wasn't much reason to call up the franchise's top prospect to have him sit in the press box. Here's a look at how the Flyers' lines could shape up tonight with Schenn in the lineup.

Schenn said when he does hit the ice tonight, he'll play the kind of game that earned him the reputation for being the best prospect outside the NHL, and the Calder Trophy favorite of many NHL experts.

"I'm not going to try to do too much," he said. "Just keep it simple, play my game. You're looking to make good first impressions. I'm not up there to be flashy … I've got to keep it simple."

Expectations have been high for Schenn since the trade was announced June 23. However, he knows he's not going out there to make people forget Richards.

"There is a little added pressure, but for me it's not going to happen right off the bat," he said. "It's not going to happen on the first night. I have to take it game by game, slowly. I'm not going to change my game or try to be something I'm not just because me and Simmer (Wayne Simmonds) got traded for Mike Richards. … There's a little more pressure, but I'm not looking at it that way."

Danny Briere said he didn't think he'd have to say anything to Schenn today.

"He didn't seem nervous at all," Briere told NHL.com. "It's not like he hasn't played any games yet."

Briere also said he doesn't think Schenn will wilt under the pressure of lofty expectations.

"I think for him what's important is to try not to think about that," said Briere. "You've got to kind of block it off. There's a reason why people are staying that about him. And that's what you have to keep in mind. There's a reason why he was drafted so high, why everybody wants him, why he was traded for such a good player. That's all he has to think about, all he has to focus on. I think the fact that he played a few games and got his confidence really high with the Phantoms, I think that goes a long way, too."

Contact Adam Kimelman at akimelman@nhl.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 1:11 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Welcome, roommate!

Danny Briere appears to have added boarding house supervisor to his day job as top center for the Flyers.

Last year, Claude Giroux lived with Briere and his three sons; this year, Giroux has moved out, with rookie Sean Couturier taking his place in the Briere guest room.

"It's exciting for me and it's exciting for my boys," Briere told NHL.com. "He's closer in age to my kids than he is with me."

The oldest of the 34-year-old Briere's three sons is 13; that's just five years younger than the 18-year-old Couturier. Briere's other sons are 12 and 10.

The Flyers' first-round pick in June, Couturier said moving in with a veteran teammate is a good way to adjust to life in the NHL away from the rink.

"At my age … it would probably be hard for me living on my own for the first time," Couturier told NHL.com. "For sure, the adaptation would be easier being around him and being around a family."

Briere said he remembers what it was like as a young player in the NHL, and is happy to do what he can.

"I remember when I was 18, 19, 20 years old, you start to think about living by yourself, it's a little early," he said. "We don't want him to worry about all kinds of things off the ice. We want him to keep his focus on the ice and worry about that rather than setting up his bills or worry about his condo or an apartment that he has to take care of. If this can relieve him of a little bit of pressure outside of hockey, then it's all good."

Contact Adam Kimelman at akimelman@nhl.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK
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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 1:09 PM

By Alan Robinson -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Projected lineups for Canadiens, Penguins

Here's what the lineups could look like when the Montreal Canadiens meet the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight in Pittsburgh.
 
Canadiens coach Jacques Martin didn't reveal his lines after the morning skate and has been juggling them regularly. But with LW Mike Cammalleri unexpectedly set to return despite having a cut on his leg, he seems certain to go onto the top line centered by Tomas Plekanec. Cammalleri had been expected to miss a few more games.
 
Cammalleri, who sat out three games, had 3 goals and 1 assist in three games against Pittsburgh last season. In 2010, he had 7 goals as the Canadiens upset the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
 
The Penguins will be without C Evgeni Malkin (right knee) for a fourth consecutive game, and F Tyler Kennedy (concussion) will miss his third in a row. D Brooks Orpik (sports hernia) will play for the first time this season despite getting minimal practice time during training camp and missing all of the preseason and the Penguins' first eight games.
 
Penguins F James Neal, who has 6 goals in eight games, did not take part in the morning skate, but coach Dan Bylsma expects him to play. Bylsma said Neal was given the morning off.
 
CANADIENS
Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Erik Cole
Mathieu Darche - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta
Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Andrei Kostitsyn
Travis Moen - Andreas Engqvist - Lars Eller
 
Josh Gorges - P.K. Subban
Hal Gill - Raphael Diaz
Alexei Emelin - Yannick Weber
 
Carey Price starts in goal.
 
PENGUINS
Chris Kunitz - Jordan Staal - Pascal Dupuis
Matt Cooke - Joe Vitale - Arron Asham
Steve Sullivan - Richard Park - James Neal
Steve MacIntyre - Mark Letestu - Craig Adams
 
Zbynek Michalek - Paul Martin
Deryk Engelland - Brooks Orpik
Matt Niskanen - Ben Lovejoy
 
Marc-Andre Fleury returns in goal after backup Brent Johnson made 24 saves in a 4-2 victory at Minnesota on Tuesday.
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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 1:02 PM

By Lonnie Herman -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Lightning turn to Garon for start as Roloson struggles

TAMPA BAY -- Mathieu Garon will be in the goal for Tampa Bay when the Lightning host the New York Islanders tonight.

Garon will get the call in lieu of Dwayne Roloson after Roloson stopped only 32 of 39 shots during a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers on Monday night.

"Physically, the challenge is there," Roloson said, reflecting on his current 5.09 goals-against average. "Mentally, the challenge is there. It's the execution that has been missing."

And if Roloson's recent performance was not enough to prompt Lightning coach Guy Boucher to call for the backup, there is this: Garon is 3-0-1 lifetime against the Islanders with a 1.61 goals-against average and a shutout.

But Garon isn't counting on past success as any indication of future results.

"I've done well against the Islanders, but honestly I haven't faced them too often," Garon pointed out. "Every day is different and every game is new."

The Islanders arrive for their first road test of the season, with four days off since they defeated the New York Rangers on Saturday.

"I'm not concerned about the long layoff," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "We've worked on keeping our focus and the break gave the team time to heal and condition. I'm happy with the three days of practice that we have had."

Tonight's expected lineups:

LIGHTNING
Martin St. Louis - Steven Stamkos - Steve Downie
Ryan Malone - Vincent Lecavalier - Teddy Purcell
Tom Pyatt - Dominic Moore - Brett Connolly
Blair Jones - Nate Thompson - Adam Hall

Victor Hedman - Eric Brewer
Brett Clark - Pavel Kubina
Marc-Andre Bergeron - Matt Gilroy

And as mentioned, Garon gets the start with Roloson backing up.

ISLANDERS

Matt Moulson - John Tavares - PA Parenteau
Michael Grabner - Frans Nielsen - Kyle Okposo
Blake Comeau - Josh Bailey - Brian Rolston
Trevor Gillies - Marty Reasoner - Matt Martin

Andrew MacDonald - Travis Hamonic
Mark Streit - Steve Staios
Mark Eaton - Mike Mottau

Al Montoya is expected to get the start in goal with Evgeni Nabokov serving as his backup.
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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 12:51 PM

By Matt Kalman -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Kampfer ready for his shot to join Bruins' lineup

BOSTON -- The Bruins' back line should have a different look tonight against Toronto, as rookie Matt Bartkowski has been assigned to Providence (AHL) and Steven Kampfer has been cleared for contact.

Kampfer suffered a knee injury during the preseason and started skating on his own last week. This week he joined his teammates for practices and morning skates, including this morning's in preparation for the Leafs game.

With Adam McQuaid still out with a neck injury, Kampfer is the sixth defenseman. If he plays, it will be his season debut and his first NHL game since last March 31, which coincidentally was also against Toronto.

"It's been a while but I'm excited for it. I'm ready to go, I feel good. I'm just going to go out there, try and play my game, play simple and help this team get two points," said Kampfer, who last season as a first-year pro skated in 38 games and posted 5 goals, 10 points and a plus-9 rating.

Kampfer suffered a similar knee injury last April while on a conditioning assignment with Providence. He worked his way back into game shape in time for the Stanley Cup Final but was a healthy scratch for that entire series.

With his offensive abilities from the back end, Kampfer might be able to help the Bruins' slumping offense.

"If anything, he moves the puck well. And when he's confident, he's a guy who skates well, can carry the puck up the ice, so he's certainly got some experience behind him," coach Claude Julien said. "Watching him practice the last few days with us, he seems to be moving the puck well and seems to be ready to go here. So he's going to get his shot."

Kampfer hasn't just prepared by practicing on the ice. He has also gotten himself ready by doing some off-ice work.

"That was something I went through with some of our doctors was visualizing some game action here," he said. "So hopefully it picks up without a beat and that's the thing that'll help me out a lot is, you know, you go out there and you act like you're playing the game, you play the game through somebody else and try and figure out what they're doing and how you can try to make a better situation out of it."



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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 12:42 PM

By Matt Kalman -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Krejci will be game-time decision for Bruins

BOSTON -- The Bruins' offense, which heads into tonight's game at TD Garden against Toronto ranked last in the league at just 1.67 goals scored per game, might get a boost from the return of David Krejci to active duty.

Krejci, who has missed the Bruins' last three games with a core injury he suffered in practice last week, took the morning skate today and will be a game-time decision, according to him and coach Claude Julien.

"I felt pretty good. I think it was a good morning skate and I feel pretty good about myself," Krejci said.

If Krejci plays, he might be centering a different line than the one he was playing with prior to the injury and dating all the way back to last season. During the morning skate, Krejci skated with Rich Peverley on his right wing and a rotation of Jordan Caron and Benoit Pouliot on the left side. A Krejci return would probably mean a healthy scratch for either Caron or Pouliot.

The new line is part of a juggling act done by Julien among his top three trios. Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton, Krejci's usually wingers, are also on different lines in the new alignment.

"We wanted to have a better start than we're having right now," Krejci said about his 2-4-0 team. "Coach decided to change the lineup a little bit. I think it's for the good. I think it's a little different look, but it's kind of exciting. So we'll see how the lines are going to look tonight, but I'm sure everybody's going to be playing hard and we're going to try to win the game tonight."

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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 12:41 PM

By Adam Kimelman -  NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Potential lineups for Flyers, Capitals

With a big, physical game looming in a few hours, neither team pushed too hard in their morning skates today, and neither team practiced in formal line rushes.

With that in mind, here's what the lineups could -- accent on could -- look like tonight when they take the ice in Philadelphia (7 p.m. ET, NHLN-US).

FLYERS
Jakub Voracek - Danny Briere - Wayne Simmonds
Jaromir Jagr - Claude Giroux - James van Riemsdyk
Brayden Schenn - Sean Couturier - Matt Read
Scott Hartnell - Maxime Talbot - Andreas Nodl

Chris Pronger - Matt Carle
Kimmo Timonen - Braydon Coburn
Andrej Meszaros - Andreas Lilja

Ilya Bryzgalov will start in goal, with Sergei Bobrovsky the backup.

There's a chance the bottom two lines could get switched for the game, with Hartnell and Schenn switching spots. Or Schenn, a natural center, could slide into the middle and either push Couturier to left wing, or if he plays on the fourth line, slide Talbot to the wing.

And now that Jody Shelley's suspension is over, he could see his first action of the season tonight, potentially in place of Nodl, who didn't play Tuesday against Ottawa. However, the last players off the ice following practice were Shelley and defenseman Matt Walker, an indication they might not play tonight.

CAPITALS
Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Troy Brouwer
Alexander Semin - Marcus Johansson - Mike Knuble
Jason Chimera - Brooks Laich - Joel Ward
Matt Hendricks - Mathieu Perreault - Jeff Halpern

Karl Alzner - John Carlson
Roman Hamrlik - Mike Green
Jeff Schultz - Dennis Wideman

Tomas Vokoun will start in goal, with Dany Sabourin recalled from AHL Hershey to serve as the backup while Michal Neuvirth continues to recover from a sore foot.

More from both locker rooms in a bit, but for now, here's me and my colleague Corey Masisak going point/counterpoint on tonight's game. There's also a look at how both team's offseason moves are working out, as well as a look at how these teams ended up with the two best goalies on the market this past summer.

Contact Adam Kimelman at akimelman@nhl.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK


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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 12:34 PM

By Matt Kalman -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Projected lineup for Bruins

Here's what the Boston Bruins' projected lineup could look like for Thursday night's game against the Toronto Mpale Leafs at TD Garden.

BRUINS
Milan Lucic - Chris Kelly - Tyler Seguin
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Nathan Horton
Jordan Caron - Rich Peverley - Benoit Pouliot
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara - Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg - Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference - Steven Kampfer

Center David Krejci (core) will be a game-time decision. He has missed three games. He took the morning skate at center between Peverley on right wing and a rotation of Caron and Pouliot on the left side.

Adam McQuaid (neck) is out.
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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 12:30 PM

By Erin Nicks -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Projected lineups for Jets, Senators

Here's what the projected lineups could look like for Thursday night's game between the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place.

SENATORS
Nick FolignoPeter ReginDaniel Alfredsson
Milan MichalekJason SpezzaColin Greening
Zack SmithMika ZibanejadChris Neil
Jesse WinchesterStephane Da CostaErik Condra

Jared CowenSergei Gonchar
Chris PhillipsDavid Rundblad
Filip KubaErik Karlsson

Craig Anderson will get the start in goal, with Alex Auld serving as backup.

Jesse Winchester will be returning to the lineup for his first game of the regular season, after coming off a shoulder injury sustained at the beginning of training camp. Zenon Konopka and Brian Lee are the healthy scratches.

JETS
Andrew LaddBryan LittleBlake Wheeler
Alexander BurmistrovNik AntropovKyle Wellwood
Evander KaneMark ScheifeleTim Stapleton
Tanner GlassJim SlaterChris Thorburn

Dustin ByfuglienTobias Enstrom
Mark StuartZach Bogosian
Johnny OduyaDerek Meech

Despite coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, Ondrej Pavelec will get the start, with Chris Mason backing him up.

Jim Slater is battling the flu, so if he doesn't go tonight, Tim Stapleton will pick up his minutes.
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POSTED ON Thursday, 10.20.2011 / 12:26 PM

By NHL.com Staff -  /NHL.com - At the Rink blog

Cammalleri to return for Canadiens vs. Penguins

Montreal Canadiens forward Michael Cammalleri will return to the lineup for Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

According to the team's official Twitter feed, Cammalleri will be in uniform against the Penguins after missing the past three games due to a deep laceration to the thigh suffered in an Oct. 9 game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Cammalleri made the road trip with the team and his comments on the team's website Wednesday seemed to indicate he felt a return was near.

"There's no definite answer on when but I feel really good," Cammalleri said Wednesday. "It's just a matter of seeing what's under this equipment and we'll see if it holds up or not. We're going to have to look at it now and see how it held up through practice and we'll probably do the same thing tomorrow. I'd obviously love to play as soon as possible."

Cammalleri scored his first goal of the season against the Jets before he was injured. The Canadiens started their home schedule 0-2-1 in his absence, and return to the Bell Centre for three more games after facing the Penguins.
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