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Posted On Saturday, 10.19.2013 / 1:56 PM

By Alain Poupart -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Wild, Panthers experiment with forward lines

SUNRISE, Fla -- The Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild will go into their matchup Saturday with almost entirely new line combinations.

For Florida, the only line staying intact is the top trio of Tomas Fleischmann, rookie Aleksander Barkov and Brad Boyes.

For Minnesota, the only line unchanged is the fourth unit of Torrey Mitchell, Zenon Konopka and Stephane Veilleux.

"We need to try to find some offense here," Wild coach Mike Yeo said after his team's morning skate. "We've got to try to get more balance through our lineup."

Posted On Saturday, 10.19.2013 / 1:55 PM

By Lonnie Herman -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Bruins' Soderberg could make season debut

TAMPA -- Carl Soderberg may make his season debut Saturday for the Boston Bruins when his team plays at the Tampa Bay Lightning. But then again, he may not.

Soderberg, recovering from an ankle injury, skated with the team Saturday morning but afterward was unsure if he would be in the lineup or not.

"I have no idea," he said.

His coach wasn't offering any answers either.

"I haven't told anybody yet if Soderberg is in the lineup," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's why the players don't know. I haven't made that decision yet."

Julien said he won't make that decision until shortly before the puck drops.

"It's a difficult decision as to who to take out," he said. "It's pretty obvious that it is not an easy decision but you better make those decisions come game time, right?"

Posted On Saturday, 10.19.2013 / 1:42 PM

By Dan Rosen -  NHL.com Senior Writer /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Strong defensive play leaves Del Zotto out of lineup

NEWARK, N.J. -- After watching his team put together it's most complete 60-minute, defensive effort of the season Wednesday in a 2-0 defeat of the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said he saw no reason to change the lineup for his team's game Saturday against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

That means defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who sat out the game in Washington with the flu, will be a healthy scratch Saturday in New Jersey. Justin Falk, who played 15 shifts totaling 8:57 in Washington, will be in the lineup and on the third defense pair with John Moore.

"In our first five games we had one game where I was pleased with how our six [defensemen] had played and that was the L.A. game," Vigneault said, referring to the Rangers' 3-1 defeat of the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 7. "The three after that I could have taken any defensemen out and they all deserved it. Nobody was playing really well then. They gave up 20 goals in three games. Michael was sick; we went into Washington and played our best game of the year as far as a group of six defensemen. Nobody deserved to come out. Everybody played well. That's why I'm sticking with the same six guys."

Posted On Saturday, 10.19.2013 / 1:26 PM

By Joe Yerdon -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Sabres could add rookie Zadorov to lineup

BUFFALO -- The Buffalo Sabres had an optional skate Saturday so their lineup for their game Saturday against the visiting Colorado Avalanche won't be known until the teams take the ice at 7 p.m. ET.

Sabres coach Ron Rolston was able to confirm one player returning to action would be forward Zemgus Girgensons. Girgensons had missed the Sabres' game Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks after being struck in the face by a Tyler Myers shot Tuesday in New York.

"[Healing] was quick," Girgensons said. "The day after the eye was totally shut, but now it's perfect."

Forward Cody McCormick was hurt against Vancouver after taking a slap shot in the leg and will sit out Saturday. Rolston was coy about what other moves could happen, saying it's possible 2013 first-round pick defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who has been out all season with a badly cut finger, could play.

"He's ready to go at any time," Rolston said of Zadorov. "It could be [Saturday]."

Posted On Saturday, 10.19.2013 / 1:11 PM

By Brian Hedger -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Blackhawks put Toews, Kane on different lines

CHICAGO -- Looking for more offensive production, the Chicago Blackhawks are going back to what worked last season.

Heading into their game Saturday at United Center against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET, NHLN-US, CBC), Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is splitting up star forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Quenneville did the same thing for most of the 2012-13 regular season, which ended with Chicago winning the Presidents' Trophy prior to winning the 2013 Stanley Cup.

Kane and Toews were on the same line midway through the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs and started this season the same way. But with the Blackhawks struggling to score more than two goals a game, Quenneville is ready to see what the old line combinations can do.

Marian Hossa, who didn't practice Friday but is expected to play, likely will move to right wing on the top line with Toews while Kane likely will slide back into the right-wing spot on the second line opposite left wing Patrick Sharp.

Posted On Saturday, 10.19.2013 / 1:10 PM

By Dan Rosen -  NHL.com Senior Writer /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Devils looking to turn things around against Rangers

NEWARK, N.J. -- Ryane Clowe is out. Patrik Elias is sick and doubtful to play Saturday against the New York Rangers. Damien Brunner is a gametime decision as he deals with what coach Peter DeBoer called "some nagging stuff." Oh, and the New Jersey Devils are the only team in the NHL without a win so far in the 2013-14 season.

The players in the Devils' dressing room are doing all they can not to stay positive. They think they can start working their way out of this mess Saturday at Prudential Center.

"We can't [feel sorry for ourselves]. We need a win," Devils center Travis Zajac told NHL.com. "That's got to be our focus. No matter who is in the lineup we have to be ready to play. Everyone has injuries. You look at the Rangers, they've got guys out. That's going to happen throughout the year. We have to make sure we're prepared and ready with whoever is in the lineup."

He's right about the Rangers. They won't have Rick Nash (concussion), Ryan Callahan (broken thumb) or Carl Hagelin (rehab from shoulder surgery) in the lineup Saturday.

Posted On Saturday, 10.19.2013 / 12:33 PM

By Wes Crosby -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Bylsma only sees talent, not opponents' records

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are not treating their matchup with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, NHLN-US) differently than any previous game.

The Penguins have built a 6-1-0 record while facing five sub-.500 teams -- four who have won one game or fewer -- but Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said teams' records this early in the season are not indicative of their skill level.

"Early in the season I don't give a lot of credit to the record and where they're at in the standings," Bylsma said after Pittsburgh's Friday practice. "The Flyers were a win away from being six points behind us in the standings, which isn't that far and a lot can be said for their start or lack of their start. But that game [Thursday] would've put them within four or six points.

"It's tough to give those records credence. We're playing a Vancouver team that is good in a lot of areas, good with their top skill and are a good team and that's what we're looking at, at a John Tortorella team."

Posted On Saturday, 10.19.2013 / 12:16 PM

By Adam Vingan -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Capitals shuffle lineup in hopes of creating offense

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Washington Capitals will sport a vastly different look when they take the ice Saturday at Verizon Center against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

After only scoring eight even-strength goals through seven games and losing three of four during a season-long five-game homestand, coach Adam Oates, who had been patient despite his team's offensive struggles, rearranged his forward lines and defensive pairings.

"I know we talk a lot about chemistry and that's important," Oates said following practice Friday. "I just felt that a couple guys weren't playing good enough for the minutes they're getting, and they need to know that."

The first line of Marcus Johansson, Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin remains intact, but the other three lines have undergone some sort of makeover.

Martin Erat will see his first top-six action of the season after averaging less than nine minutes per game on the fourth line, joining the second line with Brooks Laich and Troy Brouwer. Mikhail Grabovski will center the third line and Eric Fehr will play in the middle on the fourth line. 

Aaron Volpatti will make his season debut, replacing Jay Beagle on the fourth line, with Fehr and Tom Wilson.

Posted On Friday, 10.18.2013 / 4:06 PM

By Matt Sitkoff -  NHL.com Contributor /NHL.com - NHL Live blog

NHL Live: E.J. Hradek's Friday game picks

E.J. Hradek Game Picks Friday October 18th:

St. Louis Blues vs Winnipeg Jets - Jets

Phoenix Coyotes vs Anaheim Ducks - Coyotes

E.J.'s Season Record: 49-24-4

Posted On Friday, 10.18.2013 / 3:49 PM

By Curtis Zupke -  NHL.com Correspondent /NHL.com - 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Ducks' Fasth sitting out as a precaution

ANAHEIM -- Anaheim Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau had an easy decision on his starting goaltender for his team's game Friday against the Phoenix Coyotes after Viktor Fasth tweaked something at the end of practice Thursday.

Fasth has a lower-body injury, according to the team. Boudreau indicated it wasn't serious, but the Ducks recalled Frederik Andersen from Norfolk of the American Hockey League to back up Jonas Hiller on Friday. Emergency goalie Rob Laurie, 43, took Fasth's place at the morning skate.

"It's just day-to-day," Boudreau said. "Everything's precautionary in this world."

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