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Round 3
Stanley Cup Final
(Page 6 of 22)
Player Profiles

Smith assembling shutout streak under heavy duress

Wednesday, 04.04.2012 / 5:09 PM / Player Profiles

Jerry Brown - NHL.com Correspondent

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When he set the modern NHL record with five straight shutouts and a 332-minute scoreless streak eight years ago, Phoenix Coyotes goalie Brian Boucher stopped 146 enemy shots in a row before one finally got past him.

Mike Smith is still two shutouts and more than 100 minutes away from Boucher's marathon mark, but the current Coyotes netminder has been a lot busier during his scoreless streak -- one which reached 219 minutes, 59 seconds and earned him an NHL record of his own after Tuesday's 2-0 win over Columbus.

Opponents have put 157 shots on Smith during that span. He's stopped them all -- many with cool control and a few that had him flailing around like he was on fire.

Add the timing of this run which has rolled into the final week of the regular season -- with the Coyotes pushing not only for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot, but the first division title in franchise history -- and the magnitude of what he's doing really starts to set in.

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Home fans cheer on Selanne -- for one final time?

Monday, 04.02.2012 / 11:50 AM / Player Profiles

Curtis Zupke - NHL.com Correspondent

If Teemu Selanne is looking for help in making his decision to play another season, the sell-out crowd of 17,266 at Honda Center on Sunday made their choice quite clear.

Fans who chanted "One more year!" after Selanne scored the Ducks' lone goal in their 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers did it again as they gave him a standing ovation with 5:02 remaining in regulation, and another during a post-game on-ice television interview.

Even the linesman got into the act, delaying dropping the puck to allow the ovation with five minutes left to continue.

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Crosby's first 10 games back have been a big success

Saturday, 03.31.2012 / 4:46 PM / Player Profiles

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

Sidney Crosby has played in 10 straight games since his second celebrated return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup this season.

He has been bounced off the boards, pummeled into the corners, and bloodied because of a puck to the face -- but Crosby has gotten up every time and played on with the same edge and speed NHL fans everywhere came to appreciate before he went out with a concussion Jan. 5, 2011.

Crosby has 17 points since returning to the lineup on March 15 at Madison Square Garden. He has 29 points in 18 games this season.

He will play in his 11th straight game and 19th of the season Sunday in Pittsburgh against Philadelphia. It'll be Crosby's second game against the Flyers this season.

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Boucher thinks Stamkos is only getting better

Tuesday, 03.27.2012 / 12:24 PM / Player Profiles

Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

In his 13 NHL seasons, Vincent Lecavalier has left an indelible mark on the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise.

Among his records was the club's single-season goal-scoring mark of 52, which he set when he led the League in the 2006-07 season.

Lecavalier is a proud, accomplished player, but he's also a realist. He knew that teammate Steven Stamkos, who entered a game Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers with 52 goals this season, was going to own that record at some point.

"He's probably going to beat (52 goals) many more times," Lecavalier said.

Stamkos beat 52 for the first time Monday, blistering a first-period wrist shot past Philadelphia goalie Ilya Bryzgalov for his 53rd of the season. 
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Whitney proving a magician again in 19th season

Friday, 03.23.2012 / 9:53 AM / Player Profiles

Jerry Brown - NHL.com Correspondent

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It's not hard to find someone in the Phoenix front office, among the coaching staff or in the Coyotes' locker room who will talk about what might be the single most impressive season of Ray Whitney's distinguished, 19-year NHL career -- and the impressive milestone that will come along with it.

"He's playing as well as any offensive player in the League right now," Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said.

"Every time he touches the puck, it looks like something good is going to happen," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said.

"He's been our MVP this year, hands down," defenseman Derek Morris said.

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Dubinsky doing his best to reclaim difficult season

Thursday, 03.22.2012 / 1:18 PM / Player Profiles

Dave Lozo - NHL.com Staff Writer

Brandon Dubinsky has had a terrible season. There's no way to sugar-coat it.

Coach John Tortorella will tell you just that, and Dubinsky himself has owned up to his career-worst 8-goal, 21-assist output that had his name heavily discussed in trade rumors last month.

But for the first time this season, Dubinsky is showing signs of once again becoming the player who was deemed worthy of a four-year, $16.8 million contract during the summer.

Over the past four games, Dubinsky has 1 goal and 2 assists, including a helper on Ryan Callahan's OT winner against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night. Dubinsky has 10 shots over his past four games, which doesn't seem like much, but it's the same amount of shots he had in the nine games that preceded that.

Playing on a line with Callahan and Derek Stepan, Dubinsky has seen added responsibility and added minutes. Dubinsky is averaging about 18:45 of ice time the past three games, and the 19:46 he played against the Red Wings was his most ice time since playing 20:09 against the Phoenix Coyotes on Jan. 10.
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Flyers thrilled with rookie Couturier's development

Wednesday, 03.21.2012 / 10:55 AM / Player Profiles

Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA -- It may surprise you to learn that Philadelphia Flyers rookie Sean Couturier is among the team leaders in several major categories.
 
On top of that, he's usually given the task of playing against the opposing team's top line. Some might view that as a daunting role, especially for a 19-year-old in his first professional season -- but Couturier isn't one of them.

"It's a great challenge playing against the best on the other team and trying to shut them down ... not give them too much space," Couturier told NHL.com. "I take pride in what I do, so whatever I can do to help the team, I'll do it."

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Fleischmann's journey includes Masterton nomination

Monday, 03.19.2012 / 3:29 PM / Player Profiles

Alain Poupart - NHL.com Correspondent

SUNRISE, Fla. -- There was never much doubt about Tomas Fleischmann's hockey skills. His nickname of "Flash" might have come about because of his last name, but it also applies whenever he shows off some of his deft stickhandling and playmaking ability.

Now, the only question with Fleischmann when he became a free agent this past summer was whether he'd be healthy enough to play after he was sidelined by blood-clotting issues in each of the past two seasons.

Yet, the Florida Panthers were confident enough that they signed him to a four-year, $18-million contract July 1. The move, questioned by some analysts, clearly has been a positive for a team poised to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
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Rookie won't get consumed by 'Landeskoging' craze

Saturday, 03.17.2012 / 10:26 AM / Player Profiles

Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

A social media-driven fan craze based around a young Denver-area professional athlete is gaining in popularity by the day -- and it has nothing to do with Tim Tebow.

Fans all around the Mile High City have latched onto a new craze -- Landeskoging.

"I think it's pretty funny," the subject of the fad, Colorado Avalanche rookie forward Gabriel Landeskog, told NHL.com. "I think it's our fans and how great they are with coming up with funny things and how involved they are. It's a lot of fun. Denver is a great sports city with the fans, social media and everything."

Landeskog said the pose -- face-down on the ice, legs bent at the knees, fists clenched next to his head -- was far from planned. 
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O'Reilly leading Avs offensively and defensively

Friday, 03.16.2012 / 4:01 PM / Player Profiles

Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer

Ryan O'Reilly
Ryan O'Reilly
Center - COL
GOALS: 17 | ASST: 35 | PTS: 52
SOG: 159 | +/-: 0
Rookie Gabriel Landeskog isn't the only player from the Colorado Avalanche proving himself worthy of postseason accolades.

Perhaps first-line center Ryan O'Reilly should be considered in the mix with those unique skaters capable of shutting down opposing players while providing occasional strikes on offense.

Hey Ryan, do you consider yourself worthy of the Selke Trophy as the League's best defensive forward?

"Wow, to even be considered for an award like that would be an absolute honor," O'Reilly told NHL.com. "I always approach a game from my own end out and always want to work hard defensively because only then do you become more confident in the other areas of your game."

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