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Central Division:
- Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune thinks Jonas Hiller‘s compete level simply would not allow the Hawks to win. A stark contrast from the efforts of Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Two losses in a row means sinking ship to fans in Chicago.
- “That’s when it started feeling right to me, finally. That’s when it started feeling like last season,” said Jan Hejda. The Blue Jackets still sit pretty far out of the playoff picture despite this recent three game winning streak.
- Could Jimmy Howard be the next Chris Osgood? Or is his revelation between the pipes a similar situation to Ty Conklin last year.
- The Predators prepare for 7 out of their next 8 games on the road. “We’re going to need real good focus,” Coach Barry Trotz said.
- Defenseman Roman Polak knows Blues interim coach Davis Payne better than most, playing for him in Peoria. Polak proved to be a valuable dman this yea, playing against top offenses and even receiving an Olympic invitation. “You look at the guy now and you see this grown man, and you don’t realize that he’s 23,” said teammate Barrett Jackman.
Northwest Division:
- John Down with the Calgary Herald further analyzes the Vancouver laser pointer scandal. “It was going on all night,” said Calgary coach Brent Sutter. In other news, the fight between Rick Rypien and Brandon Prust could be the fight of the year.
- The Denver Post’s Terry Frei takes a deeper look at coach Joe Sacco’s success with his former players. Chris Durno, T.J. Galiardi, Cody McLeod, Chris Stewart, Kyle Cumiskey, Matt Hendricks, David Jones and Derek Peltier fit this mold.
- The Oilers seem poised to sink deeper and deeper in the standings, but John MacKinnon of The Edmonton Journal thinks youth is overrated. He notes the Oilers success during their cup run, in which the team carried mostly free agent signings. The writer also speculates Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson and Jordan Eberle could bust and at this point in their development are no sure thing.
- Pierre-Marc Bouchard broke the first and oldest rule in journalism, no cheering in the press box. The often injured forward simply could not contain himself following Saturday’s dramatic comeback victory.
Pacific Division:
- “Hillsy stole the game for us,” said Corey Perry following a 42 save near shutout. “Simple as that.” “[Hiller] didn’t give up any loose stuff around the net,” Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville said.
- The Stars scratched Matt Niskanen last night, before eventually falling to the Blue Jackets. “He has to decide if he wants to play and play in a fashion that’s going to make him successful out there,” said coach Marc Crawford.
- Terry Murray and the Kings continue to play through injuries, with Davis Drewiske and Matt Greene the latest casualties.
- The Coyotes received a jump start from rookie Paul Bissonnette, as they rallied back against the Islanders Saturday. Jim Gintonio of The Arizona Republic notes the team boasts a 1-12 record when they allow four or more goals.
- Conditioning drills for the Sharks following two straight home losses. Perhaps it was the team getting outscored 10-3 which forced coach Todd McLellan to hold a practice with meaning.
Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove
