Contributor's Regular Season Predictions.

In case you don't know, there are two of us here at the Adam's Division Blog, Jon and Robb. These are our predictions for how the regular season will end in the Northeast. Obviously with only five teams, there won't be a whole lot of differences, but feel free to comment with your predictions.

Jon's Predictions:

Robb's Predictions:

Obviously, not a whole lot of differences here, let us know if you agree/disagree and we'll be happy to tell you why we think you're wrong.

Team At A Glance V: Toronto Maple Leafs

Preseason Record: 6-3

Starting Goalie: Vesa Toskala

Likely Highest Total Points: Jason Blake/Phil Kessel

Challenge Coming Into The Season: Kessel is going to give this team some much needed goal-scoring...starting in November. Until Kessel brings a little finesse to this team, they're likely going to be beating opponents into submition on the ice, if not on the scoreboard. Komisarek, Exelby, Beauchemin, among others are all more than willing to hit you hard then smile fondly about it after. It will also be interesting to see if Toskala can remain the starting goalie, or if he gets eaten by The Monster Jonas Gustavsson. Overall, Toronto's chances all go back to Kessel's readiness to play...it's going to be a bitch getting him out of his skirt and high heels and into those pads.

Want To See Zdeno Chara Naked?

On October 9th ESPN is releasing their response to Sports Illustrated's Switsuit Edition, "The Body Issue."

The magazine will contain more than 30 male and female athletes in various degrees of undress.... including Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara.

According to Yahoo's Puck Daddy the Boston Bruins said Chara took photos that were partially clothed as well as ones of Chara in the "Full Monty."

Something for you guys and girls out there who lust for pictures of 6'9" inch defensemen nude.

Leafs Announce Opening Roster, Make Cuts

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced their season opening line up today as well as a few cuts.

Burke announced, as expected, that Phil "One Nut" Kessel and Mike Van Ryn will start the season on the injured non roster players list. Toronto will begin the season with 13 forwards, 7 defenseman and two goaltenders.

Surprisingly, preseason standout Tyler Bozak was not among those included on the final roster.

Bozak, Nikolai Kulemin, Jiri Tlusty, Carl Gunnarsson and goaltender Joey MacDonald were sent to the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies. Toronto opens the season tomorrow against Canada's smallest son, the Montreal Canadiens.

The opening night roster is expected to be as follows:

Forwards:

Jason Blake, Mikhail Grabovski, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, John Mitchell, Colton Orr, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Wayne Primeau, Jay Rosehill, Viktor Stalberg, Matt Stajan, Lee Stempniak and Rickard Wallin,

Defense:

Francois Beauchemin, Garnet Exelby, Jeff Finger, Tomas Kaberle, Mike Komisarek, Luke Schenn and Ian White

Goalies:

Vesa Toskala and Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson

Mats Sundin Retires... But Probably Not Really

Mats Sundin has announced he is coming out of retirement to play for the Minnesota Vikings after saying he would stay retired that after 20 seasons in the NHL, and another 2 deciding whether or not he would play last season, that he will officially retire.

``It was a tough decision,'' Sundin told reporters Wednesday at a news conference at Stockholm's Grand Hotel. ``It's sad to tell you today that my career as a pro hockey player is over.''

He spent 13 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, becoming the longest-serving European captain in NHL history, and he gave special thanks to the Maple Leafs organization.

``Toronto is and will always be my second home,'' Sundin said.

Sundin and Brett Favre are set to open a business together but they cannot decide.

Sergei Kostitsyn Asks to Be Traded?

Reports out of Montreal are that troublesome forward, mobster and peddler of drugs to children Sergei Kostitsyn has asked to be traded. Apparently despite not playing well Kostitsyn felt like he deserved to stay with the Canadiens and has not reported to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Maybe the Canadiens can trade him to the "Hamilton" Coyotes.

Team At A Glance IV: Ottawa Senators

Preseason Record: 2-4-0

Starting Goalie: Pascal Leclaire(probably)

Likely Highest Total Points: Toss up between Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza

Challenges Coming Into The Season: Acquiring Michalek and Cheechoo for Heatley and signing Kovalev will certainly go a long way in balancing the offense for the Senators this year, but the real worry in Ottawa is going to be goaltending. Leclaire going to need to prove himself with his injury history, and it's likely that Brian Elliott will get a fair number of starts as well. If everything can fall into place, Ottawa fans can have hope for this season.

Montreal Canadiens Send 5 More to Hamilton

The Montreal Canadiens announced today that five more players did not meet the NHL's height requirement and were sent down to their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Forwards Benjamin Maxwell and Tom Pyatt, defensemen Yannick Weber and Mathieu Carle and goalie Curtis Sanford will join the Bulldogs, at least for the start of the season.

Bruins Cut Sobotka?!

In a strange, surprising move the Boston Bruins have sent Vladimir Sobotka back to their AHL affiliate in Providence.

Sobotka has a very strong training camp and seemed to have survived final cuts to make the roster. He should see time with the parent club at some point this season. Perhaps this will provide further motivation for the youngster.

The Providence Bruins have released free agent Adam Pineault.

"He got caught in a tough situation,'' Murray said. "Another contracted player is coming down and the numbers don't gibe. (Pineault) did everything he could in camp. He played well."

Team At A Glance III: Montreal Canadiens

Preseason Record: 4-2-1

Starting Goalie: Carey Price

Likely Highest Total Points: Mike Cammalleri

Challenges Coming Into The Season: The lose of Kovalev is no doubt offset in terms of points by gaining Cammalleri from the Flames and Gionta from the Devils. Where Kovalev is going to be sorely missed is when it comes to leadership. There are a lot of new players in Montreal this year, not to mention a new coach, without a strong leader to rally behind and provide motivation in tough situations, talent will only take a team so far. Someone is really going to need to step up this year to be that guy, whether he's a newcomer or veteran to the Canadiens. Also, with lots of strangers coming on board, one has to wonder what the chemesty of this team is going to look like early in the season.

Sabres Finalize Roster, Cut Two

Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today that forward Nathan Gerbe and defenseman Mike Weber were demoted and assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates.

Regier also confirmed that forward Adam Mair is not yet ready to start the season, as he has been placed on the Injured Non-Roster list after failing a preseason physical. Once Mair passes the physical he will be added to the roster.

The cuts leave the Sabres with a 23 man roster going into Saturday's season opener with the midgets and dwarfs of the Montreal Canadiens.

Injuries to Adam Mair, Drew Stafford and Toni Lydman allowed Tim Kennedy and Tyler Myers to remain on the roster for opening day, however neither is guaranteed any playing time against Montreal.

19 year old Myers is eligible to play up to nine NHL games before the Sabres have to make the decision to keep him in the NHL or send him back to his junior team.

Zubov Pulls a Heatley, Demands Trade

Ilya Zubov, seen above helping Alfredsson off the ice after driving in a Zamboni with Dany Heatley, has demanded a trade.

Zubov was expected to make a real push to make the big club, but was demoted to the Ottawa Senators' AHL affiliate in Binghamton. Apparently extremely displeased, Zubov has demanded a trade.

"I'm not very happy about it. It's not what I want. Both me and the Ottawa team (talked) and I might get traded soon."

Team At A Glance II: Buffalo Sabres

Preseason Record: 4-1-1

Starting Goalie: Ryan Miller

Likely Highest Total Points: Derek Roy

Challenges Coming Into The Season: Last year, injuries to Vanek and Miller effectively put an end to Buffalo's hopes for a playoff run. With a roster that remains mostly unchanged, the Sabres will have to pray that such tragedy doesn't strike twice. Defense could also be a problem as Montador is a poor substitute for the now-Canadien Spacek.

Team At A Glance I: Boston Bruins

Preseason Record: 5-2-1

Starting Goalie: Tim Thomas

Likely Highest Total Points: Mark Savard

Challenge Coming Into The Season: The Bruins are strong defensively and have the current Vezina Trophy winner in net so keeping the puck out of their own goal shouldn't be the problem. The difficulty is going to be putting the puck in the back of their opponent's. While there is no lack of talent on the Bruins, some of the younger players will definately need to step up their game in a effort to make up for some of the goals lost in the Kessel trade. Having Ryder and Sturm healthy all season will help too. Barring any unforseen injuries or mishaps, the Bruins overall seem to be the most likely to take the Northeast Division this year.

Canadiens Demote Kostitsyn, Declare War On Drugs

Resident under-achiever and mobster Sergei Kostitsyn was demoted to the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.

Kostitsyn played 56 games for the Canadiens last year but is reported to have attitude problems and didn't endear himself to Canadien media, fans and coaches last year after reportedly getting cozy with some mobsters.

Toronto Celebrates "10 Days of Spirit"

If you're in the Toronto area and want to kick off a celebration of what is sure to be yet another Cup-less season, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be celebrating 10 Days of Spirit. Based on that name, I'm assuming they'll also be joining the Canadiens to celebrate man love at Teen Ranch. The schedule is as follows:

October 1st
11am – Smirnoff Ice Leafs Season Kick Off @ Dundas Square – Join Smirnoff Ice and the Leafs Spirit Crew as they ring in the 2009/10 Leafs regular season in style. Witness a hockey game played ON ICE, on Yonge St., get autographs from Leafs Legends, and compete in the Skills Competition for your chance to win tickets to the Home Opener that night. Be sure to stick around to watch the game live at Dundas Square!

4pm – FREE Leafs Tailgate Party at Air Canada Centre with a live concert by The Trews, appearances by Leafs alumni and plenty more!

October 2nd
4pm – Future Shop, Eglinton & Laird – Take advantage of special in-store offers, get autographs from your favourite Leafs Alumni and Marlies, participate in the NHL’10 Hockey Tournament, and get your hands on free swag from Leafs tickets, to signed jerseys and more!

October 3rd
7pm – Loose Moose, Front Street (Leafs at Capitals game live on the big screens) – Join Carlton the Bear, Monika with a K, and the Leafs Nation Mobile Fan Zone at Loose Moose where we’ll be watching the game on the big screens! Collect your Leafs Spirit Cards for your chance to win a great prize!

October 4th
2:30pm – Marlies Hockey for All, Ricoh Coliseum – Help the Marlies ring in their 09/10 season by joining them for their home opener celebration!

October 5th
5pm – Wayne Gretzky’s, Blue Jays Way - Join Duke the Dog, the Leafs Nation Mobile Fan Zone, and meet Jason Blake at Wayne Gretzky’s! Collect your Leafs Spirit Cards for your chance to win a great prize!

October 6th
6pm – Jack Astor’s, Front Street (Senators at Leafs game live on the big screens) - Join Duke the Dog, Monika with a K, and the Leafs Nation Mobile Fan Zone at Jack Astor’s where we’ll be watching the Leafs take on the Senators in Ottawa! Plus collect your Leafs Spirit Cards for your chance to win a great prize!

October 7th
7am – Yonge and Eglinton – Spice up your morning routine with Carlton the Bear and the Leafs Nation Mobile Fan Zone at Yonge and Eglinton on Wednesday!

October 8th
7am – Union Station, Front Street – Join Carlton the Bear, the Leafs Nation Mobile Fan Zone and meet Leafs player Lee Stempniak in front of Union Station on October 8th! Then follow us out to the Danforth after work (6pm) for your chance to meet new Leafs player Phil Kessel

October 9th
5pm – Hoops Sports Bar, Yonge Street - Join Duke the Dog, the Leafs Nation Mobile Fan Zone, and meet John Mitchell at Hoops Sports Bar on Yonge St!

October 10th
9am – St. Lawrence Market – Meet Carlton the Bear out at the St. Lawrence Market and then join us at 5 pm at the Harbour Sports Grille to watch the Leafs vs Pittsburgh game!

Buffalo Coach Ruff Makes Cut, Ponders More

With the deadline for NHL teams to set their opening day rosters set for tomorrow at 3p.m. and with 26 players still in Buffalo, Coach Lindy Ruff has some difficult decisions to make.

Earlier today Ruff announced center Cody McCormick was sent down to Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates.

An injury to defenseman Toni Lydman may make room for Tyler Myers, all of 19 years old, to make the roster.

“Obviously there’s the possibility that I get sent back,” Myers said. “I’ve thought about how I’d handle that if it came to that, but right now I’m going to take it day-by-day and do the best I can to stay here.”

Further complicating the decision is the fact that forwards Drew Stafford (mild concussion) and Adam Mair (off-season hip surgery) may not be ready to start the season.

“He tested well today and we’ll see where he’s at in the next couple days,” Ruff said of Stafford. “We’ll let tomorrow play out.”

Bruins Send Hamill, Marchand Back to Providence

The Boston Bruins announced that they have assigned center Zach Hamill and forward Brad Marchand to their AHL affiliate in Providence. The move leaves Boston with 22 players on their roster with three days left before the season opener.

The demotion of Hamill and Marchand most likely means that Sobotka has made the team. Could this also mean that David Krejci is close to returning? We'll find out Thursday. For now, enjoy some Krejci hightlights from last season:

Sabres Defeat Maple Leafs In Division Battle

Thomas Vanek and Viktor Stalberg exchanged goals as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-6 in a high scoring game.

Viktor Stalberg opened the scoring when he deflected a Tomas Kaberle pass past Buffalo goalie Patrick Lalime. Lee Stempniak put Toronto up by two with a tip in near the end of the first period.

Buffalo exploded in a 5:35 stretch in the second when Clarke MacArthur, Nathan Gerbe and Thomas Vanek scored to put Buffalo ahead 3-2.

Buffalo's lead lasted about as long Rick Dipietro's season, as Jason Blake scored 30 seconds later to tie the game. Toronto's Nikolai Kulemin scored three minutes later off assists from Matt Stajan and Luke Schenn to put Toronto up 4-3 going into the third.

Buffalo came out hot in the third and scored two goals within the first three minutes, as Jochen Hecht scored on a wrap around and Tim Kennedy got another past Toskala to put the Sabres up 5-4.

Lee Stempniak sooned tied the score at 5-5, but Thomas Vanek broke the tie again on a powerplay goal off assists from Derek Roy and Craig Rivet to put the Sabres up for good.

Less than two minutes later, Matt Ellis gave Buffalo the insurance goal to put Buffalo up 7-5. With less than two minutes left in the period Mikhail Grabovski brought Toronto within one, but Toronto could not tie up the score as Buffalo went on to the victory in a wild game.

Wilson announced that Toskala, who gave up all seven goals, would be starting the season opener -- "so there's no controversy."

"I think both teams were disinterested most of the night," Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson said. "It's your last exhibition game. Lord knows, we've played enough of them."

Buffalo finished the pre-season 4-1-1 as Toronto finished 6-3.

Montreal Canadiens Love Boys?

You can't make this stuff up. From TSN:

"The Canadiens will spend Monday through Wednesday at Teen Ranch, a Christian country retreat in Caledon, Ont., north of Toronto. They will escape the city, work on their game and do some team bonding."

Preview: Maple Leafs vs Sabres

Tonight the Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres in their final pre-season game. The Maple Leafs are coming off back-to-back wins over the Detroit Red Wings while the Sabres are coming off a tough loss against the Montreal Canadiens.

Tonight's expected lineups are as follows:

Maple Leafs

FORWARDS
Niklas Hagman - Matt Stajan - Jason Blake
Nikolai Kulemin - Mikhail Grabovski - Viktor Stalberg
Lee Stempniak - John Mitchell - Rickard Wallin
Colton Orr - Wayne Primeau - Jay Rosehill,

DEFENSE

Mike Komisarek - Tomas Kaberle
Luke Schenn - Francois Beauchemin
Ian White - Carl Gunnarsson

GOALIES

Vesa Toskala
Joey MacDonald

Buffalo

Forwards: Cody McCormick, Derek Roy, Tim Connolly, Daniel Paille, Drew Stafford, Mike Grier, Tomas Vanek, Paul Gaustad, Jason Pominville, Patrick Kaleta, Matt Ellis, Nathan Paetsch, Clarke MacArthur, Nathan Gerbe, Jochen Hecht, Tim Kennedy.

Defense: Steve Montador, Toni Lydman, Mike Weber, Henrik Tallinder, Chris Butler, Andrej Sekera, Criag Rivet, Tyler Myers.

Goal: Ryan Miller, Patrick Lalime

Toronto Maple Leafs Cut Four

Toronto president, GM and resident cranky old man Brian Burke announced today that four players have been re-assigned.

Despite a good showing in the pre-season so far Nazem Kadri was sent back to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Forward Christian Hanson and defenseman Jonas Frogren were assigned to Toronto's AHL affiliate the Marlies. Defenseman Andy Rogers was released.

"The Monster" Shines in Maple Leafs Victory

Swedish sensation Jonas Gustavsson stopped all 15 shots his faced in his first pre-season game at Toronto's Air Canada Centre as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 last night.

Gustavsson had a minor heart procedure that prevented him from seeing much pre-season action, but the "Monster" has not allowed a goal in more than 60 minutes of play so far this pre-season.

Brad Stuart opened the scoring for the Red Wings with less than a minute left in the first when he beat Vesa Toskala from the point, on assists from Ville Leino and Niklas Kronwall, who kept his skates on the ice long enough to make a pass.

Toronto tied the game in the second on a powerplay goal from Carl Gunnarsson. With Alex Ponikarvosky screening in front, Gunnarson ripped it from the point and beat Osgood.

Stahlberg would but the Maple Leafs up for good in the third when he redirected a pass behind Jimmy Howard. The goal was Stahlberg's fifth of the pre-season.

However, the highlight of the game was Jonas Gustavsson's incredible save late in the third:




Gustavsson just might make things miserable for scorers in the Northeast division. The Maple Leafs play the Buffalo Sabres in another pre-season game tonight.

Bruins Fall to Blue Jackets In Pre-season Final

Bruins went down, but not without a fight... or two.

With stars Rick Nash and Steve Mason not playing, the Columbus Blue Jackets were still able to defeat the Boston Bruins, 4-2. This was Columbus' second win over the Bruins this pre-season.

Matt Calvert opened the scoring 2:42 into the first on assists from Derek Dorsett and Andrew Murray. Vladimir Sobotka tied the game up just a few minutes later on a nice feed from Chris Neil killer Milan Lucic.

The second period saw only one goal, as Milan Lucic took the puck behind the net and found Zdeno Chara streaking towards the goal on a nice back door play.

Then in the third, the game got ugly in more ways than one. Dany Heatley has passed more driving tests than the Boston Bruins completed passes in the third. For fans it was a horrible reminder of how the Bruins played against Carolina in their second rounds series last year.

Columbus quickly took advantaged and tied up the game on a Raffi Torres goal. Just a few minutes later Raffi Torres took advantage of yet another Bruins turnover and fed the puck to Nikita Filatov who faked Tuuka Rask out of his pads for the go ahead goal.

On the next exchange Michael Blunden of Columbus tripped and plowed into goalie Tuuka Rask. Boston, thinking this was no accident, decided to seek him out on the next play as Chuck Kobasew dropped the gloves with Blunden in a hug fest.

Off to the side, Shawn Thornton and Jared Boll engaged in a more spirited bout. Despite Boll getting the take down, Thornton clearly got the better of him:




Kobasew received a roughing penalty and Columbus put the nail in the coffin with a powerplay goal.

The Bruins finished the pre-season with a 5-2-1 record.

Sabres Blow 2-0 Lead, Fall to Canadiens

The Buffalo Sabres blew a 2-0 lead and fell to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 last night.
Clarke MacArthur opened the scoring just 55 seconds into the game to put the Sabres up 1-0 on a nice breakaway on an assist from Chris Butler. MacArthur slipped the puck past Carey Price's right pad for the goal.

Gerbe scored a short-handed goal midway through the first was he beat Price with a backhand to put the Sabres up 2-0.

Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller made 18 saves, including a nice stop on a two-mak break to deny Maxim Lapiere and stoned New York's favorite center Scott Gomez on a breakway while still protecting a 2-1 lead.

Brian Gionta opened the scoring for Montreal in the second with a power play goal on assists from from Tomas Plekanec and Jaroslav Spacek. Maxim Lapierre tied the game with less than a minute in the second. Gionta scored just 6 seconds into the powerplay after Buffalo was called for too many men on the ice, which excited the Montreal fans.

Gregory Stewart notched the game winner, beating Miller top shelf about 5 minutes into the third.

The game turned a bit ugly when Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta boarded Montreal's Tom Pyatt, receiving a boarding major and game misconduct. Montreal defenseman Ryan O'Byrne got 17 minutes in penalties for attacking Kaleta after the hit. Pyatt had to be helped off the ice and did not return. He is day to day with the famous upper body injury.

Buffalo faces off against the Toronto Maple Leafs later today.

Don Sweeney Promoted to Assistant GM

Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli promoted Don Sweeney to assistant general manager. Sweeney was the director of player development and hockey operations and will now help assistant GM Jim Benning.

Peter Chiarelli said of the promotion: “I believe in this business model with two assistant GMs because of the ever-increasing intricacies of this business and the good chemistry between those in our group. Jim, Don and Scott will all continue to have specific duties and responsibilities, and I will continue to rely heavily on all three individuals.”

Sweeney is credited with advancing the development of youngsters such as Milan Lucic and Blake Wheeler and created and organized the team's first developmental camp for prospects.

Stahlberg Leads Maple Leafs Past Red Wings

Viktor Stahlberg had two goals and assisted on another as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 in a shootout.

Super rookie Nazem Kadri and Mikhail Grabvoski added goals, with Grabvoski's goal coming late in the third to tie the game. Niklas Kronwall and Johan Franzen each had two goals for the Red Wings. The Red Wings scored three quick third period goals to take the leads.

"We fell apart for a couple of minutes in the third," Stalberg said. "A few mistakes, which is easy to do against the Red wings when they're pressuring."

Nikolai Kulemin and John Mitchell scored in the shootout to give the Maple Leafs the victory.

Jonas Gustavsson did not see much work, but stopped all 7 shots he faced. The Toronto Maple leafs continued their pre-season tonight in a rematch against the Red Wings

Thomas racks up saves, Bruins beat Senators 2-1

Despite his shakey performance against the Blue Jackets last week, Thomas is looking like the Vezina Trophy winner he is. Due to some big plays by some young Bruins blood and a 35 save night for Thomas, The Bruins are able to overcome the Senators by a score of 2-1.

I should be known, however that it was not for lack of trying on the Ottawa's part. They managed to outshoot boston 36-20 and Leclaire stopped 18 of 20 shots on net. The first period saw Ottawa's Ryan Shannon scoring first after being fed by Chris Campoli and Jason Spezza. Boston's Brad Marchand was able to answer back with help from Derek Morris and Marc Savard. After a fairly uneventful 2nd period, Drew Fata managed to score the game winning goal in the 3rd on assists by Jeff LoVecchio and Vladimir Sobotka.

No doubt the real headline of this game was the absolute massacre of Chris Neal's face, courtesy of Milan Lucic...oh and Shawn Thornton fought Matt Carkner.

Lucic Vs. Neal


Thornton Vs. Carkner


Bruins have their final preseason game today against Columbus. Ottawa ha no more preseason games and starts their Regular season Oct 3rd against the Rangers

Preview: Maple Leafs vs Red Wings

The Toronto Maples Leafs continue their pre-season as they face off against the Detroit Cryers Red Wings.

Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson is expected to see action after undergoing a procedure to correct an electrical problem in his heart last week. The excepted line-ups for both teams are:

Maple Leafs Lineup

FORWARDS
Jiri Tlusty - Mikhail Grabovski - Nikolai Kulemin
Viktor Stalberg - Tyler Bozak - Christian Hanson
Rickard Wallin - John Mitchell - Lee Stempniak
Jay Rosehill - Nazem Kadri - Wayne Primeau

DEFENCE
Francois Beauchemin - Luke Schenn
Carl Gunnarsson - Garnet Exelby
Andy Rogers - Jonas Frogren

GOALIES
Vesa Toskala
Jonas Gustavsson

Red Wings Lineup

FORWARDS
Johan Franzen-Pavel Datsyuk-Tomas Holmstrom
Todd Bertuzzi-Valtteri Filppula-Dan Cleary
Kris Draper-Justin-Abdelkader-Mattias Ritola
Brad May-Kris Newbury-Francis Pare

DEFENCE
Nick Lidstrom-Brian Rafalski
Niklas Kronwall-Brad Stuart
Brett Lebda-Jonathan Ericsson

GOALIES
Chris Osgood
Jimmy Howard

Kris Draper is questionable with a sore eye after spending the entire summer crying about Sidney Crosby's handshake protocol.

Preview: Boston Bruins vs Ottawa Senators

The Bruins have game two of their three games in three days trip tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

The Senators are expected to roll out the "big guns" in their final pre-season game. Expected starters for Ottawa include recent additions Jonathan Cheechoo-train and Milan Michalek, both obtained in the trade with San Jose for Drive-by Dany Heatley. The lines at practice were:

Michalek-Spezza-Alfredsson
Kovalev-Regin-Fisher
Foligno-Shannon-Cheechoo
Schubert-Kelly-Neil


Phillips-Volchenkov
Campoli-Carkner
Lee-Karlsson

The Bruins have not released their starters yet, but Tim Thomas is expected to start and Coach Claude Julien is expected to give a few of the younger guys another chance to prove themselves. Ottawa's new firepower should provide a solid test for Thomas. Recap tomorrow.

Bruins Down Canadiens In Shootout

In a game that featured a fantastic goalie duel and Lovecchio doing his best Lucic impression, the Boston Bruins pulled out a 2-1 victory over the rival Montreal Turtles (Canadiens).



After letting in 5 goals on 19 shots agains the Rangers Tim Thomas looked sharper in stopping 33 of 34 shots. "I had a rough first outing in the preseason and it's good to follow it up with a strong one," said Thomas, the Vezina Trophy winner last season as the NHL's top goalie. "It doesn't mean that everything's perfect now, but it's a step in the right direction."

Halak stopped 26 of 27 shots for the Canadiens.

The first period didn't see much action in the scoring department, but there was a spirited bought between Boston's Guillaume Lefebvre and Montreal's Greg Stewart:



Montreal pulled ahead in the second period on a goal from Sergei Kostitsyn on a rebound (assists from Plekanec and Montreal mobsters).

The Bruins tied the game in the third on a nice feed from Michael Ryder to Mark Stuart.

Mike Cammalleri didn't meet the height requirement to play left in the first period with a lower body injury and did not return.

In the shootout, Patrice Bergeron beat Halak on Boston's second attempt for the only goal in the shootout and the victory. Boston returns to action tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

Preview: Bruins vs Canadiens

Northeast Division pre-season action continues tonight as the Boston Bruins begin a series of three games in three days against the rival Montreal Canadiens.

Players dressing tonight for the Bruins:

Forwards Patrice Bergeron, Zach Hamill, Chuck Kobasew, Guillaume Lefevbre, Jeff LoVecchio, Kirk MacDonald, Michael Ryder, Vladimir Sobotka, Blake Wheeler, Trent Whitfield.

Defensemen Johnny Boychuk, Drew Fata, Andrew Ference, Adam McQuaid, Mark Stuart, Dennis Wideman.

Goalies Tim Thomas, Dany Sabourin.

We will update when the Canadiens get around to posting their expected starting line-up. But for now, enjoy a classic Bruins vs Canadiens brawl, featuring the mighty Stan Jonathan:

Senators Demoted Mike Brodeur to AHL

The Ottawa Senators have assigned goaltender Mike Brodeur to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton. Brodeur did not see much action in pre-season, allowing one goal on 10 shots in just 26 minutes of game time.

Mike Brodeur is the first cousin of some goalie named Martin Brodeur.

Sabres Hold Off Maples Leafs, Win 3-2

The Buffalo Sabres prevailed in a close game over the Toronto Maple Leafs that surprisingly featured only fight (down from Toronto's average of 19). Hey if you can't score, might as well fight.


Jay Rosehill (Maple Leafs) vs Cody McCormick (Sabres)




If Rosehill is trying to make the roster he might want to do something other than fight, as the Leafs have plenty of goons for that.

The Sabres had a strong second period, getting goals from Nathan Paetsch, Jochen Hecht and Cody McCormik. Toronto's Jiri Tlusty scored on a penalty shot. This is one Miller wishes he could have back... just wow.





"I didn't mean to do that, but I count every goal," Tlusty said. "It doesn't matter how it went in."

The third period didn't see much action. John Mitchell scored for the Maple Leafs to close the gap to one goal and was assisted by Nazem Kadri who is still making a strong case for an opening night roster spot. Toronto outshot the Sabres 10-2 in the third, but could only beat Miller once.

Joey MacDonald had a decent showing, stopping 28 of the 31 shots he faced. Buffalo's Ryan Miller continued his strong pre-season saving 23 of 25 shots (outside of that penalty shot... he probably had nightmares about that one last night).

Bruins Demote Four Players to Providence

Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli announced today that Jamie Arneil, Andrew Bodnarchuk, Jeff Penner and Kevin Regan were all assigned to the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence.

Boston still has 36 players on the roster, which needs to be trimmed down to 23 by September 30th. Coach Claude Julien has indicated there are still a few forwards he wants to evaluate and after an effort against Columbus that was like Hossa in a Stanley Cup Final, Julien will use the remaing three pre-season games to see who deserves to fill out the roster.

The Bruins play the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, the Ottawa Senators on Friday and have a re-match against the Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Maples Leafs vs Sabres Pre-Season Action

Only one game tonight involing Adams Div... uhhh, Northeast division teams as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Slugs, sorry, Sabres face-off tonight as 7:00 PM.

Buffalo's starting line-up:

Clarke MacArthur - Derek Roy - Drew Stafford
Jochen Hecht - Paul Gaustad - Mike Grier
Philip Gogulla - Tim Kennedy - Jason Pominville
Cody McCormick - Matt Ellis - Jeff Cowan

DEFENSE:
Chris Butler - Tyler Myers
Toni Lydman - Henrik Tallinder
Nathan Paetsch - Steve Montador

GOALIES:
Ryan Miller
Jhonas Enroth

Toronto's starting line-up:

Niklas Hagman - Matt Stajan - Jason Blake
Alexei Ponikarovsky - Mikhail Grabovski - Tyler Bozak
Viktor Stalberg - John Mitchell - Christian Hanson
Jay Rosehill - Nazem Kadri - Jiri Tlusty

DEFENCE
Ian White - Garnet Exelby
Luke Schenn - Carl Gunnarsson
Jonas Frogren - Andy Rogers

GOALIES
Vesa Toskala
Joey MacDonald

Kadri Leads Maple Leafs Shootout Win Over Pens

At the draft Nazem Kardi stated his intentions were to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs all season. With the pre-season he is having GM Brian Burke might just have to keep him up.

The Pittsburgh Penguins jumped out to an early lead with both Ryan Bayda and Chris Conner scoring in the first period. Viktor Stahlberg brought the Maple Leafs within 1 with a second period goal, assisted by supposed super rookie Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson.

Then late in the third, with the net empty and an extra attacker on the ice, Nazem Kadri was able to get one past Pittsburgh goalie John Curry to tie the score with just over a minute left.

Then in the shootout, Kadri decided he felt like completely undressing John Curry with a fantastic shoot out goal:




Lee Stempniak sealed the deal in the third round with a goal himself, but the buzz was still about Kadri. "Hopefully, I'm making the decision hard," Kadri said. "I appreciate (coach) Ron (Wilson) giving me the opportunity to go out there in some big situations. I think it's really building my confidence."

Jamal Mayers was knocked out by a Tim Wallace hit in the second period and needed to be helped off the ice.

Bruins fall to Blue Jacks 6-5 in a Shootout

"Not inspirational, to say the least," Julien said. "There's some work we need to do here. Lots of work before the season starts and make some of those corrections. Hopefully we can get that in during the latter part of training camp."

Obviously a rough night for the Boston Bruins, as their coach had no problem admitting. Andrew Ference scored in his first game back from injury. Chuck Kobasew, Shawn Thornton, Johnny Boychuk and Marc Savard also scored regulation goals. Blake Wheeler was on the only Bruin able to beat Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon in the shootout.

For Columbus Jakub Voracek had a goal and two assists, while Antoine Vermette, Matthew Calvert, Kris Russell and Derek MacKenzie also scored.

Rookie Nikita Filatov and Antoine Vermette both scored in the shootout to seal the victory for the Blue Jackets.

Sabourin basically handed the back-up job to Tuuka Rask after his performance. Sabourin has stated he would like to be a starting goalie in the NHL but he looks like he might be more suited to be a starting goalie for a local roller hockey team.

This Is The Girl That Gave Kessel Mono

The following is an opinion piece from one of our contributors, Jon:

I used to love Phil Kessel. I started calling him "Thrill" before the media picked up on what should've been an obviously nickname. When everyone said he was too soft or not a team player, I defended him even though deep down I probably knew they were right.

Then free agency came and GM Peter Chiarelli didn't re-sign Kessel. I watched as the Bruins salary cap number shrank and Kessel's name still wasn't on a Boston Bruins contract. I got angry! This kid scored 36 goals last season and would only get better! I loved Phil Kessel. Now? I can't wait for the Maple Leafs to come to down so I can see Zdeno Chara kill him when he comes across the middle.

Turns out... Phil Kessel is, in fact, a whiny little girl who puts the name on the back of the jersey above the logo on the front. Sure, maybe right now I just feel like a jilted girlfriend who was betrayed. But Phil Kessel only has one nut. So that makes him half a man. I mean look at the picture above. He's ignoring a hot girl while he looks to the heavens and curses the gods for giving him the face of a rapist and the toughness of a newborn.

He spent his summer telling every newspaper in Boston that he wasn't looking for the 5 million a year some reported, and that he was just looking for a fair contract and that he made multiple offers to the Bruins. Then it came out that he refused every offer and wanted out of Boston all along. Now his name is on a 5.4 million year a deal with the Toronto Goons, and you know what? The Bruins are better off.

Kessel never fit the Bruins mold of hard work and defensive responsibility. They now have 2 first round and 3 second round picks in next year's draft, a pot which can be used to help acquire a winger who doesn't piss his pants at the thought of going into the corners to retrieve a puck. He's probably up in Toronto right now dangling around a gay bath house.

Then it came out that even team mates questioned his commitment. After the playoffs ended for the Bruins, Mr. Recchi said that 99% of the guys in the lockeroom put winning above all us. It is not painfully obvious who that 1% was. Team mates had to beg Kessel to play through even minor injuries, often pointing out that others were playing through worse.

Phil Kessel gives Dany Heatley spiff competition for the Asshole of the Summer Award. The only difference between the two is that Kessel doesn't have a manslaughter on his resume.

Kessel is gone. This one trick pony can take his toe drag move (that every defender picked up on about mid way through the season) up to Toronto where another Stanley Cup is as likely as someone joining Heatley's car pool in San Jose. Yeah, the Bruins need to make up 36 goals. And they will, through hard work, hits, corner battles, blood, sweat and sweet Recchi rebounds. Maybe Kessel can use his new found fortune to buy a spine... and a prosthetic nut.

Northeast Fight Club: Pre-season

Even though it is only pre-season we have seen dozens of fights across the NHL, particular from games involving the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here are a few pre-season divisional fights for your enjoyment:


A short but spirited bought between Matt Carkner (Ottawa Senators) and Eric Neilson (Montreal Canadiens)



Ryan O'Byrne (Montreal Canadiens) and Shean Donovan (Ottawa Senators)




Sergei Kostitsyn (Montreal Turtles) refuses to answer the bell after a cheap shot against Jeff LoVecchio (Boston Bruins). Figure he would've learned to fight from his drug dealing buddies:

Tonight's Pre-season Games

Both the Maple Leafs and Bruins will be in action tonight, as the Maple Leafs welcome the Penguins and the Bruins visit Rick Nash and Columbus. Toronto is fighting anything that moves this pre-season, which seems to be their plan going into the regular season. The Bruins currently have a 3-1 "meaningless" game record.

Can Kessel Thrive Without Savard?

Jonathan Willis of Hockey or Die! brings up and interesting point.

Kessel spent the majority of his time last season playing on the top line with superb playmaker Marc Savard. The two formed, at least prior to Kessel's injury and make out disease, one of the top two tandems in the NHL.

Kessel is now off to Toronto, a team that obviously lacks anyone nearly as skilled as Savard. Here is Willis' breakdown, with help from HockeyAnalysis.com:

With Marc Savard

* Goals for every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: 3.74
* Goals against every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: 1.87
* Goal differential every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: +1.87

Without Marc Savard

* Goals for every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: 2.35
* Goals against every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: 1.76
* Goal differential every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: +0.59

Marc Savard Without Kessel

* Goals for every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: 3.87
* Goals against every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: 2.94
* Goal differential every 60 minutes of even-strength ice-time: +0.93

Maples Leafs Send Four Players to AHL

Toronto Maple Leafs president and GM announced today that the team has assigned forwards Alex Foster, Ryan Hamilton, Ben Ondrus and Andre Deveaux to their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

Interesting to note that Nazem Kadri, Toronto's first round pick in this year's draft, is still with the big club.

Ottawa Winger Winchester Out Three Weeks

Jesse Winchester was apparently injured Friday's 2-1 loss to the Montreal Midg... uh, Canadiens. Winchester suffered the classic "lower body injury" and and is expected to be out three weeks.

The Senators are still waiting to get a full report from doctors before commenting on the situation. Heatley offered to drive Winchester to the doctors on his way out of town, but was quickly rebuffed by Ottawa management.

Bruins Cut Sauve

The Boston Bruins have cut forward Max "Rico" Sauve. Sauve will return to his junior team, Val d'Or of the QMJHL.

Sauve had one goal and two assists in three games this pre-season. He is expected to be called up to Providence (AHL) in the spring after his junior season is over.

Bruins Trim 13 Players From Roster

The Boston Bruins have cut goaltenders Matt Dalton and Adam Courchaine, and forwards Jordan Knackstedt and Matt Marquardt. All four will be returned to Providence. Both Rob Kwiet and Scott Fletcher will also go to Providence as they have been released from their tryout agreements with Boston. Defenseman Alain Goulet and forward Lane MacDermid, both unsigned draft picks, have also been assigned to Providence.

Jordan Caron, Ryan Button, Michael Hutchinson and Tyler Randell have been returned to their junior clubs. Rumor has it that Randell was cut for wearing number 66, which obviously should only be worn by Lemieux.

Boston trades Phil Kessel to Toronto

The Boston Bruins have officially announced that they have traded disgruntled sniper Phil "Thrill" Kessel to the Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2010 first and second round pick and a 2011 first round pick.

GM Peter Chiarelli will discuss the trade with the media tomorrow at 11am.

Sad, Sad Day: Fred Cusick Has Passed

Fred Cusick, legendary announcer and voice of the Boston Bruins for 40+ years, has passed away at the age of 90.

Cusick is scheduled to be inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame tomorrow night.

Current play-by-play man Jack Edwards said the following of the great Fred Cusick:

"When you listened to Fred Cusick call a Bruins game, you knew this: he loved hockey with endless enthusiasm, and he was thrilled every night," Edwards said. "By sharing those qualities with those of us in his considerable audience, he pulled us closer to the game we all enjoy so much -- and he added to that enjoyment."

"SCORE! BOBBY ORR!"

Heatley Traded to San Jose, California Drivers Nervous

This will be a quick update as we are a little behind on this post. Finally one of the long-winded dramas of the East comes to an end with Ottawa finally trading Dany Heatley to San Jose in exchange for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a 2nd round draft pick. Heatley, who wanted the move because he felt that he was not being properly utilized is apparently due to make approximately $8 million this year. With this cleared up we can focus on the next biggest northeastern story: The Phil Kessel-Bruins fiasco.

Alexei Kovalev's mouth meets foot... agains

As if Ottawa Senators fans were not suffering enough, Alexei Kovalev basically confirmed he is just collecting a paycheck.

Kovalev signed a two-year, $10-million dollar deal with the Senators. After a rough season in Montreal, a change of scenery was thought to be best. Senators fans were getting excited about the possibility of Kovalev finding his heart and playing like he cared again...

Instead of embracing this, Kovalev acted like an ex-girlfriend who just can't let go:

“I was disappointed, I thought for sure I’d be staying here,” Kovalev told reporters at his charity golf tournament in Montreal. “I couldn’t really understand what had just happened. In the end, I took it from a business point of view. You had a chance to stay here, and you didn’t, so you just go and do the job somewhere else. But maybe somewhere in the future I’ll be back again, and get the same support.”

As if that was not bad enough, Kovalev went on to say that Ottawa was basically a last resort:

“We couldn’t get any better offer from anybody else,” said Kovalev. “Ottawa was kind of the last choice for us. If we didn’t sign, we were going to end up someplace else for one year.”

Maybe, just maybe you should have played like you cared in Montreal, eh Kovalev?

Might be a good time to hug your local Ottawa Senators fan!

Marco Sturm ready to go!

After a busy off-season of schooling some children in ping-pong, Marco Sturm is itching for the season to begin. Sturm was limited to just 19 games last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee.

Sturm registered 7 goals and 13 points in the 19 games he did play last season, which would have put him on pace to finally break the 30 goal barrier, which he has yet to do in his career.

One of Sturm's biggest strengths has always been his speed, however there is concern that his injury and age may cause him to lose a few steps. Sturms and the Boston Bruins will find out in just a month when the season officially opens.

Bruins' Krejci Progressing

One of the Boston Bruins breakout performers last season is almost ready to hit to play... he thinks.

David Krejci, who had off-season hip surgery, said he is feeling good and that rehab is going very well. So well in fact that Krejci said he may be available for the season opener against Ovechkin and the Crapitals.

Krejci has been skating on his own for the past couple weeks, and Boston Bruins trainers are adding more to his regimen. He skated briefly yesterday before leaving the ice for off-ice workouts. Having him back in October, as opposed to the earlier late November/Early December time frame that was originally thought, would be a huge boost to the Bruins who would be without Kessel until December (if he is still wearing a Bruins uniform).

“Who knows? I might be ready,’’ said Krejci. “If I’m ready to play, I’ll play. But I don’t want to rush it. I’d rather miss a few games than be out for half the year.’’

Jason Allison gets try out with Maple Leafs

According to The Globe and Mail former Boston Bruins captain Jason Allison has been invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp.

Allison has not played an NHL game since the 2005-2006 season when he was a member of the Leafs. Allison netted 17 goals and 60 points in 66 games. He has played 550 NHL regular season games. If healthy, and up to the same playing level as in '06, Allison should at the least offer more depth to a young (Blake excluded) and developing Leafs team.

Maple Leafs - NHL disagree over relocation vote?

Surprise surprise, the NHL and one of it's teams are at odds over how to interrupt a provision regarding a team's relocation.

As I'm sure you're all aware, there is quite the battle going on between the NHL and Blackberry boss Jim Balsillie in regards to purchasing and moving the Phoenix Coyotes.

This is Balsillie's third attempt to buy and move a team to Canada (he previously failed with the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins). Big Jim wants to purchase the Coyotes and move them to Hamilton, which would be in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres territory. His Scott Walker approach of ignoring the rules and sucker punching franchises and the league with his bids have not endeared him to other league owners.

In an effort to turn talk away from the fact that they haven't wont a Cup since the 1800s, The Maple Leafs have publicly taken a strong stance saying the provision states that a unanimous vote of approval is needed for a team to be relocated, while the NHL claims that only a majority vote is required to move a team.

The NHL claims that the "territorial veto rights provision in Article 4.3 of the NHL Constitution is no longer operative."

Gary Bettman seems to believe that teams have the right to veto when another team plays games in its territory, but not when a team is relocated.

Obviously a relocation of the Coyotes to Hamilton could potentially affect revenue and ticket sales for the Maples Leafs and Sabres (although some argue that the Toronto fan base would be dedicated enough and spend enough to support two teams in the same region).

Regardless of who is right, the chances of the Coyotes staying in Phoenix seem to be slim, and mercifully the plug looks to get pulled soon.

You can read more on Toronto's stance here

Dany Heatley Deadline?

It's about time.

About two months too late, it seems as though Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray is ready to make a decision in this Dany "Trade Me, but only to places I want to go!" Heatley saga.

In an article in the Ottawa Citizen, Murray claimed he's about ready to set a deadline to either trade malcontent Dany Heatley, or bring him back and kill his locker room despite Heatley's requests to leave.

No doubt Ottawa Senators fans are sick of this whole sage, and most likely will not be giving Heatley a warm welcome. As talented as Heatley is there is great potential for him to bring down what could be a promising season in Ottawa. The longer this distraction hangs about the team, the more damage it will cause the team.

Rumor is that Heatley is threatening to take captain Daniel Alfredsson for a ride in his car if his trade requests are not met.

You can read the full article here