Sharks put D Alexei Semenov on injured reserve
December 14, 2007
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -The San Jose Sharks put defenseman Alexei Semenov on injured reserve Friday because of a broken finger on his right hand.
Semenov was hurt early in the Sharks' 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. He left the locker room with a heavy wrap on his right hand, particularly the last two fingers.
The 6-foot-6 Russian defenseman has one goal and two assists in 13 games since signing with the Sharks in the offseason. San Jose, which already has forwards Jonathan Cheechoo and Jeremy Roenick on injured reserve, didn't announce a roster move to fill Semenov's spot.
Hockey Today - December 15
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD
Saturday, Dec. 15
Florida at Detroit (7 p.m. EST). The Panthers try for their fifth straight road win when they face the NHL-leading Red Wings.
STARS Friday
- Alexei Ponikarovsky, Maple Leafs, scored twice with an assist in Toronto's 4-0 win over Atlanta.
- Brian Rolston, Wild, had a goal and two assists as Minnesota downed Anaheim 5-2.
- Dion Phaneuf, Flames, scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and added an assist to lead Calgary past Carolina 4-3.
SHUTOUT
Goalie Vesa Toskala continued his hot streak with 24 saves as Toronto blanked Atlanta 4-0 on Friday night. Toskala, who posted his second shutout of the season and eighth of his career, improved to 6-1 in his past seven games, a stretch that began with a 4-2 win in Atlanta on Nov. 29.
GOING WILD
Minnesota, averaging just 2.43 goals per game, snapped out of a scoring slump Friday night with a 5-2 victory over Anaheim. The Wild, who had scored just four times in their previous four games and no more than two goals in any of their past six, went 4-for-4 on power-play opportunities in the second period, the first two coming after a 4-minute high-sticking penalty against Chris Kunitz, the other two after receiving a two-man advantage.
SWAPPED
Anaheim traded forward Andy McDonald to St. Louis, freeing up cap space for the return of defenseman Scott Niedermayer. McDonald, in the second year of a $10 million, three-year contract, was dealt to the Blues in exchange for center Doug Weight, left wing prospect Michal Birner and a seventh-round pick in the 2008 entry draft.
SPEAKING
''I don't think we've ever had the same problem. Hockey players have been tested for many years in international play. It's simply not part of their culture. And we have tested NHL players up to three times a year since January 2006 and obviously have not had many issues other than one failed test.'' - NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on the use of performance-enhancing drugs among hockey players. The comments follow the release of the Mitchell Report, in which 85 major league baseball players were linked to steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
Saturday's NHL matchup notes
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Phoenix at New Jersey
The Devils have not beaten Phoenix at home since a 5-2 win on Nov. 1, 2001.
Dallas at San Jose
The Sharks have won four of their last five overall meetings against the Stars, including three of four this season. Dallas, however, has won four straight at San Jose, outscoring the Sharks 13-5.
Columbus at Boston
The Blue Jackets have split the only two games they have played in Boston, the last one being a 7-2 loss on Jan. 18, 2003. Columbus beat the Bruins 5-4 in overtime in the only meeting last season.
Chicago at Buffalo
This will be the first matchup between these teams in Buffalo since a 1-all tie in December 2002.
Toronto at Montreal
The Canadiens are 2-1-1 this season against the Maple Leafs (14-12-6), but they lost the one game played in Montreal 3-2 on Nov. 3.
Atlanta at Ottawa
The Senators are looking for their third consecutive win over Atlanta this season and fifth in a row overall.
Pittsburgh at New York Islanders
These Atlantic Division rivals have split two meetings this season, with each team winning 3-2 on its home ice. Pittsburgh has lost its last four visits to Nassau Coliseum.
Carolina at Philadelphia
The Flyers have won the first three games between the teams this season.
Florida at Detroit
Florida's lone victory in eight all-time visits to Detroit came on Dec. 1, 1996. The Panthers have just three victories in 18 games all-time against the Red Wings.
Washington at Tampa Bay
The Lightning have won the last two meetings against the Capitals by a combined 10-4 score after a 5-3 loss in the season series opener on Oct. 24.
Nashville at Colorado
The Avs have beaten Nashville just twice in eight meetings in Denver. The Predators won 4-2 on April 7 in their most recent trip to the Pepsi Center.
Vancouver at Edmonton
These teams have split their first four meetings of the season.
Minnesota at Los Angeles
The Wild had their four-game winning streak against the Kings snapped with a 4-3 shootout loss on Oct. 16 at Staples Center.
Blues acquire McDonald from Ducks
December 14th, 2007
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Blues acquired young forward Andy McDonald from the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Heading to Anaheim in the deal is veteran center Doug Weight, prospect Michal Birner and a seventh-round draft pick in 2008.
After breakout years of 85 and 78 points in the last two full seasons, plus a team-best 10 goals during the 2006-2007 postseason, McDonald has posted only four goals and 16 points in 33 games this season for the struggling Stanley Cup champions, who are in third place in the Pacific Division with a 15-14-4 record.
In a career spanning parts of seven seasons all with Anaheim, the 30-year-old has posted 92 goals and 259 points over 391 games.
"Andy McDonald has been a great contributor for us over the last few seasons, and we thank him for the tremendous work ethic and character he brought to our club," said Ducks executive vice president and general manager Brian Burke.
Weight, the 16-year NHL veteran, had just four goals and 11 points in 29 games for the Blues. Expectations were high for Weight and the rest of the club with the signing of free-agent Paul Kariya in the offseason, but St. Louis has scored just 76 goals in 29 games and are already 13 points behind Central Division-leading Detroit.
"We're excited to add a top caliber forward to our hockey team," said Blues president John Davidson. "Doug is a true professional and we would like to thank him and his wife Allison for the time and dedication they have provided to the St. Louis Blues."
The 36-year-old native of Detroit has scored 259 goals and 955 points in 1,093 games with the Rangers, Oilers, Blues and Hurricanes. He came to the Blues in a July 1, 2002 deal after spending almost nine seasons in Edmonton, then was dealt away to Carolina in January, 2006, where he was part of the Hurricanes' Stanley Cup victory that season. He returned to the Blues in July, 2006.
Birner has appeared in 18 games for the Blues' American Hockey League affiliate in Peoria, scoring seven points (2G, 5A).
Oilers activate Sanderson, Tarnstrom
December 15th, 2007
Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - The Edmonton Oilers activated forward Geoff Sanderson and defenseman Dick Tarnstrom from injured reserve on Saturday.
Sanderson suffered a back injury during Edmonton's win over Anaheim on November 30, and has missed the last seven games.
In 26 games before the setback, Sanderson recorded two goals and eight points with 14 penalty minutes.
Tarnstrom has missed 10 games with a concussion suffered on November 24 against Chicago.
The Swedish backliner posted one goal and five points in 20 contests before the injury.