Hockey Today: November 1
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Nov. 1
Detroit at Calgary (8:00 p.m. EDT).
The league-leading Red Wings continue their trip through the Pacific Northwest.
STARS
Wednesday
-Jay Pandolfo, Devils, scored three goals to help New Jersey beat Tampa Bay 6-1.
-Jason Williams, Blackhawks, scored two goals in the third period, including one with 20.4 seconds left that lifted Chicago over Dallas 5-4.
-Jason Chimera, Blue Jackets, scored two goals to lead Columbus past Los Angeles 4-1.
FIRSTS
Jay Pandolfo scored three goals for the first time to lead New Jersey to a 6-1 win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday, giving the Devils their first victory at the Prudential Center. John Madden scored a goal and assisted on all three of Pandolfo's goals and Martin Brodeur, playing in his 900th game, made 21 saves as New Jersey halted a four-game losing streak.
SNAPPED
Florida scored three goals in the third period to beat Carolina 4-2 on Wednesday and snap a three-game skid. The win also ended a seven-game losing streak to the Hurricanes, dating back to last season. ... Chicago snapped a nine-game losing streak in Dallas dating to 2001, beating the Stars 5-4. Nikolai Khabibulin broke a personal seven-game winless streak in Dallas and had 19 saves for the Blackhawks. ... Los Angeles fell to Columbus 4-1, ending a four-game winning streak.
STREAKING
Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist in Dallas' 5-4 loss to Chicago on Wednesday and has at least one point in seven straight games. The Stars have scored a first-period goal in nine straight games. ... Columbus topped Los Angeles 4-1 to earn their fourth straight win.
ROAD WOES
Tampa Bay was routed by New Jersey 6-1 on Wednesday and has lost all five of its road games this season. Vincent Lecavalier scored the only goal for the Lightning.
INJURED
Philadelphia defenseman Derian Hatcher will undergo surgery to repair cartilage damage in his right knee and will miss two to four weeks. The 35-year-old Hatcher, who had his streak of 107 consecutive games recently snapped because the knee was bothering him, said he aggravated the injury lifting weights. The Flyers called up Nate Guenin from their American Hockey League affiliate Philadelphia Phantoms to fill Hatcher's roster spot.
SPEAKING
''Someone screwed up. It's partly why I didn't want to stand up. After a moment I stood to get it over with and get the game running again.'' - Dallas center Mike Modano, who was initially awarded a record-tying assist on a goal in the third period of the Stars' 5-4 loss to Chicago. The assist would have been his 1,232nd point, matching Phil Housley for the most points by an American-born NHL player. After the game, it was ruled Modano never touched the puck and the assist was taken away from him.
Thursday's key NHL matchup notes
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins
The Bruins' next nine contests are against Northeast Division opponents, including three meetings with Buffalo. Boston is 3-12-1 against the Sabres since the start of the 2005-06 season, and only one of the Bruins' wins came in regulation.
Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Islanders
Vincent Lecavalier will look to extend his goal-scoring streak to four games Thursday. He had two goals and four assists in four games versus the Islanders last season.
Washington Capitals at New York Rangers
Jaromir Jagr has four goals and 12 assists in 12 games against the Capitals since they traded him to New York on Jan. 23, 2004.
Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens
Cristobal Huet is 2-1-1 with a 1.48 GAA at the Bell Center this season, and stopped 25 shots to record a shutout in his only career game against the Flyers there on Feb. 5, 2006.
Atlanta Thrashers at Ottawa Senators
Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson has 12 goals and 14 assists in 23 games versus the Thrashers, while Dany Heatley has five goals and three assists in nine games against Atlanta.
St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild
Minnesota will be playing the second game of a four-game homestand, while St. Louis plays three of its next four on the road.
Detroit Red Wings at Calgary Flames
Though he lost to the Red Wings last month, Mikka Kiprusoff is 3-1-1 with a 1.19 GAA at home against them since joining the Flames in 2003.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche
Sidney Crosby has faced Colorado once in his career, posting an assist in the Penguins' 4-3 home win on Dec, 10, 2005.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Anaheim Ducks
The Blue Jackets opened 2007-08 with a 4-0 shutout of the Ducks on Oct. 5 in Columbus. Pascal Leclaire made 28 saves for the first of his league-leading four shutouts, and Rick Nash had two goals and two assists.
Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks
Nashville, which went winless in its first nine road games in 2002-03, hasn't lost six straight away from home in regulation since Jan. 26-March 1, 2006.
Flyers D Hatcher could miss a month after knee surgery
ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOORHEES, N.J. -- Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Derian Hatcher will undergo surgery to repair cartilage damage in his right knee and will miss two to four weeks.
The 35-year-old Hatcher, who had his streak of 107 consecutive games recently snapped because the knee was bothering him, said he aggravated the injury lifting weights.
''I've had problems with it the past 10 years probably,'' Hatcher said after the Flyers practiced on Wednesday. ''It's probably closer to four weeks (recovery) because it's had trauma before. The tough thing about getting injured is it sets you back. Instead of being where you're at, you're almost starting over.''
The Flyers called up Nate Guenin from their American Hockey League affiliate Philadelphia Phantoms to fill Hatchers roster spot. Guenin played nine games with the Flyers last year.
The Atlantic Division-leading Flyers (7-3) also will play the next two games without forward Simon Gagne and defenseman Randy Jones.
Gagne will miss two more games because of the vision problems and dizziness he's experiencing from a hard hit suffered last week.
''He was better, but still not at the baseline that he needs to be at,'' Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said.
Holmgren said he hoped Gagne, who has four goals and eight points this season, would return next week. Gagne will miss Thursday's game at Montreal and Friday's game at Washington.
Scott Hartnell has been moved up to take Gagne's spot on the Flyers' top line with Daniel Briere and Mike Knuble.
Schneider to make debut Thursday
He'll play for the first time since breaking a bone in left ankle in an exhibition game against the Kings in September.
November 1, 2007
Mathieu Schneider may not be the cure to the Ducks' ailing power play, but he could be a dose of medicine that a struggling team sorely needs.
Schneider will make his official debut in tonight's home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets after breaking a bone in his left ankle in a Sept. 15 exhibition game against the Kings.
Schneider signed a two-year, $11.25-million deal to ostensibly fill the shoes of former captain Scott Niedermayer, who continues to consider retirement.
"I feel great, physically and mentally," Schneider said. "I feel rested and ready to go."
Schneider, 38, sat out most of training camp along with 13 regular-season games. The Ducks are counting on the veteran defenseman, who has 200 goals and 663 points, to fill the void created by Niedermayer.
"He's a guy that can fill in that 60 points that we lose with Scotty," Chris Pronger said. "Certainly from the back end, we've got to produce. Obviously up front, we've got to as well. But certainly having Schneids back there gives us that experience. He's a playmaker and he gives us another threat on the power play."
The Ducks can use the help there. They're ranked 28th in the league with a 10.7% conversion rate (eight for 75) and they are scoreless in their last 16 chances.
"The only thing I can guarantee is that I'm going to get shots on the net," said Schneider, who'll play alongside Francois Beauchemin.
Update -- Rob Niedermayer (groin) and Ryan Getzlaf (wrist) are also expected to return to the lineup. Coach Randy Carlyle is considering breaking up the checking line of Niedermayer, Samuel Pahlsson and Travis Moen. Moen skated with Getzlaf and Corey Perry in practice.
Tocchet's NHL ban extended until at least next February
November 1, 2007
NEW YORK - Rick Tocchet's role in an illegal gambling ring will keep him out of the NHL until at least next February.
Tocchet, who partnered with a New Jersey state trooper and another man in a sports betting venture they ran for five years, was sentenced by a New Jersey court to two years' probation in August.
He has been on an indefinite leave from his job as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes and had his ban extended Thursday by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman until Feb. 7, 2008 - two years after the leave began.
``Employment and participation in the National Hockey League is an honor and privilege that can't be taken for granted,'' Bettman said. ``I felt that two years was the appropriate punishment.''
Tocchet violated terms of the leave granted by Bettman by having contact with league personnel during the time he was away from the game, and must meet other conditions before he can be reinstated.
The former star forward may not gamble legally or illegally and is prohibited from taking part in any activity that would reflect negatively on the NHL. Tocchet also must submit to the NHL's substance abuse program to determine if he has a compulsive gambling problem.
Sabres sign D Pratt
November 1st, 2007
Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - The Buffalo Sabres agreed to terms with free- agent defenseman Nolan Pratt on a one-year contract Thursday.
The 32-year-old backliner spent the past five seasons with Tampa Bay, and played in all but one of the Lightning's games in the last two years. After registering three goals and 32 points his contract was not renewed for this season, however.
A native of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Pratt has recorded eight goals, 58 points and 507 penalty minutes over 10 seasons with the Whalers/Hurricanes, Avalanche and Lightning.
A fifth-round draft choice of Hartford in 1993, Pratt won a pair of Stanley Cups with the Avs in 2001 and Lightning in 2004.