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12-10-05 NHL News and Notes
Blue Jackets put Malhotra on injured reserve
The Columbus Blue Jackets put center Manny Malhotra on the injured list on Friday with an injured shoulder, and recalled forward Joe Motzko from Syracuse of the AHL.
Malhotra was hurt during a second-period fight with Kevin Colley in Thursday night's 4-3 shootout win over the New York Islanders. Malhotra, who came off the injured list before the game, is out indefinitely.
The 25-year-old Motzko has three goals and 11 assists in 17 games with Syracuse this season, and 48 goals and 73 assists in 166 games with the Crunch.
Malhotra has two goals and a team-high 13 assists with the Blue Jackets this season.
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Wild RW Wanvig suspended, coach Lemaire fined $10,000
Minnesota Wild right wing has become the latest player to be suspended for instigating an altercation within the final five minutes of a game.
On Friday, the NHL suspended Wanvig one game without pay and fined coach Jacques Lemaire $10,000 following an incident in Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With 3:35 left in the Wild's eventual 5-0 triumph, Wanvig instigated a fight with Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik. By rule, a player deemed the instigator of an altercation in the final five minutes of regulation or during overtime will receive an automatic one-game suspension.
Wanvig, who has two goals, five assists and 38 penalty minutes in 23 games this season, will miss Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers and forfeit $2,521.51.
On Saturday, Ottawa Senators defenseman Zdeno Chara was suspended for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of last Friday's win over the Los Angeles Kings and was suspended for Monday's game against the Florida Panthers.
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Vokoun, Legwand both out with knee injuries
Predators center David Legwand will have knee surgery on Monday and goaltender Tomas Vokoun will be out up to two weeks with a knee strain.
Both had MRI exams after being hurt in Thursday night's 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers, the team said Friday. Legwand tore cartilage in his knee and is expected be out four weeks.
Vokoun stopped a shot by Rangers defenseman Darius Kasparaitis when his leg was caught and twisted in the net in the first period. He felt pain but stayed in the game before giving way to backup Chris Mason.
Vokoun had won eight of his last 10 decisions entering his 300th game with the Predators. He was tied with Ottawa's Dominik Hasek for most victories with 15.
Legwand hurt his left knee in the second period and had to be helped off the ice.
He was the Predators' first draft choice and the first top pick to play for the expansion franchise. He scored 47 points for Nashville during the 2003-04 season and has 13 points this season.
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Koivu to miss third straight game
Canadiens captain Saku Koivu did not skate Friday because of a groin injury and will miss a third straight game.
Koivu will not be in the lineup Saturday night for a home game against Anaheim. He skated this week, but coach Claude Julien said he did not aggravate the injury.
"He's day to day," Julien said. "We hope he'll be ready for our next game on Tuesday (against Phoenix)."
Returning to the lineup are defensemen Andrei Markov, who has served a three-game suspension for shoving an official, and Mike Komisarek, who missed three games after the death of his mother.
The Canadiens had a week off since their last game, a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles last Saturday night.
The club called up forward Garth Murray from Hamilton of the AHL.
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Blues deal C Boguniecki to Penguins for D Poapst
for a spark, the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues have pulled off a trade.
On Friday, the Penguins acquired center Eric Boguniecki from the Blues for defenseman Steve Poapst.
The 30-year-old Boguniecki has played in nine games with St. Louis this season, scoring his first goal in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the New York Islanders. He added his fourth assist in Thursday's 5-4 setback to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Blues' fifth defeat in six games.
St. Louis' sixth-round pick in 1993, Boguniecki enjoyed a breakout season in 2002-03, when he recorded 22 goals, 49 points and a plus-22 rating in 80 games. However, while being hampered by injuries, he has just seven goals and 15 points in 36 games since.
The Blues are last in the NHL with 13 points (5-17-3) and have allowed a Western Conference-high 101 goals. They are without defensmen Eric Brewer and Christian Backman due to injury but will get some help from the 36-year-old Poapst.
Poapst had four assists in 21 games for the Penguins, who are tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 20 points (7-15-6). The 6-foot blue-liner has eight goals, 35 points and 136 penalty minutes in 266 career games with Washington, Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Without captain Mario Lemieux, who was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat Wednesday, Pittsburgh was dealt a 5-0 loss by the Minnesota Wild, leading rookie sensation Sidney Crosby to question the team's effort.
The Penguins have lost six straight games.
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Flyers' Gagne expected to miss two weeks with groin tear
depleted by injuries, the Philadelphia Flyers will be without NHL goals leader Simon Gagne for two weeks.
The All-Star forward, who leads the league with 23 goals, has a groin tear.
"It's tough news to take right now, especially with the start I have had and everything was going well," Gagne said after an MRI on Friday confirmed he had a tear. "Right now, we're going through so many injuries and my turn came. I felt so bad the last two games that I knew something was wrong."
The Flyers also are without top defenseman Eric Desjardins for eight to 10 weeks because of a partially dislocated right shoulder, and defenseman Joni Pitkanen is expected to miss about a month with a torn abdominal muscle. Captain Keith Primeau has been sidelined with a concussion since last month, and forward Turner Stevenson is bothered by a hip injury.
However, Philadelphia expects to get leading scorer Peter Forsberg and goalie Robert Esche back for Saturday's game against Minnesota.
Forsberg has missed the last six games with a groin strain. He leads the team with 39 points (eight goals, 31 assists).
"I feel good and I feel confident that everything is going to be OK, and I have no hesitation going out there," Forsberg said.
Esche hasn't played since beating New Jersey 2-1 on Nov. 30 because of a groin injury that was feared to be a sports hernia at one point. He is 10-4-2 with a 3.18 goals-against average this season. Coach Ken Hitch**** said Esche will be the backup for Antero Niittymaki against the Wild.
Despite the injuries, the Flyers are second behind the New York Rangers in the Atlantic Division with a 16-7-3 record and 36 points.
Blue Jackets put Malhotra on injured reserve
The Columbus Blue Jackets put center Manny Malhotra on the injured list on Friday with an injured shoulder, and recalled forward Joe Motzko from Syracuse of the AHL.
Malhotra was hurt during a second-period fight with Kevin Colley in Thursday night's 4-3 shootout win over the New York Islanders. Malhotra, who came off the injured list before the game, is out indefinitely.
The 25-year-old Motzko has three goals and 11 assists in 17 games with Syracuse this season, and 48 goals and 73 assists in 166 games with the Crunch.
Malhotra has two goals and a team-high 13 assists with the Blue Jackets this season.
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Wild RW Wanvig suspended, coach Lemaire fined $10,000
Minnesota Wild right wing has become the latest player to be suspended for instigating an altercation within the final five minutes of a game.
On Friday, the NHL suspended Wanvig one game without pay and fined coach Jacques Lemaire $10,000 following an incident in Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With 3:35 left in the Wild's eventual 5-0 triumph, Wanvig instigated a fight with Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik. By rule, a player deemed the instigator of an altercation in the final five minutes of regulation or during overtime will receive an automatic one-game suspension.
Wanvig, who has two goals, five assists and 38 penalty minutes in 23 games this season, will miss Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers and forfeit $2,521.51.
On Saturday, Ottawa Senators defenseman Zdeno Chara was suspended for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of last Friday's win over the Los Angeles Kings and was suspended for Monday's game against the Florida Panthers.
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Vokoun, Legwand both out with knee injuries
Predators center David Legwand will have knee surgery on Monday and goaltender Tomas Vokoun will be out up to two weeks with a knee strain.
Both had MRI exams after being hurt in Thursday night's 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers, the team said Friday. Legwand tore cartilage in his knee and is expected be out four weeks.
Vokoun stopped a shot by Rangers defenseman Darius Kasparaitis when his leg was caught and twisted in the net in the first period. He felt pain but stayed in the game before giving way to backup Chris Mason.
Vokoun had won eight of his last 10 decisions entering his 300th game with the Predators. He was tied with Ottawa's Dominik Hasek for most victories with 15.
Legwand hurt his left knee in the second period and had to be helped off the ice.
He was the Predators' first draft choice and the first top pick to play for the expansion franchise. He scored 47 points for Nashville during the 2003-04 season and has 13 points this season.
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Koivu to miss third straight game
Canadiens captain Saku Koivu did not skate Friday because of a groin injury and will miss a third straight game.
Koivu will not be in the lineup Saturday night for a home game against Anaheim. He skated this week, but coach Claude Julien said he did not aggravate the injury.
"He's day to day," Julien said. "We hope he'll be ready for our next game on Tuesday (against Phoenix)."
Returning to the lineup are defensemen Andrei Markov, who has served a three-game suspension for shoving an official, and Mike Komisarek, who missed three games after the death of his mother.
The Canadiens had a week off since their last game, a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles last Saturday night.
The club called up forward Garth Murray from Hamilton of the AHL.
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Blues deal C Boguniecki to Penguins for D Poapst
for a spark, the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues have pulled off a trade.
On Friday, the Penguins acquired center Eric Boguniecki from the Blues for defenseman Steve Poapst.
The 30-year-old Boguniecki has played in nine games with St. Louis this season, scoring his first goal in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the New York Islanders. He added his fourth assist in Thursday's 5-4 setback to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Blues' fifth defeat in six games.
St. Louis' sixth-round pick in 1993, Boguniecki enjoyed a breakout season in 2002-03, when he recorded 22 goals, 49 points and a plus-22 rating in 80 games. However, while being hampered by injuries, he has just seven goals and 15 points in 36 games since.
The Blues are last in the NHL with 13 points (5-17-3) and have allowed a Western Conference-high 101 goals. They are without defensmen Eric Brewer and Christian Backman due to injury but will get some help from the 36-year-old Poapst.
Poapst had four assists in 21 games for the Penguins, who are tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 20 points (7-15-6). The 6-foot blue-liner has eight goals, 35 points and 136 penalty minutes in 266 career games with Washington, Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Without captain Mario Lemieux, who was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat Wednesday, Pittsburgh was dealt a 5-0 loss by the Minnesota Wild, leading rookie sensation Sidney Crosby to question the team's effort.
The Penguins have lost six straight games.
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Flyers' Gagne expected to miss two weeks with groin tear
depleted by injuries, the Philadelphia Flyers will be without NHL goals leader Simon Gagne for two weeks.
The All-Star forward, who leads the league with 23 goals, has a groin tear.
"It's tough news to take right now, especially with the start I have had and everything was going well," Gagne said after an MRI on Friday confirmed he had a tear. "Right now, we're going through so many injuries and my turn came. I felt so bad the last two games that I knew something was wrong."
The Flyers also are without top defenseman Eric Desjardins for eight to 10 weeks because of a partially dislocated right shoulder, and defenseman Joni Pitkanen is expected to miss about a month with a torn abdominal muscle. Captain Keith Primeau has been sidelined with a concussion since last month, and forward Turner Stevenson is bothered by a hip injury.
However, Philadelphia expects to get leading scorer Peter Forsberg and goalie Robert Esche back for Saturday's game against Minnesota.
Forsberg has missed the last six games with a groin strain. He leads the team with 39 points (eight goals, 31 assists).
"I feel good and I feel confident that everything is going to be OK, and I have no hesitation going out there," Forsberg said.
Esche hasn't played since beating New Jersey 2-1 on Nov. 30 because of a groin injury that was feared to be a sports hernia at one point. He is 10-4-2 with a 3.18 goals-against average this season. Coach Ken Hitch**** said Esche will be the backup for Antero Niittymaki against the Wild.
Despite the injuries, the Flyers are second behind the New York Rangers in the Atlantic Division with a 16-7-3 record and 36 points.
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