Cross Checks: Daniel Alfredsson
ALFREDSSON, LUPUL AND PACIORETTY NAMED MASTERTON TROPHY FINALISTS
NEW YORK (April 24, 2012) -- Right wing Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators, left wing Joffrey Lupul of the Toronto Maple Leafs and left wing Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens are the three finalists for the 2011-12 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey,” the National Hockey League announced today.
A $2,500 grant from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association
(PHWA) is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.
The local chapters of the PHWA submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season and the top three vote-getters were designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 20, during the 2012 NHL Awards from Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. The 2012 NHL Awards will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network in the United States and CBC in Canada.
Following are the finalists for the Masterton Trophy, in alphabetical
order:
Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators
The NHL's longest-serving captain (1999-2000), Alfredsson returned from off-season back surgery for his 16th NHL campaign and was a key contributor to the Senators' successful Stanley Cup Playoff drive.
Alfredsson was the leading vote-getter among NHL forwards in All-Star balloting, selected by his peers as an All-Star captain and the recipient of a thunderous standing ovation from hometown fans at Scotiabank Place following his two-goal outburst against Team Chara. Alfredsson finished the season with 59 points -- 27 goals, including the 400th regular-season goal of his career, and 32 assists.
Joffrey Lupul, Toronto Maple Leafs
Returning to health after his career had been threatened in 2010 by two back surgeries and a blood infection, Lupul earned a spot on the Maple Leafs' top line and enjoyed the most productive season of his eight-year NHL career. Teaming with wing Phil Kessel to form the highest-scoring duo in the NHL, Lupul did not go more than one game without a point until January and was selected as assistant captain for Team Chara at the NHL All-Star Game. He notched a career-high 67 points in 66 games before a shoulder injury ended his season in early March.
Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens
Pacioretty returned to action this season after missing the team’s last 15 regular-season games and the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2010-11 due to injuries suffered on March 8, 2011 against Boston. The 23-year-old left wing set single-season career highs in goals (33), assists (32), points (65), game-winning goals (five) and shots on goal (286). His 29 even-strength goals ranked fourth in the League. On March 8 at Edmonton, the New Canaan, Connecticut native became the first U.S.-born player in Canadiens history to notch 30 goals in a season.
History
The trophy was presented by the NHL Writers’ Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey and who died on January 15, 1968.
The 39-year-old Alfredsson crumpled to the ice after taking Hagelin's elbow to the helmet and crashing into the end-boards at 10:32 and did not return. The 23-year-old Hagelin was slapped with a five-minute elbowing major after forcing his fellow Swede from the game.
Alfredsson missed time earlier this season with a concussion after a questionable hit from then-Ranger Wojtek Wolski in the two teams' first meeting, Oct. 29.
Hagelin could be facing supplementary discipline for the penalty.
Morning jam: Overnight game facts
• Daniel Alfredsson, 39, scored more points on Saturday night (four) than he did in his previous 12 games combined (three assists). Two other players age 39 or older have scored four points in an NHL game this season: Teemu Selanne (age 41, 2 goals and 2 assists on Nov. 1 at Washington) and Brian Rolston (age 39, 1 goal and 3 assists last Monday vs. Toronto).
Alfredsson, with one Saturday, now has three shorthanded goals this season. Only two other players have had three shorthanded goals in one season at age 38 or older: Gordie Howe had four in 1969–70 at ages 41 and 42 and Mark Messier had three in 2000–01 after turning 40 years old.
• The Red Wings scored four unanswered goals to overcome a 4–1 deficit and beat the Hurricanes, 5–4, on Saturday night. It was Detroit’s first win in regulation time in a game in which they trailed by three goals since Feb. 25, 2001, when they defeated the Coyotes, 6–3, at Joe Louis Arena.
• Chris Kelly's 19th goal of the season was the game-winner for the Bruins. Boston has won all 17 games this season in which Kelly has scored goals. Kelly is the only NHL player with a double-figure goal total this season who’s scored of all his goals in games his team won.
• Steven Stamkos scored two goals and one assist for the Lightning in their 4–3 win over the Islanders in Tampa. Stamkos entered play on Saturday with a four-game home-ice point drought, after being held pointless in only four of his previous 34 home games this season.
OTTAWA -- All-Star Game MVP Marian Gaborik had planned it before puck drop.
If he scored on Rangers teammate Henrik Lundqvist, the Artem Anisimov machine-gun celebration was coming out.
"I was thinking about it before the game that if I scored on Henrik -- I wouldn’t do it any other way -- but I wanted to do against Henrik to give him a little Anisimov celebration there. I don’t think he was too happy about that," Gaborik said with a smile.
"I was laughing when he pulled it off," linemate Marian Hossa said.
"I tried to feed him towards the end of the first to get a hat trick right away," Hossa said. "Hank Lundqvist came up to me and said 'C'mon you can't feed him that much.'"
Gaborik scored two of his three goals against his Rangers netminder, making it seemingly look easy.
"It’s not easy," Gaborik said. "I was just fortunate to be lucky against him. I think he’s one of the best -- if not the best goalie in the league. But I’m glad I got a couple of goals against him."
Gaborik and Lundqvist were exchanging friendly barbs via Twitter all weekend long. Just for fun, right?
"I think I tried to get into his mind over the whole weekend," Gaborik said with a laugh. "I think it was a pretty good challenge against him but it worked out better for me."
Talk about a line, Pavel Datsyuk between the two slick Slovaks.
"With Marian, we’ve played together on international level," Gaborik said. "With Pavel, I mean, he’s one of the best. You can see the pure talent. He’s got it all."
-- Pierre LeBrun
Teammates turned opponents
It is always interesting to see teammates end up facing each other in a game like this. Given the low-key nature of the game, there are lots of opportunities for chirping.Take Evgeni Malkin, who took a shot at Pittsburgh teammate Kris Letang for allowing him to set up an early Team Chara goal.
"Kris plays sometimes in the offensive zone, not defensive zone -- gives me a chance to score, you know. So I say thank you to him," Malkin said.
Letang shot back that he was counting on taking advantage of Malkin’s lack of defensive abilities.
"I was trying to beat him on his defensive part of the game, which doesn’t exist, so we'll see what he says about that," Letang retorted.
New York Rangers teammates Dan Girardi and Lundqvist were both victimized by Gaborik, who had three goals and an assist.
"I was obviously on the minus end of two of his goals, so that wasn’t too good," Girardi said. "He made a couple of good plays and he just had one of those games that everything was going in for him."
"That line was pretty dangerous out there," Girardi said of the Gaborik-Hossa-Datsyuk line. "Every time they came on the ice the D wanted to change."
-- Scott Burnside
Thomas gets fourth straight win
Tim Thomas arrived at All-Star Weekend under a cloud of controversy. He left with his fourth career All-Star victory."I’m very happy with the end result," Thomas said. "Going into it I was shooting for four [wins], but I didn’t really realize how much I wanted it until we got into it. Then my team came up big and scored a couple of goals early for me. Then I said, 'Let’s do this ... I might as well.'"
He denied local favorite Daniel Alfredsson from completing the hat trick in the third period.
"I wasn’t thinking about [Alfredsson’s] hat trick," Thomas said. "I just didn’t want the other team to get any closer, because all of a sudden, the way goals get scored in these games ... boom, boom, boom ... you could get three goals scored in a minute and a half. I didn’t want to let anybody score. It wasn’t anything against Alfie, I guess."
-- Pierre LeBrun
Behind the bench
Although this event isn’t really about the coaching, both Todd McLellan -- who coached Team Alfredsson with John Tortorella -- and Claude Julien -- whose Boston coaching staff guided Team Chara -- enjoyed the chance to get to know players they see only from the other side of the ice."It’s an opportunity to get to know these individuals personally," McLellan told ESPN.com. "We really appreciate the skill level they have, but we see it almost every day. There are no secrets. There’s a lot of video out there. Where they expose themselves is personally in the locker room. The way they interact with each other and they’re all gentlemen, they’re all professionals, they all carry themselves extremely well. You see their interaction with their families. For me that’s the most rewarding opportunity we get throughout the weekend."
Julien, also, could not say enough about the players involved in this year's game.
"They’re not only special players on the ice. They’re special players off the ice," Julien said. "All quality people. Even for us to be able to put our competitiveness aside and away for a weekend, and get a chance to talk to these guys individually, they’re great people. It gives you a lot more respect for the individual, especially after you get a chance to chat with them."
Most of these players get it. It's a chance to give back.
"The weekend is, first of all, it’s for the fans," Toronto Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul said. "Everything we do is for the fans, the behind the scenes, the interviews, wearing a microphone during the game, if you’re going to do all that stuff, you’re not really going to expect a competitive 3-2 game. This event is about more than just the game. It’s to show the fans another side of the guys and have fun. I think everyone in the crowd today had fun. I know I had fun today wearing the microphone."
-- Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun
Campbell at plus-7
There’s not much defense in an All-Star Game, but it still was impressive to look on the score sheet and see Florida Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell at a plus-7. He finished with the most ice time (21:40) of anyone on Team Chara and assisted on Phil Kessel's goal."It’s one of those games where you don’t want to get behind too early," Campbell said. "Everyone is playing to be MVP, but it’s tough to get up there and battle with the forwards when they’re already at the red line when you are in your zone. It was nice playing with Zdeno Chara. That was fun."
Chara is one of the game’s biggest competitors, so Campbell didn’t want to let his captain down but said the game was about showing off skill more than anything.
"You want to compete as much as you can for the fans. But no, it’s not too intense and there’s no hitting," Campbell said. "You try to make it fun for the fans and you hope it’s close at the end. Usually it’s pretty tight and that’s when it picks up. It was fun."
--Craig Custance
OTTAWA -- The loudest ovation of the night came straight from the heart.
The crowd at Scotiabank Place was its feet when beloved captain Daniel Alfredsson was introduced before the skills event Saturday night, a precious moment that was a reminder of the bond Canada’s capital has with the Swedish winger.
"It’s special,’’ Alfredsson said afterward. "You never get used to it and you never know quite how to handle it. I told Erik (Karlsson) in the tunnel before he went out before me, `Take it all in.’ And he said, `You too.’ I really tried to.’’
Active in local charities, Alfredsson is easily the most popular player in franchise history and he’s also been told he’s got a job in the front office if he chooses to stick around after he retires. The ovation Saturday night underlined that popularity.
"It’s so special to be treated like that,’’ said Alfredsson. "They’ve been with me throughout my career and seen my ups and my downs, trying to play injured, and respect what I do. And I’ve been same with them, I respect the people in this city, I try to do as much as I can in the community. It’s just grown over the years. It’s been incredible.’’
Could an MVP performance be in the cards Sunday night? Now that would be a Hollywood ending.
--Pierre LeBrun
Kane slides way to the top
Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane grew up a fan of the NBA slam dunk contest and was watching when Dwight Howard put on Superman’s cape during the 2008 contest. He gave the idea his own twist during Saturday's Breakaway Challenge.
When it was his turn to shoot, teammate Marian Hossa skated out, gave Kane a cape and Clark Kent glasses. Kane then skated in, dove onto his stomach, gloved the puck across the ice to his stick before sliding it past a wildly sprawling Brian Elliott.
“I thought it’d be cool to wear it and slide down the ice like I was flying or something,” said Kane, who won the event.
He sent his parents and Blackhawks PR director Brandon Faber on a mission to find the cape at a local costume shop and they made other suggestions to improve the outfit.
“They had some other ideas, like sparklers on my skates,” Kane said. “I wasn’t going to try and burn myself on the ice out there.”
Kane hopes to follow it up on Sunday with an MVP performance in the All-Star Game. He got some pointers on how to take home MVP honors from last year’s winner, Blackhawks teammate Patrick Sharp. The key? Be good early.
“He gave me some advice this weekend. He said, ‘Make sure you start fast,’” Kane said. “He had a couple assists in the first period and then he scored a goal early in the second and I guess the fans voted in.”
Kane won over the fans on Saturday night, earning 47 percent of the fan vote in the Breakaway Challenge, beating Corey Perry, who finished second with 29 percent.
--Craig Custance
Torts happy about Girardi props
The skills competition wasn’t exactly the best showcase for the skills of Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi, who was a passer in the accuracy shooting contest. Until there’s a competition for blocking shots or throwing a check, he’s out of luck.
It might not be much better during Sunday’s All-Star Game.
“Maybe [I’ll] finish a few checks out there, block a few shots, I don’t know,” Girardi said. “Try to keep it under minus-2, minus-3. Make a few plays, maybe get a shot on net or two. I’m just happy to be here.”
His coach is happy he’s here as well. Girardi’s game isn’t the kind that typically draws the spotlight but John Tortorella said the Rangers defenseman is a big reason he’s behind the bench for the All-Star Game.
He said the recognition is long overdue for Girardi.
“I think sometimes our league forgets about people like that,” Tortorella said. “That restores a little faith in me that the league stepped up.”
--Craig Custance
BURNSIDE: Well, my friend, an interesting night in Gatineau, Quebec, just across the Ottawa River from Ottawa, as the NHL tried on its player draft in advance of the All-Star Game for the second year in a row. And while it didn’t provide the drama of a year ago, when a stricken Phil Kessel was the last player drafted, there were lots of interesting moments in Year 2, whether it was Zdeno Chara letting teammate Tyler Seguin hang until late in the proceedings, or his counterpart Daniel Alfredsson managing (with the good graces of Chara) to collect all the Ottawa Senators involved in the game, including defenseman Erik Karlsson, whom Alfredsson took with the first overall pick. For my money, it remains the highlight of the weekend. Unless the skills competition has changed, it is a dog’s breakfast of events that would take an MIT graduate to figure out, and the All-Star Game is, well, the game. But the draft seems to capture the imagination of both players and fans, and that is the crucial element to making the All-Star Weekend work. Now, on to the nuts and bolts of the draft: Who do you think came out on top? It was interesting to talk to people both in the business and outside whose views were wildly divergent on which team looked the strongest. I guess that’s a good indication that there was no shortage of talent from which captains Alfredsson and Chara had to pick.
LEBRUN: No question, the draft is the best part of All-Star weekend. The skills and the game, well, I think I’ve made my point on that many times. In fact, I’m trying to stay positive this week. NHL executive Brendan Shanahan reminded me Thursday night of my constant bashing of the event. OK, point taken. While the game remains a joke, I grant that the weekend as a whole is fun for the fans in the host city, the players and their families, and the league and their sponsors. I’ve never doubted that. But I would just like to see the game itself spiced up somehow. My suggestion to Shanahan last year was to pit the NHL’s best against KHL’s best from Russia. At least one year, anyway, just to change things up. It would bring back memories of Rendez-Vous ’87 in Quebec City. But back to Thursday night's All-Star draft, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I knew both captains were taking it fairly seriously when I ran into Daniel Alfredsson about a half-hour before the show and he told me he had a couple strategies laid out. I noticed a piece of paper he had in his jacket pocket, on which names and rankings were jotted down. The man was ready!
BURNSIDE: Did Alfredsson’s paper say “All Sens, All The Time”? Here’s what I like about Alfredsson’s team and why I think, for those poor misguided souls who actually care, that Team Alfredsson will run roughshod over Team Chara on Sunday: all those Senators. If anyone is motivated to have a good showing on Sunday afternoon, it will be Alfredsson, the Senators’ classy captain; Jason Spezza, often maligned both in the market and outside it; burgeoning superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson; and the surprising Milan Michalek. I talked to Spezza on Thursday night about the extra juice the team’s strong play has added to the whole All-Star weekend, and you know those guys will want to put on a good show for the hometown fans. I’m not sure there’s going to be that kind of motivation for Team Chara, outside of guys such as Chara and Marian Hossa, who used to play here. I thought it was interesting that Chara held back in trying to cut Alfredsson’s grass and grab a couple of Sens, but he’s obviously a lot nicer than I would have been in his shoes.
LEBRUN: Know this, the nice words Alfredsson and Chara had for each other right before the drafting began was not an act. Those were genuine feelings. Chara looked up to Alfredsson when they played together on the Senators, and some of the great leadership qualities that Chara brought to Boston were born under the tutelage of Ottawa’s captain. Having said all that, I believe Team Chara will crush Team Alfredsson on Sunday. Sorry, but any team that has Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin on the same roster cannot in any way lose a game. Speaking of respect among players, it shows you yet again how Datsyuk is viewed by his peers that Chara took him with his first pick. During our preseason interviews in New York City in September, Datsyuk’s name was brought up the most among the other stars we spoke with when asked which player they’d pay money to watch. That says a lot.
BURNSIDE: Hard not to root for a guy like Datsyuk, who is so well-respected and humble at the same time. Remember when we told him how his peers regarded him, and he seemed genuinely shocked at the praise. That said, this isn’t a game that necessarily rewards two-way play -- and with Steven Stamkos, Daniel Sedin (he’s the goal-scoring Sedin, by the way), James Neal, the red-hot Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux (the Pride of Hearst, Ontario; I feel compelled to put those words in capitals for your benefit, my friend), I don’t see any way that Team Chara matches up offensively. And, oh yeah, of the top defensemen in the league, there’s Kris Letang, Shea Weber and Karlsson lighting it up from the back end. So, here’s my question to you: Who comes away with All-Star MVP honors? My guess is hometown boy Jason Spezza.
LEBRUN: Well, I went on record on Twitter on Thursday night, saying Steven Stamkos would win MVP honors, and there’s no reason for me to change my mind. If Alfredsson has any kind of game, though, and he’s in the ballpark, I have to think the handful of writers who vote on the MVP award (you and I have had the privilege a few years) will give the Senators' captain strong consideration given the emotional intangible. Think Ray Bourque, the 1996 All-Star Game MVP in Boston. It would be hard to resist that angle for Alfredsson if he has a great offensive game.
Trade rumblings: With demand peaking, which forwards are available?
Sure looks like it so far.
Nearly every buyer you talk to lists a top-six forward as an item on their wish list before the Feb. 27 trade deadline.
General managers are saying that goals are at a premium, since so many games are decided by one goal, so some playoff-bound teams are looking for one more offensive weapon.
"Our team is young and getting better and we see a lot of good things with our team right now, but if we can get a veteran forward or top-six forward, that would help us a lot," veteran Nashville Predators GM David Poile told ESPN.com this week.
Frederick Breedon/Getty ImagesWith top-six forwards in high demand, could Carolina's Tuomo Ruutu be on the move at the the trade deadline?So, easier said than done when so many clubs are looking for similar assets.
"I’m running into the same thing everyone else is," said Poile, who did at least claim depth forward Brandon Yip off waivers Thursday. "There’s 15 to 20 teams right now that are aggressively calling the three or four or five teams that they think are appropriate to call. And there’s nothing happening with those teams right now."
What the trade market needs is more teams to declare themselves sellers and out of the playoff race. But it’s still too early for that. That’s what happens with so much parity in the standings.
Potential top-six forwards available? Again, it doesn’t mean all these players will move, but these are names we’ve heard that could be in play: Derek Roy, Brad Boyes and Drew Stafford in Buffalo; Vaclav Prospal, Antoine Vermette and Kristian Huselius in Columbus; Ales Hemsky in Edmonton; Tuomo Ruutu in Carolina; and the suddenly hot Jason Blake in Anaheim.
I believe both Detroit and Nashville are among the teams who like Hemsky, who is a UFA on July 1.
And of course there’s potentially Bobby Ryan in Anaheim as a trade target for many teams, although you wonder if the resurgence of the Ducks will give GM Bob Murray pause for thought. I still think Murray will take calls on Ryan right up through the deadline, but the offseason might afford a better window to instill more serious change in his lineup.
Blues' depth in goal
It wasn’t long after the St. Louis Blues announced the signing of Brian Elliott to a two-year, $3.6-million extension that some fans hit Twitter wondering whether that meant Jaroslav Halak was hitting the trade market.Not so, says the GM of the Blues.
"We’re excited with the tandem that we have," Doug Armstrong told ESPN.com Thursday. "Our players know going into every game they have a chance to win regardless of who is in net. Sometimes when you have a 70-game goalie, when the other guy goes in, the players think it’s different. Right now, no matter who is in net for us, there’s no difference in our outlook on that game."
Like powerhouses Boston and Vancouver, the Blues are assured of top-notch goaltending every night and that can impact the standings.
"The importance of every point, the compacted schedule and the travel, we have the luxury of being able to count on two goalies every night," said Armstrong. "If it’s a four- or six-point difference from making or missing the playoffs, that position [netminder] can change that."
So if Halak and Elliott are both around to stay, what about No. 3 man Ben Bishop, currently in the AHL? There are some around the industry that think Bishop is one of the best netminders not in the NHL. He might garner some trade interest for St. Louis before Feb. 27.
Suter's future
Well, it wouldn’t be a week without a Ryan Suter update, right?
Don McPeak/US PresswireWill Ryan Suter re-sign in Nashville or will the Predators trade him before Feb. 27?My take? I think the Suter camp is sitting back waiting to see what Poile can do to improve the team between now and the Feb. 27 trade deadline before deciding whether or not to sign.
So you’ve got a bit of the chicken and the egg here for Poile.
Most people believe Poile is going to be hard-pressed not to move Suter if he’s still unsigned by Feb. 27, but that’s not what the veteran GM told ESPN.com on Wednesday night.
"If you’re asking what I’m going to do, my gut is that we’re going to be trying to add to our team and if we’re adding to our team, we certainly don’t want to be taking away from it by making a deal like that," Poile said of trading Suter.
Shopping Niittymaki
The San Jose Sharks, as I reported earlier this season, would like to find a new NHL home for goalie Antero Niittymaki, who earns $2 million this season and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.The Sharks are showcasing him this weekend in the AHL; Niittymaki accepted a conditioning assignment Thursday to Worcester, where he was expected to start twice this weekend. Word is Niittymaki's surgically repaired hip is 100 percent. He'd be a decent pickup for a team needing insurance in goal.
Steckel can't escape Crosby
David Steckel won’t ever shake the questions. At least not unless Sidney Crosby returns for good.Steckel’s collision with Crosby heard 'round the world more than a year ago at the Winter Classic is a subject he can’t escape.
"I can’t fault people for asking," Steckel told ESPN.com this week after a Toronto Maple Leafs practice. "There’s no way of taking it back. Obviously, I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just something that I’ve lived with for a year and I’m going to have to live with for my career."
The magnitude of Crosby’s concussion issues, including a setback this season after only an eight-game return, hasn’t escaped Steckel.
"It sucks that the best player in the NHL has been out for what, 11 of the past 12 months basically," said Steckel. "For the game, it sucks. For Pittsburgh, it sucks."
Career will go on for Alfredsson, Brodeur?
With the news this week that Martin Brodeur is learning towards playing another season, I approached Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson in the same vein.Like Brodeur, I asked Alfredsson, would your team’s success this season spur on a decision to return for another year?
"I think I’ll wait for the offseason to make that decision," Alfredsson said. "It’s more physical than mental. It’s about how my body holds up. So far, it’s been great. I’m having a lot of fun. But the toll it takes to play and the preparation it takes to get ready for another season, you have to consider that. But for sure the way we’ve been playing, I’ve been having a lot of fun."
Alfredsson, 39, has certainly played like he can stick around. He’s already surpassed his point total from last season and there’s still half a season to play. I think his heart is telling him he wants to play another season. But he’s waiting for his body after the season to concur.
As for Brodeur, I traded text messages with him Wednesday night and he confirmed what the New York Post first reported, that he was thinking about coming back next season.
"Leaning toward it," Brodeur told ESPN.com. "Haven’t made decision yet."
Brodeur will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Battle of Ontario actually means something
Oh, sure, fans of the Senators and Maple Leafs still dislike each other, but no matter how you skin it, it’s been a good half decade since Ottawa and Toronto have played meaningful games against each other.
Until now.
Starting with Tuesday night’s tilt at the Air Canada Centre and the remaining two encounters Feb. 4 and March 17, there’s a chance this once burning rivalry might just be rekindled, with both teams in contention for a playoff spot.
"Just looking at the standings, we anticipate this will be a team that we’re going to battle with the whole year for one of those playoff spots," Leafs first-line winger Joffrey Lupul said Tuesday morning after the skate. "So every time we’re going to play them, it’s going to be huge."
Not since the 2006-07 season have both teams played games each other this late in the season that truly mattered in the standings for both, the Sens ultimately going to the Cup finals that season and the Leafs missing out on the playoffs on the final day.
Otherwise, these matchups have largely been empty of any true meaning to at least one of the teams, the Leafs having missed the playoffs every year since the lockout and the Senators two of the past three years.
"It’s good that both teams are up in the thick of it going into the second half. It brings the intensity into these games,’’ said Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson.
Well, he would know about the true Battle of Ontario. The 39-year-old Swede is one of the very few holdovers from those playoff tilts against Toronto. He’s still reviled in these parts for something he did in a playoff game here almost 10 years ago in the spring of 2002. His hit from behind on former Leafs winger Darcy Tucker in ’02 still gets Alfredsson booed whenever he touches the puck at the Air Canada Centre.
What does he expect for Tuesday night?
"It’ll be same as usual,’’ he said Tuesday morning, smiling.
Thing is, you won’t find too many souls on the Leafs roster that have a clue why the fans boo Alfredsson. The team doesn't have a single holdover from the last payoff series against Ottawa, in April 2004, and only one player on their roster actually was born in Ontario (Nazem Kadri) and might have grown up watching those playoff series.
So, yeah, the whole Battle of Ontario thing is lost on most of the current Leafs players, at least until they create their own version.
Leafs winger Clarke MacArthur at least remembers those Battle of Ontario playoff series.
"(Former Senator) Wade Redden is from where I’m from, Lloydminster (Alberta),’’ MacArthur said Tuesday morning. "I used to watch those games all the time. They had some great series. It always seemed like Ottawa was better in the regular season and get knocked off by the Maple Leafs, who would bang and crash in the playoffs. Those were always great series to watch.’’
And that’s just the rub, isn’t it? The Battle of Ontario was all too one-sided despite rosters that were of equal skill. The Senators managed a trip to the Cup finals in ’07 and a conference finals berth in ’03, but never were able to beat the rival Leafs, losing all four playoff series to Toronto in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. Those Leaf teams under Pat Quinn reached the conference finals in 1999 and 2002 but never beyond. But they had Ottawa’s number, though.
"It never worked out well in our favor, so it’s tough to accept that,’’ veteran Senators blue-liner Chris Phillips, another holdover from that era, told ESPN.com Tuesday morning. "I think one year we played them 6-7 times in the regular season, won every one, then go into the playoffs and they swept us. They always had a veteran team. Those guys stepped up. They rose to the challenge. I think it was in ’04 when in Game 7 Joe Nieuwendyk had a big night for them. They found a way.’’
Phillips just knows he’s never experienced anything like it. That was a true rivalry in those playoff series.
"It was intense,’’ he said. "Never mind game to game, every shift was a battle. It hard-hitting and fun to be a part of.’’
And just maybe, if both teams can stay in the race over the next three months, it might be fun again.
Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson led all vote-getters in fan balloting, and captain Daniel Alfredsson and fellow forwards Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza also were elected for the game on Jan. 29.
The NHL said Thursday they will be joined by Toronto defenseman Dion Phaneuf and Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas in this year's game.
Here is a look at the final voting tallies:
Forwards
1. Daniel Alfredsson - 897,055
2. Jason Spezza - 817,483
3. Milan Michalek - 743,977
4. Phil Kessel - 701,833
5. Joffrey Lupul - 520,843
6. Sidney Crosby - 504,393
7. Claude Giroux - 385,253
8. Jonathan Toews - 341,419
9. Pavel Datsyuk - 313,783
10. Evgeni Malkin - 303,726
11. Jaromir Jagr - 255,178
12. Patrick Kane - 244,136
13. James Neal - 230,848
14. Henrik Zetterberg - 206,852
15. Marian Hossa - 206,852
16. Steven Stamkos - 185,342
17. Jordan Eberle - 184,036
18. Alex Ovechkin - 182,920
19. Daniel Sedin - 180,636
20. Jordan Staal - 166,527
21. Henrik Sedin - 165,044
22. Patrick Sharp - 164,218
23. Ryan Kesler - 152,005
24. Danny Briere - 149,130
25. Taylor Hall - 141,366
26. Patrice Bergeron - 138,580
27. Marian Gaborik - 133,374
28. * Tyler Seguin - 121,135
29. Milan Lucic - 118,015
30. Thomas Vanek - 102,582
31. Ryan Smyth - 101,399
32. Mike Cammalleri - 99,963
33. Anze Kopitar - 92,229
34. Tomas Plekanec - 89,596
35. Teemu Selanne - 89,113
36. Brad Richards - 86,001
37. Joe Thornton - 85,314
38. Joe Pavelski - 84,405
39. Jeff Skinner - 84,063
40. Martin St. Louis - 79,278
41. Matt Duchene - 76,451
42. Nicklas Backstrom - 75,661
43. Patrick Marleau - 74,284
44. * Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - 73,908
45. Jarome Iginla - 70,570
46. Jason Pominville - 67,005
47. Zach Parise - 63,611
48. Jamie Benn - 62,840
49. David Backes - 62,420
50. Mike Richards - 58,794
Defensemen
1. Erik Karlsson - 939,591
2. Dion Phaneuf - 614,933
3. Sergei Gonchar - 603,628
4. Nicklas Lidstrom - 476,979
5. Zdeno Chara - 463,650
6. Kris Letang - 452,979
7. John-Michael Liles - 401,096
8. Duncan Keith - 295,033
9. Shea Weber - 261,597
10. Brent Seabrook - 230,472
11. P.K. Subban - 226,272
12. Niklas Kronwall - 198,859
13. Kimmo Timonen - 195,334
14. Chris Pronger - 176,367
15. Alexander Edler - 167,794
16. Dustin Byfuglien - 149,405
17. Drew Doughty - 115,404
18. Dan Boyle - 114,816
19. Brent Burns - 91,434
20. Brian Campbell - 88,654
21. Mike Green - 88,019
22. Marc Staal - 87,902
23. Ryan Whitney - 86,781
24. Sheldon Souray - 84,597
25. * Dan Girardi - 78,411
26. Tyler Myers - 72,360
27. Alex Pietrangelo - 68,881
28. Jack Johnson - 66,498
29. Ryan Suter - 60,525
30. * Brooks Orpik - 58,814
Goaltenders
1. Tim Thomas - 626,540
2. James Reimer - 498,075
3. Marc-Andre Fleury - 424,619
4. Carey Price - 251,395
5. Henrik Lundqvist - 209,943
6. * Jimmy Howard - 192,685
7. Nikolai Khabibulin - 185,354
8. Pekka Rinne - 171,179
9. Ilya Bryzgalov - 166,647
10. Roberto Luongo - 166,391
11. Jonathan Quick - 118,174
12. Martin Brodeur - 102,672
13. * Corey Crawford - 99,264
14. Ryan Miller - 97,626
15. * Craig Anderson - 79,064
16. Kari Lehtonen - 78,735
17. Tomas Vokoun - 59,325
18. Jaroslav Halak - 50,168
19. * Brian Elliott - 46,245
20. Cam Ward - 44,037
* - Write-in candidate
Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson faces a decision or two this season
TORONTO -- Daniel Alfredsson smiled as he watched the Hockey Hall of Fame pregame ceremony Saturday night.
"I wondered if this happened to me in Toronto, what I would say," he said with a laugh.
To this day, the Ottawa Senators captain is still booed every time he touches the puck in these parts for a hit from behind on Darcy Tucker during the 2002 playoffs. Leafs fans will surely have forgiven him if and when he gets the Hockey Hall nod.
Which brings us to the next question: just how much hockey is left in his All-Star career? He turns 39 next month; and while he does have another year left on his deal, he needs to see how the season goes before he commits for 2012-13.
Christopher Pasatieri/US PresswireDaniel Alfredsson recently returned after missing six games with a concussion."It's more about how I feel and how I play this year," Alfredsson said Saturday night after a 5-2 win over the rival Leafs. "You want to feel like you can contribute and it's still fun to play. If I do, if I'm still healthy, I have every intention to play another year. But if my body says it's too much, I'll have to consider it [retirement]. Right now, I'm very open."
Not that it's paramount on his mind, but it's noteworthy to point out his salary drops from $4.5 million this season to $1 million next year.
"I hope he does come back," Sens GM Bryan Murray told ESPN.com before Saturday's game. "At the end of the contract, the level of dollars at that point isn't quite what it is today. But it would depend, No. 1, on how he feels and how he plays this year, and No. 2, how he thinks we're progressing in what we're trying to do."
As the Feb. 27 trade deadline approaches, if the rebuilding Senators (as expected) aren't contending for a playoff spot, other teams will no doubt come calling on Alfredsson. We asked the classy Swede if he'd consider taking a page out of Ray Bourque's playbook and chase a Stanley Cup opportunity elsewhere with the tock ticking on a career that still void of one.
"It's a totally justifiable question," Alfredsson said. "My stance, now anyway, is that I'm with Ottawa and I'm here to stay. Would I like to win a Cup? Of course. I've had my chances in Ottawa. I don't know if it feels that it's justified to try and go to another team and try to win it. ... We built something in Ottawa. I've been part of so many things, through many ups and downs, and I want to be part of this, too. That's where I am right now."
And it's clear it is up to Alfredsson.
"I suspect, near the deadline, there might be some inquiries," said Murray. "It would be his call. ... I guess if he ever came to me and said, 'I'd like to have a chance to do that,' it would be hard to say no. I can't imagine that would be the case, but you never know in March what goes through his head."
Murray has a constant dialogue with his captain about the team's plans and development of its key young players. The GM views Alfredsson has a key component in bringing those kids along.
"I had lunch with him today," said Murray. "He sees where we're going. We talked about some of the young guys and where we have to get to with a couple of them, what they need to do. Alfie's very in tune with that. He's a big help and talks to these guys."
Another important factor in all of this is the Senators hold Alfredsson in such high esteem, they've basically told him there is a job waiting for him within the organization after his playing days are done.
"I'm sure if he wants to stay in Ottawa for a long time and be part of the organization, [owner] Eugene [Melnyk] has made it clear that would be the case," said Murray.
We asked Alfredsson if he thought he had played his last game a few weeks ago when he suffered a concussion after taking a controversial hit to the head from New York Rangers forward Wojtek Wolski.
"No, I never thought that," Alfredsson said.
He missed six games and returned Friday night in Buffalo.
"Since Sunday, I've been feeling good. Maybe leg-wise I'm not where I should be, but otherwise I feel good."
Senators' Daniel Alfredsson back on the ice
"It felt good to be back on the ice today," Alfredsson said, according to the Senators' website. "I was on for maybe an hour, an hour and 20 [minutes], did some drills and played a little bit of a scrimmage. It was fun. I was tired, but everything held up well and the back felt fine."
Alfredsson, 38, hasn't played a game since Feb. 7 and had back surgery in June after rest and rehabilitation were not enough to get him back in playing condition.
"Obviously, the first time on the ice is always a struggle," Alfredsson said. "But for being the first time, it felt good and I'll be back out skating [on] Thursday again."
He said he is on target to return in time for the start of training camp in mid-September.
"Last year, I wasn't in pain all the time, but I lost the strength in my right leg," Alfredsson said. "That was extremely frustrating. I had to make the decision to have surgery. From then on, it has been a lot better and I can see the positives, the light at the end of the tunnel."
Alfredsson had 14 goals and 31 points in 54 games this past season.
5 Things: GMs' trade-deadline decisions, Phoenix's other deadline, Kings' turnaround
1. Two deadlines for Phoenix
Multiple sources tell ESPN.com the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes is moving forward and should be completed within the next couple of weeks, but the team is hoping the sale beats another deadline -- the trade deadline.
The sale of the beleaguered franchise to Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer was expected to have been completed by mid-February, but a delay in the sale of bonds by the City of Glendale (part of the new lease agreement with Hulsizer) has slowed the process. Those bond sales are expected to begin this week and would still, in theory, give the city time to complete the sale by the Feb. 28 trade deadline.
Why is this significant?
It is believed Hulsizer hopes to be ensconced as owner before the deadline so he can work with GM Don Maloney and his staff to begin charting a course for the future, and nothing is more crucial to the team's immediate future than making the playoffs.
The Coyotes have won four in a row and were tied with Nashville for fifth place in the Western Conference (67 points) as of Monday morning. The Coyotes were just one point out of first in the jam-packed Pacific Division, yet they were also just two points ahead of ninth-place Los Angeles.
If Hulsizer is in place as owner, it could give Maloney more latitude to improve his team by the deadline. The Coyotes added veteran defenseman Michal Rozsival last month, but they could use more help on the back end and down the middle.
Maloney was surprisingly busy during last year's trade-deadline period, although he had to stay within a league-approved budget in order to make moves without having to go to the league for approval.
The Coyotes are 29th in league attendance, but those numbers bloomed last season as the team charged toward an unlikely playoff berth. The same dynamic is unfolding this season as the Coyotes announced their second sellout Saturday against Chicago.
Bolstering the roster would be important to Hulsizer; it would help him reinforce to the Arizona fan base that he is committed to putting a winning team on the ice and help kick-start the long road to making the team financially successful in Glendale.
If the deal isn't completed by the trade deadline, it will simply be another opportunity lost for a franchise that has historically been the poster team for squandering opportunities.
2. A telling home-and-home series
We often look for statement games or road trips or periods in various schedules to serve as a barometer for where teams are in their evolution. Here are a couple of such statements from last week.
We watched the home-and-home set between the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins with interest. Both teams will likely win their respective divisions (Central and Northeast) and would sit in a second tier of Stanley Cup contenders behind teams like Vancouver and Philadelphia. The Wings had struggled heading into this past weekend, losing three of four games and being shut out twice. The Bruins, meanwhile, were coming off their controversial brawl-fest win over Montreal last Wednesday. Yet it was Detroit that rose to the occasion, beating the Bruins 6-1 in Boston on Friday and posting a 4-2 win at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday (a score that flattered the Bruins).
The wins revealed the Red Wings are a formidable force when healthy, as the returns of Daniel Cleary, Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsyuk in recent days was a boon to everyone, including Todd Bertuzzi, who was a one-man wrecking crew against the Bruins (four goals), playing mostly with Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg.
A full complement of forwards (or, almost, as the Wings are still without Valtteri Filppula and Mike Modano) gives coach Mike Babcock tremendous latitude offensively; if this holds true in April, the Wings will be a legitimate Cup contender.
The losses were disappointing for a Boston team that looks like it needs help before the trade deadline if it wants to enjoy a long playoff run. The Bruins would like to add a puck-moving defenseman and a top-six forward. Meanwhile, backup netminder Tuukka Rask remains a puzzler; he gave up five Red Wings goals on 19 shots through two periods on Friday and is 5-11-1 on the season. The less confidence the team has in using Rask, the more pressure there will be to use Vezina Trophy favorite Tim Thomas and risk over-playing the 36-year-old.
3. Tough questions for some GMs
Speaking of the trade deadline, the Bruins are in a terrific position to pry some top-end talent from teams in the seller's category, thanks in large part to the Phil Kessel deal that gives Boston another of Toronto's first-round picks this year (the Bruins used the other to pick up Tyler Seguin in last year's draft). The Leafs look like they'll be a draft lottery team again this season, which means Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli can dangle a top-five pick.
So, what do you do if you're Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk or Calgary GM Jay Feaster? Both GMs have assets that, if moved, would be the most sought-after pieces at the deadline in the form of Brad Richards (pictured left) and Jarome Iginla.
Richards will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and we're guessing the Stars' chances of retaining his services will be slim unless they go on a long playoff run. Yet the team has played poorly of late (two wins in its past nine games) and looks like it will relinquish its longstanding spot atop the Pacific Division. Even if the Stars do make the playoffs, what is the probability of a long run? Nothing is a given, but an honest assessment suggests the Stars are likely in one-and-done territory. Weigh that likelihood against having a top-five pick and other assets from Boston if Nieuwendyk asked Richards to waive his no-trade clause.
Talk about a dilemma.
It's the same with the Iginla case. Feaster has repeatedly said he will not ask Iginla to waive his no-movement clause. The Flames have played their way back into playoff contention in the West and are 7-1-2 in their past 10 games, but they are 10th in the conference and the teams in front of them all hold games in hand. In short, a playoff berth isn't a given.
With the dearth of talent in Calgary's minor league system, the lure of a top-five draft pick is a powerful one given Iginla's attractiveness to other teams like Boston. (He has two more years left on his contract at $7 million.)
You can ask the same question of Ottawa GM Bryan Murray, who has already started to deconstruct his Senators team. Would having two draft lottery picks this spring not be attractive if you thought captain Daniel Alfredsson would yield that kind of return even if it meant dealing the classy veteran to a division foe?
Tough calls all the way around. Guess that's why those guys get paid the big bucks.
4. Have Kings finally turned a corner?
One of the most confounding teams to watch this season has been the Los Angeles Kings.
With expectations in Los Angeles as high as they've been since the arrival of Wayne Gretzky in 1988, the Kings have suffered through long periods of uneven play this season. What has been most curious is they look like a team with the perfect blend of skill, size, youth and veteran experience ... on paper. When the Kings began a 10-game road trip two weeks ago, it looked like the kind of trip that could kill a season ... or make it.
Kudos to coach Terry Murray and the Kings, as they've gone 4-0-2 on the first six games of this trip, including back-to-back wins in Washington and Philadelphia over the weekend. The Kings still need a top-six forward to be considered a playoff threat (they were outside the playoff bubble tied for eighth with 65 points as of Monday morning), but this trip and the subsequent favorable home schedule down the stretch may be the catalyst for the kind of success many had predicted from the outset.
5. Hockey coincidence?
Now here's a weird one for you. We loved the Jamie Langenbrunner-to-Dallas trade from the Stars' perspective, and when the former New Jersey captain arrived, the Stars were on a roll and won their first five games with him. But since then, the Stars are 2-6-1 and Langenbrunner has just one goal and four assists since arriving in Dallas. Meanwhile, everyone knows how hot the Devils have been. Since saying goodbye to their captain, they are 12-3-2. We're not suggesting there is a definite correlation, but it just goes to show that what looks good on paper sometimes doesn't have the desired result when you put the blades on the ice.
Stock up, stock down: Sergei Bobrovsky on a tear, Jaroslav Halak torn down
Stock Up
Lee Stempniak, Phoenix Coyotes: The Coyotes continue to hold onto a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference thanks in large part to their balanced offense. Recently, it's been Stempniak, who became a Coyote just over a year ago at the trade deadline, taking the lead. Stempniak has a seven-game point streak during which he's collected 11 points. During the past two weeks, no one has delivered more points (although Stempniak is tied with Philadelphia's Claude Giroux during this stretch). The native of West Seneca, N.Y., has five goals during that span, all at even strength, and a plus-4 rating.Sergei Bobrovsky, Philadelphia Flyers: So much for hitting the rookie wall. After a slight wobble, Bobrovsky (Bob to most around the NHL) is on a tear heading into the All-Star break. Bobrovsky has won six straight starts and has allowed two or less goals in each of those contests, while facing just over 30 shots a game during the streak. No wonder the Flyers hit the break as the NHL's top team and the annual talk of Flyers goaltending uncertainty has quieted to a faint hum.
Stock Down
Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues: Yes, the Blues have been beset by injuries throughout this difficult season and maybe this is a factor in what appears to be the breaking down of Halak, last year's playoff hero in Montreal. Acquired by the Blues with the expectation he would lead them to the playoffs, Halak has just two wins in his last 10 appearances. Seven times over that 10-game span, Halak has allowed four goals. No wonder the Blues are slowly sinking beneath the surface in the Western Conference.Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators: It's as ugly as you can get in the Canadian capital these days with the Senators in freefall and ownership determined to keep the current management/coaching staff in place, at least until the end of the regular season. Even Alfredsson, the team's classy captain, has not been immune to the woes that have brought this team to its lowest point in well over a decade. Alfredsson has delivered one goal in his last nine games and just one assist over that period. A guy like Alfredsson deserves better.
WHO'S DELIVERING THE CHECKS
Scott Burnside
Scott Burnside covers the NHL for ESPN.com. Before joining the website in 2005, he was a reporter for The Windsor Star and Toronto Sun. Burnside also co-authored the best-selling true crime book "Deadly Innocence."
• Follow on Twitter (@ESPN_Burnside)
Pierre LeBrun
Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com, joining the website in Sept. 2008 after spending 13 years with The Canadian Press as its national hockey columnist. He is also a regular panelist for TSN of Canada.
• Follow on Twitter (@Real_ESPNLeBrun)
Craig Custance
Craig Custance joined ESPN in Sept. 2011 to cover the NHL for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Insider and ESPN.com. Previously, he covered hockey for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Sporting News.
• Follow on Twitter (@CraigCustance)
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