Month: April 2008

PITTSBURGH – Only one game into the NHL’s Eastern Conference semifinal between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins and already the heat is rising.

DETROIT – The Colorado Avalanche were without centre Peter Forsberg, defenceman Scott Hannan and winger Wojtek Wolski for Game 2 against the Detroit Red Wings.

MONTREAL – Scott Hartnell is expected to be back on the Philadelphia Flyers top line for Game 2 of their NHL playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

Scoring summaries from Friday’s NHL games:Rangers 4 at Penguins 5First Period1. N.Y. Rangers, Straka 2 (Jagr, Rozsival) 13:40 (pp)Penalties – Jagr NYR (cross-checking) 0:23, Backman NYR (interference) 6:48, Whitney Pgh (high-sticking) 13:11, Sykora Pgh (hooking) 17:30, Shanahan NYR (interference) 18:35.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Even in the playoffs, Brenden Morrow and his “San Jose Stars” still rock the Shark Tank.Morrow scored his second goal of the night 4:39 into overtime, and the Dallas Stars opened their second-round series with a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.

Movements in the world of hockey Friday:National Hockey LeagueNEW YORK RANGERS-Agreed to terms with G Miika Wiikman. Recalled G David LeNeveu, D Andrew Hutchinson, D Corey Potter, D Bobby Sanguinetti, F Artem Anisimov, F Dane Byers, F Brodie Dupont, F Lauri Korpikoski, F Greg Moore and F P.

WINNIPEG – Jason Jaffray didn’t need any extra motivation in his return to the Manitoba lineup – and he wasted no time making an impact on the final outcome.

SAN ANTONIO – The Toronto Marlies hit the road and seized control in their best-of-seven American Hockey League opening-round series with San Antonio.

PITTSBURGH – If this is how it’s going to be, order up six more games.Evgeni Malkin’s power-play goal with 1:41 to go in the third period Friday night lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to an entertaining 5-4 win over New York in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal, capping a wild night that saw the visiting Rangers cough up a 3-0 lead.

QUEBEC – Jason Spezza and Eric Staal don’t want to be sitting in the stands the next time a Canadian hockey team competes at the Olympics.They were members of the taxi squad in 2006 and could only watch as Canada was beaten by Russia in the quarter-finals.

CALGARY – The Calgary Flames filed out the doors of the Pengrowth Saddledome on Friday and some of them for the last time.The backbone of the team – captain Jarome Iginla, goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff and defencemen Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr – are all under long-term contracts for the next five seasons and Kiprusoff and Phaneuf another year beyond that.

MONTREAL – Guy Carbonneau watched forward Tom Kostopoulos deck Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen with a left hook and wondered what all the fuss was about.

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens are known for their speed and skill, but for Guy Carbonneau it’s his grinders who have been at their best in the playoffs.

DETROIT – As a rookie in 2005, Johan Franzen whizzed past Steve Yzerman on the ice.A nickname was born.Mule.The six-foot-three, 220-pound Swede showed he’s more than just big when he scored twice and had an assist to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-3 series-opening win over the Colorado Avalanche.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – John H. McConnell, a steel magnate who was the majority owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets, died Friday. He was 84.The team announced his death, but no further details were immediately released.

QUEBEC – Washington Capitals defenceman Mike Green was added to Canada’s roster for the IIHF World Hockey Championship on Friday.The 22-year-old Calgary native had 18 goals and 38 assists playing in all 82 games for Washington this season.

DETROIT – Colorado Avalanche forward Wojtek Wolski will not play in Game 2 against the Detroit Red Wings and likely will miss the rest of the second-round series because of an upper-body injury.

PITTSBURGH – Mom doesn’t like it but she better get used it. It won’t be the last time two Staal brother face off in the NHL playoffs.The next two weeks won’t be fun for Linda Staal, two of her sons, Jordan and Marc, battling it out with so much at stake.

PITTSBURGH – Penguins forward Gary Roberts will sit out Friday night’s second-round playoff game against the New York Rangers with a groin injury.