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CALGARY – Since their improbable 2004 Stanley Cup run, the Calgary Flames have invested heavily in their defence corps.And it’s that group that will have to be catalysts if the seventh-seeded Flames have any shot of upsetting the No.

The core players who helped Canada win gold at last year’s IIHF world hockey championship will be back this year.Forwards Rick Nash, Shane Doan, Eric Staal, Jonathan Toews and goaltender Cam Ward are among the first group of players who have committed to playing for Canada next month in Halifax and Quebec City.

OTTAWA – The playoffs are a fresh start for the Ottawa Senators after they slipped down the stretch, but they still face the same questions over their goaltending as they did in the regular season.

Hockey Canada will name 15 players to its World Championship team Tuesday afternoon and there will be no shortage of star quality among the group if early returns are any indications.

Movements in the world of hockey Monday:National Hockey LeagueATLANTA THRASHERS-Reassigned C Bryan Little and D Boris Valabik to Chicago (AHL) and D Chad Denny to Gwinnett (ECHL).

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Wild defenceman Nick Schultz underwent an appendectomy Monday night, two days before they open a playoff series.The team said the operation was successful and Schultz was resting comfortably at a Twin Cities hospital.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No team in the NHL had to endure a season like the Nashville Predators had.Their owner announced he was selling to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie a month after last season ended.

For the first time in a while, the Tampa Bay Lightning have something to celebrate.The Lightning won Monday’s NHL draft lottery, earning the right to select first overall in June’s entry draft.

TORONTO – It might be the best time of year to be a hockey fan.The NHL post-season is here and with eight first-round series set to begin this week, fans will be busy working the remote control to keep up with all of the action on the tube.

WILMINGTON, Mass. – Simply by taking the ice, Patrice Bergeron gave his Bruins teammates a lift Monday even though he won’t suit up for their playoff opener.

The San Jose Sharks will win the Stanley Cup final in seven games over the Montreal Canadiens, according to an EA Sports video game simulation.

PITTSBURGH – This isn’t 2007 for the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins.It isn’t even seven weeks ago, when Ottawa was leading the Eastern Conference and again looked to be a prime Stanley Cup contender and it was Pittsburgh that was scrambling for playoff positioning.

CALGARY – Mike Keenan doesn’t believe there is a secret to post-season success, despite being fifth all-time in playoff victories among NHL coaches.

MONTREAL – After a season focused mostly on youth, it is time for the veterans to step forward and lead, Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey said Monday.

DENVER – To Pierre Lacroix, his induction into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame is an honour more for the organization he led to two Stanley Cup titles in his decade as general manager of the Colorado Avalanche.

TORONTO – Paul Maurice says the Toronto Maple Leafs need Mats Sundin more than ever now.With the team a non-playoff failure for the third year in a row, which hadn’t happened to the franchise since 1928, some fans are screaming for a total overhaul.

UNDATED – The Canadian Press hockey writers Bill Beacon and Pierre LeBrun choose 20 players to watch in this year’s NHL playoffs:Eastern Conference1.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The New York Islanders’ disappointing season took root on July 1, a full three months before the first puck dropped.After a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, the team’s core was stripped by free agency.

NEW YORK – Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has been named the NHL’s first star of the week.New York Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr was runner-up while Washington Capitals goalie Cristobal Huet was named third star.

Sage advice for poolies getting ready for a playoff draft is to study the matchups, do your homework and know who’s hot and who’s not.They might also study their tea leaves, pull out a lucky rabbit’s foot and consult a ouija board.