Music: December 2014

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

{allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS (20-14-3) at BRUINS (19-15-3)

The Hangover Part III / Nothing Was the Same - Drake

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

7:00 PM ET

MAPLE LEAFS (20-14-3) at BRUINS (19-15-3)

TV: TVA, SN, NESN

Season series: The Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 behind a goal and two assists from defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Toronto won 6-1 on Nov. 12 with Phil Kessel scoring two goals. Maple Leafs center Tyler Bozak is the leading scorer in this series with four points.

Maple Leafs team scope: The Maple Leafs, who have won once in their past six games, have to be glad to be out of Florida after losing to the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Their five-game post-Christmas road trip continues with their first visit to Boston. Goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who has a .921 save percentage and 2.65 goals-against average in 26 games, missed the games in Florida because of illness but told TSN in Toronto on Tuesday he feels well enough to return to the lineup. Forward Leo Komarov, who has been practicing in an attempt to return from a concussion that's kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 29, might also be ready to face the Bruins. He needs doctors' clearance, assistant coach Steve Spott said.

Bruins team scope: The hunger and commitment coach Claude Julien was looking for after a 6-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets last weekend came out in one of the Bruins' most complete wins of the season Monday. Boston won 5-2 against the Detroit Red Wings, but must follow up that performance with another strong outing against Toronto. The Bruins might benefit from the returns of forwards Patrice Bergeron (their leading scorer with 27 points) and Milan Lucic. Neither played against the Red Wings, but each practiced Tuesday and Julien said a decision would be made on their status on game day. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask was pulled from his last start against the Maple Leafs, but he is 10-3-0 with a .937 save percentage and 1.85 GAA against Toronto.

Team Stats

	GP	Record	Home	Road	L10	G/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	PIM/GP	S/GP	SA/GP	FO%
	37	20-14-3	14-8-0	6-6-3	5-5-0	3.30	2.97	20.2	83.2	9.1	29.5	34.5	49.1
	37	19-15-3	12-6-2	7-9-1	5-3-2	2.60	2.62	17.4	79.1	10.1	30.5	29.5	52.6

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{allcanada} ISLANDERS (24-11-1) at JETS (19-11-7)

The Hangover Part III / Nothing Was the Same - Drake

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

5:00 PM ET

ISLANDERS (24-11-1) at JETS (19-11-7)

TV: MSG+, TSN3

Season series: Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd had two goals against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum on Oct. 28 in a 4-3 Jets win. The road team has won the past four games between the Islanders and Jets.

Islanders team scope: The Islanders begin a season-high seven-game road trip Wednesday. Three Islanders defensemen scored in a 4-3 overtime win against the Washington Capitals on Monday. After the win Monday, the Islanders are 16-2-1 in one-goal games. The Islanders have given up a three-goal lead in the third period in each of the past two games. The power play had two goals in seven opportunities against Washington after a 1-for-23 slump. Center John Tavares (three goals, two assists) and right wing Kyle Okposo (one goal, four assists) are each on a four-game points streak. Right wing Michael Grabner, who has been limited to five games this season because of a lower-body injury, participated in the morning skate Monday and is a possibility to dress against Winnipeg. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak returned Monday after a two-game absence (lower body) and made 23 saves. The Islanders, who are starting a stretch of eight of nine games on the road, play the Calgary Flames on Friday.

Jets team scope: The Jets continue their four-game homestand with their annual New Year's Eve game. Winnipeg surrendered a 2-0 second-period lead in a 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Monday. The game was their first since coach Paul Maurice announced that left wing Evander Kane will be out until early February because of a lower-body injury. Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien did not practice Tuesday, but Maurice said that he will play Wednesday. Jets left wing Mathieu Perreault scored Monday; six of Perreault's nine goals are at MTS Centre, and he has seven goals and five assists in 12 games in December. After scoring once on the power play in their four games, the Jets had two power-play goals Monday. Goaltender Michael Hutchinson has started the past three games and four of the past five. Maurice said Monday that he plans to start goaltender Ondrej Pavelec in the upcoming stretch of six games in 11 days. The Toronto Maple Leafs visit MTS Centre on Saturday.

Team Stats

	GP	Record	Home	Road	L10	G/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	PIM/GP	S/GP	SA/GP	FO%
	36	24-11-1	14-4-0	10-7-1	5-4-1	2.94	2.78	18.5	75.0	9.6	33.0	27.7	47.5
	37	19-11-7	8-7-3	11-4-4	5-2-3	2.49	2.27	16.5	85.3	14.1	30.1	28.1	48.0

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{allcanada} Miller makes 31 saves to help Canucks top Sharks

The Hangover Part III / Nothing Was the Same - Drake

SAN JOSE -- Bo Horvat, Jannik Hansen and Radim Vrbata each scored a goal, and Ryan Miller made 31 saves to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-1 win against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Tuesday.

Vancouver (21-11-3) ended the Sharks' eight-game home winning streak and handed them their third straight loss overall. San Jose (19-13-5) is on its longest losing streak since a four-game skid Nov. 18-26.

Sharks center Joe Thornton scored on a penalty shot in the second period.

Miller improved to 9-1-1-0 in 11 career games against the Sharks, including 2-0-0 this season. He made 34 saves against the Sharks at SAP Center on Nov. 6 in a 3-2 victory.

Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock, making his first start since Dec. 11, made 18 saves.

San Jose entered the game with the NHL's No. 2 power play, but went 0-for-4 with the man advantage against Vancouver, which had no power-play opportunities.

The Canucks took a 1-0 lead at 3:08 of the first period on Horvat's second NHL goal. The rookie spun and fired a shot from the left circle into heavy traffic. The puck banked off Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon's skate and, as Sharks forward Alexandre Burrows jammed away, trickled past Stalock.

The Sharks outshot Vancouver 11-7 in the first period, but their best chance to score came on a penalty shot by Joe Pavelski at 8:28 that hit the crossbar and bounced over the net. Pavelski took a long pass from Thornton and was on a breakaway when Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler tripped him from behind.

Vancouver increased its lead to 2-0 at 3:05 of the second period on Hansen's ninth goal. Hansen had been in the penalty box for an illegal check to Sharks forward Tommy Wingels' head. He sprinted out of the box at the end of a penalty kill, took a pass from Edler and scored on a breakaway.

San Jose cut Vancouver's lead to 2-1 at 4:36 of the second when Thornton scored on a penalty shot, banking the puck off the left post and past Miller. Thornton was on a breakaway when Canucks defenseman Christopher Tanev dove in front of him, sending Thornton to the ice.

The penalty-shot goal was San Jose's first in five years, to the day, and ended an 0-for-7 streak, including three this season. Former Sharks forward Ryane Clowe scored in the second period and Thornton in the third on penalty shots Dec. 30, 2009, at SAP Center in a 5-2 victory against the Washington Capitals in San Jose's only other game with two penalty shots.

Vancouver answered at 7:09 of the second period with Vrbata's 14th goal. He took a shot from the left circle that deflected off Stalock's glove and into the net, giving the Canucks a 3-1 lead.

The Sharks pulled Stalock with 2:30 left in the game, but even with the extra attacker, they couldn't get the puck past Miller again.

Sharks forward Matt Nieto was activated from injured reserve Tuesday and returned to the lineup after missing nine games with an ankle injury. He skated on the fourth line.

Defenseman Matt Irwin was in the lineup for San Jose after sitting eight games as a healthy scratch.

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{allcanada} WHL: Klimchuk scores three to lead Pats over Blades

The Hangover Part III / Nothing Was the Same - Drake

SASKATOON - Morgan Klimchuk had a hat trick, Adam Brooks picked up three assists, and the Regina Pats scored four goals in the third period to topple the Saskatoon Blades 5-3 in Western Hockey League action on Tuesday.

Connor Gay struck twice for the Pats (22-12-2) while Braden Christoffer and Dryden Hunt chipped in with two assists apiece.

Sam McKechnie, Brett Stovin and Cameron Hebig, with a power-play goal, scored for the Blades (9-26-3).

Regina goaltender Daniel Wapple stopped 30 shots in the victory. Saskatoon's Nik Amundrud made 32 saves in the losing effort.

---

WHEAT KINGS 4 RAIDERS 1

BRANDON, Man. — Tim McGauley had a goal and an assist to lead the Wheat Kings over Prince Albert.

Jayce Hawryluk, Peter Quenneville and Braylon Shmyr also scored for Brandon (27-7-4).

Jayden Hart scored the lone goal for the Raiders (16-21-1), on the power play at 8:03 of the second period.

---

HITMEN 9 HURRICANES 2

CALGARY — Pavel Karnaukhov had a hat trick and an assist to power the Hitmen past Lethbridge.

Connor Rankin scored two goals and helped on three more for Calgary (20-14-3). Chase Lang, Jordy Stallard, Adam Tambellini, and Terrell Draude rounded out the Hitmen offence.

Tyler Wong and Jaeger White replied for the Hurricanes (9-22-5).

---

TIGERS 5 ICE 4 (SO)

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — Cole Sanford scored in regulation and again in the shootout as the Tigers edged Kootenay.

Kyle Becker struck twice for Medicine Hat (26-9-2), and Matt Staples scored the tying goal at 10:01 of the third period.

Luke Philp scored two goals and assisted on two more for the Ice (20-17-1), Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and three assists and Tyler King also scored. Descheneau had a chance to score the tiebreaking goal on a penalty shot in the third period, but he was stopped by Tigers goalie Marek Langhamer.

---

BRONCOS 4 REBELS 3 (SO)

RED DEER, Alta. — Jake DeBrusk scored twice in regulation and again in the shootout to lead Swift Current over the Rebels.

Glenn Gawdin also scored in the shootout for the Broncos (19-15-4), and Brett Lernout had the tying goal at 19:08 of the third period.

Riley Sheen struck twice for Red Deer (20-13-5) while Conner Bleackley rounded out the offence. Both those players were stopped in the shootout.

---

GIANTS 6 BLAZERS 3

VANCOUVER — Jesse Roach scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Giants to victory over Kamloops.

Arvin Atwal had a goal and two helpers for Vancouver (17-19-1), and Dalton Sward, Thomas Foster and Mason Geertsen also scored.

Dawson Davidson, Ryan Rehill and Deven Sideroff replied for the Blazers (13-22-5).

---

COUGARS 5 ROCKETS 3

KELOWNA, B.C. — Ty Edmonds made 45 saves and Prince George got goals from five different skaters en route to victory over the Rockets.

Chase Witala and Jared Bethune had a goal and an assist apiece to lead the Cougars (19-19-1), and Tyler Mrkonjic, Jansen Harkins and Chance Braid also scored.

Riley Stadel and Justin Kirkland each had a goal and two helpers for Kelowna (29-6-3) and Rourke Chartier rounded out the offence. Jackson Whistle and Jake Morrissey combined on 15 saves.

---

THUNDERBIRDS 4 SILVERTIPS 2

SEATTLE — Keegan Kolesar struck twice and chipped in with an assist to lead the Thunderbirds past Everett.

Ethan Bear had a goal and two helpers for Seattle (17-15-4) and Lane Pederson also scored.

Dawson Leedahl and Nikita Scherbak supplied the offence for the Silvertips (21-11-4).

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{allcanada} Oilers defeat Kings to end nine-game losing streak

The Hangover Part III / Nothing Was the Same - Drake

EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers ended a nine-game losing streak with a 3-2 shootout win against the Los Angeles Kings at Rexall Place on Tuesday.

Oilers forward David Perron scored the only goal in the shootout, in the fourth round.

Matt Hendricks and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for Edmonton (8-22-7). The Oilers went into the game with one win in their past 21 games (1-14-6).

Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin scored for Los Angeles (18-12-8).

Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens made 37 saves for his sixth win of the season. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick made 18 saves.

It was the Kings' second straight loss and third in their past four games, including 2-1 at the Calgary Flames on Monday.

The Oilers had not won since defeating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Dec. 7. Previous to that, they lost 11 consecutive games.

The win was the first for Oilers interim coach Todd Nelson (1-3-2). Nelson took over from Dallas Eakins, who was fired Dec. 15.

In Nelson's first five games, he was accompanied on the bench by general manager Craig MacTavish in order to help with the transition. MacTavish stepped away from the bench Tuesday.

Hendricks put Edmonton ahead at 4:37 of the first period, taking a pass from Derek Roy in the slot and one-timing a shot past Quick.

The assist was Roy's first point for the Oilers in his first game; he was acquired Monday in a trade with the Nashville Predators for center Mark Arcobello.

Shortly after the goal, Roy left the game with an apparent foot injury but he returned in the second period.

The goal was Hendrick's third of the season and third point in his past four games.

Nugent-Hopkins increased the lead to 2-0 at 9:32 of the second period, snapping a shot past Quick from just inside the faceoff circle. The play began with Edmonton breaking out on a 3-on-1 rush. Nugent-Hopkins tried to send a cross-crease feed to defenseman Jeff Petry but failed to connect. The puck ended up in the corner, where the Kings were first to retrieve it, but they were unable to clear the zone. It eventually came to Taylor Hall along the boards, and he found Nugent-Hopkins unattended.

Doughty scored at 10:02 of the third period on a play requiring video review, cutting the lead to 2-1.

The Kings defenseman appeared to have hit the crossbar with a point shot and play continued. Once play stopped, the shot was reviewed and it was determined the puck hit the back bar. The 34 seconds that had elapsed were put back on the clock.

Muzzin tied the game at 17:35 on the power play. The Kings defenseman took a pass from Marian Gaborik at the side of the net and beat Scrivens on the short side. Oilers defenseman Justin Schultz took a high-sticking penalty at 16:59 to give Los Angeles the power play.

The Kings outshot the Oilers 15-1 in the third period.

Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar, Tyler Toffoli and Justin Williams failed to score for Los Angeles in the shootout. Roy, Eberle and Hendricks missed for Edmonton.

The Oilers are at the Calgary Flames on Wednesday in the first of a two-game road trip. The Kings end a three-game Western Canada road trip at the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

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{allcanada} Dee Snider: I'm the man behind Celine Dion's Christmas hit

The Hangover Part III / Nothing Was the Same - Drake

Twisted Sister star Dee Snider has revealed he's the songwriter behind Celine Dion's festive tune The Magic of Christmas Day - and even she didn't know his identity when she recorded the track.

Snider reveals he wrote and recorded the song he titled God Bless Us Everyone as a Christmas gift to his wife and was stunned when he learned Dion wanted to record it for her 1998 album These Are Special Times.

He urged song brokers not to reveal his identity, because he feared Dion would change her mind if she discovered the man behind the tune was more Satanic rocker than Santa Claus.

He tells the Talk is Jericho podcast, "The first thing I said was, 'Does she know who wrote it...? Do not tell her Satan wrote a Christmas song! Seriously, dude, just put it on the frigging album.'"

Dion's production team changed the title to The Magic of Christmas Day, and asked Snider's people if he minded.

He adds, "(I said), 'I don't care if she calls it This Song Is A Pile of Dog S---, just put it on her album!'"

The album was a hit and Snider made a fortune from his contribution: "Eight million copies later, then it was on Rosie O'Donnell's Christmas album and sold another two million. We call our house the House that St. Celine built!"

And ironically, Snider, a classically trained counter-tenor, struggles to sing the track he wrote all those years ago - because "it's out of my range".

He reveals Celine has since discovered the identity of the man behind her Christmas song, adding, "I heard that she found out years later and was very confused."

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{allcanada} Bower scores winner as Wildcats edge Mooseheads

The Hangover Part III / Nothing Was the Same - Drake

MONCTON, N.B. - William Bower scored a tiebreaking goal 13:00 into the third period to lift the Moncton Wildcats to a 4-3 win over the Halifax Mooseheads in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action on Tuesday.

Stephen Johnson, Noah Zilbert, and Eric Leger also scored for the Wildcats (24-10-2), who trailed 4-2 at the start of the third period.

Brett Crossley struck twice for the Mooseheads (18-16-3). Jesse Lussier had a goal and an assist.

Moncton's Jason Rioux made 30 saves for the victory while Halifax's Kevin Resop stopped 29 shots in the losing effort.

---

ISLANDERS 6 SCREAMING EAGLES 3

CHARLOTTETOWN — Oliver Cooper scored three goals to power the Islanders past Cape Breton.

Kameron Kielly, Mitchell Balmas and Ryan MacKinnon had the other goals for Charlottetown (19-17-2), which extended its winning streak to four games.

Evgeny Svechnikov scored one goal and assisted on another for the Screaming Eagles (12-19-5), who have lost three in a row. Marcus Hinds and Maxim Lazarev rounded out the offence.

---

DRAKKAR 3 CATARACTES 1

SHAWINIGAN, Que. — Maxime St-Cyr and Valentin Zykov had a goal and an assist apiece as Baie-Comeau edged the Cataractes.

Jasmin Boutet also scored for the Drakkar (21-11-5).

Pascal Aquin had the lone goal for Shawinigan (19-17-2), opening the scoring at 6:05 of the first period.

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{allcanada} Tokarski, Canadiens hold off Panthers

The Hangover Part III / Nothing Was the Same - Drake

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Montreal Canadiens gave red-hot goalie Carey Price the night off Tuesday but kept rolling.

PA Parenteau scored the only goal in the shootout, and backup goalie Dustin Tokarski made 36 saves when the Canadiens defeated the Florida Panthers 2-1 at BB&T Center on Tuesday.

Tokarski, making his first start since Nov. 29, stopped three Panthers in the shootout, clinching the victory when he stopped Jonathan Huberdeau's wrist shot in the bottom of the third round.

Price started the previous 11 games and allowed nine goals in his past seven.

Parenteau, 4-for-6 in the shootout this season, beat Luongo in the third round with a wrist shot.

Brendan Gallagher scored with 1:06 left in the second period for Montreal (24-11-2), which has won four in a row and seven of eight. The Canadiens won the first three games of a season-long five-game road trip that ends at the New Jersey Devils on Friday and at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

The game drew a sellout crowd of 19,614, the largest attendance of the season at BB&T Center, with a large portion cheering for the Canadiens.

The Panthers (16-9-9) have a point in their past eight home games, 6-0-2 since a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 24.

Nick Bjugstad scored with 1:49 left in the third period for the Panthers; Roberto Luongo made 33 saves and is 1-7-0 in his past eight starts against the Canadiens.

Florida missed a chance for its first three-game winning streak of the season. It has won two in a row four times.

The best scoring chance of overtime came in the final minute after Tokarski turned over the puck and Jimmy Hayes had an open net from the bottom of the left circle, but his long-range shot went wide.

Bjugstad tied the game when he took a centering feed from rookie defenseman Aaron Ekblad and beat Tokarski with a wrist shot from the slot.

Gallagher scored on Montreal's 20th and final shot of the second period, a wrist shot from outside the right dot that trickled through Luongo's legs. It was Gallagher's fifth goal in 10 games.

Luongo had been spectacular in the second period. He stopped Jiri Sekac on a breakaway in the first minute, blocked a cross-ice pass to thwart a 3-on-1, and had quick reactions to stop a couple of deflections, including one on a slap shot that shattered the stick of Panthers defenseman Willie Mitchell.

Aleksander Barkov came close to giving the Panthers the lead in the second period. He put the puck in the net off a scrum in front of Tokarski, but the goal was waved off because it was ruled Tokarski was shoved into the net.

Barkov hit the crossbar with a shot from the slot about two minutes before Gallagher scored.

Florida coach Gerard Gallant, a Montreal assistant the past two seasons, faced his former team for the first time.

Huberdeau's 14-year-old sister, Josiane, sang "O Canada" before the game. She was among approximately 85 friends and family members cheering on Huberdeau, whose hometown is the Montreal suburb of Saint-Jerome. He had an assist on Bjugstad's goal.

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{allcanada} Sharks' Nieto off IR, will play against Canucks

SAN JOSE -- San Jose Sharks forward Matt Nieto was activated from injured reserve and will be in the lineup Tuesday at SAP Center against the Vancouver Canucks.

Nieto hasn't played since Dec. 4 against the Boston Bruins when he sustained an ankle injury. He's missed the past nine games.

"The injury took a little longer to heal than expected, but I'm ready now," Nieto said. "I'm itching to get back in the lineup, and I'm ready to go and excited to be out there playing."

Nieto, who scored a goal in two of his past three games, will skate on the fourth line with center Andrew Desjardins and forward Micheal Haley. For most of the season he skated on the top three lines.

"Matt is a very good player and we need him in the lineup," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said.

"Starting him with [Desjardins] is a spot where he fits right now. We like what the other lines are doing, or what they have done to this point over the last month. ... Matty hasn't played for a while. He's going to have to get his legs and his timing back. We'll use him penalty killing, maybe a little on the power play. He'll get his minutes."

McLellan made two other changes in his lineup. Defenseman Matt Irwin, a healthy scratch the past eight games, will play for the first time since Dec. 6 against the Calgary Flames. Backup goaltender Alex Stalock will start for the first time since Dec. 11 against the Minnesota Wild, a stretch of five games.

"I've been preparing every day like I'm going to get a chance to play and finally here it is tonight," said Irwin, who will replace Scott Hannan in the lineup. "I'm excited."

McLellan said Irwin earned the opportunity to play.

"He's worked extremely hard in practice," McLellan said. "He deserves the opportunity to go back in. His legs and his skating have improved in the time away from the games, which is a credit to him. And we'd like to think he can be a positive influence on the group."

The Sharks have back-to-back games, facing the Canucks at home and the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Wednesday. Stalock will give No. 1 goaltender Antti Niemi a break Tuesday and Niemi will likely start against the Ducks.

In the past, Stalock has played well after long stretches on the bench.

"I think practice, staying sharp in practice and working hard," Stalock said. "We practice so hard and so fast that it keeps you at game speed. Obviously it isn't a game, at the same time, so the first five minutes are huge getting into it and following the puck."

The Sharks lost 3-1 to the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Saturday in their first game after the Christmas break. The Canucks fell 2-1 to the Ducks on Sunday at Honda Center. Each team hopes to get back on track in an incredibly tight playoff race in the Western Conference.

In the Pacific Division, Vancouver, San Jose, Los Angeles and Calgary each has 43 points and trail first-place Anaheim by 11.

"You can't take any nights off," Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. "These points are so important."

Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said he'll stick with the same lineup he used against Anaheim but could juggle his lines during the game.

"We have room for movement on all our lines, I guess," Desjardins said before Vancouver's optional skate. "I know that we need more. We just have to evaluate it game by game, but we have to find more."

Canucks forward Zack Kassian (finger) has yet to be cleared to play, but he was on the ice again and said he felt 100 percent healthy. He hopes he'll be in the lineup Thursday against the Kings at Rogers Arena

"I feel great," Kassian said. "I feel ready, ready to go, the best I've felt all year. I've had four weeks to work out, get stronger and skate."

Here are the projected lineups:

CANUCKS

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Radim Vrbata

Chris Higgins - Nick Bonino - Derek Dorsett

Shawn Matthias - Brad Richardson - Linden Vey

Alexandre Burrows - Bo Horvat - Jannik Hansen

Alexander Edler - Christopher Tanev

Ryan Stanton - Kevin Bieksa

Luca Sbisa - Yannick Weber

Ryan Miller

Eddie Lack

Scratched: Tom Sestito, Bobby Sanguinetti

Injured: Dan Hamhuis (leg), Zack Kassian (finger)

SHARKS

Tomas Hertl - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski

Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Tommy Wingels

Barclay Goodrow - James Sheppard - Melker Karlsson

Matt Nieto - Andrew Desjardins - Micheal Haley

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun

Brenden Dillon - Brent Burns

Matt Irwin - Matt Tennyson

Alex Stalock

Antti Niemi

Scratched: Scott Hannan, Tye McGinn

Suspended: John Scott

Injured: Raffi Torres (knee), Tyler Kennedy (shoulder), Mike Brown (lower body)

Status report: The Sharks reassigned rookie forward Chris Tierney to Worcester of the American Hockey League. This marks his second trip to Worcester this season. ... Miller, who made 34 saves in Vancouver's 3-2 victory at SAP Center on Nov. 6, will start again against the Sharks.

Who's hot: Burrows has a three-game point streak (2-2-4). ... Daniel Sedin leads the Canucks in points (30), is second in assists (22) and is tied for second in goals (8). ... Pavelski has a two-game goal streak and a three-game point streak (2-1-3). He leads the Sharks with 17 goals. ... Thornton has a three-game point streak (0-3-3), and leads the Sharks in points (31) and assists (23).

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{allcanada} Roy, Fraser to debut for Oilers against Kings

Blue Bloods / Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy - Helen Fielding

EDMONTON -- Forwards Derek Roy and Matt Fraser will make their Edmonton Oilers debuts Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings, and interim coach Todd Nelson will take sole responsibility behind the bench.

Roy and Fraser were acquired by Edmonton (7-22-7) on Monday and skated with their new teammates for the first time Tuesday at the morning skate. The Kings (18-12-7) did not skate Tuesday after losing 2-1 at the Calgary Flames on Monday.

General manager Craig MacTavish shared coaching responsibilities with Nelson after taking over from Dallas Eakins, who was fired Dec. 15.

MacTavish stepped away from the bench after five games (0-3-2) and is expected to go to Montreal to take in the remainder of the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

"I just feel that with transition it's the right time now," MacTavish said. "Coaching is not a place for two captains. Todd has directed the team and changed the lines that last couple of games. I've offered to support him as best I can, but it's time for him, and I'm comfortable now that he's got a familiarization with the personnel and it's time for him to put his mark on what he can do with this hockey club."

Nelson put Fraser on a line with David Perron and Leon Draisaitl. Roy will center the second line between Nail Yakupov and Teddy Purcell.

Fraser was claimed off waivers from the Boston Bruins. Roy was acquired in a trade from the Nashville Predators for center Mark Arcobello. He was placed on waivers Sunday and was on his way to Nashville's American Hockey League affiliate in Milwaukee when informed of the trade.

"I was on a layover in Chicago and was told to call the GM (MacTavish)," Roy said. "I got my stuff off the plane and was excited when I heard the news. I got here late last night and woke up this morning and came to the rink. It's a good feeling."

Roy, 31, had one goal and nine assists in 26 games with the Predators this season.

He spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Buffalo Sabres, but since the 2012-13 season he's played with the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and the Predators.

"Coming here and seeing the young talent they have, all the skill and speed out there in practice, it's weird to see that their record is that low," Roy said. "I just want to come in here, bring my work ethic and prepare for games. If I can teach them some things it's great. They're also going to teach me some things. It's a learning process and I just want to get better every day."

Fraser, 24, was claimed by the Oilers after scoring three goals in 24 games for the Bruins.

"I'm excited to be here," Fraser said. "When I heard the news and when I talked to Mr. MacTavish yesterday, I told him I want to be part of the solution and not the problem.

For me, I'm a hard-working guy, I like going to those dirty areas and getting my nose dirty and that's what I'm going to bring every day."

Goaltender Ben Scrivens will start for the Oilers. Martin Jones is expected to start for the Kings in the second game of a back-to-back.

Here are the projected lineups:

KINGS

Marian Gaborik - Anze Kopitar - Jeff Carter

Dustin Brown - Jarret Stoll - Justin Williams

Tanner Pearson - Trevor Lewis - Tyler Toffoli

Kyle Clifford - Mike Richards - Dwight King

Jake Muzzin - Drew Doughty

Alec Martinez - Matt Greene

Brayden McNabb - Jamie McBain

Martin Jones

Jonathan Quick

Scratched: Jordan Nolan, Andy Andreoff, Jeff Schultz

Suspended: Slava Voynov

Injured: Robyn Regehr (upper body)

OILERS

Taylor Hall - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle

Nail Yakupov - Derek Roy - Teddy Purcell

David Perron - Leon Draisaitl - Matt Fraser

Matt Hendricks - Boyd Gordon - Tyler Pitlick

Oscar Klefbom - Mark Fayne

Nikita Nikitin - Justin Schultz

Andrew Ference - Jeff Petry

Ben Scrivens

Viktor Fasth

Scratched: Keith Aulie, Luke Gazdic, Steven Pinizzotto

Injured: Benoit Pouliot (foot)

Status report: Nikitin returns to the lineup for the Oilers after missing 10 games with a back injury. To make room for him on the roster Edmonton assigned defenseman Brad Hunt to the Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL. ... Pouliot practiced with the Oilers for the first time since breaking his foot blocking a shot Nov. 21. He is not certain when he'll return to the lineup.

Who's hot: Nugent-Hopkins has four goals and two assists in his past eight games. ... Toffoli has two goals in his past two games. ... Lewis has two goals and two assists and is on a four-game point streak.

Team Stats

	GP	Record	Home	Road	L10	G/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	PIM/GP	S/GP	SA/GP	FO%
	37	18-12-7	14-4-2	4-8-5	4-4-2	2.70	2.35	20.3	80.5	10.5	31.4	28.7	50.9
	36	7-22-7	5-12-2	2-10-5	1-7-2	2.11	3.42	12.0	80.4	9.0	28.4	29.6	49.0

Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding / Carrie - Stephen King

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{allcanada} Canada ousted from Spengler Cup after 6-5 loss

Blue Bloods / Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy - Helen Fielding

DAVOS, Switzerland — HC Geneve-Servette was sitting on a seemingly insurmountable 5-0 lead midway through its Spengler Cup semifinal against Canada.

It turned out the defending champion would need every one of those goals. Geneve-Servette weathered a furious Canadian comeback and held on for a 6-5 win on Tuesday.

"We said we were going to come back, and we did," Canadian head coach Guy Boucher said after the game.

"One thing's for sure, when you're on the international scene and you're trailing 5-0, a lot of people would quit. I think we proved that we're Canadians. Canadians don't quit. They fight and they make things happen."

Geneve-Servette also beat Canada in last year's semifinal on its way to its first Spengler Cup title, and the Swiss team looked like a lock to duplicate that feat early in Tuesday's game.

Inti Pestoni and Tom Pyatt scored even-strength goals in the first period, then Romain Loeffel and Francis Bouillon added second-period power-play goals, ending Canadian goaltender Drew MacIntyre's night.

"We put ourselves behind the 8-ball. What had been our strengths in the past games was to prevent goals and the penalty kill and all that, and today it didn't go the way we wanted it to," Boucher said.

Timothy Kast appeared to put the game away with a short-handed goal on Canada's backup goaltender Nolan Schaefer at 10:25 of the second period.

Canada responded quickly, however, with Mike Hedden answering Kast's goal just 29 seconds later.

Goals from Ryan parent and Jerome Samson cut Geneve-Servette's lead to 5-3 after 40 minutes, then Alexandre Giroux scored 1:39 into the third to move Canada within a goal.

Loeffel's second power-play goal of the game sapped Canada's momentum and put the Swiss side up 6-4.

Marc-Antoine Pouliot scored at 10:42 to again cut the lead to one, but Canada couldn't find the game-tying goal.

HC Geneve-Servette will play Salavat Yulaev Ufa in Wednesday's final.

The KHL club defeated host HC Davos 4-3 in a shootout in the early semifinal.

Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding / Carrie - Stephen King

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{allcanada} Raptors bring streaking offence against defensive-minded Trail Blazers

Bangerz (Deluxe Version) - Miley Cyrus / NCIS / The Crazy Ones

The Toronto Raptors have been scoring at a pace impressive even by their own standards.

That offensive output will face a stiff challenge Tuesday night against the defensive-minded Portland Trail Blazers in a battle of two of the NBA's hottest teams.

Catch all the action on TSN 1050 in Toronto starting at 9pm et.

Toronto (24-7) has won eight of its last nine contests, seven by double-digits. The Raptors ranked second in the league with 107.3 points per game through Dec. 17, but have reached another level of production in their last five, averaging 114.8 points.

Kyle Lowry has led Toronto's balanced offence, which has committed only 11.6 turnovers per game - the second-fewest in the league - and hasn't given it away more than 10 times in the past five. Lowry is averaging career highs in field-goal percentage (45.5 percent), assists (7.7) and scoring (20.5 ppg), including a 30-point, 11-assist effort in Sunday's 116-102 victory over Denver.

The Raptors' bench also has been outstanding, scoring 40.1 points per game to rank among the league's top five. Reserve Lou Williams led the way on Sunday with 31 points.

"When Lou gets it going you want to find him," Lowry said after Toronto improved to 7-0 when Williams scores 20 points. "Our team's like that. We're unselfish. We want everyone to be successful."

Including DeMar DeRozan, who has been sidelined since Nov. 28, nine players average at least 7.7 points.

"That's one of the major things that this team has; we're a very poised group," Lowry told the Raptors' official website. "Guys just go out and compete and even when things slip a little bit, we tend to get it back."

After winning largely because of its offence last season, Portland (25-7) has been excellent at both ends in the season's first two months. The Blazers are averaging 104.0 points to rank sixth in the league, but they're holding opponents to 96.5 per game - a 6.3-point improvement over 2013-14.

Lately, they've had to do it without LaMarcus Aldridge, who's missed three of the past four with an upper respiratory illness. Wesley Matthews has stepped up, scoring 25 in a 114-93 win over Philadelphia on Friday to kick off Portland's seven-game homestand before leading the way with 28 on Sunday in a 101-79 rout of the New York Knicks.

"It's great, I think, having to depend on guys coming off the bench who haven't had much of an opportunity," Damian Lillard said. "It gives our team confidence, more guys we can depend on even when we have full strength."

Aldridge is questionable for this one, and the Raptors would certainly like if he took another night off. He's averaged 27.7 points and 13.5 rebounds in his last six against Toronto, and Portland has won 10 of the last 11 in the series.

Even if Aldridge can't go, the Blazers' long-distance shooting has been helping make up for his absence. Portland has taken an average of 36.7 3-pointers over the past three games, and made 46.4 percent of them - including 6 of 9 in the first quarter against the Knicks.

"It's contagious. It was just a good vibe from the jump," said Matthews, who's 18 of 37 from long distance in that stretch. "I think I missed the first one, but then (Nicolas Batum) hit one, Damian hit one and I think the floodgates really opened."

The Blazers are 9-1 when Matthews scores at least 19 points and 11-1 when they hit more than 10 3s.

Scandal / Bones / Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Doctor Sleep - Stephen King

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{allcanada} NHLPA Player of the Week - Johnny Gaudreau

Bangerz (Deluxe Version) - Miley Cyrus / NCIS / The Crazy Ones

NEED TO KNOW

In the modern world of top-level athletes, there are many similarities between players that can, at times, make drawing comparisons quite easy. With Calgary Flames rookie, Johnny Gaudreau, that is not the case. Gaudreau is a unique talent. His size, skating, puck-skills and vision are immediately apparent when watching him play. After dazzling for three years at Boston College, including his final season when he was named the Hobey Baker Award recipient as the top player in the NCAA, Gaudreau made the jump to the Flames' line-up this season. Early on, it wasn't guaranteed that he would remain with the club, as it appeared that he was having issues adjusting to the NHL game. But, as is often the case with supremely talented players, Gaudreau quickly adapted and began to find chemistry with many of his youthful Flames teammates. Once his comfort level elevated, so did the offensive production in his game. Recently, Gaudreau has been on a ridiculous pace and showcasing his talents to hockey fans all over the world. This past week he posted a natural hat-trick in a Calgary win over the defending Cup champs in Los Angeles, becoming the youngest Flames player to notch three goals in a game since Joe Nieuwendyk way back in 1987. He followed that up by lighting the lamp twice more in a 4-1 win over Edmonton on December 27th. His play has vaulted him firmly into the discussion for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie and both the Flames and their fans are loving what they are seeing from their standout offensive dynamo, Johnny Gaudreau!

Congrats to Johnny on being named the NHLPA.com Player of the Week!

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Carney's Point, New Jersey, United States on August 13, 1993
Drafted in the 4th round, 104th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft‎
Named the 2014 Hobey Baker Award recipient as the top player in the NCAA
A member of the United States 2013 gold medal team at the IIHF World Junior Championships

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Monday, December 29, 2014

{allcanada} KINGS (18-12-7) at OILERS (7-22-7)

Bangerz (Deluxe Version) - Miley Cyrus / Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

9:30 PM ET

KINGS (18-12-7) at OILERS (7-22-7)

TV: FS-W, SNW

Season series: The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-1 on Oct. 14 at Staples Center. Tanner Pearson had two goals and an assist.

Kings team scope: Los Angeles opened its three-game trip through Western Canada with a 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday. Tyler Toffoli scored for the Kings, who have lost five of eight (3-4-1). "The team has got a big bounce-back game [Tuesday] night, right back at it," Toffoli said. "It's probably best for the team to just forget about this one and move right on. That's what we do every night. It doesn't matter if we win or lose; when we go into a new game, it's a new game, new team." Jonathan Quick, who made 13 saves against Calgary, might get the night off given the back-to-back situation. If he does, Martin Jones would make his first start since he allowed six goals on 20 shots in a 6-2 loss at the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 12. The Kings complete their trip when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on New Year's Day before opening a seven-game homestand.

Oilers team scope: Edmonton was busy Monday, acquiring Matt Fraser off waivers from the Boston Bruins in the morning and trading center Mark Arcobello to the Nashville Predators for center Derek Roy in the afternoon. Fraser had three goals and was minus-5 in 24 games with the Bruins this season. Coach Todd Nelson faced Fraser when the 24-year-old forward played for the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and he was behind the bench for the Oilers' AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. "He's a guy that can shoot the puck," Nelson said. "I've seen it firsthand when we used to play against Texas and he's scored his fair share of goals against us. I've seen it up close." Roy, 31, has 502 points (178 goals, 324 assists) in 692 NHL games, mostly with the Buffalo Sabres. In 26 games for the Predators this season, he had 10 points (one goal) and an even rating. The Oilers have lost nine straight (0-7-2).

Team Stats

	GP	Record	Home	Road	L10	G/GP	GA/GP	PP%	PK%	PIM/GP	S/GP	SA/GP	FO%
	37	18-12-7	14-4-2	4-8-5	4-4-2	2.70	2.35	20.3	80.5	10.5	31.4	28.7	50.9
	36	7-22-7	5-12-2	2-10-5	1-7-2	2.11	3.42	12.0	80.4	9.0	28.4	29.6	49.0

Scandal / Bones / NCIS / The Crazy Ones / Doctor Sleep - Stephen King

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{allcanada} CANADIENS (23-11-2) at PANTHERS (16-9-8)

Bangerz (Deluxe Version) - Miley Cyrus / Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

7:30 PM ET

CANADIENS (23-11-2) at PANTHERS (16-9-8)

TV: RDS, SNE, FS-F

Season series: The Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers each won two games last season, with Montreal winning the most recent, 4-1 at BB&T Center on March 29. Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty had two goals and one assist, and goalie Carey Price made 36 saves. Montreal has outscored Florida 10-6 in its past four games in Sunrise, Fla.

Canadiens team scope: Montreal won its third game in a row Monday, 3-1 against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was the Canadiens' sixth win in their past seven games. Montreal has not allowed an opponent to score more than two goals since a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Dec. 6. Price made 28 saves against Carolina for his 20th win of the season. He made his 11th straight start, and with the Canadiens' playing a back-to-back, coach Michel Therrien could start backup Dustin Tokarski on Tuesday. Tokarski is 3-2-1 with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in seven games.

Panthers team scope: Florida scored four goals in the third period and erased a two-goal deficit in a 6-4 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Florida improved to 6-1-3 against the Atlantic Division. Forward Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov each had two points, and goalie Roberto Luongo made 18 saves for his first regulation win since Dec. 6 against the Buffalo Sabres. Luongo, a Montreal native, is 10-14-5 with a 2.61 GAA and a .917 save percentage against the Canadiens. Panthers coach Gerard Gallant will play Montreal for the first time since serving as an assistant coach for the Canadiens the previous two seasons. Forward Jimmy Hayes has four goals in his past five games.

Team Stats