Mark Bell and Mark Cullen each scored twice, as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames 5-2 last night. Calder and Bourque each picked up two assists in the win, while Khabibulin got the win in net. Kobasew and Hamrlik had the goals for Calgary, who had their eight game winning streak snapped.
Peter Bondra and Patrick Stefan both scored in the dying minutes of the third, and Greg De Vries scored the OT winner as the Atlanta Thrashers won for the fourth time in five games, beating Philly 6-5. Bondra finished the game with two goals, while Kovalchuk led the Thrashers with two goals and three assists. Branko Radivojevic led the Flyers with two goals and one assist. Garnett got the win in net for the Thrashers.
Brian Gionta scored twice and added a helper as the Devils upset the Montreal Canadiens 5-3. Scott Gomez also had a strong game, adding a goal and two assists. Koivu and Plekanec each had a goal and an assist for Montreal. Brodeur stopped 25 of 28 shots to get the win.
Bryan Berard scored twice for Columbus, and Federov notched his first assist as a Blue Jacket, but it wasn't enough as the Dallas stars doubled up Columbus 6-3. Arnott and Kapanen each had two assists for the Stars, while Jokinen and Lehtinen each had a goal and an assist. Marty Turco picks up the victory for Dallas.
Finally, Colorado slid by Anaheim last night, winning 3-2. Tanguay had three assists for Colorado, while Marek Svatos continued to play well, scoring the game winner. Budaj continues his bid to become Colorado's #1 goalie, as he stopped 31 of 33 shots to get the win. Selanne and Hedstrom had Anaheim's goals.
Player Of The Night goes to Ilya Kovalchuk, as he continues to set the league on fire. Two goals, thee assists, for a total of five points easily makes him the Hockey Leaks Player Of The Night. Others considered were Alex Tanguay (3A) and Brian Gionta(2G,1A).
I told you a few days ago that the Bruins were about to do something, and they have. The Bruins have traded forward Dave Scatchard to Phoenix in exchange for David Tanabe. This clears up about a million dollars for Boston, and it gives them a little more defensive help. How much will Tanabe help? I don't think he will change much, but the big thing is that Boston now has more cap room to work with, which could help them improve their team closer to the trade deadline. As for Scatchard, I think he will play well in Phoenix, as they lack depth at center.
Trade rumours? I reported before that Luongo could be shopped around, and now I am hearing Colorado is very interested. I am hearing Aebischer and Liles to Florida in exchange for Luongo. I think it's a long shot, and I think Colorado would want Luongo to sign a long term deal before they excepted the trade. This rumour is floating around, and it's something to keep an eye on.
Jozef Stumpel was a healthy scratch against Ottawa the other night, and his four assists this season is not impressing anyone. His 1.5 million dollar salary will scare most teams away, but a few teams still have some interest. San Jose and Minnesota are two teams I have heard that are shopping for a little more offensive depth.
I want to go back to Luongo for a second, and add a thought. I know Tampa and Florida are in the same division, but if there was ever a trade to happen, I think these two would be good partners. Tampa Bay cannot hang on to all three of their top stars after this season due to cap restrictions, and Luongo doesn't plan on staying in Florida for too much longer. What about Martin St.Louis or Brad Richards and John Grahame to Florida in exchange for Roberto Luongo and maybe a mid-level player? It's just a thought, but it does make a lot of sense, more than most rumours you will hear about Luongo in the next few weeks.
Thats all for now, make sure to check Hockeyleaks.com often as it's updated pretty much everyday. The PPFL updated standings are ready, and will be up in the next 24 hours, so make sure to keep checking back to see how your doing. I believe I'm tied for second now, with 201 points. The leader is at 207, so check back to see who it is. Email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com with any comments or questions. Enjoy your Saturday.
