News Clips February 3, 2017

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Seth Jones chose not to try for hat trick PAGE 04: Columbus Dispatch: Coaches' rivalry is friendly - for now PAGE 06: Tribune-Review: Blue Jackets have a history of sparking Penguins PAGE 08: Greenwich Sentinel: Greenwich Native, Columbus’ Atkinson Having Breakout Season PAGE 11: The Hockey Writers: Blue Jackets-Penguins by the Numbers

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites PAGE 13: .CA: NHL, NHLPA, IIHF and IOC to meet in New York Friday about Olympics PAGE 15: TSN.CA: Post 2 Post: The Five Hole

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170203/blue-jackets-notebook--seth-jones-chose-not-to-try-for- hat-trick

Seth Jones chose not to try for hat trick

By Aaron Portzline – February 3, 2017

Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones had the first two- game of his career Tuesday in a 6-4 win at the New York Rangers.

The 22-year-old also had the puck on his stick twice in the final minute with at least a decent chance to pot a hat trick.

"Yeah, well, you saw how the third period went," Jones said, referring to the Rangers' four-goal rally that turned a blowout into an eyebrow-raiser.

Jones was glad he took a conservative approach, even though the look he had at the empty net on the far end of the rink with 45 seconds remaining was enticing.

"I had the one chance where I could have gone for it, but I wasn't at the red line yet," Jones said. "If I go for it there and ice the puck, and they come down for a faceoff and score. ...; I'm sure the (coaching) staff's not going to be too happy."

The two goals give Jones a career-high nine this season. With 26 points, he's five short of matching last season's career-high of 31.

A rare vantage point Tonight will mark the 29th meeting between the Blue Jackets and , but it's only the second time they have met with the Jackets ahead of the Penguins in the standings.

On Dec. 13, 2003, the Penguins were 6-16-4-2 (18 points) when they played the Blue Jackets (8-14-4-2, 22 points) at the old Civic Arena.

When the clubs met earlier this season - Dec. 22 at Nationwide Arena - the Jackets trailed the Penguins by one point in the standings before winning 7-1.

Malkin, Sheary out The Penguins will be without two top-six forwards.

Center will miss his third straight game because of a knee injury, and left wing Conor Sheary is out four to six weeks because of an upper-body injury.

Sheary is having a breakout season, ranking third on the club in goals (17) and tied for fourth in points (35) while playing on Sidney Crosby's line.

Veteran Matt Cullen, who is returning from a broken foot, is expected to replace Sheary.

Nutivaara travels

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Defenseman Markus Nutivaara skated a full practice and traveled with the Blue Jackets to Pittsburgh on Thursday, but it wasn't known if he will be in uniform.

He has been out since Jan. 14 because of a lower-body injury.

"It's so hard for me to watch," Nutivaara said. "I want to be out there so bad. When we lose, I just get angry watching it on TV. I'm getting better. I'm getting close. But you can't rush it.”

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170203/blue-jackets--coaches-rivalry-is-friendly----for-now

Coaches' rivalry is friendly - for now

By Aaron Portzline - February 3, 2017

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella and Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan spoke a few days after a 7-1 win by Columbus on Dec. 22. The conversation between two of the NHL's most passionate coaches went about like you would expect.

"We're two competitive (expletives)," Tortorella said, "and I'll leave it at that."

Tortorella and Sullivan are close friends, after Sullivan spent seven seasons as Tortorella's assistant in Tampa Bay (two), New York (four) and Vancouver (one). But that relationship will be tested if this budding rivalry between the Blue Jackets and the Penguins ever blooms.

Here's the backstory on the conversation:

On Dec. 21, 2015, Sullivan rolled out the Penguins' No. 1 power play unit with a 5-2 lead and only 58 seconds remaining in the game. Pittsburgh didn't score, but the attempt to run up the score by Sullivan sparked an ember in Tortorella that burned all summer.

On Dec. 22 of this season - one year and one day later - Tortorella rolled out the league's No. 1 ranked power play early in the third period with the Blue Jackets up 6-1 in Nationwide Arena.

It was the Blue Jackets' second unit that scored three seconds after the power play expired, leaving Sullivan to shake his head and grin, as if to say, "You got me."

As for the conversation ...;

"(The power plays) came up," Tortorella said, smiling. "But he was the (jerk) first, let's get that straight. He went first, and I told him that. I said, 'You were (a jerk).' He told me I was (a jerk). We were like two little kids, but we both agreed that we are both (jerks)."

The two clubs meet tonight in Pittsburgh for the second of four regular-season games.

If the season ended today, they would meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second time in four seasons. The Penguins won a spirited six-game series in 2014.

"Columbus is a divisional rival, they're one of the top teams in the league this year," Sullivan told the Pittsburgh media on Thursday. "They're a team that we will battle with for the rest of the season down the stretch."

Before the meeting on Dec. 22, Tortorella dismissed the game as just another on the schedule.

"Game 31," he said repeatedly.

But he acknowledged on Thursday that tonight's game is not just Game 50.

"I don't want to put too much emphasis on it, but, sure, I think it's more important," Tortorella said. "It's Pittsburgh. The two games coming out of the (All-Star) break are good for us as far as emotion. New

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York (on Tuesday) is in our division, and it's the Rangers. Now Pittsburgh is in our division, and it's the Penguins."

The Blue Jackets scored seven unanswered goals in the previous meeting, the most goals they have ever scored against the Penguins. The six-goal margin was the most lopsided win by either franchise in the all-time series.

Blue Jackets right wing Cam Atkinson said the Penguins will be looking for payback.

"If I was the coach, I'd try to put into their ears that we embarrassed them, or whatever," Atkinson said. "But it was a long time ago.”

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http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/11878382-74/penguins-game-season

Blue Jackets have a history of sparking Penguins

By Jonathan Bombulie – February 3, 2017

By the time the Penguins raised the Stanley Cup in San Jose last June, the Columbus Blue Jackets had been on the links long enough to shave a few strokes off their handicaps.

It's not exactly accurate to say the Penguins' road to a championship ran through Ohio's capital city.

But as the Interstate-70 rivals prepare to square off in a key Metropolitan Division showdown Friday night at PPG Paints Arena, it's important to remember that two key mileposts during the Penguins' historic season indeed came out of games against the Blue Jackets.

Dec. 21, 2015.

In the previous meeting between the teams about three weeks earlier in Columbus, Brandon Dubinsky was suspended for a game for a vicious series of cross-checks to Sidney Crosby's back, neck and head. In general, the Blue Jackets pushed the Penguins around.

When the rematch came just before Christmas, in the first minute of the second period, Eric Fehr earned his first NHL fighting major when he challenged Dubinsky to a showdown.

Down 1-0 at the time of the fight, the Penguins scored four unanswered goals and won 5-2.

Before the game, they were 15-14-3, on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. After the game, they went 33-12-5 the rest of the way to become the league's hottest team going into the playoffs.

One fight didn't turn the Penguins into contenders, but it did show they wouldn't be taken advantage of.

“I think it's important for us to play physical and not back down,” Fehr said. “Obviously our team isn't as big as other teams around the league, but we can have a pack mentality. We can stick together and help each other out. We can play physical and play hard and battle on pucks and all that stuff.”

March 3, 2016.

In a late-game collision with massive defenseman Dalton Prout, Evgeni Malkin suffered an elbow injury that kept him out the rest of the regular season and the first game of the playoffs.

With that, the HBK line was born.

In the roster shuffling that followed Malkin's injury, coach Mike Sullivan put Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel together for the first time.

Three games later, the trio connected for two goals in a 4-2 victory over Carolina, and Hagelin knew something special was brewing.

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“When I started playing with Phil and Bones, we found some chemistry instantly,” Hagelin said. “That's what we had to. With Geno being out, you lose a lot of scoring right there. We picked up the slack, which is good. It was a fun time.”

One line combination didn't make the Penguins champions, but it laid the groundwork for the depth and balance of scoring that made them nearly impossible to defend in the playoffs.

“Everybody kind of settled in and became comfortable with their linemates and what their jobs were for the team,” Fehr said. “From there, we got stronger, and obviously we won a lot of games.”

It's entirely possible that Feb. 3, 2017 will join those memorable dates on the Penguins' historical calendar.

This season, the teams are much closer in the standings. In fact, it's likely the Penguins, Blue Jackets, Capitals and perhaps Rangers will wage an epic battle for the top spot in the Metropolitan down the stretch.

On top of that, the Penguins took a savage 7-1 beating in the first meeting between the teams this season Dec. 22 in Columbus.

The Penguins' prospects for a successful season don't hinge on avenging one loss, of course, but the table is set for a potential statement game.

“At the end of the day, it's a division rival that is a possible playoff opponent who we obviously don't like,” Fehr said.

“It's not going to be difficult to get up for the game.”

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https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2017/02/02/greenwich-native-columbus-atkinson-having- breakout-season/

Greenwich Native, Columbus’ Atkinson Having Breakout Season

By Paul Silverfarb – February 3, 2017

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson is fatigued.

During the ’s All-Star break, the Greenwich native traveled across the country at the last minute, played in a skills competition, competed for the winning All-Star team, and flew back to New York to resume his NHL regular season schedule Tuesday night against the Rangers.

However, since all that traveling meant that Atkinson was named to the 2017 NHL All-Star Team, it’s safe to say that he doesn’t mind trading in the long hours and doing countless events instead of taking a few days of rest and relaxation.

“Overall, every second of the day you seemed like you were doing something, but it was so unique and special,” said Atkinson, after his morning skate Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. “Just to be in the locker room with some of the best players in the world is amazing. Sitting next to [Alex] Ovechkin, [Sidney] Crosby was right next to me, and I was sitting next to [Ryan] McDonagh. I grew up playing against McDonagh, but the whole thing was a unique experience and something I will never forget.”

After having the kind of season that Atkinson was having, leading the team in goals and second on the team in assists before the All-Star break, it was a possibility that he might be named an All-Star.

Before the break, Atkinson led the team with 24 goals and was second on the roster with 22 assists. Both are mere inches away from his goals and assists total from the entire season last year.

“It’s all opportunity,” Atkinson said. “[John Tortorella] gives me every opportunity to have success and puts me out there in all situations. It’s almost like you want to return the favor and do well and prove him right and all the doubters wrong. Everything has been going well for me this year, but we are starting the second half of the year and it’s going to get hard. We’re going to have to dig in a little more and work that much harder. I’m obviously excited and looking forward to the opportunity.”

And nothing like last minute for Atkinson to find out he was an All-Star.

With the injury to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin, Atkinson got a phone call at 11 p.m., a day after the final game before the break against the Nashville Predators.

That was also a day before the skills competition took place.

“When I got the call, I knew I was either getting traded or getting the call for the game,” Atkinson said. “I would much rather get the call for the game. It was something that I was really excited about. I hung up the phone right away and called my fiancée and my family. They were more jacked up than I was.”

And what an experience it was for the first-time All-Star. He competed in the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater competition, darting down the Staples Center ice and clocking in at a speedy 13.330 seconds.

Although Atkinson was hard at work helping the Metropolitan Division earn some points, he wanted to make sure that he enjoyed every second of his time there.

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“Skills was obviously a lot of fun,” Atkinson said. “I took it all in and I even brought my phone with me. I enjoyed the moment, but the game was very special as well. The coolest was getting a chance to meet the top 100 players.”

But Atkinson didn’t go to Los Angeles to just show off his skills. It was the day after, the NHL All-Star game, that was just a mind-blowing experience.

While scoring two goals against the Atlantic Division in the semis and once in the second period of the finals against the Pacific Division to propel the Metropolitan Division to the All-Star Game victory was a thrill for Atkinson, it was a bunch of other highlights that made the event even more special.

In their 100th season, the National Hockey League had a top 100 hockey players of all time list. In total, 48 of the top 100 players were on the Staples Center ice, as legends like Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Brendon Shannahan, Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Luc Robitaille, Dominic Hasek, Eric Lindros, Jean Ratelle and many others, greeting the current batch of All-Stars as they were introduced.

“The coolest part was actually right before the game,” Atkinson said. “Going around and giving a fist bump to the top 100 guys. Guys that I grew up watching and absolute legends. That was definitely the most special part.”

It also didn’t hurt to have arguably the greatest hockey player of all time, Gretzky, behind the bench as a last-minute coaching replacement for the Metropolitan Division.

“It was a great experience and something I’ll obviously remember for a long time. I got to enjoy it with my fiancée and my family, which was even more special. And it was nice to get the win out there.”

Atkinson believes that it’s a little bit of both.

While Atkinson might still be on cloud nine from his All-Star appearance and traveling across country, that doesn’t mean that he’s not thinking about what lies in store coming out of the All-Star break.

Coming out of the break, Columbus was second in the Eastern Conference with 68 points. The Penguins were on top of the conference with 72 points, while the and were within striking distance of the Blue Jackets, with 65 points each.

“It’s great,” Atkinson said. “But it’s no secret that we have been struggling the last 12 games. We talked about what made us successful during that winning stretch we had. It’s great that we have those points in the bank right now, but teams are gunning for us. The games are going to get much harder, as we are playing a lot more Metropolitan teams. It’s going to get exciting because these are the games you want to play in.”

While everything might sound wonderful, since this is the highest the Blue Jackets have been in the standings this late in the season, Atkinson believes the All-Star break came at a perfect time. Since the start of the new year, Columbus has been playing below .500 hockey, posting a record of 6-7, with one of those losses coming in overtime.

It’s a far cry from the beginning of the season, when the Jackets rode a 16-game winning streak, one game away from tying the record of 17 set by the Penguins back in 1993.

“I think we needed this break,” Atkinson said. “Everybody needed a reset, just to get their minds and bodies right. We came back and talked about it. It’s no secret that after our winning streak, we kind of dipped down a little bit. We just need to get back to what made us successful during that stretch.

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“We are a blue-collar team and we need to play with a chip on our shoulders, for sure,” Atkinson said. “We are still trying to gain respect in this league and we can’t think that we made it. There’s still 30-plus games to go and the league is getting tougher and the games are going to get harder.”

And Atkinson started the stretch run with a game just miles from where he grew up in Greenwich, playing the Rangers Tuesday night at MSG.

“It’s very cool to come back here,” Atkinson said. “The Rangers were obviously a team that I grew up admiring. They are basically right in my backyard. I came to a lot of these games and it’s the most famous arena, not just to play in, but to visit a concert. There’s so much history in this building, so to come back here and have my family and friends here to enjoy it is pretty special.”

While the Blue Jackets’ forward basically didn’t stop moving during his All-Star break, to be considered one of the elite players in the NHL is something that Atkinson says makes it all worthwhile.

“It doesn’t help that you have to travel across the country, but it’s a part of the nature,” Atkinson said. “I wasn’t going to miss that for anything. I’m definitely a little tired. I’m trying to catch up with the time zone. We were only out there for three nights, but still it’s takes a little toll on your body. I am just trying to stretch a little more, but I’ll be ready to rock and roll. I promise that.”

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http://thehockeywriters.com/blue-jackets-penguins-by-the-numbers/

Blue Jackets-Penguins by the Numbers

By Kenyon Clevenger – February 3, 2017

Friday night, another chapter will be written in one of the NHL’s most underrated rivalries as the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins square off in the Steel City.

This will be the second matchup of four total this season. The two teams will clash again two weeks from today in Columbus on February 17 and the final meeting will take place April 4 in Pittsburgh.

The first game between Columbus and Pittsburgh was December 22 inside a deafening Nationwide Arena in which the winner took over first place in the Metropolitan Division. Blue Jackets fans went home that night with an early Christmas gift and shotty hearing as the Blue Jackets’ cannon was fired seven times in a 7-1 throttling of the Penguins.

That win marked the 11th in a row for Columbus as part of their historic 16-game winning streak. But that game was over a month ago and a lot has happened since then for both teams. Let’s get everybody caught up with both teams and preview this rivalry matchup with some numbers.

Hitting Road Bumps Each team has played 49 games this season with Columbus holding a three-point lead over Pittsburgh in the division standings.

Even though they are both settled into a playoff spot currently, Columbus and Pittsburgh have struggled lately – both teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Injuries have become a recent issue on both sides. Columbus has been forced to play their seventh and eights options defensively due to injuries to David Savard and Markus Nutivaara. The status for both defensemen is questionable for Friday’s game.

Penguins’ top defenseman Kris Letang arrived back in the lineup on Tuesday after missing the previous five with a knee injury. However, Pittsburgh is still without their team’s second-highest scorer in Evgeni Malkin, who has been on IR for over a week. Additionally, center Matt Cullen is questionable for Friday’s game with a foot injury and they just lost forward Conor Sheary – a fixture on the top line with Sidney Crosby – for an expected four to six weeks with an upper-body injury he suffered in Tuesday’s game vs Nashville.

Team Stats Preview Pittsburgh has been tough to beat at home this season. The Penguins are 8-1-1 in their previous ten games at PPG Paints Arena and a remarkable 21-3-2 overall at home this year.

Columbus is 15-7-3 on the road this season and only 5-5 in their previous 10 away from Nationwide Arena.

Both teams won on Tuesday night and have each been successful after winning their previous game over the course of the season – the Jackets are 22-7-4 while the Penguins are 18-8-4 coming off a win.

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Last season, the Jackets won the first two matchups and dropped the last two to split the season series with the Penguins. The Jackets have an all-time record of 11-14-3 vs the Penguins but have won four of the last six head-to-head.

Players to Watch I dove deep into the pool of hockey statistics to identify which players have the most success in this rivalry. A couple probably go without saying, but here are the top players to watch.

Columbus As a member of the Blue Jackets, Nick Foligno has nine points in 13 total games vs the Penguins and has three points in five games at Pittsburgh. The Columbus is second on the team in goals (18) and is currently riding a four-game point streak.

Brandon Dubinsky is always a player to keep a close eye on when playing Pittsburgh as he is known for his role in trying to lock down Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby. As a Blue Jacket, Dubinsky only has one point in four games at Pittsburgh, but that one point was a short-handed, game-winning goal. In those four games, he also has a whopping 32 minutes and owns a 53.5% faceoff percentage.

Scott Hartnell, who had a hat trick in the first meeting with Pittsburgh, has two goals and one assist in four games at Pittsburgh as a member of the Blue Jackets. It’s interesting to note that as a Blue Jacket, the veteran agitator has zero penalty minutes at Pittsburgh. Don’t be surprised if that changes Friday night.

Pittsburgh

As noted above, Dubinsky will attempt to be Sidney Crosby’s shadow, however, it doesn’t appear that Crosby can be shut down this year. He leads the league in goals (28) and is second in the league in points (56). He has also killed the Jackets in his career with 23 points in 18 games, including a line of 2-6-8 in seven home games against Columbus.

The Blue Jackets are probably not disappointed Malkin is out of the lineup given the fact he has also been a Jackets-killer with 19 points in 15 career games vs Columbus. With Malkin injured, the Penguins will likely seek scoring help from Chris Kunitz (13 points in 17 games vs Columbus) or defenseman Kris Letang (four goals and seven points in nine home games vs Columbus).

Maybe the hype isn’t as inflated as the last time these two teams met given the numerous injuries to both squads and the fact that they’re not playing their best hockey as of late. But, it’s still Columbus vs Pittsburgh. If the regular season ended right now, these two teams would rematch in the first round of the playoffs.

Will this game have a playoff atmosphere? Maybe not. But any time this rivalry takes place, it’s worth watching.

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-iihf-ioc-meet-new-york-friday-olympics/

NHL, NHLPA, IIHF and IOC to meet in New York Friday about Olympics

By Rory Boylen - February 3, 2017

According to Sportsnet’s John Shannon, the NHL and NHLPA will meet with Rene Fasel of the IIHF and Thomas Bach of the IOC in New York on Friday to discuss NHL participation at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.

Been told that IOC President Thomas Bach and IIHF President Rene Fasel will be in NYC tomorrow to meet with NHL,NHLPA on the Olympics.

— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) February 2, 2017

By most accounts,this is the first time there is direct contact between the NHL,NHLPA and the IOC. Usually IIHF has been middle man.

— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) February 2, 2017

The NHL’s board of governors met in Los Angeles during all-star weekend, but barely touched on the Olympic participation discussion because there weren’t any new developments from the last time they met in December.

In his press conference on Saturday, Gary Bettman said that even if the IIHF found the money necessary to cover the league’s costs of sending its players to the Games, there were still other problems to overcome.

“Biggest hurdle is I think there’s concern among the teams about the ongoing disruption to the season about a compressed schedule and a whole host of other things,” he said. “We’ve never said, and I’ve always been clear about that, just raising the money was the only issue. We said from the outset that if they’re not going to pay the expenses, we don’t even have to think about this.”

Remember, Gary B has said they have not worked to a deadline...but both the IOC and the IIHF have planning to do...so a deadline is near.

— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) February 2, 2017

"What I think has happened though, there were probably some owners over time who always thought the Olympics were a good idea, there were some owners who always hated it, and there were probably a bunch of clubs who didn't give it much thought until the IOC said they were not going to pay the expenses. And then I think it caused a number of clubs to say 'wait a minute if that's how they value our participation why are we knocking ourselves out?' So whether or not it gets paid, and we haven't been assured that it's being paid, we haven't been told where the money's coming from and frankly I have on some level, perhaps it's emotional, a real problem if money that would otherwise go to hockey development is going to this purpose."

Originally, there was an anticipated late-January "drop dead date" and if the NHL hadn't decided to attend the Olympics by then, the issue would be dead. However, Bettman again said the NHL wasn't the one setting deadlines for a decision.

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"When it happens and I suppose the time passes we'll know about it if nothing's been done. We’re not the ones who are setting deadlines."

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http://www.tsn.ca/post-2-post-the-five-hole-1.662996

Post 2 Post: The Five Hole

By Jamie McLennan – February 3, 2017

TSN Hockey Analyst Jamie McLennan gives his weekly thoughts on goaltending stories.

1) MIKE CONDON - He's made 15 straight starts and has had a few bumps along the way, but Condon has been an unreal acquisition for general manager Pierre Dorion and his management group. It's been a challenging season given Craig Anderson's situation and Condon has stabilized the position with consistent play to give his team a chance to get points on most nights.

And Condon also has four shutouts, a number surpassed by only Braden Holtby, Tuukka Rask and Devan Dubnyk.

2) HENRIK LUNDQVIST - The King continues his inconsistent season. It looked like his game had stabilized going into the All-Star break going 3-1 before the weekend and playing with a lot more confidence. But he was pulled for the fifth time this season on Tuesday night.

The one key thing I've noticed in Hendrik's game is that he's getting beat on a lot of shortside plays. He doesn't look set on a lot of them and there's too much motion in his game.

His team can help him out by getting out of the way so he can have a clear sight line to the puck. Case in point on the first goal he allowed against Columbus on Tuesday night. But overall, Henrik has to help himself - something he's very capable of doing, He's not shy to work hard out of mini-slumps, but it just seems like there's more bumps in his road this season.

3) YOUNG STARTERS - Teams have tried to 'produce' No. 1 goaltenders and as the statistics suggest, not every scenario is going to be a success story.

The Red Wings, Sabres, Lightning, Penguins, Jets, Ducks, Flames, Blues and Maple Leafs are all looking to have that regular go-to guy they can trust for 60-plus games. A guy who can be relied on year in and year out with consistent production.

You could argue that Toronto has found their guy in Frederik Andersen, who after a rough start has stabilized and is proving to be a guy they want to build around. The same could be said for his former partner in Anaheim John Gibson.

After that, it's been a struggle. In Detroit, Petr Mrazek has struggled to find the form that made in some people deem Jimmy Howard as expendable. The same can be said for Jared Coreau, who's had a few glimpses of showing he can be a good goalie at the NHL level. It's still a work in progress in Detroit. With expansion coming and the growing potential of missing the playoffs, there seems to be a lot of uncertainty in goal.

The Sabres feels like their guy is Robin Lehner and he has all the tools to be a successful starter. But he's also had injury issues throughout his career, so his durability always comes into question when his name is brought up. If he can stay healthy, he has a chance to get to that next tier of starters.

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The have an elite goalie on an expiring contract in Ben Bishop and a budding star in Andrei Vasilevskiy. But Vasilevskiy hasn't stabilized as quickly as some have hoped and still needs to go through the process of learning to play every night in the NHL. That creates a tough situation for Steve Yzerman and his management team, as they've struggled with consistency and injuries. I believe Vasilevskiy will be a great goaltender, but has his slower progress changed the mindset of what they'll do with Bishop?

Darren Dreger says NHL owners are clearly concerned about the implications of closing the league for three weeks to go to the Olympics, but that needs to be balanced against marketing possibilities in the Asian markets. Darren suggests Pittsburgh would like to move Marc-Andre Fleury sooner rather than later.

The Penguins are in a similar situation, but it's really about getting Matt Murray the experience he needs to continue to take the reigns in goal. He's showed he can be clutch when needed (like in the playoffs last year), but the regular season is taxing and both he and Marc-Andre Fleury have had small stretches that have been uninspiring. A Stanley Cup hangover coupled with a World Cup injury has just slightly stunted Murray's growth, but the Pens will have no issues with him being handed the keys this year as he's shown what he's capable of.

In Winnipeg, we've seen the carousel going around with three goalies getting their turns in net. Connor Hellebuyck was given every opportunity to run with it and faltered. Michael Hutchinson has had a few games where he's been good, while Ondrej Pavelec was called up to help settle things down.

There's has been a sense of uneasiness in net for the Jets, but I have no doubt that Hellebuyck will turn a corner. The challenge is stabilizing their goaltending in the midst of their playoff push and that's why you have seen some urgency there. They simply need to be consistent.

Meanwhile, Calgary has had a see-saw battle in net. Chad Johnson took the reigns early, but stumbled to opened the door for Brian Elliott. It's gotten to a point where head coach Glen Gulutzan has gone with "win and you're in." With both of them set to become UFAs and playing for long-term contracts (in Calgary or somewhere else), this healthy competition will be interesting down the stretch for the Flames.

By comparison, Blues starter Jake Allen has had a nightmare season. Given the opportunity to step up, he hasn't been very good or consistent. It will be interesting to see if he can turn things around with Mike Yeo behind the bench and new goaltending coaches Ty Conklin and Martin Brodeur.

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