BOSTON — Following their 17th Beanpot title last Monday night, the Boston College Eagles showed off their No. 2 national ranking with a weekend sweep of Merrimack in a pair of crucial Hockey East games.

In Friday’s 4-2 win, the Eagles gave coach Jerry York his 900th-career win as junior Steven Whitney notched a pair of assists. Senior Karl Stollery and sophomore Jordan Heywood scored in the loss for Merrimack and combined for seven of the Warriors’ 19 shots.

Senior Paul Carey scored with 5:31 to play and junior Parker Milner registered 30 saves as the Eagles won their first game at Lawler Arena since Oct. 31, 2008, 2-1 on Saturday. Senior Jesse Todd scored Merrimack’s lone goal of the game at the 8:56 mark of the second period for his team-best 11th of the season.

Milner stopped 79 shots in his three wins during the week to earn Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors and compiled a 3-0 record to go along with his sparkling 1.50 goals-against average.

Merrimack returns home next Friday when it hosts UMass-Lowell in the first of a home-and-home series between the Valley rivals. BC looks to continue its seven-game winning streak against Providence this weekend.

Hockey East Player of the Week Alex Chiasson and the No. 5 Boston University Terriers split their hard-fought weekend series with No. 7 UMass-Lowell. The junior alternate captain scored a goal and five assists, including a career-high four points in Friday’s 7-4 beatdown at Tsongas Center.

After River Hawk senior Michael Budd opened the scoring at the 5:53 mark of the first period, the Terriers rattled off five straight goals en route to the victory.

The River Hawks salvaged a split with Saturday’s 4-2 win at Agganis Arena. Five-time Rookie of the Week winner Scott Wilson continued his stellar season with a three-point effort, which included the game’s first two goals.

The Terriers have a long trip ahead of them this weekend, taking on Vermont for two games at Gutterson Field House. Friday’s game will be televised on NBC Sports Network.

Maine and Massachusetts split their weekend series at Alfond Arena, which included the Mass Attack’s Saturday night 4-1 upset of the No. 11 Black Bears. Coupled with Northeastern’s pair of ties against Providence, the Minutemen were able to overtake the Huskies for the eighth and final playoff spot (via tiebreaker).

Senior Brian Flynn scored a pair of goals, including the 150th point of his career, as the Black Bears went on for a 7-4 rout on Friday. Sophomores Patrick Kiley and Michael Pereira scored goals for UMass, while junior Kevin Czepiel’s was his first of the season.

On Saturday, sophomores Patrick Kiley and Michael Pereira scored goals for UMass, while junior Kevin Czepiel’s was his first of the season.

With the victory, the Mass Attack’s sixth of the season against a ranked opponent, the squad moves to 11-14-5 overall. They host border rival New Hampshire twice this weekend, while Maine is at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena for a pair.

The Huskies and Friars engaged in a pair of entertaining draws at Matthews Arena, during which NU came back to salvage points in both games.

Junior forwards Tim Schaller and Garrett Vermeersch scored first-period goals in Friday’s 1-1 tie, while freshman Adam Reid scored the equalizing goal at 15:01 of the second period in Saturday’s 2-2 game.

Huskies junior Chris Rawlings had a career night, stopping 47, including 18 crucial saves in the third period.

Sophomore H.T. Lenz scored the game-tying goal with 14 seconds remaining in regulation and senior defenseman Drew MacKenzie struck for the game-winner at 1:38 of overtime, lifting Vermont to a 4-3 victory over UNH at Whittemore Center.

UNH, which entered the game with a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1), has now lost all five of its games by one goal since the New Year. Sophomore Eric Knodel matched his career-high with two points for the Wildcats.

Kevin McCarey was one of three different goal scorers as the Wildcats scored a Senior Night victory, 3-1. Kevin McCarey was one of three different goal scorers as the Wildcats scored a Senior Night victory.

Roy, Huberdeau, and Will Are Telus Three Stars

Quebec Remparts’ forward Frederick Roy; Saint John Sea Dogs’ forward Jonathan Huberdeau; and Moncton Wildcats’ netminder Roman Will are the Telus Three Stars of the Week for the week ending February 19th.

Roy found the back of the net once, lent a helping hand on four more; and was the third star of the game as the Remparts romped to a 9-1 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Tuesday. He added one more as the team lost 4-1 to Saint John on Friday.Roy scored the only goals of the game and was the game’s third star as Quebec blanked Moncton 2-0 on Saturday. He chipped in three more helpers and was the game’s second star on Sunday in the 6-0 shutout of PEI and finished the week a +4.

Huberdeau scored twice, lent a helping hand on two more, and was the game’s first star as the Sea Dogs began the week by shellacking the PEI Rocket 10-1 on Wednesday. He added three more in the game against Quebec on Friday and was once again the game’s third star.

Will began the week by making 34 saves and the first star of the game award as the Wildcats began the week with a 3-1 win over Acadie-Bathurst on Friday and ended it with 29 more and another first star of the game award in the game against Quebec on Saturday.

Suspensions Handed Out
On Monday League Disciplinary Prefect Raymound Bolduc suspended Baie-Comeau Drakkar left winger Carl Gelinas for five games after hitting a Chicoutimi Sagueneens’ player in the head on February 9th. The decision was made because Gelinas made his way toward the injured played at high speed and hit the player’s head with his forearm and elbow as the player was in a vulnerable position and was not hurt on the play.

On Friday the League suspended Cape Breton left winger Dany Potvin for four games and Baie-Comeau’s Raphael Bussieres five games for their action in two different games on Friday the 15th.

In Potvin’s case the player he injured was no longer in possession of the puck; never saw Potvin coming; and was hurt as Potvin propelled himself upward hitting the player’s head and body simultaneously.

In Bussieres’ case he accelerated from the faceoff circle of the opposing team; pursuing his opponent; and was behind him throughout the race. Bussieres hit him from behind his left shoulder and never tried to avoid the hit as the injured player was in a vulnerable position and was injured.

Schedule Change For 2012-2013 Season

On Monday the League announced that the 2012-2013 season will begin on Thursday, September 20th. This year the season started on September 8th. There will still be 68 games per team played. There will be no modifications to the training camp schedule for academic reasons.

Board of Governors Changes Draft Compensation Guidelines

The Board of Governors of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League voted to make amendments to regulation 10.15.1 regarding compensatory draft picks during the Semi-Annual Meeting held at the Sheraton Hotel in Dorval. The amendments will take effect as soon as the 2012-2013 season.
Here are the amendments:

The compensatory draft pick or picks is awarded to a QMJHL Team for a 16 year old player who was selected in the first round of the preceeding QMJHL Priority Selection Process and is declared «defected». The «defected» player shall be defined as:
1.A player who has not reported to training camp;
2.A player who has reported to training camp, but has refused to sign a playing card and/or Standard Player’s Agreement when presented to him;
3.A player that does not show up to a training camp for medical reasons;
4.Permanent disability of such player;
5.Death of such player.

The name of the defected player must be filed with the League office by the Wednesday following Labour Day or that date established annually by the League.

10.15.2 Compensatory draft pick process for players selected 1 through 4 in the first round.

QMJHL Member Teams shall receive compensation for a first round 16 year old player selected with one of the first four (4) picks of the League’s Priority Selection Process who do not report to their hockey club based on the current League definition of a defected player.

Such compensation model shall be:

1.QMJHL Member Teams shall receive the fifth (5th) overall selection in the next QMJHL Priority Selection Draft.
2.Once the player has been deemed defected, as per definition, QMJHL Member Teams may trade such defected player to another QMJHL Member Team for draft picks only prior to September 15th of the following season.
3.If such team exercises their right to trade such player prior to September 15th, such team shall receive an additional second round selection at the conclusion of the second round in the following QMJHL Priority Selection Draft.
4.If the team should trade such player during the Christmas trading period in the year immediately following the QMJHL Priority Selection Draft in which such player was selected, such QMJHL Member Team shall receive the fifth (5th) overall selection only in the following QMJHL Priority Selection Draft with such selection varying from time-to-time based on the number of compensatory draft picks awarded in any given QMJHL Priority Selection Draft.
5.It should be understood that the compensatory draft pick shall be based on regular season standings of QMJHL Member Teams for the Priority Selection Draft in which the defected player was selected.
6.If the team should exercise their right to the fifth (5th) overall selection, such team must declare their intentions one week prior to the current QMJHL Priority Selection Draft and such player would re-enter the Priority Selection Process.
7.If the team should choose to keep the playing rights to such player, they shall not receive any compensation.
10.15.3 Compensatory draft pick process for players selected 5 through 18 in the first round.
QMJHL Member Teams shall receive compensation for a first round 16 year old player selected in positions 5 through 18 of the QMJHL Priority Selection Draft and who do not report to their hockey club based on the current League definition of a defected player.

Such compensation model shall be:
1.Compensation shall be a first round selection in the same position, one pick later at the following QMJHL Priority Selection Draft if such player is traded, for draft picks only, prior to September 15th of the following season.
2.If such player is traded at the Christmas trading period in the year immediately following the QMJHL Priority Selection Draft in which such player was selected, the team shall receive the compensatory draft pick in the same round position, one round later in the following QMJHL Priority Selection Draft.
3.If the team exercises their right to the compensatory draft pick, same round position one round later, such team must declare their intentions one week prior to the QMJHL Priority Selection Draft and such player re-enters the current QMJHL Priority Selection Process.
4.If the team should choose to keep the playing rights to such player they shall not receive any compensation.

Courtesy QMJHL

Three QMJHL Teams Make CHL Top 10

When the CHL announced the Top 10 rankings on Wednesday three QMJHL teams made the cut.
Saint John remained at second; Shawinigan stayed at fifth; and Quebec dropped one spot to 10th. Victoriaville was an honorable mention.

BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings – Week 21
1 London Knights (41-11-0-1)
2 Saint John Sea Dogs (40-14-0-2)
3 Kamloops Blazers (41-12-1-3)
4 Tri-City Americans (38-15-1-2)
5 Shawinigan Cataractes (37-12-3-4)
6 Edmonton Oil Kings (38-13-3-4)
7 Plymouth Whalers (36-15-2-1)
8 Kitchener Rangers (36-15-1-1)
9 Portland Winterhawks (38-15-2-1)
10 Quebec Remparts (34-14-5-2)

Honourable Mention: Niagara IceDogs (35-16-0-3); Victoriaville Tigres (36-16-1-3); Moose Jaw Warriors (36-15-5-1)

The Games This Week

Play began with one game on Tuesday as Quebec got two goals each from Mikhail Grigorenko and Adam Erne; while they got singles from Anthony Duclair, Martin Lefebvre, Gabriel Desjardins, Frederick Roy, and Marc-Antoine Carrier in their 9-1 win over Baie-Comeau. Frederic Gamelin added the lone Drakkar goal.

On Wednesday Brandon Hynes scored twice; and Yannick Dube, Philippe Halley, and Philip Danault added singles as Victoriaville edged Cape Breton 5-4. Kyle Farrell scored twice; and Michael Clarke and Raphael Corriveau added one each. Saint John got two goals each from Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, and Maxime Villemaire; while Charlie Coyle, Danick Gauthier, Oliver Cooper, and Stanislav Galiev added singles as the Sea Dogs cruised to a 10-1 win over PEI. Alex Noel scored the lone Rocket marker. David Rose, Gamelin, Robbie Graham, Jonathan Lessard, and Jean-Francois Leblanc scored for Baie-Comeau as the Drakkar edged Shawinigan 5-4 in overtime. Anton Zlobin scored twice; and Loik Poudrier and Kirill Kabanov scored for the Cataractes.

On Thursday Darcy Ashley scored twice; and Mitchell Shewfelt, Andrew Ryan, and Ryan Falkenham scored once each for Halifax; and Jonathan Lavoie, Jakub Culek, and Francis Beauvillier added the Rimouski goals as the Mooseheads skated to a 5-3 win over the Oceanic. Rouyn-Noranda got regulation goals from Jonathan Delorme and Antoine Quevillion; while Drummondville got the same from Matthew Boudens; while the Huskies shootout markers came from Sven Andrighetto and Denis Kamaev; and the Voltigeurs’ came from André Bouvet-Morrissette as the Huskies edged the Voltigeurs 3-2.

There were seven games that took place on Friday.

Cameron Critchlow scored twice; and Alexandre Grenier, Trey Lewis, and Brent Andrews added one apiece as Halifax began with a 5-3 win over Victoriaville. Phillip Danault scored twice; and Yanni Gourde had a single for the Tigres. Moncton got goals from Patrick Deslisle-Houda; Ryan Penny; and Devon MacAusland in their 3-1 win over Acadie-Bathurst. Sebastien Trudeau added the lone Titan goal. Alex Emond, Michael Santini, Emil Sylvegard, and found the back of the net for Drummondville in regulation; while Santini and Bouvet-Morrissette scored in the shootout; and Anthony Mantha, Cedrick Henley, and Benjamin Casavant scored for Val-d’Or in the Voltigeurs’ 4-3 shootout win. Jurco, Gauthier, Villemaire, and Galiev scored for Saint John; while Anthony Duclair scored for Quebec in the Sea Dogs’ 4-1 win over the Remparts. Jonathan Narbonne, Michael Chaput, and Kabanov added the Shawinigan goals; while Baie-Comeau’s came from Robbie Graham and Samuel Carrier as the Cataractes edged the Drakkar 3-2.tommy Giroux scored twice; and Olivier Picard, Samuel Aquin, and Christopher Clapperton added singles for Blainville-Boisband as the Armada edged Rouyn-Noranda 5-4. Antoine Quevillon added two goals, while Jean-Sebastien Dea and Anthony Verret found the net once each for the Huskies. Gatineau got three goals from Adam Chapman; while Alexandros Soumakis added one; while Charles Hudon, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Christian Ouellet added the Chicoutimi markers as the Olympiques edged the Sagueneens’ 4-3.

Four games took place on Saturday.

Taylor Carnevale, Pierre-Olivier Morin, and Chaput scored for Shawinigan; while Chicoutimi got goals from Lukas Sedlak, and Dominic Poulin as the Cataractes nipped the Sagueneens 3-2. Jonathan Brunelle scored the game winner 2:36 into overtime as Cape Breton nipped Rimouski 2-1. Alex Belzile added the lone Oceanic marker. Quebec got two goals from Frederick Roy in their 2-0 shutout of Moncton. Halley, Hynes, and Matthew Hobbs scored for Victoriaville; while PEI got goals from Jessyko Bernard and Josh Currie as the Tigres edged the Rocket 3-2.

Ten teams took to the ice on Sunday.

Falkenham scored twice; and Grenier, Critchlow, Alexandre Cote, and Martin Frk added singles as Halifax edged Acadie-Bathurst 6-5. Zach O’Brien scored twice; and Ludovic Kabambi, Oliver Houle, and Trudeau added singles for the Titan. Jean-Philippe Mathieu added the hat trick; Jonathan Lavoie, and Petr Straka scored twice each; and Alexander Mallet, Beauviller, and Culek scored once each as Rimouski gained a split in their two game series with Cape Breton with a 10-3 win. Alexandre Lavoie scored twice for the Eagles; while Clarke added the single. Duclair, Logan Shaw, Grigorenko, Alexandre Comtois, Gabriel Desjardins, and Marc-Antoine Carrier all scored for Quebec in their 6-0 shutout of PEI. Sacha Guimond and Julien Lepage scored for Baie-Comeau; while Emile Poirier scored for Gatineau as the Drakkar nipped the Olympiques 2-1.Cedric Paquette scored twice; and Jean-Christophe Laflamme, Xavier Ouellet, Raphael Pouliot, and Samuel Aquin added singles as Blainville-Boisband skated to a 6-2 win over Val-d’Or. Mantha and Casavant scored the Foreur’s markers.

The Leaders

There is a new leader in the overall QMJHL standings as Telus East leaders Shawinigan is 39-12-3-4 with 85 points; and Maritimes leaders Saint John (41-14-0-2, 84 points) are second. Blainville-Boisband is the Telus West leader and have 32 wins to go along with their 21 losses, two overtime losses, and one shootout loss for 68 points.

Gourde tops all scorers with 31 goals and 72 assists in the 58 games that he has played in to remain at first; while O’Brien has found the back of the net on 47 occasions; while lending a helping hand on 45 more in the 53 contests that he has skated in; while his teammate Sebastien Trudeau (26G, 63A, 89 points, 57 games) rounds out the top three.

Between the pipes there is a new number one as Saint John’s Mathieu Corbeil (32-9-0-0, 2.29 GAA, 0.914 SAV%) moves up one spot; and Shawinigan’s Gabriel Girard drops to second as he sports an 18-4-1-2 record to go along with his 2.35 GAA and 0.916 SAV%; while his teammate Alex Dubeau is third spot as he has won 21 games while losing eight with two overtime losses and two shootout losses with a 2.50 GAA and 0.907 SAV%.

The Games To Come

Play begins with an all-Maritime contest on Tuesday as Saint John hosts Halifax.

Three games will be played Wednesday as PEI is in Quebec to face Blainville-Boisband; Rimouski is at home to Acadie-Bathurst; and Rouyn-Noranda welcomes Val-d’Or.

On Thursday Shawinigan begins their Eastern Canadian trip with a stop in Cape Breton; and Victoriaville is in Baie-Comeau.

Three games will take place on Friday as Gatineau is in Quebec City; Blainville-Boisband welcomes Chicoutimi; and PEI is in Rouyn-Noranda.

On Saturday Shawinigan is in Halifax; Rimouski welcomes Baie-Comeau; Cape Breton makes their way to Bathurst; Moncton is at home to Saint John; Drummondville is in Roun-Noranda; and PEI makes a stop in Val-d’Or.

The week will end with six games on Sunday as Saint John welcomes Cape Breton; Victoriaville is in Quebec; Baie-Comeau makes their way to Bathurst; Moncton welcomes Shawinigan; Chicoutimi is in Gatineau; and Val-d’Or is at home to Drummondville.

The Columbus Blue Jackets were on fire against the San Jose Sharks, coming away with a 6-3 victory Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.  (Inside Hockey/Rachel Lewis).

Although Bud Holloway is an entire ocean away from any National Hockey League team, the dream hasn’t gone anywhere.

Holloway, a 23-year-old hockey player from Wapella, Sask., is currently playing professional hockey in Sweden with Skelleftea AIK in the Elitserien league, or better-known in Canada as the Swedish Elite League or the SEL.

“The SEL is a lot different than North American hockey,” said Holloway of the highest professional league in Sweden. “It’s a high-paced league with more puck possession and speed. And playing against that speed and skill every night helps a player develop.”

Growing up playing minor hockey in Wapella, Holloway dreamed of playing in the NHL. He spent four full seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds from 2004 to 2008 in the Western Hockey League. For the next three seasons, he played in the American Hockey League with the Manchester Monarchs, the farm team of the Los Angeles Kings. Holloway led Manchester in scoring the past two seasons, but never got called up to the NHL.

“You’d think that deserves a shot but you never know what the parent club is thinking or what their plans are,” said Holloway. “And truthfully, as a player trying to get a call up, you’re better off not to worry or think about it. Some decisions you’ll agree with and some will leave you speechless. This is why I always try to stay positive and not get bothered by the things I can’t control.”

Knowing that Los Angeles has a good crop of very talented rookies, like himself, waiting to crack the roster, Holloway had a big decision to make in the off-season. Should he stay another year in the AHL, knowing he likely won’t get a shot at the NHL, or should he find an opportunity elsewhere? He talked it over with his agent and his family.

“We were doubtful of a full-time spot in L.A., especially with their off-season pick-ups,” said Holloway.

So he looked elsewhere. He decided a change of scenery was necessary.

“My agent put my name out to his representative in Sweden and got back a handful of offers,” said Holloway. “After that, it was about what place would help my career the most and give me opportunity to play.”

Holloway deliberated between teams, but once he found out his teammate from Manchester, Oscar Moller, was playing with Skelleftea, it made his decision a lot easier.

Holloway is doing well in his first year overseas playing alongside Moller. Skelleftea is sitting in first place and he currently leads them in scoring with 35 points in 42 games.

“Personally, I’m having a good year,” said Holloway. “But a bigger thing than the points is trying to find that consistency and compete every night. If your stick isn’t working that night, you still need to bring something to the table to help better the team.”

Holloway might be enjoying Sweden, but he can definitely see himself coming back to North America soon.

“Playing in the NHL is almost every Canadian boy’s dream, and I’m no different,” he said.

It might take another change of scenery before Holloway gets a shot in the NHL. Ian Clark, who covered the Manchester Monarchs for the New Hampshire Union Leader during Holloway’s previous two seasons with the team, said it’s tough to crack the Kings roster.

“I just think it’s a numbers crunch for them in Los Angeles,” said Clark. “(Holloway’s) a guy who needs to be on a top-two line and have guys that can score and set him up, and L.A. just doesn’t have room for a player like that.”

Clark said a new opportunity for Holloway and others like him could come as early as Feb. 27, the NHL trade deadline day.

“The Kings are definitely a dealing team when it comes to the deadline,” said Clark. “They have a lot of potential pieces, and if they think they are in a position to make a push, and turn things around and make a push for the Cup, then I could see them easily getting rid of some of the guys that have talent and could play elsewhere like Bud.

“I don’t know how likely, but it’s a definite possibility that he could get moved.”

Holloway signed a one-year deal in Sweden. So at the end of this season, if he doesn’t get traded, it will be decision time again.

“Being a hockey player trying to crack the NHL isn’t the most stable job so you don’t really plan too far ahead,” he said. “Once the spring comes, I imagine I’ll get on the phone with my agent and see what’s out there. If it’s back in North America with an NHL team – great.

“If it isn’t – just keep trying to improve wherever hockey takes me.”

This article originally appeared at The Hockey Writers.

RALEIGH, N.C.—The Carolina Hurricanes continued their recent surge on Monday night, decimating the Washington Capitals 5-0 at the RBC Center. Eric Staal had two goals and an assist and Justin Peters recorded his first career shutout.

Justin Faulk and Anthony Stewart scored 88 seconds apart in the first period to give the Hurricanes and early 2-0 lead, one they would not relinquish. Andreas Nodl also notched a goal for the home team.

Carolina is now 13-7-5 in their past 25 games, a turnaround that has the once-demoralized Hurricanes in high spirits. Head coach Kirk Muller, who deserves much of the credit for Carolina’s revival, was happy with his team’s energy and discipline on Monday.

“Our guys were aware of how big tonight’s game was,” he said. “We came out hard, we came out focused—it was a good performance by everybody.

Peters, filling in for the injured Cam Ward, attributed the shutout to the strong play of his teammates in front of him. The Canes only allowed 17 shots on goal, a season best.

“All four lines were rolling, all the D going, the crowd was right behind us. It was fun to be a part of,” he said. “I’m just the beneficiary of the effort the guys put in.”

“He’s really prepared himself,” Muller said of Peters. “He’s worked hard and the players are happy playing in front of him.”

Peters may not have been particularly busy on Monday, but he did all that was asked of him and came up big on several occasions, none more crucial than his first save of the night.

Peters stoned Mike Knuble 3:17 into the first on a point-blank chance that set the tone for the rest of the night. The Canes drew a penalty seconds after their goalie’s big stop, resulting in a power-play goal.

And from there, the home team never looked back.

Eric Staal had one of his best games of the season against Washington, collecting three points and finishing the night with a plus-three plus/minus rating. Carolina’s captain now has points in his past six games played.“

When he goes, the whole team goes,” Muller said of Staal. “He’s really just elevated his game in the last three weeks, and it’s good to see him being rewarded for it.”

Staal’s early season struggles was easily the most concerning issue surrounding the Hurricanes for the better part of four months, and his improved play has gone hand-in-hand with his team’s recent success.

A big reason why Staal has improved so much has been the recent play of Jiri Tlusty, who now has points in eight straight games after gaining two assists on Monday. Skating on Staal’s wing, the Czech native has been one of the league’s most productive forwards in the past month, and it’s showing both in his number and in those of his linemates.

“(Tlusty) has been a two-way guy that’s been great with the puck,” Muller said. “He’s allowed Staal to be more of that give-and-go, straight lined guy. He’s making plays but he’s shooting the puck. They’re playing more north-south instead of east-west.”

Faulk opened up the scoring 3:14 into the game on the power-play, potting a snap-shot past Tomas Vokoun from the left circle. The rookie blueliner also had his first fight of the season late in the second period, defeating veteran Troy Brouwer in a long, hard-fought battle.

“It was fun,” Faulk said of his fight. “I don’t think that’s my role, but I don’t have too much of a problem stepping up into that situation.”

Stewart scored his seventh goal of the season less than two minutes after Faulk lit the lamp, his first since January 3. The former Atlanta Thrasher has been playing his best hockey of the season since clearing waivers on February 7, but it took until Monday night for him to find the back of the net.

“(I’ve been) a little bit snake-bitten the past couple of weeks,” Stewart said. “But we’re getting some bodies banging, going to the net, and we’re being rewarded for that.

“(Being put on waivers) is obviously motivation, but I’m a professional and I still believe I can play at a high level here and I need to prove it day in and day it. It was a wake up call, but I’m happy to be here.”

The Hurricanes played their best period of hockey in the first 20 minutes against the Caps, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Having not received the recognition they deserve for their recent upswing, Carolina was able to showcase their newfound success in front of a national television audience on the new NBC Sports Network.

Carolina will return to action on Thursday when the Ducks visit the RBC Center.

February was supposed to be do-or-die time for the New York Islanders. At the beginning of the month, they were in the 13th position in the Eastern Conference, ten points behind the eighth-seed New Jersey Devils for the final playoff berth. Now, three weeks into a stretch that promised to define the them as postseason contenders or also-rans, the Islanders have made up very little ground, currently sitting in 12th place, eight points out of a playoff spot.

Stuck in a kind of hockey purgatory, the fans on Long Island have gotten glimpses of a team poised to make a run at the playoffs, only to see a sub par team take the ice the next game. Since the beginning of the month, the Isles have alternated wins and losses, often suffering embarrassing defeats (such as the 5-1 beating they took from the St. Louis Blues last week) only to recover with gutsy wins, like the victory on Saturday over the Carolina Hurricanes. Unfortunately, a potential momentum builder like the win over Carolina was dashed on Monday with a 6-0 shellacking at the hands of the Ottawa Senators. New York’s inability to string together even two straight wins is a big reason they’re running out of time to make a realistic push for the postseason.

“This was very disappointing. We came with no physicality and stood around and watched their best players,” Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said after the loss to the Senators. “You have to battle and compete and we didn’t.”

The lack of “battling” and desire seems to be a constant theme on Long Island this season, which has seen the Isles squander multiple opportunities to climb the Eastern Conference ranks. Perhaps team captain Mark Streit summed the situation up best after the loss to Ottawa:

“There wasn’t any intensity in our game,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of bad starts, but we topped it today. We keep doing this to ourselves.”

If the Islanders can’t figure out how to become more consistent, and play quality hockey every night, there won’t be much left to play for in March.

The New York Islanders were shutout by the visiting Ottawa Senators 6-0, Monday afternoon at Nassau Coliseum.

The 3 stars of the game were:

1: Erik Karlsson

2: Jason Spezza

3: Craig Anderson

Winning Goaltender: Craig Anderson

Losing Goaltender: Kevin Poulin

Brandon Titus photographed the game for Inside Hockey.

Zack Friedli

1. Minnesota Duluth (Second in WCHA, 32 points; No. 5 in PairWise) – The Bulldogs were less than three minutes away from a sweep in Mankato this weekend, but the Mavericks rallied to score twice in 10 seconds to salvage a tie. While three points are tough to come by on the road, the missing point might come back to hurt UMD. Last week: Won/tied @ Minnesota State (4-2, 4-4). This week: vs. Colorado College.

2. Minnesota (First in WCHA, 34 points; Tied at No. 8 in PairWise) – The Gophers dominated Bemidji State this weekend, showing plenty of motivation to not only lock down the MacNaughton Cup, but to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. Minnesota might have done both with the sweep. Last week: Sweep vs. Bemidji State (3-0, 4-1). This week: @ Nebraska-Omaha.

3. Denver (Third in WCHA, 30 points; Tied at No. 11 in PairWise) – Coach George Gwozdecky wasn’t happy with his squad’s performance on Saturday night, and for good reason. The Pioneers had maybe their worst defensive effort of the year against the Badgers in the series finale, missing out on two huge points. Last week: Split @ Wisconsin (3-0, 2-5). This week: vs. North Dakota.

4. North Dakota (Tied for fourth in WCHA, 27 points; No. 14 in PairWise) – North Dakota jumped up a spot in the PairWise, clawed its way to fourth in the conference and got great goaltending from Brad Eidsness. With the way the year started, all three are pretty impressive. Last week: Won/tied vs. Michigan Tech (4-2, 1-1). This week: @ Denver.

5. Colorado College (Tied for fourth in WCHA, 27 points; No. 19 in PairWise) – The Tigers are hangin’ around, but barely. CC hasn’t won back-to-back games since December, and its slid down the PairWise rankings because of it. A trip to Duluth this weekend doesn’t make things any easier. Last week: Split vs. Nebraska-Omaha (4-3, 3-5). This week: @ Minnesota Duluth.

6. Nebraska-Omaha (Tied for fourth in WCHA, 27 points; Tied at No. 23 in PairWise) – Much like Colorado College, UNO is inconsistent, and its tournament hopes are now all but gone. There is still a decent chance the Mavericks will be traveling for the first round of the WCHA playoffs, too. Last week: Split @ Colorado College (3-4, 5-3). This week: vs. Minnesota.

7. Bemidji State (Ninth in WCHA, 21 points; Tied at No. 23 in PairWise) – It will take a small miracle for the Beavers to clinch a home-ice spot, and, with the way they played this weekend, one has to doubt Bemidji State’s ability to get magical. Last week: Swept @ Minnesota (0-3, 1-4). This week; vs. Wisconsin.

8. Michigan Tech (Seventh in WCHA, 24 points; Not ranked in PairWise) – Things are starting to unravel in Houghton, and the Huskies now look less like the offensive dynamo they were a few weeks ago and more like the Tech teams of old. Sixth place is still within reach, though, offering MTU the opportunity to do something it hasn’t in a while – play at home in the playoffs. Last week: Lost/tied @ North Dakota (2-4, 1-1). This week: vs. St. Cloud State.

9. St. Cloud State (Eighth in WCHA, 23 points; Tied at No. 25 in PairWise) – The Huskies’ loss on Friday night makes them the only team to lose more than once to Anchorage this season, something that was surely on their minds in the beat down they put on the Seawolves on Saturday. Last week: Split vs. Alaska-Anchorage (2-3, 8-3). This week: @ Michigan Tech.

10. Wisconsin (Tied for tenth in WCHA, 18 points; No. 32 in PairWise) – Justin Schultz and Mark Zengerle broke out of their slumps in a big way on Saturday night, sending the Kohl Center fans home happy in the final game they’ll see this year. Last week: Split vs. Denver (0-3, 5-2). This week: @ Bemidji State.

11. Minnesota State (Tied at tenth in WCHA, 18 points; Not ranked in PairWise) – The Mavericks pulled out an improbable tie on Saturday night to avoid going 0-4 against UMD in the regular season. With only one series to play, its starting to look like Minnesota State will get another shot to find a win against the Bulldogs in a few weeks. Last week: Lost/tied vs. Minnesota Duluth (2-4, 4-4). This week: Off.

12. Alaska-Anchorage (Last in WCHA, 11 points; Not ranked in PairWise) – The Seawolves will return to Alaska to close out the regular season, beginning with this weekend’s Governor’s Cup. Getting its hands on a trophy will give UAA something to smile about this year. Last week: Split @ St. Cloud State (3-2, 3-8). This week: vs. Alaska Friday, @ Alaska Saturday (Governor’s Cup).

Eric Burton

Each week we will look at a top ten fantasy forward list.  The list will be based on fantasy impact over the past few days and weeks.  Most elite stars are consistent scorers, but there are several players who are very streaky so keep an eye on their stats so that you can dress them while they are on a hot streak.

#10 – Nik Antropov (Winnipeg Jets) is pointless in the last 10 games.  Antropov is on pace for just 37 points, which would be his lowest in five seasons.  Antropov is on pace for only 11 goals, which would be his lowest in nine seasons.  These are disappointing numbers for a guy who once scored 20+ goals in four straight seasons and 40+ points in five straight seasons.

#9 – Jiri Tlusty (Carolina Hurricanes) is on a little hot streak right now with seven points and a plus-seven rating in seven straight games. Tlusty is on pace to play his first full season in the NHL and finish with 19 goals and 34 points.  As he becomes more consistent he could develop into a 25-goal and 60-point player.

#8 – Sam Gagner (Edmonton Oilers) scored four goals and eight points in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks back on February 2, 2012.  In the seven games following that outburst Gagner has two goals and seven points.  That eight-point game was an abnormality that will never happen again; hopefully you traded him immediately after that game.

#7 – Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg Jets) is a big, power forward winger who has all the tools to be a solid fantasy player but needs to play with more consistency.  Wheeler has scored a goal and six assists in the last two games to go along with 10 points in last five games.  Wheeler has already scored a career high with 46 points this season and is on pace for 61.

#6 – Michael Ryder (Dallas Stars) has found the net with some consistency with six goals in the last 11 games and has points in the last six games.  After going pointless six straight games in January, Ryder has scored 10 points in the last 11 contests.  No surprise here, Ryder is an inconsistent goal scoring winger who is on pace for career high 31 goals.

#5 – Max Pacioretty (Montreal Canadiens) is leading the Canadiens in goals and points this season at just 23-years-old.  He is showing no ill effect from the fractured vertebrae he suffered last season and all the hard off-season work is paying off.  It’s no wonder he has already set career highs in goals this season as he has registered over 200 shots.  Pacioretty is on pace for 34 goals and 63 points, count on those numbers going up next season.

#4 – Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes) has put that slow start behind him and has points in five straight games.  Staal is on pace for his lowest goal and point totals since his rookie season with just 22 goals and 63 points.  Lately Staal has shown his old scoring ways, since December 29, 2011, Staal has scored nine goals and 26 points in 21 games, that’s 102 point pace over a full season.

#3 – Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks) looks to be a second half goal scorer again.  Last season, post All-Star, Perry scored 25 goals in the final 30 games to win the Richard Trophy.  This season, post All-Star, Perry has scored seven goals in the last 11 games.  Perry has scored six goals and seven points while on a five game points streak.

#2 – Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) is the first player to reach the 40 goal mark this season and is on pace for his second 50+ goal season.  Stamkos is on pace to be the only player to score 50 goals this season and to win the Richard Trophy by 11 goals.  Stamkos is on heading towards his third straight 90+ point season

#1 – Jason Spezza (Ottawa Senators) has points in six straight games, which includes five straight games with two or more points.  Nobody in the NHL has more points over the last 14 days then Spezza.  Spezza is back scoring at over a point-a-game and is on pace for 86 points, which puts him back into the top 10 for scoring overall.

For more fantasy hockey analysis, check out <a href=”http://fantasyhockeycoach.com/”>FantasyHockeyCoach.com</a>.

Everywhere around the Nassau Coliseum, there has been talk of the Islanders making some kind of a playoff run.  After Saturday night’s win over the Hurricanes, players and members of the media alike were quick to mention that the Isles were just six points behind the Maple Leafs for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and had a game in hand.

But Monday’s embarrassing 6-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators at the Nassau Coliseum reminded Islanders fans and most observers that the biggest obstacle the Isles have standing in their way as we get closer to the trade deadline and the playoff stretch drive is this: the team just doesn’t play consistently good hockey.

The past few weeks have seen the Islanders have plenty of opportunities to make up ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race.  Yet each time the chance has presented itself, the Isles have lost critical games that they needed to win.

Just a few recent examples include a home and home match-up with the Maple Leafs January 23 and 24.  The Isles were coming off a three-game winning streak that included a shutout road win against the potent Capitals offense and a rare win in Philadelphia.  If ever there was momentum to build on, this was it.  If the Isles could even get three out of four points in the two games with the Leafs, they could close the gap on eighth place and really get on a roll for the stretch drive.  It didn’t happen.  Toronto shutout the Islanders at the Air Canada Center 3-0 on Monday night.  The following evening at the Coliseum, the Islanders took a 2-0 lead into the final minutes of the second period but ended up losing the game 4-3 in overtime to the team they needed to catch to reach a playoff berth.

In early February, the Islanders had four-of-five games at home and they were again facing the teams that were in the hunt for the final playoff berth with them like the Sabres, Canadiens and Panthers.  The results: 1-2-1 in the four home games with a 1-0 shootout win in Philadelphia thrown in between it.  If the Isles are a legitimate playoff contender, they need to win home games against teams like Buffalo, Montreal and Florida and dispatch a struggling Kings team that is fighting for its playoff life in the Western Conference.  To lose three of the four home games just killed any momentum the club had going for it entering this stretch.

The good news is that despite this maddening inconsistency, the Isles are not losing so many games in a row that they fall out of the playoff race.  And while other teams have ebbed and flowed, no other team has stepped up and run away with the final spots in the Eastern Conference either.

Saturday’s win over Carolina again provided a glimmer of hope that the Islanders were ready to make a run.  But today’s holiday matinee against Ottawa, another club fighting for one of the final playoff spots, dispelled the notion that the Isles are playoff ready.  The game was over in the first 1:35 when the Senators scored two quick goals in the first five shots on net against Kevin Poulin.  The slow start was bothersome, but even more disturbing was the lack of effort the Isles showed for the remaining 58:25 of the contest, never really offering any challenge to the visiting Sens who coasted to an easy victory.

“At this time of the year you need physicality,” Coach Jack Capuano admitted. “You have to pay the price. I’ll never ask anybody to fight but we weren’t physical enough. We need an injection in our lineup, we need something to happen here. We can’t have the emotion that we had on the bench here tonight.”

Captain Mark Streit agreed with his coach.  “There wasn’t any intensity in our game,” he said. “We can’t start a game like that, down two goals right away. We didn’t find a way to respond and get back in the game.”

The Islanders remain only six points behind the Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference, although they no longer have a game in hand.  The problem is not just being three games behind Toronto with 23 games remaining on the schedule, but that there are three other teams the Isles must pass to reach the postseason [Winnipeg, Washington and Tampa Bay] and three other teams who are within three points of the Islanders in the standings [Montreal, Buffalo and Carolina] who they must also stay ahead of to qualify for the playoffs.

That is a tall order, especially for a young and inexperienced team like the Islanders who remain maddeningly inconsistent.  Unless the Isles can put together a solid streak where they win seven or eight out of 10, they will have difficulty gaining ground in the standings.  They have even less of a chance to pick up ground if they don’t beat the teams they are fighting for the playoffs.

Tuesday, the Isles travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres,another team they are battling for position with in the standings. Then they face the rival Rangers at the Coliseum Friday night and travel to Ottawa Sunday.  Those are the final three games before the trading deadline.  If GM Garth Snow is going to be a buyer at this late date, the Islanders need to pick up at least four-of-six points in these final three games to show Snow they have a chance to make a run this season.

Thus far, chance after chance has passed without the Islanders being able to convert them into a consistent winning streak. They simply cannot allow any more of these chances to slip away or they will quickly run out of chances.