goalie/player info 10/11

[Aces High]

player info

Jeff Jillson, Boston Bruins - Jillson's foot injury has been officially diagnosed as a bone bruise, but it is not serious and the defenseman will not miss any time. In fact, Jillson played yesterday and led all Bruins in icetime by playing over 21 minutes.

Valeri Bure, Florida Panthers - Bure re-injured his groin during the second period of the Panthers' season opener and did not practice on Friday. His status for Saturday's game against the Bruins is questionable. A Bure injury? Surprise, surprise.

Todd White, Ottawa Senators - White suffered a strained left shoulder at the beginning of the second period of Thursday's game against the Canadiens. He is listed as day-to-day but probably won't play in Saturday's game against the Red Wings.

John LeClair, Philadelphia Flyers - Even though LeClair is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks with a fractured bone in his foot, coach Ken Hitchcock isn't ruling out an early return. LeClair's injury is unique in that there is no prescribed rehab; instead he can come back whenever the pain subsides or becomes tolerable.

Martin Skoula, Colorado Avalanche - Skoula left in the first period of Friday's game against the Blackhawks due to a bruised foot, reports the Rocky Mountain News.

Pierre Turgeon, Dallas Stars - Due to Stu Barnes' emergence during the Stars' first game of the season on Wednesday, Turgeon has been moved down to the #4 line to make room for Barnes on one of the top three lines. Turgeon barely saw ten minutes of action against the Ducks and probably will see around the same for tonight's game against the Predators. He is quickly losing what little fantasy value he had to begin with.

Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars - Lehtinen practiced on Friday and is expected to be in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Stars, reports the Dallas Morning-News. He will likely suit up on a line with Mike Modano and Bill Guerin.

Marco Sturm, San Jose Sharks - Sturm, who broke his nose in Thursday's game against the Oilers after being hit with a puck, will be in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Flames. The winger, who will play on a line with Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo, will wear a face shield to protect his nose.

Brad Stuart. San Jose Sharks - Stuart practiced fully yesterday as he recovers from a shoulder injury. However, the defenseman is still at least one week away from returning to the lineup, reports the Contra Costa Times.


goalie info

Andrew Raycroft, Boston Bruins - Raycroft will be the starter for Saturday's game against the Panthers, reports the Boston Herald.

Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres - Miller will be the starter for Saturday's game against the Islanders, reports the Buffalo News.

Kevin Weekes, Carolina Hurricanes - Weekes will be the starter for Saturday's game against the Devils, reports both the Raleigh News-Observer and Durham Herald-Sun.

Jussi Markkanen, New York Rangers - Markkanen will be the starter for Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets, reports the New York Daily News.

Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders - DiPietro will be the starter for Saturday's game against the Sabres, reports the New York Newsday.

Robert Esche, Philadelphia Flyers - Esche will be the starter for Saturday's game against the Penguins, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sebastien Caron, Pittsburgh Penguins - Caron will be the starter for Saturday's game against the Flyers, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune.

Pasi Nurminen, Atlanta Thrashers - Nurminen is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Capitals.

Roman Turek, Calgary Flames - Turek is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Sharks.

Marc Denis, Columbus Blue Jackets - Denis is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Rangers.

Marty Turco, Dallas Stars - Turco is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Predators.

Dominik Hasek, Detroit Red Wings - Hasek is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Senators.

Tommy Salo, Edmonton Oilers - Salo is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Canucks.

Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers - Luongo is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Bruins.

Jose Theodore, Montreal Canadiens - Theodore is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs.

Tomas Vokoun, Nashville Predators - Vokoun is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Stars.

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils - Brodeur is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Hurricanes.

Patrick Lalime, Ottawa Senators - Lalime is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Red Wings.

Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks - Nabokov is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Flames.

Ed Belfour, Toronto Maple Leafs - Belfour is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Canadiens.

Dan Cloutier, Vancouver Canucks - Cloutier is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Oilers.

Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals - Kolzig is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Thrashers.

Jocelyn Thibault, Chicago Blackhawks - Thibault did not start Friday's game against the Avalanche because he was "cramping" late in the season opener, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Apparently this information came from backup Michael Leighton, however, Thibault was quick to deny it and coach Ron Sutter said Leighton only started because the Hawks are in a stretch where they play three games in five nights. Expect Thibault to be back in net for the next game.

 

[Aces High]

New York Islanders (0-1-0-0) at Buffalo Sabres (0-1-0-0), 7 p.m. ----------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - Two clubs that tasted defeat in their season-opener clash tonight when the Buffalo Sabres welcome the New York Islanders to HSBC Arena.

What is supposed to be a promising season for the Sabres got off to a mediocre start Thursday, as Philadelphia's Jeff Hackett stopped all 17 shots he faced to back a 2-0 Flyers victory at the Wachovia Center.

Mark Recchi and Michal Handzus both scored third-period power-play goals for Philadelphia after the teams had battled through two scoreless frames. The Sabres allowed the two PPGs on six chances with the man advantage.

Former Hobey Baker winner Ryan Miller received the nod in net for Buffalo in place of incumbent starter Marty Biron. Miller made 24 saves for the Sabres, who are also carrying netminder Mika Noronen on the roster. Noronen was the odd-man out and was a scratch.

The shutout continued the trend of Buffalo failing to generate offense. Last season the Sabres placed 25th in the NHL with a mere 190 goals. Chris Drury, obtained from Calgary in the offseason to spark the weak attack, failed to record a shot on net in the opener.

Buffalo will host Dallas on Monday before opening a six-game road trip three days later in Edmonton.

New York, meanwhile, began the campaign with a 6-1 pounding at the hands of host Washington. Mariusz Czerkawski, back for his second tour with the Isles, scored the only goal for the club, which fell to 1-24-3 in the last 28 meetings with the Capitals.

Goaltender Garth Snow stopped only 20 of the 26 shots he faced for the Islanders before being lifted in the second period. Former No. 1 pick Rick DiPietro made 11 saves in just over 33 minutes of action the rest of the way and is expected to make the start tonight.

New York, which went a perfect 7-0 in the preseason, played its first regular- season contest under new head coach Steve Stirling. The Islanders turned to Stirling, who has been a member of the organization since 1997, after Peter Laviolette was fired in the offseason.

The Islanders will cap off a season-opening road trip Tuesday in Atlanta before holding their home opener Thursday versus Florida.

New York went 3-1 against Buffalo last season and is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings.


Montreal Canadiens (0-1-0-0) at Toronto Maple Leafs (0-0-0-0), 7 p.m. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - Old foes clash tonight when the Toronto Maple Leafs, playing their season opener, host the Montreal Canadiens at Air Canada Centre.

Toronto enters this campaign after yet another playoff disappointment last spring. The Maple Leafs lost a hard-fought seven-game series to Philadelphia in the opening round.

The Leafs made some major acquisitions prior to last season's playoffs, but the only one still with the team is winger Owen Nolan, who was obtained from San Jose. This summer, the tweaking continued with veteran defensemen Bryan Marchment and Ken Klee coming aboard, and the signing of three-time Stanley Cup champion Joe Nieuwendyk.

As for what's already on the roster, Mats Sundin, Alexander Mogilny and Nolan comprise a solid offensive nucleus, while goaltender Ed Belfour will try to mirror his 2002-03 season that garnered him a Vezina nomination.

Toronto will host Washington on Monday before opening a five-game road trip Thursday in New Jersey.

The Leafs have an all-time record of 33-39-14-0 in season openers, and a mark of 42-29-15-0 in home openers.

Montreal, meanwhile, began its season with a 5-2 loss to host Ottawa on Thursday. Ron Hainsey and Mike Ribeiro collected goals for Montreal, which finished six points out of a playoff spot last season. Jose Theodore, trying to re-gain the form that helped him win the Hart and Vezina Trophies in 2002, made 23 saves for the Habs, who fell to 3-10-1 in their last 14 contests at Ottawa.

The Canadiens will begin a six-game homestand Tuesday versus Washington.

Toronto went 3-1-1 against Montreal last season and is 5-1-4 in the last 10 meetings. The Canadiens are 1-9-1 in their last 11 trips to Toronto.


Detroit Red Wings (1-0-0-0) at Ottawa Senators (1-0-0-0), 7 p.m. ----------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - It will be an early-season, inter-conference showdown tonight when the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, both of whom are among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, tangle at the Corel Centre.

Ottawa, last season's Presidents' Trophy winner, earned a 5-2 win over visiting Montreal on Thursday night to open the campaign. Jason Spezza, Chris Phillips and Daniel Alfredsson each tallied a goal and an assist in the match, and Chris Neil and Petr Schlastlivy scored as well. Patrick Lalime turned aside 27 shots between the pipes.

The Senators played without restricted free agent Martin Havlat, who is scheduled to return to the Czech Republic tonight after rejecting a one-year contract from the team. Talks between the Sens and Havlat's camp, however, resumed Friday.

On the injury front, Ottawa center Todd White was forced to leave the opener in the third period with a strained shoulder. He is expected to miss tonight's tilt.

The Sens will close out their brief season-opening home set tonight before embarking on a three-game trek that begins Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Detroit, meanwhile, posted a dramatic 3-2 victory over visiting LA on Thursday at Joe Louis Arena. Steve Yzerman scored with just 1.7 seconds remaining in the third period to lift the Wings, while Dominik Hasek made 21 saves for his first victory since Game 5 of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals against Carolina. The Dominator, of course, is back in the NHL after a one-year retirement.

Jiri Fischer and Pavel Datsyuk also tallied for the Red Wings, who are trying to erase the memory of last spring's four-game opening-round sweep at the hands of upstart Anaheim.

The Red Wings will return home to face Vancouver on Thursday.

Detroit and Ottawa split two games last season, with each team winning in its own rink. The Wings have, however, won five of the last six meetings overall.

 

[Aces High]

Pittsburgh Penguins (0-1-0-0) at Philadelphia Flyers (1-0-0-0), 7 p.m. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers conclude a brief season-opening homestand tonight when they welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Wachovia Center for an intrastate clash.

Philadelphia began its campaign Thursday night with a 2-0 victory over Buffalo. Jeff Hackett stopped all 17 shots he faced in his Flyers' debut, while Mark Recchi and Michal Handzus each posted a power-play goal in the third period.

Hackett, signed as a free agent this summer in the wake of Roman Cechmanek being shipped to Los Angeles, became the first Flyers netminder to post a shutout in his debut since John Vanbiesbrouck accomplished the feat in 1998. Hackett is, however, slated to get tonight off and yield to Robert Esche, as the duo is likely to see an even amount of playing time early in the season.

Philadelphia went 2-for-6 on the power play Thursday, which was refreshing after the team finished 21st in the league last season in success with the man advantage.

The Flyers will be away from home for a bit after tonight's match, as they'll begin a four-game Western swing Thursday in San Jose.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, opened its campaign in poor fashion, dropping a 3-0 contest to visiting Los Angeles Friday. Phenom goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 46 saves -- 19 in the second period alone -- but it was hardly enough to contain the Kings. Fleury, the top pick in June's draft, will not play tonight, as rookie head coach Ed Olczyk will go with incumbent Sebastien Caron.

The Penguins themselves managed a meager 11 shots, providing little challenge for LA netminder Cristobal Huet. Being shut out has become commonplace for the Pens, who were blanked 10 times last season. Pittsburgh's attack scored only 189 goals in 2002-03, which ranked 26th in the NHL.

Mario Lemieux did not record a shot Friday until 7:10 of the third period, and it was his only one. Lemieux has not scored a goal in a personal-record 10 straight games dating back to last season.

Pittsburgh will next play Thursday in Montreal.

Philadelphia went 4-1 against Pittsburgh last season, taking the final four clashes. The Pens have lost in their last six trips to the City of Brotherly Love and in 19 of the last 20.


Atlanta Thrashers (1-0-0-0) at Washington Capitals (1-0-0-0), 7 p.m. --------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - After an emotional victory in their season opener, the Atlanta Thrashers try to make it 2-0 tonight when they visit the Washington Capitals at the MCI Center.

Chris Tamer scored with 2:24 remaining in the third period to snap a tie and lift Atlanta to a 2-1 win over visiting Columbus. Pasi Nurminen stopped 26 shots for Atlanta, which played its first game since the passing of teammate Dan Snyder.

The 25-yard old Snyder died Sunday night due to brain injuries that resulted from an automobile accident involving Thrasher forward Dany Heatley six days earlier. Heatley's Ferrari struck a wall on September 29 after traveling at roughly 80 m.p.h. in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood.

Snyder's funeral was held in his hometown of Elmira, Ontario Friday afternoon and was attended by the Thrashers, including Heatley. On Thursday, the club debuted a patch with Snyder's No. 37 on the uniform.

Russian phenom Ilya Kovalchuk, who will be especially counted on with Heatley out of the lineup recovering, added a goal and an assist for the Thrashers.

Atlanta will return home Tuesday to face the NY Islanders.

Washington, meanwhile, started the campaign off right with a 6-1 pounding of the Isles at MCI on Thursday. Peter Bondra scored two goals and Olaf Kolzig made 17 saves to lead the charge, and Jaromir Jagr added a score and a helper.

John Gruden, Mike Grier and Jeff Halpern also scored for Washington, which went 2-for-9 on the power play.

After tonight's tilt, the Caps will open a six-game road trek Monday in Toronto.

Washington went 3-1-1 against Atlanta last season and is 6-1-2 in the last nine meetings. The Thrashers are 0-8-2 all-time at the MCI Center.


New Jersey Devils (0-0-1-0) at Carolina Hurricanes (0-1-0-0), 7 p.m. --------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - After settling for a tie in their season-opener on Wednesday, the Stanley Cup-champion New Jersey Devils cap off a brief road trip when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center.

Scott Niedermayer scored twice for New Jersey, but Boston's Jeff Jillson tallied with under four minutes left in regulation to force a 3-3 deadlock at the FleetCenter.

Jeff Friesen also scored for the Devils, while Vezina winner Martin Brodeur turned aside 28 shots, including six in overtime. Niedermayer provided some assistance midway through the extra session, swatting the puck out of the crease with Brodeur out of position. Brian Rafalski and new Devil Igor Larionov each had two assists for New Jersey.

Despite letting a late lead slip away and only getting a point, the Devils had to be thrilled about the production of their power-play unit Thursday. After finishing last in the NHL in success with the man-advantage a season ago, New Jersey cashed in on three of its four chances versus Boston.

Jersey returns home after tonight and will raise its third Stanley Cup banner Thursday before a clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Carolina, meanwhile, opened with a 3-1 loss to host Florida on Thursday. Erik Cole scored the lone goal for the Hurricanes, who are trying to get back into the postseason after finishing last in the NHL's overall standings in 02-03. Kevin Weekes made 23 saves in defeat.

Rookie Hurricanes center Eric Staal, the second overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, made his NHL debut in Florida and skated alongside Ron Francis for much of the night. He recorded two shots on net and won one of the four faceoffs he took.

The Hurricanes will host Florida on Monday before embarking on a four-game road trip that begins next Saturday against the NY Rangers.

New Jersey and Carolina split four meetings last season, and the road team is 5-2-1 in the last eight clashes.

 

[Aces High]

New York Rangers (0-1-0-0) at Columbus Blue Jackets (0-1-0-0), 7 p.m. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The New York Rangers conclude a brief season-opening road trip tonight when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

New York's quest to end a six-year playoff drought began Friday with a disheartening 5-3 loss to Western Conference finalist Minnesota. The Rangers held a 3-1 lead in the second period, but the Wild rallied with four unanswered tallies to close out the match.

Jan Hlavac, Tom Poti and Matthew Barnaby each scored in defeat, while Mike Dunham finished with 14 saves. New York outshot Minnesota 28-19 -- including 10-1 in the final period -- but could not cash in on eight power- play chances.

The Rangers, who have not qualified for the postseason since 1997, will head home after tonight. They'll hold their Madison Square Garden opener Thursday versus Atlanta and will play six straight in the Big Apple.

Columbus, meanwhile, opened in an emotional setting Thursday night in Atlanta, as the host Thrashers began their campaign in the wake of teammate Dan Snyder's passing. Chris Tamer scored with 2:24 remaining in the third period to snap a tie and lift Atlanta to a 2-1 win at Philips Arena.

Andrej Nedorost scored his first career NHL goal for the Blue Jackets, who fell to 1-2-1 in four season openers. Columbus goaltender Marc Denis finished with 25 saves and the Jackets went 0-for-6 on the power play.

The Blue Jackets hope the comforts of home will lift them tonight, as they went 20-14-5-2 at Nationwide Arena last season. Columbus will play the second portion of a three-game set Monday versus Vancouver.

New York and Columbus split two games last season, with each team winning in its own rink. The Rangers have lost two straight in Ohio.


Boston Bruins (0-1-1-0) at Florida Panthers (1-0-0-0), 7:30 p.m. ----------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins continue the search for their first victory of the season tonight when they visit the Florida Panthers at the Office Depot Center.

After rallying to tie the champion New Jersey Devils on Wednesday in Beantown, the Bruins dropped a 5-1 decision to host Tampa Bay on Friday. P.J. Axelsson scored the lone goal for Boston, while Felix Potvin allowed four goals on 20 shots before being pulled to start the third period. Andrew Raycroft mopped up for Potvin and stopped 4-of-5 shots.

The Bruins' special teams play has become a concern in the season's infancy. Boston is a meager 1-for-7 on the power play this season, and have allowed opponents to go 6-for-11 with the man-advantage.

Boston opened a six-game road trip Friday and will visit Dallas on Wednesday.

Florida, meanwhile, posted a 3-1 home victory against Carolina on Thursday. Kristian Huselius's goal at 7:37 of the third period snapped a tie and lifted the Panthers past the Canes. Niklas Hagman and Viktor Kozlov also tallied goals for the Panthers, who are trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2000. Roberto Luongo stopped 31 shots for Florida.

Rookie Florida center Nathan Horton, the third overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, made his NHL debut in the win, registering three shots and a plus-1 on the night.

The Panthers, who have not opened 2-0 since 1999-2000, will visit Carolina on Monday.

Boston went 2-1-1 against Florida last season and is 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings. The B's have won in three of their last four trips to Sunrise.BC-


Dallas Stars (1-0-0-0) at Nashville Predators (1-0-0-0), 8 p.m. ---------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - Two teams trying to start the season with back-to-back wins face off tonight when the Nashville Predators host the Dallas Stars at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

On Thursday, David Legwand tallied a goal and an assist, as the Predators opened their season with a 3-1 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Andreas Johansson and Mark Eaton also scored for Nashville in the victory, while Tomas Vokoun turned aside 25 shots.

The win was the Predators' first since March 7, snapping a 15-game winless skid that concluded last season. It also marked only their second season- opening victory in six tries. The other was in 2000 when they defeated Pittsburgh in Japan.

A win tonight by Nashville would give it consecutive wins for the first time since winning four straight from February 23-March 1. The Predators have never opened a season 2-0, and last year were winless in their first seven games (0-4-1-2).

The Stars also got their season off on the right foot, as Stu Barnes scored twice and Sergei Zubov added a goal and an assist to lead Dallas to a 4-1 victory over the defending Western Conference champion Ducks on Wednesday.

Bill Guerin also scored for the Stars, while Marty Turco made 20 saves in the victory.

Dallas, which was 1-for-3 on the power play, improved to 6-1-4 in opening games and 8-2-1 in home openers since the team moved from Minnesota.

Forward Jere Lehtinen left the game in the second period with a shoulder injury. He was hurt in a first-period collision with Anaheim's Jason Krog, but the injury is not considered serious and he should be on the ice for tonight's contest.

Nashville beat the Stars in three of four meetings last season and is 6-2-0 in its last eight against Dallas in the Music City.


San Jose Sharks (0-1-0-0) at Calgary Flames (0-1-0-0), 9 p.m. -------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - Two teams looking for their first win of the season face off tonight when the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames meet at the Saddledome.

San Jose got their 2003-04 season off on the wrong foot on Thursday, as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Edmonton Oilers at the Skyreach Centre. Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek each scored for the Sharks, who fell to 2-9-2 in season-openers.

Evgeni Nabokov stopped 23 shots in the loss.

On the injury front San Jose's Marco Sturm took a puck in the face while sitting on the bench late in the second period. Sturm suffered a broken nose and did not return, but he's probable for tonight's contest.

Calgary also tasted defeat in its opener on Thursday, falling 4-1 to the Vancouver Canucks. Chris Clark scored the lone goal for the Flames, which fell to 11-11-10 in season-openers, dating back to their days in Atlanta.

Roman Turek looked shaky in net for the Flames, allowing four goals on 26 shots.

Trailing by two, a lucky bounce helped Calgary cut its deficit in half in the second period. After gaining possession on the power play, the puck slid back to Robyn Regehr at the left point. Regehr slid a cross-ice pass to his partner Jordan Leopold, whose shot deflected off a skate at the top of the right circle and caromed onto Clark's stick. Clark snapped it past a diving Dan Cloutier at 15:16.

Vancouver went back up by two just over three minutes later and never looked back.

The Flames, who were 1-2-1 last year against the Sharks, are just 1-5-4 in their last 10 matchups with San Jose and 5-11-7 in the previous 23. The Sharks also hold the edge in Calgary, where they are 3-1-2 in their last six trips.


Edmonton Oilers (1-0-0-0) at Vancouver Canucks (1-0-0-0), 10 p.m. -----------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - Two teams targeting consecutive wins to open the season face off tonight when the Edmonton Oilers meet the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place.

Vancouver, which won its first two games last year, got the season off on the right foot on Thursday, as Artem Chubarov notched a goal and an assist, while Dan Cloutier made 22 saves to lead the Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.

Todd Bertuzzi also scored for Vancouver while Jarkko Ruutu and Jason King added a goal apiece in the victory. King, the only rookie to make the Canucks, played with Daniel and Henrik Sedin and scored his first NHL marker.

The Oilers also posted a win in their season-opener on Thursday. Raffi Torres scored with 5:12 left in the third period to break open a tie game and Ryan Smyth added two late goals, as Edmonton defeated San Jose 5-2.

Shawn Horcoff and Jason Chimera also tallied for the Oilers, who scored three times in the final 5:12.

Tommy Salo made 19 saves for Edmonton, which lost last spring in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs to top-seeded Dallas.

Torres, acquired last season from the New York Islanders along with Brad Isbister, snapped a 2-2 tie on his power-play goal with 5:12 remaining in the game. Steve Staios took a shot from the left point that hit off of the post to Nabokov's glove side. The puck shot out in front and Torres banged home the rebound for the Edmonton lead, one it would not relinquish.

Prior to the game, the Oilers retired the No. 31 of former goaltender Grant Fuhr, who became the fourth player to have his uniform honored. Fuhr, who will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame this fall, joined Al Hamilton (No. 3), Jari Kurri (No. 17) and Wayne Gretzky (No. 99) in the rafters. Fuhr won five Stanley Cups with the Oilers during 10 seasons with Edmonton between 1981-82 and 1990-91

Edmonton has not opened a season with two straight wins since starting the 1996-97 campaign with three-in-a-row.

The Oilers could have the upper hand on Saturday against the Canucks, as the road team in that series is 5-1-3 in the last nine meetings.

Vancouver, though, was unbeaten (4-0-1) against Edmonton last season and is 5-1-3 in the last nine clashes.

 

[kono22]

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Geoff Sanderson should return to the line up tonight vs. the NY Rangers.

 

[trademaster]

Hedberg will be playing tonight for the canucks ...he is way better then cloutier at controling the puck & not letting 2 many rebounds