<b>Chi</b>---Thibault I expect. He's faced a ton of shots lately, but showing no signs of fatigue yet. But could see Andersson.... Trib sez "Although the power play has shown glimpses of improvement since Fleury arrived, it's 0-for-10 in the last four games and is now last in the NHL at 10.7 percent. "
Chi is playing 4th game in 6 tonight, and 6th in 10. But that Fleury spark has added a lot of energy on ice and in dressing room. and piece here in Sun-Times speak of pressure Fleury helps take off Joc and some defensemen, tiring them out less......http://www.suntimes.com/output/hawks/cst-spt-jenn13.html
Last time Hawks won 3 on road it was march 2000.
official site sez "The Hawks are last in the NHL on the power play and are 12th in penalty killing while Buffalo is 28th and 15th."
<b>Buffalo</b>---Biron sez official site. He's 6-11-3 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .898 save percentage this season, but sharp of late. Noronen "might" play tomorrow vs Phila. Official site sez:
"James Patrick and J.P. Dumont along with Alexei Zhitnik and Jochen Hecht, will not play.....The lines will be as follows:
Tim Connolly will center Stu Barnes and Norm Milley.
Chris Gratton will have Taylor Pyatt and Vaclav Varada on the wings.
The Curtis Brown, Miroslav Satan, Ales Kotalik line will remain the same.
Adam Mair will center Rob Ray and Eric Boulton.
<b>NY Islanders</b>---Osgood I expect (but they do play TB tomorrow). He's is 9-1-4 with a 2.44 goals against average vs. the Panthers.....NYI 4-1-1 last 6 on road......Last two meetings in FL ended in ties...Very important "quarterback" defenseman Hamrlik out for a month. But you don't have to be too physical against this team made up of mainly Euro, sez Keenan himself here...........http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...c13,0,4342931.story?coll=sfla-sports-panthers
<b>FL</b>---Luongo will start, Flaherty backing. Luongo is 2-5 vs his former team....FL is 4-6-3-1 at home, worst in E Conf, and 1-4-1 last 6 at home.
<b>ATL</b>---Nurminen sez official site....ATL paper sez "Nurminen, who hasn't played since Nov. 23, is 5-4-1-1 with a 3.41 GAA and 87.2 save percentage.
Asked if there was any way to stay sharp with such a long layoff, Nurminen said, "I don't know. We'll see Friday. This is a new situation for me. But it is my job to do what I can and help the team win."
"He's been chomping on the bit to play," coach Curt Fraser said of Nurminen. ....
..ATL is 0-5-0-3 this season playing consecutive nights.
<b>Dallas</b>---Turco I expect. He got pulled in last start...Dallas 1-2-2 last five games. Team got booed for poor offense in that first home loss of season.
They just had their first player-only meeting of the season.
They start a road trip after this game. They are 5-0 vs ATL alltime (under hit 4-1), but those two wins at home were 2-1 (one on road was 1 goaler too). But boy, they will be playing hard and mad tonight!
<b>Colorado</b>---Roy, (Aebischer gets tomorrows start) sez papers.....also sez "The Avalanche has gone 1-4-4-1 against Northwest Division opponents this season, 0-4-2-0 against them in the past six meetings..The Avalanche has gone 1-3-2-0 in the past six games."
Colo PK and PP among the worst, and is only one of two teams not to score a shorthanded yet...Foote may return tonight.
<b>Edmonton</b>---Salo I expect. He's avg 1 goal last six starts, has .960 save pct last 8. Edm under has hit 8-3 at home, Colo under 6-4 on road.
<b>WA</b>---Charpentier, who everyone sez played very well in last start.....WA PP 2 for 29 of late........Kolzig skated full practice and could play tomorrow.....WA has never won in desert, going 0-3-2 there....WA 3-6-1-0 this season vs West Conf teams.
<b>PHX</b>--Boucher....He's 5-3-1 vs WA, 1.76 gga, .925 pct.
all always-----good luck to everyone!
Chi is playing 4th game in 6 tonight, and 6th in 10. But that Fleury spark has added a lot of energy on ice and in dressing room. and piece here in Sun-Times speak of pressure Fleury helps take off Joc and some defensemen, tiring them out less......http://www.suntimes.com/output/hawks/cst-spt-jenn13.html
Last time Hawks won 3 on road it was march 2000.
official site sez "The Hawks are last in the NHL on the power play and are 12th in penalty killing while Buffalo is 28th and 15th."
<b>Buffalo</b>---Biron sez official site. He's 6-11-3 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .898 save percentage this season, but sharp of late. Noronen "might" play tomorrow vs Phila. Official site sez:
"James Patrick and J.P. Dumont along with Alexei Zhitnik and Jochen Hecht, will not play.....The lines will be as follows:
Tim Connolly will center Stu Barnes and Norm Milley.
Chris Gratton will have Taylor Pyatt and Vaclav Varada on the wings.
The Curtis Brown, Miroslav Satan, Ales Kotalik line will remain the same.
Adam Mair will center Rob Ray and Eric Boulton.
<b>NY Islanders</b>---Osgood I expect (but they do play TB tomorrow). He's is 9-1-4 with a 2.44 goals against average vs. the Panthers.....NYI 4-1-1 last 6 on road......Last two meetings in FL ended in ties...Very important "quarterback" defenseman Hamrlik out for a month. But you don't have to be too physical against this team made up of mainly Euro, sez Keenan himself here...........http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...c13,0,4342931.story?coll=sfla-sports-panthers
<b>FL</b>---Luongo will start, Flaherty backing. Luongo is 2-5 vs his former team....FL is 4-6-3-1 at home, worst in E Conf, and 1-4-1 last 6 at home.
<b>ATL</b>---Nurminen sez official site....ATL paper sez "Nurminen, who hasn't played since Nov. 23, is 5-4-1-1 with a 3.41 GAA and 87.2 save percentage.
Asked if there was any way to stay sharp with such a long layoff, Nurminen said, "I don't know. We'll see Friday. This is a new situation for me. But it is my job to do what I can and help the team win."
"He's been chomping on the bit to play," coach Curt Fraser said of Nurminen. ....
..ATL is 0-5-0-3 this season playing consecutive nights.
<b>Dallas</b>---Turco I expect. He got pulled in last start...Dallas 1-2-2 last five games. Team got booed for poor offense in that first home loss of season.
They just had their first player-only meeting of the season.
They start a road trip after this game. They are 5-0 vs ATL alltime (under hit 4-1), but those two wins at home were 2-1 (one on road was 1 goaler too). But boy, they will be playing hard and mad tonight!
<b>Colorado</b>---Roy, (Aebischer gets tomorrows start) sez papers.....also sez "The Avalanche has gone 1-4-4-1 against Northwest Division opponents this season, 0-4-2-0 against them in the past six meetings..The Avalanche has gone 1-3-2-0 in the past six games."
Colo PK and PP among the worst, and is only one of two teams not to score a shorthanded yet...Foote may return tonight.
<b>Edmonton</b>---Salo I expect. He's avg 1 goal last six starts, has .960 save pct last 8. Edm under has hit 8-3 at home, Colo under 6-4 on road.
<b>WA</b>---Charpentier, who everyone sez played very well in last start.....WA PP 2 for 29 of late........Kolzig skated full practice and could play tomorrow.....WA has never won in desert, going 0-3-2 there....WA 3-6-1-0 this season vs West Conf teams.
<b>PHX</b>--Boucher....He's 5-3-1 vs WA, 1.76 gga, .925 pct.
all always-----good luck to everyone!
