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San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 09.19.2013

717324 San Jose Sharks

Bad boy Torres back to square one

Staff Writer

SAN JOSE – Raffi Torres’ reputation around the National Hockey League doesn’t require any clarification.

The man is a ticking time bomb. It’s inevitable that at some point, he’ll seriously injure or perhaps even end the career of a fellow player with yet another flying elbow to the head, in the style of Milan Michalek, Marian Hossa and Jarret Stoll, to name a few.

Or, so it’s been said.

But until the 31-year-old was banned from the postseason for his hit of Stoll in the playoffs last May, the high-energy winger kept his nose clean and not only avoided further suspension from the Hossa hit the spring before, but was hardly in the penalty box during the shortened season. In 39 regular season games with the Coyotes and Sharks, Torres had just 17 penalty minutes. In 11 games with the Sharks after a trade deadline move brought him to the Bay Area, he was whistled for just two minor penalties, and had two goals and four assists.

But then the controversial Stoll hit happened, and the reset button on Torres’ so-called reformed game was firmly depressed. Essentially, it’s back to square one for Torres, who could see his first on-ice competition since the Stoll hit in Friday’s home preseason game against Anaheim.

“Obviously, there are different aspects of my game that always need fine-tuning,” Torres said. “I’ll have to work a little better with taking pucks away, and not leading with the big hit. Just playing a little smarter out there. Obviously, we don’t want to go through something like [the suspension] again. I know it’s a broken tape recorder, but I’ve just got to keep working the system, and playing the right way to stay in the game.”

Working with Torres on how to avoid any more trips to the Principal Shanahan's office falls on the shoulders of the team’s coaching staff. It’s a constant work in progress.

“We’ve worked with him and we’ll continue to remind him,” Todd McLellan said. “What we don’t want is him backed off. He’ll continue to have our support all the way through. It’s not a daily thing, but it’s an ongoing thing.”

“We want him to play hard and finish hard, and just to do it the proper way. If he does that, then boy, we have a great asset.”

Suspension aside, Torres was an effective player during his month-and-a-half in a teal sweater. His acquisition for a third round pick was part of what ended up being a wildly successful trade deadline for general manager Doug Wilson, whose re-invigorated club stormed into the postseason on a hot streak and nearly knocked off the depending Cup champs after sweeping Vancouver in the first round.

Torres’ place as a top nine winger is secure. In first round against the Canucks, he skated on the wing of Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau in what was the Sharks’ most effective line. When he was suspended for the Kings’ series, it was obvious that San Jose – already down another top nine winger in Marty Havlat – missed Torres’ feisty presence.

When training camp opened, Torres was back on the Couture-Marleau line, but on Wednesday at Sharks Ice he skated on the third line with Joe Pavelski and Tommy Wingels.

Getting shifted up and down the lineup has “never been an issue for me,” Torres said. “My problem is when I’m on the second line, I think I’ve got to make plays. The one thing I’ve been working on the last couple years is just keep playing the same way whatever line you’re on. Keep getting to the net, up and down my wall, pucks off the net, finishing hits. Just stay in that rhythm.”

As for his reputation, Torres, who signed a three-year, $6 million contract extension with the Sharks this summer, is well aware of some of the emotions his name elicits around the league.

And, who knows? Maybe it can be beneficial.

“Hopefully, I’ll be in other guy’s heads, you never know,” Torres said. “I’m sure everybody thinks maybe today’s the day he throws that big hit again, and he’s going to get in trouble.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 09.19.2013

717325 San Jose Sharks

Sharks split training camp roster in two

Staff Writer

SAN JOSE -- The Sharks still have 42 players in camp after roster cuts on Tuesday, but were split up on Wednesday into two separate groups for practice at Sharks Ice.

One group featured all of the usual suspects that are locks to make the opening night roster, along with rookie Tomas Hertl and a fifth forward line of Matt Pelech, Bracken Kearns and John McCarthy. On defense, Matt Tennyson was one of seven blueliners (Brad Stuart has yet to skate in camp with a lower body injury). Alex Stalock and Antti Niemi were the goaltenders.

Head coach Todd McLellan said not to read anything into the breakdown, as both groups are having the same off-ice meetings and drills in practice.

“When you look at it you’ll say, ‘jeez, there’s a lot of veterans in this group, a lot of younger guys in the other group.’ We’ll pick our team out of both groups,” McLellan said. “You’ll see in the exhibition games coming up a blending of both groups.

“It’s going to be as much based on their exhibition play as anything right now. Just to be efficient in practice and work on things, get enough people reps and familiarity, we split the groups up as is.”

One notable absence from the mostly-NHL group was forward Anthony Stewart, who is in town on a pro tryout and who played less than 10 minutes in the 3-2 preseason win in Vancouver on Monday. Stewart, who played primarily with John McCarthy and Matt Pelech, recorded one shot on goal and two penalty minutes.

The evaluation of the 28-year-old winger is ongoing.

McLellan said: “I like where it’s going, but it’s only been three periods. He’s got a lot more work in front of him, and we’ve got a lot more viewing to do before we can really formulate an opinion. I don’t want him to feel real good and I don’t want him to feel real bad, I just want him to play. Just play. He’s a veteran and has played enough games, he feels comfortable in the National Hockey League.”

Rookie Tomas Hertl, who played 18 minutes and 35 seconds in Vancouver on the wing with Joe Pavelski and Tommy Wingels, took shifts on Wednesday on the Joe Thornton-Brent Burns line. Hertl, a first round draft pick in 2012, had one assist and four shots on goal against the Canucks in his first game in a Sharks sweater.

“I thought he did some really good things in the game,” McLellan said. “He seemed to blend well with his linemates, and now we’ll shuffle them around and see how he does with some other people.”

Tyler Kennedy was on the left wing of center Logan Couture and right wing Patrick Marleau, while Raffi Torres was with Pavelski and Wingels.

The Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday and Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday as their six-game preseason slate continues at the SAP Center.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 09.19.2013

717326 St Louis Blues

NHL testing 'hybrid' icing in the preseason

4 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford jrutherford@post-dispatch.com 314-444-7135

ORLANDO, Fla. • Fans will get their first look at hybrid icing Friday when the Blues host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scottrade Center.

On Wednesday, the Blues faced the Lightning in their second preseason game in which hybrid icing, a blended form of “touch” and “no-touch” icing, was being tested. The NHL is using the exhibition schedule to determine whether it will be implemented for the 2013-14 regular season.

The current icing rule states that when a puck is shot from beyond the red line past the goal line, play is stopped when a defending player (other than the goaltender) touches it.

This generally leads to all-out sprints between the defending player and the offensive player, who can negate the whistle by reaching the puck first. With players crashing into the boards awkwardly, several injuries have occurred over the years, including a serious one in 2008 when former Minnesota defenseman Kurtis Foster broke his left thigh bone.

Hybrid icing gives linesmen the discretion to blow the play dead, and award icing, if the defending player can clearly win the race to the puck. It is designed to avoid big collisions and make play safer.

“I think it makes sense,” said Blues forward Jaden Schwartz, who played under the hybrid icing rule at Colorado College. “It’s a judgment call, but if it’s a tie, usually it goes to the defenseman. If it doesn’t go your way, sometimes you’re not going to be happy. But I think it’s a lot safer for everybody.”

But another Blue said that the consistency of the call Sunday in Dallas was confusing.

“We were going down once and I thought they were going to blow it dead and the ref waited until I touched the puck,” defenseman Ian Cole said. “So I (thought), ‘Oh, I guess we’re playing normal icing.’ And then a second time, when I was well away from it, they blew it and I (thought), ‘I guess we are playing hybrid icing.’ It was really awkward. Obviously first preseason game, so it was awkward for the players, for the refs, for everybody.”

Following the preseason, hybrid icing would need approval from both the NHL and the players’ union to be put into the rulebook.

“It’s good they’re doing it in exhibition,” Schwartz said. “They’ll get a good look at it. But from when I played with it, I didn’t have any problems.”

whitney’s tryout

Former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ryan Whitney, who is attending Blues training camp on a professional tryout, made his preseason debut against Tampa Bay.

Including Wednesday night, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said he expected to dress Whitney in four of the Blues’ five remaining exhibition games.

“All I could ask for is a fair chance to try to make the team and I’m definitely being given that, so it’s kind of up to me,” Whitney said. “I think they have seen me play some solid games and so I’ve got to go out and prove that I can do it on a regular basis.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 09.19.2013

717327 St Louis Blues

Jaskin nets two goals, but Blues lose 4-3 in shootout

4 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford jrutherford@post-dispatch.com 314-444-7135

ORLANDO, Fla. • When the Blues elected to put prospects Dmitrij Jaskin and Ty Rattie on a line together Wednesday against Tampa Bay, coach Ken Hitchcock had the perfect calming influence to insert in the middle of the two wingers.

The assignment went to Vladimir Sobotka.

“Jaskin and Rattie, we’re excited to see what they bring,” Hitchcock said before the game. “We’ll put them with ‘Sobi,’ somebody that’s an anchor on the line, get them out of trouble in their own zone. That whole line was creating scoring chances (in Tuesday’s practice) and doing a lot of damage in the offensive zone, so we’ll get a good look at them.”

The look wasn’t a long one.

Seven minutes into the first period, Sobotka took an elbow or shoulder to the head from Tampa Bay prospect Adam Erne, who received a two-minute penalty for an illegal check to the head. Sobotka went directly to the Blues’ locker room and did not return to the game. The club announced it as an upper-body injury and said that he would be re-evaluated today.

Jaskin went on to score his first two goals as a professional, but Tampa Bay erased a three-goal deficit against the Blues and goaltender Brian Elliott and won 4-3 in a shootout at the Amway Center in Orlando.

The Blues led 3-0 but Erne scored two of Tampa Bay’s three regulation goals and then netted the shootout clincher. He turned out to be the No. 1 star of the game.

After the game, Hitchcock was asked about the legality of Erne's hit on Sobotka.

"I am sure the league is going to look at it hard and I'm sure there will be some type of suspension with it," Hitchcock said.

But even if Erne were to be suspended, it would perhaps be a while before the suspension was served. He is an 18-year-old winger who was taken No. 33 overall by the Lightning in last June's draft and is likely headed back to junior hockey.

Did Erne's age play a role in the Blues' decision not to retaliate?

Hitchcock did not hide his feelings that perhaps Erne should have paid the price. "You probably would like to see a response there," he said. "I'm not saying anything more about that part."

But Blues forward Chris Stewart, who called the hit a "straight shot to the head," wondered about the circumstances.

"It's an 18-year-old kid," said Stewart, who has stuck up for his Blues' teammates as much as anyone on the roster in recent years. "I don't know how it's going to look when one of our 'heavies' goes out there and tries to attack him."

The departure of Sobotka on Wednesday had other ramifications on the game.

The Blues were limited to 11 forwards, forcing them to mix and match lines, which probably didn’t give them a good chance to evaluate the other combinations. Hitchcock had said beforehand that he wanted to see the line of Jaden Schwartz, Derek Roy and Chris Stewart in a game setting.

“I’d like to see the chemistry of Roy’s line,” Hitchcock said prior to the game. “I think we’re curious to see where that goes.”

Before the line had a chance to get going, Jaskin took charge. A few minutes after Sobotka left the ice, Jaskin put the Blues ahead 1-0 on a wrap-around goal, beating goalie Cedrick Desjardins.

Jaskin, who netted 46 goals and 99 points in 51 games with Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season, scored his second goal of the game early in the second period for a 2-0 lead. Blues defenseman Taylor Chorney teed up a shot from the point, and Jaskin deflected it past Desjardins.

Schwartz handed the Blues a 3-0 lead with under four minutes remaining in the second period, but it wasn’t with his regular linemates. He was a rover Wednesday, helping out on other lines after the loss of Sobotka. From the top of the slot, Schwartz put a wrist shot in the back of the net for a 3-0 lead behind goalie Brian Elliott.

But the Lightning struck back with two goals by Erne, one with 1:16 left in the second period, and another by Tom Pyatt to even the score 3-3 in the third period. The game eventually went it into overtime tied.

The line of Roy, Stewart and Schwartz picked up the pace late in the game, and in fact Roy had a chance to give the Blues the win in OT, but a shot hit the crossbar.

The Blues found themselves in their second shootout in two straight preseason games, and after winning 6-5 in Dallas Sunday, the night ended when Erne scored against Elliott.

The loss will sting even harder if Sobotka has a concussion and is lost for any significant time. He was perhaps the club’s MVP last season, when he did much more than the eight goals and 19 points on his stat sheet. Entering his fourth season with the Blues, he is as versatile a forward as the team has in the lineup.

"If you know 'Sobi,' you know he's a tough guy and he'll be back in no time," Stewart said.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 09.19.2013

717328 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning prospect stronger in body, mind

By Erik Erlendsson | Tribune Staff

Published: September 19, 2013

ORLANDO — Two years ago, Vladislav Namestnikov arrived at Lightning training camp as a bit of the wide-eyed first-round pick getting a taste of his first professional experience.

Namestnikov appeared in one preseason game that training camp before heading back to the London Knights in the junior ranks. Two years later, the once undersized center has one year of professional hockey under his belt, has added some sized to his 6-foot frame and is knocking on the door to jump to the NHL. He gets his first taste of preseason action during this camp when Tampa Bay hosts Nashville tonight.

“I think confidence is the biggest difference for me from the first camp,’’ Namestnikov said.

The nephew of former Detroit Red Wings forward Slava Kozlov — a one-time linemate of Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman — Namestnikov gained that confidence from his play last season with Syracuse, Tampa Bay’s top minor-league affiliate in the American Hockey League. Though he was slowed by a shoulder injury suffered in the first month that kept him out of the lineup for three months, he quickly caught up to speed.

By the time Syracuse was playing in the Calder Cup final in June, Namestnikov was a regular top-six forward playing big minutes for the Crunch.

“Vladdy went from potential healthy scratch (at the start of the season) to a guy that was hurt, to a top-six forward, and he did that all in one year,’’ said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, who was the coach with Syracuse before being promoted to Lightning bench boss. “So that’s a really, really good sign of a prospect to see somebody do that.

“Regardless of what happens here, whether he makes the Tampa Bay Lightning or he has to go back and get more seasoned in Syracuse, there is just bright signs ahead for him, because you can tell the way he has developed himself in his first year pro.’’

In 44 regular-season games with the Crunch, Namestnikov registered seven goals and 21 points. In 18 postseason games, the 27th overall pick in the 2011 draft had two goals and seven points.

But Namestnikov’s game is not always measured by points.

Though he is capable of being a playmaker and playing an offensive role with other skilled players, he is a defensively aware center who can go against other teams’ top lines. That versatility makes him a valuable asset for any coach.

“He is really aware on the ice and just has an extremely high skill set,’’ Cooper said.

Since his draft year, when Namestnikov tipped the scales around 165 pounds, he has bulked up to 185 pounds, and that has helped him. Back in that first training camp, “it was real easy to knock me off the puck, now it’s a little bit harder,’’ he said.

While the added muscle has certainly helped his cause on the ice, his quick adaptation making the jump from junior the AHL in a short period of time is the biggest reason for his ascension up the depth chart.

“You can see where these guys, and I say it time and time again, when the game slows down for them, and I think it’s done that for Vlad, especially when I got to watch the playoffs,’’ Cooper said.

Namestnikov is in a battle with more than a handful of other players for a few open roster spots heading into the start of the regular season. But like any young player in his position, the 20-year-old doesn’t want to overthink the situation or try to step outside himself to make an impression.

“I just to need to play my game, get out there and play well in the defensive zone, take it into the offensive zone, try to prove that I can make the team,’’ Namestnikov said. “I think the coaches know how I play, and I just need to continue doing that, and hopefully if they like me I can make the jump to the next level.’’

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 09.19.2013

717329 Tampa Bay Lightning

Erne scores twice as Bolts rally to win

Erik Erlendsson

ORLANDO — Second-round pick Adam Erne enjoyed a strong NHL preseason debut Wednesday, scoring twice in Tampa Bay’s 4-3 shootout victory against St. Louis in front of 6,162 fans at Amway Center in the preseason opener for the Lightning.

Erne, the 33rd overall pick in the June draft, redirected a Mark Barberio wrist shot with 1:14 left in the second period for a power-play goal, while he was all alone in front to receive a pass from Cedric Paquette for a second power-play goal 1:31 into the third period. Erne also notched the shootout-clinching goal.

“I thought I played well, and it’s not all about the goals, I thought our line played really well defensively,’’ Erne said. “I get two goals, but the first one, Barberio is a great shot, and the second one was an unbelievable pass from (Paquette), so without that, there is no chance.’’

Tom Pyatt had the tying goal 9:11 into the third period, while J.T. Brown added a pair of assists. Valtteri Filppula added an assist and a shootout goal.

Dmitrij Jaskin scored a pair of goals for the Blues while Jaden Schwartz also scored as St. Louis jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

It wasn’t all positive for Erne, who delivered a blow to the head of Vladimir Sobotka in the first period that drew a penalty and could warrant review by the league. St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said it should result in a suspension.

“I was facing one way, then I turned the other way and he was kind of right there, and I wanted to hit him, I didn’t think I was going to hit his head, I didn’t mean to and I apologize,’’ Erne said. “It was not intentional. ... It was my fault, but I didn’t intend to do that.’’

As planned, Cedrick Desjardins left after playing 31:51, allowing two goals on 14 shots. Kristern Gudlevskis received his first NHL action in relief, allowing one goal on 14 shots before stopping both St. Louis attempts in the shootout.

After a slow start — Tampa Bay was outshot 14-2 at one point in the second period — the Lightning started to turn things around as the shots ended 28-27 for St. Louis.

“I really enjoyed the way they played,’’ Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “You are looking for (them to) compete ... and the guys hung in there. They probably had every reason to see the score was 3-0 and hang their head, but they didn’t, and that’s what we are looking for in the guys. So if they are going to keep giving efforts like this ... it’s continuing to make the decisions tough for us.’’

Tonight’s roster

The lineup for Tampa Bay’s “home’’ debut at the Forum tonight against Nashville will showcase many of the team’s well-known names.

The forward line combinations are expected to be: Ryan Malone-Steven Stamkos-Brett Connolly; Ondrej Palat-Tyler Johnson-Richard Panik; Jonathan Drouin-Vladislav Namestnikov-Nikita Kucherov and Pierre-Cedric Labrie-Tanner Richard-Geoff Walker.

The defensive pairs run during Wednesday’s practice included: Victor Hedman-Andrej Sustr; Eric Brewer-Sami Salo and J-P Cote-Matt Taormina.

Desjardins and Riku Helenius are scheduled to play in goal.

Homecoming reunion

B.J. Crombeen returned to Amway Center on Wednesday, where he appeared in a pair of games last year with the Orlando Solar Bears of the East Coast Hockey League during the NHL lockout. Crombeen signed with Orlando to try to keep in game shape during the labor dispute, but as an active member of the NHL Player’s Association negotiating committee, the veteran’s time with the team was short-lived.

“It was a good experience for me, the organization and the fans were great,’’ Crombeen said. “I really enjoyed my time with them, even though it was just for a couple of games over the weekend.’’

Nuts and Bolts

LW Henri Ikonen left the game looking woozy after his head struck a St. Louis player in the leg. He did not return and will be evaluated today. ... A moment of silence was held before the game for the victims of the Navy Yard shootings this week in Washington. ... Nate Thompson, Matt Carle and Crombeen all wore the “A,’’ serving as alternate captains.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 09.19.2013

717330 Tampa Bay Lightning

Erne big in Lightning preseason win

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 11:26pm

ORLANDO — Prospect Adam Erne made a great impression on his Lightning teammates in his first NHL game. The left wing also might have made some enemies among the Blues.

Erne, 18, drafted 33rd overall in June, scored two goals and had the shootout clincher as Tampa Bay overcame a three-goal second-period deficit to earn a 4-3 win in its preseason opener Tuesday at the Amway Center.

But Erne's head shot that knocked Blues F Vladimir Sobotka out of the game early in the first period apparently won't be soon forgotten, especially if Erne plays Friday in St. Louis.