Sport-scan daily brief

Just 15 months after the Wild that started when the team chose him with the seventh overall selection in the 2012 NHL entry-level draft, Dumba was set to make his NHL debut in Saturday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks at Xcel Energy Center.

"It's a pretty exciting day for me," Dumba said. "I just want to go out there and play my game and just have fun. I've been playing this game since I was little. I just need to relax and be myself out there."

Dumba was in line to skate with veteran Keith Ballard, who will switch from the right side, where he played Thursday with Clayton Stoner, to the left.

Both Dumba and Ballard enjoy jumping into the offensive rush in coach Mike Yeo's new system. They played together through training camp and said communication is key so that both defensemen don't jump into the same rush.

"With two guys that both like to get up in the play, we've got to read off each other," Ballard said. "And we've talked about that every time we've played with each other -- just making sure it's one of us, not both of us. We have to talk and communicate to do that and make sure it's not both of us."

Dumba's strength is as a puck-moving, offensive defenseman. He has a hard shot and skates well.

Throughout training camp he was slotted on the blue line of the second power play unit with Jared Spurgeon. But when Dumba didn't play in the season-opener Thursday -- partly because he looked "jittery" in practice, according to Yeo -- Jonas Brodin took his spot and scored a power-play goal.

Yeo wouldn't say whether Dumba would see any time on the power play, but stressed that Dumba earned his debut.

"He's played really well; simple as that," Yeo said. "He's got ability. It doesn't take long to sit up there in practice and watch him in warmups and see his skating ability, see his shot. But you get him out in the game and the way he executed (in preseason), the way he defended, he deserves this opportunity."

Before the game Saturday, Yeo called Dumba "a big part of our future."

The Wild have nine games to decide whether Dumba will remain with the team for the rest of the season or send him back to juniors in Red Deer, Alberta. Under NHL and major junior hockey rules, he's 19-year-olds are not eligible to play in the AHL, and the Wild will have to make a decision during this short window.

Dumba understands this season with the Wild isn't guaranteed. He was with the Wild for five games last and was a healthy scratch each time before being sent back to juniors.

He could be back there before too long, but at least this time he's getting a chance to prove himself in a game.

"It's all part of the process, and I know that," Dumba said. "I'm just thankful that my opportunity has come. I'm just going to go out there and work my hardest and do whatever it takes. I'm hoping it's just like any other game. I'm not going to put any extra pressure on myself."

Conscious pangs

Charlie Coyle told Yeo Friday that he didn't sleep after the team's shootout loss Thursday. Coyle played well for most of the game, but left Jeff Carter open in the third and Carter scored the game-tying goal to force overtime.

"I said, 'You have to learn from it, but you have to move on too, and you have to focus on the things that you did well and just correct that stuff,' " Yeo said. "I respect that a lot about Charlie. And that's how you're going to improve -- that recognition of, 'I had a good game, but that one play ...'

"When you recognize that, then you're quicker to correct that mistake and strong games turn into great games. He was close to a great game."

Briefly

Pioneer Press LOADED: 10.06.2013

719763 Minnesota Wild

Wild's Mathew Dumba getting a chance to prove he belongs

By Chad Graff

cgraff@pioneerpress.com

Posted: 10/05/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated: 10/05/2013 09:47:22 PM CDT

Toward the end of Saturday's morning skate -- the final tune-up before he makes his NHL debut -- 19-year-old Mathew Dumba was called to center ice to lead the team through stretches.

The players wished their youngest teammate luck, and gave him a stick tap.

Just 15 months after the Wild chose him with the seventh overall selection in the 2012 NHL entry-level draft, Dumba was set to make his NHL debut in Saturday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks at Xcel Energy Center.

"It's a pretty exciting day for me," Dumba said. "I just want to go out there and play my game and just have fun. I've been playing this game since I was little. I just need to relax and be myself out there."

Dumba was in line to skate with veteran Keith Ballard, who will switch from the right side, where he played Thursday with Clayton Stoner, to the left.

Both Dumba and Ballard enjoy jumping into the offensive rush in coach Mike Yeo's new system. They played together through training camp and said communication is key so that both defensemen don't jump into the same rush.

"With two guys that both like to get up in the play, we've got to read off each other," Ballard said. "And we've talked about that every time we've played with each other -- just making sure it's one of us, not both of us. We have to talk and communicate to do that and make sure it's not both of us."

Dumba's strength is as a puck-moving, offensive defenseman. He has a hard shot and skates well.

Throughout training camp he was slotted on the blue line of the second power play unit with Jared Spurgeon. But when Dumba didn't play in the season-opener Thursday -- partly because he looked "jittery" in practice, according to Yeo -- Jonas Brodin took his spot and scored a power-play goal.

Yeo wouldn't say whether Dumba would see any time on the power play, but stressed that Dumba earned his debut.

"He's played really well; simple as that," Yeo said. "He's got ability. It doesn't take long to sit up there in practice and watch him in warmups and see his skating ability, see his shot. But you get him out in the game and the way he executed (in preseason), the way he defended, he deserves this opportunity."

Before the game Saturday, Yeo called Dumba "a big part of our future."

The Wild have nine games to decide whether Dumba will remain with the team for the rest of the season or send him back to juniors in Red Deer, Alberta. Under NHL and major junior hockey rules, he's 19-year-olds are not eligible to play in the AHL, and the Wild will have to make a decision during this short window.

Dumba understands this season with the Wild isn't guaranteed. He was with the Wild for five games last and was a healthy scratch each time before being sent back to juniors.

He could be back there before too long, but at least this time he's getting a chance to prove himself in a game.

"It's all part of the process, and I know that," Dumba said. "I'm just thankful that my opportunity has come. I'm just going to go out there and work my hardest and do whatever it takes. I'm hoping it's just like any other game. I'm not going to put any extra pressure on myself."

Pioneer Press LOADED: 10.06.2013

719764 Montreal Canadiens

Eller and Gallagher goals lift Canadiens past punchless Flyers

Bill Beacon

MONTREAL — The Canadian Press

Published Saturday, Oct. 05 2013, 10:15 PM EDT

Last updated Saturday, Oct. 05 2013, 11:36 PM EDT

The young guns are hot for the Montreal Canadiens to start the NHL season.

Centre Lars Eller had a goal and an assist as his line with Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk clicked twice in the Canadiens 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.

The 24-year-old Eller has five points in Montreal’s opening two games of the campaign, while Gallagher has two goals and Galchenyuk has four assists.

“I got off on the right foot,” said Eller. “The whole line has been playing great. We’re creating space for each other. If you create chances, the goals are going to come.”

Gallagher picked up his second goal of the season and veteran Brian Gionta and his linemate Rene Bourque added goals for Montreal (1-1-0). The Eller line produced all three goals in a season-opening 4-3 loss to Toronto on Tuesday.

Vincent Lecavalier, the Montreal native who was booed each time he touched the puck, scored for Philadelphia (0-2-0), which plays again Sunday night at Carolina.

Many in the Bell Centre crowd of 21,273 were on Lecavalier’s case because he passed up Montreal to sign as a free agent with the Flyers this summer. The booing didn’t seem to faze him.

“I just wanted to help my team win the game,” he said. “It’s always special playing in Montreal and it was the same thing tonight.”

Gallagher and Galchenyuk are each coming off impressive rookie seasons and have picked a good time to get hot. The team’s top line is struggling with winger Max Pacioretty out with a wrist injury. Now the youngsters are getting more ice time, especially on the power play, than they got last season.

“That’s our strength — the depth of our scoring,” said Gionta, who added that Eller is “a young kid who has grown. You can see how he’s matured as a player.”

Special teams were the big factor in a game dotted with minor penalties. Montreal went 2-for-9 with the man advantage and the Flyers were 1-for-5.

“It’s tough to score when you’re in the box,” said Flyers forward Max Talbot. “You have to look at discipline. We’d start getting momentum and then we’d have to kill two minutes, so we have to clean that up.”

Montreal had a 34-23 shot advantage.

Philadelphia, which was beaten 3-1 by Toronto in its season opener on Wednesday night, has not scored an even-strength goal in it’s first two games.

Tomas Plekanec won a faceoff in the Flyers’ zone and Bourque slipped a pass across the crease for Gionta to bang past Ray Emery for the opening goal 8:10 into the game.

The Flyers were victims of a quick whistle when Price lost a puck at his feet and Matt Read knocked it in, but it was ruled no goal. Coach Peter Laviolette said it was not a major factor in the game because the score was still only 1-0 going into the third period and the Flyers still had a chance to win.

“After they scored at the start of the third, we lost our composure a bit,” he said. “We’re not going to win a lot of hockey games if we go to the box as much as we did tonight.”

Eller backhanded in the rebound of a Gallagher shot that missed the net only 12 seconds into the third frame.

A P.K. Subban shot looked to have gone in during a third-period 5-on-3 but video review found it went in the side netting. Only 18 seconds after play resumed, Subban faked a shot and passed to Galchenyuk, who slipped it to Gallagher for a 3-0 lead at the 5:00 mark.

Lecavalier was at the side of the net to lift the rebound of Mark Streit’s point shot past Carey Price on a power play 9:13 into the third. Bourque added a power-play goal in the final minute.

It was Daniel Briere’s first game against Philadelphia since the Flyers bought him out, but it was a quiet night for the veteran forward, other than taking two minor penalties.

Next up for the Canadiens is a western road trip to Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Winnipeg beginning Wednesday.

Notes: Pacioretty, who jammed a wrist in the season opener, did not dress. Brandon Prust started in his spot on the top line and Michael Bournival made his NHL debut on the fourth unit. With George Parros out (concussion), Ryan White dressed. . . Plekanec played his 600th NHL game and defenceman Josh Gorges played his 400th, while the Flyers’ Zac Rinaldo played his 100th. . . Nathan Beaulieu, called up Friday, did not dress. . . The Flyers scratched Erik Gustafsson, Kris Newbury and Hal Gill.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 10.06.2013

719765 Montreal Canadiens

About last night …

Posted by Mike Boone

Of course, it’s too early to call Lars Eller the Danish Jean Béliveau.

But on a night when Jaroslav Halak was posting a 19-save shutout for St. Louis, Eller – the Blues’ first-round draft choice in 2007 – put on a Gros Billesque display of strength down the middle in the Canadiens’ 4-1 win.

Eller scored a goal, his third of the season, and added two assists. He topped all Canadiens centres with 18:43 of ice time. This included 4:53 on the power play and 1:22 on the penalty kill.

Numbers don’t tell the full story. Eller had a so-so night in the faceoff circle (won 11, lost 10), but he was a dominant player in all three zones. Through two games, Eller and his sophomore linemates – Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk – have scored five of the Canadiens eight goals. The EGG line has collected 12 points.

They young line is playing with confidence. And with the exception of a penalty Eller took in the opener against Toronto (during which James van Riemsdyk opened the scoring), they’re not making mistakes.

It’s fun to watch – not least because barring injury, these kids are just going to get better.

How long they’ll stay together is problematic because Galchenyuk is going to end up playing centre. So let’s enjoy it while we can – and look forward to the team bolstered by a great one-two punch at the key forward position.

Add a Norris Trophy defenceman, a goaltender who looked great (but, let’s be honest: not First Star great) against the Flyers, a power forward who scores when he’s healthy …

Hey, maybe the Canadiens have the makings of something interesting.

Eller & Associates were not the only shining stars against Philadelphia.

• P.K. Subban played 28:31 and skated circles – sometimes literally – around any Flyer who tried to forecheck him.

• Travis Moen contributed another solid physical effort – and he’s 2-0 in fights this season.

• The Tomas Plekanec line had two goals and five points. Brian Gionta opened the scoring with one of his classic sweet-hands efforts from close in. And Rene Bourque skated hard, played responsible D, notched a goal and has looked good in both games the team has played.

• Playing against the kind of big, tough team that might be expected to trouble him, Raphael Diaz played a solid, error-free 17:35. His partner, Andrei Markov, played 25:40 and contributed flashes of vintage Markov. The legs have been ravaged by injuries, but Markov still sees the ice and thinks the game as well as anyone in the league.

• The power-play has four goals through two games. The penalty kill was excellent until that Lecavalier guy cashed with Josh Gorges in the box.

• Michaël Bournival played only 6:09 but had a shot, a hit, went 2-2 on draws and didn’t do anything that might consign him to Michel Therrien’s Reserved-for-Rookies doghouse.

• Brandon Prust had a Prustian game: two shots, two hits, almost eight minutes on the PK and useful contributions to three different lines.

• Jarred Tinordi played 10:47 – four minutes less than he did against the Leafs. But he contributed a solid 6:50 on the PK and had a couple hits.

It was not a great night for former Flyer Daniel Brière – two penalties, one of which nullified a power-play, and 3-7 in the faceoff circle. His linemate, David Desharnais, was 4-7 on draws.

And, hallelujah, DD played almost five fewer minutes than the centre who is seven inches taller than he is.

It’s early in the season, but this was an important win for your Montreal Canadiens.

On Wednesday night in Calgary, they begin a a four-game road trip across western Canada. It includes an Alberta back-to-back and tough challenges in Vancouver and Winnipeg.

Heading out there winless would not be the best way to start a hockey season.

Especially when the Leafs and Bruins are undefeated.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.06.2013

719766 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators' 0-2 record doesn't reflect improvement

Defense is playing tougher, but goals remain problem

Oct. 6, 2013 |

Written by

Josh Cooper

DENVER — There are a couple of ways to look at the Predators’ first two games.

One is the optimist’s view. Nashville didn’t play all that poorly and in some ways outplayed its two opponents — St. Louis and Colorado.

The pessimist’s view would be that a team with a bevy of offensive questions before the season scored only three goals and is winless.

If the Predators play like they did the first two games, they’ll definitely win at a higher clip than they did during their horrible 2013 lockout-shortened season. They were feistier on the puck, had a lot of scoring chances and overall were the “hard to play against” unit that is their trademark.

But offense remains the main question. Chances don’t count on the scoreboard, and the Predators don’t have a lot of finishers — especially with forwards Filip Forsberg and Viktor Stalberg out of the lineup with injuries. Also, the more the Predators lose, the longer the sour taste from last season will linger.

Here are three takeaways from the first two games.

Seth Jones doesn’t just belong in the NHL, but he also already might be a top-pairing blueliner. Although the 19-year-old rookie was held pointless through his first two games, he showed NHL-ready ability far beyond his age. He’s probably the best passer on the team. He has uncommon mobility and instincts for a rookie.

He was rewarded with 25:46 of ice time on Friday against the Avalanche.

With Roman Josi possibly out for some time with an upper-body injury, it might not be a bad idea for Jones to take Josi’s place on Shea Weber’s left side. Although Jones is a natural right defenseman, this group has the potential to grow into an imposing pair for the next several years.

Losing Stalberg and Forsberg hurts the offense, but the Predators need more from their skill players. The hope was forward Colin Wilson would be a leader in scoring. At least through two games, Wilson, a 2008 first-round pick, has no points and just three shots on goal.

A year ago, he was almost a point-per-game player. He also hasn’t played longer than 13:26, a low number for a guy expected to produce. He had surgery on both his shoulders in the offseason. It’s unclear whether it’s bothering him or there’s some other issue.

But he’s not the only one who hasn’t produced. Gabriel Bourque, Patric Hornqvist, Craig Smith and Matt Cullen have yet to score goals, too.

Forward Paul Gaustad is probably worth his four-year, $13 million contract. He has never scored more than 12 goals in a season, but his value goes beyond goals and assists. Gaustad has won 77.8 percent of his faceoffs and has anchored the grind line with Rich Clune and Matt Hendricks.

This trio provides a tough matchup for opponents and enables Nashville to roll four lines. The trio might not show dividends through two games, but by the midpoint of the season, when teams that don’t have a four-line luxury start to get tired, the Gaustad-Clune-Hendricks line is likely to provide a boost.

Tennessean LOADED: 10.06.2013

719767 Nashville Predators

Preds' scoreboard: no wins, few goals

Nashville starts season with consecutive losses

DENVER — The question asked about the Predators before the season was simple: Can they score enough goals to win?

Nashville had solid defense and goaltending, but it didn’t seem to have enough finishers up front. Through two games, that question seems to have been justified.

Nashville simply hasn’t had enough offense to pick up any points, and it showed again Friday night in the Predators’ second straight loss — a 3-1 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.

Through two games, the Predators (0-2-0) have scored a total of three goals. The team’s skill players, such as Matt Cullen, Colin Wilson, Craig Smith, Gabriel Bourque and Patric Hornqvist, have yet to find the back of the net.

“I don’t know if I can get them going. It’s up to them to get them going,” coach Barry Trotz said of his forwards, without naming names. “There’s no magic dust I can throw over them and say you have to produce. They need to produce. That’s part of their role on this team, so they have to produce.”

The Predators’ lone goal came when forward Mike Fisher found Paul Gaustad in front of the Colorado net. Gaustad fired a shot high over the goalie’s glove to make the score 2-1 in favor of Colorado with 5:50 left in the second period.

The Predators had several other scoring chances, including a close opportunity by rookie Seth Jones in the last two minutes. Jones fired the puck wide, and Colorado then scored on the empty net on the ensuing rush.

Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne made 32 saves on 35 shots one day after being pulled. In the previous game, Rinne allowed three goals on six shots by the St. Louis Blues.

“We’ve had some chances in both games,” Gaustad said. “I don’t know the solution for scoring. I’m not the guy that’s a pure sniper, but I think one of the things is if we keep getting pucks at the net and getting guys driving in and over time pucks will go in that way. I think for a lot of guys that’s the recipe and we have to stick with it.”

The Predators now head home for a five-game homestand without anything to show for their two road games against divisional opponents St. Louis and Colorado. Next up is Minnesota at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Tennessean LOADED: 10.06.2013

719768 New Jersey Devils

Devils fall to Islanders, 4-3, in shootout

By Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

on October 04, 2013 at 9:57 PM, updated October 04, 2013 at 11:25 PM

Devils coach Pete DeBoer saw something in Martin Brodeur before the 41-year-old goaltender strapped on his pads, emerged from the Zamboni entrance during player introductions and started his 19th consecutive home opener.

"He’s in the best shape I think he’s been in conditioning-wise and weight-wise in a long time," DeBoer said. "He looks hungry and ready."

Brodeur wasn’t perfect, but he came through with several vintage-type saves as the Devils picked up their first point of the new season in a 4-3 six-round shootout loss to the Islanders Friday night before a non-sellout crowd of 16,624 at Prudential Center.

"I haven’t played a game in two weeks, let alone an NHL game that counts," said Brodeur, who made 23 saves and stopped the first five shots he faced in the shootout before Matt Moulson became the first player to score.

"So for me it was good. I enjoyed the way I played. I’d like to get one goal back. I think I made the right decision on the first goal (by Michael Grabner), but I just didn’t get lucky there, and the puck slipped through my pad."

Grabner scored two goals and assisted on one by Frans Nielsen.

"The first one I surprised him. I think he just lost the puck and it went through me," Brodeur said. "The second one he kind of made a seeing-eye shot through my legs. I’d like to get that one back. It’s amazing how many breakaways that guy gets. We said it before the game, and he still got three or four of them."

There was reason for optimism from the Devils, who saw Swiss winger Damien Brunner make his debut with the team by scoring a pair of goals.

"It’s good when you get some goals early in the season. It gives you confidence," Brunner said.

Michael Ryder, another free-agent signing, also scored his first goal for the Devils.

"You don’t want to wait too long and feel pressure," Ryder said, "but it would be better if we’d come up on the winning side and got two points."

Brunner’s second goal tied the score, 3-3, at 7:34 of the third period. Seconds after a Devils power play had ended, Anton Volchenkov’s shot was tipped in front by Ryane Clowe and the puck dropped for Brunner, who lifted it over goalie Evgeni Nabokov’s right pad.