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TV/Radio: FSN; WSBR-740

The series: Blues lead 15-7-3

Scouting report: Both teams are 1-0 to start the year with the Blues kicking off a five-game homestand with a 4-2 win over Nashville. The Blues have won the past two over Florida with the Panthers winning just three of 13 in St. Louis.

Miami Herald LOADED: 10.05.2013

719536 Florida Panthers

YOUTH ON PARADE: Aleksander Barkov Youngest to Score in NHL Since World War II

Posted by George Richards at 06:02 PM

ST. LOUIS -- The Panthers made a little NHL history on Thursday night when rookie center Aleksander Barkov became the youngest player to score in almost 70 years.

Barkov was the second overall pick of the Panthers in the 2013 NHL draft and made his debut on Thursday. Barkov's goal was big at the time as it came with 9:28 left in the third period and tied the score at 2.

Marcel Goc scored two more after Barkov's goal to help Florida win its season opener 4-2 over host Dallas.

Ted Kennedy was four days younger than Barkov when he scored a goal for the Maple Leafs on Jan. 8, 1944. Barkov was 18 years (and 31 days) old at the time of his goal.

"Isn't that a great stat? That's something to be incredibly proud of,'' coach Kevin Dineen said. "There are a lot of stats out there, but that's a pretty neat one. He didn't look out of place. He went out there and established himself and played his best game in a Panthers uniform.''

Barkov has spent the past two years playing professionally in Finland and said he didn't feel any nerves in playing in his first NHL game. "I was just excited,'' Barkov said. "I had a lot of fun.''

As is custom, the Panthers collected the puck he scored his first goal on and will have it -- along with the lineup from his first game -- framed.

Barkov's goal came on his third shot of the night; last season, Jonathan Huberdeau scored a goal on his first shot in his first NHL game. Barkov is the eighth-youngest player in NHL history to score his first NHL goal according to research from Elias Sports Bureau.

Other Florida players to score in their first game include Stephen Weiss and Shawn Matthias.

"I'm not thinking about that, I'm just trying to concentrate on the next game,'' said Barkov, who played 15:34 off 21 shifts in his opener. "I was just trying to put the puck on the net. Sometimes it goes through.''

Miami Herald LOADED: 10.05.2013

719537 Florida Panthers

Panthers have several stars in season-opening 4-2 victory over Stars

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

7:10 p.m. EDT, October 4, 2013

While the youngest and oldest Panthers – goalie Tim Thomas and rookie Aleksander Barkov – deserved most of the media attention following a season-opening 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars, coach Kevin Dineen singled out two defensemen who repeatedly used their bodies as human shields to prevent goals.

Of course, Thomas, 39, who was playing in his first game that mattered in more than 17 months, deserved the No. 1 Star post-game honor for notching 25 saves, several of the spectacular variety. However, that didn't include the 24 shots that never reached him as veteran defenseman Mike Weaver had six blocks, not to mention a battered face after he and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov stuck up for Thomas with their fists in simultaneous brawls in the first period.

Kulikov, who missed last year's opener after a contract dispute didn't allow him to practice enough, was tossed out for being involved in a secondary fight with Ryan Garbut (also ejected).

"I was shocked,'' said Kulikov, who only played 3:37. "I thought maybe 10 minute misconduct. It was good to be on the ice for whatever, better than last year. Obviously, I was disappointed and felt bad for leaving the guys with five defensemen out there.''

No block was more important to the victory when five minutes after Barkov, 18, tied it at 2-2 with a backhander through a maze of bodies in front of Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen at 10:32 in the third period to become the youngest player in 69 years to score his first NHL goal, young defenseman Erik Gudbranson saved the two points with one of his four blocks.

First, Gudbranson blocked a shot by Erik Cole that caromed to Stars rookie defenseman Brendan Dillon, who had a vacated net until the third-year blueliner threw himself in front of the shot like a war hero diving on a grenade. It struck him in his chest and doubled him over.

"My ribs hurt when I saw that shot,'' Dineen said. "That's a sign of what we're trying to establish here, you're playing for the team and there's not better example than that one. It got [Gudbranson] in the midsection and that's a long way from his heart, so he'll be all right.''

About a minute later Tomas Fleischmann raced up ice and deftly dropped a no-look pass to trailing centerman Marcel Goc, who flipped it in for the game winner. Goc, playing on the top line, added an empty-netter for the icing on the Panthers' third consecutive season-opening victory under Dineen.

It was just the second multiple-goal game of Goc's nine-year career and first since Nov. 18, 2010 when he was on the Predators.

"I don't remember the last time [I scored twice],'' Goc said after practice Friday afternoon at Scottrade Center. "Flash could've taken the shot so I thanked him. We did a lot of good things but we still got to clean up a few details in our own end and the neutral zone, and keep doing good stuff.''

Dineen was more impressed with Goc's 16-4 faceoff advantage and his part in killing off all three Stars' power plays – along with Weaver and Jesse Winchester – without giving up at shot.

"Every summer I look at it and say we're a good team if Marcel is [our third-line center] and doing his regular job, and at the end of the day he's such a versatile, cerebral player and person, he just keeps popping up into the forefront in situations,'' Dineen said.

Weaver missed much of last season with a knee injury, but he led the Panthers with 137 blocks in 2011-12 and with 132 in 2010-11, as well as leading St. Louis (127) in 2009-10. He said an inspirational speech given by new owner Vincent Viola last week really struck a chord regarding team unity and sacrifice.

"He said we travel in packs and that really hit home for the boys, so when somebody getsa shot at our goalie everybody was right there,'' Weaver said. "We have to create that atmosphere every game to not only pay attention to detail but to sacrifice your body for the team.''

"Look at the way [Gudbranson] didn't hesitate when he went down and blocked that shot that would've been a huge goal for them. It's a great start, a great finish and I thought a great team-building experience that hopefully the guys will remember and carry into game two.''

Barkov low key

Barkov, whose broken English hasn't caught up to his on-ice skill, didn't seem fazed by being the eighth youngest player to score his first goal and the youngest to score any goal since Jan. 8, 1944 when Ted Kennedy did it (according to Elias Sports Bureau).

"[It means] nothing, I'm concentrating on the next game,'' said Barkov, who was 18 year old and 31 days when he made history. "Not now, maybe after my career.''

Barkov matched his roommate, Jonathan Huberdeau, who also scored a goal in his first NHL game last year.

"Yeah, but not on my first shot,'' joked Barkov, recalling Huberdeau's feat.

Dineen was impressed with the Elias stat, but isn't ready to put Barkov into the Hall of Fame.

"That's a great stat, something to be incredibly proud of,'' Dineen said. "He didn't look out of place between him going out there establishing his game, probably playing his best game yet in a Panthers' uniform.

"Tim Thomas come in there giving us stability and the different age of the spectrum, veterans versus youth and the balance we're trying to find between those two players.

"Still there's a learning curve and we'll be patient with him. He certainly understands he's got a wonderful opportunity to play with highly skilled players. There are no guarantees in our business. He's earning his time right now.''

Barkov was a plus-1 with four shots on net, one giveaway, one blocked shot and 3-10 on faceoffs in 15:34 of ice time.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 10.05.2013

719538 Florida Panthers

Preview: Panthers at Blues, Saturday

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

6:40 p.m. EDT, October 4, 2013

When/Where: 8 p.m., Scottrade Center, St. Louis

TV: FSN; Radio: 740-WSBR

Scouting report: After winning their third straight season opener under coach Kevin Dineen, the Panthers face a sterner test in the Blues. They've been bounced out of the playoffs by the Kings in two straight years, but many pundits have tabbed them for a Stanley Cup run. The Blues are coming off a home-opening 4-2 win over Nashville in which they chased Predators G Pekka Rinne in the first period after two goals by Vladimir Sobotka and T.J. Oshie. The Blues lost top-six F Andy McDonald to retirement, but signed top-six C Derek Roy. Their defense, which allowed the second fewest goals last season, is anchored by former Panthers D Jay Bouwmeester and G Jaroslav Halak, who's 7-1 with an 1.86 GAA vs. Florida. The Panthers are 3-9-1 in St. Louis. Panthers F Sean Bergenheim (groin) is getting closer, but D Ed Jovanovski (hip) is out.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 10.05.2013

719539 Florida Panthers

Panthers rookie Barkov is youngest NHL player to score first goal since 1942

By Harvey Fialkov Sun Sentinel

1:25 p.m. EDT, October 4, 2013

Panthers rookie Aleksander Barkov not only scored the tying goal in the third period that ignited a three-goal outburst and 4-2 season-opening victory over the host Dallas Stars Thursday, but he made NHL history.

At 18, 31 days, Barkov became the youngest player to score his first NHL goal ssince Don Raleigh, at age 17 years, 147 days, scored for the New York Rangers in a 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Nov. 21, 1943, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

He's the eighth youngest to score his first goal, and the youngest to score a goal of any kind since Ted Kennedy scored on Jan. 8, 1944, during World War II when the NHL was filled with 17 year olds.

However, Barkov, the second overall pick in June, is the youngest to do it since the expansion era began in 1967-68. He surpasses Grant Mulvey of the Blackhawks and Jordan Staal of the Penguins, by one day. They were 18 years, 32 days old when they scored their first NHL goals. Mulvey's came in a game Oct. 1974 against the Blues, while Staal scored Oct. 12, 2006 against the Rangers

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 10.05.2013

719540 Los Angeles Kings

Kings fall to Jets, 5-3, and Jonathan Quick gets the hook

By Lisa Dillman

10:31 PM PDT, October 4, 2013

WINNIPEG, Canada – Reasons to pull a goalie in only his second start of the season?

Let us go over them after Winnipeg beat the Kings, 5-3, in the Jets' home opener at MTS Center on Friday night. The offensively gifted Jets have scored 10 goals in two games and Devin Setoguchi and Evander Kane combined for six points against the Kings.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter, who is usually loath to make a goalie switch in-game, did just that in the third period, pulling starter Jonathan Quick after he gave up a goal on a wraparound by Setoguchi at 5:19 that widened the Jets' lead to 4-1.

"Three reasons to pull goalies from a coaching standpoint," Sutter said. "No. 1: momentum. No. 2: goalie's performance. No. 3: team's performance."

GAME SUMMARY: Jets 5, Kings 3

If you guessed door No. 1, you would be correct. Though Quick lacked his usual sharpness, he didn't get a lot of help in front from his teammates. For instance, Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin was a minus-three.

"I think at that stage, I'd say momentum," Sutter said.

It nearly worked. In came backup Ben Scrivens, who was acquired by the Kings in the Jonathan Bernier deal in June.

After the goalie change, Jeff Carter and Justin Williams each scored on the power play, cutting Winnipeg's lead to 4-3, and the Kings were pressing hard late for the equalizer. With Scrivens pulled for an extra attacker, the Jets scored an empty-netter, by Bryan Little, with 48 seconds remaining.

"Ultimately I think they picked up the play and they got stronger as the game wore on," Williams said. "We wilted a little bit in the second and early in the third.

"We wanted to have the same type of response we did in Minnesota. We were in the same position. But we didn't get the same result."

Said Scrivens: "Obviously it's a worst-case scenario. Once you don't start, you don't want to go in because that means you're down or there's an injury. You never wish ill will on anyone.

"Obviously it was unfortunate that I had to go in. A couple of good penalty kills and we made it close and exciting but we just couldn't find that last one."

The Kings played and won in a shootout at Minnesota on Thursday night, and Friday it looked as though they were running on fumes in the second period after a strong opening 20 minutes. They outshot the Jets, 18-7, and entered the second period tied, 1-1. Defenseman Matt Greene scored for the Kings and the dynamic, hard-hitting Kane had the Jets' goal.

Olli Jokinen, one of Sutter's favorite former players, started the surge in the second period with a rebound from the right circle at 12:54 that made it 2-1 Winnipeg. Then Setoguchi scored twice in the third — his first actually went in off Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr — and that was it for Quick.

"I didn't feel like I was fighting it," Quick said. "They get three cheesy ones and the puck is rolling. I think if you ask the shooters they didn't know where it was going. There's three right there for you, and they get one underneath me.

"I didn't hear a whistle. So I thought it was around me. I start looking around for it and it was underneath me. Obviously if you give up four goals, you've got to [get] better. We've got work to do."

Even though it's only two games, some early signs are concerning.

"We gave up seven goals in two games," Quick said. "We've got to get better than that, obviously. We start from there, clean that up. It gives our team a better chance to win."

LA Times: LOADED: 10.05.2013

719541 Los Angeles Kings

Published: Oct. 4, 2013 Updated: 11:50 p.m.

Staff

Devin Setoguchi had two goals in the third period and linemate Evander Kane also scored and Winnipeg earned a 5-3 win over the Kings on Friday night.

The Jets got going in the second period, after being swarmed by the Kings in the first.

Kane was given credit for a goal early in the third period that was switched to Setoguchi after the game ended.

“That was a lucky one,” said Setoguchi, describing the shot by Kane that glanced off his stick.

He teamed with Kane for his second goal as well.

“It was nice to get the other one on the wraparound, but the main thing is we won the game.”

Kane even took a five-minute penalty for fighting in a physical game.

“You need to let them know you're not going to be run out of your own building,” he said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of sticking up for each other.”

Olli Jokinen and Bryan Little also scored for the Jets. Blake Wheeler had a goal called back in the second because the net was off its moorings.

Matt Greene, Jeff Carter and Justin Williams scored for the Kings, who outshot the Jets 18-7 in the first, with goalie Ondrej Pavelec keeping Winnipeg in the game.

The Jets went into the game saying it would be a good test. The Kings are one of the strongest teams in the Western Conference, where the Jets are playing this season.

Despite the slow start, the Jets were leading 4-1 in the third when the Kings rallied.

They got within one with two quick power-play goals, before Little scored into an empty net.

“We have a way of making games exciting,” Jets coach Claude Noel said. “It's not something we want to get in a habit of doing.”

But he saw things he liked, besides the two points in the standings.

“We had some good games from a lot of people,” he said. “We started off slow again and I thought the game changed a little bit in in the second period and the third period. I thought we were quite a bit better. I thought we did some simple things.”

One of those was getting shots, which didn't happen in the first, and not turning over the puck in the neutral zone.

Coach Darryl Sutter said the Kings weren't tired after two games in two nights. They beat the Minnesota Wild in a shootout Thursday.

Added Kings' forward Dwight King: “We wanted to have a good start, I think we got out to a good start, obviously we got a lot of pucks on the net. It kind of fell off a bit and they took advantage. … We tried to fight back at the end, but it wasn't enough.”

Failing to control the puck in their own zone cost both the Jets and Kings in the first period, although the Kings put on most of the pressure.

Greene was first to score at 14:17 of the first, glancing one off Dustin Byfuglien after intercepting Byfuglien's failed attempt to clear the puck from in front of the net.

But then Kane tied it up by dumping it in from the other side of the blue line, catching it on the rebound off Greene and sending it high past Jonathan Quick's glove at 15:45.

Setoguchi's linemate Mark Scheifele picked up an assist, while Setoguchi also set up a goal. The line accounted for most of the pressure and scoring chances the Jets created in the first period.

The Jets came on strong in the second.

Wheeler scored what could have been the go-ahead goal on a power play, except that the L.A. net was off its moorings. It took a call to Toronto by the officials, but the goal was disallowed.

Jokinen put the Jets ahead at 12:54 of the second when he lifted Michael Frolik's rebound high to the right side of the net as Quick went low to the left.

Noel juggled his third line Friday night, putting Jokinen between Eric Tangradi and Frolik, who scored a pair in the Jets opener in Edmonton.

Noel liked what he saw, but said he doesn't know yet how long they will stay together.

Setoguchi scored his first on a power play at 2:21 of the third period on a shot from Kane. He tallied again at 5:19 to make it 4-1 when Quick managed to stop Kane's rush and Setoguchi swept behind the net and stuffed it in the other side.

Sutter put Ben Scrivens in net. Quick stopped 23 of 27 shots.

Carter scored the Kings' second goal of the night at 11:00 of the third, a few seconds into a power play from a tripping penalty called against Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba.

The Jets were ahead on shots until the last seven minutes of the third when the Kings found new life after Carter's goal.

Williams brought the Kings within one on the power play at 15:44 when he caught the left corner of the Jets' net from the faceoff circle, but Little sealed the win with a breakaway into an empty net in the final minute.

NOTES

This was only the second time the Jets have played the Kings. Their first meeting, in 2011 and also at MTS Centre, was settled in overtime when Evander Kane made it 1-0. Now that the Jets are in the Western Conference, they will meet the Kings three times.

719542 Los Angeles Kings

October 4 postgame quotes: Quick, Scrivens

Posted by JonRosen on October 4, 2013

Jonathan Quick, on whether he was “fighting it,” and how he felt during the game:

No, I didn’t feel like I was fighting it. They get three cheezy ones – pucks rolling. I’m sure if you ask the o, they didn’t know where it was going. There’s three right there for you, and then they got one that was underneath me. I didn’t hear a whistle, so I thought it was around me. I started looking for it, and it was underneath me. You’ve got to better. Obviously, you give up four goals, you’ve got to be better. We’ve got work to do.

Quick, on the net leaving the moorings for an extended period of time:

They come off pretty often. [Reporter: But where it was unnoticed for such a long time.] I don’t recal the exact moent where they came off. When you se it, though, the puck was clearly going to go wide. What are you going to do?

Quick, on what the team takes from a 1-1 road trip:

Two points shorts. We came here to get four, and we got two. So we’ve got to get better. [Reporter: Anything that you want to see the team get better at in advance of Monday’s game?] We gave up seven goals in two games, so we’ve got to get better at that, obviously. We start from there, we clean that up, it gives our team a better chance to win.

Ben Scrivens, on the feeling of entering a game midway through the third period:

Obviously it’s tough. Any time you don’t start, you don’t want to go in, because it means either one or two thing: we‘re down, or the other guy got hurt. You never really want to go in when it gets past the opening faceoff, but that being said, when you do, you’ve got to be ready to go, and I felt pretty good out there. I made a couple saves on the power play. The first one I bobbled a little bit. I think just nerves getting the legs back under you after sitting for so long. But I settled in after that and just tried to give the guys a chance to come back.

Scrivens, on whether his teammates gave him any encouragement when he entered:

I don’t know, and I don’t know if it would have made any difference if they had. You’ve got to be ready to go either way, and you’ve just got to play your game, and like I said, give the guys a chance. That’s all you can do at that point.

Scrivens, on what he saw from the first two games of the season:

It’s a really good team. Just a couple of mistakes here and there, and I think they got some fortuitous bounces tonight, a couple of rolling pucks that the releases were weird, and some dipping and diving pucks. Anytime you can split on the road is something good, but we’re obviously aiming for higher.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.05.2013

719543 Los Angeles Kings

Game 2: Los Angeles at Winnipeg

Posted by JonRosen on October 4, 2013

October 4, 2013 4:56 pm

Winnipeg Jets 5, Los Angeles Kings 3

Final

Radio Feed

Ice Tracker

SOG: LAK – 36; WPG – 33

PP: LAK – 2/5; WPG – 1/6

First Period

1) LAK – Matt Greene (1) (Jeff Carter), 14:17

2) WPG – Evander Kane (1) (Mark Scheifele, Devin Setoguchi), 15:25

Second Period

3) WPG – Olli Jokinen (1) (Michael Frolik, Tobias Enstrom), 12:54

Third Period

4) WPG PPG – Evander Kane (2) (Devin Setoguchi, Dustin Byfuglien), 2:22

5) WPG – Devin Setoguchi (1) (Evander Kane, Olli Jokinen), 5:19

6) LAK PPG – Jeff Carter (2) (Jake Muzzin, Mike Richards), 11:00

7) LAK PPG – Justin Williams (1) (Matt Frattin, Willie Mitchell), 15:44

8) WPG ENG – Bryan Little (2) (Andrew Ladd), 19:12

LAK scratches: D Keaton Ellerby, F Daniel Carcillo, D Alec Martinez

LAK starting lineup: G Jonathan Quick, D Robyn Regehr, D Drew Doughty, LW Matt Frattin, C Mike Richards, RW Jeff Carter

WPG scratches: D Adam Pardy, F Anthony Peluso, F Matt Halischuk

WPG starting lineup:G Ondrej Pavelec, D Tobias Enstrom, D Dustin Byfuglien, LW Eric Tangradi, C Olli Jokinen, RW Michael Frolik

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.05.2013

719544 Los Angeles Kings

Behold: MTS Centre

Staff

October 4, 2013 3:23 pm

Though banners commemorating the 2004-05 North Division Championship, the 2008-09 Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, and the 2008-09 North Division Championship and Western Conference Championship salute the history etched out by the Moose, there isn’t a nod in the rafters to the previous incarnation of the Jets. At Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona, the names and numbers of former Jets Bobby Hull, Dale Hawerchuk and Thomas Steen are represented as part of the Coyotes’ Ring of Honor.