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717319 Phoenix Coyotes

Nolan hit underscores need for more regulation

CRAIG MORGAN

With ownership issues resolved, Coyotes have no more excuses but plenty of questions as camp opens.

Brendan Shanahan has a difficult job. The National Hockey League's director of player safety reviews hundreds of incidents each season with his staff.

No matter how diligent, thorough and reasoned his group is in its assessments, his approval ratings will always hover somewhere just above Congress'. When he doesn't hand down discipline he is largely forgotten; when he does, players, coaches, managers and fans become enraged.

That's what happens when you deal in gray areas and passionate arenas.

If you think it's simple to mete out punishment or withhold it, remember how fast the game of hockey moves. Remember how tiny changes of body position, circumstance and timing can spell the difference between a legal hit and a punishable offense.

It is our opinion that Shanahan got it wrong when he determined LA Kings forward Jordan Nolan's hit on Coyotes defenseman Rusty Klesla was a legal hit that warranted no further punishment. In reviewing the tape, however, there were things Nolan and Shanahan got right.

Nolan kept his hands and stick down so that he did not lead with an elbow or something harder. He made sure to get in front of Klesla before the hit -- in Klesla's line of sight. And in contrast to Raffi Torres' infamous hit on Marian Hossa during the 2012 playoffs, Nolan was not late delivering the hit, nor did he leave his skates before the hit as replays show Torres' left skate doing.

When Torres delivered that hit during the Coyotes-Blackhawks first-round playoff series, we called it a punishable offense and insisted that Torres deserved a suspension.

Nolan doesn't have a suspension history like Torres and, as previously noted, there were fewer issues with his hit on Sunday.

But in his explanation, Shanahan sees two things we don't see. He says Nolan didn't pick the head and he says "nor does he launch up or into the check."

We disagree on both counts, and we were not swayed by the fact that Klesla left the ice on a stretcher with his head and neck immobilized, as some cynics suggest. Nor were we swayed by the Coyotes' assertion that it was an illegal hit. If you're looking for objectivity, locker rooms are not the places to find it. Teams (and fans) will always rally around their guy.

Shanahan declined an interview request, but we've watched the play over and over again, in slow motion, in regular time, frame by frame. Nolan absolutely picked Klesla's head, and that it is the first point of contact. He also launched into the check as he delivers it. Note the increasing amount of air under his skate blades as he follows through the hit.

Kings coach Darryl Sutter described it as a good hockey hit after the game, and clearly Shanahan agreed. While we still believe that it was an illegal hit based on the NHL's current rules, let's go with Shanahan's line of thinking to ask the more important question.

Should this be a legal hockey hit?

You've probably heard the alarmists saying that such an attitude amounts to the "wussification" of the game -- that calls for the elimination of such plays are a slippery slope that will ruin the game and indicative of those who don't understand the sport.

Let's just call that opinion what it is: Ignorance. Some are so hung up on tradition or outdated definitions of masculinity that they believe maintaining injurious acts of violence is a way to reaffirm those definitions. That is unenlightened thinking and doesn't warrant further discussion.

Hockey is a physical game. Heavy hits are an exciting and integral part of the game. And there is no question that head injuries and concussions will continue to occur because of the speed of the game and the increasing size of its players. You can't protect everyone.

But with all we know about head injuries -- and all we still don't know -- shouldn't we think twice about what constitutes a legal hit? Shouldn't we say that, any time the head is the first point of contact as well as the principle point (as Rule 48 now reads), the offense is punishable? Shouldn't we be so scared of the damage done by head injuries, both now and down the road, that we do everything humanly possible to remove them from the game?

"Maybe we're getting to that stage," said NBC's NHL analyst, Ed Olczyk, who played 16 NHL seasons for six teams. "You're never going to take head contact out of the NHL completely, but maybe we're getting to the point where this is a hit you say can easily be avoided -- and we’re saying you could have avoided it because we know the game."

Head injuries have received an enormous amount of attention in the NHL and NFL recently. Part of that comes from our increasing medical knowledge of their impact, part of it comes from increasingly pervasive media coverage, part of it stems from a few high-profile incidents like Sidney Crosby's lengthy battle with post concussion syndrome and the tragic cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy endured by several former NFL players.

Dr. Javier Cardenas is a neurologist and concussion expert at Barrow Neurological Institute. He also serves as an on-site consultant at Cardinals and Arizona State football games to give football teams an expert on the sidelines in the event of head injuries.

Cardenas believes both the NFL and NHL are doing a commendable job with their concussion protocols, education and prevention. But Cardenas also believes there is room for growth because there is still so much we don't know about head injuries and concussions.

"Point A is a concussion. Point B is CTE. What we don’t know is everything in between," Cardenas said. "Is there a number of concussions at which CTE sets in? How many concussions are caused by genetic susceptibility or other factors? What about those injuries that don't have classic symptoms of concussions like headaches or dizziness? Do those still cause brain injury? We still need more information and more research to know."

Like Olczyk, Cardenas does not believe head injuries can be removed from the NFL and NHL so long as contact is part of the games.

However, he said, "We know that removing the head from the game is the safest thing to do."

The implementation would create several problems.

"I've been around long enough to know that you can do things accidentally on purpose really quickly down there," Olczyk said. "If you say no head hits, then you'll have situations where the size difference in guys comes into play, or you will have situations where guys are skating around with their heads down."

Olczyk is right, and his points underscore just how difficult a job Shanahan's department has. Clearly it's good advice to teach players to keep their heads up, on a swivel, to avoid injuries. But a couple staples of the NHL's enforcement still mystify.

First, Shanahan noted that Nolan hit "squarely through the body." So if that makes it legal, isn't that a memo to big hitters? You want to nail some guy in the head? Just make sure you get plenty of body and you’re good.

Also, isn't blaming the guy who got hit with his head down simply blaming the victim. Sure, he wasn’t exhibiting proper stick-handling or skating technique, but that doesn't mean he deserves to be laid up in bed for weeks with a concussion.

Implementation would be difficult, but that's a problem to be solved; not one that should paralyze action.

"When considering changes for all sports, we need to think about the purpose of that athletic activity," Cardenas said. "In boxing, the goal is to cause a concussion. In hockey, it’s to put the puck in the net; in football, it’s to score touchdowns.

"Hockey is going to have contact, and it's worth noting that some people think it's heresy to talk about eliminating fighting despite the evidence of its impact.

"But professional leagues can learn a lot from each other, and in this case, maybe the NHL can look at how the NFL regulates hits to the head and follow suit. If a hit is legal now, there's no reason not to look at it and revise it if it's in the interest of player safety."

"Again, let's really take a hard look at what is elemental to the game and what is not, and let that guide us."

Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter

foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 09.19.2013

717320 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins goaltender Vokoun quietly makes name for himself

By Josh Yohe

Updated 6 hours ago

Goalie Tomas Vokoun could waltz around Consol Energy Center with a strut in his step these days.

After all, he bailed out the Penguins last spring, stepping in for a floundering Marc-Andre Fleury to carry his teammates to the Eastern Conference final, perhaps saving some jobs along the way.

Vokoun, though, remains as unassuming as ever, the loyal teammate who seems to willingly accept his role as the Penguins' No. 2 goaltender even if is performance last spring indicates he remains something more.

“All I do is control what I can control,” Vokoun said. “And when the coach tells me to play, I'm going to make sure that I'm ready to play well.”

While Fleury remains in the spotlight because of the noteworthy fluctuations in his game during the past few years, Vokoun is still an important presence in the locker room.

He's also an important presence on the ice.

“We've become pretty good buddies,” said defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, whose locker stall is beside Vokoun's. “He really does mean a lot to this team. Just a great, great guy in the locker room. And his play speaks for itself.”

The Penguins received quite the return for a seventh-round draft pick, when they acquired Vokoun following the 2012 playoffs.

He was steady during the 2013 regular season, delivered a stirring speech following a dreadful first period in Philadelphia on March 7 that triggered a 15-game winning streak.

It could be argued the Penguins beat the Islanders and Senators in the postseason because of Vokoun. No one would suggest the Penguins fell to the Bruins because of the goaltender.

“He's been around a long time, and his experience definitely shows,” center Sidney Crosby said. “He's come in here and done everything he's been asked to do.”

If all goes well in Fleury's quest to regain his status as an elite goaltender, Vokoun largely will be asked to sit and watch. He said he's OK with it.

“I don't think about that stuff,” he said. “All I want to do is do my job as well as I can, and I'm pretty happy with my game right now.”

Vokoun maintains a close relationship with Fleury, which limits any awkwardness.

When Vokoun agreed to sign with the Penguins following the trade for his rights, he said being the starting goaltender wasn't necessary. Winning was his only priority.

Almost a year later, his mindset hasn't changed.

“He's just a great guy,” center Brandon Sutter said. “And everyone appreciates what a good teammate he is.”

Notes: ESPN The Magazine's annual fan survey ranked Penguins fans No. 1 among all NHL franchises and No. 7 among all North American professional teams … Crosby is among those who will play in Thursday's exhibition game in Chicago … Defenseman Brian Dumoulin remained out of practice Wednesday because of an upper-body injury.

Tribune Review LOADED: 09.19.2013

717321 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins see value of wins in preseason

September 19, 2013 12:17 am

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins need look no further than the Steelers to see that losing in the preseason can have an effect. The Steelers went 0-4 in exhibition games, and are facing a lot of pointed fingers after an 0-2 to start the regular season.

The Penguins are 0-2 in the preseason going into a game tonight at Chicago and have been outscored, 9-5. Even though the team fielded different lineups against different clubs (Columbus and Detroit) and there were no standings points on the line, the losses were a little disheartening.

"You want to be feeling good about your game," center and team captain Sidney Crosby said Wednesday. "You want to get results.

"Everyone's going through the same thing. So to say you're rusty, that's part of it, but so are the teams we're playing. You definitely want to get results from the way you play."

Crosby is expected to play tonight, his second preseason game, after getting no points, giving the puck away twice and taking two penalties Monday in a 4-1 loss against Detroit at Consol Energy Center.

Forward Jussi Jokinen, who is expected to sit out after playing Monday, said there is a bit of a boomerang effect for those returnees who were swept by Boston in the Eastern Conference final.

"It's a fine line," he said. "[For those players] the biggest challenge is that you're coming from a peak emotional playoffs, and then to preseason games. That's the toughest thing -- how to get your desperation, how to get your battle level, how to get your compete level [back].

"Against Detroit, we didn't have that. We need to be better."

At the same time, players are trying to work on individual things such as timing, and coaches are teaching systems and evaluating players.

"You try to balance it," Crosby said. "You have to evaluate yourself realistically and know that you're doing the right things. Ultimately, the score does matter, but, sometimes, you're going to make mistakes just based on being rusty, that kind of thing.

"But I think overall you want to feel good about your game for the regular season. It's not something where you can struggle in the preseason and then just turn a switch on."

The encouraging thing is that there are four more preseason games, beginning tonight, and by the end of the exhibition schedule the lineup should be close to what it will be for the regular season.

"I'd rather lose the first three games and then win the last three games than have it the other way," Jokinen said. "You want to get better in training camp and you want to get your game to a better level the closer you get to opening night.

"The last two or three games, you want to have that winning feeling, get comfortable and get back to winning."

Line scramble

The Penguins will use some different forward line combinations tonight as indicated by their lineup.

For example, the Chris Kunitz-Crosby-Pascal Dupuis line won't be intact; Dupuis is not on the travel list. Perhaps Beau Bennett will play in Dupuis' spot or on Brandon Sutter's line. Bennett so far has practiced and played with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal.

Goaltender Tomas Vokoun is expected to start and play the full game, with Marc-Andre Fleury starting Saturday at home against Columbus, coach Dan Bylsma said.

Jeff Zatkoff will serve as backup goalie tonight. The defensemen are Matt Niskanen, Deryk Engelland, Brendan Mikkelson, Robert Bortuzzo, Simon Despres, Derrick Pouliot and Phil Samuelsson. The forwards are Crosby, Kunitz, Bennett, Sutter, Chuck Kobasew, Dustin Jeffrey, Matt D'Agostini, Steve MacIntyre, Zach Sill, Adam Payerl, Joe Vitale and Jayson Megna.

Injury update

Winger Andrew Ebbett returned to practice, but defenseman Brian Dumoulin and forward Bobby Farnham remained out. All three were injured in an exhibition game Sunday at Columbus, Ohio.

For much more on the Penguins, read the Pens Plus blog with Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson at www.post-gazette.com/plus. Shelly Anderson: shanderson@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1721 and Twitter @pgshelly.

First Published September 19, 2013 12:00 am

Post Gazette LOADED: 09.19.2013

717322 Pittsburgh Penguins

Forward prospect might get his wish

September 19, 2013 12:16 am

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins loaded up on forwards for training camp, including prospects and a few veterans hoping to get a skate in the door for what might be one or two spots on the bottom two lines.

Those players bring varying amounts of skill, versatility, experience and toughness. All have a burning hunger to stick with the club into the regular season.

None so far has expressed that quite as succinctly as center Nick Drazenovic.

"I'd chew rocks to play in the NHL," Drazenovic said.

He won't have to do that. Probably.

Drazenovic survived the first round of cuts at camp earlier this week, but he still faces strong competition to begin the regular season with the Penguins when it starts two weeks from today, rather than with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Drazenovic has played in one preseason game and is not scheduled to play tonight when the Penguins visit Chicago for exhibition game No. 3. He might get into the lineup Saturday afternoon for a home game against Columbus.

In a 4-1 loss Monday against Detroit, Drazenovic played a respectable 9 minutes, 58 seconds, won half his 10 faceoffs, was second on the team with five hits (including one in the third period that appeared to throw Red Wings defenseman Danny Dekeyser off of his game) and was even in plus-minus while centering a line with veteran AHL winger Brian Gibbons and Craig Adams.

"From playing with him for a few days, he seems like a well-rounded player who can handle the puck and make plays, but also he was finishing his checks," said Adams, an established member of the Penguins' fourth line. "I thought he played well."

In practice Wednesday, Drazenovic skated on what looked distinctly like an AHL line, with wingers Steve MacIntyre and Jayson Megna.

The Penguins signed the 6-foot, 192-pounder on the first day of free agency in July, and it would be understandable if Drazenovic had flown under the radar of most Penguins fans before that.

"He hasn't gotten even a couple of handfuls of NHL games," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

Drazenovic was a sixth-round pick by St. Louis in the 2005 NHL draft, but has played in just 11 games with the Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets with no points.

He has had success in the AHL, meanwhile, including 100 goals, 254 points in 381 games, and he is ready to move on.

"I'm 26..." he said.

He had a setback in 2011-12, when he missed several weeks because of a concussion and neck problem that were exacerbated when he was rear-ended while driving before the concussion healed.

"It's a different injury," said Drazenovic, who followed the news about Penguins center Sidney Crosby, who was dealing with a similar but longer-term injury at the same time.

"Sometimes, you would feel OK and you would feel stupid sitting out of a practice, and then an hour later you wouldn't feel good," he said.

He is healthy now, and champing at the bit to get his career moving forward.

"Everyone's in a different situation, but, as far as I'm concerned, those guys are trying to take my job," Adams said. "We've got a lot of good players in this organization who are going to help this team, whether it's today or tomorrow, down the line. I see a lot of competition around."

Drazenovic doesn't project as a prolific, high-end forward if he gets a chance to become a regular in the NHL, but he's got other things to offer. Bylsma said the Penguins considered him a solid two-way player in the AHL.

"We've tried to put him in [spots] to give him opportunities to be that type of player," Bylsma said.

Bylsma said that Drazenovic is best suited to play a position where the Penguins are pretty stacked.

"I think he has played wing, could play wing, but, in terms of putting him in position to play his optimal spot, it's centerman."

Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Brandon Sutter have the top center spots sewn up, and Joe Vitale is the incumbent on the fourth line. Drazenovic said he knew the Penguins were deep, but he jumped at the chance to sign.

"This is such a good team," he said. "Anyone would want to come here."

For much more on the Penguins, read the Pens Plus blog with Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson at www.post-gazette.com/plus. Shelly Anderson: shanderson@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1721 and Twitter @pgshelly.

First Published September 19, 2013 12:00 am

Post Gazette LOADED: 09.19.2013

717323 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks' Raffi Torres adjusting his style of play

By David Pollak

dpollak@mercurynews.com

Posted: 09/18/2013 03:03:19 PM PDT

Updated: 09/18/2013 10:17:46 PM PDT

SAN JOSE -- Raffi Torres is under the microscope. Both he and the Sharks know it.

As Torres prepares to play his first game since a series-long suspension in the playoffs, he understands that he has to make adjustments to his hard-charging -- some would say reckless -- style.

"There's no doubt that everything I do out there is going to be magnified," Torres said Wednesday, later adding: "My past isn't on my side."

Friday night's exhibition game against the Anaheim Ducks at the re-christened SAP Center is likely to be his initial chance to put an updated approach into practice.

"I'm definitely going to focus on what I've been working on and talking about with the coaches -- stick-on-puck first and then kind of rubbing the guy out instead of going for the big hit and then lifting the puck," Torres said.

A questionable hit on Los Angeles Kings center Jarret Stoll in Game 1 of the second round of last season's Stanley Cup playoffs ended Torres' postseason. The Sharks backed him, general manager Doug Wilson first receiving a $100,000 fine for complaining about the suspension, then signing Torres to a new three-year, $6 million contract.

Torres' arrival at last season's trade deadline helped transform the Sharks into a quicker team that played a drive-the-net style. He brought speed and scoring as well as hard hits, chipping in two goals and four assists in 11 games with San Jose. His playoff goal in overtime against the Vancouver Canucks helped the Sharks sweep their first-round opponent.

"When I came here, I'd never held onto the puck in the last three years more than I did the month and a half I was here," he said. "I was skating with the puck, moving my feet."

Coach Todd McLellan sees Torres as a player who can help the Sharks win in multiple ways if he continues to play hard without crossing that invisible but very real line.

"We've worked with him and will continue to remind him," 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."

The Sharks, he added, want Torres "to play hard and to finish hard -- just to do it the proper way. If he does that, we have a great asset."

Torres said he knows the proper way involves playing smarter and giving up past practices that have gotten him in trouble as the league cracks down on high hits. And that means more than avoiding head-on collisions.

"For me it's going to be about just focusing on keeping my feet on the ice and try not to clip guys from the side," Torres said.

At the same time, he, like his coach, wants opposing players to be concerned about what might happen next.

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

Torres is likely to play on several lines this season. The first week of training camp he was skating with Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau, a combination that was successful against Vancouver. Wednesday, he was alongside Joe Pavelski and Tommy Wingels.

Wherever he ends up, Torres wants to keep his game the same.

"Just keep getting to the net, up and down my wall, pucks off the net and finishing hits," he said. "Just stay in that rhythm."