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In his post game presser, Ted Nolan said that Moulson's status wasn't immediately known. The team will know more on Friday. Shane Doan cross-check/slashed Moulson's arm and sent the shifty winger flying headlong into the wall. Moulson left the game and didn't return. No penalty on the play. Surprised?
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This is getting to be redundant. Ryan Miller carried his team on his back to another victory despite long odd and facing heavy shots. With the victory, Miller improves to 6-0-0 lifetime against the Coyotes.
Miller was stupendous in victory, making 38 saves on 40 shots. The Coyotes landed 21 of those shots in the first period. It didn't matter to Miller. He held his ground and made save after important save en route to Buffalo's gutsy 3-2 win in Glendale.
The pending UFA continues to increase his trade value by making the sublime look ordinary and the ordinary look sublime. Miller has never played this well in his entire NHL career. Throw away his win-loss record. Miller is playing a level that exceeds his Vezina Trophy winning season of 2010. Frankly, I'm running out of adjectives to use to describe Miller's sensational play this season. He's been outstanding game in, game out.
Red-hot Antoine Vermette scored his 20th goal of the season and David Moss also scored for Phoenix. Thomas Greiss made 25 saves
The Sabres have 15 wins this season, the fewest in the NHL, however, two of them have come at the expense of the Desert Dogs. On December 23, Buffalo won the #ButtGoal game.
On Thursday night, Tyler Ennis and Steve Ott scored for Buffalo and Zemgus Girgensons scored his first ever gamer winner on a shorthanded goal in the third period against Thomas Greiss.
Girgsensons also assisted on Ennis' goal along with Matt Moulson, who was knocked out of the game late in regulation play by a heavy body check delivered by Shane Doan.
Moulson was slashed by Yotes captain Shane Doan who then shouldered the pending UFA off the puck and drilled him heavily into the halfwall injuring his shoulder or collar bone. Moulson left the game in distress and was seen laying on the ground in Buffalo's locker room tunnel. He would not finish the game. His status is unknown at this time.
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The bad news just got worse for John Cooper and the Lightning.
Bolts second leading scorer Val Filppula (19G, 21A) has also left the game in Ottawa with a lower body injury.
Valtteri Filppula is doubtful to return to tonight’s game with a lower body injury.
— Missy Zielinski (@Missy_Zielinski) January 31, 2014***
Now reporting that Ben Bishop is not expected to return to tonight’s game vs. Ottawa with an upper body injury. #TBLightning
— Missy Zielinski (@Missy_Zielinski) January 31, 2014Steve Yzerman should be worried. If Bishop is concussed, who knows how long he will be out of the lineup for. Its premature, however, Yzerman should start thinking about finding another starting goalie in the event that Bishop is out long term.
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A scary scene in Ottawa tonight as Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop was injured when the skate of his teammate Nikita Kucherov made heavy contact with his head,
Bishop dives out to try and play puck as Kucherov clips him on the back of the head. Ottawa also scores.
— Missy Zielinski (@Missy_Zielinski) January 31, 2014Bishop left the game, his first in Ottawa since being traded from the Sens, for observation and has been replaced by backup Anders Lindback.
Bishop has been brilliant in net for the Bolts as they have seemingly shrugged off the Steven Stamkos injury and have been playing brilliantly since he left the lineup on November 11. Bishop is 26-7-4 with a .933 save % and a 1.99 GAA. Losing their 2013-14 team MVP for any amount of time is a big loss for the Lightning to have to overcome.
If Bishop's injury is of a serious nature, the Bolts will be in dire straits. Lindback is a solid backup, however, he's not a long term starter.
More when it becomes available.
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BREAKING: The #Avs have signed Semyon Varlamov to a 5-year contract extension through 2018-19: http://t.co/NTFmquQFMP pic.twitter.com/MxakYRnNcG
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 30, 2014The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a five-year contract extension through the 2018-19 season.
That a $5.9 million AAV for Varlamov.
That's a lotta cake for a goalie who has never carried his team out of the first round of the playoffs.
Cross Colorado off the list of teams who are interested in pursuing pending UFA goalie Ryan Miller at the NHL trade deadline on March 5.
The Avs are clearly betting heavily on Varly's future, not compensating him for his past performance. $5.9 million per season is a lot of money and term to commit to an unproven goalie.
Career record: 93-67-23 Career GAA: 2.57, Career Save %: .915
Varlamov, 25, has posted a 26-9-5 record with a 2.43 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and one shutout in 42 games (39 starts) this season. Varlamov has already tied his career high with 26 wins, equaling his total from his first season with Colorado (2011-12). The Samara, Russia native is tied for third among NHL goaltenders in wins, ranks second in saves (1,199), third in shots faced (1,296), sixth in games (42-tied) and eighth in save percentage (.925).
“Undoubtedly, Semyon has been an impact player for us this season,… said Avalanche Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic. “At only 25 years old, he is entering the prime years of his career and he wants to be part of this franchise moving forward. We are very excited to have come to terms with him and the fact that he has agreed to a five-year extension demonstrates his commitment to the Avalanche and what we’re trying to accomplish.…
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Miller must be smiling ear to ear right now. Varlamov is a nice goalie, however, he's not a $6 million per season man. hats my opinion.
The Lundqvist $8.5M AAV contract is Miller's comparable. He may get $9M per season due to the fact that he will be 34 years old this summer and that he won't be signing for the 7 year term that the 31 year old Hank The Bank signed for in November.
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The Sabres have won a lot of hockey games this season, however, my favorite one was when the Sabres beat the Coyotes on a pool hall-style trick shot last month in Buffalo.
Mark Pysyk's first goal of the season - a wacky one at 3:47 of OT - gave the Buffalo Sabres a 2-1 win against the Phoenix Coyotes when the two teams met in Buffalo on the eve of Christmas Eve.
Pysyk, who was recalled from the Rochester Amerks earlier that week, was credited with OT GWGl when Coyotes 6'6" center Martin Hanzal spiked a floating puck out of mid-air and into goalie Mike Smith's hockey pants. Smith then ass-panted backward into the net in an effort to prevent a rebound opportunity. Little did he know that the biscuit was in his basket. Literally.
"I just put it on net, figuring I'd maybe get a rebound," Pysyk said. "I tried to jump through, right close to him, right in front there, so I knew he'd probably get a stick before I would. Just popped it up right in the air and was lucky enough that he spun and it went right into the net."
A review of the play confirmed the puck crossed the line.
"I don't know," Smith said. "I guess if they don't see the puck, they're supposed to blow the whistle. That's not what happened."
#ButtGoal
Smith won't get a chance at redemption tonight as he'll sit in favor of back-up Thomas Greiss who pitched a shutout in his last game. Pysyk is playing in AHL Rochester.
Ryan Miller will be in the cage for Buffalo. Miller's career numbers against Phoenix are disgustingly dominating. He’s 5-0-0 in his career when facing the Coyotes with a 0.98 GAA and a .966 save %. By a mile, Miller's best #s against an of the 29 other NHL teams that he has face.
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