Empty Netter Assists - 10-17-09

Penguins

-Chris Conner and Luca Caputi (right) each had a goal and an assist for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 6-3 road win against the rival Binghamton Senators. Dustin Jeffrey and Mark Letestu, who has apparently been a taken off injured reserve and demoted to the AHL, added two assists. John Curry made 38 saves in the win.

-Tough guy Aaron Boogaard actually scored the game-winner for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

-T.J. Fox had a goal and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers who officially started their regular season with a 5-4 road loss to the South Carolina Stingrays.

-The Nailers named defenseman Cliff Loya, a native of Pittsburgh, as captain.

Atlantic Division

-The Islanders recalled forward Joel Rechlicz from Bridgeport of the AHL.

-The Rangers need to cut down on their penalties.

-New Jersey's Martin Brodeur picked an odd time to start breakdancing:

-Flyers coach John Stevens offered instructions to forward Scott Hartnell on what not to bite when he's on the ice:

-We think.

Northeast Division

-Tim Connolly, Clarke MacArthur and Tyler Myers each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres and beat the Islanders, 6-3. Ryan Miller made 36 saves in the win. Former Penguins prospect Matt Moulson had a goal and an assist for New York. Fire Ray Shero.

-Myers recorded his first NHL goal last night.

-Tim Thomas made 27 saves for the Bruins in a 3-0 shutout win at Dallas. Marc Savard scored two goals while Patrice Bergeron had a goal and an assist. Marty Turco made 26 saves for the Stars.

-The Canadiens are getting their own stamp from the Canadian postal service.

-Senators forward and former Penguin Alex Kovalev makes his return to the Bell Centre in Montreal tonight.

-A knee injury will shut down Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Van Ryn for the season.

Southeast Division

-Stephen Weiss had a goal and an assist for the Panthers in a 4-2 win against the Flyers. Scott Clemmensen made 25 saves in his first game for Florida. Ray Emery made 24 saves for the Flyers.

-After a miscue by Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, Panthers forward Radek Dvorak scored a pretty big shorthanded goal:

-Florida's Gregory Campbell had a fairly wild fight with Philaelphia's Daniel Carcillo:

-Campbell and Carcillo about to battle:

-Two goals from Rich Peverly led the Thrashers to a 4-2 win at New Jersey. Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves in the victory. Jamie Langenbrunner and Bryce Salvador each recorded two assists for the Devils while goaltender Martin Brodeur had a rough night giving up four goals only on 19 shots.

-We're not goaltending coaches or anything, but we're thinking Pavelec played the wrong angle on this shot:

-Cool Photo of the Night: There was just a huge mass of humanity in the Thrashers crease:

-New Jersey's Rod Pelley wrecked some havoc on Atlanta's Anssi Salmela:

-Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore is expected to miss time due to back spasms. With Theodore down, the team recalled goaltender Braden Holtby from South Carolina of the ECHL.

-The Hurricanes are returning to the scene of the crime tonight as they travel to New Jersey. The Hurricanes upset the Devils in the first round of last season's playoffs.

Central Division

-Blackhawks forward and former Penguin Marian Hossa has resumed skating for the first time since offseason shoulder surgery.

-Chicago forward Jack Skille was once again demoted to Rockford of the AHL.

-Just more "wonderful" news for the Predators. Defenseman Dan Hamhuis (right) is dealing with an "upper-body" injury.

-With Hamius dinged up, Nashville recalled defenseman Cody Franson from Milwaukee of the AHL.

-A right wrist injury is expected to sideline Blues forward Alex Steen six to eight weeks.

-Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk is dealing with an "upper-body" injury.

-With Datsyuk ailing, the Red Wings have teamed Tomas Holmstrom on a line with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby.

-Detroit coach Mike Babcock said Valterri Filppula has been his team's best player.

Northwest Division

-Dustin Boyd and Brian McGrattan each had a goal and an assist for the Flames in a 6-3 defeat of the rival Canucks. Brandon Prust added two assists for Calgary. Vancouver was led by Henrik Sedin who had two assists.

-McGrattan actually had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick as he threw down with Vancouver's Darcy Hordichuk:

-McGrattan might have the worst haircut in the NHL:

-Check out this nifty wrist shot Vancouver's Christian Ehrhoff scored on:

-Calgary's Curtis Glencross apparently celebrates through the language of shadow puppets these days:

-The Oilers got two goals each from Gilbert Brule and Dustin Penner and beat the Wild, 5-2. Former Penguin Ryan Stone and Jean-Francois Jacques each recorded two assists for Edmonton. Fire Ray Shero. Nikolai Khabibulin made 29 saves in the win.

-Check out the pass by Patrick O'Sullvan to set up Penner's first goal:

-Check out Penner's second goal:

-Penner's been hot. He has nine points in his last six games.

-Oilers forward Ales Hemsky was scratched last night due to a fever.

-"It bothers me a little that I didn't get a ring. That's kind of a gray area, and they decided not to give us one. That's their decision," Quincey said. "It just drives me more and more to have an opportunity to get one with this team." - Avalanche defenseman and former Red Wing Kyle Quincey on Detroit's decision not to give him a Stanley Cup ring in 2008.

-Even with forwards Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion) and Cal Clutterbuck (ankle) out indefinitely, Wild general manager and former Penguins assistant genaral manager Chuck Fletcher doesn't plan on making any significant moves to replace them.

Pacific Division

-The Stars made a few moves. With forward Jere Lehtinen dealing with an intercostal muscle injury, forward Aaron Gagnon was recalled from Texas of the AHL. Additionally, forward Steve Ott (right) was placed on injured reserve due to an ailing oblique muscle.

-The Coyotes recalled forward Kevin Porter from San Antonio of the AHL.

-Ducks defenseman and former Penguins Ryan Whitney is dealing with an undisclosed ailment. All Ducks coach Randy Carlyle would say is, "It’s not a hangnail."

-The Sharks are giving forward Scott Nichol, a player similar to Maxime Talbot, some time on a line with Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley.

Patrick Division

-The Robert Morris men's team opened its season with a 4-2 loss to Alaska-Fairbanks in the Brice Goal Rush.

-The Robert Morris women's team fell to St. Lawrence, 3-2.

-Happy 80th birthday to former Pittsburgh Hornets forwar Bo Elik.

(Photos: Stevens-Joel Auerbach/Getty Images; Campbell and Carcillo-Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press; Brodeur, Pavelec, Thrashers' crease and Salmela-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Hamhuis-Tony Gutierrez/Associate Press; Glencross and McGrattan-Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press; Ott-Jeff Gross/Getty Images)