So far this season, the Bruins have won all three meetings rather convincingly, outscoring them 19-5 and look to feed on a very successful November, having won 25 of a possible 26 points.

James Reimer, Toronto's starting goalie, was finally back between the pipes after a lengthy recovery from concussion-like symptoms. The Leafs are looking to their young net minder to make the difference...that and their Dad's.

Several Dad's of the Leafs' roster were in attendance, and they looked to cheer on their sons to victory.

Reimer was playing solid as the Bruins sent down a relentless amount of pressure. Bruins Captain Zdeno Chara was matched up with former Bruin Phil Kessel.

Kessel was going into Boston for the 16th time as the league's top scorer and points leader, with only two goals and six assists for eight points.

It took 14 minutes and 20 seconds to beat Reimer in his first game back, as the Leafs turned over the puck and left Nathan Horton all by himself behind the goal line. Horton got the puck and plenty of time to line up David Krejci to tip in the pass and open up the scoring.

The Leafs quickly responded. Just 48 seconds later, Mikhail Grabovski ripped a no-looker and got all of it. Bruins' goalie Tuukka Rask was wondering what the heck happened, but then realized that the lamp was lit and the game was tied.

Later in the period, Rich Peverley made the cross-ice pass after a lot of pressure from the Bruins and it got to Chris Kelly's stick for the tip in past Reimer's right side.

2-1, Bruins.

Early in the final frame, Johnny Boychuk ripped a "Johnny Rocket" and beat Reimer to extend the lead with a 89.2 MPH shot.

3-1, Bruins.

Midway through the period, the Bruins hemmed the Leafs in their own zone on even strength for about a minute and a half. The Leafs had to ice the puck as the Bruins had several chances to put the game more out of reach.

The Bruins were applying pressure all night and gave little-to-no chance for the Leafs to generate many chances.

What chances they can generate, the Bruins covered the lanes and made sure that Rask could see the shots.

Nathan Horton snapped a wrister from Krejci's pass to the point. Leafs' Cody Franson lost his stick and tried to get Milan Lucic and Krejci off the puck but ended up shielding Reimer.

4-1, Bruins and that turned out to be the final score.

The Bruins took their first game of December, and they win the season series against the Leafs with two games left to play in March.

Next up, it's the Pittsburgh Penguins, as they are the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Bruins will look to extend their lead, but I think this will be a much tougher challenge against Sid the Kid and Co.

This is Cory Ducey saying "Hit Hard, But Keep It Clean."

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The Islanders have stated that Niederreiter won't return to the game and will be re-evaluated.

Niederrieter, who was the Isles' first pick in the 2010 draft, received a pass from forward Matt Martin near the side boards, and was hit by Fistric who appeared to hit up high on Niederreiter.

Nino Niederrieter has appeared in five games this season while scoring one goal and playing mostly on the third and fourth line.

Losing him would be a big blow to this team, which has already lost goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, forward Jay Pandolfo, and defenseman Mark Eaton for an extended amount of time.

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Friday night’s game against Anaheim was a microcosm of the Flyers’ season thus far, and if the end result is an indication of things to come, the Flyers will certainly take it.

The Ducks opened the scoring with a goal that net-minder Ilya Bryzgalov would like to have back, as his premature poke-check attempt on Anaheim’s Andrew Cogliano allowed Cogliano to poke the puck between Bryzgalov’s legs. 

While Bryzgalov has not been bad this season, the Flyers have found themselves losing leads and falling behind on shots that the City of Philadelphia expects the Russian net-minder to save.  His lack of flashiness has put more pressure on the defense to tighten up and force low-percentage shots that Bryzgalov can handle more easily.

Enter a third defensive pair with zero games NHL experience before this season.

Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall have found themselves on the everyday roster since Chris Pronger, Andreas Lilja and Erik Gustafsson were sidelined by injuries. 

In the first period of Friday’s game, Bourdon found himself on the ice with veteran Braydon Coburn as the Flyers tried to clear the zone.  Anaheim’s Matt Belesky drew Claude Giroux behind the net.  Bourdon left his post in front of Bryzgalov to put a big hit on Belesky.

Unfortunately, Belesky had passed the puck to Saku Koivu, who found Teemu Selanne in the high crease—right where Bourdon should have been.

Selanne easily beat Bryzgalov to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead with Bourdon’s inexperience appearing to be the guilty party.

On the third goal, both Bourdon and Marshall found themselves facing a 3-on-2.  The Flyers’ defensemen got bunched up as Ben Maxwell went wide.  Maxwell’s rebound found its way to Andrew Gordon, whose first tally in nearly a year gave the Ducks an imposing three-goal lead.

Facing a frustrating road loss at the hands of shaky goaltending and unreliable defense, the Flyers’ veterans—while few in number—found a way to take over the game.

Kimmo Timonen, the focus of the defensive core in the absence of Chris Pronger, would assist on all three of Philadelphia’s regulation goals.

On a power-play in the second period, Timonen found the puck on his stick following a face-off.  With Jaromir Jagr skating in front of Jonas Hiller as a screen, Timonen took a wrist shot that redirected off of Jagr’s body and found its way between Hiller’s legs.

In the third, the Flyers were on a 5-on-3 advantage when Jagr fed Timonen in the high slot.  Timonen immediately passed the puck back to Jagr, who had a clear shot at the net.  The one-timer brought Philadelphia within one.

Timonen’s big night came to a head with less than four minutes remaining when the shifty defenseman carried the puck behind the net.  With four Flyers crashing the net, the Anaheim defense fell apart and Timonen found Scott Hartnell outside the crease.

Hartnell easily beat Hiller to tie the game.

In overtime, the Flyers got a fortunate four-minute power-play when Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf’s soft hook on Jakub Voracek drew a call (perhaps a make-up for an equally soft call on Voracek at the end of the third period).  Getzlaf’s reaction drew the ire of the ref, who assessed an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Danny Briere would draw the attention of the Anaheim defense and Hiller, allowing him to make a quick pass to Giroux who one-timed the puck into an open net to cap the comeback.

The stats sheet shows exactly how the Flyers won: the veterans dominated play.

Anaheim managed only five shots in the third period and overtime combined, as Timonen, Jagr and Co. controlled the flow of the game and kept the heat on Hiller.

Jagr and Timonen each had three-point nights; Giroux, Hartnell and Briere had two-point nights.  No other Flyer found himself on the score-sheet.

While the team will be unable to rely entirely on these five players long-term, the second half of Friday’s game was a statement about how the Flyers handle pressure.

The veterans know when to step up.  The team can crack down and find reserves of energy in crunch time.  The leaders never consider themselves down and out.

Coach Peter Laviolette’s responsibility is to find a way to get Bryzgalov, the defense and the young offensive players—Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier—into the mentality that Friday night’s stars found. 

Perhaps, this year, the Flyers are a tad too young to compete with the NHL’s elite.  But for a squad plagued by injuries and reliant on inexperienced players, the focus is on the long-term future. 

Games like this one, where veterans set the bar a little higher for youngsters, are a big step toward that future.

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Now after missing 97 games due to a concussion, the Blues' star forward is ready to take the ice in front of a sellout crowd at the Scottrade Center as the Blues host the division rival Chicago Blackhawks.

"It's been a long road obviously," Perron said on Friday. "I didn't expect it to be that long obviously. I'm really excited to get back to the lineup tomorrow. Everyone has been really kind and helpful. I'm just glad to be back to 100 percent healthy now, and ready to go."

Concussions have not been taken lightly in hockey in recent years.

Star forward Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, like Perron, had his season ended with a concussion last year. Crosby returned to the Pittsburgh lineup just 12 days ago.

Another star player, Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins, had his season ended last year with a concussion. Savard will sit out all of this year as well, and could be done with his hockey career.

Perron's return for Saint Louis will be huge, as the Blues have quickly climbed the Western Conference standings under new coach Ken Hitchcock. A win tonight would propel the Blues into a three-way tie for the Central Division lead, along with rivals Detroit and Chicago.

"It's going to be awesome. The guys are playing really well," Perron said. "Our goaltending has been really good. I'll just get in there, play my game and work as hard as I can, and I think for me it's going to be to keep it simple and just take the excitement of the game and bring two points to the team."

The scene at Scottrade will be electric tonight. The Blues are quickly becoming a power in the NHL, and the addition of Perron will certainly have the team and fans fired up.

"Over the last 13 months, I went through all kinds of emotions," said Perron. "I'm ready to be turning the page obviously."

The Blues are also ready to turn the page, and the fans are hungry for a playoff contender. Perron might just be the key to taking the next step towards Saint Louis' first Stanley Cup.

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That 2006-07 campaign saw the longtime captain register 52 goals and 108 points, good enough to capture the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer, as well as making him the all-time Lightning season-high scorer.

Since then, however, Lecavalier has tallied point-totals of 92, 67, 70, and just 54 last season. 

Shoulder and wrist injuries have surely set him back, which could explain Lecavalier's decreased production, but it seems Vinny is finally back to being Vinny.

Through 21 games thus far, Lecavalier has tallied 10 goals (including one game-winner) and 17 points, on pace for a 30-goal, 60-70 point season. The last time he scored 30 goals was 2007-08, when he lit the lamp 40 times, and totaled 92 points.

The 31-year-old Lecavalier is developing more of a two-way game under head coach Guy Boucher, who emphasizes a defense-first system. Perhaps he's finally playing completely injury-free hockey. We all know that, especially in the playoffs, players come back early from injury so long as they can still physically compete.

Either way, it seems Lecavalier is settling into that role more comfortably, much like Detroit Red Wings great Steve Yzerman eventually did under legendary head coach Scotty Bowman.

Playing around 19 minutes each game, Lecavalier has been a vital part of the Lightning's offense this season, the team he's spent his entire career with.

His 10 goals are good for second on the team, only two behind Steven Stamkos, and also tie for fifth in the entire NHL. Although he's played 12 games on the road, as opposed to only nine at home, Lecavalier has tallied 11 points at home, and only six on the road.  

At age 31, the Ile Bizard, Quebec, native still has plenty of solid hockey left in him. It appears it's time to reconsider for those who wrote off Vincent Lecavalier. He's getting back to his old, scoring form.

Now, he may not find the top 10 in league scoring by the season's end, but as I stated, a 30-goal, 60-70 point season would be undoubtedly be a welcome sight in Tampa Bay. And at this rate, it's hard to see him slowing down. 

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The two teams met twice in the preseason, where the Sharks won both games, 4-3 and 3-0. But those games don't matter. The early season struggles are a distant memory for both the Sharks and Canucks. The Sharks have won seven of their last nine games, and the Canucks have won four of their last five.

As far as standings go, the Sharks lead the Pacific Division with a 13-5-1 record, and are in third place in the Western Conference. The Canucks are in 10th place in the West with a record of 12-9-1, but can easily hop past a few teams with a win tonight.

Recently, quite a few Sharks have been ridiculously hot. Joe Thornton leads the team with 20 points, followed by Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski with 19. Pavelski has scored 11 goals to lead the team and Patty has nine. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, a defenseman, has two goals and nine assists, and has been one hot pickle lately.

For Vancouver, the Sedin twins, not surprisingly, are among the league leaders in points. Daniel has 25, and Henrik has 23. Vancouver has gotten very good secondary scoring, with guys like Alex Burrows and Chris Higgens among the team lead with seven goals.

But past all that, I believe the Sharks can get revenge on the Canucks tonight. Antti Niemi, coming off a shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks, will get the start tonight against a hot-and-cold Cory Schneider.

If Niemi plays as well as he did in the last game, and the Sharks offense gets back on track after only scoring once against Chicago, the Sharks should be able to serve the Canucks a cold dish of revenge.

With the additions of Martin Havlat, Brent Burns and Michal Handzus, the Sharks covered up most of their weaknesses.

San Jose should come out on top tonight. My prediction is a 4-2 Sharks victory, with the fourth being an empty netter.

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Cody Eakin and Dmitri Orlov both earned NHL call-ups after posting impressive numbers at the AHL level, performing admirably during their stints in a Capitals uniform.  

While Eakin was considered a good bet to be in Washington at some point this season, it was unclear as to whether Orlov would get his first big-league experience, primarily because the Caps' blue line is stacked with talent and experience, at least on paper.  

However, after Mike Green went down with a troublesome groin injury November 13, Orlov's number was called by GM George McPhee, and the 20-year old Russian has taken advantage of his opportunity in a big way so far.  

In just three games, Orlov has registered two assists, while also demonstrating the offensive skill and foot speed that has made him the latest hot prospect in what has become a long line of talented young defenseman coming out of Hershey.  

The 2010-11 Season was a breakout campaign for Orlov, as he posted a respectable 12 points for Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the KHL, but his true coming-out party was the 2011 World Junior Championships in Buffalo.  There, Orlov was the top defenseman for the Gold Medalist Russian squad, notching nine points en route to a spot on the tournament All-Star team.

At the end of the year, Orlov took his talents to Hershey, playing the final 19 games of the regular season and six postseason contests for the Bears.  Though he performed well given the fact that it was his North American professional debut, the Caps didn't expect the speedy rearguard to challenge for a lineup spot the following season.  

It's too early to tell whether Orlov is ready to take on a regular shift on the Caps' blue line, but what is clear is that he will be there in the near future, which is a welcome sight for Washington's brain trust.  Mike Green and Dennis Wideman, the team's two best point producers (with all due respect to John Carlson) up for free agency on July 1, Orlov's offensive abilities will be a valuable asset going forward.  

So far, Orlov has looked like a young Sergei Zubov, as he's been composed with the puck and quick enough to compensate for the vast majority of his errors, which are inevitable for a rookie defenseman.

Though Orlov may finish the season with Hershey, he'll be back soon, ready to fill an even larger role on the Caps' back end.  

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This article has more to do with the players that need to step up their games; it's a list of which players who should be putting pucks in the back of the net are in fact not doing that at all.

Some notable names are on it, and these are mostly players who, given their massive bank accounts, are simply not cutting it.

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Boston lost via shootout to the Detroit Red Wings in the Discover Thanksgiving Showdown yesterday afternoon.

The Jets franchise hasn't visited Boston as the Winnipeg Jets since 1995, but their former team—Atlanta Thrashers—have been to the Garden a bit more recently.

They haven't fared well against the Bruins in those recent meetings.

Boston won its final eight meetings on home ice with the Atlanta Thrashers, its last loss coming on March 31, 2007.

Bruins forward Rich Peverley will look to make his old franchise realize their mistake in trading him to Boston last February. The Thrashers acquired defenseman Mark Stuart and forward Blake Wheeler from the Bruins in that trade, and both players are expected to suit up in tonight's clash.

When asked about the trade this morning, Peverley expressed gratitude and respect for the now-Winnipeg organization. After one reporter implied that the Peverley "dodged a bullet" by being traded to Boston, the Bruins forward explained that it wasn't so simple.

"[The Thrashers] organization gave me a great opportunity, took me off waivers, and I was able to play with some great players over there," Peverley answered. "It was a big part of my career. There are a lot of guys over there I have great friendships with. It’ll be nice to see them on the ice."

Seeing his old teammates on the ice will be nice for a little while, but it will be all business for Boston once the puck drops at the opening faceoff.

After a disappointing 3-2 shootout loss to Detroit yesterday, the Bruins have taken 21 of a possible 22 points in their 11 November games. The success has been remarkable, but it certainly is not satisfying for a Boston team that still trails Toronto by one point in the Northeast Division.

To pick up their 22nd and 23rd points of the season, the Bruins will need to make sure they come out strong. Against a weaker opponent whom they have enjoyed sustained success against, complacency will be a killer that could quickly crush much of the momentum they have gathered throughout the past four weeks.

For Winnipeg, the goal will be to weather the storm early and take the TD Garden crowd out of the game. The Jets will need to add timely scoring from their top players if they wish to take down the defending Stanley Cup champs.

Tim Thomas is expected to be back between the pipes for Boston after Tuukka Rask took the shootout loss to Detroit yesterday.

For Winnipeg, it could be Ondrej Pavelec back in the crease after backup Chris Mason started last night against Carolina. Mason, however, picked up a 3-1 win in that contest, so the Jets may elect to ride the hot hand instead.

Be sure to follow Derek Robinson on Twitter.  @DRobMachine

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About a quarter into the NHL season, Thanksgiving in the NHL is usually the point when general managers begin to draw conclusions about the talent on their rosters and whether or not it is good enough to make the playoffs.

There is good reason for this.

In November 2010, the Toronto Star conducted a statistical analysis where they compared the NHL standings at Thanksgiving to the final regular season standings for each year since 1993. It showed that 77.5% of teams holding a playoff spot at Thanksgiving made the playoffs in the last 17 years.

Now is the time for GMs to either pull the trigger or hit the panic button.

However, the new collective bargaining agreement in the NHL has changed the landscape for trades and signings. You don’t see many blockbuster trades anymore. GMs tend to lightly tinker with their rosters and try to make targeted trades that result in both a need filled for the starting lineup and an improvement in their salary cap situation (even though this sometimes blows up in their face).

They must also try to find an equilibrium between their long-term vision of the team and short-term success in the current season.

Is your team a buyer or a seller? Or will they simply stay the course?

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