Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

Panthers, Senators meet in a biggie; Buffalo's shootout jinx ends; Mason gets another call to Columbus; Canadiens succeed without key contributions; Knuble is red-hot; LaRose out for the season and more...

BIG IMPLICATIONS 
The Panthers and Senators will face off against each other on Thursday in what should be one of the most hotly contested games of the year for both teams.

The game has an impact on the playoff picture for both teams, as Florida is three points away from taking top spot in the Southeast Division--which currently would have them seeded third in the playoff picture. Moreover, they are four points away from eighth place Boston and Buffalo.

One of the major reasons why the Panthers are in the hunt is due to their acquisition of Tomas Vokoun from Nashville prior to the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. It's almost as if Roberto Luongo never left, since Vokoun seems to play better as the shot count increases. Vokoun is coming off a shutout in Toronto, giving him four on the season.

The Senators need a win badly against the Panthers, as the Canadiens are only one point away from taking top spot from them in the Northeast Division. The Sens, who have seemingly been invincible in the regular season over the past number of seasons, now face injury woes as well as questions in goal. Antoine Vermette has answered his critics with six points in the past five games, while Randy Robitaille has three points in the past two games. Dany Heatley is reportedly probable for the game. If he plays, his presence would be huge for a Sens team that have been without his services since January 12. The controversial Ray Emery will start in goal.

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STREAKING SABRES  
A few weeks ago, it looked like things were going from bad to worse for the limping Buffalo Sabres.

After a dreadful start to the New Year, the Sabres went on a massive seven-game road trip, with just five of 14 points in their previous seven games--including three shootout losses in a row in that time.

The Sabres started their road trip off with two losses in a row, allowing 10 goals in two games. Then, they suddenly found defense. Over their past six games, the Sabres have won five. In those five victories, they have held the opposition to under two goals, including Wednesday night when they got the shootout victory over the Devils that had eluded them in their previous two meetings. The Sabres won 3-2 on shootout goals by Drew Stafford and Henrik Tallinder.

It is not just defense that is pulling them through; there has been a direct correlation between the Sabres' ability to win and the improved play of their top forwards as well. Over the past five games, Jason Pominville has three goals and five assists and over the past seven, Derek Roy has eight points.

Things are looking up for the Sabres, as they have returned to Buffalo for the first home game since January 18. Winger Clarke MacArthur played on Wednesday, after missing the Sabres' last game versus Boston with the flu. Ryan Miller was in fine form on Wednesday, after experiencing a knee injury in Atlanta last Friday. He played well against Boston and again against New Jersey, stopping 24 shots to earn the win.

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BLUE JACKETS 
The Jackets did some juggling on Wednesday after Pascal Leclaire went down with a bruised neck on Tuesday. Fredrik Norrena is expected to take over for Leclaire, who is expected to be out at least the next two games. Norrena is 6-12-4 this season with a 2.73 goals-against average. On Wednesday, Steve Mason was called up from Kitchener of the OHL to back up Norrena. If Leclaire's injury keeps him out for longer than two games, expect Mason to get a start for Columbus. Also, winger Joakim Lindstrom was recalled from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, while defenseman Duvie Westcott took his spot back with the farm club. Lindstrom had his first ever multi-point game earlier this season against the Kings but was pointless in two games prior to his reassignment.

CANADIENS 
The Canadiens have named Carey Price as the starter against the Maple Leafs on Thursday. Defenseman Roman Hamrlik is expected to miss the contest with the flu, so veteran Patrice Brisebois is again expected to take his spot in the lineup. The Habs are 7-2-1 in their past 10, despite the struggles of a number of key players. Winger Chris Higgins has three points in his past 10 games but will look to regain his form against the Leafs. This season, he is averaging a point per game in five contests against Toronto. While Saku Koivu has not struggled to the point that Higgins has, he has seen reduced ice time lately and was benched for much of the third period against Ottawa in the Canadiens' 4-3 victory on Tuesday. Michael Ryder is expected to be scratched for the third game in a row. Both Ryder and Koivu have been the subject of trade rumors recently.

CAPITALS 
Alexander Ovechkin is just four goals away from scoring 50 this season. He potted his ninth game-winning goal for the Capitals in a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday. More importantly, the win catapulted Washington from 11th place to third in the Eastern Conference, as they leap-frogged idle Carolina to take the reigns in the Southeast Division. Defenseman Mike Green had two assists and goalie Olaf Kolzig stopped 32 shots in the victory. The Caps' next game is versus Carolina--a team Ovechkin has six goals and one assist against in four games. Look for "Alexander the Gr8" to continue his hot streak against the 'Canes.

DEVILS 
The Devils' luck in the shootout against the Sabres ran out on Wednesday. In three previous matches this season, the Devils took one-goal victories after overtime solved nothing. This time, the shoe was on the other foot in the shootout. John Madden had two helpers for the Devils, giving him five assists in his last three games. Both Devils goals came from defensemen, as Karel Rachunek scored his second goal in three games (giving him four on the year) and Mike Mottau scored his first goal since he netted one on December 28 versus the Sabres. He has three on the year.

HURRICANES 
Chad Larose broke his leg in a loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. While LaRose does not get the press of an Eric Staal or Erik Cole, he usually logs a substantial amount of ice time, especially in short-handed situations. In fact, only injured winger Justin Williams averaged more ice time for a forward on the club. LaRose was also a plus-1 on the season in 53 games. LaRose is likely out for the rest of the season, which could have GM Jim Rutherford shopping for a penalty-killer.

FLAMES 
Franchise defenseman Dion Phaneuf signed a six-year contract extension with the Flames on Wednesday. The signing comes on the heels of Phaneuf's two-goal night against Phoenix Tuesday night. Phaneuf leads the Flames' defense corps in scoring and is fifth among NHL defensemen in average time on the ice.

FLYERS 
The Flyers and Capitals were the two hottest teams in the Eastern Conference going into Wednesday's action (both teams sported 7-3-0 records going into the game, which the Capitals won 4-3). Winger Mike Knuble had a goal and an assist, making him one of the hottest snipers in the NHL over the past week with five goals and an assist in three games. Veteran Sami Kapanen scored his first goal since January 20 in the loss.

OILERS 
Veteran center Shawn Horcoff had successful shoulder surgery on Wednesday, which is good news for the Oilers down the road but will not help them this season. Defenseman Sheldon Souray traveled to New Jersey to have surgery to correct his shoulder problem on Thursday. He's the third Oiler to have his season end early. With winger Raffi Torres also out for the season, younger players such as forwards Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner will should continue to see more ice time. With Souray's season likely done as well, defenseman Tom Gilbert will be counted on to continue his team-leading offensive production from the blueline.

WILD 
He may not even have unpacked his bag. Only one day after being recalled, third-string netminder Nolan Schaefer was sent back down to Houston (AHL) by the Wild. This marked the fourth time this season Minnesota has called up the 28-year-old goalie from Saskatchewan. Schaefer last played an NHL game for San Jose during the 2005-2006 season.