The deal represents a strong return for the Senators, considering Conacher has been one of the most impressive rookies in the NHL and can immediately join the Senators’ lineup during their playoff push.

The 5-foot-8 Conacher has nine goals and 15 assists this season and is second among all rookies with 24 points, only one behind Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau.

But in Bishop, the Lightning immediately address their goaltending issues. The 6-foot-7 Bishop has been effective in Ottawa while playing for the injured Craig Anderson, posting a record of 8-5-0 with a .922 save percentage and 2.45 goals-against average.

The deal gives the Lightning another option at goalie for starter Anders Lindback, who has been inconsistent in his first season as an NHL starter. Lindback is recovering from an ankle injury and hasn’t played since March 20.

The post Cory Conacher dealt to Senators appeared first on IdealCapper.

Luongo showed his frustration with his contract and his current status as a backup goaltender Wednesday during a news conference with the Vancouver media.

“My contract sucks — that’s what’s the problem,” Luongo said. “I’d scrap it if I could now.”

“I think that he was very emotional,” Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said. “I think these days are emotional for everybody. I think he said that in a highly emotional state. I’d like to give him the opportunity to catch his breath and have a discussion with him.”

Luongo will spend the remainder of the season in Vancouver and will back up starter Cory Schneider, who has seized the starting job with a 2.27 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.

A three-time All-Star, Luongo hasn’t started a game since March 18.

“It’s a tough situation for everybody, no doubt,” Luongo said following Wednesday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline. “We’re obviously trying to make the best out of it and making sure that what’s best for both sides is done. Obviously, the time isn’t now, and we’ll have to wait.”

Luongo acknowledged that the remaining nine years on his contract made a trade especially challenging. His average salary cap hit is $5.33 million per season.

“I do feel obligated to trade Roberto and get him into a position where he’s happy,” Gillis said. “The needs of our team also play a role in this. Trying to balance them is a difficult thing. We’ve been doing that for six months.”

According to ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun, the Maple Leafs had discussions with the Canucks regarding Luongo, but the two sides couldn’t find a match. Luongo can reject any deal but claimed that it never came to that, even though he was pulled from practice early Wednesday.

“There was obviously some teams that were interested,” Luongo said. “Nothing ever materialized to a point where I had to give a decision whether I was going to waive or not. What the future holds is something you try not to think about.”

The post Roberto Luongo stays with Canucks appeared first on IdealCapper.

The team announced Ward’s diagnosis Monday and said the former All-Star goalie will not require surgery.

The team says Ward suffered a third-degree sprain to his medial collateral ligament midway through the second period of Sunday night’s 3-2 win at Florida.

He hurt his left knee when teammate Justin Faulk slid into him while the defenseman tried to stop Florida’s Jack Skille from skating toward the net.

The team-issued timeline places Ward’s potential return in mid- to late-April. The regular season ends April 27.

The injury makes backup Dan Ellis the team’s No. 1 goalie. Ellis is 3-2-1 with a 2.53 goals-against average in his first season in Carolina.

The post Cam Ward out 6-8 weeks appeared first on IdealCapper.

The New York Islanders placed the goaltender on waivers Friday, the team announced on its website.

Although logic would suggest the move is the first step toward a potential buyout for DiPietro, general manager Garth Snow declined to reveal his plans.

“We haven’t given that any consideration at this point,” Snow said when reached by phone Friday afternoon. “I’m not gonna speculate what the future may hold.”

DiPietro is expected to report to the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, assuming he clears waivers Saturday at noon. Although a team could, in theory, claim him, both his hefty salary and abysmal performance this season make that scenario unlikely.

Snow said he wants to see DiPietro improve his game down in the minors.

“The decision was made primarily as a first step to get him back to the form he was in before he started getting all these injuries,” Snow said. “It’s a situation where we want Rick to have every chance to get back to that success.”

DiPietro started the season with a 0-3-0 record and posted dreadful numbers — a 4.10 goals-against average and .855 save percentage — but his albatross of a contract remains the team’s more pressing issue.

The oft-injured DiPietro’s 15-year, $67.5 million contract — which pays him $4.5 million annually through 2021 — is regarded as one of the league’s worst.

The Islanders could choose to exercise a transition buyout on the 31-year-old this summer. Each team was provided two of these in the new collective bargaining agreement, to be used in the summers of 2013 and 2014. The team could also elect to employ the traditional buyout rule, which would allow the team to retain his cap hit.

That may be the most desirable option for the club, which has barely hovered above the cap floor in recent seasons.

Until the Islanders decide whether or not to buy him out — the team has previously used buyouts on Alexei Yashin and Brendan Witt — the club will pay both his salary and be charged for his cap hit.

Per the rules of the new CBA, DiPietro will still carry a $3.6 million (prorated) hit on the team’s salary cap this year.

Earlier this month, the team acquired veteran netminder Tim Thomas in a trade with the Bruins in what boiled down to a simple salary-cap transaction. The Islanders added Thomas’ $5 million cap hit and won’t have to pay him a single dollar in salary since he has no intention of playing or reporting to the team. Thomas said during the summer that he was taking the year off from hockey to spend time with his family.

DiPietro, a former first overall draft pick, was upset when informed of the team’s decision, Snow said.

“He was disappointed, like any player would be in that situation,” Snow said.

With DiPietro headed down, 22-year-old prospect Kevin Poulin will likely be recalled from the minors to back up veteran Evgeni Nabokov in net.

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Fasth earned a new contract after just nine unbeaten appearances with the Pacific Division-leading Ducks, who have the NHL’s second-best record at 12-2-1. He’ll make $2.4 million next season and $3.4 million in 2014-15.

“You always try to do your best and play your best, try to help the team as much as you can,” Fasth said in a phone interview. “That’s what I’ve been trying to focus on, and that’s what I have to keep doing, to do my part.”

The Ducks signed the 30-year-old Fasth to be Jonas Hiller’s backup last summer after a stellar pro career in his native Sweden, outbidding other NHL teams with a $1 million, one-year contract.

With Hiller slowed by a lower-body injury, Fasth has been largely outstanding in his place, making nine appearances with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage while tying for the league lead in victories.

“It feels great,” Fasth told ESPN.com. “I really like it here — the organization and the team and everything — so it feels great.”

Fasth is just the third goalie in NHL history to win his first eight decisions, joining Ray Emery and Bob Froese. He’s one win away from matching Emery’s record 9-0-0 start to his career with Ottawa.

He’s also playing a major role in the outstanding start by the Ducks, who have missed the playoffs in two of the last three years. Anaheim, currently on a five-day break between games, has won five straight while rising to second place in the Western Conference behind Chicago.

“Viktor has proven himself not only this year in the NHL, but the previous two seasons as the top goaltender in Sweden,” Ducks general manager Bob Murray said. “We are pleased to be able to keep him and feel fortunate to have two top NHL goaltenders going forward.”

Anaheim relied heavily last season on Hiller, who set a club record with an NHL-high 73 starts. The Ducks were determined not to wear down their former All-Star from Switzerland, and Fasth has provided coach Bruce Boudreau with two outstanding options.

Fasth won a shootout against Nashville in his NHL debut on Jan. 26, and he posted his first shutout at Colorado on Feb. 6.

Hiller outplayed longtime Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere to claim the Anaheim starting job during the 2008-09 season, but Hiller hasn’t lost his own starting job to Fasth quite yet. Hiller made 25 saves against Columbus on Monday night for his first victory in 18 days.

When asked if he considered himself the Ducks’ starter, Fasth replied: “No, I don’t.”

“Jonas played against Columbus and played incredibly good,” he added. “I just try to work hard, and I’ll play when the coach tells me to play. That’s how things work.”

Hiller is under contract through 2013-14, making $4.5 million this season and again next year.

Fasth has thoroughly impressed the Ducks with his smooth positional play and exceptional stick work, but the veteran netminder was expected to be a solid NHL player. He was named the Swedish Elite League’s top goaltender in each of the past two seasons with AIK Stockholm, the first goalie to win back-to-back Honken Trophies since New York Rangers star Henrik Lundqvist.

Fasth also played at the 2011 world championships in Slovakia, backstopping Sweden to silver medals while winning the tournament MVP award and raising his profile among international hockey watchers.

“The national team is a window for every player to get the ice under you,” Fasth said. “The Swedish Elite League, I don’t know if there’s many scouts watching that, but of course it helps to play for the national team and play good there.”

The post Viktor Fasth signs 2-year extension appeared first on IdealCapper.

The Hawks recalled goaltender Henrik Karlsson from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.

Crawford missed the morning skate as the team prepared to face the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.

“He’s out for today, day to day, upper body,” coach Joel Quenneville said after Friday’s morning skate. “Didn’t feel great (after Thursday’s) practice. That’s where he’s at.”

When asked if Crawford could play Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings, Quenneville said, “We’ll see.”

Karlsson was at Friday’s practice along with goaltender Ray Emery, who is scheduled to start against the Sharks.

Emery is 3-0-0 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He made a career-high 45 saves and stopped all three shootout shots in a 3-2 win win against the Calgary Flames on Feb. 2. “The guys have played well no matter who’s in net,” Quenneville said. “They’ve been consistent. I think there’s confidence no matter who’s in the net in both ways this year. I think Ray is coming off another solid game after a spectacular game in Calgary. I think he’s had a real good approach to the season as well. I’m sure he’s excited about playing today as well.”

The 29-year-old Karlsson was acquired from the Flames for a 2013 seventh-round pick on Jan. 21. He had a 2-2-0 record with a 2.23 GAA and a .919 save percentage with the IceHogs this season.

“Well, he’s big,” Quenneville said of the 6-foot-6, 209-pound Karlsson. “He’s got some NHL games under his belt. He looked all right in practice today, too, so he gives us a nice addition to lineup as far as the organization as well when we picked him up a couple weeks ago.”

Karlsson, who is originally from Sweden, played 26 regular-season games with the Flames spanning the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. He was 5-9-8 with a 2.79 GAA and a .905 save percentage with Calgary. After beginning his professional career in the Swedish Elite League, he was signed by the Sharks in 2009 and traded to the Flames in 2010.

The post Corey Crawford misses practice appeared first on IdealCapper.

Kiprusoff, who left Tuesday’s game after the second period, is listed as day to day.

“In the second period I felt some discomfort in the lower body area,” Kiprusoff said in a statement. “During the intermission, it was decided that I not return to play. I really believe that this is a short-term injury and over the next days, I’ll work toward being ready as soon as possible.”

Backup Leland Irving stopped all six shots he faced in the third period against the Red Wings. Calgary (2-3-2) is last in the Western Conference with six points entering Wednesday.

Kiprusoff, who has played in all seven games this season, has a .870 save percentage and 3.24 goals-against average. He has played in more than 70 games in each of the past seven seasons for the Flames.

Taylor’s deal is worth $525,000. He has spent the past two seasons with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Heat.

The post Flames sign goalie Danny Taylor appeared first on IdealCapper.

New York Islanders vs. Winnipeg Jets
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus2 (New York), TSN (Winnipeg)
Prediction: Islanders 3, Jets 2

Oddsmakers currently have the Jets listed as 142-moneyline favorites versus the Islanders, while the game’s total is sitting at 5½.

Although former franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro fared well in his season debut versus the Bruins, New York will likely turn to Evgeni Nabokov on Sunday. The veteran Russian netminder has dominated the Jets’ franchise, posting a 7-1-2 career mark with a 1.87 goals-against average. Keith Aucoin has three goals in his last two games to match Michael Grabner for the team lead.

In their last action, New York was a 4-2 loser on the road against the Bruins. Bettors on Boston at -190 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (6) sent OVER bettors home happy as well.

Team record: 2-1-1 SU, ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
The total has gone OVER in 11 of last 15 games
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
Before playing NY Rangers are 1-9
After playing Pittsburgh are 5-5
After a win are 3-7

Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien netted his second power-play goal this season in Friday’s victory. Winnipeg’s play with the man advantage has come alive after a 1-for-10 start to the season. The Jets have converted three of their seven opportunities on the power play during their modest win streak. Byfuglien’s five points are matched for the team lead with defenseman Tobias Enstrom, who has recorded four of his five assists in the last two games.

In their last action, Winnipeg was a 4-2 winner at home against the Penguins. Bettors on Winnipeg at +120 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (6) sent OVER bettors home happy as well.

Team record: 2-2-0 SU, ATS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 5 games on the road
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing New Jersey are 3-7
After playing Boston are 2-8
After a loss are 4-6

The post New York Islanders vs. Winnipeg Jets Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators
When: 5:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario
TV: 5 p.m., ROOT, Sportsnet East, TVA
Prediction: Senators 5, Penguins 4

Oddsmakers currently have the Penguins listed as 121-moneyline favorites versus the Senators, while the game’s total is sitting at 5½.

Starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has split time with offseason signing Tomas Vokoun thus far. Both have a win and a loss, as well as a goals-against average around 3.00, but Vokoun holds the edge in save percentage with .908 to Fleury’s .882. Crosby and reigning Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin are tied for the team lead with five points, while James Neal leads the club with 22 shots and has three goals. Chris Kunitz, who has three points, leads the team with 15 hits.

Pittsburgh was a 4-2 loser in its last match on the road against the Jets. They lost as -130 favorites, while the total score of 6 made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 3-1-0 SU, ATS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 7 of last 8 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of last 10 games at home
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Boston are 6-4
After playing Tampa Bay are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6

Karlsson, who won the Norris Trophy last season as the league’s best defenseman, leads the team with 17 shots and is plus-6. Jason Spezza, who had a team-high 84 points last season, has four points. Captain Daniel Alfredsson has three assists so far and is 15 points away from reaching 1,100 in his career. Milan Michalek hasn’t scored since Ottawa’s season-opener but has points in all four games so far.

The Senators were a 6-4 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Lightning. That made winners of bettors who got Tampa Bay at -125 on the moneyline, while the total score (10) was good news for OVER bettors.

Team record: 2-2-0 SU, ATS
Current streak: lost 2 straight games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 7 of last 8 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 14 of last 17 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 17 of last 21 games
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Ottawa are 6-4
After playing Winnipeg are 7-3
After a loss are 6-4

The post Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators Free Betting Tip & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Buffalo Sabres at Washington Capitals
When: 3:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia
TV: 3 p.m., NHL Network (U.S.), MSG, Comcast Sportsnet D.C.
Prediction: Sabres 4, Capitals 1

Oddsmakers currently have the Capitals listed as 116-moneyline favorites versus the Sabres, while the game’s total is sitting at 5½.

Vanek has four points and five assists in his last eight games against Washington. Cody Hodgson has three goals to start the season after finishing with three in 20 games for Buffalo in 2011-12. Offseason acquisition Steve Ott, who scored in the season opener against Philadelphia, leads the team with 21 hits. Tyler Ennis, who finished last season with 24 points in 22 games, has one assist so far this season and is minus-3.

Last time out for Buffalo, they were a 3-1 loser as they battled the Hurricanes at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Hurricanes at +140 were rewarded, while the 4 combined goals moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 0-3-1 SU, ATS
Current streak: lost 4 straight games.
is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games when playing at home against Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Calgary are 3-7
After playing New Jersey are 4-6
After a loss are 7-3

Joel Ward, who scored six goals in 73 games last season, has two in his first four games this season. Goaltenders Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth have two starts apiece this season. Neuvirth has a 3.37 goals-against average and .877 save percentage, which is better than Holtby’s 5.04 GAA and .863 save percentage. Jason Chimera, who set a career-high with 20 goals and 39 points last season, has two assists – but he leads the team with 11 hits and is plus-1 this season.

Last time out for Washington, they were a 3-2 loser as they battled the Devils on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Devils at -158 were rewarded, while the 5 combined goals moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 2-2-0 SU, ATS
Current streak: lost 2 straight games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 6 games on the road
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
Before playing Colorado are 8-2
After playing Carolina are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4

The post Buffalo Sabres vs. Washington Capitals Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.