Ilya Kovalchuk hits 40-goal mark once again

Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 40th goal of the season and added an assist on Saturday night in a 6-3 win over Ottawa, marking the fifth consecutive season that he has hit the 40-goal plateau.  Kovalchuk must have impressed Russian National Team coach Slava Bykov, who along with his assistant coach, was on hand Saturday night at Philips Arena; Kovalchuk will likely play for Bykov at the IIHF World Championships, which take place in Switzerland next month.  Kovy was the hero at last year's World Championships in Quebec, as he scored the game-tying and game-winning goals against Canada to lead Russia to the Gold.  After a slow start to the season, Ilya now has scored 28 goals in his last 38 games, still leaving the possibility that he can reach the 50-goal mark, which he has already reached twice in his relatively young career. Kovalchuk was named captain earlier in the season, and from that point on, has taken off; he is now only 6 goals away from 300.  

Anton Babchuk's power play goal leads 'Canes over Senators

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Anton Babchuk scored a power play goal with just over 6 minutes remaining in the third period to edge the Ottawa Senators 2-1 last night.  Babchuk has been on fire in recent weeks; last night's goal was 13th of the season and his 4th in  the last 5 games.  Babchuk leads Carolina in plus-minus rating with a +12 rating and is second among the 'Canes defensemen in goals and points.  Carolina travels to New Jersey Saturday for a 7 PM start against the Devils.

Defenseman Anton Volchenkov to return for the Senators tonight

The A-Train is back on the tracks. Ottawa defenseman Anton Volchenkov will return for the Senators tonight when they face the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes. Volchenkov missed Sunday night's game at the New York Rangers, with "bumps and bruises," likely coming from the multitude of shots that he puts himself in front of. Anton is currently ranked 8th in the NHL in blocked shots (155) despite missing 14 games due to injury. With only 10 games remaining, Ottawa is attempting to make an improbable run to capture the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Nikolai Khabibulin returns to form with a near shutout against Los Angeles

Nikolai Khabibulin was minutes away from a shuout against the Los Angeles Kings yesterday at the United Center when Kings rookie defenseman Drew Doughty got his team on the board (at the 16:54 mark of the 3rd period). Khabibulin's solid day in net was overshadowed by the return of Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp, who scored 2 goals in yesterday's victory. Khabibulin's win was his 18th of the season and his first since February 11. This comes after Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville indicated he would "ride" Khabibulin the rest of the way, as Chicago solidifies their playoff drive.

Anton Babchuk's two powerplay goals lead Carolina over New Jersey

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Anton Babchuk scored two powerplay goals last in a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils at the RBC Center. This was the first two-goal game of the 6'5" defenseman's career, giving him 11 goals for the season, 6 of which have come on the powerplay. Anton is known for his booming shot from the point and thus has found himself as a mainstay on Carolina's first powerplay unit. Carolina head coach Paul Maurice had this to say about Babchuk, "He's got a huge shot. Boy, when he gets a chance to step into it, he's been real good. A lot of that is confidence. He's scored enough this year that he wants the puck, and there aren't a lot of guys who want to stand in front of it."Babchuk's plus/minus rating of +10 is tops among Carolina defensemen and is tied for the team lead with Matt Cullen. Carolina takes on the New York Islanders tomorrow night as they fight for their playoff lives.

Anssi Salmela scores first career NHL goal

Congratulations to PuckAgency client Anssi Salmela, who scored his first career NHL goal, an unassisted powerplay goal last night in a 5-1 Atlanta win over Washington, the Thrashers' sixth consecutive win. Salmela was acquired by Atlanta on March 4th in exchange for defenseman Niclas Havelid (sent to New Jersey). Anssi is known as a defenseman who likes to join the rush and who flourishes on the power play as he possesses a strong shot from the point. Last night, Salmela logged 21:50 and was a +2. Atlanta faces off against Pittsburgh tonight at the Igloo.

Pekka Rinne sets Nashville franchise record for shutouts

Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne made his way into the record books on Saturday night after making 18 saves in a 2-0 win over Phoenix at Jobing Arena. This was Pekka's seventh shutout of the season, breaking a franchise record for shutouts, previously held by Dan Ellis. Rinne is now top 5 in the league in shutouts, save percentage (.923) and goals against average (2.21). The Predators are currently on a West coast roadtrip, and take on the Los Angeles Kings tonight. They will then travel to Anaheim on Wednesday and then on to San Jose for a Thursday night tilt.