The NHL is expected to make changes to the ice hockey rule book in order to protect goaltenders. This move was also set to be counter action to avoid incidences such as Sean Avery’s comical but annoying interference of Martin Brodeur.

During Sunday’s playoff game against the New Jersey Devils, Avery, who was a New York forward player, stood and waved his arms in front of New Jersey goaltender Brodeur with the intention to distract him.

The NHL announced today that it would amend the rule book and label attempts such as these as goaltender inference and they would suitably award “an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to the offending player”.

In the end, the Devils won with the score of 4-3, gaining an overtime victory to deny the Rangers’ victory in the Eastern Conference first round series to two games to one. Game Four of the series is expected to be held this Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

If the Washington Capitals win tonight at the Toronto’s Air Canada Centre it will be their first 5 game streak of wins in seven years.
With Monday’s 6-5 win over Pittsburgh the Capitals took their season-high streak of wins to four games . The Capitas Alexander Semin came up with the game-winning goal in the final round  for Washington.  Semin skated toward the net and finished with an impressive backhand past goalie Ty Conklin to clench the victory. Alexander Ovechkin scored two goals, and Viktor Kozlov has his second two goal game in a row. The last time this time won five games in a row was March, 2001.
Moreover Ovechkin has scored six goals and four assists in the last five games. The Russian player is leading the league with 38 goals.  Ovechkin has scored at least one goal in every one of his last five games while Kozlov has four goals in his last two contests. It would appears as though Washington is going to cause a ruckus in the Southeast Division. Washington has won five of their last seven games against the Maple Leafs and three of the last four in Toronto.

After Kariya lit up the Stars for a third-period hat trick the last time the teams met, expect coach Dave Tippett to try to get Mike Modano’s line out against Kariya as much as possible. With Kariya a left wing and Halpern a right wing. The Blues rank last in the NHL in average shots on goal per game at 25.3. Dallas ranks fourth in fewest shots on goal against at 26.0.

The Chicago Blackhawks recalled right wing Troy Brouwer from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Saturday. The 22-year-old Troy has 17 goals and 29 points. And the team assigned center Petri Kontiola to Rockford.

Forwards of the New Jersey Devils Noah Clarke and Barry Tallackson have been recalled from Lowell under emergency conditions, it has been announced. Tallackson has collected 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points in 30 games this season with Lowell. Last season Tallackson was recalled by the Devils for three games.

On Wednesday night, a pair of injury fill-ins – Raymond and Jaffray playing for the Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. As the teammates said earlier, it was the first time teammates scored their first NHL goals. Ducks coach Randy Carlye explains the loss of his team and the victory of the other by the young age and energy of the new team members. For Jaffray, that game was a debut game. Raymond played in nine games and it was his first time up with the Canucks this season before he was sent back to the minors.

Crosby made his 1st NHL visit to Western Canada a victorious one here. The player helped the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 in the city, where Gretzky became a legend. Sidney Crosby assisted on 3 of Pittsburgh’ 4 goals in the final period in his 1st National Hockey League game in his home nation west of Toronto. The Oilers led 2-0 but goals by Talbot, Armstrong, Letang, and Whitney lifted Pittsburgh to win for the 5th time in 6 matches.

Sidney Crosby arrived in Edmonton for 1^st ever National Hockey League Western Canada Tour. He said he would like to have played in Wayne Gretzky’s day, the times, when goalies wore skinny pads and matches ended 9-8. Sidney Crosby plays his 1st game in Edmonton today, when his Penguins play the Oilers at Rexall Place. It is part of the inaugural Western Canadian tour for the kid from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, even though he has already played more than 180 games in the National Hockey League.

The Dallas Stars have recently lost their defenseman, who was injured during one of the previous games but believes time with team will help in his return. Norstrom had to miss the 13^th consecutive game because of his injury – fractured orbital bone and a torn ligament around his eye. Doctors say that Norstrom could be ready for the game on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks.

Shanahan scored 2 goals and the Rangers beat the Senators 5-2, handing the National Hockey League’s EC champions their 6th straight loss on weekends. Lundqvist made thirty-two saves for his league-leading fourteenth win. Jagr, Girardi, and Betts also scored for the New York Rangers, who took a 4-0 lead before Corvo and Heatley scored for the Ottawa Senators. Alfredsson and Spezza each had 2 assists for Ottawa.