We make money available for needed equipment and services for children. Anything from a specially adapted tricycle for a spina bifida child, to emergency dental work for a child in pain or buying a computer for a child who is bedridden. We have funded horseback riding lessons for muscular dystrophy children, purchased hearing aids, eye glasses and even electric sports wheelchairs.

We respond to appeals from charities and organizations whose commitmentis to work for and with special needs children. Because of the generosity of CKNW's listeners and sponsors, the fund in addition to helping individuals and organizations has made other significant donations.

One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) was spent to equip a cancer treatment lab at Children's Hospital.

An endowment was established to fund a UBC professor heading up research into the immunology of children's diseases. Endowments have been established at most community colleges, BCIT and the Open Learning Agency to provide bursaries for single parents students.

A fund has been established at SFU which provides one scholarship each year for a student from an income assistance background. It pays 100% of the cost of tuition, books, housing and other expenses for up to four years. There are students now at SFU in each of those years.

Project EX, administered by Britannia Community Services is funded by the CKNW Orphans' Fund. It is a leadership program that targets street kids, working toward their rehabilitation before these young people become statistics.

$60,000 a year is provided to camping organizations to provide fees for special needs children whose parents cannot afford to send them to camp.

The CKNW Orphans' Fund Pledge Day is an annual and traditional source of income. At the beginning of December each year the radio station turns most of the regular daily programming into a Radio Thon, where seasoned hosts tell the CKNW Orphans' Fund story, and ask their audiences for pledges. The Radio Thon also serves to thank those organizations who have been instrumental in raising dollars throughout the year through special promotions.

Game Recaps: canucks.com . Vancouver Province . ESPN

Statistics: Score Sheet . Stat Sheet

• Another slow start, another early deficit. (Sound familiar?) The Avs scored 11 seconds into the game and basically set the tone the rest of the way.
• Last night's game was the fifth meeting this season between the two teams; the Avs have won four of them.
• Alex Auld looked shaky. After most saves, he kept looking back, unsure of where the puck was.
• Steve McCarthy was awful in his first game back.
• Despite the loss, I thought Ryan Kesler was again one of the better Canucks. He's playing a consistent, solid game right now and providing a bit of a spark in Matt Cooke's absence.
• The Sedin line also played a decent game. As has been the case most of the season, the Sedins and Anson Carter provided some good offensive pressure when they were on the ice.
• Interesting bit from Jim Hughson and John Garrett before the game started - they were talking about the Sedins possibly being the Canucks new top line. For the first quarter of the season, I have to agree. They have generally been more consistent and more dangerous than the Westcoast Express.
• Maybe it's because the Grey Cup was being played a few minutes away... but watching the game last night reminded me of watching the 11-0 BC Lions. Great record, but you just don't get the feeling that they are a great team. Something's missing.

• Another slow start and another early deficit. The Canucks were down by two goals, just halfway through the first period.
• The Coyotes' win was their first against the Canucks since 2002. In the previous eleven games between the two teams, the Canucks were 9-0-2.
• Coyotes rookie defenseman Keith Ballard has played some strong games against the Canucks this season. He was dangerous on most shifts and drew the ire of Bryan Allen when he threw a nice, open-ice hit on Richard Park.
• The Canucks - especially Markus Naslund - usually feast on Curtis Joseph. Not last night. Cujo was the biggest reason the Canucks only scored one goal - he stopped 34 of 35 Canucks shots, including some on high-quality scoring chances.
• I don't agree with the penalty shot awarded to Shane Doan. Jovanovski was skating side-by-side with Doan when the penalty was called, and Doan was nowhere near to having a clear-cut breakaway.
• I do agree, however, with the non-call on Jarkko Ruutu's breakaway a couple of minutes after - nice play by the Coyotes defenseman to chase Ruutu and make a play on his stick.
• I thought Ryan Kesler played another consistent game. Crawford rewarded him with a shift in the final minute of the game and the faceoff in the Coyotes zone.
• Ed Jovanovski also had a strong game. He was vintage Jovanovski - very active at both ends of the ice. He finished with 5 shots, 2 hits and 2 blocked shots in 28:36 minutes of ice-time.

• Do we credit Crawford's instinct or was Brookbank just being opportunistic? Twice he was on the ice with Bertuzzi and both times the Canucks scored. Brookbank figured in both scoring plays and doubled his career point totals.
• Alex Auld only faced 22 shots but made the saves when he needed to, especially when the Sharks were pressing in the third period.
• Considering that there was a lot of 5-on-5 play and the Canucks were able to roll their lines through, the top four defensemen played a lot of minutes.
• Sven Butenschon played average last night after playing a solid game his first time up. He was on the ice for the second Sharks goal - a result of lousy defensive coverage from Sven and Jovo - and Sven didn't play the rest of the game. He finished with 5:23 minutes of ice-time and a -1 rating.
• It looks like the Westcoast Express is back on track. I was impressed with Brendan Morrison's play last night - he played a gritty game, recorded one assist and won 12 of 18 faceoffs. With his two assists, Bertuzzi now has 11 points (6G-5A) in eight games. Naslund's goal extended his point-streak to eight games; he has 12 points (6G-6A) in that span.
• The Sedin line scored another goal and was dangerous all night. One thing that has impressed me about the Sedins so far this season is that they have been dangerous on most games, on most shifts. In previous seasons, they would have a strong game and follow it up with some average games. This is by far their most consistent season.
• Was the game really just over two hours long?

The exact cause of Fischer's collapse was not known, but Colucci said on Tuesday the defibrillator indicated that Fischer's heart may have been experiencing ventricular tachycardia, a kind of racing heartbeat, orventricular fibrillation, a heart fluttering.

What are the implications for his hockey career? It depends on the cause and whether there is a clear treatment. I suspect that he may need an AICD. I am not aware of an athlete continuing strenous athletic activity after having an AICD placed. However, I suspect this may be the answer to his ongoing survival.

... Think of Hank Gathers, the powerful college basketball star for Loyola Marymount, who threw down a dunk, headed up court and collapsed into, yes, convulsions, like Fischer. He died.

Think of Reggie Lewis, the Celtics' star, who collapsed shooting hoops during the summer. Like Fischer, he had an undetectable pulse. He was rushed to the hospital. He died.

Which brings us to Fischer's hockey future, a question most fans will dismiss but which Fischer, I assure you, is thinking about as you read this. Three years ago, when he was tested after an abnormal electrocardiogram, Fischer told a newspaper he wasn't scared about the potential heart abnormality, he was scared about not playing hockey.

That should go away now. You can't play hockey if you're dead, either.

All Pavol has done since being signed by the Kings is recapture his A+ game and he's lead the team to the top of their division. Demitra and Alexander Frolov combine to give the LA Kings once of the more exciting and dynamic 1-2 punches in the NHL. I'm sure getting away from fat-ass Keith Tkachuk is also helping immensely!

• Ryan Kesler and Richard Park had great games. Both were dangerous on every shift, and were rewarded with some third period ice-time with Markus Naslund.
• Ditto with Mark Bell and Kyle Calder of the Blackhawks.
• Alex Auld was solid in net again, stopping 32 of 33 shots, a good number of them from in close.
• Markus Naslund has this look on him that I've never noticed before. He looks more vocal, more determined and more confident on the ice - he looks like he wants to win.
• Nathan Smith played his first game with the Canucks this season and he was okay. Nothing too fancy in his 10:52 minutes of ice-time. He finished with 2 shots, 3 hits and an even rating.
• After not playing a single shift against Anaheim on Sunday, Wade Brookbank saw 6:02 minutes of ice-time in 11 shifts. On his first shift, he tried to take the puck up the middle and promptly lost it to a 'Hawks player. Keep it simple, Wade. Keep it simple.
• Not that I'm dwelling on the Anaheim game - really, I just want to forget about it - but what a difference it makes when the refs actually use a bit of judgment when calling the games. 33 penalties on Sunday versus 5 last night - there was a lot more flow to the game and a few more chances for both teams. I can't believe I'm actually complimenting Kerry Fraser.

What I enjoyed the most about the experience of going to a hockey game was the relative peace and quiet of the game. Go to an NBA or NFL game,and you're assaulted by loud music, flying t-shirts, hopped-up dance teams. There was music at The Garden, but unless you count Sweet Caroline as a club banger, it was like spending an afternoon at a pizza joint with an outdated jukebox. During timeouts (are they called timeouts?) an organ would play, and people would be able to talk to their neighbors. It was as if hockey was saying, Here we are -- love us or leave us. And despite the extended lockout, the fans seem to have come back in full force. They love it.

Saturday night, after the game, I was thinking maybe I should pick a team to support. I could go with my hometown Thrashers, but having been in New York almost six years now, I'd like to have at least one team up here to root for. I haven't learned when to yell "Potvin Sucks!" or how to differentiate between the various penalties, and I can recognize about five hockey players, mostly by their hair. I still have a lot to learn, I suppose. But then, we all have to start somewhere.

• I've been critical of the Canucks' defense lately, but they actually rank a respectable 9th in number of goals allowed - they are only allowing 2.86 goals against per game. And this includes blowout losses to Minnesota and Colorado.
• The Ottawa Senators lead the league in number of goals scored AND number of goals allowed. In 18 games, they have scored 83 goals (4.61 per game) and have only allowed 38 goals (2.11 per game).
• How much do super rookies Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin mean to their respective teams? Both have been directly involved in almost 40% of their team's goals. Pittsburgh has scored 62 goals this season and Crosby was involved in 25 of them (10G-15A); Washington has scored 54 goals this season and Ovechkin was involved in 21 of them (15G-6A).
• Of the top ten scoring defensemen in the 2003/2004 season, only Bryan McCabe is on the top ten so far this season. He is leading the league in defensemen scoring with 30 points (9G-21A) in 21 games. Amazingly, he only has a +1 rating.
• Ditto with the forwards. Of the top ten scoring forwards in 03/04, only Daniel Alfredsson is on the top ten so far this season. He has 34 points (18G-16A) and a +18 rating.
• Linemate Dany Heatley has 32 points (15G-17A) and a whopping +21 rating. (I should mention here that I don't have Heatley or Alfredsson in my money pools. I do, however, have preseason linemate Brandon Bochenski. Unfortunately, AHL stats don't count.)
• Eric Staal (14G-17A-31P) has already matched his entire point total from last season. (By far my steal of the season - I picked Staal in the 9th round of a 15-team pool.)
• Twenty-ish games into the season and there are 50 players on pace to score 80 points or more. Only eight players scored 80 or more points in the 2003/2004 season.

In September 2002, he was diagnosed with a heart abnormality (his heart is apparently a little thicker than normal) after it was found on an electrocardiogram, which was part of Wings' preseason physicals. He was then given a stress test, which he passed. "There is a little abnormality, but nothing that will stop me from playing," Fischer said at the time. "It's nothing that will bother me emotionally. I wasn't scared about the abnormality. But I was scared about not playing hockey again. That was a shock for me."

Welcome to the Carnival of the NHL #13, which features a wonderful assortment of rides for your pleasure. Whether it's the rollercoaster that is Sean Avery or the Rookie Ferris Wheel, you're sure to find a ride to suit your taste and interest.

"Everybody keeps saying this is great. It's not great," Yzerman told the Detroit Free Press. "It's not hockey... There are penalties all over."

I'll just use Mathieu Schneider's penalty as an example. He steps up and takes his guy out, and his stick gets caught and the crowd cheers so the referee puts his hand up. There has to be some discretion. The referees have to use some judgment on what is a penalty and what is not. They've taken judgment out of it and I think it's somewhat made it easy on the referees just to call anything, because there is no judgment.

Good referees used to have good judgment. Now they've taken that out of the game. I'm not saying I'm blaming the referees for it, I just feel the whole thing has to be adjusted and they have to look at this seriously. They can't continue to call irrelevant things that have no business being called.

It's still the biggest challenge. The referees are still figuring it out. I keep reminding myself that it's only been six weeks and we're trying to erase a 10-year trend, which was really a trend of ignoring the rulebook. We didn't rewrite the rulebook. We just underlined some key points in it. But it's frustrating when you see phantom calls or players going down easily.

Without changing the standard, the referees just need to make sure a penalty's a penalty. If they're not sure, as players we would all accept a non-call more than a bad call.

• Both teams combined for 33 minor penalties. I'm sure this isn't a new NHL record, but I wonder if it's close.
• I shake my head at the NHL cracking down on obstruction, sometimes calling even the chintziest of hooks and holds... yet allowing players to crash the goaltenders. The Ducks took turns running Cloutier over with little consequence - coincidental minors are little consequence.
• Not that I would ever wish injury on anyone, but with the Ducks going out of their way to run Cloutier, it was almost sweet justice that they lost starter Giguere to a hamstring injury. Giguere's injury promptly put an end to the Ducks' Cloutier-crashing. I'm thinking they did not want to risk Brookbank crashing their back-up goalie.
• Still with Cloutier, I thought he had another solid game. The Canucks came out flat - again - and despite the crease-crashers, Cloutier made some good saves and kept the score close.
• Sami Salo's two goals moves him to a fourth place tie in NHL defensemen scoring with Ed Jovanovski and a couple of other players. Imagine if his shots actually hit the net more often.
• How many games in a row have the Canucks failed to convert on a 5-on-3? With all the opportunities they have received so far this season, they have only two goals on a 5-on-3.

Next up: Chicago on Tuesday.

Teams have $39-million to spend over 196 days of the regular season. That's $198,980 per day... If teams spend less than that amount on any given day, the difference in effect goes into a "cap bank" that can be used down the road.

• Kings coach Andy Murray matched lines for most of the night, putting the checking line of Sean Avery, Eric Belanger and Jeff Cowan against the Westcoast Express. As painful it is for me to admit it, Sean Avery's line outplayed and outhustled the Canucks' top line for the first 50-something minutes of the game.
• It doesn't change my opinion that Sean Avery is an idiot. Nice acting job after the Ohlund hit, by the way. Bravo.
• Despite letting in five goals, Cloutier was actually pretty good for most of the game. Especially in the first two periods, he kept the Canucks within striking distance.
• The Canucks blew another long 5-on-3 opportunity in the second period. If I remember correctly - and I have to look up the stats for this - but the Canucks have had trouble converting on their 5-on-3 opportunities.
• With his third period goal, Todd Bertuzzi now has six goals and eight points in his last four games.
• How's this for sending a message? Marc Crawford had Brendan Morrison centering Josh Green and Lee Goren in the third period.

• For the second straight game since coming back from injury, Dan Cloutier was solid once again. He finished with 25 saves, 12 of them in the third period, including a couple of big ones on Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo late in the game.
• I expected the Sharks to come out strong and aggresive. Instead, they kinda looked like a light version of the 2004 Minnesota Wild. Surprising as I expected the Sharks to be one of the top teams in the West this year; after last night's game, they sit at fourth in their division behind the Kings, Stars and Coyotes.
• Credit the Canucks for winning a game like last night's when there wasn't a lot of open ice. These games usually pose problems for them.
• The big four on defense had another monster game. Mattias Ohlund, Ed Jovanovski, Sami and Salo and Bryan Allen all played 23-plus minutes and contributed a goal (Jovo's), 2 assists, 6 shots, 9 hits and 9 blocked shots.
• Great game aside, I hope Crawford doesn't plan on playing the big four 23-plus minutes every game.

• Todd Bertuzzi finally had his breakout game. You can tell he was beginning to regain his confidence by the way he played against Calgary a couple of games ago, and last night, he was finally rewarded. Hopefully his efforts like this become more of the norm than the exception.
• Something about the Baumgartner-to-Bertuzzi pass on Todd's second goal reminded me of Brown-to-Bure in '94.
• Dan Cloutier was very good in his first game back. Even when the Wings pressed, he made the key saves. He finished with 34 saves on 35 Red Wings shots.
• I was a little surprised that the Canucks called up forward Josh Green from Manitoba, but he filled in admirably for the injured Matt Cooke. He added a veteran presence on the forward lines and played a regular shift. He finished with an even-rating in 8:23 minutes of ice-time.
• Overshadowed by Bertuzzi's hat-trick performance was another strong showing from the Sedins. Anyone notice Daniel's move to get past 3 Red Wings defenders to move in one-on-one against Legace? It's amazing how hard it is now to knock these guys off the puck.
• With Wade Brookbank seeing very limited ice-time, the Canucks' big four all logged over 20 minutes of ice-time. Brookbank's ice-time isn't much of a surprise given that fighting is down in the league and Brookbank himself has only two fights in nine games played. Depending on his contract situation, I actually wonder if the Canucks would consider sending him to Manitoba and giving players like Green, Butenschon and others more opportunities at the NHL level.

Next up: San Jose on Wednesday.

• The score was 4-0 by just past the midway point of the first period. At one point, the shots on goal was 15-0 for the Avs. That's all you need to know about why the Canucks lost the game.
• Ed Jovanovski had a first period to forget. He was on the ice for three of the four goals and he was directly involved in two of them - his lazy play led directly to the first Colorado goal and he fell skating backwards on the third one.
• Sven Butenschon made his Canucks debut, filling in for injured Steve McCarthy. He played not bad - didn't notice him much, which I suppose is a good thing for a defenseman. He finished with a +1 rating and 11:24 minutes of ice-time.
• I don't know if it's a sign of hs confidence, but over the last few games Auld has been more active and playing the puck more. Once against Calgary and another time last night, he played the puck and didn't shoot it hard enough to go past the defender, leading to a goal.
• I just noticed the Sedin line's ice-time this morning - Henrik played 20:25 minutes, Daniel played 20:17, and Anson played 18:55 - and for the most part was well-deserved. When the Canucks were trying to make their comeback, the line spent most of their shifts in the attacking zone and created numerous scoring opportunities.
• Not often you see a coach pull a goaltender when his team is three goals down. Interesting and bold move by Crow. Especially after the 5-2 goal, I think it sent a signal to the team to keep playing. Heck, they already took one period off, right?
• It's actually amazing that considering their start, the Canucks were still in the game towards the end. If only they had capitalized on their third period powerplays, especially the 5-on-3, instead of giving up the short-handed goal.
• Actually, if only they had started playing at the start of the game.
• The Canucks' lead in the Northwest Division has now been reduced to two points. The Avs are right behind them with two games in hand.

Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that the Canucks have signed forward Alex Burrows and forward Rick Rypien. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Burrows, 24, has played 13 games for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL this season and is currently tied for the team scoring lead with 10 points (3-7-10) and 31 penalty minutes. In 2004-05, the Pincourt, Quebec native played 72 games for the Moose and tallied 26 points. Burrows made 14 playoff appearances last season. The 6’1”, 190 lb forward has also played in 133 career games with the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL, scoring 47 goals and 64 assists (47-64-111) with 463 penalty minutes.

Rypien, 21, has played 13 games for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL this season recording 4 points (2-2-4) and 32 penalty minutes. The Coleman, Alberta native has played a total of 21 games with the Moose and has a record of three goals, three assists and 37 penalty minutes. Rypien was previously captain of the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League, where he played 179 career games, scoring 47 goals and 67 assists for 114 points and 493 penalty minutes.

The rash of injuries they've sustained to date would have crippled most teams... But as they have done from the start of the season, the Moose met the latest case of adversity with a simple shrug of the shoulders. The show must go on and go on it did.

My name is Elisha Cuthbert, born in Calgary, Alberta, but raised in Montreal, Quebec. Growing up in Canada opened my eyes to the world of hockey. My brother plays on two teams -- his school and city. My mother plays on a team as well. I, on the other hand, am just an actress who loves the sport and does not play -- but that doesn't mean I can't talk about it!

According to the team, there is still no goalie controversy.

Not even a bit?

• I'm awaiting Tom Benjamin's recap on this game - I'm sure the ending provided him with lots of ammunition. After the referees put the whistles away, they called Bryan Allen for an interference penalty late in the third period. Call it all game or don't call it at all. While not to completely blame the loss on the call - the subsequent Linden and Ohlund penalties gave the Flames a couple of late 5-on-3's - it took the momentum away from a very spirited game.
• I hope this isn't another false alarm, but Bertuzzi tonight reminded me of Bertuzzi circa 2002-2003. One hand on the stick, one hand thwarting off the defender, then generating scoring chances for himself or Naslund.
• The Canucks - again - had a lot of turnovers in the Flames zone. For a team built with skillful, puck-handling skaters, they have had problems bringing the puck up the ice. It was noticeable against the Wild and especially noticeable against the Flames - both teams known for their speed and agressive forecheck. I sure hope this doesn't get picked up on scouting reports.
• Alex Auld looks good so far, don't you think? More on him later.
• The Canucks finish their 8-of-9 game run against Northwest Division opponents on Thursday. Of the seven games they have played, they have won 3, and are now 4-4-2 against Northwest Division teams for the season. With Edmonton losing tonight, the Canucks retain their four-point lead for first place.
• Was Steve McCarthy playing tonight?

Eric Staal’s been 21 for a week, the ‘Canes had their Dads’ Weekend, and it’s time for Carnival of the NHL #12—and I assure you that, unlike the drunken bums and crack dealers that Wade Amusements had working for them during the NC State Fair last month, I am 1) sober and 2) not the owner of a rap sheet a mile long (unless you count speeding tickets, but we won’t discuss me treating a ‘97 Chevy Cavalier like it’s a Saleen S8).

This carnival has no fanfare, no rides, no deep-fried Snickers bars (who came up with those, anyway?), just some good old hockey commentary of the "What the hell are you thinking? Are you thinking?" variety from those crazy kids out there in hockey blogland.

• Despite the low score, this is exactly the kind of game the NHL would want to market. The officials called the usual obstruction-related infractions, but allowed both teams to play physical. There was plenty of flow and plenty of scoring chances. It was a playoff-like game in a playoff-like atmosphere.
• Much like in the Minnesota game, the Flames played a trapping style, and much like in the Minnesota game, the Canucks had trouble generating any offense on the rush. In fact, Kesler, Ruutu, Park, Linden and Goren were as prominent as Naslund, Morrison and Bertuzzi.
• Four fights in the first two periods. I can't wait for the rematch on Monday.
• If I've counted correctly, Lee Goren now has more fights than Wade Brookbank this season.
• Anyone else notice that the big line wasn't on the ice during the final minute of the game? With Auld pulled, Crawford instead had the Sedin line out there.
• The Kipper is back. Unfortunately for Canucks fans. And the Canucks have to play the Flames seven more times this season.
• Jarkko Ruutu was at his most visible best last night.
• I was surprised Goren didn't receive a boarding major and/or a game misconduct for his hit-from-behind on Weimer - not a dirty hit, but wasn't a minor penalty either.

• Truth be told, I was expecting the game to be a blowout for the 'Nucks. Not only are the 'Nucks unbeaten at home, Columbus has only one road win this season. Columbus also played in Calgary the night before and lost Rick Nash to a knee injury. However, led by Nikolai Zherdev and David Vyborny who scored all three Jackets goals, Columbus played a scrappy game all night and kept the game close.
• The Sedin line had another very good night. They combined for 2 goals and 4 assists, and controlled the play when they were on the ice. IMHO, this forward line has been the Canucks' most consistent through the first month of the season.
• I know I've said this a few times before, but the Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi line play way toooooo fancy when they're together.
• I'd hate to see what the Canucks "d" would have looked like if Sami Salo hadn't been having a breakthrough start to the season. Salo had another good night offensively - he had a goal and an assist - and is now tied with Henrik Sedin for second in team scoring.
• Talking about team scoring, Bertuzzi and Morrison currently sit at fifth and seventh respectively. Markus Naslund, of course, leads the team; Salo, Henrik and Ed Jovanovski are right behind him. Should we call this balanced scoring, team depth or a slow start for the WCE?

• Who said the trap is dead? Credit Jacques Lemaire for figuring out that the crackdown on obstruction doesn't necessarily mean a crackdown on the trap. As long as teams have very good skaters - like the Wild - who can skate to certain spots on the ice before their opponent, the trap will be around.
• That said, the Canucks have always had problems beating teams that play this system because the Canucks like to start their play in the neutral zone, skate the puck in and set up - tough to do, of course, when four defenders are lined up at the blue line. Except for maybe Matt Cooke, Jarkko Ruutu and Ryan Kesler, the Canucks don't have the personnel for a dump and chase sort of system. Especially on even-strength, they have had a hard time beating defenders to the puck after dumping it in.
• It didn't seem like too long ago when the Sedins were knocked down to the ice so much that some Canucks fans played a drinking game whereby they would have a beer whenever it happened. And be drunk by the second period. This is no longer the case. It's amazing how strong the twins have been along the boards.
• Wade Brookbank played one short shift in the third period after he took himself out of position to hit Derek Boogard, leading directly to Randy Robitaille's goal. Earlier in that same shift, Boogard went head-hunting on Mattias Ohlund. As ill-timed as Brookbank's retaliation was, I don't mind that he went after Boogard. A team should never, ever allow someone to take a run at your teammates. And very especially a star player teammate. (Before anyone argues that the only reason Boogard would have hit Ohlund was because he is a lot taller, etc. than Ohlund, the fact is, he went elbow first towards Ohlund's head.)
• Full credit to Linden, Ohlund, Jovanovski, Auld and Salo for killing the 5-on-3 and 6-on-3 in the last couple of minutes. Especially Linden and Ohlund who played the entire time. Key faceoff wins, good positioning, no panic, and as a result, most of the Wild chances came from the perimeter.
• Kesler is a good defensive player - he's regularly on the first penalty-killing unit for a reason - but he reaaally needs to work on those clearing attempts.

He started with the Phantoms, was called up by the Flyers Sunday, and a day later was back with the Phantoms. Rather than practicing with the Flyers Tuesday, he practiced with the Phantoms.

But that’s not where the story ends.

Umberger’s up-and-down season will continue today when he is recalled by the Flyers again. Which begs the question, why didn’t Umberger just stay with the Flyers and practice with the big club Tuesday?

"When you’re called up, the money from his contract goes against the salary cap," said Flyers G.M. Bob Clarke. "Even though one day may not seem to make a whole lot of difference, but if it’s 20 days, or five different players in a month, it (adds up)."

By sending Umberger right back to the Phantoms and not allowing him to practice with the Flyers, the organization saved approximately $4,600 - or one day of Umberger’s pay - against the salary cap.