Around the NHL Northeast Division

News and notes from around the NHL's Northeast Division. By Meaghan McGrath


The reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Boston Bruins, took a relaxed start to the preseason by not dressing some key starters like Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara. 

Flickr/Eric Kilby

The Buffalo Sabres are looking good so far this preseason with two wins under their belt in against the Toronto Maple Leafs and another two wins against the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes.


The Montreal Canadiens are staring their preseason with a few glitches. This past week they won their game against the Ottawa Senators, but did not pick up the W against the Dallas Stars or the Buffalo Sabres. The training game was crucial for some of the players on the line, waiting to see if they would get sent back to the juniors or make it to the NHL. 


It was a long, but rewarding, week for the Ottawa Senators as they found winning two preseason games in overtime. The first OT win came against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto. The Sens defeated the visiting Boston Bruins, who did not play 2011 Conn Smythy winner Tim Thomas or team captain Zdeno Chara, on a slap shot from Mika Zibanejad. 


Toronto Maple Leafs center Darryl Boyce took a nasty hit on the boards from Philadelphia’ Jody Shelley last Wednesday. The hit earned Shelley a 10-game suspension. Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s head disciplinarian, has made it a point to enforce the new boarding rule and has even outlined what he looks for in dishing out suspensions.