Flames sign G Miikka Kiprusoff to 6-year extension

Miikka Kiprusoff agreed to a $35-million, six-year extension with the Flames on Monday that will keep the star goalie in Calgary through the 2013-14 season.The 2006 Vezina Trophy winner, who would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, was the last of a core of key players, along with captain Jarome Iginla and defenseman Robyn Regehr, to recently agree to long-term deals with Calgary.

“It’s important for the fans and the players to see that we have star players on our team and not just one. We have a number of them,” general manager Darryl Sutter said. “It’s their responsibility once they sign long-term contracts to continue to be top players and continue to have a top team.”

The 31-year-old Finn is in the final year of a deal that will pay him $3.6 million this season. The new deal will put him in a league with Vancouver’s Robert Luongo ($6.5 million this season) and New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur ($5.2 million).

“I think he’s going into the best years of his career,” Sutter said Monday. “He hasn’t played much hockey, to be quite honest. If you see how it’s structured and laid out, it works well for him and works well for us.”

Sutter said a goaltender’s best years are between 28 and 35 and he expects Kiprusoff to continue to be the difference-maker for the Flames for years to come.

“You don’t get paid for past performances,” Sutter said. “He’s going into his prime in the next three or four years. I don’t see anyone who is going to replace him in that time.”

The Flames acquired Kiprusoff from the San Jose Sharks for a second-round draft pick in November 2003. He’s 111-54-23 with four ties for the Flames.

Kiprusoff helped Calgary reach the Stanley Cup final in 2004, where the Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.

“I would like to thank the Calgary Flames’ owners for making this long-term commitment to me and my family so we can remain in this city and be part of this organization,” Kiprusoff said in a statement. “I look forward to the responsibility and challenge that comes with this contract.

“Calgary is a loyal hockey community that expects and deserves the very best from its home team.”

In 244 games with Calgary and San Jose, Kiprusoff is 125-78-23 with seven ties.

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Flyers defenseman Randy Jones suspended 2 games for violent hit on Patrice Bergeron

Another brutish blow, another opponent left dazed on the ice, another remorseful Flyer.Philadelphia defenseman Randy Jones was suspended two games by the NHL on Monday for his violent hit on Boston’s Patrice Bergeron, making him the third Philadelphia player suspended for a dangerous play this season.

“I’m disappointed,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “I think it is a situation that we see – minus the injury to Patrice Bergeron – I think we see quite often.”

The Broad Street Bullies are back again, only this time they are paying a price for their reborn attitude. Instead of forming an identity as a group of rough-and-ready brawlers like they were in their 1970s Stanley Cup heyday, these Flyers have quickly earned a reputation as a bunch of reckless goons.

The hits may be different, but the perception of them around the league is the same.

A pair of 20-game suspensions left no impression on the organization. Making Jones sit out a pair of games likely won’t leave a dent in their psyche, either.

At least Jones’ banishment is brief compared to teammates Steve Downie (20 games) and Jesse Boulerice (25 games). The difference between this suspension and the other two is that NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell thought Jones did not try to intentionally hurt Bergeron.

“He did deliver a hard check to a player who was in a vulnerable position,” Campbell said. “There have been suggestions by some that this hit was comparable to incidents earlier this season where players received significant-game suspensions for blows to the head. These comparisons and suggestions are wrong.”

Tell that to Bergeron.

The 22-year-old is still out after he was hammered to the boards face-first by Jones in the first period of Philadelphia’s 2-1 victory over the Bruins.

Bergeron lost consciousness, was transported from the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital, where team physician Dr. Bertram Zarins diagnosed him with a concussion and a broken nose. No other serious injuries were revealed by tests and Bergeron was released Sunday.

Medical personnel cut away Bergeron’s jersey and shoulder pads as they worked on him, placing his neck in a brace. They put him on a board and then onto a stretcher, his legs taped together and his arms folded across his chest. There was little sign of movement and the game was delayed 15 minutes.

Bruins head coach Claude Julien called it “a dirty hit.”

Jones apologized after the game and said on Monday he understood Campbell’s decision

“I think Mr. Campbell is in a tough situation on making this decision in regards to the last couple incidents involving the Flyers,” he said. “I think he saw my point of view where this was not intentional. This was just a freak accident which unfortunately resulted in an injury.

“I respect his decision and I have to deal with it, move on, and get back playing after I serve the two games.”

Jones will miss Thursday’s game at Montreal and Friday’s game at Washington. He will forfeit $5,614.98 in salary.

Boulerice was suspended 25 games earlier this month for striking Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler across the face with his stick, the longest single-season ban in league history. Downie was suspended 20 games last month for leaving his feet to deliver a deliberate and dangerous hit to the head of Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond.

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Sharks lose Ryane Clowe to injury, recall Devin Setoguchi

The San Jose Sharks placed forward Ryane Clowe and defenseman Rob Davison on injured reserve Sunday.The Sharks recalled forwards Devin Setoguchi and Lukas Kaspar from their AHL affiliate in Worcester to take their place.

Clowe has three goals, three assists and 20 penalty minutes in 11 games with the Sharks this season. He assisted on Joe Thornton’s goal in San Jose’s 2-1 loss at Columbus on Saturday night. But Clowe was diagnosed with a knee injury afterward, and the Sharks didn’t immediately announce a timetable for his return.

Davison sprained a finger on his left hand during a fight with Detroit’s Aaron Downey on Friday night. The reserve defenseman is scoreless in five NHL games this season.

Setoguchi, the former No. 8 overall draft pick, could make his NHL debut Monday night at Dallas. Setoguchi made the Sharks’ roster out of training camp, but injured his ankle and was sent to Worcester before playing a game with San Jose.

Kaspar, a first-round pick in 2004, has two points in six games with Worcester.

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Toronto vs. Washington

The Toronto Maple Leafs have proven their offense is a force with which to be reckoned. Their defense and goaltending, however, are only now beginning to come around.

Vesa Toskala looks to further solidify his hold on the starting goaltending job Monday night when the Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals.

Toronto acquired Toskala from San Jose on June 22 with the hope that he would become the team’s undisputed starter after Andrew Raycroft struggled most of last year. After a slow beginning to his first season with the Leafs, Toskala has been very good in his last two appearances and figures to make his fourth consecutive start Monday.

After stopping 23 shots Thursday in a 5-2 victory at Pittsburgh, Toskala made 32 saves in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the New York Rangers. Chad Kilger and Pavel Kubina each had a goal and an assist to back him.

Toronto (5-4-3) has won two straight – both on the road – after winning just once in its previous five games (1-2-2).

“We needed it,” coach Paul Maurice said. “The great part about being on the road is we were certainly more relaxed.”

Nik Antropov and John Pohl also scored for the Leafs, whose 46 goals put them one behind Carolina for the league lead.

Antropov has been of the new season’s biggest surprises. The oft-injured center, who had a career-high 45 points in 2002-03, ranks among the NHL leaders with eight goals and 15 points.

The only member of the Maple Leafs more productive than Antropov has been captain Mats Sundin, the team leader with 12 assists and 18 points. Sundin also has eight goals and nine assists in his last 14 games against Washington.

Toronto has needed to be strong offensively because it has been one of the league’s worst defensive teams, allowing 45 goals – tied with Atlanta for the most in the NHL.

The Capitals (4-6-0) hope to avoid their second three-game losing streak of the season. They have dropped six of seven after opening the season with three straight wins.

Washington dropped the opener of a three-game road trip Saturday, 4-3 to St. Louis.

Although star forward Alex Ovechkin stayed hot with two assists, it wasn’t enough for the Capitals, who were missing captain Chris Clark and defenseman Tom Poti and lost left wing Alexander Semin early in the game.

Clark suffered an ear injury in Friday’s loss to Vancouver and Poti missed his second straight game with a strained groin.

After signing a two-year contract extension earlier Saturday, Semin aggravated the sprained right ankle that forced him to miss six of the team’s first seven games in the final minutes of the first period. He is unlikely to play Monday.

Without Semin, who scored 38 goals last season, the Capitals have been limited to 24 goals in 10 games. They have scored more than three goals only once this season.

Ovechkin, though, has two goals and five assists in his last three games.

Despite their offensive woes, the Caps have been very good defensively. They held their fifth straight opponent under 30 shots, limiting St. Louis to 18 – their lowest total since they gave up 17 in a 3-2 victory over Buffalo on Oct. 26, 2005.

Toronto is 5-2-0 with one tie in its last eight home games against Washington.

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New York vs. Tampa Bay

The New York Rangers’ surprising lack of offense is placing far too heavy a burden on Henrik Lundqvist.

New York’s goaltender hopes to get more support from his struggling teammates Monday night when the Rangers face the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the season’s first month has been the Rangers’ offensive woes. Adding high-priced free agents Chris Drury and Scott Gomez to a lineup that already included 600-goal scorers Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan figured to make New York one of the league’s most potent teams.

Ten games into the season, however, New York has scored an NHL-low 16 goals – four fewer than Phoenix, the next-closest team.

The one constant for the Rangers has been Lundqvist, who ranks fourth in the NHL with a 1.90 goals-against average while playing all 10 games. His play is the biggest reason why New York headed into Saturday’s game against Toronto having allowed a league-low 17 goals.

Lundqvist, though, allowed three second-period goals – two more than he gave up in his three previous games combined – and the Rangers were held in check again in a 4-1 loss.

“They pretty much beat us with a good eight-minute stretch,” Lundqvist said. “It’s going to be too tough on the defense if we have to rely on a one-goal lead every night. We played well but we have to score more.”

The loss was the fifth in six games for New York (3-6-1), which has scored 11 goals in nine contests since a season-opening 5-2 victory over Florida.

“I still believe strongly that there is a lot to like in our game,” Rangers coach Tom Renney told the team’s official Web site.

Just about every Rangers forward is struggling, but none more than Drury, who was signed to a five-year, $35 million contract on July 1. Coming off a career-high 37 goals with Buffalo in 2006-07, Drury has one goal this season and no points in four straight games.

The Rangers and Lightning split four meetings last season, each winning twice at home. Lundqvist is 3-0-1 with one shutout and a 0.98 goals-against average lifetime against Tampa Bay.

This is the first of three straight road games for the Lightning (5-3-1), who have been outscored 15-8 in losing all three games away from home.

Tampa Bay looks to rebound after its five-game home win streak was snapped Saturday with a 4-3 overtime loss to Buffalo.

Vincent Lecavalier had a potential winning goal disallowed with 2:56 left in third when the officials ruled Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis interfered with Sabres goalie Ryan Miller.

“The goal should be disallowed, there’s no question,” Lightning coach John Tortorella said. “The goalie was not able to do his job with Marty being there. It’s the right call.”

Vaclav Prospal scored his team-leading ninth goal for the Lightning and fourth in his last four games. Prospal had only 14 goals in 82 games last season.

Center Brad Richards had an assist to extend his point streak to six games. He has three goals and seven assists during that span.

Tampa Bay’s Johan Holmqvist likely will make his third straight start and his fourth against his former team. Holmqvist, who made his NHL debut with the Rangers on Oct. 27, 2000, is 2-2-0 with a 3.44 GAA in four appearances against New York.

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Boston’s Bergeron seriously hurt as Flyers edge Bruins

Martin Biron stopped 38 shots and Mike Richards had a short-handed goal to lift Philadelphia to a 2-1 win over Boston on Saturday in a game marred by Flyers defenseman Randy Jones’ ferocious hit on Bruins center Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron lost consciousness and was taken from the ice on a stretcher during the first period after he was hammered into the boards by Jones.

Bergeron was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital and was diagnosed with a broken nose and a concussion by Bruins team physician Dr. Bertram Zarins.

Tests didn’t show any other serious injuries to Bergeron’s head or neck, and he was awake and able to move all his limbs, Zarins said.

Bergeron was injured while chasing a loose puck with Jones behind the Philadelphia net. The center absorbed the heavy hit directly to his back, hit the glass face-first and went straight down to the ice on his back. His eyes were closed and he didn’t seem to be moving.

Medical personnel cut away Bergeron’s jersey and shoulder pads as they worked on him, placing his neck in a brace. They placed him on a board and then onto a stretcher, his legs taped together and his arms folded across his chest. There was little sign of movement. The game was delayed some 15 minutes with 3:53 left in the first period.

As the whistle blew, Boston’s Chuck Kobasew went after Jones, drawing a two-minute roughing penalty. Jones drew a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

Words really can’t express the way that I feel right now. I am very apologetic for the hit and what I did,” Jones said in a statement released by the team. “It was not intentional. It is something that I have never done before and it is not part of my character. I am extremely sorry.

“I hope he does OK and everything works out for him. I wish him nothing but the best in his recovery.”

Bruins head coach Claude Julien called it “a dirty hit.”

“I’m not saying he’s a dirty player, all I’m saying is it was a dirty hit. We’ll just have to let the league take care of it … and hopefully they will,” Julien said.

“This is the third major incident that club’s had in 10 games. It’s something that has to be addressed there.”

Steve Downie was suspended 20 games after a hot to Ottawa forward Dean McAmmond’s head in an exhibition game. Then on Oct. 10 in Vancouver, Jesse Boulerice cross-checked Ryan Kesler in the mouth, resulting in a 25-game suspension.

The win snapped the Flyers’ two-game losing streak and handed the Bruins their first home loss of the season.

Biron yielded only a second-period power play goal to Marco Sturm and the Flyers moved to 7-3. One of Biron’s saves was a penalty shot by Phil Kessel.

Biron faced 32 shots over the final two periods, raising his record to 7-2.

Richards assisted on Joffrey Lupol’s power goal at the 13-minute mark of the second period as the Bruins lost for the second time in their last seven games and fell to 3-1 at home.

Sturm gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the second period with his fourth goal of the year.

Later in the second, Zdeno Chara failed to stop a pass at the point on a power play. The puck hopped over his stick and Richards picked it up on the fly. He slid a back-hander through the pads of Tim Thomas at the 9:36 mark for his sixth goal of the season, his second short-handed score.

The Bruins were called for too many men on the ice with 7:25 remaining in the second, and Lupol’s fourth goal of the season came off a pass from Daniel Briere.

Thomas, who has allowed just eight goals in six starts, fell to 4-2.

Kessel was awarded a penalty shot when Philadelphia defenseman Kimmo Timonen was judged to have thrown his stick as he dove to try to stop Kessel’s shot. Kessel’s penalty shot then went off Biron’s upper arm.

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Pittsburgh Penguins recall forward Tyler Kennedy from AHL

The Penguins recalled forward Tyler Kennedy from their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday.Kennedy, a fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft, made his NHL debut Saturday night in Pittsburgh against the Montreal Canadiens. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound Kennedy was tied for second in scoring for his AHL team with five points (three goals, two assists) in six games. He had 12 goals and 25 assists for the AHL Penguins last season.

Pittsburgh had an open roster spot, so there was no corresponding move. Veteran winger Gary Roberts did not practice Friday and was not in the lineup Saturday.

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Bergeron taken off on stretcher after hit from behind

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was taken from the ice on a stretcher Saturday against Philadelphia after losing consciousness when he was hit from behind by Flyers defenseman Randy Jones.Bergeron was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was being treated by Bruins team physician Dr. Bertram Zarins.

Medical personnel cut away Bergeron’s jersey and shoulder pads as they worked on him, placing his neck in a brace. They placed him on a board and then onto a stretcher, his legs taped together and his arms folded across his chest. There was little sign of movement. The game was delayed some 15 minutes with 3:53 left in the first period.

Jones drew a 5-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct.

Bergeron and Jones were chasing a loose puck when Bergeron took the hit in the back and hit the glass face-first. He went down on the ice on his back and lay virtually motionless as Jones continued pursuing the puck. As the whistle blew, Boston’s Chuck Kobasew went after Jones, drawing a roughing penalty.

Jones’ hit is the latest incident involving the Flyers this season.

Steve Downie was suspended 20 games after a hit to Ottawa forward Dean McAmmond’s head in an exhibition game. Then on Oct. 10 in Vancouver, Jesse Boulerice cross-checked Ryan Kesler in the mouth, resulting in a 25-game suspension.

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Capitals sign right wing Semin to 2-year contract extension

Alexander Semin signed a two-year, $9.2 million contract extension with the Washington Capitals on Saturday.The extension, which begins next season, rewards Semin for his productivity since returning from his NHL hiatus in Russia. The 23-year-old right wing set career highs in goals (38) and assists (35) last season with the Capitals.

Semin, selected in the first round of the 2002 draft, signed a three-year deal with the Capitals in 2003 but returned to his native Russia in 2004 even though he was still under contract to Washington. The Capitals went to court to get him back, and the spat was resolved when he agreed to a new two-year deal in 2006.

Semin has been limited this season by an ankle injury. He had played in three games, recording one assist entering Saturday night’s game at St. Louis. He had 48 goals and 48 assists in 132 career NHL games.

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Mario Lemieux payment part of Penguins’ $100 million restructuring

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ $21 million payment to co-owner Mario Lemieux this month was part of a $100 million refinancing in which the other primary owner, California billionaire Ron Burkle, and additional investors split $25.3 million.The refinancing, at least the third undertaken by the Penguins since 1995, is common for major pro sports franchises and suggests the NHL team has a value of at least $200 million. Normally, NHL clubs can borrow or have lines of credit totaling half their value.

Terms of the restructuring suggest the Penguins are worth at least $25 million more than they were a year ago, when Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie agreed to buy the team for $175 million. That deal fell through in December 2006 when the NHL told Balsillie he could not relocate the team.

The payment to Lemieux was confirmed by the Penguins on Oct. 19, but team officials previously did not reveal other aspects of the restructuring. The club chose to redo its finances about six months after closing a deal with state and local officials to build a $290 million downtown arena that will open in three years.

Of the $100 million, $21 million goes to Lemieux, or $11 million less than he was originally owed in deferred compensation during his playing days. Burkle and the Penguins’ estimated four dozen other minority owners split $25.3 million, according to the team. Burkle originally invested $20 million when he and Lemieux purchased the Penguins in federal bankruptcy court in 1999.

An additional $25 million, team officials said, is a line of credit that has not been spent and is designed to cover any unexpected costs should they occur. The rest of the loan, about $28.7 million, refinances debt or expenses already in place and provides an additional cushion for unexpected events.

The payments to Lemieux and the other investors close out all financial aspects of the 1999 bankruptcy, in which all other creditors were repaid the full amounts owed them by 2005. Lemieux recouped $21 million of his original $25 million investment in 1999, which included $5 million in cash and $20 million in equity.

“It was time to finally offer some return for our other investors and pay back the money owed Mario,” team president Ken Sawyer said.

When Lemieux, Burkle and their investors bought the club, the Hall of Fame center agreed to forgive $7 million owed to him under the final contract he signed as a player before his 1997 retirement. He later came out of retirement and played again from 2000-05 before retiring again in early 2006.

The Lemieux-Burkle group retains ownership of the team and can sell at any time they choose, though that seems unlikely given the Penguins’ strong financial footing.

After being a last-place club for four consecutive seasons, the Penguins made the fourth-best turnaround in NHL history by winning 47 games and making the playoffs last season. They also have the league’s best collection of young players in Sidney Crosby, the first teenager in major American pro sports to win a scoring title and the MVP award; Evgeni Malkin; Jordan Staal; and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Also, the arena deal secures the Penguins in Pittsburgh for 30 years and ends ceaseless speculation the team might move to Kansas City or Canada to secure a new building. The arena will be funded largely by casino money and the state.

The Penguins also expect to sell out all home games this season, only four years after they averaged a league-low 11,877 in attendance during the 2003-04 season.

According to Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal, which frequently covers NHL financial dealings, Societe Generale was the lead financial institution in the Penguins’ restructuring. In 1999, the French bank loaned the Penguins $20 million to stay in operation during the bankruptcy proceedings.

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