FanHouse Sabres

We're trying something different to replace the old Newsmakers in the NHL posts. Hopefully you'll like it. Each weekday we'll take a look at one positive performance from the previous night (a plus), and one negative performance from the previous night (a minus). It's the plus/minus.Tell us what you think at nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

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Yet another scary incident in the NHL on Wednesday night as Liam Reddox of the Edmonton Oilers went head first into the side boards after fighting for a loose puck with Clarke MacArthur of the Buffalo Sabres.

MacArthur was issued a five-minute major and a game-misconduct for boarding, and when you combine that with the fact the player on the receiving end of the hit was injured, you can guarantee that this will end up on the desk of NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell for review.

Video after the jump.

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the story lines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Bruins 3, Predators 2: Entering play on Wednesday, the Nashville Predators, as a team, had scored as many goals (nine) as the league's leading goal-scorer (Alex Ovechkin). They have yet to score more than three goals in a game this season, and haven't scored more than two since October 8. That streak continued on Wednesday thanks to their 3-2 loss in Boston.

Through its first eight games, Nashville has scored just 11 goals, and because of their 0-for-3 showing on the power play, the Predators are now just 1-for-27 with the man-advantage.

Ouch.

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Every Tuesday, FanHouse discusses the top NHL prospects found in college hockey.

Last year, he was vilified. Fans wanted to run him out of college hockey. Instead of finishing his sophomore season at Michigan State, forward Corey Tropp (NHL rights: Buffalo) found himself looking for a place to play hockey. A vicious assault of Michigan's Steve Kampfer (Anaheim) got Tropp suspended by the school for the rest of the season. What's happened since is a great story of redemption.

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Sabres 6, Red Wings 2: The Sabres scored four goals in seven minutes during the second period of their 6-2 win against the Red Wings on Tuesday, chasing Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood after he surrendered five goals on just 22 shots. Leading the way for Buffalo was Thomas Vanek with two goals, including what turned out to be a costly score when he was injured falling into the boards after poking in a rebound. He left the game and did not return with an "upper body injury" that appears to be fairly serious.

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FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 30 is Buffalo Sabres forward Thomas Vanek.

Before Kevin Lowe ignited an epic public feud with Brian Burke by signing restricted free agent Dustin Penner in the summer of 2007, the Oilers general manager had his eyes on a much larger prize -- Buffalo Sabres restricted free agent Thomas Vanek. In early July, 2007, the Oilers signed the 23-year-old Vanek to a seven-year, $50 million offer sheet. Had Buffalo refused to match the offer, it would have received four first-round picks as compensation. Tempting. But not tempting enough.

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It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We begin our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Northeast Division.

Brian Burke begins his rebuild of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dany Heatley wants out of Ottawa and just what is Boston going to do with Phil Kessel and a limited amount of salary cap space?

A lot of the talk following last night's Game 2 in Detroit centered around Chicago's Brian Campbell and his turnover, which led to Mikael Samuelsson's game-winning goal, giving the Wings a 3-2 win in overtime and a 2-0 series lead. But it wasn't nearly the first time that Campbell has made a mistake that has cost his team a victory in a playoff overtime. This is actually the third time in this past three years that a misplay by Campbell has led to an overtime defeat for his team.

One of the better ideas to come out of the NHL in recent years has been the NHL Winter Classic. Held first in Buffalo on New Year's Day in 2008, the annual outdoor game is not only into a ratings winner for NBC Sports on a day traditionally dominated by college football, it's also a big time event that's rapidly surpassed the league's All-Star Game in importance on the NHL calender.

And now, it's coming to Boston. At least that's what the Boston Herald is reporting this morning. That shot you see to the right is an artist's conception of what Fenway will be looking like come next New Year's Day when the reigning Eastern Conference Champions will get to host the 2010 NHL Winter Classic.

I went to the 2009 edition in Chicago, and trust me on this: Outside of the Stanley Cup Finals, there's no other hockey event you'd rather be at.

The Stanley Cup won't be handed out until June, but this is the time when we see teams making runs at the playoffs. And you can't win the Cup if you don't make the playoffs. Race for the Cup is your daily check of where your favorite team stands as the season dwindles.

It looked like a foregone conclusion not that long ago, but the Calgary Flames had trouble sealing the deal. Fortunately for them, Vancouver couldn't seize the opportunity to take control of the Northwest Division, and the Flames find themselves on the cusp of a division title. A 4-1 win over Los Angeles Monday night gave the Flames a two-point lead with three games to go.