Hype for December 15, 2009

Johan Hedberg was so busy during the game, he deserved the break he got in the shootout.

Hedberg made a career-best 46 saves and then was perfect in two shootout rounds to lift the Atlanta Thrashers to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Monday night.

Florida Panthers coach Peter DeBoer was hoping Nathan Horton would sometimes be more selfish and shoot instead of pass.

Horton acted out his coach's wish, scoring three times on a game-high five shots for his second career hat trick as the Panthers routed the New York Islanders 7-1 on Monday night.

The Phoenix Coyotes will dominate the agenda at the first day of the  NHL governors' meetings but that heated discussion may lead to another: putting a second team in Toronto.

The matter of a second Toronto team is not on the agenda, nor has it ever been part of an official discussion at a board of governors meeting. But at least one governor plans to raise it when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman outlines the plans to sell the Coyotes to the Ice Edge group of businessmen and many governors have been informally kicking the idea around for years.

Goaltender Ryan Miller slid across his crease to snuff out Mike Cammalleri's power-play attempt in the final minute, preserving Buffalo's 4-3 road victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.

Miller finished with 21 saves at Montreal's Bell Centre and stood tall as Montreal pulled goalie Jaroslav Halak to gain a two-man advantage as the game wound down.

Francois Beauchemin's third-period shot lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a one-goal victory on Monday night, turning the tables on the Ottawa Senators.

Jason Blake and Phil Kessel also scored in the 3-2 home win at Air Canada Centre. Vesa Toskala was again solid in net, finishing with 22 saves.

One must beat the best to be the best. But the Los Angeles Kings?

Los Angeles entered Monday's action tied with the San Jose Sharks atop the Western Conference and one point behind the Washington Capitals in the overall NHL standings — a remarkable turnaround considering the Kings have missed the playoffs in each of the past six seasons, a franchise record for futility.

A decade has passed since the Kings reigned supreme in the standings and they came within a Kesler of reaching that pinnacle again Monday, falling 3-1 to the Vancouver Canucks.