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JETS GM FIERCELY DEFENDS SCHEIFELE

The Winnipeg Free Press elicited some ferocious quotes from Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff in a recent interview.

The chatter in some circles has been the organization might be disappointed, impatient or worried that 2011 first-round draft pick Mark Scheifele did not stick with the NHL team after the lockout.

“I’m worried? Me?” he said recently. “You know what, I can’t even comment on stuff like that. It’s not even dignified to comment on it. This player was in the top three for his team at the World Junior. You talk to his coaches about what he was like at the World Junior; this can’t be farther from the truth.

“That’s the hard part about the world we’re living in. It takes one person to say, ‘Chevy’s thinking this,’ and it can have no basis or merit to it whatsoever, so where’s the accountability from the person starting this?

“If you hear it from my mouth, believe it. If you don’t hear it from my mouth, don’t believe it.

“That’s, I think, the bottom line. He’s got 39 goals. He’s becoming a leader. He’s doing all those things that need to be done. I don’t even know how to respond to that.”

Was he disappointed to have to make the send-down decision after four NHL games this season for Scheifele?

“You’re using the term disappointed,” the GM said. “Why should we be bringing that up? Why should a 19-year-old have to play in the National Hockey League? Why should an 18-year-old have to play in the National Hockey League? These are things that we as an impatient society, group, hockey industry want to happen now. I don’t get it. There’s not an ounce of disappointment about sending him back to junior.

“These are things that single words can misconstrue so much. Nineteen-year-olds should be at the junior level unless they are absolutely ready to play at the National Hockey League level. We’ve talked with Mark when sending him back, we think the skills are there. We thing the hockey sense is definitely there. We think the ability to play with NHL people, that’s there. The thing we want to make sure we don’t make a mistake on is strength. You can’t push a kid to grow. You can’t push him; those things just happen on their own. Again, I’m just citing a case in point, but today Buffalo just sent back Michael Grigorenko.

“It shouldn’t be a knock against anyone. But it’s the reality for 18- and 19-year-old kids, that we as an industry, it’s like eating your own young. Why do we want to do that?”

BRODEUR’S SEASON COULD HAVE ENDED

The Star-Ledger reveals Devils goalie Martin Brodeur could’ve seen his season come to an end if the pinched nerve in his back hadn’t responded to medication well enough to relieve the pain and inflammation.

Although there were no plans for surgery, it was discussed.

“They could’ve done a little surgery. It’s nothing crazy,” Brodeur said Tuesday, prior to backing up Johan Hedberg against the New York Rangers. “But you can’t play for eight or nine weeks. So that was not an option. Not that they thought about doing it. That was a last resort type of thing if, in three months, it’s not resolved.”

Brodeur is just happy to be able to practice again.

“We did MRIs and they saw something was blocking a nerve at the nerve root. It could’ve been something that dislodged and shifted. Anything,” he explained. “They were able to touch my fingers and know exactly where the nerve was going. Everything is connected to your neck.

“I’m not a doctor but I learned all these things. After (finding the nerve) it’s taking the inflammation out. After that the numbness usually goes away, but it could take up to two, three or four months. Everybody is different.”

“If anything, I’m getting better and better every day. The symptoms are 100 percent gone. I’m getting a little more strength from the numbness. It’s moving along pretty good, so I’m happy. My neck and upper back was causing a little numbness around my arm.”

OILERS CRAVE REXALL’S INTENSE ATMOSPHERE

The Edmonton Journal notes the Oilers sport a mere 5-4-3 record at Rexall Place, which isn’t good enough if the team is determined to make a playoff push.

It definitely hasn’t been good enough to win over the crowd.

“We have to find a way to play some better hockey and really bring the atmosphere back to what it was,” captain Shawn Horcoff said Tuesday, on the eve of a home meeting with the San Jose Sharks. “I know if we make the playoffs, it’s going to be there, but the fans here have had some tough times.

“They haven’t seen a lot of good important hockey here in a few years. We just need to find a way to put some success together here to get the excitement back in the building.”

The Oilers close out this four-game homestand on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues. They will then play 10 of their remaining 18 games at Rexall.

BRUNNER SEEKS SCORING TOUCH AGAIN



The Detroit News points out Damien Brunner leads the Red Wings in goals with 10, yet hasn’t scored a goal in 10 games.

“You’re obviously not happy when you’re not scoring,” said Brunner after Tuesday’s practice. “But on the other side, you can’t put yourself under too much pressure. The more you want it (goals), you try to push it and it won’t work.

“Just make the easy plays and you’re finally going to get a bounce. I’m hoping to have a positive feeling soon and get going again.”

Coach Mike Babcock hasn’t had any issues with Brunner’s performance, citing the versatile contributions.

“That’s what you go through at times,” Babcock said. “He’s a guy, to me, he’s done a lot of good things. I like what he’s done for us. He’s been excellent. He has 10 goals; who has had 10 goals on our team?

“You get more rope when you score goals. He’s working hard and he knows what he’s going through. Just relax, and keep playing hard.”

PURCELL HEATING UP AGAIN

The Tampa Bay Times writes Teddy Purcell broke his scoring drought with goals in each of his past two outings, including the winner Monday against the Flyers.

Just what general manager Steve Yzerman wanted to see when he signed Purcell to a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension through 2015-16.

“When I got that extension, I talked to Steve and he said, ‘You’re going to be counted on and leaned on more,’ ” Purcell said. “I want to take that step, personally, as a player and be a go-to guy night in and night out.”

Purcell, 27, has the tools, particularly a wrist shot considered Tampa Bay’s best. Coach Guy Boucher even called Purcell, with six goals and 24 points in 29 games, “the most skilled player on the team.”

“In terms of pure skill,” Boucher said, “he is unbelievable.”

The feast-or-famine narrative isn’t difficult for Boucher to figure out. When Purcell doesn’t move his feet, battle for pucks and position and get to the net, he falls into something called “thinking and gliding mode,” though Purcell said it is more just being “uncomfortable with the puck” and “rushing plays.”

“He always wants me to battle more,” said Purcell, 6 feet 3, 203 pounds. “We don’t even have to have a lot of talks anymore. Whenever I’m not playing my game, all he has to say is those two words. It’s pretty straightforward what he wants from me.”

PANTHERS’ JOVANOVSKI OUT INDEFINITELY

The Miami Herald relays Panthers coach Kevin Dineen delivered the bad injury news regarding captain Ed Jovanovski Tuesday.

“Eddie is going to be out indefinitely,” Dineen said. “He’s had a recurring lower-body injury that he’s worked extremely hard to get healthy. He’s got to get healthy, and he’s not there yet. We do not expect him back anytime soon. We’ll get on the eight-day road trip and give you an update when we get back.”

Though Dineen didn’t specify the injury, he did say Jovanovski came into the season with the injury. Jovanovski has had problems with a sore hip in the past.

Jovanovski returned to the lineup Saturday after missing 21 games with a “lower-body injury” then left the game during the second period. He’s 36, in the second year of a four-year deal with a possibly chronic injury. More than one player has decided to end his career under these circumstances.

Asked about that possibility, Dineen said, “It’s a hard comment for me right now. I played against this guy. I’ve been in slashing matches with him. I’ve seen the way he’s played as a teammate last year. I think extremely highly of him, and I think [the team’s eight-day road trip will] give him a chance to get a feel for where he is, where we are right now.”

ETEM’S PENALTY-KILL WORK STANDS OUT

The Orange County Register believes there’s a tradition of excellence at right wing in Anaheim, started by Teemu Selanne and continued by Correy Perry, and Selanne said Tuesday that Etem “has the ability” to carry on the legacy.

Etem said he began to hone his penalty-killing skills as a teen in the USA Development program. He’s always been known as a goal-scorer: At 19, he was the fourth player in Western Hockey League history to score 50 goals in 50 games or less, and the first in 11 seasons.

In those junior days at Medicine Hat, though, Etem said he continued developing as a penalty-killer.

“With (Kings prospect) Linden Vey at Medicine Hat, the chemistry on the penalty kill was a lot like I’m developing with Andrew,” Etem said.

Boudreau said the combination of speed of Cogliano and Etem “puts a lot of pressure on the other team.”

Etem said that “defense comes first on the penalty kill, and we know if we take an offensive chance we have to put it on net so the rush doesn’t come right back at us. But also, when we have the puck, we know the other teams don’t have it on the power play.”

PATIENCE PAYS OFF FOR STARS’ CAMPBELL

Dallas Stars Inside Edge projects goaltender Jack Campbell may or may not play during his call up to the Dallas Stars, but the fact that he was called up from the Texas Stars on Tuesday is a sign that his learning to be patient is starting to pay some dividends.

The highly competitive Campbell, who at one time was always in a hurry to climb the development ladder, has learned to slow things down a bit and absorb some lessons. Lessons that have helped make him a better goaltender and earned him his first NHL stint.

“Half of it is accepting that goalies take longer. You have to continue to get better every day, both physically and mentally,” the 21-year-old Campbell said Tuesday afternoon. “The other half is you realize how good the NHL goalies really are. It’s no knock on those guys when your goal is to be up here sooner than later, but until you see them playing and practicing every day then it’s an eye-opener. You look at Kari (Lehtonen) and he does everything so well. I am just trying to learn from him. It’s half mentally on my part and half seeing how good those guys are.”