Washington Capitals winger, Alex Ovechkin, has been banned for three games for breaking Rule 42 of the NHL rulebook, the code that governs charging at opponents. Ovechkin, a player who is no stranger to suspensions, slammed into Penguins’ defender, Zbynek Michalek, in Pittsburgh, on Sunday.

The Penguins dispatched the Capitals 4-3 in a roughly even match-up, to record their sixth victory in a row. Washington, in comparison, have lost three games in four, with their most recent win coming against Montreal, on Thursday. Those looking at the in-play ice hockey betting online will not have been surprised.

Pittsburgh got off to a flyer, scoring two goals in the first period, but Washington retaliated quickly, to tie the scores heading into the final period. A goal apiece in the third dragged the game into overtime, where the increasingly productive Evgeni Malkin sealed victory for the Penguins.

Once the celebrations were over, the Pens’ attention turned to the altercation between Ovechkin and Michalek. The Russian, Ovechkin, launched himself at his Czech opponent in the second period, clearing leaving the ice with his feet, and impacting Michalek’s head with his left shoulder.

The manoeuvre, as player safety official, Brendan Shanahan, would later state, is illegal. To paraphrase Rule 42 of the handbook: penalties will be imposed upon players who deliberately skate, jump, or charge into an opponent. The difference between charging and checking is often a matter of intent; checking is about retrieving a puck, whereas charging is usually an act of aggression.

Ovechkin has been fined a total of $154,677 (£99,317) in missed wages. The forfeit will be paid to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund, a ‘piggy bank’ that helps support former players with financial difficulties. The Russian will make his return to the Capitals on February 4, against the Montreal Canadiens.

Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Penguins waddled all over the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Consol Energy Centre, Pennsylvania, to secure only their third win in nine fixtures. The Penguins had Evgeni Malkin to thank for their success; the Russian scored a hat-trick in the third period to lift Pittsburgh above the Lightning.

Last night’s 6-3 triumph, in favour of the home side, was the Penguins’ second victory in as many games. However, their previous 4-1 win, over the Florida Panthers, came on the back of an appalling six-game losing streak. Sunday’s result will no doubt give fans renewed hope that Pittsburgh can salvage their season. Anyone following the best hockey betting will be keeping a close eye on their efforts.

Early strikes from James Neal and Richard Park gave the Penguins the lead against Tampa Bay. Neal claimed his second, and Pittsburgh’s third, just a few seconds into the final period, to cement his position as the top power-play scorer in the NHL, with 12. What happened next was a microcosm of the Penguins’ season to date: they were overrun.

The Lightning struck in the second minute of the final period, when new signing, Matt Gilroy, found the net.

He was joined on the scorecard just under three minutes later by Tampa winger, Ryan Malone, and then, at 6:50, by Teddy Purcell. The Lightning’s late performance was a remarkable turnaround for the Florida-based team, considering that they managed just one strike in the first ten minutes of the game.

Malkin, the Penguin’s saviour, re-opened the scoring for Pittsburgh in the seventh minute of the third. Two more goals followed; he slotted the puck past the Lightning’s tender, Mathieu Garon, at the death, before stealing a pass from Tampa’s Brooks Orpik, and finding the Lightning’s goal from range.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have now lost seven games on the bounce. Their most recent win, against the Carolina Hurricanes, was on December 31, a distant memory for Lightning coach, Guy Boucher.

Philadelphia Flyers’ hopes of landing a first Stanley Cup since 1975 have been dealt a blow after Chris Pronger was told his season is over.

The 37-year-old Flyers captain is suffering from severe post-concussion syndrome and has been ruled out of the rest of the regular season as well as the play-offs.
Pronger has had five operations in the last 16 months and has suffered numerous injuries during his 18-year career which has also seen him have spells with St Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks. Anyone looking at the best hockey betting should remember this.

Philadelphia’s general manager Paul Holmgren confirmed: “After consultation with respected concussion specialists Dr Joseph Maroon and Dr Micky Collins, it is the recommendation of both doctors that Chris not return to play for the Philadelphia Flyers for the remainder of the 2011-12 season or play-offs.”

Pronger has not featured in the Flyers team since 19th November when he started complaining of dizzyness after being hit in the face during the game against Phoenix.
He also missed six matches after being hit in the right eye with a stick in the game against Toronto on 24th October.

Pronger is in the second season of a seven-year, $34.45million extension he signed in 2009 but there are real fears that his career could be over.

Philadelphia have won their last seven games and have the second best record behind Minnesota so far this season, having only tasted defeat seven times in their first 30 matches.

Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall are expected to stand in for Pronger for the rest of the campaign.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed the former Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Tomas Kaberle, with veteran rearguard Jaroslav Spacek moving in the opposite direction.

Kaberle is an experienced campaigner having spent more than a decade with the Toronto Maple Leafs before winning the Stanley Cup with Boston Bruins.The 33-year-old brings two-plus years of his three-year, $12.75-million contract to Montreal, while Spacek, four years Kaberle’s senior, was to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

Spacek has struggled with injuries this season and has only featured in 12 games, registering three assists. People who bet on hockey should remember this.

Kaberle has featured in 931 NHL games during a lengthy career but was criticised by Hurricanes’ GM Jim Rutherford recently for his poor work ethic and fitness levels.

“(Kaberle) might have had a slow start like the rest of the team in Carolina,” said Montreal’s GM Pierre Gauthier. “But he’s played well recently with four points in his last two games, and our observation is he’s getting his game together.

“We feel we have a good team that’s competing very well in many areas. Our people are creating more power-plays than in the past because they’re driving to the net a lot better.

“The Canadiens have struggled all season, winning only 11 of their 29 games to date and have lost narrowly to Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks this week.

They have secured only one win in their past seven games, a 2-1 victory over the Kings in Los Angeles last Saturday.

Meanwhile, defenceman Chris Campoli is set to return to action after being out with a torn hamstring since the season-opener, but Scott Gomez, who has missed the last seven games with a groin injury, remains on the sidelines.