December 3rd

Pisani Returns to Oil

The Edmonton Oilers activated right-winger Fernando Pisani off the injured reserve list Sunday and placed him on their 23-man roster.

Pisani, 30, has missed Edmonton's first 26 games of the 2007-08 NHL campaign due to ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disorder. He is expected to make his season debut in Sunday's road game against the Anaheim Ducks
Pisani scored 14 goals and collected 28 points in 77 games last season, his fourth in the NHL, and has 56 goals and 108 points in 268 NHL games since being drafted in the eighth round (195th overall) by the Oilers in 1996.


Talbot, Pulls Fast One

The Pittsburgh Penquins left the Air Canada Centre with a 4-2 loss on Saturday Night to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but had their share of laughs on the ice earlier in the day.

More than 10,000 fans - mostly school kids - attended the Toronto Maple Leafs' open practice on Saturday afternoon, with the majority of them staying and hoping to see Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have a game day skate. Most of the Penguins, who played Friday night against Dallas, skipped the optional practice but that didn't stop Crosby's teammate Maxime Talbot from having a bit of fun. The young winger put on Crosby's helmet and trademark No. 87 jersey and skated out for a couple of circles near centre ice.

To say the fans got a bit excited was an understatement. After raising Crosby's game stick to acknowledge the fans, the crowd - thinking it was the league's premier player - gave him a standing ovation while cellphone and digital cameras flashed.


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