Kukla's Korner Hockey

A Look Around The League

by Paul on 02/09/10 at 08:30 AM ET
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from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,

• Lighter stuff: one of the funniest players in the NHL, Shawn Thornton, had a weird moustache going Sunday as the Bruins ended their 10-game losing run in Montreal. He tried a beard to break the bad streak, but shaved it into a handlebar moustache when that failed. He trimmed down that version after another loss, leading to the victorious current version. “Can’t shave it now,” Thornton said afterwards. “It’s a winner.”

• I think the Ilya Kovalchuk decision for Peter Chiarelli came down to this: he wasn’t willing to trade Toronto’s top pick, so would he give up a piece like David Krejci? Smart call to say no. The Bruins, despite their best hopes, are not a Stanley Cup contender.

• Reason to be wary of Tim Thomas rumours: Will he waive his no-trade? He has one for the first three years of his new contract. And, one of the beat guys was telling me Thomas has moved his entire family to Boston.

much more from Elliotte including his take on Bob Gainey…

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Predators Thinking Depth

by Paul on 02/09/10 at 07:10 AM ET
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from John Glennon of the Tennessean,

“We could use a tweak or two,” Preds Coach Barry Trotz said. “We’re actually scoring more goals than people thought we’d score, but we’re giving up a little more than what we want … So maybe a veteran penalty-killer or a real good faceoff guy, or maybe a guy that’s produced a little bit more (offensively).”

Who’s out there? Some of the forward names getting tossed around are those from teams that have nearly been eliminated from the playoff chase — Carolina’s Ray Whitney and Matt Cullen, Edmonton’s Fernando Pisani and Ethan Moreau, Toronto’s Alexei Ponika-rovsky, and Columbus’ Raffi Torres and Fredrik Modin.

As to whether the Preds might trade either Hamhuis or one of the goalies, Nashville General Manager David Poile at this point seems more inclined to hold on to those players.

more

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The Return Of Franzen

by Paul on 02/09/10 at 06:44 AM ET
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from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

The points-starved Detroit Red Wings aren’t expecting power forward Johan Franzen to be their savior when he returns to the lineup Tuesday in St. Louis after a four-month absence due to a torn knee ligament.

“We’ll give him one game before he can save us,” teammate Kris Draper said with a laugh. “No pressure.”

They joke, but they are excited to welcome back one of the NHL’s top goal-scorers the past couple of seasons. This injury-riddled team that has had trouble generating offense, both even-strength and on the power play, needs Franzen’s finishing touch.

continued

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 Tags: Johan+Franzen,

What’s Happened To These Three Oilers?

by Paul on 02/09/10 at 06:40 AM ET
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from David Staples of The Cult Of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal,

They have become over-the-hill right before our eyes.

An uncertain moment. A step slow. A terrible mistake. Yet another goal against the Edmonton Oilers.

That’s the story of Shawn Horcoff, Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani’s 2009-10 season. All three of them have suffered numerous injuries in recent years, and while not one of them is ancient by NHL standards, they have failed to get the job done for the Edmonton Oilers this year, and one wonders if any of them will recover and be solid players again.

continued

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Getzlaf Injures Ankle

by Paul on 02/09/10 at 06:21 AM ET
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via Robyn Norwood of the LA Times,

The Ducks ended the Kings’ streak, but the two points in the playoff race might have come at a high price.

Ryan Getzlaf, the team’s leading scorer, sprained his left ankle during the second period and left the arena wearing a boot and on crutches. X-rays were negative, but an MRI exam is scheduled for Tuesday.

“That will give us a better indication of the severity of the sprain,” Coach Randy Carlyle said.

“Hopefully, he won’t be out too long,” Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer said. “I don’t have to say what he means to this team, what he does for us. So hopefully it’s not bad.”

Niedermayer, also captain of Team Canada, said he hadn’t considered the potential impact on the Olympic team.

“I know he would love to play and wants to play, and we don’t really know how badly hurt he is right now. Hopefully he’s in our lineup in two nights. That would be good.”

Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Ryan+Getzlaf,

Koules Dreamed Of Making The Playoffs

by Paul on 02/08/10 at 10:16 PM ET
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from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

Oren Koules will be in Toronto Wednesday, overseeing the start of filming of Saw VII, the latest instalment of the immensely successful movie franchise that made him rich enough to be an NHL owner.

But it didn’t make him rich enough to be an NHL owner without partners, which is why his heart will be back in Tampa with the club he had to sell last week to Boston money manager Jeffrey Vinik.

“The part that hurts is when we finally got through the circus and got to concentrate on building, we had a pretty good team,” Koules said yesterday. “Not seeing it to the conclusion is hard. I always dreamed every day of making the playoffs. We have a chance to make the playoffs and that’s our goal.”

continued

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 Tags: Oren+Koules,

Jeff Carter Hit On Anssi Salmela Tonight

by Paul on 02/08/10 at 08:49 PM ET
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from the Star-Ledger,

Devils defenseman Anssi Salmela was taken off the ice on a stretcher in Philadelphia Monday night after getting hit by the Flyers’ Jeff Carter just after scoring a short-handed goal for a 2-0 Devils lead.

continued

update 9:05pm, via Jay Grossman (player agent) Twitter,

Salmela has refractured broken nose and lost several teeth. Will not return tonight, but will be OK.

Filed in: NHL Teams, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Anssi+Salmela, Jeff+Carter,

The Caveman Feels Right At Home

by Paul on 02/08/10 at 06:56 PM ET
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Filed in: NHL Teams, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Best Hits Of The Week

by Paul on 02/08/10 at 06:34 PM ET
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Let’s forget the goals and saves this week and concentrate on just the hits from the past week in the NHL.

Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Media, NHL Video | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

This Week Could Decide If Ducks Are Buyers Or Sellers

by Paul on 02/08/10 at 06:31 PM ET
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from Eric Stephens of Ducks Blog at the OC Register,

Is Ducks general manager Bob Murray going to be a buyer or a seller when March 3 rolls around, or perhaps before that fateful date?

It is one of the questions that’s floating around in hockey circles as the Ducks sit precariously outside the playoff picture entering tonight’s game against the Kings at Honda Center. Make no mistake, there are contending teams who wonder if Scott Niedermayer, Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne and others will be available when the NHL trade deadline rolls around.

Murray isn’t providing an answer to that question right now but one could reveal itself soon — perhaps this week before the break for the Winter Olympics.

The thing is the Ducks are five points out of eight place, not far enough to throw in the towel and start the rebuilding process and perhaps close enough to believe a move or two might give them a lift in their playoff push.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

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