So while the Vancouver Canucks captain is officially “a game-time decision” for tonight’s meeting with the Minnesota Wild, there seems little doubt he will play and his extend his NHL ironman streak to 553 games.

Sedin tested his right ankle at this morning’s game-day skate at the Xcel Energy Center and said it felt better than it did on Wednesday.

A CT scan done on Wednesday showed no evidence of a fracture and Sedin has been assured he cannot further damage his ankle by playing. It is a pain-management issue.

“Like I said, I want to play games,” Sedin said after the team’s morning skate. “That’s No. 1 and if they say it’s not going to get any worse and I’m able to play then I am going to play. That’s my only answer.”

read on

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said today that goaltender Jimmy Howard and forward Danny Cleary are both out for the weekend and will be re-evaluated next week.

Howard (broken right finger on Feb. 2) has been on the ice before and after practices but hasn’t faced any shots yet because of the vibration he would feel from his stick.

“It’s a four-to-six week injury to heal, the longer we can wait the less risk you take,’’ Holland said today at Michigan Stadium, during the Winter Classic news conference. “He’s been practicing, it’s really up to him. Does he feel any pain. Probably not this weekend. I’m assuming by next week he’ll be practicing and we’ll see where he’s at.’‘

The soonest Howard is likely to return is Tuesday at home against Dallas.

Howard said he is day-to-day.

continued

Burnside: Greetings, my friend. Well, every day it seems the playoff picture in both conferences becomes murkier and murkier. And the Anaheim Ducks are doing little to clarify the situation by continuing to collect points at an alarming rate. Wednesday they knocked off Carolina in overtime, two days after besting Calgary in a shootout. In their past 15 games, the Ducks are 11-2-2 and, while they remain in 13th place in the Western Conference, they have pulled to within eight points of the eighth and final playoff spot….

LeBrun: I had a chance to catch up with Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau before the team departed for Detroit this morning. There’s definitely a buzz in the Ducks’ dressing room that something special could be happening, despite the long odds.

“There’s a sense of optimism, for sure,” Boudreau told ESPN.com.

“The guys are believing that it’s possible. If we ever get to within six or four points, it’ll be a real race.”

more plus some Phoenix, Calgary, Washington and Winnipeg talk…

[Recently Caps centerman Nicklas Backstrom spoke with Swedish outlet Gefle Dagblad about his recovery from the concussion that has sidelined him since January 3. A translation of the resulting article appears below, courtesy of our good friend Malin.]

“I don’t know when I will be able to play again, but I hope I will be ready for the playoffs.”

It was in the game against Calgary on January 3 that Rene Bourque delivered an elbow to the head of Nicklas Bäckström. The elbowing happened in the neutral zone.

“It was an unnecessary hit. I feel like he could have just skated by me instead.”

Bourque was suspended five games for that cowardly cheap shot. Since then Bourque has changed teams and he is now playing for the Montreal Canadiens where he is free to play without any restraints or problems.

Bäckström himself on the other hand has yet to play in a single game since he got hurt. He has now missed 15 games and it is still unclear when he will be able to return to the ice.

“I’m getting better, but it takes time,” he says.

continued

Streaming should be from both Comerica Park at 10:30am followed by a conference at 11:15am from The Big House.

Stream can be watched below when available…

added 10:26am, Stream is now live below…

Continue reading "2013 Winter Classic Announcement"

The Rangers may skate under the radar through most of the calendar, but they have the pedigree that grants them the ability to own this city the way they did when they won it all in 1994 and even when they went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1979.

The way they have a chance to own this city this spring.

Look, this is not a powerhouse team. This is not a group glittering with stars like the one featuring Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and Adam Graves that put an end to the 54-year Stanley Cup drought by looking history in the eye until it blinked.

But it is a team that is greater than the sum of its parts operating in a sport that rewards fabric more than any other. There are talents who do get their name above the title on the marquee, specifically Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik, and that is required of teams that go all the way, but more than the commitment to grind on every shift, to block every shot and to finish and play through every check, there is the commitment to one another.

All In, on the field.

All In, on the ice.

more

Kiprusoff shone brightest in the final minutes of his 34-save outing, which included a highlight-reel stop in which he was on his stomach but able to catch a puck with his feet after it rolled down his back.

Talk about a great way to reach a milestone.

“It’s nice. I try not to think about it too much, but it’s there now. And that was a huge win for us,” he said. “It’s not the easiest building to win in, but it’s not a big thing for me it’s against San Jose.”

more on the win last night…

So why is this injury, which sounds at once benign (soft tissue) and sinister (neck), so difficult to grasp? And why, if it isn’t particularly serious, is it proving to be such a hurdle for Crosby to overcome? The answers are simultaneously straightforward and complex.

Some athletic injuries are just easy to comprehend. Take, for instance, the hamstring strain. This is a classic example of a soft-tissue injury (a term typically used to refer to injury of a muscle, tendon or ligament). Hamstring strains can be mild or severe. At best, an athlete might describe nothing more than “tightness” or “pulling,” and would recover in a matter of days. In more serious cases, the athlete might feel a “pop” or experience a “tearing” sensation while collapsing in obvious pain. If the athlete was unable to return to play for multiple weeks—even months—after such an injury, it might be frustrating but most would understand. And it would not surprise anyone if the biggest concern was whether returning too soon could lead to reinjury.

But when the injury feels less familiar (as is the case with Crosby’s) and the soft-tissue injury is located in that no-man’s land of the neck (where there are very important things like the spinal cord, discs, nerves and vertebrae), it somehow casts a shadow of a far more serious condition.

The reality is that there are very reasonable comparisons between soft-tissue injuries in any part of the body. Just as a hamstring injury is a soft tissue injury of the thigh, an injury to the muscles, tendons or ligaments of the cervical spine is a soft tissue injury of the neck. Soft tissue, when damaged, bleeds to varying degrees, resulting in pain and inflammation in the injured area, whether it’s the thigh or the neck.

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Luke Schenn has a natural inclination to watch out for his kid brother Brayden.

And while that task would be a lot easier if both were on the same bench for the Philadelphia Flyers, that’s not quite the close proximity that Luke is thinking of right now. While gainfully employed by the Maple Leafs, there continues to be speculation Luke will somehow join Brayden in orange and black by the Feb. 27 trade deadline, if not elsewhere.

Something with the Leafs and Flyers was cooking a few weeks ago for forward James van Riemsdyk, before the Flyer winger suffered a concussion. He remains out of their lineup, while Philly is still looking for depth on defence after losing Chris Pronger.

For Thursday at least, the Schenns will be on opposite sides of the Wells Fargo Center. The six-foot, 200-pound Brayden’s place on the Flyers was unclear in the first meeting back in November.

“Knock on wood, he’s playing (regularly) there now and he’s healthy,” Luke said. “That’s good to see. I’m excited to be going down there and looking forward to having dinner with him (Wednesday night).”

continued

note 11:55pm, The original title was a human error by me, I had Toronto instead of Philadelphia.  Sorry for getting Leafs fans excited.

The thought has at least crossed Shane Doan’s mind.

With the Phoenix Coyotes’ ownership situation still in limbo and unrestricted free agency staring him in the face, the veteran forward could be playing out his final season in the desert.

“Obviously, I’d be pretty naive to not think that way,” Doan said in a recent interview. “At the same time, everything is kind of focused on waiting to see how our team’s doing and what we’re doing and what’s going on with the ownership and different things. (I’ll) make a decision then I guess.

“But yeah, I’d be stupid not to be looking at (my options) and thinking about everything else.”

It’s the last place the 35-year-old wants to find himself in the twilight of his career.

continued

The Vancouver Canucks’ current ironman could see his streak come to an end.

Captain Henrik Sedin was not at the Exel Energy Center in Minnesota for Wednesday’s practice and was seen at the team’s hotel limping around in a large walking boot.

Sports writer Jason Botchford from the Vancouver Province tweeted that Sedin will have a CT scan done on the injured ankle in the Minnesota area this afternoon.

Sedin was injured in Tuesday’s win over the Nashville Predators, when a point shot by defenceman Kevin Klein struck him in the right ankle early in the first period.

Sedin dropped to the ice and had to be helped to the dressing room.

...Here are the 10 NHLers most in need of a new playing home:

10. Mike Komisarek, Toronto
Komisarek’s stay in Toronto has been tumultuous to say the least, with the veteran defenseman often a healthy scratch when he wasn’t recuperating from a broken arm. He is under contract for two more years at $4.5 million per season, but if he can get away from the Toronto fishbowl, the 30-year-old still could salvage what was an above-average NHL career.

9. Paul Stastny, Colorado
He is on pace for a fifth-straight season of at least 20 goals and is Colorado’s second-leading point-getter, but Stastny also makes more money ($6.6 million a year) than anyone on the Avs roster and the sense is his development has stalled. He’s still only 26 and with just two years left on his contract after this season, he might benefit from playing elsewhere – and if they moved him, Colorado would benefit from the healthy trade return Stastny would bring.

8. Chris Stewart, St. Louis
A former member of the Avs who went to the Blues in the Erik Johnson/Kevin Shattenkirk blockbuster deal last year, Stewart is averaging third-liner minutes (16:13) and is a restricted free agent this summer. Just 24 years old, he is on pace for a 16-goal season – down from 28 last year – and almost certainly will entice a rival GM into thinking he can turn his game around in a new city.

read on

Who is the toughest goalie to beat in a shootout?

Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers 28%

Pekka Rinne, Predators 28%

Marc-Andre Fleury, Devils 8%

Ryan Miller, Sabres 7%

Tim Thomas, Bruins 5%

FAST FACTS

Lundqvist, who leads the NHL in save percentage (.939) won the All-Star Skills Competition, stopping six of seven shootout attempts…. The pick of a whopping 40% of players from his own Western Conference, Rinne ranks first among active goalies in career shootout save percentage (.784).... Fleury, just 20th in overall save percentage, leads the league with seven shootout wins…. In a similar poll on Facebook, Lundqvist filled the top slot with 31% of the votes, ahead of Thomas (30%), while Rinne tallied just (7%).

Based on 186 NHL players who responded to SI’s survey

The NHL will pay the University $3 million to rent the Big House and will require use of the stadium from Dec. 1, 2012 to mid-January, according to a communication to the regents from Athletic Director Dave Brandon and Timothy Slottow, the University’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. The Winter Classic game will take place on Jan. 1, 2013 and has an alternate date of Jan. 2, 2013.

During the meeting, Brandon said the NHL is expected to donate a “significant” amount to student scholarships at the University from its charitable foundation….

Brandon said he expects the event to draw in excess of $14 million in economic activity to Ann Arbor.Newman added that the economic boost is one of the key reasons the regents approved the lease.

“One of the factors that we discussed when considering this was the economic value to the city of Ann Arbor and the surrounding community and the goodness this would do for restaurants and hotels and shops and other activity in the area,” Newman said. “I think that at a time of year where it’s otherwise quiet, doing something like this makes a lot of sense.”

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The Norris Trophy race clearly appears to be a two-man affair and, quite honestly, either player at this point is fully deserving. Let’s take a look at our Norris candidates:

5. Dan Girardi, New York Rangers
Leads all NHLers in ice time per game and helps spearhead the stingiest defensive record in the Eastern Conference. He’s much deserving of Norris consideration.

4. Alexander Edler, Vancouver Canucks
Second in the league among points by defenseman as of Wednesday morning with 37 (7-30), I chuckled when a player turned to me during All-Star Weekend in Ottawa and remarked he had no idea how good this Edler dude was until seeing him in person. Um, yeah.

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I am pleased to announce that we have signed Vinny Prospal to a 1 year contract extension.

NHL players still receive their paychecks if they’re forced out of the lineup with injuries sustained during games or practices. But off-ice insurance policies provide a financial cushion for players in case they are injured away from the rink.

Some teams have threatened to scuttle contracts if players get hurt during certain activities, such as mountain climbing or water skiing. Crosby’s around-the-clock policy covers him against any career-ending injuries.

Pat Brisson, Crosby’s agent, confirmed the Penguins captain has insurance coverage, but he declined to confirm the value of his policy. A source familiar with the matter confirmed the policy is worth about $20 million.

Crosby, who is making $9 million this season and $7.5 million next year, would only be able to cash in the policy if he retires permanently from the NHL.

It’s possible that he could retire and collect from his insurance company and later return to hockey. Crosby would first need to repay his insurance payout.

If Crosby collects a massive insurance payout, it could have a ripple effect across all pro sports leagues. Several insurance industry executives say it would dwarf any other NHL-related payout.

read on

“We’re past the point where we have to start getting a win.  It seems like any little mistake is costing us right now.

‘‘That’s kind of the way it goes when you’re on a losing streak. You’re not getting the bounces. You look at [Kyle Quincey’s] empty-net goal. They throw it off the boards, it ricochets off the penalty box and then it goes in the net.”

Duncan Keith, of the Chicago Blackhawks after losing their 6th straight last night.  More from Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.

added 9:51am,

There are some issues going on in Chicago. Some chemistry issues. Stay tuned.

-Adrian Dater of All Things Avs.

And Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo make and equally spectacular save during his team’s 4-3 shootout win over the Nashville Predators, this time during regulation time:

Continue reading "Malkin, Luongo dazzle during Tuesday’s action"