Kukla's Korner

GDT - Game #59: Red Wings at Blues (8:00)

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By Jeff OKWingnut

02/09/10 at 09:43 AM ET | Comments (0)

STL are coming off a 5-3 loss last night to the Av’s.  Chris Mason’s boxscore was ugly, surrendering 5 GA on 15 shots, before getting pulled in the 2nd. Conklin stopped all 18 shots in relief.  Per the St. Louis Post -Dispatch:  Colorado’s three-goal second period chased Mason from the game and sent the Avalanche on their way to a 5-2 victory over the Blues, ”who looked lethargic considering their playoff lives are on the line.”

DET fans must be pondering the same based on the Wings play of late.  3-5-2, is just unfathomable - - all while getting healthier. Playoffs?  Are you kidding me.  I just hope we can win another game.

Kronwall and Eaves are out.  Homer is questionable, and Mule is in.  Jimmy Howard will start for the 21st time in the last 23 games.  Asked why, coach Mike Babcock said with startling clarity, “Because I think it’s the right decision.’’ I’d have to agree, the Wings are rapidly approaching the point of no return; every game matters.  So says Holland:  “If we play .500 hockey the rest of the way, we’re not going to make it. We have to have some stretches where we go 8-2, 7-3. We just haven’t found ways to win games, and now we’ve got a huge week here with three games before the Olympic break.”

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Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 

A Look Around The League

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

02/09/10 at 08:30 AM ET | Comments (0)

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…

Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Ryan Whitney needs no validation

Blog: The Confluence By Tony

02/09/10 at 07:53 AM ET | Comments (0)

From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review’s Rob Rossi:

Defenseman Ryan Whitney, admittedly “pretty ticked off” upon hearing Dec. 30 from Team USA general manager Brian Burke that he was not on the initial Olympic roster, channeled his anger into inspiration instead of taking it as a crushing blow.

“I have a totally different perspective of how to handle things,” Whitney said Monday of the refined approach he adopted after last season, which he opened on the sidelines with a surgically repaired foot, included successful surgery on his mother to remove a brain tumor, and ended playing for the Anaheim Ducks after the Penguins traded him as part of a package for winger Chris Kunitz last February.

“It really is just a game ... and it’s a business, but none of it is personal. There is real life to deal with.”

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Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
  Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,

Predators Thinking Depth

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

02/09/10 at 07:10 AM ET | Comments (0)

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

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

02/09/10 at 06:44 AM ET | Comments (3)

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

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: Johan+Franzen,

What’s Happened To These Three Oilers?

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

02/09/10 at 06:40 AM ET | Comments (0)

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

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

02/09/10 at 06:21 AM ET | Comments (0)

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

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

02/08/10 at 10:16 PM ET | Comments (1)

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

Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: Oren+Koules,

Jeff Carter Hit On Anssi Salmela Tonight

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

02/08/10 at 08:49 PM ET | Comments (35)

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

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

02/08/10 at 06:56 PM ET | Comments (1)

Filed in: NHL Teams, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

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