April 13, 2007

My dark horse for next year (one of them, anyway) Jan Mursak has signed a three-year entry level deal with Detroit. 

 

Derick Brassard has 12 assists and 18 points for Drummondville in just nine postseason games in the QMJHL. 

 

Rick DiPietro felt fine after practice today and I upgrade my odds to 90% that he will be playing tomorrow. We will find out after the morning skate. 

 

Some goalie notes: Fleury will be back between the pipes tomorrow, if you had any doubt. I didn't. But THIS is a shocker – Johan Hedberg will apparently get the nod for Atlanta. Huh? Hedberg will do fine, but still – I think something is fishy here. Is Lehtonen hurt? Teams are mum about such things… 

 

Ryan Kesler is out 4-5 weeks with a broken finger after blocking a shot Wednesday.

 

Make it 80-20. I just found from another source that DiPietro seems to be more ready than I first reported. He looks like he may start Game 2.

 

Ryan Craig was back in the TB lineup.

 

Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Richards combined for just under 79 minutes last night. 

 

Marcel Hossa played over 20 minutes and scored a goal. I have never seen him get that kind of ice time before, so I am certain he will wind up making someone in your pool look like a genious. He was one of my dark horses. 

 

Over the next week or so, you may see Doug McLean fired. The Columbus ownership group is meeting about that very topic on Wednesday. 

 

Rick DiPietro was cleared to practice and he looks to be 50-50 to start in Game 2. Game 3 is looking like a certainty.

 

Jonathan Cheechoo's knee injury looks like it will not take him out of the lineup beyond a week or so, but the Sharks are not saying anything. Joe Pavelski will replace him in the lineup for Game 2. 

 

The Pens have been through a Game 1 blowout before against the Sens…in minor league action. Two years ago, Binghamton hammered Wilkes-Barre 5-2 in Game 1 of the Calder Cup final. Many players from both current teams were involved in the contest (Spezza, Vermette, Armstrong, Ouellet, etc, etc). The baby Pens beat the baby Sens in six.

 

Mike Comrie missed practice yesterday but coach Murray says he is fine.

 

It looks like no suspension for Hartnell. 

 

Naturally, since Bertuzzi is day to day, you can expect that a return on Sunday is a possibility…

 

Tomas Kopecky, who broke his clavacle early in the season, was cleared to play yesterday but was a healthy scratch. He does not have fantasy value at this time, nor would I expect him to post 40+ points next year.

 

As noted in my playoff draft list , Adam Hall was a healthy scratch last game for the Wild and he will remain that way for next contest.

 

Dallas coach Dave Tippett is considering inserting Steve Ott back into the lineup for Game 2.

 

Interesting: Sergei Zubov played over 55 minutes on Wednesday, the second most in his career. There was a game where he played over 63 minutes (5 OT vs. Anaheim).

 

Brent Sopel missed Wednesday's contest with a sore back. He hurt something while picking up a cracker (no joke).

 

The Ducks will not divulge their starting goaltender for today.