October 10, 2011
Dobber Sports
2011-10-10
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!
Mike Cammalleri is reportedly out for two weeks after getting his leg sliced by a skate. Puck Daddy has the details/video here. The Habs lost another center Sunday, when Blair Betts was sent back to the Flyers because he is “damaged goods” (failed his physical). The Flyers would need to waive someone else before Sean Couturier plays that 10th game. This also means that Brayden Schenn won’t be called up until this gets resolved.
Speaking of Puck Daddy, I’ve been moved to Mondays – so watch for that column later this morning.
The latest New Jersey line combos. Of note, Josefson has been reunited with Kovalchuk.
Martin Erat's injury, we're assured, is not related to the back injury that has dogged and will dog him throughout his career. I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, so it must be the truth.
Hopkins scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game. He created some exciting plays. I get that he's thinner than Dexter's sister, but still – the guy is already one of the better players in the NHL. If Patrick Kane can survive, I don't see why RNH can't.
What happened to Phoenix's (Tippett's) defensive system and how did 52 shots get through to Mike Smith?
And no, I'm not back on the Patrick O'Sullivan wagon (fool me once…), so let's say his name is Joe Smith. If Joe Smith leads his team in preseason scoring, at least let Joe Smith play his way off the team. Don't scratch him before he gets even a shift! Give him one game, then scratch him if you must.
Devan Dubnyk won that game for the Oilers, and they will win more than they lose if they let Dubnyk start 65 games. Put in 'bulin and the team suddenly sucks. Didn't I tell ya that Dubnyk was the perfect third goaltender to own?
Evgeni Malkin took the warmup but did not play Sunday. Lower-body injury. Please don't let it be the knee again. They won't say, of course.
The Jets scored their first goal in years Sunday – but only one. Antropov scored. At the time, his linemates were Brett MacLean and Alexander Burmistrov.
Here's an interesting one – Dallas may soon slip below the cap floor thanks to Sean Avery going to the minors (they pay part of his salary). They may need to add a player as a result. When Adam Pardy is back from injury and they send Philip Larsen down, they will be below the cap.
Pierre-Marc Bouchard gets two games for his stick-swing. A suggested replacement – try Mathieu Perreault, assuming David Legwand and Craig Smith are taken.
Jamie McBain has been a healthy scratch for two games as he gets passed on the depth chart by Justin Faulk, and he may have to make room for Ryan Murphy so Paul Maurice can evaluate him. Faulk is a minus-4 in two games so far, so I would expect Murphy or McBain get into the next contest. If you can afford to sit on McBain, then do so, but I don't see a way out of this mess within 10 games.
Same with Cody Franson, although in Franson's case it's because the Leafs are winning. He'll never get back into the lineup as long as that happens. And one through eight, the Leafs have better D then most teams.
Datsyuk/Hudler beauty: