April 26, 2010
Dobber Sports
2010-04-26
Patric Hornqvist will be a gametime decision, but it sounds promising.
Drew Stafford will be the one who is scratched, and not Gerbe. At least, that is the indication.
Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 30 Thoughts is the best read in hockey (outside of DobberHockey, of course).
Jacques Lemaire has announced his retirement from coaching (poolies rejoice!).
The Buffalo News is reporting that Thomas Vanek will be back in Buffalo’s lineup tonight. Nate Gerbe is the likely scratch.
The Habs have recalled blue-chip prospect PK Subban. If Jaroslav Spacek can’t go tonight, Subban will play. What a nice, easy-going, unimportant game for him to jump into. Looking forward to seeing how he responds. My money is on “well”.
It was a stunning comeback from being down 3-0 in the series, but you knew it was over before Game 7 started. Windsor beat Kitchener yesterday and move on to play Barrie in OHL playoff action. Taylor Hall has a point in every playoff game (15), but just three points in the three early losses to the Rangers. He had seven in the four games that Windsor won.
The Kings never did trust Justin Williams since he returned from injury. They were down the stretch and couldn’t give him the ice time needed to get into a rhythm. The result was him getting scratched for half the playoff games. He’ll bounce back next year, but don’t expect a full, healthy season.
Adrian Dater of the Denver Post got this quote from Peter Mueller: “It was just tough not playing, the most frustrating thing I ever went through in my career,” Mueller said. “It’s one of those things where you can’t rush it. It has to heal by itself, but it’s getting better every day. I’m already looking forward to next season, but it’s going to take a little while still to get over this.”
Also from Dater and the Post, Milan Hejduk on his shoulder injury: “I’ll have to go through some treatment with the shoulder,” Hejduk said. “Hopefully, it’s going to heal and be fine. But it was frustrating not to be out there.” Hejduk, signed through next season, said he will return.
Mathieu Schneider dressed for his second playoff game in a Phoenix uniform. The ‘Yotes scored three PP goals and six of Schneider’s 12 minutes were on the PP.
Petr Prucha played on the top line with Wolski and Lombardi yesterday.
Vancouver line combos from last night: Samuelsson with the Sedins; Burrows, Kesler, Raymond; Wellwood centered Demitra and Bernier or occasionally Hansen.
Marian Hossa will not be suspended, in case you were out and about yesterday and didn’t pick up on that.
Marc Savard practiced for the first time since March 7. Do not look for him in Game 6, but I suspect that if Game 7 is necessary he will find a way. If the Bruins win Game 6, there is no rush for him to play Game 1 of the next round so he can take extra time at that point.
It seems as though in every game, the favorite is getting beat late in the second period and then they storm back to win. You saw this happen several times in the PIT/OTT and WAS/MTL series and again Saturday with CHI/NSH. It happened again, of course, with VAN/LA. The second round will be quite interesting as the “favorites” are now much closer in talent to their opponent. They will find that falling behind in a game 2-1 in the third would be a death sentence. This round, being behind 2-1 in the third is “just another day”. You watch, tonight Montreal will be up on Washington or Nashville will be up on Chicago 2-1 in the third and then blow it.
The code problems in the shop page mentioned yesterday have been fixed now. If you were one of the ones who bought the Prospects Report, when you wanted to buy the Keeper League Fantasy Pack, simply go into the shop now and buy the Keeper pack. Then email me your Prospects Report receipt dobber@ dobberhockey.com and let me know that you upgraded. I will then refund the Prospects Report.
In the DobberHockey Annual Playoff Pool, I’m sitting in 569th with one team, 1041 with the other. Jeff Angus has a team that was sitting 59th as of yesterday. The top team right now is ross10019 with 162.5 points. Maddog300 is next at 158, and third is bobbruin at 153. First place gets an S17 Stealth hockey stick from Easton, second place gets a free custom jersey from Cool Hockey, and third prize will get a DobberHockey Ultimate Fantasy Pack.
Speaking of that, the winners in my three-tiered invitational pool will each get a free Ultimate Fantasy Pack. I will announce those winners and set them up later in the week.