Kukla's Korner Hockey
Switzerland Beats USA In World Championship Semi-Final Game
by Paul on 05/18/13 at 04:12 PM ET
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from John Sanful of IIHF.com,
They did it. In a semi-final game featuring two teams challenging history, Switzerland defeated Team USA 3-0 to advance forward to their first opportunity for gold since 1935.
Whatever the outcome in the final game against Sweden will be, it will be the first World Championship medal for the Swiss in exactly 60 years.
Nino Niederreiter’s second period goal and Reto Berra’s 29 saves led the Swiss side to its ninth consecutive win in this tournament. Switzerland remains unbeaten at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
Watch highlights of the game below...
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: team+switzerland,
team+usa
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 05/18/13 at 03:47 PM ET
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Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, | KK Hockey | Permalink
No Surgery Required For Eric Staal
by Paul on 05/18/13 at 11:13 AM ET
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RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test on team captain Eric Staal’s right knee revealed a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). Surgery will not be required to repair the ligament, and Staal’s rehabilitation should last three months. It is expected that he will be healthy and ready to play to start the 2013-14 season.
Staal, 28, was injured when he took a knee-on-knee hit from defenseman Alexander Edler in the first period of Canada’s quarterfinal game at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships on Thursday in Stockholm, Sweden. Edler received a five-minute major kneeing penalty and a game misconduct by the game’s officials. On Friday, the IIHF Independent Disciplinary Panel determined that Edler should have received a match penalty as a result of the play and suspended him for the remainder of the tournament.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Carolina Hurricanes, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: eric+staal
Two Western Conference Games Today
by Paul on 05/18/13 at 11:05 AM ET
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The Red Wings will try to even the series at 1-1 with the Blackhawks while the Sharks need a win or else they will go down 0-3 to the Kings.
Filed in: NHL Teams, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Brad Richards, The High Priced 4th-Liner
by Paul on 05/18/13 at 08:50 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,
So when Tortorella begins an answer to a question about Richards’ status as the club’s fourth-line center with the words, “Sometimes it’s not about Brad,” as he did yesterday on the first of two days between Game 1 of the conference semis and Game 2 against the Bruins here tomorrow, it’s kind of a whoa moment.
As much of a whoa moment as the whole of the 3-2 overtime series-opening defeat in which Richards got the least amount of even-strength ice time of any Ranger (9:59), including 26 seconds in the second period when he sat on the bench for a stretch of eight minutes.
Richards, who turned 33 a couple of weeks ago, isn’t some bit guy. He was supposed to be the missing link when he signed that nine-year, $60 million contract over the summer of 2011 under which he has already been paid $24 million — and would be owed another $24 million if the Rangers use their final amnesty buyout on him this summer.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers, | KK Hockey | Permalink
A Bad Night For Erik Karlsson
by Paul on 05/18/13 at 08:16 AM ET
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from Ken Warren of Senators Extra,
It was one of the worst nights of Karlsson’s career. He played only 15:37, an all-time low for him in a playoff game, clearly showing that he’s not even close to full health since his quick return from Achilles surgery.
“We finished pretty strong, but we started poorly,” Karlsson said, earlier in the interview. “Some of the blame is on me. I’m struggling a little bit.”
Karlsson says he’s not sure whether his problems stem from the injury or fatigue.
“I don’t really know,” he said. “I don’t think I have the answer to that myself. I just have to find a way to figure my body out and obviously I’m not feeling the same way as I’m used to. It started bad and I just couldn’t get it going.”
Senators coach Paul MacLean didn’t disagree with any of that.
“He played 15:37, which isn’t normal for him,” said MacLean, looking at the official game sheet. “So, obviously, he wasn’t one of our best players. On our team, the best players play. He wasn’t one of our best players, so he didn’t play.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
San Jose GM Doug Wilson On The Torres Suspension
by Paul on 05/18/13 at 08:06 AM ET
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from the Sharks website,
The Sharks organization fully supports the NHL in its efforts to remove illegal and dangerous hits from the game but we strongly disagree with the NHL's decision to suspend Raffi Torres.
Upon review of the incident, it is abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit. As noted by the NHL, Raffi's initial point of contact was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on an opponent who was playing the puck. He did not leave his feet or elevate, he kept his shoulder tucked and elbow down at his side, and he was gliding - not skating or charging.
As stated in the NHL's Player Safety video, Rule 48.1 says, "A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted." Thus, with the use of the word "and", this rule clearly states that two elements must occur in order to violate the rule. Raffi absolutely did not target his opponent's head on the play. The call on the ice specifically acknowledged that the head was not targeted and nowhere in the NHL's ruling does it insinuate or suggest that the opponent's head was targeted.
How does Don Cherry feel about the suspension? Watch below and find out...
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: doug+wilson
Video- Come On Boys
by Paul on 05/17/13 at 06:24 PM ET
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Many NHL players were mic'ed by during the frist round of the playoffs.
Boy, boys sure is tossed around.
Filed in: NHL Teams, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Talking Puck Over The Glass And Missed Infractions
by Paul on 05/17/13 at 04:04 PM ET
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from Kerry Fraser of TSN,
Every other rule in the book allows for referee discretion to determine the existence of an infraction, along with the varying degrees at the referee's disposal to implement the final assessment ranging from a minor, double minor, major or match penalty. Aside from determining if the puck is deflected, the referee's discretion is nonexistent when it come to Rule 63.2 — Delaying the Game; Puck over the glass!
We have seen more than one playoff game determined when a player accidentally put the puck over the glass to incur a penalty. It matters not if the puck was rolling and unsettled or the ice was bad and contributed to the flight of the puck. It's the only rule that I can honestly say is simply 'Black and White'!It was very disconcerting for me to see obvious infractions that went uncalled in deciding games and particularly Game 7's that were played in the previous round. These 'discretionary calls' ranged from body slams to majors for elbowing, cross-checks from behind or a major cross-check infraction to the face (minor called), attempted slew-foot, goalkeeper retaliation with a blocker strike to an opponent's head, charging, and boarding. The referee 'discretion' implemented at times pretty much ran the gambit with a "let them play" mentality.
While I'm not suggesting that this poor standard of enforcement is in any way acceptable, it further demonstrates the absurdity of the puck over glass rule as it now exists.
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk, NHL Officiating, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Spezza Could Play On Sunday
by Paul on 05/17/13 at 02:54 PM ET
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from Bruce Garrioch of Off The Posts,
A source told the Sun Spezza is targeting a Sunday return, but has to get clearance from the doctors.
“He continues to skate on a daily basis and makes progress,” said MacLean Friday. “We’ll go through practice (Saturday) and the pre-game skate and we’ll see where it is. If he’s available to us, it’s Jason Spezza, we’re going to have him in the lineup.”
The Senators will have an optional skate Saturday and Spezza will skate with that group.
“I know I’m going to be there to watch it,” said MacLean. “I might not be on the ice, but we’ll make a decision from there. I don’t know about all the medical hurdles but I’ll know more about that (Saturday).”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: jason+spezza
About Kukla's Korner Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at pk@kuklaskorner.com
