Kukla's Korner

Auld, Gaborik in for Big Game Vs. the Caps

Blog: Goal Line Report By Patrick Hoffman

03/06/10 at 08:58 PM ET | Comments (0)

Good evening folks. The New York Rangers are back in action tonight as they take on Alex Ovechkin and the Caps.

The Blueshirts have shown that they can skate with the Caps this season and will be looking to do the same in tonight’s tilt in D.C. However, they will have to do it with Alex Auld in goal as he makes his Blueshirt debut.

Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella told the following to the team’s beat writers regarding Auld:

“It’s time for him to play, that’s a good way to put it,” Tortorella said. “This is a guy that has played in the NHL. The situation we had with our backups (rookies Chad Johnson and Matt Zaba), it’s best that we get them down there (to Hartford) to develop and in the stretch run here I think it’s a good thing for us to have a veteran guy we can use.”

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Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
  Tags: alex+auld, marian+gaborik, new+york+rangers, washington+capitals

Lehtonen Not Sharp In First Start In Almost A Year

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/06/10 at 08:28 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News,

Bottom line, Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen looked tired and out of sorts today in his first start for the Stars, giving up six goals on 34 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Penguins.

What did you expect? He hasn’t started a game since April 11 last year for Atlanta.

``I can say the goalie looked fatigued tonight and we’re confident he’s going to get better,’’ Stars coach Marc Crawford said.

So is this a matter of just working him through it with practice and games?

``I think it is a little bit of both. We’ll see how he is tomorrow,’’ Crawford said. ``Obviously, we want to keep his worth ethic up. He hasn’t played in the NHL in a year, so it’s understandable that you’re going to get fatigued. If you get fatigued in those two minute situations, penalty kills especially, you may not have to make a save but you’re in your tuck and you’re moving and you’re just right on edge. I’m sure their heart rates are right at the high level when they have that constant action around them. It is grueling and it is tiring, that’s the thing that he will get better with. So that’s where we are with him.’‘

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: kari+lehtonen

Derek Boogaard Gets Two Game Suspension

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/06/10 at 06:00 PM ET | Comments (0)

TORONTO (March 6, 2010)—Minnesota Wild forward Derek Boogaard has been suspended for two games, without pay, as a result of a kneeing incident during NHL game #954 against the Edmonton Oilers, the National Hockey League announced today.

        Boogaard, who was suspended for five games on Feb. 28, 2009, now is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Accordingly, he forfeits $21,341.46 in salary, based on the number of games in the season (82), rather than the number of days (193). The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

        At 7:29 of the first period, Boogaard delivered a knee hit on Edmonton forward Ryan Jones. Boogaard was assessed a minor penalty for kneeing on the play.

Watch the hit here.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Minnesota Wild, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: derek+boogaard

Ovechkin In A Scoring Funk

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/06/10 at 05:06 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Corey Masisak at NHL.com,

Alex Ovechkin had one of his virtuoso performances Feb. 7 when the rival Pittsburgh Penguins were in town, scoring three goals and an assist to propel his Washington Capitals to a dramatic comeback triumph.

Almost a month has passed since then and, believe it or not, that was the last time Ovechkin scored an NHL goal. The time lapsed includes the Olympic break, but Ovechkin has gone five games without scoring—his longest such streak of the season.

“Every I’ve been here Alex has had a little bit of a stretch where he just can’t find the net and then the next thing you know, once he gets one he gets 10 in four games and that’s the way he’s been,” Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. “This is his little funk and I expect him to come out of it real soon.”

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: alexander+ovechkin

NHL Gives Another Reason To Not Own A Team

Blog: The Puck Stops Here By PuckStopsHere

03/06/10 at 03:10 PM ET | Comments (0)

The optics regarding the NHL’s ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes continue to look poorly.  It looks bad that a team run on league welfare is one of the biggest buyers at trade deadline time.  It looks even worse when the NHL sues the outgoing owner of the team.

Jerry Moyes lost a significant amount of money as Phoenix Coyotes owner.  He was unable or unwilling to finance a money losing team due to financial problems from his trucking business which is the primary source of his wealth.

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Filed in: | The Puck Stops Here | Permalink
 

What The New Bolts Owner Brings To The Table

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/06/10 at 02:47 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune,

Bettman longed for another Bill Davidson to make the Lightning winners again in the standings and the stands. He thinks the league, and Tampa Bay, has struck gold.

“If you had to computer-generate an owner for this situation, I think we got the right guy,” Bettman said.

Granted, a computer generation might be livelier than the new owner, who will shun the spotlight and not run hockey operations, a blessing since the yahoos on the way out thought they were the smartest guys in the dressing room. The new owner says he will not run this team. He says he’ll hire a “world-class CEO” to preside over the Lightning.

And Jeff Vinik said this, on March 5, 2010:

“I’m going to invest for the long term. This franchise is not going to be constrained by financial resources.”

Write that one down, kiddies.

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Twenty Teams In Action Today

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/06/10 at 01:30 PM ET | Comments (0)

Early NHL action today with a game at 1:00pm ET and another stating at 2:00pm ET.

Below you can view the complete NHL schedule for today.

The playoff battle continues and teams are fighting for every point they can get.

Continue Reading »

Filed in: NHL Teams, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Morning Line

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/06/10 at 11:29 AM ET | Comments (0)

I see where the Dallas Stars have signed Steve Ott to a four-year, $11.8-million contract extension, locking up the 27-year-old forward/enforcer through the 2013-14 season. Almost $3 million per season for 11 goals and 12 assists in 54 games. Lovely.

-Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: steve+ott

Was Lapierre’s Four Game Suspension Justified?

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/06/10 at 11:11 AM ET | Comments (0)

from Arpon Basu of The Daily Hab-It,

Considering Lapierre is a first-time offender, and also considering some of the other suspensions handed out this season, I found the punishment a little harsh. But I only thought it was a bit too severe because of all the other times the NHL has come down very lightly on players this season. Four games for that dangerous hit Lapierre laid on Nichol, when looked at in a vacuum, appears more than fair. In fact, it’s probably too light.

Then I figured I should see what exactly constitutes a play worthy of such a suspension this season, so I decided to look at every play that earned the perpetrator at least a three-game vacation this season. I’ll let you be the judge.

read on

thanks to Habs Inside/Out for the pointer

Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: maxim+lapierre

Would Phaneuf Make A Good Captain?

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/06/10 at 10:58 AM ET | Comments (0)

from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,

If there is a likely captain out of the group that wear A, it could well be Phaneuf. At 24, he’s closer in age to the players he leads. Kaberle is 32, Beauchemin 29 and Komisarek 28.

The core of players around whom this team is being built is much younger. Phil Kessel is 22. Luke Schenn is 20. Tyler Bozak will be 24 later this month. Viktor Stalberg is 24. Carl Gunnarsson and Nikolai Kulemin are 23. Luca Caputi is 21.

“We’ve got a young energetic group that works hard shift-in, shift-out,” said Phaneuf. “It’s a fun group to be around. A very upbeat group; a young group.”

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: dion+phaneuf

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