General Hockey Talk - Injuries, signings, factoids + other news from around the league

The Monster got pulled after three goals on 5 shots. Toskala is in net. Flames up 3-1. GO FLAMES!

5-2 Final. Leafs deserved a better fate. Kiprusoff was exceptional.

Alex Goligoski joins the list of ailing Penguins, reported by Paul Kukla:

The Penguins’ parade of injuries continue, now with word from the Penguins that defenseman Alex Goligoski will be out 2-3 weeks with a lower-body injury.

Newly recalled defenseman Nate Guenin will replace Goligoski in the lineup.

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/tc/comments/penguins_goligoski_out_2_3_weeks_with_lower_body_injury/

Everything is ship-shape in FLA!

Two former limited partners in the franchise are now co-general partners. Looks like there will be NHL hockey in Sunrise for decades to come.

http://panthers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506296

Boo.

So how about Buffalo and Colorado? We're only 20 games in, but wtf Find me someone who had them in the playoff picture in November, let alone March and April and I'll show you someone stuck in 2006.

What a terrible missed call on Florida's 3rd goal - how do 2 refs (4 including linesmen) not see the Florida player hit Quick's stick into the corner.

Weak.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Everything is ship-shape in FLA!

Two former limited partners in the franchise are now co-general partners. Looks like there will be NHL hockey in Sunrise for decades to come.

http://panthers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506296

@SSF>The reason why Florida and Phoenix will stay were they are is because there are no NHL-ready arenas at the moment in the markets the league has identified as being most suitable.

Based on quality information from Stan Fischler, whose sources within the league may the best of any hockey journalist, these cities are Seattle and Quebec. This was detailed in a recent issue of Fischler's subscription-only newsletter, The Fischler Report.

The logical conclusion is that once arenas are built (Quebec perhaps being 2012, if all goes as planned), the franchises will be moved, unless the Coyotes and Panthers turn themselves around financially.

Snide comments and conjecture from fans and media aside, the reality is simply business being business.

As moving or folding is not an option in the short-term, the owners of those wobbly NHL franchises will have to do everything they can to generate revenue...which means actually selling the game to the fanbase.

Jerry Moyes and Alan Cohen were utter failures in this regard.

Looking at the sequence of events, it appears the NHL tried to remove Moyes before he ran the Phoenix franchise into the ground. We all know the result of Balsillie's failed coup. (And no, Hamilton doesn't have an NHL-ready arena either.)

Now ex-Panther owner Alan Cohen, from all the evidence, had very little interest in the Panthers as a team, and appeared more interested in the real estate the Panthers' arena is sitting on.

As the real estate market in Florida is struggling, Cohen may have decided just to push back from the table.

The NHL has no choice but to carry on, as contracting franchises at this point would only create more conflict with the NHLPA over the further loss of player jobs. Not to mention the possible legal battles with cities where the contraction might be proposed.

With the additional possibility of a lockout over a CBA battle, there are few choices for the league but to do what they are doing.

If there is a strike, however, don't be surprised to see some teams fail. And fans may be shocked by which teams those might be.

For example, the one right here in The Nation's Capital may, or may not, be financially robust enough to weather that kind of storm.

To know why, reading Forbes' The Business of Hockey is a useful exercise.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/11/nhl-team-values-business-sports-hockey-values-09-nhl_land.html

I'm sure people have heard but I'll post it in here since this is what it's for. Goligoski (sp) is injured and out for 2 weeks.

Yep, DTR posted it at the bottom of the previous page. Improves our chances for Thursday night, I guess. I didn't want to get my hopes up but I can't help it. Maybe Kovalev can raise his game against his old club?

wprager wrote:Yep, DTR posted it at the bottom of the previous page. Improves out chances for Thursday night, I guess. I didn't want to get my hopes up but I can't help it. Maybe Kovalev can raise his game against his old club?

Thats what we thought when we faced the Kovalchuk-less Thrashers and the offensive and PP challenged Predators. The Penguins just won 5 - 2 vs. the Ducks and right now winning a game against ANY team is somewhat of a triumph for the Sens right now. Just imagine if the team could figure out how to fire on all cylanders?

Cheechoo, Kovalev, Foligno, Regin, Shannon - Even if they only got 2 of those guys going our team would be so much better off. Throw in some goaltending without 1 to 2 softies per game and look out. We could make it into the playoffs and maybe even win a round. Ahh to dream.

wprager wrote:Yep, DTR posted it at the bottom of the previous page. Improves out chances for Thursday night, I guess. I didn't want to get my hopes up but I can't help it. Maybe Kovalev can raise his game against his old club?

Comrade Alexei responds with his heroic stare.

davetherave wrote:

wprager wrote:Yep, DTR posted it at the bottom of the previous page. Improves out chances for Thursday night, I guess. I didn't want to get my hopes up but I can't help it. Maybe Kovalev can raise his game against his old club?

Comrade Alexei responds with his heroic stare.

Better than the homo-erotic beefcake that seems to be popular in Montreal.

That sounds like Kovalev. Respond with a stare not offense.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

davetherave wrote:

wprager wrote:Yep, DTR posted it at the bottom of the previous page. Improves out chances for Thursday night, I guess. I didn't want to get my hopes up but I can't help it. Maybe Kovalev can raise his game against his old club?

Comrade Alexei responds with his heroic stare.

Better than the homo-erotic beefcake that seems to be popular in Montreal.

@SSF> different strokes for different folks.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Gohan wrote:So how about Buffalo and Colorado? We're only 20 games in, but wtf Find me someone who had them in the playoff picture in November, let alone March and April and I'll show you someone stuck in 2006.

Im listening to sexy back right now!

1 min 16 secs in Gabby scores vs. Washington.