Swapping of Bulldogs
Aaron Palushaj, who was showing great strides in his first two games with the Canadiens, was sent back to the Hamilton Bulldogs yesterday. Andreas Engqvist was called up to replace him. Palushaj was the victim of a vicious hit by Minnesota Wild defenseman Clayton Stoner, may have suffered some kind of injury, which led to his return to the Habs’ farm team. He missed part of the game while being examined by team doctors. While Engqvist doesn’t boast an overly physical game, the lack of depth at centre on the Canadiens may be the underlying reason. Could a possible demotion be forthcoming for Scott Gomez?
Beds Becoming Available
Canadiens’ forwards Jeff Halpern and Tomas Plekanec, who have been sidelined for the better part of a week, will resume skating this week. It is expected that they may be in the lineup as early as this coming Saturday, when the Habs face the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre.
Ovechkin-less Saturday Night in Montreal
It’s unlike Washington Capitals’ captain Alexander Ovechkin to miss a game in Montreal. He has expressed in the past that this city is one of his favorite stops in the NHL. The “mystery” injury he has suffered, which is supposed to keep him out of the Caps’ lineup for seven to ten days, must be serious enough to keep him away. It is especially curious since the Capitals are in a dog fight for the Southeast division title with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and are within spitting distance of the Eastern Conference lead, currently held by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Coach K On The Radio
Yesterday, I made a brief appearance on the CBC Radio One show Homerun, to discuss the GQ Magazine article by Adam Winer, where Montreal Canadiens’ fans were ranked the worst hockey fans in North America. I stated while the Montreal fanbase is very passionate and devoted, they are also the most knowledgable fans in the NHL, and expect a certain level of excellence.
Et Cetera
- Cooke gets scorched – Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke finally got what was coming to him. He was suspended by the NHL for the remainder of the season and the first round of the playoffs, following his flying elbow to the head of Rangers’ defenseman Ryan McDonagh on Sunday afternoon. While McDonagh didn’t seem to get injured on the play, it remains that Cooke had this coming. After his vicious hit on Bruins’ star Marc Savard, that went unpunished, and his recent suspension on February 9th, 2011, everyone saw this coming. Cooke will forfeit $219,512.20 in salary, which will go into the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
- Penguins’ March Over Cooke – Penguins’ General Manager Ray Shero issued a statement in response to Cooke’s suspension. As expected, the Penguins didn’t hold anything hold any punches. I would be shocked if the Penguins dressed Cooke at any point in the playoffs, considering his uncontrollable behaviour on the ice.
- Malholtra Gone For The Season – Manny Malholtra of the Vancouver Canucks, arguably the best faceoff man in the NHL, is gone for the remainder of the season and playoffs, due to an errant pass that hit him directly in the eye. Surgery was performed on the eye, and the decision was made after consultation with the Canucks’ team doctors. A huge loss for the ‘Nucks becomes an opportunity for former Hab Maxime Lapierre to assume the duties as the team’s third line centre. If his performance in last season’s playoffs for the Canadiens is any example, he should do alright.
Today was the fifth anniversary of the birth of Twitter. The social media website has revolutionized the way and expediency with which news is broken. Many happy returns.
Check out the latest edition of Cowhide and Rubber, where my buddy Kyle takes a look at the Canadiens with ten games left, and *gulp* gives credit in part to Coach Jacques Martin.
HabsChick takes her shot at Don Cherry in her latest rant on Chicks With Sticks.
Tune in tonight post-game with Sabre Noise himself, Tim Redinger join Jay D on Habs Talk Radio. The show starts at 10:00 PM.
And as always, Too Many Men On The Site has the latest news from the National Hockey League.