A sense of urgency fell upon Santander Arena this weekend as the Reading Royals faced-off against the Toledo Walleye. After Florida worked their way up to tie the Royals in the rankings, and with Toledo hightailing them in points as well, the pressure was on to pull off at least one win this weekend.
Although the Royals thrived early in Saturday’s game, gaining a 3-1 lead, they weren’t able to hold on as Toledo stole the game during the third period. The game ended with a final score of 5-3 with Toledo claiming the victory. Many fans would blame the loss on some poor calls from the officials. Coach Larry Courville commented, “We thought we should have won the game, you know, when they only had 29 shots and with ten minutes of power play time, we thought we outplayed them for the majority of the game. We looked at the stats from our computer and it told us that we had puck possession for 62% of the game, so, that’s a pretty good stat for our team, and unfortunately the penalties hurt us and we lost the game.”
1st
After the ill-fated loss on Saturday, the Royals came back on Sunday seeking retribution. The game started with Reading taking the first goal at 7:39. As the Royals took the Walleye’s zone Adam Hughesman took a shot from out near the blue line. The puck was headed about a foot wide when Cam Reid, who was planted in front of the net, noticed and jabbed it past Toledo goalie Jared Careau. Not long after, the Walleye would swap out this 6’5” goalie for their 5’6” goalie Jeff Lerg. Lerg was able to hold off the rest of the Royals scoring attempts for the remainder of the period as the buzzer rang with a score of 1-0.
2nd There was a sense of a playoff atmosphere as the game trailed on, and neither team would surrender in allowing the other to score. Forward David Marshall commented,
“We kind of had the mentality that you can’t lose two in a row. So whether it’s this team or any other team, but especially this team, you can’t lose two games in a row anymore at this point in the season.”
Near the end of the period at 17:12, Brandon Alderson finally broke through the Walleye’s defense for the Royals’ second goal of the game. After Bryant Molle wrapped around the net and took a hard shot that rebounded off of Lerg’s shoulder, Alderson stole the puck and shoveled it into the net for his 5th of the season. This would cause tension to swelter between the two teams. As they made their way to the center circle a small scuffle would transpire.
This wouldn’t dampen the Royals energy though; they answered with another goal just over a minute later. With this goal, Marshall picked up his own rebound and knocked it in after taking a shot from the right circle. This was his 19th of the year and would later prove to be the game winner. With the Royals up by two, the Walleye pushed hard and took two goal-worthy shots within the next few minutes; goalie Connor Knapp wouldn’t have it though and stopped them both. The Royals would take their three-goal lead to the third period.
(Source: Royalshockey.com)
3rd
Toledo tried to take charge in the third. At 5:38 Walleye forward Shane Berschbach carried the mail up the ice, danced around three Royals and finished by firing the puck between the pipes. Toledo continued and attempted a comeback as Martin Frk claimed the Walleye’s second goal of the night. As he moved down the center, he fired a shot that flew by everyone, including Knapp, to claim his 23rd goal of the season.
With the score at 3-2 and only 1:49 left to go, Toledo made one last endeavor to come back; after calling a time-out the team pulled their goalie. Fortunately the Royals were able to hold off the Walleye. The Royals would leave the ice worthy of their 3-2 win. Defenseman Brett Flemming later commented, “It was a tough one. I haven’t seen that team before, but they’re definitely a good team. They definitely had some good scoring. Their D was solid back there. Both goalies played, I mean one goalie was only in for a period or so, but you know. I know they’re both good goalies. It was a good series and kind of a playoff atmosphere so it was a fun game.”
What’s Next?
Next weekend the Royals will take on the Elmira Jackals on Saturday and the Kalamazoo Wings on Sunday. Elmira is currently in 6th place of the Eastern division and 8th in the conference. Kalamazoo is currently in 3rd place in the Northern Division and 9th in the Eastern Conference.
The Royals are currently in a battle for first place in the division against the Florida Everblades. Both teams have 80 points, but the Royals have played one more game than the Everblades. There is still over a month left in the regular season, but if the Royals can hold on to their top players and keep up their win record, they should be able to make it into the playoffs.
The Flyers have already signed a couple of their unrestricted free agents to new contracts, but most fans want Del Zotto under a new contract before the end of this season. Del Zotto is only a restricted free agent after the season, and if anyone should sign him to an offer sheet the Flyers can either match the contract or let him sign with another team. If Del Zotto signs with another then the Flyers would get some kind of compensation for him in return.
The 24-year-old defenseman has had his ups-and-downs this season, including a couple of injuries. The Flyers announced on Sunday that he will miss seven to ten days with an “upper body” injury. There are definitely pros and cons to resigning him.
Pros
The pros to signing him are his offensive ability, the fact that he can be the quarterback of one of the power play units and he can log a ton of minutes, so the older guys can get some rest.
Del Zotto is known for being an offensive defenseman. In 54 games played, he has nine goals, which is one off of him tying his career high, when he scored 10 goals in the 2011-12 season while with the New York Rangers. He has added 17 assists to his nine goals for a total of 26 points, which is second among defensemen on the Flyers behind only Mark Streit (43 points). In January, Del Zotto had a six game point streak where he scored three goals, fours assists for seven points. He’ll also sneak in to join the rush in the offensive zone, and can move the puck.
He has done a nice job of stepping in for Mark Streit on the second power play unit. Streit was promoted to the first power play unit after the Flyers found out in the offseason that Kimmo Timonen would miss most of the season due to blood clots. Del Zotto only has four assists on the power play, but he does play with the second unit, which consists of Sean Couturier, RJ Umberger or Vincent Lecavalier, Matt Read and Andrew MacDonald. Del Zotto can move the puck by skating it into the zone, or make the nice stretch pass from his end of the ice to center ice. He is also not afraid to shoot the puck, and most of his shots make it to the net.
One of the biggest reasons for keeping Del Zotto would be that he can log a ton of minutes per game. The defenseman is averaging 21:22 of ice time per game. Del Zotto has played 20:00 or more in 35 of his 54 games this year. He has logged over 25:00 of ice time in a game four times this season. Del Zotto has only logged under 15:00 of ice time in a game twice this season, but one of those games he left because of an injury. He averages 1:43 of shorthanded time per game, and 1:42 seconds of power play time per game.
Cons
There are cons to resigning Del Zotto too. He isn’t particularly known for his defensive game. He has been playing with a chip on his shoulder trying to prove those teams that didn’t sign him in the offseason wrong. Would he fall back into his old habits if he was under contract for more than one season?
The biggest thing with Del Zotto is the question mark on defense. He has been decent this year, but is still a minus four on the season.Perhaps more glaring though is that he has 27 giveaways this season. He has been a minus in 20 games played this season, which is partially due to the fact that he often fails to clear his own zone. In four of his six seasons in the NHL he has been a minus player, including this season. Del Zotto tends to get into trouble when he focuses his attention on his offensive play instead of his play in the defensive zone.
He is also playing with a chip on his shoulder, trying to prove those those teams that didn’t sign him in the offseason were wrong in their assessments of his troubles at both ends of the ice. In 67 games played last season, with the Rangers and Nashville Predators, he had three goals, 13 assists, 16 points, was a minus nine, and only averaged 17:12 of ice time per game.
Flyers’ coach, Craig Berube decided to bench Del Zotto for nine straight games in December, due to his bad defensive play. The defenseman was trying to lead the rush, turning pucks over and was often out of position. His numbers before the benching (October 8-December 9) were not spectacular, by any means. He played in 24 games, had two goals, six assists, eight points, was a minus six and averaged 20:20 of ice time per game. He only had 33 shots on goal and one game winning goal. Del Zotto returned to the lineup on December 31, 2014, and hasn’t been a healthy scratch since. In 30 games played, he has registered seven goals, 11 assists, 18 points, is a plus two, and is averaging over 22:0o of ice time per game. The defenseman also has 67 shots on goal, one shorthanded goal and three game winning goals.
He has been inconsistent throughout his career. In four and a half seasons with the Rangers, Del Zotto was anything but steady. In his first two seasons in the NHL, he was a minus 25, in his next two seasons he was a plus 26, and last season he was a combined minus nine with two teams. He is currently a minus four for the Flyers this season. There have been some glimpses of the way that he played before the benching. In a game against the Calgary Flames, he tried to lead the rush, turned the puck over in the neutral zone, and the Flames scored to make it one to nothing.
One of the biggest factors in the Flyers resigning him would be which Michael Del Zotto would they get once he was under contract for more than one year. Would it be the defenseman that was benched because of his defensive play? Or would they see the one that has played a really strong 30 games and has helped the Flyers win some games down the stretch?
I never wear flats, but I went with it for the Coyotes duel against the Canadiens. I’m extremely glad I did, too!
Comfy pants that still look professional are one of my favorite things to invest in. As per usual, I had a very small amount of time to get ready before the game, so when I came across these black crepe beauties, it was a no-brainer.
A good popover is a staple in my wardrobe, and so the second I picked out my pants, I knew what shirt I was wearing with them. I love the light purple because it’s so pretty, yet gets me away from my normal black on black (and I don’t feel uncomfortable like I normally do when wearing color).
A leather jacket was an obvious choice of outerwear, because making things just a little more “edgy” is how I like to do it.
With only 16 games remaining in the season and a tight race in the Pacific Division where every point counts, the San Jose Sharks have reached an impasse.
They hosted the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night, a division rival they’ve played against four times already this season. Prior to this fifth meeting, the two met only four days before this one in Vancouver where the Sharks prevailed, 6-2. That was the last game the Sharks played before meeting the Canucks again at SAP Center in San Jose to close out the season series. Whoever would win this game would be the series winner. For the Sharks, a win would mean two points closer to a playoff spot; for the Canucks, already in a healthy playoff position, two points would secure their current standing.
Only two minutes into this one and Brenden Dillon and Jannik Hansen dropped the gloves, both resulting in fighting majors. John Scott and Derek Dorsett were also in on the action and each got two for roughing. On top of that, Dillon received an extra minor for cross checking. It was immediately apparent that there was unfinished, heated business that probably spilled over from Tuesday night’s game.
The Sharks got on the scoreboard first, a wrister from rookie sensation Melker Karlsson, his 11th of the year in only 37 games played. Joe Thornton got the secondary assist on that goal and scored the Sharks’ second goal on a power play, only about 4 minutes after Karlsson’s. In fact, the 2 points Thornton earned in this game were his 1,250th and 1,251st career points – plus he’s on a three-game point streak. It is this kind of performance that is needed from veterans this late in the season as the playoff push continues.
Already up 2 goals, the Sharks handed the Canucks an early deficit to overcome, but Radim Vrbata helped his team out by slicing the deficit in half late in the first. Nick Bonino and Daniel Sedin got the assists.
It was a sleepy second for the Sharks, as is the pattern of late. The Canucks evened the scoreboard a few minutes into the second frame, an even strength, unassisted goal by Bo Horvat.
With Brent Burns in the box for hi-sticking in the third, the Canucks found the back of the net to get the go-ahead goal from Vrbata. The Sedin twins got the assists. Now, 3-2, the Sharks trailed for the first time and knew they needed to pressure the Canucks in order to win this one. But after a handful of looks for the Sharks, and a few penalties on both sides for more roughing, it was the Canucks who prevailed and won the season series. The Sharks did not gain any ground in the standings, and with each loss, playoff hopes diminish. They have reached an impasse.
Although they are in good standing, currently second in the division, the Canucks needed this win too to further secure their spot, as anything can happen in the final push of games of the season. Every game counts.
The words ‘character’ and ‘luck’ were thrown out during post-game interviews by the head coaches.
Canucks’ coach Willie Desjardins commented: “[Lack] made a lot of good saves. They had some real good looks, in the third period they had two or three that were really close. We got a couple breaks on those [opportunities], but our guys played hard. This is a tough building to win in, and for us to get a win here, shows a lot of character.”
And Sharks’ coach Todd McLellan reflected:
“That stings. I thought we had control of the game…but when I look at the night, there were a lot of good things that we did. I don’t think we had any luck on both sides of the puck when it really came down to it. Whether it be defensively and bounced over sticks for a breakway or offensively the number of times that it hit the post or hit the back and didn’t go in, but that happens within the game.”
Patrick Marleau also commented on how many chances they had: “I don’t know how many times the puck was on or near the goal line, guys going to the net – things like that, but we still didn’t get the points.”
Whatever you want to call it, luck or a bouncy puck, the Sharks have got to get out of this rut, and quickly, if they want to make it to the playoffs for an 11th consecutive year.
The Arizona Coyotes knew that it would be an offensive challenge when facing arguably the best goaltender in the league going into their Saturday night game against the Montreal Canadiens. Any team knows it’s going to be tough to score when facing Carey Price, but the Coyotes still made an effort that just barely fell short.
Smith on a streak
Mike Smith hasn’t had the best of seasons, and that’s a well-known fact around the league. His consistency hasn’t been something he’s gotten a pat on the back for. The past couple of games, though, Smith has looked similar to what he has been praised for in previous season. “Smitty is being Smitty” some might even say.
“Yeah, I think early in the game it seemed like they were just throwing everything on net,” said Smith about Montreals offense. “It was one of those games where you just had to be sharp and be ready for anything.”
Some vital saves to keep the Coyotes in the game prompted him to be referred to by his teammates (and opponents, i.e. Lars Eller) as their “best player on the ice”.
When the Coyotes started out the game slow, Mike Smith was the only reason that through the first 35 minutes of the game, it was scoreless. The Canadiens certainly had their chances, outshooting the ‘Yotes 27-14 after two periods and overall 35-28. Smith had 33 saves total.
“After the first period I thought we got going and made a game of it. We were right in the hockey game and had some chances, hit some posts and crossbars and stuff like that, so when you’re playing well as a goalie I think your team senses it and can let it go a little bit more.” Said Smith. “Unfortunately we couldn’t squeak one in, but I think we did a lot of things well, in the second and third period we got some chances and stuff to build on.”
Coyotes impeccable PK
The most commendable thing about the Coyotes game right now is their penalty kill. It’s been written about a lot this season, considering all of it’s up’s and down’s, but after going 4-for-4 on Thursday against the Canucks and 2-for-2 (including a 4-on-3) against Montreal’s power-forwards, it is evident that whatever they are doing, they’re doing right.
When you aren’t producing offensively, and you’re getting yourself in a situation that a very highly regarded team gets a one-man advantage, you need to be able to protect. The Coyotes did just that at the necessary times.
Poor execution leads to no production
So what went wrong for the Coyotes in this particular game? Well, I can tell you it’s not something that’s new. The Coyotes offense is a struggle, and if they don’t do something drastic in the offseason, it’s still going to be that way. The team doesn’t have any big goal-scoring machines, which is going to really affect any teams success.
The Coyotes need a player on the current roster to step up and get something going. Even though hopes of a playoff run are so far in the past, team morale is something that needs to be kept up. Winning games, or at least scoring goals isn’t impossible, but it needs to happen in order to even stay in games.
Arizona had many chances on Montreal, especially late in the game when they took Smith out of goal (ultimately leading to an open-net goal with just second left). Carey Price is hard to score on; it’s as easy as that. The amount of close calls though, is what really changes things. If they had started out the game at full-speed instead of at a lull, then the outcome probably would have been a little different. Playing for the full 60 minutes is going to really be a big factor in the outcome, and if you don’t you are going to probably be giving up more than you could ever come back to produce. Scrambling for a goal way too late in a game is not always the best option.
“I thought our execution was poor.” Said coach Dave Tippett. “Some of that is due to them, they were very determined and wanted to finish this trip off right and on the other side we didn’t execute as well as I thought we could’ve.”
What is happening out on the ice? What is making the players physically sick in their knees, lungs and legs? Can hockey be bad for the player’s health?
The first recorded story of this medical problem was 80 years ago. Howie Morenz from the Montreal Canadiens died due to complications of blood clots. He got the clot from a past injury and it must have broke when he hit a side board.
Blood clots can start in the lower limbs like in the legs and they can move in the arteries up to the upper body. They can land near the heart. They stop the flow of blood to the area. It is a serious condition. It is the move that causes the big problems. Most people now a days don’t pass away from the clots. Now, doctors have procedures to undo the clot, then the player rests for a few weeks while taking blood thinners.
Careers are being cut short due to this disorder. Dmitri Yushkvich, a former Toronto Maple Leaf had to stop playing due to clots in 2000. A major difference now is that players are being smarter. They are being more aware of their injuries and causes. They are reading more and asking more questions about their conditions. Players are speaking and sharing their information with each other. Kimmo Timonen was out much of this last season and spent time researching blood clots–now he is called “Dr. Timonen.”
Most athletes do run a higher risk of getting blood clots than the average person. That makes sense. Wow! I just wrote that hockey players are athletes. I never thought of them as athletes like runners, jumpers, swimmers and such. I saw them as players. I guess in some ways they are athletes. To me, athletes never wear lots of protective gear like hockey players. To me there is a couple of different kinds of athletes. One is the kind to play against each other in a solo match. Then there are athletes who play on teams. I never thought of them as individual athletes, have you? I picture them as a group, as players. Am I the only one to picture a group? Back to blood clots!
Some might say that blood clots are part of the intense banging and pushing the players get on the ice. The medical profession is still out on this but, it could play a part. Some are worried about life after hockey. Will they be able to lead a healthy and enjoyable long life when they put down the hockey stick? Only time will tell!
After watching the Bruins come out with energy and controlling the tempo of the game Thursday night against the Calgary Flames, what should have been a win for the Boston club ended up going into a shootout. And as has happened all too frequently this season, the Bruins couldn’t get the extra point in this one-on-one skills competition currently used to solve a score still knotted after a five-minute overtime period. If there was any silver lining in this disappointing finish to the game it was that the Florida Panthers also lost in their shootout, keeping them still two points back and having played two more games than the Boston Bruins at this point.
Much attention was put on the return of Johnny “Johnny Hockey” Gaudreau, including having some of his classmates from Boston College present to see him score on TD Garden ice, this time not as a collegiate but as a pro. Though for the Flames the man of the hour would have to be David Schlemko who was able to solve Tuukka Rask to win in the shooutout.
Reilly Smith (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
However, when looking at the statistics of those who suited up for the Black and Gold, Reilly Smith seemed almost invisible in the game, though he plays with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. During the Flames’ game, Bergeron, in addition to his impressive 67% win in the face off dot, had three shots on net and an assist. Marchand also had a goal on one of his three shots on net. Smith, on the other hand, had zero shots on net, though he did have five that were blocked (Bergeron had four and Marchand had two blocked). Smith had no hits (Bergeron and Marchand each had two) and he had one give away (Bergeron had none and Marchand had one).
So perhaps it was with some surprise that fans awoke to find that the Bruins organization had announced that in addition to having signed Torey Krug to a one-year deal at $3.4 million, that they had signed Smith to a two-year deal that has a cap hit of $3.425 million.
Of course, a player’s worth to a team cannot be based on a single game, but this season Smith has just 12 goals in 63 games. So, perhaps General Manager Peter Chiarelli shouldn’t have been as surprised as he appeared when he was asked about what he saw in Smith that warranted this contract, given his struggles.
“I just—there was a period where I think we were all struggling including [Smith]. But he’s a 20-goal scorer and he’s a very smart player,” Chiarelli told the press Friday morning. “He manages the power play. He’s one of our leading scorers and he’s a good young player. When I mentioned [his] struggles, I’m referring to the period this year where he and other players were slumping as was the team.”
At present Smith is in fifth place on the team in regard to highest scorers, with his 12 goals. Marchand (19), Bergeron (18), Loui Eriksson (15) and Milan Lucic (14) are ahead of him. And as far as the power play is concerned, the Bruins sit in 23rd position of the 30 teams having capitalized on only 26 of their 154 extra man advantages, for 16.9%.
Reilly’s struggles could be indicative of the teams struggles overall, as Chiarelli implied, but with just 19 games remaining and the Panthers breathing down their neck to displace them in the playoffs (they presently trail the Bs by just two points) it is hoped that now that Smith has his two-year deal, his mind can focus on the game more thoroughly.
Torey Krug
During the morning’s press conference with Chiarelli, he indicated that Krug had asked for the one-year deal and that Smith had requested the two-year deal and that he had no problem with either one. However, as someone looking on from the outside and not privy to the negotiations that went on, it looks more like Krug wants to continue to prove to the organization that he is worthy of a longer contract.
“I’ve been betting on myself, so it’s another opportunity to do that. I just want to expand my role, I think like any player would,” Krug said after practice. “I want to play more. I want to be a better part of the team and that’s the reasoning behind the one-year.”
This is reminiscent of the one-year deal that Rask took before he was awarded his present eight-year contract, and speaks to Krug wanting to show that he can continue to grow as a player and earn the time on ice of a top 4 d-man.
Of course, with his new two-year deal, there will be some pressure on Smith to produce at that 20-goal level that he is being paid for.
“I welcome [the pressure]. There’s probably a little more pressure, but as a hockey player and playing in this organization and at this level, you welcome that every day,” Smith told the media.
There is pressure and then there is pressure in the hockey market known as Boston. While not as rabid as Toronto and a couple of the other Canadian markets, the fans do demand that their players earn their salaries. Given the tenuous position the team is in at present, Smith and Krug may find additional attention on them in the coming games. At least both players can put the business side of the game aside for now and work on playing and because they will be on time for camp in the fall it is possible that big improvements will come from them this next season.
The Blackhawks had to get creative before trade deadline Monday, working within a tight budget to fulfill needs for a playoff run in a competitive Central Division and Western Conference.
“Truly, it’s an exciting moment,” Vermette told media in a teleconference Sunday. “You know, I’m going to face some good hockey coming up and [I can] get excited about looking at the standings again and looking at what’s going on. I’m not going to lie. The standings part, where I was, I wasn’t looking too much at lately.”
In 156 games with Chicago, Smith had 39 points and four penalty minutes–with five goals and four assists in 61 games this season. Desjardins had five goals and three assists in 56 games with the Sharks this year. In his 272 career games with San Jose, he had 48 points and a whopping 248 penalty minutes.
He’ll likely play as a fourth-liner/checker for the Hawks, a role he’s comfortable with according to media interviews Monday.
“I definitely want to play my style which is be that intense, in your face, gritty kind of guy,” Desjardins said. “That’s what I’m going to try to bring.”
Kimmo Timonen, who turns 40 this month, is a highly-decorated player on a final quest for the Stanley Cup before retirement. With five Winter Olympic appearances, four All-Star appearances, and nine trips to the playoffs, Timonen wants to contribute to the Blackhawks’ quest for the Cup.
He missed all of this season with the Flyers due to blood clots in his lung and leg diagnosed last August. His scheduled return ended up being with Chicago, instead. He debuted against the Hurricanes Monday.
Timonen also happened to be on the ice for this moment:
After coming that close, he plans to give his all to a team pushing for the prize.
“Obviously, this last summer when I got sick, I was back in Finland in a hospital bed, and they said you have to wait six months to see what’s going to happen,” Timonen told media Friday. “Obviously, I was asking a lot of questions about my career and can I still return playing hockey. They said, ‘Well, you have to eat this medicine for six months, then you have a small chance to get back on the ice.’
“So in that moment, I decided if that small chance happens the only thing I’m missing from my hockey career is a Stanley Cup. That was the only goal which I would return to hockey. It wasn’t money. It wasn’t anything else that was missing.”
Trades that Didn’t Happen
The rumor mill tried to sell Patrick Sharp as a potential trade, claiming he was a source of drama that led to the team’s recent slump and an alleged locker room brawl. Despite teams like the Washington Capitals showing interest, Sharp’s agent and Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman denied he was on the trade block.
VP/GM Stan Bowman says the #Blackhawks were never shopping Patrick Sharp. “He’s a big part of the fabric of the team.”
But that didn’t stop rumors from growing. Without sharing any proof or asking the team or parties involved, blogs and sports personalities, reported Sharp, who is married with two young daughters, had affairs with teammates’ wives and girlfriends, local media personalities, and several others.
His team was quick to go on record to defend him, however.
Brent Seabrook approached reporters to discuss the situation earlier this week.
“Some of the rumors that have been said are laughable. There’s nothing going on with this locker room,” he said. “I’ve been here 10 years and nothing’s going on. We’re a tight group, we have everybody’s back here and we’re focused on our job, which is getting to the playoffs and winning another championship.”
Duncan Keith echoed the sentiment, only it was more personal for him–as his family was part of the gossip:
“It would be comical or laughable if it wasn’t you or your family involved. It becomes (where) you drag other people into it. We’ve got a close group here. We’ve played with one another for a long time. All these rumors and stuff is just a bunch B.S. to us players. We’re out here playing hockey, and we love our teammates. Whatever gets said outside of our locker room shouldn’t really matter. But when it gets to be something ridiculous like that, it needs to be addressed.”
Sharp told media the situation is taking a toll on him.
“As a player, as a professional, you’re out there and you’re up for grabs for on-ice play. Trade rumors, talk about my play on the ice, I’m fine with that,” he told media. “When people delve into your personal life and make up rumors and things that are untrue, it takes a toll on you, your family and friends. It’s completely unnecessary. It’s been tough but we have a strong group of teammates. It’s almost laughable.”
Sharp said he is exploring options for legal action, especially after fielding calls from his extended family and in-laws as the rumors spread.
“Anyone can type something on a computer and get away with it and not be held responsible or accountable,” he said. “It’s laughable but when it affects your family, when you have two little girls at home and your parents are calling you, it takes a toll.”
This season, Sharp has 10 goals and 22 assists in 50 games. He was out Nov. 4 to Dec. 2, 2014 after suffering a knee injury in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. Last year, he had 34 goals and 44 assists in 82 games.
What’s Ahead
Defenseman Johnny Oduya skated on Wednesday, but remains out of the lineup with an upper-body injury.
Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk (patella fracture) is expected to play with the IceHogs this weekend.
“To play in this building is just amazing,” he said. “Being on the opposition you just always admire this building. It seems like it’s the hardest building to play in, so it’s good to be on this side.”
Corey Crawford is expected to start in net for tonight’s 7:30 p.m. CT game.
Next, the Blackhawks host the New York Rangers at 6:30 p.m. CT Sunday.
One of the greatest traditions in Minnesota is the Minnesota Boy’s High School Hockey Tournament. The tradition started in 1945, when there was a tournament held for boy’s high school hockey at the St. Paul Auditorium. It continues to this day, now taking place at the Xcel Energy Center and Mariucci Arena; and continues to be one of the most popular events in the state of Minnesota.
The teams are divided into two classes by size, A and AA (A is smaller programs while AA is larger programs). Every year, the teams that win their section make it to the tournament, where they will face another team, who could be from anywhere in Minnesota, as long as they are in the same class.
The Class A games start on Wednesday March 4th. The teams that will make an appearance in the Class A tournament this year are Mahtomedi, New Ulm, East Grand Forks, New Prague, Hermantown, Spring Lake Park, Breck School and St. Cloud Apollo. Though this is the less popular of the two classes, it still draws a lot of attention from the public. The games should be entertaining, as the players are full of heart and are truly playing for the love of the game.
The Class AA games start on Thursday, March 5th. The Class AA tournament will feature Edina, Bemidji, St. Thomas Academy, Duluth East, Lakeville North, Hill-Murray, Blaine and Eden Prairie. These games, especially the ones later in the tournament draw extremely large crowds; a record was set in 2008 with 19,559 fans attending a semifinal game.
The tournament is bracketed, and consolation games will take place at Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. The games are seeded as of 2007, where the top seed plays the lowest seed, and this type of bracket continues until the quarterfinal round.
The tournament is one of the most exciting things for players, parents and fans each year. Many dreams come true during this weekend, as it is an honor to even make an appearance at the tournament.
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