On Sunday, March 2, 2014, the AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, hosted the You Can Play Project’s You Can Play Day (II) at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT. A forecast for snow that (thankfully) never appeared may have kept some people home but the arena was still pretty full. Last year’s You Can Play Day was the first time the project had ever done a panel in coordination with a professional sports team.
For those not in the know, YCP is a movement/project based on the idea that if you can play, it doesn’t matter what your sex, orientation, race, creed etc. is, than you can play. What originally started off as a grassroots hockey movement over the past year has encompassed such sports as professional baseball, football, soccer teams and players as well as colleges, music and musicians and people who believe that this idea is something that everyone should believe in. All 30 NHL teams have at least one player who has appeared in their videos and even high schools, TSN Broadcasters and a mountain (!!?!) have joined and gone on video to announce that they really don’t care who or what you are as long as you can play.
The panel this year had Anthony Nicodemo, boys basketball coach from Yonkers, N.Y., Dan Woog, boys soccer coach from Westport, Conn., David Farber, former University of Pennsylvania hockey player and Avery Stone, a lesbian hockey player from Amherst College and the panel’s moderator was the always dapper Wade Davis, a former NFL cornerback who came out in an OutSports.com article in 2012.
Anthony Nicodemo & Dan Woog
Last year’s panel was more about hockey, hockey culture, the locker rooms (and what it’s like to be gay in one). This years panel, after a year that saw the NHL & NHLPA announce a partnership a few weeks after the first You Can Play Day in Bridgeport, was more about education and educators.
When Dan Woog came out to the kids he coached, he said that he knew that he needed to do it for the gay kids, but he didn’t realize until much later that he also needed to come out for the straight kids. The reason being that they needed to know that being gay didn’t change who he was, but, that instead that he was the same coach before and the same coach after (except now with a weight lifted off his shoulders), a lesson they might never learn about being gay anyplace else. Avery Stone said that “[the] secret [of being gay] holds you back on and off the ice.”
Can you imagine how much better some hockey players would be able to play if they weren’t still in their closet?
Speaking of hockey, the hosts the Bridgeport Sound Tigers lost to the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, with the final score of 2-1.
Kevin Poulin, who typically goes back and forth between Bridgeport and Long Island, was in goal for the Sound Tigers and Alan Quine scored. The goal scorers for the Comets were Matt Donovan and Nicklas Jensen, both of who were playing during Monday night’s wacky Canucks v Islanders where the Islanders scored 7 goals in the 3rd period against Vancouver.
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers had their seven-game winning streak snapped the night before against the Worcester Sharks (2-1) and after Jensen scored just 17 seconds in, the team was unable to catch up.
Scooter Vaughan, who has a great sports name, was involved in a few of the skirmishes that occurred during the game and was also a very fast skater and personally I can’t wait until he ends up on the Islanders and on the same line as the Isles’ Michael Grabner.
Wade Davis after he dropped the ceremonial puck to start the game.
As a personal aside, I would like to thank the Sound Tigers, the American Hockey League and the Islanders for hosting the You Can Play Day again (and, of course, my hockey brother/personal driver/favorite Islanders fan Vinny for taking me). I’m glad that we live in a world where it’s acceptable to have a panel discussion and a celebration of how it’s okay to be gay like these in an AHL-level Sunday afternoon hockey game and not have anyone question or fight it. Education is key and as Avery Stone said, every little ripple makes a wave and I hope to one day soon be writing up one of these from a National Hockey League game.
Photo: Hurricanes
On the ice or off of it, hockey is and will always be a family affair. Many players get into the game not of their own accord, but because they choose to follow in the skate strides of a family member that taught them to love the game. Carolina Hurricanes’ forward Nathan Gerbe is a product of that mold.
“My father and my two older brothers played, so I kind of just grew up with it. I started skating very early, and playing with them got me into it.”
The ability to perfect his skills early on was born on the banks in his back yard. Similar to many of his NHL colleagues, being a Michigan native allowed for winters filled with hockey in it’s purest form, on the pond.
“A lot of the memories that molded my love for the game were of watching my older brothers. Also, playing pond hockey in the back yard. Memories like those are the ones I tend to look back on.”
Once a fan, always a fan. No player can fully submerge themselves into the game without finding a hero who has found success lacing up his skates in the big show. For Gerbe, following the ebbs and flows of a Red Wing was a starting point.
“I really loved Steve Yzerman, he played in Detroit. Growing up he was someone that I idolized.”
But finding success on the ice is often thanks largely in part to the support system a player experiences off of it. The ability to play the game comes at a price, not simply through a financial amount, but the time and passion a player’s family devotes to the game as well. That love across all platforms can often be the inspirational spark needed to chase a professional dream.
“Off the ice, easily my whole family. They have had nothing but continued support for me throughout my career, and supporting my desire to chase my dream. They’ve always been there for me.”
If you have a dream, chase it.
“Just never give up. I think the only time that people don’t accomplish their dreams is when they quit. Failure and not being scared of it helped me to achieve that.”
The fear of failure absent, and a continued work ethic gave a possibility to pursue a career in hockey. He was drafted 142nd overall by Buffalo Sabres in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. But heading directly to the pros took a backseat as the opportunity to develop within the collegiate hockey powerhouse of Boston College took center ice.
Photo: Frozen Four
“It’s been unbelievable, I’m so fortunate to have gone there and be a part of the winning culture there, and to have played under Gary York, learning so much from him that I have been able to carry with me to the next level.”
While making it in the NHL is the ultimate dream for any young player, the dream doesn’t always come to fruition. Simply put, at some point, a player will either make it or they won’t. But long before that point comes, it’s the glimmer of hope that presents itself and helps push a player to shine.
“It’s something I’d always thought about. Realistically, it was in college that I learned I’d have a really good chance if I continued to work hard and develop. That’s what I tried to do.”
It was on the collegiate ice that Gerbe found his spark, helping lead the Boston College Eagles to the Frozen Four championship title in 2008 and earning the title for most outstanding player in the tournament. The 2007-08 season also saw Gerbe in a finalist position for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award.
2008 proved to be a big season for the now 26-year-old, signing his first pro-contract in May, scoring his first NHL goal in a preseason game in September and saw his first NHL regular season game in December. The fondest memory of his professional career to date is similar to many players.
“My first NHL goal.”
A staple in the Sabres lineup, and a fan favorite, despite a small stature at just 5’5, his presence was anything but for the organization. But following the NHL lockout, Buffalo placed the forward on waivers. The Sabres loss became the Carolina Hurricanes gain. Gerbe agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Hurricanes and welcomed the change of organizations.
Photo: Hurricanes
“It’s been great, the Carolina organization has been nothing but fantastic to me and very supportive. For me it’s been to come in and learn the system and do my best to positively fit in and be a team player.”
Gerbe has fit in, recording 13 goals and 15 assists so far this season and garnering support from a steady legion of fans in North Carolina.
“The fan base is great, and extremely friendly, they’re just out there supporting us all the time. I think that has been the greatest thing and that’s all you can ask for.”
Often said, hockey players are some of the best athletes in sports when it comes to incorporating themselves within the community. Giving back is something they strive to do both in season and off-season. Gerbe is no exception to the trend, participating in charitable endeavors and joining the roster of fellow NHL players and off-season training partners, such as Kings Jonathan Quick, Canadiens Max Pacioretty and Leafs James van Riemsdyk for the Big Assist Charity game played in Connecticut every summer.
“I got involved by working out this past summer in Connecticut, it’s a small group out there of hockey players. We’re all connected and I got invited to come. I rarely ever turn down an opportunity to give back to the community, I think that’s what I’m all about. I’ve been lucky enough to get so much out of life, that I like to give back. Hopefully I can play in others. I would assume so, I’ll be training there again this coming summer, so I would love to participate again.”
With the off-season still quite far away, it’s the here and now that Gerbe has focus on.
“People can expect the continued work ethic, the ethic is always going to be there game in and game out, sometimes you go through tough stretches, sometimes you go through good spells, for me my ethic and aspirations to work hard never change.”
It’s the focus and mentality to continue to work hard and play harder that has made Nathan Gerbe a hurricane of talent on the ice. For fans of the team and Gerbe himself, the hope is that this storm doesn’t die down anytime soon.
Olli Maatta, to put it lightly, is having a good season.
The 19-year-old Penguins phenom has exceeded any expectations anyone may have had of him coming into the season. Maatta so far has racked up 28 points (9G, 19A), with scoring often coming at key moments. He is +11 on the season and has been a mainstay on the Pens constantly-injured blue line, missing only one game so far as a healthy scratch (knock on wood), while logging heavy minutes (average of over 20 a game), often as part of the top defensive pairing along with Matt Niskanen and on both the powerplay and penalty kill. And that is to say nothing of his Olympic record (2G, 3A, and a bronze medal).
So why isn’t he a front runner for the Calder, the NHL’s annual award for best rookie of the year?
The answer is not fellow defenseman Seth Jones from Nashville (though he is also having a good season), but Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon is a large part of the Avs’ renaissance (along with new coach Patrick Roy) and was the first rookie to break the 50 point mark. (He currently sits at 51 points with 22G, 29A, and has broken Gretzky’s rookie point streak record.) He averages about 17 minutes of ice time a game and is a +17. If Colorado makes it to the playoffs this year, MacKinnon will be one of the many players to thank. With a record like that, it’s hard to think Olli Maatta has a chance.
But is Maatta’s slim chance at the Calder really because MacKinnon is so much better than him, or is it further proof that the NHL simply doesn’t reward good defense the way it rewards good offense? If you don’t believe me, consider this: in the 90+ years the Calder has been awarded, it has only gone to a defensive prospect 10 times. The last defenseman it went to was Tyler Myers in 2009-2010, who put up 48 points (11G, 37A) – a stat that would be good even for a rookie forward.
Even the Norris – the top honor for any defenseman – often either goes to or is considered for defensmen who posses strong offensive skill or are high-scoring. (Subban, Letang, Weber, Suter, Doughty, Karlsson, and of course Lidstrom and Orr – and the list goes on), sometimes even at the cost of their defensive game. The Ted Lindsay Award has never gone to a defenseman. The Hart Trophy has only gone to a defenseman 13 times in its 90+ year history. Top stats for defensemen still are goals and assists, not things like +/-, which arguably would be a better stat for measuring defensive play, though it is still a highly flawed stat. One could argue that the lack of statistical ways to measure good defense, in comparison to the over-abundance of ways to measure good offense, is just another way that defensemen in the NHL often get the shaft when it comes to getting their share of glory.
Whoever you think is more deserving of the Calder – Maatta or MacKinnon – probably comes down to what you’re a fan of (offense versus defense, the Pens versus the Avs). But Maatta’s candidacy, and his slim chances of victory, should be taken as an argument that defensive play in the NHL, and not just goals and assists, should be given more weight and respect in the hockey world.
You’re 3 goals up in the third. You’re dominating play with 19 shots to 13. You’ve been down and you know what defeat feels like – you’ve won just 2 games in your last 10. But you’re up now. Victory is so close you can almost taste it. Just hold on for 20 minutes and you’ve got a win. But the momentum shifts, and before you know it, you’ve conceded the game to a team 4th from bottom in the league standings.
I am of course referring to the 7-4 defeat of the Canucks to the Islanders last night in Vancouver. Credit to the Islanders for turning around the game and claiming critical points as they battle for points late in the regular season. But for the Canucks, it’s adding insult to injury during an incredibly tough run. After the game, the locker room was a somber affair. The players completed media interviews and their faces said it all – they are defeated. Not just literally defeated – but mentally, too. Ryan Kesler, a team staple almost traded last week, surmised it simply – “It’s embarrassing.” Captain and Canucks veteran Henrik Sedin added, “We should have had this game. We should have been back in the race.”
Enter John Tortorella. While hockey fans were used to seeing an aggressive John Tortorella behind the New York Rangers bench as recently as last season, it seems the West Coast has arguably mellowed the coach. Save from the famous scuffle involving the Flames back in January, resulting in a 15-day suspension without pay, but I digress. In a post-game news conference last night, Tortorella was poised and calm. And although he answered questions from the media fully and patiently, he made no excuses for his team.
Torts did, however, attempt to put an end to the ongoing saga Canucks fans are surely keen to put a lid on. There is no ‘goaltending situation’ according to the head coach. “Don’t put this all on Eddie. I’ve never been in a game like that,” he said with certainty. This time, recently traded Roberto Luongo remained quiet. His Twitter pseudonym @strombone1 drew scorn from Don Cherry after unkind remarks directed at his former teammate Eddie Lack during a 6-1 slide with the Dallas Stars. Cherry quipped, “These guys were pretty good to you, Roberto. They give you $60-million dollars, they send you to Florida to where you wanted and what do you do? You send a to them making fun of them that you’d mop up.”
“What kind of guy are you?” Cherry continued. “You know how much I think of you. Let’s knock it off. They’re down, they’re having a tough time right now. You’re in paradise, keep your mouth shut.”
Twitter theatrics aside, perhaps the former hot-headed New York Rangers coach said it best himself. Torts vowed at practice in Vancouver this morning, “As a coach, this is my responsibility. This falls to me. I’m going to try to turn this around.”
Photo: Blues
No need to be afraid of losing shootouts when you have TJ Oshie and a pair of stellar goaltenders. The St. Louis Blues defeated the Minnesota Wild 3 to 2 Sunday, putting the Blues alone at the top of the Western Conference.
Brian Elliot stepped in net, giving Ryan Miller his first night off since becoming a member of the Blues last week, Elliot came up huge in the shootout, stoning Minnesota Wild stars including Team USA captain Zach Parise. TJ Oshie showed why he became American hockey’s rising star at the Sochi Olympic Games, as he led the Blues through the shootout by scoring over the glove of Wild goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. Alexander Steen also put one top shelf over the shoulder to seal the win for the Blues.
St. Louis got on the scoreboard first in regulation when they capitalized on a power play opportunity in the first period. TJ Oshie gave the Blues a one nothing lead, and shortly after Carlo Calaiacovo lifted the Blues to a 2 to 0 lead, still in the first period.
The Minnesota Wild answered back with two goals in the second period by Jason Pominville and Matt Moulson, respectively. The third period held at a stalemate which continued into overtime, resulting in a shootout. At this point, the Blues’ offensive firepower outmatched the Wild.
The Blues are now on a five game win streak and sitting in first place in the Western Conference. Their next game is at home against the Dallas Stars, Tuesday, March 11th, at 7PM (CST).
(photo: press image from yle.fi)
The woman who made a splash at the Olympics by announcing her retirement from women’s hockey is back in the news. Or, at least, Finnish news. According to Finland news source yle.fi, Noora Räty has signed a contract with Kiekko-Vantaan of the Mestis League to play during the 2014-2015 season. If Google translate is correct, then Kiekko-Vantaan head coach Jami Kauppi believes that Räty is one of the best goaltenders in the world.
Should Räty successfully carry out her contract, she would become only the second female player in the history of the Mestis league after Hayley Wickenheiser who played ten games with Kirkkonummen Salamien back in 2003-2004.
In other big news for women hockey players, Shannon Szabados, who backed the Canadians an overtime victory for Olympic gold, agreed to a deal with the Columbus Cottonmouths with the Southern Professional Hockey League. Don’t set your DVRs just yet, though, because she told ESPN.com that she may not play this year. “I haven’t been in the gym, I haven’t been on the ice, I haven’t been sleeping well,” Szabados said. “It’s been a whirlwind. I told (the coach) I’m not going to rush into anything. If I don’t feel comfortable, I might not even play at all this year. “I want to go there and get on the ice and see how I feel. I still have to unpack from Sochi and pack for this. I’m not too worried. It’s only been two weeks.”
Photo: Pierce (worcestersharks.org)
The Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to terms with free agent forward Yanni Gourde, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced on Wednesday. He will be playing with the the Lightning’s AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch for the remainder of the 2013-14 season. In the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons he will have a two-way NHL contract.
The twenty-two year old St. Narcisse, Quebec native has skated in 25 games with the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League this season. He has posted four goals and 25 points, along with 26 penalty minutes. He ranks first on the Sharks for assists with 21, and ranks third on the club for points. Three of his four goals have been scored on special teams this season. He has recorded a pair of power-play tallies and one shorthanded goal. Gourde has played in 30 games this season with the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL where he posted 15 goals and 34 points.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound forward has played in 83 games over his three season AHL career with Worcester. He has amounted 13 goals and 42 points. Before turning pro, he skated four seasons with the Victoriaville Tigers of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He led the QMJHL in scoring during his fourth season with Victoriaville in 2011-12, posting 37 goals and 124 points. Gourde was nominated for the Michel-Briere trophy in 2011-12, given annually to the QMJHL’s most valuable player.
Gourde’s Career Stats
|
|
|
Regular Season |
|
Playoffs |
| Season |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
+/- |
PIM |
|
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
| 2008-09 |
Victoriaville |
QMJHL |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
– |
0 |
|
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 2009-10 |
Victoriaville |
QMJHL |
59 |
11 |
17 |
28 |
– |
36 |
|
16 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
20 |
| 2010-11 |
Victoriaville |
QMJHL |
68 |
26 |
42 |
68 |
– |
48 |
|
9 |
4 |
6 |
10 |
12 |
| 2011-12 |
Victoriaville |
QMJHL |
68 |
37 |
87 |
124 |
– |
70 |
|
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
|
Worcester |
AHL |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
– |
0 |
|
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 2012-13 |
Worcester |
AHL |
54 |
8 |
6 |
14 |
– |
41 |
|
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
San Francisco |
ECHL |
8 |
4 |
6 |
10 |
– |
9 |
|
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| 2013-14 |
Worcester |
AHL |
25 |
4 |
21 |
25 |
– |
26 |
|
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
Kalamazoo |
ECHL |
30 |
15 |
19 |
34 |
– |
19 |
|
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Sunday’s matinee between the Providence Bruins and the Adirondack Phantoms turned out to be a clinic in scoring goals, at least for the players wearing the spoked “P.” The final score was 9-3.
As the puck dropped to start the game, it looked eerily as though there would be a possible replay of the less than stellar play of Providence as was seen in their Friday evening game against the Worcester Sharks, when just seconds into the game, Rob Flick was called for tripping. Flick had a small discipline issue on Friday evening in the third when he was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. But seeing the Bruins shorthanded just sixteen seconds into the first frame did not bode well. Add to this the fisticuffs between Providence Bruins Tyler Randell and the Phantoms Zack FitzGerald, and it could have seemed a little like déjà vu.
However, unlike Friday night, where the Providence Bruins, who to a man would tell you, didn’t play their best, this time the momentum was all theirs as the game progressed.
Of the 12 goals scored by both teams, five of them would be power play goals, including one five-on-three opportunity that the Bruins had going into the third period, which spoke volumes of the frustrations of the opposing team. Providence would capitalize on four of their five power plays, while the Phantoms would convert only one of their five.
Seth Griffith
(Photo: Providence Bruins)
Right-winger Seth Griffith would score four goals –one in the first, two in the second, and one in the third—and add an assist for a five-point night. His line mate, Alexander Khokhlachev would have an assist on three of Griffith’s goals, as well as one score by Jared Knight, and then would pot one of his own for, for his own five-point night. Tough guy Randell would have two goals, two assists and one fight. One more fisticuff and Randell would have had two Gordie Howe Hat Tricks—instead he had to settle for one fight and four points on the night.
As Providence Bruins head coach, Bruce Cassidy, said after the game, the team needed this blow out.
“I told the guys afterwards, we all needed this; coach and players,” he said. “We’ve been in a lot of close games for about two months now. You need one of those every once in awhile so you can just breathe a little bit.”
After garnering only one point out of their Friday tilt against the Sharks, and falling on Saturday to the Manchester Monarchs–despite a lot of positives from the Bruins, the win on Sunday had the team feeling pretty good.
Tyler Randell
(Photo: Providence Bruins)
Randell’s fight with FitzGerald came just 6:28 into the first period, and got the fans roaring as he landed a few good ones—even though he seemed to take as good as he was giving. The fight was the result of some earlier chirping between Flick and Bobby Robins on the Providence bench and FitzGerald on the Adirondack bench.
The Pink Puck asked Randell if his fight helped get him into the game.
“I know it’s my job and stuff, being physical and getting the energy of the crowd is definitely a huge part of my game,” he answered. “It was nice to get it done early and get everyone pumped up and going. That definitely helped get me going for the game.”
It must have, because he would score an important goal with just 3:11 remaining in the first to put the Bruins up by two going into the first intermission. Even Coach Cassidy pointed to this goal as being important to damaging the psyche of the Phantoms.
“We needed that secondary scoring and tonight clearly we got it early. That was a big goal by [Randell]; good goal or bad, to take a two nothing lead into the first intemission.” Cassidy pointed out. “[The Phantoms] probably would have been, ‘Oh it’s only one nothing, that’s not bad,’ but that was a big goal for us. Those are the plays you need.”
Randell referred to the game as being one of those days where everything goes their way. And it certainly appeared to be that way, especially for Khokhlachev and Griffith. Khokhlachev just always seemed to find Griffith—who was given time and space—so that Griffith could get the shot on net. And from those shots came goals.
When asked by The Pink Puck if perhaps he was untouchable on Sunday, Griffith looked sheepish and humble.
“I just tried to get myself open,” he told The Pink Puck. “Me and [Khokhlachev] kinda got some chemistry going, so he made some nice passes to me. All I had to do really was just shoot it on net. And [Carson Chubak] wasn’t really in his net.”
Griffith made it sound very easy, and perhaps the final score makes it look like it was that easy. Griffith’s second of the evening, which was the Bruins’ fourth on the day (and came just 2:19 after Knight’s drought ended), would force Phantoms head coach Terry Murray to make a goalie change. It would slow the Bruins down, but just as in the first, with 3:03 remaining, the Bruins would score their fifth—Griffith’s third of the game and second of the period.
However, Griffith would also credit the great work, and sacrifice, of his teammate Randell. It was clear that the team knew they needed to win Sunday’s game, so they were already motivated, but The Pink Puck asked Griffith if Randell’s fight help get them pumped for a win.
“For sure. Everytime [Randell] or Bobby fights it gets everybody going. It gets everybody excited,” he responded. “You gotta give them a lot of credit. It’s not an easy thing to do and we have a lot of respect for them because they do that for us.”
Jared Knight
(Photo: Providence Bruins)
Meanwhile for Knight, that goal in the second period had to feel good. He’d been struggling for some time to get one in the goal, and it was clear that a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders. You have to go all the way back to the Bruins game against the Hartford Wolf Pack on November 10, 2013 for his last goal. However, it is important to remember that he was injured and didn’t play in games from January 25, 2014 through February 16, 2014.
In discussing the attributes of Khokhlachev after the game, Coach Cassidy pointed out that though the first-year professional had struggled a little to understand the Bruins system, he commended Khokhlachev as a “high plus player.” And indeed he is. After Sunday’s game, he was a +13 with 18 goals and 28 assists for 46 points in 51 games on the season.
With Sunday’s win, the Providence Bruins remain third in the Atlantic Division, four points behind the St. John’s Ice Caps and moved up one slot to sixth in the Eastern Conference. They return to play at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Friday, March 14, when they will take on the Worcester Sharks again. Perhaps Griffith and Khokhlachev will continue to see who can get the most points.
Griffith was asked, by The Pink Puck, if he and his line mate had any money on the board after Sunday’s give and go points. He grinned.
“No, no money on the board tonight, actually,” he responded. “But I think we might have to this next weekend.”
It could be an interesting weekend if they do.
(photo: bluejackets.nhl.com)
Ryan Murray‘s first season with the NHL and the Columbus Blue Jackets has been a strong one: the rookie has recorded three goals and 17 assists in 61 games, maintains a +3 plus/minus, and ranks third among all league rookies for blocked shots (he’s also ranked second for time on ice and is tied for fifth in power play points by a first-year defenseman).
General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced yesterday that Murray will miss four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee. This puts him pretty firmly out of play for the remainder of the regular season.
Columbus recently acquired defenseman Nick Schultz from the Edmonton Oilers, perhaps as a last-minute bid to beef up the Blue Jackets’ defensive lineup as they head into the final stretch of the season. Fedor Tyutin has also been left off the ice while recovering from an Olympic ankle injury. It remains to be seen whether Nikita Nikitin will play on Monday after sustaining an injury in Thursday’s game with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Which leaves … pretty much just Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski, as far as settled defensive pairings go.
Early March is not an awesome time to be plagued by injuries in your defense, but when is an awesome time, really? As Johnson put it earlier this week, “We have to stay strong. Having [Tyutin, Murray, and Nikitin] would help, for sure. But that’s life. We can’t sit around here and say it would be better if we had them. We don’t, and the season’s not going to stop until they get healthy.”
The man has a point. Call-ups Dalton Prout, Cody Goloubef and Frederic St.Denis hope to help fill some of the empty shoes; Prout has played well for the Blue Jackets when called to serve, and logs big minutes when there are holes in the roster. And of course there’s David Savard, who has been a consistent, steady player all season. Columbus’ best bet is to push forward with what they’ve got — they’ve always been a team which operates best when they stick to their systems. The question is simply whether or not they’ll be able to adjust in time for the final playoff push.
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