Coyote Ugly Situation

I've had a number of people email me over these last few days as the situation surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes nears the boiling point. I've said it before and I'll say it again right here: I'm not going to comment on any team moving to any other city without seeing the moving trucks heading out of town. Could I make comments? Of course. However, it's far better to not let speculation, innuendo, and rumour whip people into a frenzy when nothing may come of it. Besides, I still have a team that I'm passionately following, and I think that the AHL's Manitoba Moose are perfect for a city of Winnipeg's size. So let's tone down the Phoenix-to-Winnipeg chatter for the next few weeks, and let's focus on some more important hockey news.

First, some great news out of Toronto where the efforts to raise funds for the Pat Burns Arena has now broken through the seven-figure mark! The Stanstead, Quebec arena should not only wear Burns' name as a tribute to the NHL coaching legend, but all that he embodied should be a part of that arena. There still is some work to be done, though, as the city of Stanstead has to raise the remaining $1.2 million to reach the goal needed to put this arena on the map. Good job in getting halfway there! You're almost there!

Next, I received an email with a very impressive link in it, and I want to give some credit to Mr. Mark Divver for his work in researching Alton White's career at Providence as a member of the AHL's Reds. As you may remember from my January 29 article last year, Alton White was the first black player to record a hat trick in professional hockey and the first black player to record a 20-goal season as part of the WHA! Mr. Divver has taken a small part of Mr. White's hockey career and expanded on it wonderfully in his article. Thank you, Mark, for sending me a link to your excellent work!

Lastly, there was a very scary hit in the NHL tonight, and one player looks like he may not return until next season. Let's go back to January 8, 2011 where Montreal's Max Pacioretty and Boston's Zdeno Chara appear to be developing quite the rivalry.

Pacioretty scores the overtime winner, appears to shove Chara, and then a fracas breaks out. Fast-forward to tonight's game, and it appears this rivalry just crossed the line.

Wow. Listen to what NESN's Andy Brickley says in his commentary on the play:

"You cannot finish your check. You gotta release him... when that puck is chipped by. Chara's gotta let him go there. And not only does he ride him into the boards, he puts him into that dangerous spot and that is a defenceless position for Pacioretty."

I fully agree with Brickley's assessment on this one. Pacioretty was trying to go wide, and Chara was trying to slow him up. That's a textbook case of interference, but the fact that he was destroyed by the stanchion only makes this look a lot worse.

The good news is that Pacioretty was awake when they finally got him off the ice on a stretcher, so that's positive. He did spend approximately five minutes on the ice, so there is certainly some concern as to his long-term health. It's a scary situation, but I'm not sure that anything can be done in this situation in regards to punishing Chara. This is the kind of hockey play that coaches teach everywhere.

Personally, I'd like to see a game or two for Chara just for the NHL to send a message to the players that this kind of play, while a normal hockey play 99 out of 100 times, needs to be controlled. Thoughts on this one, readers?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Head Derails Career

It's tough to sit here and not be concerned about Marc Savard's long-term health after it was announced today that his season was over thanks to another concussion. This one was suffered on a devastating hit by former teammate Matt Hunwick as the Bruins and Avalanche clashed on January 22. This concussion was the second major head injury the shifty centerman has suffered within the last year after taking a major blow to the head from Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke ten months ago. For all intents and purposes, it might be time for Marc Savard to look to a future outside of hockey because I'm not sure his brain can sustain another major jolt without returning some sort of unrepairable injury.

The first thing I think we should do is look at what a concussion is and how it is caused. This is vital in knowing what we're dealing with in terms of how concussions are caused and how they can be prevented.

Jamie Hyneman explored this very subject on an episode of Mythbusters (yes, watching Mythbusters is a guilty pleasure of mine). He spoke to Dr. Wade Smith, the director of neuroscience at University of California-San Francisco, about concussions on an episode entitled "Concussion Confidential".

JH: So what exactly happens in a concussion?

WS: A concussion is when you transfer a force - external - through the skull to the brain. Think of the skull as a box, and you've got the brain inside that has the consistency of jello. When a concussion occurs and force is delivered to the skull itself, the skull moves relative to the brain. The brain stays in one place, and the skull moves against it. That can bruise the brain that's hitting the skull, and it can actually damage the brain opposite that.

Scary stuff, no?

Now, no one I've seen has come right out and called a concussion "brain damage" in the sense of what we imagine brain damage to be, but that's essentially what it is. The issue is that these bruises cannot be seen by the naked eye like a bruise on your arm or leg. And because the brain is a fairly important organ in the human body, the impact of a bruise on the brain can result in long-lasting problems from the sufferer.

Today, on NHL.com, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Dr. Reuben Echemendia, head of the NHL/NHLPA Concussion Working Group, sat down to answer some of the frequently-asked questions about concussions in the NHL. While this seems more like a PR-move than anything else, I am impressed with Dr. Echemendia's responses, although I'm sure they remain fairly scripted as a way to prevent any spin being put on them.

"We've done a lot of work to take a look at how our testing instruments function with our players across a number of different language groups, across a number of educational groups, and how well our tests are picking up these injuries when we examine the players post-injury," Dr. Echemendia told NHL.com. We've also begun to understand in greater detail how the concussions are being caused in the NHL and using video analyses, for example, that have led us to provide data to the League that has subsequently led to rule changes."

I was puzzled about Gary Bettman's next statement, though.

"Since the implementation of Rule 48 last March... we've seen a decrease in concussions and man-games lost resulting from blind-side hits to head. In addition, we have seen a decrease in concussions caused by hits involving the head that are deemed legal in our game."

Really? So you go from not tracking them to improve the detection of concussions, yet the number of concussions is decreasing? Why is the NHL the only sport on the planet where concussions are decreasing despite piles of evidence to suggest otherwise? However, Bettman contradicts himself one statement later!

"What I'm about to say is based on very preliminary data so you can't hold me to it down the road with precision, because we have to make sure it bears out. But I do want to emphasize what appear to be preliminary trends. For the 2010-11 regular season, concussions are up. Again, I want to emphasize it's preliminary.

"The increase in concussions appears to be in the area of accidental or inadvertent situations as most did not involve any contact whatsoever with the victim's head by an opponent. I'm not saying no concussions came from hits to the head, but it appears the increase is coming from somewhere else."

So accidental or inadvertent contact resulting in a concussion is different than intentional contact resulting in a concussion? Are you kidding me, Mr. Bettman?

Let me be very clear here: an injury is an injury regardless of how it happens. Therefore, a concussion should be tracked as a concussion, and not how it is caused. No one plans on getting hurt while playing the game, but it happens. That's just a fact of life when playing a contact sport.

According to the Center for Disease Control, the fourth biggest killer in the United States are accidents. Accidents result in nearly 37 people killed annually between the ages of 24 and 35 which, not surprisingly, is the demographic that hockey wants to own. Accidental deaths get the same weight as deaths due to diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasms, suicides, and homicides because the end result is all the same: someone died. No death is ranked better or worse, so why does the NHL differentiate between two causes of brain injuries when the end result in both cases is brain injury?

Dr. Echemendia didn't answer either of the questions that Mr. Bettman responded to, but he did weigh in on helmets. It appears as though there are no helmets that will effectively protect against concussions as this time, and Dr. Echemendia addressed that point.

"I absolutely agree with that. Given our current technology, there's nothing out there that is going to prevent a concussion, because in order to prevent a concussion, a helmet has to be able to absorb a significant amount of the blow as opposed to translating the force of that blow. The current polycarbonate shells that we have, those hard shells, they tend to just transfer the blow. They tend not to absorb the blow. And they do that for a very good reason, and that is the helmets that we have are very good at preventing what they're designed to prevent, and that is, as you say, depressed skull fractures, lacerations, significant head injuries. They were never designed to protect against concussion.

"As a matter of fact, there was some concern among the biomechanists that if we tried to make a helmet that prevents concussion; we may be going in the other direction and see an increase in skull fractures and these other types of injuries. So it's a complicated issue."

He also refuted claims that mouthguards help to prevent concussions. Some mouthguards make this claim, but Dr. Echemendia feels that this claim might not be so valid.

"There are no clinical data to suggest that mouth guards protect against concussion. They do a very good job at protecting against dental injury, and good mouth guards should be worn for that reason. But there's no indication right now that they're effective at preventing concussion."

So let's review: concussions are up in the NHL, Mr. Bettman says they are trending down, there are no proven pieces of equipment that prevent concussions, yet we're supposed to believe that the NHL doesn't have a concussion problem.

Is anyone feeling a little wool over their eyes?

Look, I wish nothing but the best for Marc Savard, but you have to wonder why the Bruins centerman is already talking about coming back to play hockey again. I get that there might be a macho aspect to his talk, but I was blown away by the following comment during his press conference:

"I'm obviously going to get more medial tests done and then I'll be able to make a clearer decision on what my future is but, right now, I'm hoping to continue at some point again," Savard said.

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but the best medical advice I can offer to you, Mr. Savard, is to take the next 12-18 months off, let your brain heal, and then see where you stand. As Dr. Smith said to Mr. Hyneman, your brain is the consistency of jello, so it probably doesn't take to being smashed against the inside of your skull very well. Since you had a major brain injury in the last calendar year, maybe it's time you give your head some rest and let your brain make itself right.

I'd say "give your head a shake", but I don't want to be responsible for any additional damage to your gray matter.

As for Mr. Bettman, how long will this charade about concussions in the NHL continue?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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A Recurring Theme

How many times do you have to get hurt doing something before you stop doing it? If you've been following Rick DiPietro's career since being drafted first overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, you know the guy is one knee twist, one fall down, or one over-stretch away from the intensive care ward. Honestly, the guy is a skating medical textbook with all the injuries he's had. Wednesday night, DiPietro added another chapter to DeePee's Anatomy when he suffered facial fractures and knee swelling after getting himself into a tussle with the Pittsburgh Penguins' Brent Johnson. So let's just run this down objectively to see where we're at in DiPietro's career.

I'm going on record as a fan of goalie fights. Normally, the two most-protected skaters on the ice rarely engage in fisticuffs due to the 200-feet of ice between them and the fact that they don't want to hurt themselves when chucking fists at the other's padded body. When it does happen, though, it's usually a pretty good bout.

Tonight's heavyweight scrap looked like a pretty even scrap as the two men - DiPietro and Johnson - decided to "git it on" in the Islanders' zone. Johnson stands 6'3" and weighs in at 200 lbs. DiPietro is 6'1" tall and weighs in at 190 lbs. Johnson has a slight advantage, but it's not like we're talking Chara-Rolston differences here.

Let's go to the video to see how this one played out as Brent Johnson skates 150-feet to engage the feisty Rick DiPietro.

And BOOM goes the dynamite. Johnson unloads a massive left-handed haymaker that wipes the smile off the face of DiPietro. Notice how Johnson is preparing to unleash hell in that image as DiPietro thinks this is going to be some sort of slap-fight? The result was a crumpled heap of Islanders humanity lying on the ice. Yet again. How many times have Islanders fans see this now?

If you don't think Johnson threw everything he had behind that punch, check out this animation and watch DiPietro's hair when he gets punched. Johnson devastated DiPietro with that punch! That, readers, is why this fight only went one punch long. When a goalie is throwing haymakers like that, get him out of the pads and onto the fourth line for some intimidation! By the way, this is DiPietro after the game. Do you think Johnson opened up a can of whoop-butt on him?

So now we find DiPietro on the injured list again, out 4-6 weeks with facial fractures and a knee tweak. Shall we look at the man-games lost by one player on the Islanders at this point? (The answer is yes.)

• Missed 60 games due to knee surgery.
• Missed 41 games due to a swollen knee.
• Missed 36 games (and counting) due to various knee injuries.
• Missed 13 games due to groin injuries.
• Missed nine games due to hip surgery.
• Missed eight games due to headaches.
• Missed three games due to personal reasons.
• Missed two games due to neck injuries.
• Missed two games due to illnesses.
• Missed one game due to a "lower body injury".
• Missed one game due to a concussion.

If you're doing the math, that 176 man-games (and counting) lost on Rick DiPietro's resumé. Putting that in perspective, that's two full seasons plus another 12 games (and counting) of time missed. Is there any wonder why this Islanders team finds itself at the bottom of the standings year after year when their designated starting goaltender is continually watching from the treatment room?

Look, there's no doubt that DiPietro is a world-class talent when he's healthy. It's that little part at the end, though, that makes it hard to put DiPietro in the upper echelon of goalies because he never plays long enough in a season to show off just how good he is. The Islanders need to find a way to keep DiPietro on the ice somehow, some way if they ever want to return to the playoffs.

DiPietro is good, but he's nothing to the Islanders if he's not on the ice.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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The Lynch Mob

TEEBZ'S NOTE: I apologize for not publishing this on Monday night, but I wanted to be sure I had everything right. Apparently in my course of pointing the finger at Evgeni Nabokov this weekend for his holding out on the New York Islanders, some people feel that I may have taken the wrong stance on this. I understand that there may be some confusion with regards to the stance I presented, but I need to clarify some major points. The discussion on that article is very good, and I want no one to feel they have to agree with me in any way if they feel that I am wrong. That's the entire basis for a discussion from what I understand. Instead, we need to look at the cold, hard facts of this discussion, and determine what is right and what is wrong from this situation's standpoint.

First, I want to say that I have no problem admitting that I am wrong, and I will state that in this article. I made an error earlier this evening when I posted a comment, and I will clarify my misunderstanding and misreading of another article. I can assure you that I have no problem being wrong, and that it happens more often than I'd like to admit. That being said, let's work through the facts.

1. Evgeni Nabokov signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings. From what I understand, Ken Holland offered Nabokov a pro-rated contract that covered the remainder of the season, and Nabokov accepted the terms and signed the deal. The contract was then validated by the NHL, and Nabokov just needed to clear re-entry waivers for him to join the Red Wings for the remainder of the season.
2. The Detroit Red Wings placed Nabokov on re-entry waivers in order for Nabokov to join the Red Wings. The reason he is placed on waivers is because he started the season in the KHL. The NHL CBA states that any player who begins the NHL season playing outside North America must clear re-entry waivers if he is signed by an NHL team during the current season. (Teebz: I made an error here, and I'll clarify my misunderstanding below.)
3. The New York Islanders, needing an upgrade in goaltending from their current options, claimed Evgeni Nabokov on re-entry waivers from the Detroit Red Wings. Most likely, there were several teams who placed a claim on Nabokov, but the NHL rules state that the New York Islanders would be the team to claim Nabokov. The reason for this is that after November 1, the "priority is set by the League standings at the time the waiver request is submitted; the team with the lowest percentage of possible points has 1st priority". Because neither New Jersey nor Edmonton put a claim in on Nabokov, the Islanders received first priority.
4. Evgeni Nabokov refused to report to the New York Islanders despite signing a valid contract that the Islanders had to honour.

Ok, so we know these facts to be the cold, hard truth. While the details surrounding these facts can certainly be debated and discussed, there's no denying that Nabokov signed a contract with Detroit, that he was put on re-entry waivers, that he was claimed by the New York Islanders, and that he refused to report to Long Island.

Where I screwed up, and I apologize for my mistake, was in the option to trade Nabokov if the Islanders wanted to do so. In fact, they cannot without putting him on re-entry waivers themselves, and then the option for his rights would go to the next lowest team in the standings who put a claim on Nabokov through waivers. I messed that part up totally, and I apologize for my oversight in the discussion on the comments.

Back to the problem at hand....

There are certainly a number of factors that could have influenced Nabokov to sign with Detroit - the chance at a Stanley Cup, the opportunity to stick it to the San Jose Sharks, a chance to do both in the same season - but the fact is that he signed with a team that is sitting in fourth-place overall in the NHL standings. That means there are 26 other teams below Detroit in the standings that could put a claim in on Nabokov once he hits the re-entry waiver wire.

I fail to believe that Nabokov's agent, Don Meehan, didn't know about what may happen once Nabokov hit the waiver wire. Meehan has been around hockey since the early-1980s as a player agent, and his company, Newport Sports Management Inc., has over 100 current and retired NHL players on its client list. He's been involved in some very tough negotiations over his career as an agent, and he's certainly astute when it comes to the NHL's contractual agreements.

Blaming the agent, in this case, for not knowing the NHL's waiver rule seems futile. Meehan knows. And if he doesn't, he's certainly been fooling a lot of people with his knowledge of the NHL's workings. My guess is that Nabokov was advised by Meehan to sign with Detroit, and walk away if any non-playoff teams claimed him through the waiver wire.

One commenter, Joshua, got me thinking when he said that it was Nabokov's right to determine where he chooses to play. While this is certainly true if he was a free agent, he's fairly limited once his signature is on a contract. But the opportunity to win with a good team rarely comes along as good teams rarely need a goaltender when they are winning. Therefore, Nabokov jumped at the opportunity to join a contender as Detroit was in the position of needing a goaltender with Jimmy Howard hurting, Chris Osgood on the shelf with surgery, and Thomas McCollum out with a broken finger.

Where Don Meehan comes into play is that I feel that Meehan would have advised his client of the re-entry waiver rule as his counsel, and then proceeded to let Nabokov decide his own future. In a way, Meehan did his job while technically not doing his job as Nabokov's contract advisor. Can I blame Meehan for Nabokov's decision? No, not without some sort of concrete proof. Ultimately, the decision to sign with Detroit still comes down to Nabokov because his hand holds the pen that signs on the dotted line.

Where Meehan's advisory role may have come into play is when the New York Islanders claimed Nabokov once he hit the waiver wire. And here's why: I don't know what relationship Don Meehan has with the New York Islanders, but of all the players he represents as an agent, only five of them are New York Islanders: Josh Bailey, Travis Hamonic, Matt Martin, Matt Moulson, and Rob Schremp. Clients Peter Mannino, Pat Lafontaine, Ryan Smyth, Andy Sutton, Trevor Linden, and Mike Peca all left the confines of Long Island, and never returned as an Islander. Do we see a trend here?

Of course, there has been an endless amount of turnover in personnel on Long Island in the last two decades, so I can't really say that Meehan's clients are recommended to sign elsewhere, but you would think that fan favorites such as Mike Peca and Pat Lafontaine - two captains of the Islanders, no less - would have stayed or returned to the Island if they had the chance. Instead, they took their talents elsewhere when the opportunity arose. Again, where the player ultimately decides to sign is his choice, but the player's agent certainly has some influence on that decision.

Going back to the advisory role that Meehan plays, I think that Nabokov wanted to sign with Detroit for a chance at a Stanley Cup, and that he may have taken a shot at a Stanley Cup had teams like Chicago, Vancouver, Pittsburgh, or Philadelphia came calling. But once the opportunity for a long playoff run vanished with the waiver wire claim by the Islanders, Nabokov said "no thanks" despite having signed a valid contract with Detroit. And I think that Meehan may have told Nabokov that if he gets claimed through waivers to just sit it out.

Think about it: if you don't get a chance at a Stanley Cup, why risk injury on a team that sees more rubber than a Goodyear factory? As an advisor, that kind of advice is gold to a player, and I think Nabokov wouldn't bat an eyelash if he was told this.

Again, Meehan knows the waiver rules. There's absolutely no doubt that he's one of the most intelligent and successful agents in hockey today, so he knows what he's doing when it comes to these kinds of situations.

As for Nabokov, I think he knew exactly what he was doing when he signed the contract with Detroit: Stanley Cup or nothing. He doesn't need the money, and he doesn't need the hassle of playing with a bottom-feeding team like the Islanders. So why risk anything by leaving the California sun to play on Long Island?

Oh yeah, there's that little contract issue. If Meehan and Nabokov knew about this waiver issue going in, a bare-bones, minimum salary contract wasn't going to stop them. That's just a minor inconvenience right now. Through this whole ordeal, it seems Nabokov's team never lost sight of their goal: Stanley Cup or nothing.

Who needs free agency in this day and age when you can choose who to play for after half the season is over?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 15

We're back with three games this week on Antler Banter! The Milwaukee Admirals visited Winnipeg and MTS Centre for two games over the weekend, and the Moose are in the midst of a two-game series with the Toronto Marlies. There has been a lot of movement between the Moose and the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, so we'll recap a little of that activity this week. And as always, we'll take a look ahead at next week's set of games as the Moose continue their quest for first-place in the North Division. Don't forget to check out the Moose website for all your Manitoba Moose news and information. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. Here is this week's Hardcore Hockey!

Sinking The Boat

The Moose squared off against the Milwaukee Admirals on Thursday night to kick off a play-off-play series with the Admirals. The Moose and Admirals have Friday off before playing again on Saturday in one of those AHL schedule quirks, but both teams were hungry to kick this series off right. The Admirals won the only previous match-up by a 6-3 score this season, so the Moose were looking to even the series on this night. The red-hot Eddie Lack hit the ice for Manitoba while Mark Dekanich donned the pads for the Admirals.

While this seems to be a running theme over the last few weeks, Sergei Shirokov's night was pretty big on Thursday. His one assist and +1 rating don't tell the story. Instead, he tied the Moose franchise record with a point in his eleventh-straight game! Shirokov has really looked good in these last few weeks, and his point totals are showing just how much hard work he's putting into his game. We'll have more on Shirokov below, but he deserves credit for tying a franchise record!

The other man who made a big impact on this night was the man guarding the twine. Eddie Lack flashed the leather all night as he stopped all 27 shots he faced in blanking the Admirals. Milwaukee outshot the Moose in all three periods, so the Swede was definitely busy. If Lack continues to play this well, the Vancouver Canucks - once thought to be a goaltender wasteland - could be the new goaltender goldmine as Cory Schneider continues to fare well in Vancouver.

The Moose delivered a solid game at both ends of the ice on Thursday as they down the Milwaukee Admirals by a 3-0 score behind Lack's shutout. The Moose used the powerplay to down the Admirals as they scored twice with the extra attacker before scoring into an empty net. With the victory, the Moose improve to 22-12-4 on the season.

Admirals Salvage Their Ship

Saturday saw the Moose and Admirals renew their battle as the two teams met once again at MTS Centre. Could Sergei Shirokov put himself into the Manitoba Moose record book? Could the Moose take all four points from the Admirals? Could the Admirals finally break the goose egg that the Moose gave them on Thursday? Eddie Lack and Mark Dekanich were back in the nets for their respective teams.

The defensive combination of Ryan Parent and Nolan Baumgartner struggled while playing together on this night. Parent ended the night with one shot and a -2 rating while Baumgartner ended the night with one assist and a -1 rating. Where the issue lies is that both men were on the ice for the overtime goal. While Marco Rosa and Bill Sweatt were also on the ice, defencemen are paid to keep the puck out of the net. Especially when the game is on the line.

Sergei Shirokov will get one more mention as it took him all of 56 seconds to write his name into the Moose record books. Shirokov scored his 16th goal of the season early in the first period to extend his scoring streak to twelve games, eclipsing the mark set by Brett Hauer and Bill Bowler. You will see Shirokov's name once more on the article, but for a completely different reason than for what he's been doing in Winnipeg. Congratulations on the record, Sergei!

While the Moose jumped out to 2-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes, the Admirals chipped away before finally sinking the Moose in overtime by a 3-2 score. The Moose have to be happy with the three points, but can't be complacent when they have a team in a hole. Burying the Admirals would have been nice, but instead the Moose fall to 22-12-5 on the season with the overtime loss.

Stomping The Baby Leafs

It's always weird to see a divisional rival for the first time while being three months into the season, but this is the AHL. The Toronto Marlies and Manitoba Moose clashed for the first time this season on Tuesday night, and both teams were looking to climb the North Division standings. The Moose were playing without two of their better players as Sergei Shirokov and Chris Tanev are with the Vancouver Canucks, so the Moose needed a big effort from the supporting cast to keep the Marlies at bay. Tyler Weiman took to the nets for Manitoba while James Reimer, hot off his NHL debut, got the start for the Marlies.

Hometown boy Kevin Clark showed that he's willing to step up into a scoring role as the winger had himself a heck of a game! Clark finished the night with one goal, two assists, a +1 rating, and two shots on net. While he was on the ice for three goals total - two by the Moose and one by the Marlies - Clark's three points showed off his hustle and drive, and he certainly was a large part of Manitoba's offence on Tuesday.

The Moose powerplay got a little help from an unlikely source as Mario Bliznak cashed in with the man-advantage. With a lot of Manitoba's offensive stars either out with injury or playing in Vancouver, it's great to see a checking forward step up on the powerplay in letting his offensive skills shine. Bliznak recorded his sixth goal, and the Moose were off and running in this game thanks to Bliznak's tally.

Tyler Weiman had himself another strong game, posting his fifth win in his last five starts, as he stopped 29 of the 30 pucks that came his way. The Moose didn't have to be spectacular tonight as their lunchpail-like effort saw hard work turn into a win. I like this showing of work ethic by the club in their recent weeks, and kudos have to go out to the Moose coaching staff for holding the bar high each and every time the Moose hit the ice. With the 4-1 victory over the Marlies on Tuesday, Manitoba improves to 23-12-5 on the season!

Where Have I Seen You Before?

The Moose saw a lot of changes to their roster in a very short time as the Canucks, dealing with injuries of their own, came calling for a few bodies. Because of this shortage, GM Craig Heisinger began photocopying a number of PTO documents for new players to sign. Here are the roster moves over the last week:

• Chris Tanev: recalled by Vancouver.
• Sergei Shirokov: recalled by Vancouver.
• Dusty Collins: signed PTO with Manitoba.
• Andy Brandt: signed PTO with Manitoba.
• Cody Hodgson, Jordan Schroeder, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Stefan Schneider: still injured.

The good news is that both Hodgson and Schroeder are close to returning, and both players could see a return to the lineup this weekend against Abbotsford if things go well. We'll have to see what head coach Claude Noel will do with his lineup as the weekend nears.

From Records To Firsts

I had to post this just because it's good to see that a young player's hard work is certainly paying off. Sergei Shirokov got his first action with the Canucks this season against the Colorado Avalanche. And wouldn't you know it, but Shirokov's point-scoring streak continued!

Congratulations, Sergei, and keep up the good work!

The Week Ahead

The Moose and Marlies renew acquaintances tonight as they finish off their two-game series at MTS Centre. The Moose inched closer to the Hamilton Bulldogs after their win on Tuesday while creating a larger gap between themselves and the Marlies. The Marlies, of course, want to salvage the series and restore the two-point gap between themselves and the Moose. This game should be a good one between two fierce division rivals!

The Moose then welcome the Abbotsford Heat to Winnipeg for two games on Friday and Sunday. The Heat currently sit in fifth-place in the North Division, but are a mere seven points out of first-place in the division. This divisional match-up should be another good match-up as the Moose look to move into first-place while the Heat work to catch the Moose in the standings. Abbotsford is 4-4-2 in their last 10 games, so the Moose will have to continue to show the same strong work ethic that we've seen over the last month to ensure victory.

If you're free on Sunday, make sure you get down to MTS Centre early for the game so you can pick up your free Nolan Baumgartner bobblehead! Baumgartner will follow in the steps of Mike Keane and Cory Schneider, becoming only the third Moose player to be bobbleheaded in franchise history! The first 5000 fans into the building will get themselves a smaller Nolan Baumgartner to take home!

Six points are on the line this week against divisional rivals, so get down to work, Moose, and DO IT!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 14

The two-time defending champions rolled through MTS Centre this past week as Antler Banter looks at the two-game set between the Hershey Bears and the Manitoba Moose! There was some controversy stirred up by a local reporter with regards to jerseys the Bears wore earlier this season, but there was really only one thing for the Moose to focus on: four points in the standings. We'll also have a look at a special event that the Moose held on Sunday! Make sure you check out the Moose website for all your Manitoba Moose news and information. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. The Moose get three games against bear species in this week's Hardcore Hockey!

Showing Their Teeth

The Hershey Bears saw a few key departures occur in their lineup over the off-season, but they are still a very talented team. They showed off some of that talent on Friday night as they jumped out to a very early lead, putting Manitoba in a hole just 2:09 in. Could the Moose and Eddie Lack rally over the Bears and ex-NHL goaltender Dany Sabourin?

I thought Nolan Baumgartner had a strong game on Friday night. The Moose captain recorded an assist on Mark Flood's third period goal, and he ended the night with a +2 rating. I'm not sure why this happens with Baumgartner, but he seems to pick up his game considerably around the AHL All-Star Game break each year. Maybe Baumgartner needs to start playing hockey in July to be ready for October? I kid, of course, but the captain is looking much better since being paired with Mark Flood, and is making a difference once again on the scoreboard at both ends of the ice.

Sergei Shirokov continues his hot streak as of late as he scored a first period goal to extend his point streak to nine games. Shirokov's play has also earned him a place on the Western Conference roster at this year's AHL All-Star Game in Hershey, Pennsylvania, so congratulations go out to Shirokov on his selection for his second All-Star Game in his professional career!

The Herd's penalty killing units took a bit of a hit on Friday as the Bears scored a couple of powerplay goals in this game, including the game-winner with the man-advantage. While the Moose worked hard while playing a man down, you can't give good teams opportunities to score goals. Powerplay success certainly determines where you can end up in the standings, and tonight was no exception as the Moose penalty kill missed out on propelling the squad into first place in the North Division.

While all the blame can't be laid at the feet of the penalty killing units, the final two goals by the Bears were scored on the powerplay, including the game-winner as the Bears took the opening game of the two-game set by a 4-3 score. The Moose have two options if they want to correct this: stop taking penalties against good teams, or get back to shut-down mode on the PK. I'm sure the latter will be explored in depth by the Moose coaching staff, but the loss on Friday drops the club to 20-12-4 on the season.

Moose Fly Past Ursa Minor Penalties

The Moose and Bears met again on Saturday night as the homestand continues for the Herd. After losing the night before, Manitoba looked to rebound with a better performance, especially on special teams, as they tried to salvage the series with Hershey. This game saw goaltender changes on both sides as the Bears sent Braden Holtby to the blue paint while the Moose dispatched Tyler Weiman to their net.

Manitoba's powerplay showed up in a big way on Saturday. After going oh-fer-six on Friday night, Manitoba spent over a period playing with the man-advantage as the Bears were caught breaking the rules 12 times in this game! Manitoba responded with a 25% success rate as they scored three times on the powerplay in this game. I've been preaching all season about how important powerplay situations are and how good teams capitalize on them. The Moose got three goals with the man-advantage, and it was clearly the big factor on this night.

Nolan Baumgartner continued his impressive play on Saturday, putting together back-to-back impressive performances. Baumgartner was on the ice for all four Manitoba goals on Saturday, recording two assists and a +1 rating. Baumgartner, who logs a considerable amount of minutes for the Moose, looked strong with the puck, and really communicates well with linemate Mark Flood. Keeping these two men together should provide the Moose with great results as they continue to develop good chemistry on the blueline.

Sergei Shirokov had himself a "yin and yang" game on Saturday. The good part was that he scored his team-leading 15th goal of the season, extending his point streak to ten games. The bad part was that he ended the game as a -2 after having played some excellent defensive hockey over the last few weeks. While Shirokov isn't entirely responsible for the goals-against, it's a team effort in keeping the pucks out the net, and Shirokov's line was victimized twice in this game. While I like the offensive contributions, Shirokov still has to be responsible when he doesn't have the puck on his stick as well.

It would be easy for me to give Marco Rosa some credit for his game-winning, powerplay goal in overtime, but I was more impressed with Rosa's work in finding open spaces on the ice all night long. Rosa led the Moose with seven shots - a game-high total - and finally was rewarded for his hard work with the powerplay goal in overtime. Rosa has looked like a completely different skater since rediscovering his confidence and goal-scoring, and he's returning to his consistent ways of last year as well. Well done, Marco Rosa, and keep up the hard work and effort!

The Moose led 3-1 midway through the second period before the Bears battled back to send the game to an extra period. Sean Collins' blatent trip in overtime sent the Moose to the powerplay, and they made the Bears pay. The 4-3 overtime victory gave the Moose two important points as they keep pace with the Hamilton Bulldogs, and they improve to 21-12-4 on the season.

Moose Entertain More Bears

For the third straight day, the Moose met up with a team of bears as the Moose visited Kirkfield-Westwood Community Centre in Winnipeg's west end for an outdoor practice! The KW Kodiaks earned the right to host the Moose's outdoor practice in 2011 by winning second prize in last season's Manitoba Moose Community Jersey Contest! I highly encourage you to check out the Manitoba Moose Community Jersey Contest for your local community club. Your team and community club might be hosting the next outdoor practice!

Needless to say, the event gave the Moose a chanced to practice in front of their fans, and that upbeat 30-minute practice was followed by a shinny game that featured the Moose and 11 year-old Kodiaks team joining forces! Overall, the day was a lot of fun for both the Moose players and the KW Kodiaks players and parents!

"All the guys, even the kids, there were a lot of smiles today," Winnipegger and Moose forward Kevin Clark said to Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press. "It's not much time out of your day and it gives you a warm heart to see these kids and what it means to them."

Huge kudos go out to the Moose for continuing this tradition for the third consecutive year. I can tell you that the fans love it, the kids love it, and it sounds as though the players do too.

Coming In From The East

The Moose will face a team that seemingly has their number over the years as the Milwaukee Admirals roll into town for games on Thursday and Saturday against the Moose at MTS Centre. In their only meeting of the season thus far, Milwaukee beat up on the Moose by a 6-3 score on December 1. The Moose, however, have been playing much better, and look to take the series lead with this two-game set.

Milwaukee comes into the series with a 7-3-0 record in their last ten games, and sit second in the AHL West Division. They trail first-place Peoria by a single point, but have played more games. These points will be important for Milwaukee to keep pace with the Rivermen, so the Admirals will play with a purpose.

Following that series, the Toronto Marlies visit MTS Centre on Tuesday, January 18 and Wednesday, January 19. Divisional match-ups are important, especially when the team visiting is trailing you in the standings. The Moose and Marlies have yet to play one another this season - another of the AHL's scheduling quirks - so we'll get our first looks at this division rival next week.

The Marlies sit one point back of Manitoba today, but have played four more games than the Moose at this point. They haven't fared very well in their recent games, going 4-3-3 in their last ten contests. The Marlies desperately need the wins with Manitoba having a potential eight points still to determine through those four games in-hand, so the Moose need to be ready to play in each of the next four games.

One Man Down

Some breaking news came the way of the wire tonight as Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press is reporting that Jonas Andersson has left the Moose and is looking for employment in the KHL. Andersson, who played with Dynamo Minsk last season, is reportedly going to sign with Ak Bars Kazan in the near future after walking away from the Canucks and Moose.

In 20 games with the Moose this season, Andersson had five goals and six assists, but has suffered two concussions this season to keep him from everyday duty. The Swedish winger is listed as "day-to-day" with his injury at the moment, but it appears his North American season is done. He played three games with the Vancouver Canucks, but recorded no points with the NHL club.

Personally, I liked the addition of Andersson to the Moose roster as he brought speed and skill to the lineup, but his injuries have limited his abilities this season. While it's tough to see a player of Andersson's ability ride off into the sunset with no one there to replace him, it might be better for both him and the Moose as the Moose can now fill his veteran roster spot with a more resilient player. I wish Andersson well, and hope he does well in Russia or where ever he lands after clearing waivers!

Four games coming up over the next week with important points waiting to be earned. The Moose can put some space between them and the Marlies, and continue to try to overtake the Bulldogs ahead of them. DO IT!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 10

While the weather appeared to be nice in the southern United States this past week, the Manitoba Moose were battling on the ice against the Texas Stars, Oklahoma City Barons, and the San Antonio Rampage as they worked to climb up the North Division Standings. Antler Banter also has your updates on the roster front as there were more ups and downs than the stock market between the Moose and Canucks this week. Don't forget to check out the Moose website for all your Manitoba Moose news and information. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. Southern hospitality is on display in this week's Hardcore Hockey!

Getting Drilled

The Manitoba Moose faced off against the Oklahoma City Barons in Oklahoma City for the first time this season. Friday night's game was the third meeting for these two teams in the past week. The Moose took the first meeting by a 5-4 shootout victory one week previous before the Barons shut the Herd out on the following night. The rubber match was all set for Friday evening as the Barons and Moose tangled once again!

Lee Sweatt had a solid game on Friday as he ended the evening with six shots and a +1 rating. Sweatt's offensive skills were definitely on display, and he played very well in his zone. This is exactly what the Moose need from Sweatt on a nightly basis, and, despite not scoring, he turned in one of the better efforts from the Moose on Friday. I've been hard on Lee Sweatt this season, but I can honestly say that he played a complete game on Friday.

On the other side of the coin, Marco Rosa continues to struggle. He ended the night with three shots on Martin Gerber, but he was also on the ice for two goals-against. His -2 rating doesn't help the team, but his offensive woes are starting to worry me. Is he snake-bitten or was last season just an aberration for a normally defensive player? Rosa needs to crack down and play some simple hockey to break out of this slump he's currently mired in.

The Moose got goals from Victor Oreskovich and Mario Bliznak, but it wasn't enough as the Barons put four goals past Eddie Lack to win the game by a 4-2 score. Manitoba's powerplay continues to fire blanks as the Herd went oh-fer in six opportunities, and this has to concern the coaching staff as the Moose rank dead-last in the AHL for powerplay percentage. With the loss, the Moose fall to 12-10-3 on the season.

Stopped At The Alamo

The Moose rolled into San Antonio having lost three games in a row, and it was clear that they were under some pressure as the Moose buzzed goaltender Matt Climie in the Rampage net in the opening period. Would they break out of their powerplay slump? Would some of the big guns start finding their marks again?

Lee Sweatt continued his strong play from a night before as he notched himself an assist and recorded a +3 rating. If Sweatt continues with this kind of play, he certainly deserves the accolades with which he came advertised. In any case, Sweatt's strong play and veteran presence has certainly benefited the Moose blueline.

Bill Sweatt, Lee's brother, also had a strong game with a goal and two assists on four shots. With Cody Hodgson missing from the lineup due to injury, veteran players like Bill Sweatt will have to find a way to continue to put pucks in the net. Sweatt worked hard on Saturday night, and his efforts resulted in three of the four Manitoba goals scored. Efforts like that do not go unnoticed here on Antler Banter!

A flurry of goals in the third period, including a late goal with Tyler Weiman on the bench, saw the Rampage and Moose tied at 4-4 as time ran out. Nothing was solved in overtime, so the two teams took to the breakaway challenge to decide the game. It only took three rounds as Matt Climie stonewalled the Moose while the Rampage scored on three of four attempts. The Rampage take the game with a 5-4 shootout victory, and the Moose see their record fall to 12-10-4 on the season.

Extinguishing The Stars

Manitoba came into Tuesday night's game needing a victory in a big way after dropping their last four games. The Moose showed a better effort on Saturday night in San Antonio, so there was definitely something to build on in Tuesday night's game against the Texas Stars. And we'll finally see a few droughts come to an end at the conclusion of this game.

Victor Oreskovich snapped a long drought early in the first period with his goal as he notched a powerplay marker for the Moose. The Moose had gone 29 straight powerplays without denting the twine, but Oreskovich's fourth goal of the season snapped the drought. Manitoba actually ended the night at 100% powerplay efficiency as they went one-for-one, and there's hope that this slump will be a thing of the past when Manitoba continues down the road. While this seems less like a highlight, there's something to be said when the AHL's 30th overall powerplay converts an opportunity.

Marco Rosa, a name that has taken some heat from this writer, deserves some credit as he broke out of his 19-game goalless drought with a third-period goal. Rosa's third goal of the year came after he had spent two minutes in the penalty box for a rather lazy hooking penalty. I'll say this about Marco Rosa: the man never quit working during his goalless streak, and he certainly was the embodiment of a professional as he never got too down on himself. Hard work and effort is rewarded by the hockey gods, and here's hoping that they reward Rosa with a pile of goals over the next few weeks and months!

And we'll even throw out a third star for this game as the Moose got some phenomenal goaltending out of Eddie Lack once more. Lack stopped 39 of 40 shots sent his way in this game, including an incredible 19 saves in the third period alone! Lack played extremely well, giving the Moose a chance to win when scoring has come at a premium, and the Moose blueline played very well in front of him. Mark Flood and Travis Ramsey both finished the game with +2 ratings, and Flood assisted on two of Manitoba's three goals! Kudos to the defensive game shown by the Moose!

Thanks to Oreskovich's powerplay marker, Rosa's long-awaited third goal of the season, and Mario Bliznak's shorthanded insurance marker, the Moose left Austin, Texas with two points after a 3-1 victory. The Moose head back to Winnipeg having gone 1-1-1 in the southern USA, but improve their overall record to 13-10-4.

Are You New Here?

The Vancouver Canucks have decided to tinker with their lineup as much as they can, and it has definitely taken its toll on the Moose's nightly roster. That being said, here are the latest Moose moves in point form.

• Cody Hodgson sees stars - Hodgson took an accidental high stick from Lee Sweatt in practice last Thursday, and there was concern that he may need surgery to repair a cracked orbital bone. Thankfully, surgery is not needed, and his recovery time is anywhere from 3-6 weeks. The Moose's most productive player will be missed.
  
• Moose sign Francis Lemieux to PTO - Lemieux had 31 points in 25 games for the ECHL's Florida Everblades. He looks like he has some solid potential. Lemieux will wear #37 for the Herd.
• Canucks recall Ryan Parent - Parent was on a conditioning stint, and recorded one assist in seven games with the Moose. The blueline takes a hit.
• Moose recall Josh Aspenlind from ECHL - Aspenlind had seven assists in 25 games with the Victoria Salmon Kings, but he did play with the Lake Erie Monsters last season. Could be an "under-the-radar" kind of player.
• Moose sign Garth Murray to PTO - Murray has two goals an assist in eight games with the Victoria Salmon Kings. Again, he shows potential, but it has to translate into AHL scoring.
• Canucks assign Guillaume Desbiens to Moose - Desbiens cleared waivers, and was assigned to the Moose. He has seen action in 12 games with the Canucks, but has yet to record a point this season. He should be a welcome addition for the Moose.
• Moose release Francis Lemieux from PTO - Two games, no points, and nothing significant to report. He ended his two-game contract with an even rating.

What Lies Ahead

The Moose have a pair of games at home against the Houston Aeros on Friday and Saturday before taking a week off for Christmas. Next week's update will be a fairly quiet one as the Moose prepare for a much-needed break. The Moose sit in sixth-place in the North Division right now, but have games in-hand on all of their divisional rivals still. They trail the first-place Hamilton Bulldogs by six points, so you can see that the North Division is tightly-contested. Four points against the Aeros would do wonders leading into the Christmas break. DO IT!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Par For The Course

I had serious reservations about posting this tonight, but I think we need to look at the event that occurred at Madison Square Garden between the New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers yesterday. The man to the left, Sean Avery, played a big role in the fiasco that erupted on Sunday afternoon, and there are a number of factors that contributed to the insanity that erupted after Avery set the fireworks off. Sean Avery has always played on the edge, repeatedly pushing the envelope in terms of what is acceptable on and off the ice. His run-in with Ladislav Smid on Sunday afternoon is entirely why Sean Avery gets little to no respect from his peers and the NHL fans.

Let's start with the video of what happened.

Oi vay. Let's break this down as easily as we can.

1. THE HIT: Avery's hit on Colin Fraser was completely clean, and there was no need for Ladislav Smid to challenge Fraser at first appearance. However, the Oilers trailed 5-2 at that point in the game, and Smid may have been looking to give his team a spark. A little retribution for a hit on Fraser doesn't hurt either, but the hit was clean.
2. THE CODE: Smid openly challenges Avery to a fight, and Avery stands there with no reaction to the challenge. Smid, seeing the play continue, has to remain aware of where the puck is as he still has a job to do as a defenceman. Avery, after five seconds of standing with his hands at his side, drops the gloves without letting Smid square up. That, readers, goes against the "code" in the NHL. I'll talk a little about this below.
3. THE PUNCH: Avery caught Smid square on the jaw with a thundering right fist before Smid had a chance to square up and get his hands up. This, in any other instance, is a sucker-punch. If you saw someone at a bar or on the street get popped like that, you'd call it a sucker-punch. Avery could have said "no" to Smid's challenge - something that the "code" states is allowed - but he instead waited until he had an unfair advantage as Smid had half-turned away from him.
4. THE AFTERMATH: Kudos to the officials for getting Avery off the ice as quickly as they did. It could have been a bloodbath had Avery been allowed to remain on the ice, and the officials deserve credit. As for all the other players, the brouhaha is all about respect and pride, and they did what they had to do. But it wouldn't have gotten as serious as it did had it not been for Sean Avery's actions.

Ok, let's go back to "the code". I want to make this clear for all of those who think that hockey fights are barbaric and idiotic: I do not condone fighting, but fights happen in a game where emotions and violence line-up alongside one another. I'm not advocating fighting in hockey in any way, but they occasionally happen. The problem is that fighting in hockey could be controlled if it was left up to the players.

In any case, the "code" states that:

• ... players fight within their weight class. I'd say that Avery and Smid are fairly decent middleweights. No mismatch here, so this should be a fair fight.
  
• ... players challenged have the right of refusal. The challenged player must have a good reason to refuse the fight, or additional verbal abuse may be issued. From the way the video showed it, Avery just stood on the ice. He didn't accept nor refuse when Smid asked. He just stood there. Make a decision, Avery, and make it fast.
• ... players fight fair. You do not embarrass, humiliate, or exploit an advantage to gain an edge in a fight. EVER. If you gain a reputation for that, chances are that someone will do the same to you. Avery, unfortunately, has that reputation, and he is only cementing this further with his actions on Sunday.

Add in a little bad blood due to how poorly the Oilers have been playing, and Avery was the spark needed to set off this powder keg. Had he simply refused the challenge from Smid or accepted and engaged immediately, none of the aftermath would have happened.

I do agree with John Mackinnon of the Edmonton Journal who said, "The brawl was merely the logical conclusion of one team overreacting to a normal body check. Avery is an easy and convenient target, owing to his long rap sheet. But, in this case, I blame Smid for the whole brawling mess."

As you may have heard once or twice, it takes two to tango, and Smid was certainly instigating the scrap when he went over to Avery and challenged him to a fight. Smid is not a fighter, and Colin Fraser had no problem with the hit as it appeared. The check was legal, and Smid did something that is becoming all too prevalent in the NHL today: he challenged the hitter after a clean, big hit was thrown. Smid isn't known for his pugilistic skills, so Smid canot be absolved of all the blame in this instance.

However, where it gets murky for Avery's credibility is in his refusal to initially fight Smid, allowing Smid to back off before attacking him. That's Strike Two when it comes to the "code" as illustrated above. If you say "no", the engagement is over. There are no second thoughts or regrets; you either engage or not. Avery said "no", and Smid backed off. Case closed, according to the "code", and the game continues.

Except this happened. Look at that series of pictures again, and look at Smid's legs. He isn't squared up to Avery until his chin is taking the full force of Avery's punch. Avery has a distinct advantage in that the best punch that Smid could throw as he's leaning back is a left-handed roundhouse. Otherwise, it would be a left jab, and that's going to do nothing as he is leaving his face exposed to Avery's right hand by standing open. Smid wasn't ready for the fight, and Avery took advantage of an unfair opportunity. He broke the "code", and his time might be coming sooner rather than later if the Oilers have something to say about it.

This isn't the first time I've gone on in length about how Avery flirts with the wrong side of the law, and it probably won't be the last time either. Ladislav Smid is now sidelined with a concussion from the punch-and-fall combo, and that leaves a gaping hole on an already-depleted Oilers blueline. As for Sean Avery, he's still playing for the Rangers having apparently escaped any further discipline.

I'm not sure what one can do about Avery's antics, but this is seemingly par for the course for the NHL's bad boy in a career filled with childish behavior and questionable, dangerous hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 3

The Banter returns today with the Moose staring down a couple of dates with the Hamilton Bulldogs at MTS Centre in a rematch of the Calder Cup North Division semi-final from last year. The Moose faltered in their home-opening weekend against the Grand Rapids Griffins, falling to 2-2-0 on the season, so they were looking to get back on the right track with a couple of wins against their divisional opponent. As always, for all of your Manitoba Moose news and information, don't forget to check out the Moose website. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. On to Week Three of Hardcore Hockey!

Renewed Rivalry

There is something to be said for North Division matchups between the Moose and Bulldogs. Both of these teams have good scoring, good defences, and high-quality goaltending. The Bulldogs came into Winnipeg with several of their players from last season still on their roster, but they certainly have some new talent added to their lineup. This game was wild and wacky, but there would be a good finish.

If there has been one thing that has been consistent this season for the Moose, it is the play of their goaltenders. Eddie Lack got the call on October 21 for the Moose, and he turned in a decent effort again. Lack was not as spectacular as he was a weekend earlier, but he made the majority of the saves he could see, and that's what you need your goaltender to do if you want to win night in and night out.

The Moose have to be happy with the offensive contributions they are receiving from their blueliners, especially one young man. Kevin Connauton chipped in with a goal and an assist on this evening, and leads the Moose defencemen in scoring. The youngster still needs a little work on his defensive play inside his own blueline, but he seems to be able to read the play very well in the offensive zone when he has the puck.

We all know shootouts are extremely important when it comes to points in the standings, so your best players have to be at their bests when the breakaway competition begins. It was nice to see Marco Rosa score on a nice move to slip the puck between Robert Meyer's pads, and that was followed by a big league backhander upstairs by Jordan Schroeder after a nice kick and deke. The Moose probably would like to win at the end of sixty minutes, but getting the extra points from the collection of talent on the bench is definitely an advantage.

Hamilton's Robert Meyer had a strong game, but when it came to the shootout, Eddie Lack was perfect in stopping four Hamilton players. With goals by Rosa and Schroeder, the Moose took the first of the two dates by a 4-3 shootout victory, and push their record to 3-2-0 for the season.

Déja Vu On Night Two

It took just over a period to get these two teams to start up the scoring machine, but once they did, it was like an old-fashioned pond hockey game. After having lost to the Moose one night earlier, the Bulldogs were certainly looking for some revenge. The Moose are 2-1 on the back-end of a two-night affair as well as 2-1 on Friday nights, so they were looking to improve upon those records as they met the Bulldogs on the back half of a home series on a Friday night.

Big game for three men that were thought to be cornerstones of the Moose offence this season. Cody Hodgson, Marco Rosa, and Joel Perrault all found the scoresheet with goals against the Bulldogs, and there's hope that these three men can continue to light the lamp. If there were proverbial monkeys on their backs, they all shook them off in one game. Here's hoping this a trend to come as the Moose have far too much talent on the bench not to score.

There seems to be a disturbing trend where the Moose fall asleep in front of their goalies for a short period of time. It happened a couple of times earlier this season, but it was very apparent that the Moose were just going through the motions for about three minutes in the second period while the Bulldogs padded their lead. Tyler Weiman can only do so much, and it was hard to watch the Moose ease up on their physical play. In their own zone, the Moose were guilty of standing around rather than forcing errors, and it nearly cost them two points on this night. I'm quite certain that head coach Claude Noel will have a discussion with his troops about this, but it must be corrected.

I'll give some credit to Aaron Volpatti, but I'm not going to give him nor the Moose an outright pass on this evening. Volpatti and Ryan White may have offered up the best hockey fight of the season in any professional league thus far, but the Moose seemed to step backwards after this physicality. I'm going to be a broken record this season, it seems, as I want to see the Moose play far more physical than what they currently show. They need to prove to me and to the rest of the AHL that they will not be pushed around by anyone, and are willing to sacrifice the body for the greater good. If the Moose aren't willing to play more physical, they will end up as also-rans in this 2010-11 AHL season.

Manitoba's Tyler Weiman and Hamilton's Peter Delmas battled it out in the shootout for the additional point as the two teams were deadlocked at 3-3 through four periods of play. Again, the collection of talent on the bench for the Moose is scary. Joel Perrault, Cody Hodgson, and Jordan Schroeder all scored in the shootout while Weiman stopped all three Hamilton shooters, and the Moose took the game by a 4-3 shootout score for the second straight night. With the win, the Moose improve to 4-2-0 on the season.

Good News For A Change

The Moose had a lot of man-games lost to injuries and call-ups last season, but it's been relatively quiet for the AHL squad thus far. No injuries at the NHL level means that the Moose might actually get to develop some good chemistry, but they have yet to show a five- or six-goal game this season. Chemistry takes time to develop, though, and we've only played six games. I'm hoping that it's now just a matter of time for the Moose.

The one player who has missed a few games is Victor Oreskovich. The big winger was given the weekend off after taking what looked like an elbow or forearm to the head in the series against Grand Rapids. From the reports out of Moose camp, it sounds like the cobwebs are clearing for Oreskovich, and he should be available on the upcoming weekend for the Moose. This is great news as Oreskovich has two goals and one assist in four games this season.

Halloween Weekend

The Moose have a three-game road set on the weekend to start their seven-game roadtrip. The Moose will visit the Monster on Friday, October 29 and Sunday, October 31 in some Halloween-appropriate games. The bookend games surround a game on Saturday against the Grand Rapids Griffins, and the mythological Griffins are already 2-0 against the Moose this season. Long roadtrips are hard in the AHL where games come in rapid succession, so the Moose will have to play some smart, fundamental hockey in their upcoming games.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Some Tuesday Thoughts

As I work through another week here at HBIC headquarters, I'm proud to say that the upgrades went wonderfully yesterday. There were no hiccups to report, and everything is working much better with the increased amount of RAM I installed to give the old box o' chips a much-needed speed infusion. Because I really wasn't watching any hockey on a very quiet Monday in the hockey world, I do have some thoughts that occurred to me while working on my computer last night. Some of these will certainly come with pictures, but others will simply be questions with potential answers. All in all, I have some thoughts I want to get down, and this is the place to do it. Let's go!

• Just an update from that story from Sunday about Miami University (Ohio) defenceman Will Weber. If you missed the info, Weber's neck was cut inadvertently byu a skate. Weber has been released from hospital, and apparently is doing well. The only thing that's hard to take? That wound that required 15 staples and 100 stitches to close. I'd never wish that kind of injury on anyone, but Weber is truly ready for Halloween. Stay strong and get well, Will!
• Speaking of Halloween, the San Jose Sharks are continuing a good NHL tradition of jerseys and charity. The Sharks wore Halloween-themed jerseys for practice once again, much in the similar vein as they did two years ago. All of the practice jerseys will be sold during an auction on two nights: October 27 vs. the New Jersey Devils and October 30 vs. the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks will also offer up one Halloween jersey via the NHL Auctions page, and Ryan Clowe's jersey is up for grabs. The online auction ends November 3. All proceeds will benefit the Sharks Foundation in assisting local non-profit organizations in the San Jose area. Good cause, great font, love the execution of this idea.
• In keeping with Halloween, it was nice to see Mike Bossy honored by the New York Islanders last season. The only problem is that Satan was honoring him! That's Miroslav Satan in the Bossy vintage jersey, and I really think the Islanders should do more of these kinds of events to bring back the former Islanders fans who may have moved on.
• It has long been stated that the reason for the broken center red line was for black-and-white television to ensure that viewers could differentiate between the blue lines and red lines on the ice. But what about teams that weren't televised on the old Hockey Night broadcasts? The Quebec Aces prove that solid red lines can be used for non-televised hockey teams, despite the blue lines in the background looking somewhat similar. So television really may be the reason for the center line to have a pattern. I still love that old Aces logo, though.
• I've got nothing but praise for Steven Stamkos this season as he is truly proving he is a bonafide NHL scoring machine in leading the NHL in scoring, but he's really abused one team in his division: the Atlanta Thrashers. He has 12 goals and nine assists in 14 career games against Atlanta, and doesn't appear to be slowing down after picking up four points in his most recent game against the Thrashers. Perhaps the Thrashers should be a little more aware of Stamkos when he's on the ice, and get under his skin a little to get him off his scoring streak.
• After losing his starting job last season to Tuukka Rask, there were rumours all summer about Tim Thomas being traded to various teams. The 2009 Vezina Trophy winner has shown that he's back to his dominant form, and really looks like the man he was two years ago. Thomas is 4-0-0, and is playing some of the best hockey in the early-going that I have seen in some time.

There are some photos and thoughts on Tuesday. Antler Banter is back tomorrow as I take a look at the Moose through three weeks, and we'll see if they can get back on the winning track against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Another Gruesome Injury

Just caught this quickly in passing today, but apparently there was a scary and gruesome injury in an NCAA game last night. From some of the reports I've seen and read, it appears as though defenceman Will Weber, a member of Miami University (Ohio), had his neck sliced open by a skate in their win over Northern Michigan. The RedHawks' assistant captain was opened up accidentally by a Northern Michigan player's skate, and had to be rushed to the hospital. This kind of story brings back memories of a couple of gruesome injuries that I've witnessed. The man to the left is Clint Malarchuk, and his injury was horrific. The second man was Richard Zednik, and Zednik's injury was downright scary.

Kids and parents, if you're squeamish, I recommend not sticking around for the videos below.

Here is Clint Malarchuk's injury.

And we'll follow that up with Richard Zednik's injury.

Godspeed to Will Weber, and here's hoping he makes a full and speedy recovery. I'll update Will's condition in the coming days, but injuries like these will take time to heal. All the best to Will and his family in a time like this.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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HNIC Talks Brains

There is no doubt that the frequency of diagnosed brain injuries, specifically concussions, has seen an infinite increase as more and more doctors learn about the injury. While there have been great advances in helmet padding and protection as well as campaigns to reduce checks to the head, concussions still happen at an alarming rate in hockey. Some leagues have banned and penalized all contact with the head, and this is something I endorse and applaud. Junior leagues and developmental leagues deserve to give all the players in those leagues a fair shot at advancing their careers, but a concussion can not only derail those plans, but end them completely. That being said, the piece done by CBC's Elliotte Friedman on the Inside Hockey segment was excellent.

Teddy Katz, a reporter for CBC, filed a report one day earlier from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota about concussions, and his report was excellent as well.

He writes, "The chief medical officer for Hockey Canada, Mark Aubry (who's also the team doctor for the Ottawa Senators) was at the microphone saying any time a player starts feeling that way - a trainer, coach, doctor should immediately remove that player from the ice. And rarely, if ever, allow them to return to play the same day."

This is the one thing that players always try to do: return from a big hit. Most times, the pros can be seen sitting on the bench with glassy eyes as the trainer or another player waves smelling salts under the concussed player's nose. There's an element of "toughness" that players have to exhibit, and "bouncing back" after a big hit is "part of the game".

Except it's not. And Dr. Aubry states that some players lie about their symptoms to remain in the game due to how competitive they are.

Here is what Mr. Katz found:

• "There are consistently between 70 and 78 reported in a typical year". That number is fairly scary.
• "Most of the concussions happen in youth hockey". That is downright frightening. Developing brains don't need to be slowed by the effects of a concussion, yet most of the reported concussions happen in youth hockey. Wow.

This article isn't meant to scare you, though. It's being written with young hockey players in mind. I want parents, coaches, referees, arena employees, timekeepers, and anyone else in the arena to be far more cognizant of players who may have take a rap on the noggin.

According to NCAA football rules, any player who is diagnosed with a concussion is not allowed to return to the game, and any loss of consciousness is automatically deemed a concussion for the player's protection. This is a very good rule considering the number of helmet-on-helmet hits that football players see, so there must be something that can be done in hockey as well.

As to what can be done, I'm not sure. I'm not a neurosurgeon nor am I any sort of doctor. What I do know is that players need to be honest with coaches and trainers, and trainers need to be far more protective of the players. I realize that not every single concussion can be prevented, but we can still make up a lot of ground in the treatment and prevention of additional concussions.

That's something we are all responsible for, and something we should be demanding all leagues, from the NHL down to your local beer league and kids' hockey leagues. If your favorite NHL star tells you and your kids to help prevent concussions, there's a very good chance that it will start to sink home.

And knowing is half the battle.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 2

We're two weeks into the season, and that means we're back with another Antler Banter edition. This past week, the Moose tangled with the Grand Rapids Griffins at MTS Centre as they attempted to improve upon their 2-0-0 record while attempting to avoid any setbacks. Can they get some more timely scoring from the newcomers? Will the goaltending be as solid as it was on the road? All that and more coming up! For all of your Manitoba Moose news and information, don't forget to check out the Moose website. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. Let's get to the Hardcore Hockey!

MacDoughnut For MacDonald

The Moose haven't been overly successful against Joey MacDonald when he has suited up for the Griffins. The AHL veteran goaltender has seen decent success against the Moose, and has helped the Griffins get past the Moose in the Calder Cup Playoffs in the past. The Detroit Red Wings' AHL affiliate has some firepower, but both Manitoba's Eddie Lack and Grand Rapids' Joey MacDonald put on a goaltending clinic in this 1-0 Griffins win.

Eddie Lack is a beast. There's something to be said about the great goaltenders being developed in Sweden with the likes of Jonas Gustavsson, Jhonas Enroth, Henrik Lundqvist, and, seemingly, Eddie Lack grabbing the spotlight. Lack was sensational at times, making 27 of 28 saves in the game. On more than one occasion, the Swede found himself making second, third, and even fourth saves during a flurry to keep the Moose in the game. Lack is looking like a very good goaltender early in his professional career. If it wasn't for a loose puck on a rebound, Lack could have carried his zero into an extra period for sure.

Despite being snake-bitten on Friday night, the combination of Cody Hodgson and Aaron Volpatti looked dangerous all night. Both men recorded four shots on MacDonald, but neither could find the back of the net. Hodgson looks like he is rediscovering his touch as he set up Volpatti a couple of times on the doorstep, but MacDonald was equal to the task. I liked the energy these guys showed, and they should have better results if they keep it up.

Sergei Shirokov was a speed demon again, including being stopped on a shorthanded breakaway in the first period. Again, I have to say that Shirokov is improving in his own zone, and is actually proving that he is committed to defence by playing on the penalty killing unit. Much like the rest of the Moose who were snake-bitten on Friday, Shirokov couldn't get one by MacDonald, but he should find the back of the net often if he continues to show the solid effort he has put forth thus far.

The Moose drop their first game to a defence-first Griffins squad as Joey MacDonald records the 1-0 victory. With the loss, the Moose drop to 2-1-0 on the season, but they would have their opportunity for revenge on Saturday night as these two teams clashed again.

Hot Goalie Problem

For the second straight night, the Moose would face Joey MacDonald in the Grand Rapids Griffins' net. He had stopped all 25 shots the night before, so the Moose had to find a way to solve MacDonald. The Moose responded with Tyler Weiman in between the pipes, and he was looking to improve his record to 2-0 on the season.

This might be a common theme in these weekly updates, but goaltending was a major factor in this game again. Tyler Weiman made several excellent saves, including a breakaway stop on Jamie Tardif in the early going and another breakaway stop on Francis Pare later. Weiman has long been thought of as an excellent goaltender who played for some pretty bad Lake Erie teams, but the AHL veteran showed exactly why that thought is correct. If it weren't for Weiman on this day, the Moose could have lost this game by a large margin.

I have to hand it to the Moose who decided to play a much more physical game in this affair. Tommy Maxwell threw a couple of big hits in the game, and really got his nose dirty in scrums. Aaron Volpatti, who should be leading Manitoba in hits and fights thus far, got into a scrap with Sergei Kolosov, but it didn't last long. I'd call it a draw, but Volpatti would have more than held his own, in my estimation. Travis Ramsey missed seventeen minutes after he was hit with an instigator penalty in the first period, so the Moose definitely were showing some anger. I'll have more on Ramsey below, but if the Moose want to score a lot this season, they'll need to create some room for the scorers to do so. Saturday's game was a good example of what these three players need to do for this team.

Much like last weekend, the active blueline really helped the Moose, and this needs to continue. Lee Sweatt tied for the lead in shots with four, and Kevin Connauton was a +2 on the evening. Not all was good for Connauton as his penalty led to the first Griffins goal, but the young defenceman played well when he was on the ice. Ramsey, as stated above, was a force on the blueline, and he and Nolan Baumgartner really need to be the big, physical players they appear to be. Overall, the defence corps of the Moose are looking good thus far into the young season, and that has to continue.

However, the Moose fall 3-2 to the Griffins on the strength of another solid game by Joey MacDonald in net. With the loss, the Moose fall to 2-2-0 on the season, and find themselves in their first losing streak of the campaign.

Small Adjustments, Big Difference

With the two losses, there are definitely some problems in how the Moose play. These problems, from the stands, appear to very correctable, though, so there shouldn't be a lot of alarm after four games.

First, the powerplay was a horrific oh-fer this weekend. The Moose powerplay failed to capitalize on twelve chances while on home ice, and this must change quickly. All elite teams use the powerplay to absolutely kill their opposition, and this has to happen for the Moose. If the Herd can't find themselves in the top-five powerplay percentages by the All-Star Game, something has to change. With their firepower, there's no way this team should miss on twelve man-advantages.

Secondly, the Moose lost one of their better players from the first weekend as Victor Oreskovich left Saturday's game with an "upper body injury". I put that in quotations because it seems likely that Oreskovich may miss some considerable time. Griffins defenceman Brendan Smith caught Oreskovich with a forearm or elbow to the head, and the Moose forward did not return. I'm guessing concussion, but the Moose camp has been quiet. With Oreskovich out, the Moose need to replace both his energy and his scoring. Someone has to step up and prove they want the opportunity.

Thirdly, the physical play must continue. While I'm not suggesting to become the Broad Street Bullies, the Moose have to wear down the opposition while demoralizing them on the scoreboard. Not only will the physical play haunt the Moose's opposition, but the intimidation factor of a crushing hit may cause some opposing players to not play their games. Again, the Moose need to score, but they also need to continue to throw the body at all costs. Letting Maxwell, Ramsey, and Volpatti do what they do best is entirely the way to getting scorers like Hodgson, Schroeder, Rosa, Shirokov, and Perrault appearing regularly on the scoresheet.

Bring On The Dogs

The Moose and Hamilton Bulldogs tangle tonight and on Friday, so get down to the box office and get your tickets! Hamilton has always played well in Winnipeg, and the Moose certainly need a challenge to see if they are contenders or pretenders thus far. While the Moose and Bulldogs battled to a six-game Bulldogs series win in the Calder Cup Playoffs last season, both teams look considerably different, so this should be a great North Division matchup!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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