-Paul MacLean summed up yesterday’s win, “I thought our team was really ready to play. Obviously, scoring in the first minute or the first 90 seconds, getting two goals was good. It was a good sign of our preparation and our willingness to come here and compete today against a team that we knew was going to be able to skate real well.”
-For those interested in Erik Karlsson-Norris trophy speculation, Ian Mendes writes about it (summing up with a guess that he will be a nominee).
–The Silver Seven‘s bobbykelly has an entertaining piece on Jim O’Brien as a prospect. It’s a good article and well worth reading, but I have a couple of notes to supplement/clarify it. Two things were responsible for O’Brien‘s turnaround: he got himself into NHL shape and he played with Erik Condra. Bobbykelly also makes an odd comparison in evaluating the pick (comparing him only to the following ten picks). I think a more realistic comparison is to judge him between Ottawa’s picks, which is this case is from #29 (where he was selected) to #60 (Ruslan Bashkirov). Bobbykelly also missed Brett MacLean (#32,who has played more games than either O’Brien or T. J Brennan and has more points than both). Using my comparative criteria, the Sens missed out on P. K. Subban, T. J. Galiardi, Nick Spaling, and you can throw in in Wayne Simmonds who was picked right after Bashkirov.
-I sometimes wonder if analysts listen to themselves when they speak. Chico Resch was being interviewed on Sportsnet this afternoon and after dismissing the advantage of larger pads for goaltenders (calling it “media hype”) he proceeded to talk about Martin Brodeur stopping more pucks after making his pads bigger.
–Joy Lindsay reports that Corey Locke “is seeing a doctor later today to determine the extent of the damage to his face, and whether he can play with a full shield this weekend. There is damage that needs to heal, and the B-Sens will not use him if playing will interrupt that healing in any way. He has a pretty nasty black eye after taking a puck to the right side of his face during Saturday’s game.” And, “Parrish is still displaying concussion symptoms and is definitely out for the weekend.” Joy speculates that if both can’t play that Corey Cowick will be recalled.
-I’ve found confirmation that Louie Caporusso is injured, although I still haven’t seen a report on what the injury is.
–Red Line Report‘s latest issue is out with an updated list of 2012′s top prospects (with the position changes noted; for the previous report go link).
1. Nail Yakupov (Sarnia, OHL)
2. Filip Forsberg (Leksand, Sweden)
3. Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec, QMJHL)
4. Matt Dumba (Red Deer, WHL) (+1)
5. Ryan Murray (Everett, WHL) (+1)
6. Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw, WHL) (+1)
7. Pontus Aberg (Djurgarden, Sweden) (+1)
8. Alex Galchenyuk (Sarnia, OHL) (+1)
9. Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton, WHL) (+2)
10. Sebastian Collberg (Frolunda, Sweden) (+2)
11. Andrey Vasilevski (Salavat, KHL) (-7)
12. Jacob Trouba (US NTDP, USHL) (-2)
13. Matt Finn (Guelph, OHL) (+9)
14. Cody Ceci (Ottawa 67s, OHL) (+7)
15. Derrick Pouliot (Portland, WHL) (+4)
16. Radek Faksa (Kitchener, OHL) (+5)
17. Slater Koekkoek (Peterborough, OHL) (-2)
18. Damon Severson (Kelowna, WHL) (-2)
19. Zemgus Girgensons (Dubuque, USHL) (-1)
20. Jordan Schmaltz (Sioux City, USHL) (-3)
21. Teuvo Teravainen (Jokerit, Finland) (+9)
22. Phil Di Giuseppe (U. Michigan, NCAA)
23. Olli Maatta (London, OHL) (-3)
24. Scott Kosmachuk (Guelph, OHL) (+1)
25. Brendan Gaunce (Belleville, OHL) (+1)
26. Henrik Samuelsson (US NTDP, USHL) (+3)
27. Oscar Dansk (Brynas, SEL)
28. Anton Slepyshev (Novokuznetsk, KHL) (+5)
29. Brady Skjei (US NTDP, USHL) (+9)
30. Nick Ebert (Windsor, OHL) (-7)
Two players fell out of the top-30 this month: Martin Frk (#31, -3) and Gianluca Curcuruto (#50, -26). Here’s the movement among former top-30 players: Colton Sissons (#32, -1), Chandler Stephenson (#54, -15), Troy Bourke (#59, -1), Scott Laughton (#62, -2), Calle Andersson (#74, -8), Jarrod Maidens (#87, -3), Eric Locke (#91, -8), Patrik Machac (#104, -23), Matia Marcantuoni (#105, -20), Ryan Olsen (#208, -136), and Luca Ciampini (#250, -70).
eyeonthesens 