The Morning After Super Sunday

It was great to see the Caps get back into the win column yesterday but first, how about that Super Bowl? Wow, did the game ever get off to a quick start. If you were late to the party you missed Devin Hester taking the opening kickoff all the way for the touchdown. Easily the most exciting moment of the game. Unfortunately Hester doesn't play quarterback for the Bears as Rex Grossman was absolutely atrocious. His interceptions in the fourth quarter killed any chance they had of getting back into the game, giving Peyton Manning his coveted first Super Bowl title and the MVP in the process. It's was good to see such a deserving player finally come out on top. And as a University of Tennessee grad, it was nice to see the former Volunteer get the win. Now are you ready for some hockey?

• The Verizon Center obviously wasn't ready for hockey yesterday. Can you believe there were five delays to fix the plexiglass around the rink? That's unacceptable and completely killed the flow of the game. The building has long been known for having a bad sheet of ice, but there is no excuse for the problems they were having yesterday.

• The question has been brought up this morning by the Capitals Washington Post columnist Tarik El-Bashir about Richard Zednik. Should the Caps trade or keep the winger? The answer is clear. You make every opportunity to re-sign him, as this team is desperate for a veteran presence. Zednik likes the DC area and the team so a reasonable offer should get him to stay. If they decide to trade him, the only way you do it is if you receive a young player with tremendous upside that is ready to play in the NHL right now. The last thing this team needs is more draft picks.

• Lawrence Nycholat was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game since the team acquired Milan Jurcina from Boston. It seems as though the fairy tale run has come to an end for Nycholat. Since flourishing when he was first recalled from Hershey, his play has gone down hill since as he was a -7 defensively in his last five games. It will only get harder for him to get back into the lineup as the team has been playing well on the defensive side since he has been out. Jamie Heward has stepped up his game as of late, and with the returns of Muir and Erskine down the road, it looks as though Nycholat might be sent back down to Hershey in the future.
  

• This team was able to win in a shootout for the first time since April 15th of last season. It's hard to believe that with all the individual skill that this team has in Ovechkin, Semin, and Zednik that they cannot be a factor in shootout situations. But that was the case until yesterday as the Caps were 0-5 in those circumstances. The win was greatly needed as a confidence builder in this area.

• The Caps power-play continues to be awful. Not only did they not threaten while on the man advantage yesterday, but they allowed a short handed goal just 27 seconds into the second period that threw away a period worth of solid defense. With the football theme of Sunday, I was screaming at the television for the Caps to decline each future penalty. They really need to rethink their strategy with the extra man, as having Semin on the point just doesn't seem to be working. Maybe Jurcina, who we have been told has a hard shot, should get more time there. It can't hurt to try.

• Speaking of Jurcina, he has stepped right into the top defensive pairing on the team with Morrisonn and has played as well as we could have hoped. He has also led the team in ice time in both of his games with the team. Maybe he just wasn't getting the opportunity in Boston to show what he could do. Whatever it is, the trade is looking great so far. Hopefully this will be one of those trades we look back at a year or two from now and say, "What was Boston thinking?" And Jurcina will get a chance to take on his former team as Boston comes to the Verizon Center Tuesday night. He should have a little extra incentive to show his former team what he can do given the chance to play.

• Ollie Kolzig has seen his playing time increase following an injury to his backup Brent Johnson. Earlier in the season, Kolzig was not asked to play in back-to-back games, but has been excellent as of late in these situations. Despite being 36, he looks to have a lot left in the tank. That's good news for the team as it will give their young promising goaltenders in Michael Neuwirth and Simeon Varlamov plenty of time to develop. (Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
  

Caps Get Much Needed Victory

Alexander Semin Provides Shootout Goal to Win Defensive Game
Washington Capitals 2, New York Islanders 1 F/SO
Boxscore
(Photos courtesy of Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)

The second consecutive defensively dominated game this time ended with a win after Alexander Semin scored on the opening chance of the shootout.

That spoiled the return of former Capitals Brendan Witt and Chris Simon, who both played in Washington for the first time since departing from the team.

The Caps finally were able to strike first, avoiding their recent routine of having to play catchup, when Richard Zednik did his best Semin impersonation trying to score on a wrap around opportunity. Islanders' goaltender Rick DiPietro was able to lunge and stop the chance by laying his stick along the goal line. However, the rebound was left in perfect position for Matt Pettinger who sped towards the goal and desposited the loose puck into the back of the net for the early 1-0 just 2:52 in.

The Islanders were able to answer just 27 seconds into the second period as the struggling Capitals power play allowed a short handed goal to tie the score at 1-1. Matt Sillinger found himself all alone in the front of the net and beat Kolzig after he had made the save on a Trent Hunter shot from the corner. It was his 17th of the season and would be the last of the scoring until the shootout.

The game was marred by glass problems as there were delays on five different occasions. Two of the delays, one in the second and third, each lasted eight minutes long and saw both teams take the ice to warm back up before play resumed. The second period alone took 43 minutes to play.

After the frustration of the shutout loss in Pittsburgh yesterday this win was greatly needed for the Caps. Ovechkin had broken his stick and slammed locker room doors following Saturday's game. The team still has three more games this week at home against the Bruins on Tuesday, the Kings on Thursday, and the Rangers on Saturday. Now is the time for them to make a run if they have any chance to get back in the playoff race.

Game Notes:

It was the first time this season Alex Ovechkin has gone scoreless in consecutive games.... Matt Bradley returned to the lineup for the first time since the All-Star break. He took Ben Clymer's spot in the lineup.... Frederic Cassivi was recalled to backup Kolzig after Daren Machesney was sent down to the Hershey Bears... For the second consecutive game Milan Jurcina led the team in ice time recording 25:47.... Kolzig had 31 saves in the win.... With the two points the Caps moved out of the cellar in the Southeast Division and into 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Fight of the Year Nominee

Travis Moen of the Anaheim Ducks absolutely KO's Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators while blinded by his own jersey.

Caps/Islanders Preview

New York Islanders (25-21-6, 56 points)
at
Washington Capitals (21-25-7, 49 points)

Television: Comcast Sportsnet
Radio: Sportstalk 980-AM
Gametime: 1:00 PM ET


The Caps will host a Super Sunday matinée this afternoon at the Verizon Center as they open up a season long four game home stand. Washington is coming off of perhaps their most complete game of the season defensively yesterday in Pittsburgh. They'll need every bit of that effort as the the Islanders are currently riding a six game point streak which includes four wins.

Milan Jurcina had an excellent outing in his debut leading the team in ice time with 20:23. It was his second highest total of the season as he moved right into the Caps number one defensive pairing with Shaone Morrisonn.

The game will mark the second meeting of the season between these two teams who last met on the island November 25th. In that game Jason Blake had two goals to lead New York to a 4-1 win.

The Caps will hope history is on their side as they have won four straight games on Super Sunday. In fact on this day since 1988, they have posted a record of 10-3-1. They have also bounced back from both of their previous shutouts this season with victories.

Boston's 4-3 overtime win yesterday at Carolina knocked the Capitals into 14th place in the Eastern Conference ahead of only the lowly Philadelphia Flyers.


Down on the Farm:

The Hershey Bears trailed 4-2 heading into the third period before rallying for two goals to force overtime. Lowell's captain Dan McGillis netted the game winning goal two and a half minutes in to down the Bears 5-4. Frederic Cassivi started in goal for the second consecutive game since returning from a broken collarbone. Alexandre Giroux notched his 32nd goal of the season putting him one goal behind Norfolk's Brandon Bochenski for second in the AHL. The overtime loss put the Bears five point behind the division leading Norfolk Admirals.

The South Carolina Stingrays defeated the Columbia Inferno 4-3. Stephen Werner scored the game winner with 49 seconds remaining in the third period. It was his 6th goal of the season. Davis Parley had 26 saves for his 22nd win of the season.

Offense is Offensive

Improved Defensive Performance Spoiled as Caps are Shutout for the Third Time This Season
Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Washington Capitals 0
Boxscore
(Photo courtesy of Keith Srakocic/AP)


Whether it was the presence of a newly acquired defenseman in Milan Jurcina, or a determination to refocus on playing traditional Capitals' hockey, the Caps played their most complete game of the season defensively. They shut down the NHL's leading point scorer in Sidney Crosby and the leading Calder Trophy favorite in Evgeni Malkin, keeping them both off the scoreboard and denying them any significant opportunities.

Jurcina made his debut with the Washington Capitals today and made himself right at home, pairing up with former Providence Bruins teammate Shaone Morrisson. He wasted no time making an impact stopping Sidney Crosby as he attempted to go coast to coast just four minutes in. Crosby maneuvered his way around three Capitals players, but a Jurcina pokecheck stopped him from moving in on Kolzig.

Unlike previous games where the team has struggled out of the gate, the Capitals controlled the action early on recording 8 of the games first 9 shots. Six minutes in, Chris Clark had the best scoring chance with two point blank shots in front of Fleury on the power play. During the same man advantage, Alex Ovechkin served the Penguins notice that the Caps were here to play when he drilled Maxime Talbot in the open ice as he had his head down while trying to clear the puck out of his defensive zone. After taking a moment to regain his senses, Talbot headed off to the locker room for repairs. He did return later in the game.

The middle of the second period set the tone for the remainder of the game. Moments after a Steve Eminger shot rang off the post, Ronald Petrovicky beat Kolzig on a weak shot as he entered the offensive zone on a 2 on 2 situation. He faked a slap shot then squeezed a wrist shot between Kolzig's glove and right pad. The goal was an unassisted marker for Petrovicky's 2nd of the season.

That goal would be all Pittsburgh would need as despite the Caps outshooting the Penguins 30-20, they were unable to penetrate goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He stopped all 30 of those shots for his 4th shutout of the season, improving his record to 24-12-6. The key to Fleury's success was his ability to control the first shot from the Capitals and prevent any rebounds.

Rookie Jordan Staal put the game away with 37 seconds to go as he scored an empty net goal to make it 2-0.

The shutout meant an end to Alex Ovechkin's career high point scoring streak at 13 games. It was an uncharacteristic game for Ovechkin who did not record his first shot of the game until the 7 and a half minute mark of the third period.

The loss was the Caps fifth out of their last six games overall and tenth of their last eleven on the road, dropping their record to 21-25-7. The Penguins extended their winning streak to six games and improved to 25-17-8.

Game Notes:

Milan Jurcina's debut meant Lawrence Nycholat was a healthy scratch for the first time since his recall from Hershey on December 23rd. He had been slumping as of late, recording a -7 defensive rating in his last five games.... Daren Machesney backed up Kolzig for the second consecutive game as Brent Johnson remained out with a "body" injury(?).... The loss means the Caps are now 3-17-1 in the last 21 regular season games at Pittsburgh.... The Caps were shut out for the first time since a 5-0 loss at Carolina November 9th.... The 20 shots allowed by Washington was their fewest of the season.... A Boston win at Carolina tonight would drop the Caps to 14th in the conference.

Caps/Penguins Preview

Washington Capitals (21-24-7, 49 points)
at
Pittsburgh Penguins (25-17-8, 58 points)

Television: Comcast Sportsnet
Radio: Sportstalk 980-AM
Gametime: 1:00 PM ET


Following their embarrassing performance in Florida on Thursday night, the Capitals travel to Pittsburgh for a Saturday afternoon matinée with the Penguins at the Mellon Arena. The Caps head into the game having lost three straight and nine of their last ten games on the road. On the other hand, the Penguins have been on a roll as of late riding a five game winning streak entering today's contest.

One of the problems that has plagued the Caps all year, and especially as of late with injuries, has been the play of their defensemen. They hope to get a big boost today from Milan Jurcina, who is expected to make his debut with the team after being acquired from Boston Thursday afternoon for a 4th round pick in 2008. He took Brian Pothier's spot on the active roster after Pothier was placed on the injured reserve list yesterday with a concussion. He could see action on a defensive pairing with his former AHL Providence Bruins teammate Shaone Morrisonn. His hard slap shot could also give him some time on the second team power-play.

While the Capitals were struggling in Florida, the Penguins were busy blowing a 4-2 lead at home against the Montreal Canadians. They were able to regroup and come away with two points after Evgeni Malkin won the game for them in the shootout. The win moved the Penguins into a three-way tie for six place in the Eastern Conference.

It's a tale of two teams going in opposite directions as the Penguins have posted a 9-2-2 record during the new year, while the Caps have gone 5-8-0 for 2007.

Alex Ovechkin enters the game looking to extend his career high 13 game point scoring streak. After his goal against the Panthers he now has 33 on the year to go along with 37 assists for 70 points on the season, putting him in a tie for second in the NHL with the Lightning's Martin St. Louis, 12 points behind the Penguins' Sidney Crosby.

The game will mark the end of a three game road trip for the Caps, which up to now has been winless. They will return home with another matinée on Super Bowl Sunday against the New York Islanders at 1:00 PM ET at the Verizon Center. To purchase tickets visit Ticketmaster.com.

Alex Ovechkin Interview In ESPN The Magazine

Here is an interview of Alex Ovechkin by Dan Patrick in the newest issue of ESPN the magazine:

DP: Favorite city to vist?
AO: Montreal. Lots of beautiful girls.
DP: What's your opening line? Do you say you're a hockey player?
AP: In Montreal, I think they know. If not, I say I'm a businessman.

DP: Who picked your number?
AO: Me. My mom wore 8 when she played basketball.
DP: How good was she?
AP: She was captain of the Russian national team and a two-time Olympic champion. She was the best playmaker in the world.
DP: So what NBA player would she be?
AO: Michael Jordan.
DP: Your mom was the Michael Jordan of Russia?
AO: Yeah.

DP: What's with the red shoes you wear on the ice during the pregame?
AO: It's just my style. When we go on a trip, I wear yellow.
DP: You wear yellow Crocs?
AO: When we go on a trip.

DP: Favorite thing about America?
AO: Filet Mignon.
DP: If I go to Moscow, what is the one thing I have to do?
AO: You have to try the food-salad Stolichniy, soup borscht.
DP: Should I ask what's in those things or just eat them?
AO: Just eat them. They're very tasty.

DP: Can you dance?
AO: Oh, I'm the best dancer in the league.
DP: Would you go on Dancing With the Stars?
AO: No. I'm a little bit shy.

DP: How fast have you had your BMW up to?
AO: Very fast-180 mph.
DP: Where did you do that?
AO: On the way to the airport. No policemen. I drive fast, but not the max.
DP: You're like Michael Schumacher there.
AO: Probably better than him.

DP: Your favorite game on Xbox?
AO: Godfather.
DP: How good are you?
AO: I'm the best.

DP: Is there anything you're not good at?
AO: English

To see the rest of the magazine online, go to this link.

Hershey Scores Come From Behind Win

Bears Net Last Two Goals of the Game to Edge Wolf Pack
Hershey Bears 2, Hartford Wolf Pack 1
Boxscore
(Photo Courtesy of JustSports Photography)

It was the first game of the second half of the season for both teams following the AHL All-Star break. Hershey entered the game having lost it's last two and three out of it's last five, while Hartford, on the other hand, entered the game as one of the hottest teams in the league, winning their last five and nine out of their last ten.

An evenly played first period got interesting as the intermission approached. With just two minutes left the Wolf Pack's Dwight Helminen took control of the puck behind the Bears net. After surveying the situation he stepped to the right side and found Craig Weller with a beautiful pass across the goal mouth that he deposited into the wide open net. The goal was the Wolf Pack captain's 7th of the season giving Hartford the 1-0 lead.

The tightly contested action continued into the second period until the Bears line of Klepis, Fleichmann, and Tenute had a dominating shift that resulted in some good scoring chances and led to a power play opportunity following a Ryan Callahan elbowing call. While the Wolf Pack would kill off the penalty it would only be a technicality as two seconds after Chad Wiseman secured the puck at the Bears blue line and found Alexandre Giroux streaking into the offense zone. The play resulted in a two on zero and an easy goal by Giroux tying the score at 1 and giving him 31 goals on the year, which moved him into third place in the AHL.

Hershey's Frederic Cassivi, who made his first start in goal since breaking his collarbone on December 20th, would make sure the score stayed that way heading into the second intermission as he robbed Hartford's Greg Moore on a breakaway with less than a minute to go.

The third period would see Hershey pull ahead for good. Tomas Fleichmann tapped home the rebound off of a Joey Tenute shot from the slot. It was his 18th goal of the season winger nicknamed "flash". Cassivi would make that goal stand as he was absolutely spectacular down the stretch showing no signs of rust following his extended time off. He ended the night with 37 saves while picking up his 13th win of the season.

Your 3 Stars of the Night:
1. Frederic Cassivi, Hershey 37 Saves
2. Tomas Fleichmann, Hershey GW Goal
3. Craig Weller, Hartford 1 goal

Game Notes:

It was an incredibly fast paced game as it only took 1 hour and 55 minutes to compete.... Bears' Goaltender Nolan Schaefer was recalled from his loan to the San Jose Sharks earlier in the day forcing Coach Bruce Boudreau to insert Cassivi back into the lineup earlier than he would have liked. Cassivi was backed up by Maxime Daigneault who is also just returning from an injury.... Darius Kasparaitis played in his 10th game of the season for Hartford. This is Kasparaitis' first time playing in the AHL as when he first came over to the US from Lithuania he went straight to the NHL.... Defenseman Donny Grover made his debut with Hershey after his recall from South Carolina yesterday.

Where Do We Go From Here?

With all the ranting and raving on message boards and other blogs from fans since last night's result, this seems to be the main question. The answer is simple, we need to patient. Everybody is disappointed, I'm disappointed, the players are disappointed, the fans are definitely disappointed. But the main thing we need to show right now is restraint and continue to support this developing team.

The fact is last night's loss pretty much killed any thoughts of this team making a run and slipping into the playoffs. While that would have been great for the confidence of this organization, it would not have led to a Stanley Cup Championship this season as the most likely scenario would have been a first round loss to a top seeded team anyway. And let's face it that is the goal. When the front office decided during the 03-04 season to trade away all of our veterans and rebuild they did that for a reason. The team that we had assembled was a mediocre team, that while good enough to challenge for a playoff spot, was not a contender for the Stanley Cup. Rebuilding from scratch with talented young players that grow up together is the best way to reach that ultimate goal in today's NHL.

Look at the facts, Carolina finished last in the Southeast Division during the '02-'03 season with a record of 22-43-11-6, 61 points. The next season they improved slightly to 28-34-14-6, 76 points. After the lockout year, they finished last season with a record of 52-22-8, 112 points and a Stanley Cup Championship.

The previous winner, Tampa Bay, got there in a similar way. They were terrible for years and used those high draft picks to select players that eventually led them to a championship. In the '01-'02 season they were 27-40-11-4, 69 points. In the '02-'03 season they improved to 36-25-16-5, 92 points, won the Southeast Division and defeated the Caps in the first round of the playoffs before exiting. Then in '03-'04 they improved on the previous year by going 46-22-8-6, 106 points and a Stanley Cup Championship.

The model is there, and two teams in our own division have proven it successful. So as dire as things may seem, we are on the right track and things will only get better from here. Hanlon is going nowhere, McPhee is going nowhere, and the fans need to just relax and give this team time to develop.

Jump on the bandwagon now, it'll make the pending success this team is about to experience all the more sweeter.

Down on the Farm:

With the Capitals off tonight you can take your pick of their affiliate teams to watch. The Hershey Bears travel to the Hartford Wolf Pack for the teams' first meeting of the season. You can catch all the action live via b2networks by visiting the Hershey Bears website, game time 7:00 PM ET. The South Carolina Stingrays travel to Duluth, Georgia for a matchup with the South Division's first place Gwinnett Gladiators, game time 7:35 PM ET. Visit www.stingrayshockey.com to watch all the live action via b2networks.

Caps Season Hits Lowest Point

Team Falls to Last Place in Southeast Division and 13th in Conference After Another Loss to Florida
Florida Panthers 6, Washington Capitals 3
Boxscore
(Photo Courtesy of Steve Mitchell/AP)


It's hard if not impossible to win in the NHL or any professional league when you are continuously playing from behind. The Capitals continued their trend of slow starts spotting the Panthers a 2-0 lead in the first period. It was the third time in the last four games that the Caps allowed their opponents to score the first two goals of the game.

For some unspeakable reason, Florida just has the Caps number. It was the third consecutive meeting that the Panthers dominated from the get go. They tried to make a game of it though and following the opening goals by Stumpel and Gelinas, a power play goal by Chris Clark pulled them within one with a minute and a half left in the first period. The goal was Clark's 22nd of the season as he tapped in a loose puck that had squeezed through Belfour's seven hole on a shot by Danius Zubrus.

They continued to pressure the Panthers leading to another power play in the last minute of the period. Following a faceoff win by Boyd Gordon, Semin fired a wrist shot on goal with four seconds remaining. Zubrus passed the rebound to Gordon in the front who deposited the puck into the back of the net, however it was a second too late as the period had already come to a close. It was a tough break as the momentum of the game could have changed dramatically had the goal counted.

The second period brought more missed opportunites as four minutes into the period the Caps were unable to take advantage on a 5 on 3 power play for 51 seconds. That was the turning point in the game as one minute later the Panthers would make it 3-1 following a nice pass from behind the net by Juraj Kolnik right onto the waiting stick of Ville Peltonen in front for his 9th goal of the season.

It was all Panthers from there as the Caps would be called on back to back penalties by Steve Eminger and Jamie Heward one minute apart to give Florida a 5 on 3 opportunity at the mid point of the second. Unlike the Capitals, they took advantage of the gift and following a Ruslan Salei shot from the point that clanged off the right post, Jozef Stumpel put home his second of the game and 15th on the year blowing the game open 4-1.

A frustrated Kolzig let everyone know how he felt after the goal by first breaking his stick over the goal post and then firing the puck down the ice. His display would give him an unsportsmanlike minor and put Florida back on another 5 on 3 power play. The Caps would kill it off but it would not matter as five minutes later Kolnik would finish a two on one breakaway depositing a beautiful cross ice pass from Stumpel past a flailing Kolzig for a 5-1 lead.

The lone bright spot came in the third period when just two and a half minutes in, Ovechkin entered the Panthers zone and used defenseman Salei as a screen to beat Belfour five hole for his NHL leading 33rd goal of the season. The goal would also extend his career best point streak to 13 games.

Zubrus would add a power play goal, and Marin Gelinas would answer with a power play goal of his own to make the final score 6-3.

Richard Zednik played for the first time in 2007 after missing the last 26 games due to his sports hernia surgery. He was flying around the ice and provided the team with a nice spark leading to his being doubled shifted at times, showing no sign of his injury.

Alexander Semin played perhaps his worst game of the season, as despite his two assists he was awful defensively. He had two turnovers in the first period that directly led to breakaway opportunities for the Panthers. The first one Kolzig bailed him out on, but the second chance led to a penalty by Semin, which resulted in a power play goal.

Capitals' commentator Joe Benenati described the game best at the end of the second period when he said he felt like he'd been stapled in his forehead. The loss was the Caps 9th out of their last 10 road games.

Game Notes:

With the win Belfour improved his record to 3-0-0 against the Caps this season.... Kolzig had 4 PIM on the night.... The attendance on the night was 11,300 which is only 58.7% of the capacity at the BankAtlantic Center.... With Zednik returning to the lineup, Kris Beech was a healthy scratch.... Matt Bradley was also scratched for the 4th consecutive game despite rejoining the team following his absence for personal reasons.... Brent Johnson was a late medical scratch and was replaced by goaltender Daren Machesney who had been demoted to South Carolina earlier in the day.... In just over a year and a half, Alex Ovechkin has scored more career goals in a Capitals uniform (85) than any of his teammates (Dainius Zubrus is second with 84).

Capitals Aquire Jurcina From Bruins

The Capitals have made a small trade for a big defenseman. Milan Jurcina, who stands 6 foot 4 and 233 pounds, was traded to the Caps for a fourth-round draft pick in 2008. At 23 years old he will be another young player to add to the developing team who desperately needed help at the defensive position.

(picture courtesy of TSN.ca)

His scouting report from TSN:

Assets	Is a natural when shooting the puck from the point. Owns a huge frame, sound two-way instincts and all-around upside.
Flaws	Must play with more passion and utilize his tremendous size to his advantage.
Career potential	Top four defenseman.

Talent analysis from Hockey's Future:

Jurcina has the size 6'4 to play in the NHL. He has skating ability and is a solid defensive defenseman. He must continue improving his offensive skills. At his size he must become more aggressive and forceful.

The additional ice time in Providence has proven beneficial to Jurcina’s development. He has made strides in his physical game and is beginning to use his size to his advantage.

Once again, Jurcina made the Boston club right out of camp. After traveling with the team and appearing in one game, he was reassigned to Providence to better acclimate himself to the new rule changes. Jurcina has all the potential to make it back to Boston and could very well be back some time this season. When he returns will depend upon how quickly he adjusts his play.

Career Stats:

Year

Team

League

GP

G

A

Pts

+/-

PIM

Shots

Sh%

2006-07	Boston	NHL	40	2	1	3	-5	20	29	6.90
2005-06	Boston	NHL	51	6	5	11	+3	54	64	9.38
2005-06	Providence	AHL	7	0	3	3	+2	8	-	-
2004-05	Providence	AHL	79	6	17	23	+6	92	120	5.00
2003-04	Providence	AHL	73	5	12	17	-1	52	93	5.38
2002-03	Halifax	QMJHL	51	15	13	28	+28	102	-	-
2001-02	Halifax	QMJHL	61	4	16	20	+36	58	-	-
2000-01	Halifax	QMJHL	68	0	5	5	-3	56	-	-
	Total	NHL	91	8	6	14	-2	74	93	8.60
	Total	AHL	159	11	32	43	+7	152	-	-
	Total	QMJHL	180	19	34	53	+61	216	-	-

An 8th round pick by Boston in 2001 he seems to have all of the tools to be a solid defensive defenseman in the NHL. A quality pickup for a 4th round selection. My only question would be, why would the Bruins trade a young defenseman for a draft pick when they are going nowhere this season and will most likely need to at least partially rebuild? Whatever the cause may be, it's a low risk, high reward type of a deal. Let's hope he can follow in the steps of Shaone Morrisonn and develop into a nice player after coming over from Boston.

The Thrashers and Lightning also made a four player trade this afternoon. All of the players involved are currently in minor leagues. From TSN.ca:

"The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired wingers Kyle Wanvig and Stephen Baby from the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday in exchange for defenceman Andy Delmore and winger Andre Deveaux.

Wanvig, 26, has five goals and nine assists in 64 career NHL games. This season in the AHL he had 10 goals and 11 assists with the Chicago Wolves.

Baby, 27, had one goal and two assists in eight games with the Wolves this season.

The 30-year-old Delmore had 24 points (12-12) in 47 games with the AHL's Springfield Falcons this season. The former North Bay Centennials junior has 101 points (43-58) in 283 career NHL games with Philadelphia, Nashville, Buffalo and Columbus.

Deveaux, a former Montreal Canadiens sixth-round draft pick in 2002, had one goal and two assists in eight games with the Falcons this season as well as six goals and eight assists in 21 games with the ECHL's Johnstown Chiefs."

Minor Happenings

The Washington Capitals announced today that goaltender Daren Machesney has been reassigned to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. Machesney, who posted a 3-3-1 record with a 3.18 goals against average and a .887 save percentage in 10 games with the Hershey Bears, rejoins the team he began the season with. Before his recall he was 2-5-0 with a 3.24 goals against average and an .878 save percentage with the Stingrays. He will most likely return to his position of backing up starting goaltender Davis Parley. Injuries to Hershey goaltenders Freddy Cassivi and Maxime Daigneault forced his emergency recall. With the Bears acquisition of goalie Nolan Schaefer from the Worcester Sharks, and the pending return of Cassivi from his broken collarbone, there was no more room for him on the roster.

South Carolina also announce that defenseman Donny Grover has been recalled by Hershey. Grover was one of only two Stingrays players to have played in all 42 games this season posting 8 goals and 15 assists while having a -6 defensive rating. Head Coach Jason Fitzsimmons had this to say: (from Stingrayshockey.com)

"It's a great opportunity for Donny," Fitzsimmons said. "He's under contract with Hershey, so hopefully he can go up there and make a good impression. With only five defensemen it comes at a bad time for us, but developing players is what this league is all about."

At the same time the Stingrays announced that they have signed defenseman Jeff Moor to take Grover's place on the roster. Moor participated in the team's training camp this season before signing with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the SPHL. While there he posted 2 goals and 7 assists to go along with 135 penalty minutes in 25 games. He should provide the team with a solid physical presence.

Both teams return to action tomorrow night with road games. Hershey will be at the Hartford Wolf Pack, gametime 7:00 PM ET. South Carolina will be at the Gwinnett Gladiators in Duluth, Georgia, gametime 7:20 PM ET. Both games can be seen live online for only $6.00 via b2networks.