There has been all sorts of interesting reactions to Sunday’s Buffalo-Toronto shenanigans, especially so now that the supplementary discipline aspect of the “ordeal” is complete. For starters, Phil Kessel will only be suspended for the remainder of the preseason which some, including Leafs blogger Jeff Veillette, consider lucky. Meanwhile, Buffalo coach Ron Rolston was fined for dressing a Porta-Potty up in people’s clothes and placing the structure on the ice at an inappropriate time. Andy Boron of Die by the Blade is not pleased with this decision nor with the length of Kessel’s suspension. If you want full analysis of the rule and “code” implications of the brouhaha, check out this fantastic, detailed summary by Sens Shot blogger Jared Crozier. I don’t think anything else can be added to the debate, so I’ll stick to presenting you with unrelated, but equally awesome, links.
Montreal Canadiens News and Analysis
There are only two preseason games left, back-to-back matches tonight and tomorrow against Ottawa. Michel Therrien has stated that Thursday’s lineup will closely replicate the opening night roster, which means Brian Gionta will make his 2013-2014 Habs debut then. Meanwhile, tonight will be the last major “evaluation” game. Peter Budaj starts today and George Parros is still out for the preseason. Stay tuned for full lineup news later in today’s previews.
I quite like Dave Stubb’s feature articles in the Gazette and this one on Carey Price is no exception. In the interview, Price notes the importance of limiting unnecessary movements in the crease, saying that overcompensating with athleticism is an ineffective strategy. Price is happiest when pucks are hitting him in the chest and he’s too “boring” for the highlight reel.
Brothers-in-arms and pending-unrestricted-free-agency, Raphael Diaz and Andrei Markov will form Montreal’s second pairing for the foreseeable future, as Coach Michel Therrien values line stability. Radio-Canada’s Guillaume Lefrancois talks to both men about their often steamy relationship.
According to Christopher Boucher’s scouting reports, Michael Bournival’s preseason performance has been so dominant that he should be squeezed onto the roster. The 21-year-old is above average in a whole host of Boucher numbers including scoring chance ratio, even strength successful touch percentage, and risk/reward rating.
The Canadiens documentary 24CH will return for a second season with 27 half-hour episodes. The French premiere will be on October 5 on both Canal D and RDS. The English debut will be on TSN 2 on October 9th. There’s also a director’s cut, dubbed 24CH Premiere, that will available on the Bell TV app.
With the start of the regular season less than a week away, the Globe and Mail’s Sean Gordon gives his impressions of the New Jersey game and preseason as a whole. Gordon is particularly impressed with Pacioretty and slightly concerned about left-handed Tinordi’s ability to play on the right side.
General News and Analysis
The NHL Players Association will take a survey this week to decide whether or not to extend the preseason hybrid icing rule to the regular season. Expect a decision by regular season eve.
With a young roster especially vulnerable to intimidation and “liberties”, the Edmonton Oilers have added sheriff Steve MacIntrye to their roster via waivers. As Chunklets reports, Big Mac is already having the desired impact; terrifying men, women, and children throughout the Pacific Division.
The owners of the Arizona Coyotes are hoping to overcome the Coyotes’ relative isolation in Glendale to reach a broader audience throughout the state.
Alexander Radulov of CSKA Moscow scored a sexy goal on Vityaz Podolsk’s netminder Ivan Lisutin. Check it out!
Here’s a picture of Alex Semin and Alex Ovechkin wearing swim trunks in a field.
Raffi Torres will miss a minimum of six weeks with an ACL injury, hurting a San Jose squad that’s already down Martin Havlat. Here’s reaction from the fine folks over at Fear the Fin.
Battle of California’s Megalodon brings the punny with the September 23rd edition of humorous hockey tweets.
Cam Charron talks about David Clarkson and the value he brings by being a gritty player that draws penalties. He also notes that Nazem Kadri is fantastic at drawing minors, leading the league in 2012-2013 with a +25 penalty differential.
