Empty Netters

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Empty Netter Assists - Eastern Conference - 1-18-09

Penguins

-Introducing Mathieu Garon.

-Garon was popular among Oilers fans.

-By the sounds of things, the Oilers don't exactly seem interested in keeping former Penguins goaltender Dany Sabourin around for too long.

-New Oilers forward and former Penguin Ryan Stone will miss Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

-Matt Cooke is the Penguins' representative to the NHLPA.

-Adam Berkhoel made 22 saves for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-3 road loss to the Albany River Rats.

-Bryan Ewing had a hat trick and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones.

-We're a little late with this, but EN reader Paul Papariellla spotted this jersey foul at Wednesday's game against the Capitals:

-A Penguins jersey with a sports coat? No thanks.

-We're a little late with this also, but someon started a "Give Janne A Shot" Facebook group for Janne Pesonen.

-We don't know how long this has been up, but someone has a Chuck Norrisesque "facts" site for Brooks Orpik. Our personal favorite (at least the one can repeat in this PG-rated forum): "The Bermuda Triangle used to be the Bermuda Square, until Brooks Orpik checked one of the corners off."

-Herrrrre we go:

-That looked painful for Hal Gill. He's a Patriots fan.

-Random YouTube Find of the day: Eric Godard riding his stick while as a member of what appears to be the the Bridgeport Sound Tigers:

Atlantic Division

-Zach Parise had a goal and an assist for the Devils in a 3-1 road win against the Islanders. Scott Clemmensen made 32 saves in the win while New York goaltender Yann Danis made 33 saves.

-The Islanders lost goaltender Wade Dubielewicz before they even had him back. After being released by his KHL club, the Islanders re-signed Dubielewicz. Before he could rejoin New York, which is realy hurting for goaltenders, he had to clear waivers. Well the Blue Jackets swooped in and plucked him off the wire. The ironic thing is, if another team had signed Dubielewicz, the Islanders would have first crack at him on the waiver wire since they have the worst record in the league.

-Having lost Dubielewicz, the Islanders recalled former Pittsburgh Forge goaltender Peter Mannino from Bridgeport of the AHL.

-Devils forward Brendan Shanahan is hoping to make his debut this season Monday against the Predators.

Northeast Division

-Shootout goals by former Penguin Alex Kovalev and Maxim Lapierre gave the Canadiens a 5-4 win at Ottawa. Fire Craig Patrick. Another former Penguin, Robert Lang, led Montreal with two assists in regulation. Fire Craig Patrick. Dany Heatley led Ottawa with two goals in regulation while former Penguin Jarkko Ruutu had an assist. Fire Ray Shero.

-The shootout. Check out Kovalev's smooth goal at the 1:30 mark:

-Two goals from Tim Connolly lifted the Sabres to a 3-1 win against the Hurricanes. Teammate Thomas Vanek added two assists while Ryan Miller made 36 saves in the win.

-Sabres defenseman Andrej Sekera is dealing with an ankle injury.

-Even the cherry-pickers in Montreal are hopeful.

-Bruins defenseman Dennis Wideman needed treatment for his knee last night after Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin hit him with a dirty knee-on-knee hit last night. If Ovechkin is a Flyer, Colin Campbell is already looking at the video.

Southeast Division

-In a showdown of the Eastern Conference's two best teams, Jose Theodore made 23 saves for the Capitals who edged the Bruins, 2-1. Tim Thomas made 28 saves in the loss.

-Jay Bouwmeester and Cory Stillman each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers in a 4-3 win at Tampa Bay. Bouwmeester has goals in four consecutive games and points in his last six. Teammate Nathan Horton had three assists. Vincent Lecavalier and Vaclav Prospal each led the Lightning with a goal and an assist while former Penguins forward Ryan Malone added a goal. Fire Ray Shero.

-Rich Peverly got some revenge against his former team by picking up three assists and leading the Thrashers to a 7-2 rout of the Predators. Teammates Zach Bogosian and Ilya Kovalchuk each had a goal and an assist while former Penguins forward Colby Armstrong netted a goal. Fire Ray Shero. Kari Lehtonen made 31 saves in the win. Nashville captain Jason Arnott recorded two assists.

Posted Jan 18 2009, 12:02 AM by Seth Rorabaugh

Comments

Pa`67 wrote re: Empty Netter Assists - Eastern Conference - 1-18-09
on Sun, Jan 18 2009 9:59 AM

Haha, i seen the exact YouTube yesterday on Godard, i was looking for stuff on Guron.

Poor Isles.

Oh for January and the goalie situation.

Gill embarrassed? I was when i seen Biz and Cup, and i don't mean the Stanley.

CC82 wrote re: Empty Netter Assists - Eastern Conference - 1-18-09
on Sun, Jan 18 2009 12:08 PM

"Dirty" hit, huh? Two things...

1) If Ovechkin is a Flyer, he knees Wideman on purpose; he isn't and he didn't; and 2) What standards are you using to call that a dirty hit? Because the oh-so-unbiased Fluto Shinazawa, a member of the Boston media, says so? Did you even see the video?

For what it's worth, both the Caps' commentators AND the Bruins' commentators questioned that it was even a penalty - and the Caps' guys mentioned that if Wideman doesn't try to get out of the way of a check their knees don't even connect. This wasn't dirty, it was just a byproduct of yet another player fearing Ovechkin's checking ability.

Seth Rorabaugh wrote re: Empty Netter Assists - Eastern Conference - 1-18-09
on Sun, Jan 18 2009 1:23 PM

CC82, I watched the hit live on television and the replay. It was dirty from my vantage point. That's why he got two minutes for it.

If Ovechkin's the one who got hit by Wideman, there's a lot more uproar.

CC82 wrote re: Empty Netter Assists - Eastern Conference - 1-18-09
on Sun, Jan 18 2009 6:43 PM

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you, Seth - sorry. I watched it live, too, and on the replay, and I've gone and watched it a few more times just to make sure I'm not being blinded by homerism. Certainly wouldn't be the first time and I can admit when I'm wrong.

But I really don't see how it's dirty - Wideman is the guy with the puck. Ovechkin goes in to hit the guy with the puck. And at the last second Wideman moves out of the way and Ovie catches - well, his thigh, really, not so much his knee. It was a weird hit, but not dirty.

And why do you assume if Ovie's the one on the receiving end that there's more uproar? He's been hit before, sometimes dirty hits (I seem to recall Malkin giving him a good elbow Thursday night) and sometimes not. He's also been speared a few times, with no action from the league, so it's not like he's getting special treatment or anything.

And I should also remind you that when Ovechkin hit Briere most Caps fans agreed he probably got off easy, so we're not as clueless a group as you may think. When something is dirty we call it.

Seth Rorabaugh wrote re: Empty Netter Assists - Eastern Conference - 1-18-09
on Sun, Jan 18 2009 8:28 PM

CC82,

Just a matter of disclosure, I was watching along on my laptop while in the office. So my vantage point wasn't exactly the best.

Based on the live action and the one replay I saw, I would say it was a dirty hit. But again, you've seen it a few times and I have not.

As far as the reaction if Ovechkin was hit, that's pretty simple. If a star goes down, it draws attention. If Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Lidstrom, Kovalchuk, Thornton, etc. goes down like that, lots of folks are screaming murder, myself included.

But if a star is the one doling out the punishment, there's not nearly the uproar (I.E. Crosby vs. Valabik).

And don't forget, this is the same league that gave Sean Avery six games for being vulgar. Meanhwhile, Tom Kostopoulos runs Mike Van Ryn from behind giving him a concussion and other problems and gets only two games. You'll pardon me if I don't have faith in Colin Campbell and company to do the right thing.

Never said anything bad about Caps fans. I'm a friend to all true hockey fans (other than those idiots in road worker outfits on the "wrong" side of Pennsylvania.)  ;)

CC82 wrote re: Empty Netter Assists - Eastern Conference - 1-18-09
on Sun, Jan 18 2009 10:51 PM

Well, yes, I think we can all agree that those other Pennsylvanians are pure evil ;) I've always found it funny that it's the one thing that Caps and Pens fans agree on. Of course, Caps fans and Flyers fans agree on something else entirely, but anyways...

And agreed, the league is fairly idiotic when it comes to punishments (*gasp* two things we agree on?) - 6 games for just being a jackass and 3 for biting and 2 for concussing and none for going to town on a guy's...nether regions? Justice has no place in the NHL, that's for sure.

Thanks for debating with me! It was fun, this is why I love hockey ;) Even fans of teams I hate (no offense) can engage in pleasant conversation. Looking forward to Feb 22!