Sunday Pucks Brunch: Hockey Notes From Saturday Night

“Saturday Night’s All Right for Fighting,” the Nickleback cover and ante/anti “Hockey Night in Canada” theme*, was the only mention of the word “fighting” in last night’s show. What a difference a week makes. Whereas last week's pre-game interview segment featured a grilling of League disciplinarian Colin Campbell that would make Atticus Finch blush, this week featured cliché after boring cliché pouring from the mouths of Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau and Pens superstar Sidney Crosby on their teams' respective playoff runs.

It appears that on ice discussion about fighting has quieted as well. In the "for what it's worth, correlation is not causation" category, fighting majors are down 26% in the 10 days since the Colton Orr-Todd Fedoruk knockdown (in the 10 days leading up to the incident, the League saw 29 fights in 61 games;in the 10 days since, there have only been 26 fights in 74 games.)

From Scott Harrington’s interview with Guy Carbonneau: “I’m paid to make decisions. Did he [Craig Rivet] pay for other people’s mistakes? I’m sure, because you can’t sit 20 guys. If I could have done it, I would have done it, but you can’t.” On Sergei Samsonov, “I gave him all the chances. He was playing every power play until Christmas. It just didn’t work out. So we had to go to the next step.” On his future in Montreal, “I’m going to be here for as long as I can. I’m not stupid enough to think that this going to last for 15 – 20 years in Montreal.”

“Coach’s Corner” was largely unremarkable with the exception of the clip showing Jan Bulis’ welcome to rookie Jack Johnson. In an interview with MSG, newly acquired rock-in-your-shoe Sean Avery gushed, “I love the [NY Rangers] jersey, I love putting it on every game and I love the city.”...CBC’s Bruce Rainnie is reporting that Rick DiPietro is “likely gone for the year.”...TSN's Michael Whalen says that should Sheldon Souray receive a substantial offer from one of the Western teams, "like Anaheim or the Kings," the Canadiens would have a difficult time keeping him in Montreal.

The “Satellite Hot Stove” is reporting: Boston GM Peter Chiarelli met with Dave Lewis on Saturday and assured him that he will be returning next year as head coach… Henrik Zetterberg is expected to return to the Red Wings lineup Tuesday…Andy Murray is now considered the front-runner to coach the Canadian World Championship team. An announcement naming the coach and team are expected by midweek. Red Deer Rebels GM and head coach Brent Sutter is being considered as an assistant coach… Paul Stastny will likely play for the U.S. team…Current Phoenix GM Michael Barnett will move to become President of the Coyotes. The two names being mentioned as his replacement are Steve Tambellini and Pat Quinn.

Watching HNIC is a joy, but assembling SPB means exposure to hours and hours of CBC commercials. Were you aware that “Canada’s punk pop star,” Avril Lavigne, has an exclusive special coming up? Mercifully the show airs tomorrow (check your local listings) and we’ll all be freed from having to see the perky girlfriend every 17 minutes. I never thought I’d pine for the Quizno’s lady.

* There’s only one legitimate HNIC theme.
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Lines of the Night:

• First star: When you have a three-goal lead, you're already thinking, 'Let's play smart and save some energy.' - Jaromir Jagr on Philadelphia's comeback in the 3d period
• Second star: “No.” - Sidney Crosby when asked if he would ever vote for himself for MVP
• Third star: “Hard to be humble. Hard to be humble.” - Don Cherry on Blades of Glory star Amy Poehler’s declaration that Cherry is her favorite figure in hockey.
  

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Overtime was delayed for 10 minutes at Air Canada Centre after a fan collapsed in the stands. Paramedics were able to resuscitate the fan; providing Leafs’ fans everywhere an omen for their playoff hopes...For the tenth time this season, Pittsburgh has come from behind in the 3d period to earn at least one point…Pittsburgh has an identical 12-3-1 record in February and March…Mats Sundin remains one goal behind tying Darryl Sittler's Leaf's record of 389 career goals. He has just one goal in his last 16 games…In 5-on-5 play this season, Montreal’s Sheldon Souray, Michael Ryder and Saku Koivu are a minus 74…Canadiens rookie goaltender Jaroslav Halak is a perfect 6-0-0 with a 2.14 GAA and .924 save percentage at home…Sheldon Souray scored his 18th power-play goal of the season, tying Hall of Famer Denis Potvin and Adrian Aucoin for the NHL single-season record by a defenseman...Dany Heatley is 2 goals shy in his bid to become the first back-to-back 50-goal scorer since Pavel Bure in 2001…The Islanders have allowed at least one goal in 15 of the 17 full periods they've played without Rick DiPietro…Todd Simpson, recently signed by the Islanders from the DEL, was not allowed to play Saturday night as the NHL honored an indefinite suspension Simpson received for abusing an official while playing for the Hannover Scorpions …Washington is 6-31-6 when its opponent scores first…Alexander Semin did not record a SOG for only the third game this season… Antero Niittymaki played in his 100th NHL game…Anaheim has set a team record 21 road wins… Nashville, which didn’t sell out any of its playoff games last season, sold out Game 1 within hours of tickets going on sale.

And a happy 79th birthday to a guy who could still kick our collective ass, Gordie Howe.

Sources: AP, CBC, Comcast, Elias Sports Bureau, FSN, MSG, NESN, TSN

Sunday Pucks Brunch: Hockey Notes From Saturday Night

[Note: Sunday Pucks Brunch is a new weekly feature here at The Rink that will recap the hot topics, news and notes from around the NHL with a focus on the previous evening's Mainstream Media (MSM) coverage. In other words, go out and have fun on Saturday night - Sunday morning we'll let you know what you missed. Feel free to comment on anything contained herein or anything else in the hockey world, as well as how you like your eggs and what sides you'd like with them.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to introduce KB as a Rink contributor. Have at it, Ken. - JP]

Given all of the discussion about the Colton Orr/Todd Fedoruk shot heard round the world, it was little surprise that the Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC) pre-game show would focus on fighting in the NHL. Beginning with an interview with Detroit winger Todd Bertuzzi, followed by a chippy conversation between HNIC Host Ron MacLean and NHL Senior VP Colin Campbell, and ending with a Sun Tzu-themed intro to the Buffalo/Toronto game, violence was Topic A.

In the interview, a stoic Bertuzzi disclosed that Florida did not offer him a new contract “nor did they ever intend to.” Wings' head coach Mike Babcock was optimistic about his team’s acquisition of Bertuzzi. Babcock defended the move and the wisdom of offering him a third chance in Detroit by saying, “In my coaching career I’ve done and said a lot of stupid things.” And when asked whether he had changed as a person since the incident in Vancouver, the ever contrite Bertuzzi responded, “I’m still me.”

The usually patient and prudent Ron MacLean was downright feisty in his 15-minute interview with Colin Campbell. MacLean expressed open disbelief (“You’ve got to be kidding”) at hearing that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has “never talked about whether fighting should be in the game or should not be in the game,” dismissed the league’s solution of having the Competition Committees look into banning fighting as a “cop-out,” and accused Coh-lin Campbell of resorting to “corporate speak” in trying to evade serious discussion. The CBC has an account here.

For many, the highlight of any Saturday night of hockey-watching is Don Cherry's “Coach's Corner,” and for these folks, Saturday night's segment did not disappoint. Wearing a necktie with doves and olive branches, the sartorially subtle Cherry made viewers aware of his inner pacifist while holding court. (Perhaps it was the peace cravate that prevented him from delivering his usual shout-out to the troops.) He defended his “friend,” Cah-lin Campbell, against MacLean's malice. (Alliteration abounds!) Grapes also came to the aid of beleaguered Leafs' goalie Andrew Raycroft saying, “You’re out of your mind blaming Raycroft. The Leafs are 28th in the league on the PK.” You can watch Coach's Corner, complete with an archival clip of a softer Cherry from 1991, and read a press account of his comments here.

[Ed. note: Chris Zelkovich from the Toronto Star reviews the performance in today's edition, 3/26.]

In the “Satellite Hot Stove” segment, Eric Duhatschek claimed that Jarome Iginla has flip-flopped on the instigator rule and now wants to see it removed. He also stated that Keith Primeau will ask that stick infractions be penalized as significantly as fighting infractions. In news about actual hockey, Duhatschek reports that Henrik Zetterberg is skating with the Red Wings and is on target to return next week. Red Wings’ coach Mike Babcock has spoken to Dominik Hasek about his Louganis against Calgary and they’ve reached an accord. (Apparently Leafs’ coach Paul Maurice isn’t nearly as agreeable, suggesting that Babcock is making “all of us coaches look bad by telling the truth.”)

Asked who will win this year’s Hart trophy, Scott Morrison said he was leaning toward Roberto Luongo, Pierre LeBrun believes Joe Thornton is making a strong case, and Duhatschek said it would be, “[Sidney] Crosby in a walk.”

Kelly Hrudey reported that Edmonton netminder Jussi Markkanen will not be returning to Edmonton next season. Hrudey also told of an unnamed professional scout who watched Nashville blueliner Shea Weber in Kelowna and predicted that the 2nd round pick (49th overall) will be a better player than Dion Phaneuf (1st round pick, ninth overall).

The CBC broadcast of the Leafs’ game busted highlighted Toronto pivot Kyle Wellwood’s self-described “semi-legal” face off technique, in which he uses his right skate to block his opponent’s stick as the puck is dropped.

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Lines of the Night:

• First star: “The Leafs’ coaches must be throwing up behind the bench right now.” - Harry Neale
• Second star: “We [Gary Bettman and I] have never discussed fighting in hockey.” - Colin Campbell
• Third star: “Zubov, Zubrus. Same thing.” - Don Cherry
  

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Islanders' forwards Richard Zednik and Miroslav Satan are both listed as day-to-day for personal reasons. According to a Saturday afternoon post in the Newsday blog, Coach Ted Nolan referred to both players and said, “We’re a family-oriented team, and both guys are where they should be.”...Red Wings’ D Brett Lebda sustained a concussion and was taken off the ice on a stretcher after being checked into the glass by St. Louis' Ville Nieminen. He will be out 7-10 days... Thrashers’ F Jon Sim underwent surgery to repair a broken left orbital bone suffered in a fight with San Jose's Mark Bell and is out indefinitely... Dallas' D Stephane Robidas missed his fourth straight game and is expected to return to lineup within the next week... Capitals’ Ben Clymer will not return this season and will be undergoing sports hernia surgery this week... Detroit’s D Chris Chelios moved into ninth place on the NHL's career games list with 1,541, passing Johnny Bucyk... Pierre LeBrun reports that Jacques Martin has the inside track on coaching Team Canada in the 2007 World Championships...NY Rangers’ C Michael Nylander scored his 600th career NHL point against the Bruins... Flyers’ D Joni Pitkanen played in his 200th NHL game... Canadiens’ D Sheldon Souray played his 500th regular-season game and became the first Montreal defenseman to reach 60 points since Chelios had 73 points in 1988-89... Rick Vaive, Toronto’s first 50-goal scorer, was introduced to the ACC crowd to commemorate the 25-year anniversary of his feat... Vince Papale, former Philadelphia Eagle and the bio behind the Marky Mark pic, “Invincible,” visited New York's locker room after the game wearing an Islanders jersey... Buffalo is 33-0-0 this season when leading a game by two or more goals at any point... Pittsburgh has a winning record against every division this season except the Southeast... The Florida Panthers are 13-4-3 at home since Dec. 25th... Edmonton had its 73d consecutive sellout, dating back to Nov. 29, 2005... The Minnesota Wild set franchise records for home wins (26) and total points (97)... Four NHL games were decided in shootouts Saturday and the visiting team won each. The road teams have now moved into the lead (149-148) since the NHL adopted the shootout.

Sources: AP, CBC, Comcast, Elias Sports Bureau, FSN, NESN, OGP, SUN Sports, TSN