The best story out of the 2010 NHL debut weekend is the come from behind win by the Kings against last year's playoff nemesis Vancouver Canucks.
Justin Williams tied the game on a power play with 4:05 left, and a shootout goal by Anze Kopitar - who came back after taking a stick to the face in the second period that required 18 stitches, sealed the win in season opener, 2-1. It was a great end to an evening that started with a lengthy pregame celebration of the Canucks’ 40th anniversary. The Canucks played their first NHL game against the Kings, and both teams wore vintage jerseys as a throwback to that game decades prior. In addition to the win, it was the first game for defenseman Willie Mitchell against his former team, who he last play with on January 16, where he sustained a season-ending concussion.
Next, I take a lot of joy in seeing that Dallas Stars forward Mike Ribeiro was arrested for misdemeanour public intoxication at a local restaurant Sunday night. Ribeiro scored the winning goal in a shootout against the New York Islanders, giving his team their first 2-0 start since 2006. While talented, he's a cocky prick who runs his mouth during games, and it looks like karma got tired of hearing him carry on. Being in our division, it's also good to see any troubles befall our rivals. There won't be jail time, but any extra distraction to keep our opponents off their mark is helpful, and I'll enjoy heckling him when they come to town.
And finally, the price the New Jersey Devils paid for Ilya Kovalchuk has caught up with them!
Due to injuries (defenseman Anton Volchenkov's broken nose from and Brian Rolston's lower body injury) and suspensions (Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond with his automatic one-game rest for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of a game), the Devils are struggling to field a full squad on the ice and unable to replace those players due to the financial constraints of the salary cap. Tonight they'll have to play with only nine forwards, along with six defenseman and two goaltenders -and for a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. And it's probably not going to be the last time.
Justin Williams tied the game on a power play with 4:05 left, and a shootout goal by Anze Kopitar - who came back after taking a stick to the face in the second period that required 18 stitches, sealed the win in season opener, 2-1. It was a great end to an evening that started with a lengthy pregame celebration of the Canucks’ 40th anniversary. The Canucks played their first NHL game against the Kings, and both teams wore vintage jerseys as a throwback to that game decades prior. In addition to the win, it was the first game for defenseman Willie Mitchell against his former team, who he last play with on January 16, where he sustained a season-ending concussion.
Next, I take a lot of joy in seeing that Dallas Stars forward Mike Ribeiro was arrested for misdemeanour public intoxication at a local restaurant Sunday night. Ribeiro scored the winning goal in a shootout against the New York Islanders, giving his team their first 2-0 start since 2006. While talented, he's a cocky prick who runs his mouth during games, and it looks like karma got tired of hearing him carry on. Being in our division, it's also good to see any troubles befall our rivals. There won't be jail time, but any extra distraction to keep our opponents off their mark is helpful, and I'll enjoy heckling him when they come to town.
And finally, the price the New Jersey Devils paid for Ilya Kovalchuk has caught up with them!
Due to injuries (defenseman Anton Volchenkov's broken nose from and Brian Rolston's lower body injury) and suspensions (Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond with his automatic one-game rest for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of a game), the Devils are struggling to field a full squad on the ice and unable to replace those players due to the financial constraints of the salary cap. Tonight they'll have to play with only nine forwards, along with six defenseman and two goaltenders -and for a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. And it's probably not going to be the last time.
Coach John MacLean insisted his hands aren't tied with a reduced roster, but it appears to be the culmination of seasons of cap mismanagement catching up to GM Lou Lamoriello. And the roster / cap issue will linger once players on the long-term injured reserve return, forcing a move to get the team under the cap. The team, which didn't make any moves in the off-season due to the vigorous pursuit of Kovalchuk, will now reap what they have sown. Kudos again to Kings GM Dean Lombardi for not putting one player before the team.
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