Friday Game Notes

[Terryray]

Toronto at New Jersey.................................


Toronto is 12-15-3 on road
NJ is 15-12-4 at home.

Teams have met twice this season. NJ won at home 3-2 Nov 9, and next nite in Toronto teams skated to 1-1 tie. With 13 major fighting penalties in the two games.

But now, no Cujo in the net. He's out for 6-8 weeks. Coach swears he's sticking with backup now.

Corey Schwab is 4-5-0 this season, with 3.23 gga, .880 save pct.
He's 2-3-0-2 on road this season. Beat FL and NYR.
He's 27-55-6 in his career.

Schwab is 0-6-0 vs NJ, 3.79 gga, .884 pct.

Brodeur is 7-6-6 vs Leafs, 2.37 gga, .908 pct.
March is by a long way Brodeur's best month, 60-24 in his career.


New Leafs backup is Sebastien Centomo. He's 20 yrs old, never drafted, but has played very well for the Memphis River Kings. Especially in that shoot out win over the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in January! Wow! (ouch! Don't laugh so loud!).

Centomo is 16-1-0 this season, 2.09 gga, .934 pct
Speculation is he will get his NHL start monday at WA.


Toronto also has second leading scorer Mogilny out, "probably not play" next two games say paper.

Also out, probably for season, is leading defenseman Yushkevich. Those two and Cujo cost $13.9 million and are 25% of total payroll.

More bad news is that Assitant coach Acton won't make trip so he can do his five days a week testicular cancer treatments.


Toronto 6-1 last seven games
NJ 3-2-2 last seven.

NJ has important defenseman Niedermayer most probably out and Zyuzin "probable".

NJ is 6-4-3 on 1 day rest after a loss
Toronto is 5-6-1 on 2 days rest after a win.

Leafs are 5-0 away ATS when allowing 1 or less goals.
3-2 allowing 2
2-4 allowing 3
0-7 allowing 4

 

[Terryray]

NY Islanders at Atlanta

NY Islanders at Atlanta

NYI 16-11-2 away (29-22-7 on season)
Atlanta 9-15-6 at home (15-38-7 on season)

Teams met once this season, jan 6. NYI won 3-2 at ATL. Snow in net for NYI. Hnilicka had a poor night, and NYI Isbister scored twice. First liner Isbister is listed as "doubtful" for fri.

Tonight's game is first of home/away series on consecutive nights.


NYI 5-3-2 last ten.
Thrashers 3-6-1 last 10. At home they beat Oilers, NJ and Sabres tuesday.
Thrashers 7-7-2-1 last 17, with 3 one-goal losses. Now 1 point behind FL in Conf.

Thrashers have stitched together two wins in a row only twice this season, in oct and january.

NYI is 3-1-1 at Atlanta.
over is 3-1-1 in meetings at Atlanta.
over is 5-1 last 6 meetings overall

But
under 6 line has cashed in 11-5-8 in AT this season.
under 6 line for NYI on road is 1-0

NYI are 4-7-1 on 2 days rest.
AT is 3-11-3 on two days rest. 0-6 on 2 days following a win.

AT "captain Ferraro's left wrist is still sore".


NYI is sixth in E Conference.
Thrashers' Tony Hrkac said of his team mates "most of the guys are fighting for jobs next year".

 

[Nolan Dalla]

Re: Friday Game Notes

He's 20 yrs old, never drafted, but has played very well for the Memphis River Kings. Especially in that shoot out win over the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in January!



Can we get a line on the Mudbugs game?


Now I've heard everything.

-- Nolan Dalla

 

[Terryray]

Nurminen in goal

Nurminen in goal

Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Constitution reports "Pasi Nurminen will make his first start in goal since the Olympics".

Nurminen is 1-2-0 in his NHL career, 2.68 gga, .928 pct.

His last start was Feb 12 at STL. It was his first road start, he gave up 3 goals. He also gave up 3 in his NHL debut. The two games in between, he allowed 2 goals in each game (against NYR and Edmonton).

Schultz' remark is at the end of this long article about how the Thrashers have a tough schedual now, and want to avoid the cellar.


http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/sports_c3f7d3b0f292d0fb00f5.html

 

[Terryray]

NY Islander update on injuries and goalie

NY Islander update on injuries and goalie

good info on their official site today.

Isbister will definitely not play, now listed day to day.

"RW Steve Webb will play tonight for the first time since breaking his hand here in Atlanta Jan 6."

Garth Snow: "Don't be surprised if he gets the nod tonight."

usual suspects still out--Kvasha, Martinek and Haller.

 

[Terryray]

Toronto: more Schwab and Mogilny

Toronto: more Schwab and Mogilny

Papers mention that Schwab will be fighting for his starter job right off the bat, since the trade deadline is March 19.

Cujo will try the ultra-sound treatments that supposedly cut Sundin's recovery nearly in half.

I was wrong in stats above, Schwab is 2-2-0-2 on road (not 2-3-0-2). One of those loses wasn't a start.

He has the worst save pct among NHL goalies (with more than 10 games). But that's a bit deceptive because team gives him good defense on the road. He averages there 23 shots on goal.

Mogilny has slightly cracked vertebrae and out for maybe two weeks.

 

[infinii]

Yuskevich is confirmed to be out for rest of season. He doesn't want to risk career with early return (fyi, he has blood clot).

Adding to your news on Mogilny, the cracked vertabrae was found in a 2nd MRI he had done (docs missed it at first).

 

[Terryray]

Boston at Buffalo

Boston at Buffalo

Bruins are 2-0-1 this season over Buffalo, all in Boston. They won the last 3 at Buffalo (with Dafoe in net, last season), but lost 6 in a row there before that.

Boston 3-1-1 last 5 on road
Buffalo 3-1-1 last 5 at home.
Buffalo in last three games is 0-2-1, but 3-0-2 before that. Managed a measly 2.29 avg goals/game last 17.

Boston coming off big 3rd period fight last night. Teams coming off big fights seem to do well in next game. Even the mighty Ducks!

Leading scorer Thornton suspended for three games.

Buffalo is 7 points from playoff spot, and coming off embarassing loss to AT. They're hungry.

Dafoe will get his first start since the break. Most other goalies doing this have been very rusty. Sabres' Biron has been sharp.

Dafoe went 5-0-1 in last 6 before the break.

Bruins 1-1-2 on 0 days after a loss (two ties and line today for Boston is at +.5 ). Boston 3-2 this season after a loss of 3+ goals.

Sabres 3-3-1 on 2 days rest after a loss.
Sabres 10-4 ATS after a loss when home.

Under hit 7-2-1 last 10 meetings.
Under hit 4-0-2 last 6 Buff games
Under hit 1-4 last five Boston road games.

 

[Terryray]

San Jose at Tampa Bay

San Jose at Tampa Bay

SJ is 16-11-5 on road (32-20-7 for season)
TB 10-14-3 at home (20-33-6 for season)

Sharks will set a franchise record of 8 consecutive wins with one tonight.

SJ Mercury News sez backup goalie Kiprusoff will start in goal tonight. He's 5-4-2 this season, 2.68 gga, .908 save pct.
Kiprusoff is 1-2-2 on road this season. Just off two poor outings, he has always bounced back this season in such situations.

Khabib is "expected" to start sez paper.
He's getting first start since break. Before break he went 0-3-1, giving up 3 goals a game (actually 4 in one of them, the tie).

SJ is 5-3-1 on 0 days rest. 3-3-1 on 0 day after a win.
TB is 2-3-2 on 2 days rest. 1-3 on 2 days after a loss.

TB forward Zdeno Ciger claimed anxiety attacks in last game. "It's Bull--" said coach "He will not be in line up tonight".

TB of course still has Holzinger, Pratt, Modin and St Louis out. Now wing Dwyer is out for season with shoulder injury.

TB's Lecavalier didn't practice and is doubtful for tonight.

SJ is 6-1-0-0 vs SE Division
TB is 5-2-0-0 vs Pacific Division

 

[wigs]

thanks for the info, looks like miller joins the first line for isles in place of isbister--

from newsday

Tonight, when the Islanders play the Thrashers in Atlanta in the first game of a back-to-back, home-and-home series, Miller will be asked to fill Brad Isbister's spot next to Alexei Yashin and Mariusz Czerkawski on the top line. Isbister is not expected to play because of a back strain. Miller, at 5-10, 190-pounds, will not provide the same physical presence the 6-4, 228-pound Isbister does, but he'll try.

"My role changes a little bit," Miller said, "from a guy that makes passes to a guy that goes to the net a little bit and forechecks every time. Make sure I create a little space for those guys to get their shots."

 

[wigs]

refs, sorry so late

nyi/atl- faucette & kimmerly
bos/buf- mccreary & peel
sj/tb-maguire & meier
tor/nj- o halloran & pollock