Senators Look to Spoil Yotes Run

The Ottawa Senators have been eliminated from playoff contention. Actually, they have been eliminated for months. However, GM Schmucky is not taking these last few games lightly. He is planning on healing newly acquired star Alexei Kovalev in order to take a good look at the possible chemistry between him and his future linemates.

The Senators, who haven't had anything to play for in the last few months, are looking forward to playing the spoilers against the Coyotes this week. The Yotes have their #1 goalie suspended due to a violation of the allowed minutes played by the star goaltender. THus, Morrison, Selanne and Kovalev are hoping to put the boots to the backups to show their GM that they are worthy of remaining the #1 cast for next years lineup.

The Jr. Sens continue their quest for the league title this week. GM Schmucky and the Ottawa fans have been watching the standings like hawks hoping for the other contenders to lose lose lose. With the entire squad healthy, the Sens have been having light practises and family time in hopes that they won't burn out for playoffs because whether they finish 1st or 3rd in the conference doesn't matter come playoff time.

Junior Capitals Ground Junior Flyers

The Washington Junior Capitals jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back on Day 154 in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Junior Flyers. The win moved Washington to 31-34-12 and six points out of the final playoff spot in the Wales Conference.

The Capitals came out flying in the first period, and Cory Urquhart got things started when he scored from Sean Bergenheim and Henrik Tallinder at 9:27. Bergenheim extended the lead to 2-0 with a goal from Ivan Baranka and Tallinder at 14:04, before Igor Shadulov made it 3-0 at 15:31 from Zbynek Novak and Branko Radivojevic.

After a scoreless second period that saw Philadelphia outshoot Washington 12-3, the Caps bounced back early in the final 20 minutes to go four goals ahead. Novak was the scorer from Shadulov and Radivojevic at 1:39. The Flyers finally got on the board with Nolan's marker from Sullivan at 4:44, but Washington came right back with a goal from Joudrey. Mikhail Kuleshov assisted on the goal at 6:12. Philadelphia added two goals in the second half of the period to complete the scoring. Jessiman got the first from Beauchemin and Picard at 12:37, before Sullivan tallied from Picard and Jessiman at 15:10.

Robert Muller made 22 saves to earn the win and improve to 6-1-3. Martin Gerber stopped just 13 shots in the loss and fell to 32-25-6. Bernd Bruckner made seven saves in relief.

The Junior Capitals return to action on Day 157 against the Junior Islanders.

JR CANES PREPARE FOR SHOWDOWN WITH LEAFS

Carolina

The Hurricanes have spent the better part of the past two days working on getting something to happen offensively with their big two lines. Franchise center Jeff Carter has now been matched up with offensive phenom Igor Mirnov and Junior Lessard in hopes to spark the new Russian.

Brandon Reid will be out there with another speedy Russian Sergei Mozyakin and power forward Ryan Getzlaf.

The hope is that the offense is spread around and somehow the Caens big O will get back on track.

"There is no excuse for our lack of offensive punch the past couple of games," said defenseman Shea Weber. "We buzz all game long and sooner or later some of this has to start going in for us."

The Canes are currently in the middle of the pack but with a couple games in hand, they could easily end up 1st in the conference. Time will tell but the Canes have their star netminder Jeff Glass and hope the youngster is up for the task.

Up Front, Nigel Dawes, due to lack of offensive output the past few games, has been demoted to the 4th line. Look for Dawes to start adding some extra spark to get himself back up on one of the big lines.

FRIESEN KING OF THE O IN C-TOWN

Carolina

When the season began, most of the offensive hype of the Carolina Hurricanes centered around a quartet of players. Cory Stillman and Alexei Kovalev, the clubs top offensive duo up front and veteran blueline gunners Scott Niedermayer and Oleg Tverdovsky. The quartet did not last long in Carolina, in fact, the last to go was center Cory Stillman in a deal which brought in young gun Brad Boyes.

During that time, however, one player has consistently provided offense and has been the Canes go to guy. Jeff Friesen, 29, has been that player. With 35 goals and 41 assists, Freeze has been more than a key member of the club.

Acquired last season in a deal that sent Maxim Afinogenov, Friesen has stepped up and been the clubs top offensive weapon all season long. Playing the majority of his time with sophomore center Kyle Wellwood and newly departed Darcy Tucker, Friesen has made himself a fan favorite and leading scorer of the Canes.

"This has been a great season for not only myself, but also the team," said Friesen. "A lot of things have changed around here but I was told mid way through the season that I was here for the duration, and apparently only myself, Jay McKee, mike Fisher and Shane Doan received that sort of hand shake agreement. I think is speaks volumes to me that I am wanted here while so many other quality players have left."

Friesen will be a restricted free agent this offseason and is one of the priorities of Canes management to resign.

"Losing Jeff would be a monster hit for this club," said head coach Joel Quenneville. "He is my weapon and I have requested he not be dealt. I think upper management and myself are on the same page with him. He is crucial and he makes us a better club, bar none. I do not see a deal for him happening and I really hope he gets the contract he deserves."

With only a couple games left for the Canes, Jeff Friesen and his agent cannot look to the offseason for a possible deal just yet. Friesens goal at the moment is to bring the club a Stanley Cup and had this to say.

"There are rumours of bringing in some more help for a late run. I cannot say I would disapprove. Signing Brad Ference was a solid addition and maybe one more big name forward could help. We shall see though, I do not understand a lot of moves this club makes."

Sens GM makes HUGE deal while in Vegas

While GM Schmucky was gambling the Franchise fortune and looking at big tittied bitches, the JR Sens were making mega waves in the CLUTCH JR league. The Sens have made a late surge to take 1st overall in the JR league. With just 4 games remaining the Sens have a slim 1 point lead on the Philly JR squad, 3 on those pesky isles and 2 on the Flames. The Sens have their sights set on the league title as they look to their big guns to lead them to the playoffs in 1st place.

The big news out of Ottawa was the trade for superstar RW Alexei Kovalev. Schmucky was looking for a franchise player to lead the team next year and he got it. Kovalev possesses the kind of skill the Sens were missing this year and the team is delighted to have him aboard. It is expecte d that Kovy will rest the remainder of the season being that he is injured and the team does not want to see any long term effects since their season is wrapped up anyways.

Losing young star Andreas Holmqvist is the price you pay to pick up a star. Holmqvist is one of the most promising young Dmen in the league and will be sorely missed. The Sens, however, have good young talent at D with Whitney and Novak to lead them into the future.

Jere Lehtinen was acquired by the Sens earlier this season to give them a much needed defensive forward. However, Jere has been a great disappointment and the Sens did not hesitate to replace him with Kovy.

The organization wishes them well in Vancouver and hopes that Kovy will be the new face of the Sens future!

GLASS STELLAR IN TIE

Carolina

With e Carolina Junior Hurricanes fighting for playoff position, a real test came at the hand of the Calgary Flames club. A team who has been consistently at the top of the standings, Calgary boasts one of the best offenses in the league.

Ryan Getzlaf led the scoring for the Canes by picking up 2 points qucickly and despite several opportunities late in the contest, was unable to bring the extra points to the Canes.

Jeff Glass, stellar netminder for the Canes, did all he could in the game by tossing away 31 of 34 shots and kept the Canes in the Game the entire time.

"Glassy is the man around here," said Shea Weber. "With him back there, this club does everything right. I think we have all the confidence in the world in him to shut the door and let us win it. When we do not win, it usually is our own fault. Jeff is solid."

The Canes junior squad has been waiting for the impact of Igor Mirnov. Mirnov, despite having several chances, has not been the offensive machine as the team thought he would be.

"He has more talent than most of this league, but right now, luck is not on his side," said Jeff Carter. "He is firing but he just cannot seem to make it happen. He will though, he is that good."

CANES TAKES DOWN FLYERS IN OVERTIME

Carolina

Newly acquired Brad Ference did not take long to showcase what he can bring to the club. The powerful Ference watched young Brad Boyes get levelled by an open ice hit by Olli Jokinen and went after the talented Finn. Big Ference also added a key assist as the Canes won the game 5-4 in overtime.

"He did not get a nod for a star of the game, but he got one from me," said head coach Joel Quenneville. "He stood up for one of our kids and he played hard nosed hockey. That is what I want from our back end. It is what I expect. I think Brad is a perfect fit for our club at this time."

A righted handed shot, Ference has given the team the option to move Carlo Colaiacovo with Steve Eminger, a more defensively committed player. The move allows each pairing to have a puck mover or quality passer with an aggressive defensive stalwart. The Canes like the looks of their top 7 going in the playoffs.

"Brad gave us that extra option for toughness down the stretch. Brendan Bell is currently sitting but he could easily get back in if one of the 6 decides to not hold up their end. I do not might switching anything around. Winning is the only thing I worry about, not players feelings."

The Canes have tonight off, but remaining games with Tampa Bay and Philadelphia could still determine playoff position.

Capitals Skate Past Devils for Big Win

The Washington Capitals earned two big points on Day 156 in a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The win moved Washington into fifth place in the Wales Conference at 36-32-11. The Capitals lead Philadelphia by one point and Pittsburgh and New Jersey by four. Washington, Philadelphia and New Jersey have three games remaining, while the Penguins have four.

After a scoreless first period, Frantisek Lukes gave the Caps a lead at 6:39 of the second. The goal, Lukes' 25th of the season, was assisted by Mikael Renberg and Dan Boyle. New Jersey fought back to tie the game through Huselius at 11:34. Two recent arrivals, Svehla and Lemieux, setup the goal for the Devils. Washington came right back after the score was tied to regain the lead. Bryan Berard was the scorer from Renberg and Rob Blake just 52 seconds after Huselius' goal.

The Capitals locked things down in the final 20 minutes and gave up just eight shots on goal. Todd Warriner potted an insurance tally from Greg Watson and Jonathan Cheechoo at 18:37 to provide the final score.

Manny Legace made 22 saves to earn the win and improve to 29-27-8. Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 25 shots in the loss and fell to 32-31-5.

The Capitals are off for two days before visiting Chicago on Day 159.

Junior Capitals Fall to Junior Flyers

The playoff hopes of the Washington Junior Capitals are all but over after a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Junior Flyers on Day 153. The loss drops the Caps to 30-34-12 and seven points behind the final playoff spot with six games remaining.

Philadelphia opened a 1-0 lead midway through the first period when Stajan netted from Ruzicka and Lefebrve at 10:17. The other action of the first 20 minutes was a fight between Branko Radivojevic and Josh Olson. The result was a draw at 17:02.

The Flyers extended its lead to 2-0 early in the middle stanza. Sullivan was the scorer from Beauchemin and Picard at 2:31. Washington battled back to get within one when Sean Kotary scored on the power play from Radivojevic and Igor Shadulov at 11:50. Lance Moynch tied it up for the Capitals from Patrick O'Sullivan and Sean Bergenheim at 15:45. Washington outshot Philadelphia 12-6 in the period.

The Capitals continued to press in the final period, but two Flyers' markers spelled doom for Washington. Nolan got the first from Picard and Jessiman at 7:52, before Gauthier finished the scoring from Massen and Stajan at 13:44.

Brad Topping stopped 19 shots in the loss and fell to 14-24-6. Martin Gerber made 28 saves to earn the win and improve to 32-24-6.

The two clubs meet again on Day 154 in Philadelphia.

Oilers are almost in

After doing a Remarkable 7-2-1 in the last 10 games including a 6 game winning streak the Edmonton Oilers have really pulled it together for the final stretch, With 3 games left they sit just 1 point out of a final playoff spot. 2 out of 3 of their final games will come up against the stars, The Oilers will battle hard and hope they can get those badly needed 4 points, The good news is that Turco can't play the rest of the year and that they will be up against DesRouchers who has a shabby 4.22 GAA and a ridiculous .859 save %. Conklin will get the nod for the Oilers for the rest of the Regular season who has played remarkable all year posting a 2.43 GAA and .912 Save%. The 3rd and final game of the season is against the 1st Place Predators which will be a much more difficult task.

Junior Capitals Host Philadelphia

The Washington Junior Capitals host the Philadelphia Junior Flyers on Day 153 in a must-win for Washington. The Caps are six points out of the final playoff spot at 30-33-12. Washington does have a game in hand. The Junior Flyers are 42-30-6 and second in the Wales Conference.

Sean Bergenheim leads the balanced Washington attack with 18 goals and 35 assists. Patrick O'Sullivan has 19 goals and 29 assists, while Zbynek Noval adds 43 points. Sean Kotary tops the goal-scoring chart with 21 goals and 21 assists. Lance Moynch is also chipping in with 40 points.

On the blue line, Jakub Cutta has eight goals and 30 assists. Igor Shadulov adds 30 points, and Brett Carson has 25 points in 48 games.

In goal, Robert Muller has come on late in the season with surprising effect. The netminder is 5-1-3 with a 2.02 GAA and .921 save percentage. Brad Topping is 14-23-6 with a 3.05 GAA and .898 save percentage. Daniel Taylor is 11-9-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .897 save percentage.

Guillaume Lefebvre sparks the Philadelphia offense with 25 goals and 35 assists. Brandon Nolan adds 25 goals and 33 assists, while Hugh Jessiman has 28 goals and 26 assists. Dale Sullivan contributes 53 points, and Matthew Stajan adds 47. Stefan Ruzicka chips in with 17 goals and 27 assists.

On defense, Francois Beauchemin has nine goals and 35 assists. Jonathan Gauthier adds 37 points, and Nate Kiser contributes 23 points.

Between the pipes, Martin Gerber is 31-24-6 with a 2.98 GAA and .897 save percentage. Bernd Bruckner is 11-6-0 with a 2.93 GAA and .898 save percentage.

Capitals Visit Devils in Critical Game

The Washington Capitals will try to bounce back from a 5-4 loss on Day 155 when they visit the New Jersey Devils on Day 156. Washington is sixth in the Wales Conference at 35-32-11. The Devils are two points behind the Caps at 36-35-7. The two teams play twice more after tonight's game.

The Washington attack is led by Zigmund Palffy with 29 goals and 50 assists. Patrick Marleau adds 29 goals and 38 assists, and recent arrival David Vyborny has 28 goals and 33 assists. On the wings, Anson Carter and Mikael Renberg contribute 57 points each, and speedy youngster Frantisek Lukes has 24 goals and 26 assists.

On defense, Rob Blake tops the charts with eight goals and 35 assists. Bryan Berard contributes 12 goals and 24 assists, and Dan Boyle is chipping in with 30 points.

Between the pipes, Manny Legace has been up and down all season. The veteran netminder is 28-27-8 with a 3.15 GAA and .883 save percentage. Backup Peter Skudra is 6-5-3 with a 2.91 GAA and .894 save percentage.

Miroslav Satan leads the Devils offense with 33 goals and 44 assists. Aging superstar Mario Lemieux adds 32 goals and 38 assists. David Legwand contributes 32 goals and 36 assists. A trio of players including Todd Marchant, Kristian Huselius, and Boyd Devereaux have 58 points each.

On the blue line, Mathieu Biron has eight goals and 40 assists. Robert Svehla adds 45 points, and Karel Pilar contributes 10 goals and 24 assists.

In goal, Nikolai Khabibulin is 32-30-5 with a 3.39 GAA and .880 save percentage. Mika Noronen is 2-5-1 with a 4.23 GAA and .852 save percentage.

Capitals Collapse Against Sabres

The Washington Capitals blew a two-goal lead in the third period to fall 5-4 against the Buffalo Sabres on Day 155. Washington remains in sixth place after the loss, one point behind Philadelphia and two points ahead of New Jersey and Pittsburgh. Tampa Bay is a further three points adrift. All five clubs have four games remaining.

Buffalo jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Lydman scored from Butsayev and Afinogenov. The Caps outshot the Sabres 11-5 in the first period, but none of them made it past Rick Dipietro in the Buffalo goal.

The Capitals exploded in the second period to score three goals in the first 8:07. Zigmund Palffy got the first from Mikael Renberg and Patrick Marleau at 2:54. Frantisek Lukes then gave Washington its first lead of the game from David Vyborny and Jonathan Cheechoo on the power play at 4:49. Given another chance with the extra man a couple minutes later, the Capitals took advantage as Andrew Ference tallied from Vyborny and Cheechoo at 8:07. Buffalo pulled a goal back through Spezza from Hemsky and Markov at 9:01 to make it 3-2.

The third period started brightly for Washington as Lukes scored his second of the game and 24th of the season at 4:45 to extend the lead to two goals. Everything turned around for the Sabres when the club killed a penalty just a minute after Luke's goal, and Spezza sparked the rally with his second of the game from Leclair at 8:31. Afinogenov tied the game just 35 seconds later form Kruikov and Butsayev at 9:08, and a late goal from Hunter gave Buffalo the surprising victory. Gagne and Vasicek assisted on the game-winner.

Manny Legace made 16 saves in the loss to fall to 28-27-8. Rick Dipietro stopped 28 shots to earn the win and improve to 7-13-0.

The Capitals are back in action on Day 156 in New Jersey.

CANES SIGN BIG INSURANCE POLICY

Carolina

With the playoffs looming and a top 6 defence which has been through a long and difficult season, the Carolina Hurricanes signed an unrestricted free agent. Brad Ference, the rather large 26 year old defenseman was locked up for 4 years and gives the Canes that depth guy they could utilize down the stretch.

"Brad is a big guy and a warrior," said head coach Joel Quenneville. "He has an offensive side to him but he really will assert himself physically, and as we approach the playoffs, his presence on the backend could help us not get bullied."

Ference, who stand six foot three, has a reputation for being a mean defender and an aggressive body checker. The Canes will likely split up their second pairing of Jeff Woywitka and Carloa Colaiacovo for the time being, to distribute the right handed shots on the team.

"Carlo will play with Eminger, which he did in junior a couple years ago. We like the option of Woywitka and Ference. It should make for an uncomfortable game for whoever they match up against."

Carolina take son the Flyers tomorrow in what could be a playoff matchup in a week or so.

Vaananen pays the Price

(Tampa) - Tonight the Lightning will suit up against the Atlanta Thrashers but one player will not see the ice anymore for the Bolts. After Gm Sprackman ripped Ossi Vaananen for his game vs the Hurricanes, Gm Sprackman traded the defenceman to the St.Louis Blues. Going to the Blues was Vaananen and coming back to Tampa was young Dman Saviels and the Blues 1st round pick in 2009.

"That game against the Canes was just the tip of the iceberg. He has played so undiscipline over the year and has cost us too many goals against. He is a good young kid but right now we can't have bad plays and terrible penalties ruin our slim chance of post season." Gm Sprackman said after the move. " We hope he helps the Blues in their persuit of the Cup but for us, sitting in the penalty box isn't a good place for a player to be all the time. Now, we get a player who is a project but has some upside to his game. He has almost as many points as Vaananen, is a better +/- guy and believe it or not has no penalties this season. We also get a 1st round pick, which we didn't have so it will help the jr team."

With the move, the Lightning look forward to 3 straight games vs the Thrashers. If there was ever a chance to make the playoffs, this is it. Lose one of these games and the season will be done for the Lightning. Gm Sprackman hopes all the moves made will get the team ready for next season, but a spot in the playoffs this season would be sweet. We shall see.....

Capitals Return Home to Face Sabres

The Washington Capitals put its three-game winning streak on the line when the Buffalo Sabres come to town on Day 155. Washington is 6th in the Wales Conference at 35-31-11, one point behind Philadelphia and two points ahead of New Jersey and Pittsburgh. Buffalo is 14th in the conference at 27-46-5.

Zigmund Palffy leads the Caps attack with 28 goals and 50 assists. Dynamic center adds 29 goals and 37 assists, while recent arrival David Vyborny has 28 goals and 31 assists. Anson Carter is contributing from the win with 57 points, and vetern Mikael Renberg is playing well with 56 points. Youngster Frantisek Lukes is having a career-year with 22 goals and 26 assists.

On defense, Rob Blake has eight goals and 35 assists, and Bryan Berard adds 12 goals and 24 assists. Dan Boyle is also contributing with four goals and 26 assists.

Between the pipes, Manny Legace is 28-26-8 with a 3.12 GAA and .884 save percentage. Peter Skudra is 6-5-3 with a 2.91 GAA and .894 save percentage.

The Sabres are led by Artem Kruikov's 22 goals and 43 assists. John LeClair adds 23 goals and 36 assists, while Alexander Polushin has 25 goals and 33 assists. Simon Gagne contributes 55 points, and Josef Vasicek is chipping in with 42 points.

On the blue lines, Toni Lydman adds to the offense with seven goals and 33 assists. Andrei Markov contributes 32 points, and Paul Mara is chipping in with 28 points.

In goal, Marc Denis is 21-33-5 with a 3.51 GAA and .877 save percentage. Rick Dipietro is 6-13-0 with a 3.91 GAA and .873 save percentage.

CANES OFFSEASON APPROACHES

With the playoffs growing closer and the Carolina Hurricanes already a lock for this year's edition, management has taken the time to discuss possible scenarios of the offseason.

The team has already stockpiled an embarrassing amount of picks, 12 in total, including 7 first round draft selections. With a looming graduation of several of the junior Canes stars, these picks are extremely valuable to the Canes for several reasons.

"We know that there are several kids down there that we want to make the next step," said head scout Barry Trapp. "Jeff Carter has already notched 50 assists and he looks like he is ready right now to join our pro squad. Ryan Getzlaf is seemingly a dominant power forward down there. Brandon Reid, Junior Lessard and Tomas Mojzis have stepped their games. Dion Phaneuf has a rigorous training regiment right now and we expect big things from him. There are several guys we are looking forward to joining our club and because of that, the void needs to be filled with quality players. These picks will fill in the spots left, and more."

Aside form the draft, the Canes also will have a busy time with resigning plenty of their current roster. Fan favourite Mike Fisher is likely the most important signing of the team. Fisher has become the teams most versatile forward, killing penalties, playing a defensive role and chipping in his fair share of offense as well. Fisher will be the teams frachise player and will no doubt be signed to a long term deal.

Newly acquired Daniel Briere is also up for a contract renewal. The speedy young centerman has solidified the center position in Carolina and is likely looking to increase his current salary. Players such as Brian Gionta, Kyle Wellwood, Carlo Colaiacovo and Jeff Friesen also look to break the bank this offseason with extensions.

Veteran Bryan Smolinski, acquired in the Cory Stillman deal, had been rumoured to have asked Canes management for an extension. The jury is out on Smolinski and a lot will depend on other signings. Smoke has been a valuable addition, especially in the injury of Kris Draper where Bryan filled in admirably.

Financially, the Canes are in good shape with the deals of Darcy Tucker, Cory Stillman and Mattias Ohlund. The team has dropped a lot of bigger salaries and restructured the contract Rostislav Klesla to make it reasonable.

Overall, the Canes main priority is to resign their own squad. Any extra cap room will likely be addressed with a possible pickup or two. The Canes are never happy with their roster until the win.

So for now, the Hurricanes enter this year's playoffs in hopes of making some noise. Last season, they were eliminated by the powerhouse New York Islanders, but a year older and wiser could help this Canes group make a splash in this year's playoffs.

Florida Jr's Making Playoff Push After Horrid 1-10-1 Start

FLORIDA
The Florida Jr's are currently the hottest team in the league right now going 8-2 in their last ten. They also have an above .500 record 37-34-5 and are currently all alone in 7th spot.

SO WHAT...you may be asking yourself.....well here is the SO WHAT.

At the beginning of the season as with all teams there were high hopes for Florida's Jr. squad but hopes faded fast. Instead of coming out of the gate with a quick start to the season they had to be pushed in because injuries riddled the team in the beginning. Florida had no less then 4 -6 players injured more then once during the first half of the season.

Along with the injuries and partly due to them the Jr's started the season 1-10-1 and dead last in the Wales Jr. Conference. On top of that starting goalie Billy Thompson was struggling and back up Lukas Mensator was not doing much better.

Then somewhere down the line....as players started getting healthy....things slowly started to change.

Billy Thompson was struggling so bad he lost the starters job and back up Lukas Mensator started to find his game. Lukas took the reins and with the help of Thompson as back up have brought this team back to respectability.

Lukas's record is now 24-19-0 with 2 shut outs and he has solidified his spot as the teams starting goalie. The line of Viktor Bobrov, Igor Radulov and rookie Anton Borodkin are all atop the teams top point getters with Bobrov leading the team in goals (32) and points. His goal total is also tied for second in the league.

With 6 games left in the season Florida still has some work to do before they can clinch a playoff spot and it will be without rookie Anton Borodkin who has been suspended for 5 out of the last 6 for fighting.

So as the season comes to an end Florida Jr's hold their destiny in their hands. If they continue to play the way they have been the last 1/4 of the season they should have no problems clinching a post season birth.

Playoffs Stretch Looking Like Photo Finish

Here they come! Down the playoff stretch! Look at them go! The Devils are out in front! No! No! It's the Pens! Now the Lightning are pressing and Washington is in the lead! They're drawing close together! HOLY COW IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSE!

CLUTCH'S final week of the season is gearing up to be one of the most monumentally exciting playoff drives in years. With nothing decided in the bottom 5 of the Wales conference and maybe even the bottom 6 of the Campbell conference teams are charging hard and jockeying for position.

Trades have abounded as some teams stock up for the playoff drive and some teams sell off vets for future stars.

Campbell Conference

BlackHawk 79 41 32 6 88 273 247 .556

Kings 78 38 29 11 87 265 241 .557

Avalanche 78 38 30 10 86 265 223 .551

Blues 79 40 34 5 85 242 236 .537

RedWings 78 38 33 7 83 262 223 .532

Flames 78 37 33 8 82 245 260 .525

--------------------------------------------------

Oilers 79 38 35 6 82 257 252 .518

Coyotes 79 37 34 8 82 276 248 .518

Canucks 78 39 36 3 81 253 238 .519

The tightest race is in the Campbell conference where only the top 2 teams have locked up a playoff spot. Even the theird place Blackhawks are a possibility to miss the post season if they stumble at all. Only 7 points separate the Hawks in third and the Canucks in eleventh. Every game is going to count!

This race is just too ridiculously close to call. With just a cursory look at the lineups and nothing else though both the Oilers and the Coyotes' #1 goalie has played the maximum games. Look for the Canucks to leapfrog both of them and I'm giving them an outside chance of beating the Red Wings for the last playoff spot.

Campbell Conference

Flyers 78 37 33 8 82 245 236 .525

Capitals 77 35 31 11 81 242 240 .525

Devils 78 36 35 7 79 267 258 .506

Penguins 78 35 34 9 79 239 267 .506

---------------------------------------------

Lightning 77 34 37 6 74 259 254 .480

(Why is the above double spaced you ask?? Ask Blogger!)

The Campbell is not as crowded but equally difficult to call. The Devils have loaded up on talent in a hurry and are a major threat to anyone in the playoffs but I've been informed they play the Capitals in 3 of their last 4 games and the wild in 1. This *should* mean they have a playoff spot as they should beat the caps at least once and the Wild as well. The Penguins play the Bruins, Sabres, Avalanche and Jackets which means they have 3 weak opponents and only 1 strong one so they should do well....

and finally...

the monkey in the wrench...

The "sleeping giant" Tampa Bay Lightning play Atlanta 3 times which should equal 6 points....but then they play the Flyers and Hurricanes so in other words....

IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSE!

Capitals Best Blackhawks

The Washington Capitals moved within one point of fifth place in the Wales Conference on Day 153 after a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Washington is now 35-31-11, one behind Philadelphia and four ahead of New Jersey and Pittsburgh.

Washington came out quickly in the opening period, outshooting Chicago 18-7. David Vyborny netted the only goal for the Caps from Dan Boyle and Jonathan Cheechoo at 6:01.

The Capitals didn't dominate in the second period, but a power play midway through the action gave the team a good chance to extend its lead. Anson Carter did the job from Zigmund Palffy and Bryan Berard to make it 2-0.

Washington continued to press in the final period, and Mikael Renberg's marker from Palffy and Rob Blake at 10:26 stretched the lead to three goals. Vermette ruined the shutout bid with a shorthanded goal from Kolozvary and Miller at 18:32.

Manny Legace stopped 23 shots to earn the win and improve to 28-26-8. Michael Leighton made 27 saves in the loss to fall to 5-1-1.

Washington is off on Day 154 before hosting Buffalo on Day 155.

Lightning Dominate..but fall to Canes

(Tampa) - The Lightning outplayed, outhit but didn't out score the Canes last night and a bad 3rd period lead to a 4-2 loss. Despite what the crack smoking Gm in Carolina wrote, they were far from dominating and with bad timings on penalties, the Lightning should have faired better.

"Not sure what game Mark was watching but it wasn't a hockey game thats for sure. We outplayed them in every aspect but again, bad penalties and bad goaltending let us down." Gm Sprackman was quoted after readiing the retarded comments of the Canes Gm. "If you look at the teams, the Canes have 2 more wins....whooopy...If we faired as weel in OT as they have, we be right up there too. But enough on the Canes, our team played well for 37 minutes and Vaananen took the game away with a bad penalty in the 2nd. It cost us the win and may have cost us a playoff spot. I am going to talk to him today and discuss some of his play to see if we can sort out what he is doing wrong."

Up next, the Lightning play the Thrashers and if they don't win that game, might as well pack it in.

Rangers Beat Senators - Eye Second Place

The New York Rangers rebounded from a tough loss to the New York Islanders by handily beating the Ottawa Senators last night. The Rangers balanced attack was on display again last night as players on all lines contributed to the 4-1 victory.

Wade Redden was ejected from the game on a controversial call. Alexei Kovalev barreled down on him as he tried to keep the puck in at the blue line and Redden's elbow came up as they made contact. Kovalev fell awkwardly into the boards and is out 3 weeks with a shoulder injury. Redden was ejected which caused head coach Roger Neilson to go balistic and scream at the referee until he was blue in the face. Marek Malik had an outstanding game with 24 minutes of ice time and a plus 4 rating as he filled in for Redden.

"I don't know why I was ejected," said a clearly frustrated Redden after the game. "My elbow went up so I could try and keep my balance and then he fell into the boards. He hurt his shoulder falling, not on my elbow. Hope he's ok, but it wasn't intentional."

With the vicorty the Rangers find themselves with a slim but possible shot at second place in the conference. The Rangers have 3 games remaining but 2 of them are against the Florida Panthers.

If the Panthers beat Atlanta tonight, however, the Rangers will have to beat the Panthers twice and win their final game against Montreal to have any hope of jumping into second.

If the Panthers lose both to the Rangers they have the mighty Islanders for their next game and finish out the season against the Bruins. To have a realistic shot at second place the Rangers are going to have win their remaining three games and hope the Panthers lose to them twice, lose to the Islanders and lose to either ther Bruins or Thrashers.

"We'd love to get second place," said Mats Sundin. "We control our destiny a bit by having the opportunity to beat the Panthers twice but we have to hope for some other teams to help us out. We'll be happy to face any team in the playoffs. It was a scenario that looked doubtful at the beginning of the year and here we are in third in the division and fourth overall in the league."

CANES DOMINATE SUB PAR LIGHTNING, WIN DECISIVELY 4-2 IN DRUBBING

After being dominated, destroyed and clobbered in an embarrassing 3-2 loss to a far superior St. Louis Blues squad, the Canes rallied to defeat a mere speck of a team, former CLUTCH Champions Tampa Bay in a decisive 4-2 victory. Since Tampa and Carolina are in the far weaker Campbell division, one could only imagine this lacklustre affair.

"To win by one goal is apparently dominating, so for us to win by 2 whole goals, I mean God, what a punishing afternoon for Tampa," said Jay McKee, a huge part of the overwhelming slaughter of the meek Tampa Bay Lightning. "I feel sorry for the players of Tampa, but also their families. What total domination."

Jeff Friesen and Brad Boyes led the Canes to the pounding by each potting 2 points. For Boyes, it was more of a wake up call.

"I was not playing because I was not really doing anything on the ice," said Boyes. "If you want to play here, you need to step it up every game. I was not. Coach likes guys to go hard all game long and I think I did that tonight. Hopefully I am back for the next game."

The Canes will finish of the season playing the Lightning one more time and current rival the Philadelphia Flyers another two times. With the victory, the Canes secured a playoff spot, something that was just a matter of time.

JR CANES PULL OFF MUST WIN VICTORY

Carolina

In a must win game for the Junior Canes, Carolina came out big against Campbell Conference leaders the Calgary Flames and snuck by with a 4-3 victory. Jeff Glass once again stood strong as the talented former Team Canada Junior star stopped 27 of 30 shots and backstopped the Canes to a well earned victory.

After being called out by head coach Craig Hartsburg, the team responded, in no small part to slick center Jeff Carter, who buried two more goals, including the game winner. Igor Mirnov, the newly acquired, explosive left winger, added two helpers. Offensive blueliner Tomas Mojzis also chipped in with a goal and an assist. The line of Carter, Lessard and Mirnov accounted for three of the four goals in the contest.

"We felt like we really shot ourselves in the foot last game by dropping a pathetic one to a team we should beat everytime," said defenseman Shea Weber. "Ths is not time to be letting up on the gas pedal. It is go time and we needed to set the tone early and often. Calgary is probably one of the most difficult teams in this league to compete with for 60 minutes so this was a good win for us down the stretch."

Fresh off the long term injury, Kirk McLeod scored his 8th goal of the season, this time a short handed one. McLeod, a veteran of the Canes organization, has been one of the team top defensive presences up front. Going from an injury that could have ended the young mans career to helping this team compete for the top spot in the league is something McLeod is not taking for granted.

"Sitting around, rehabbing my arm for months, it makes you think about things," said McLeod. "I wanted to get back so bad. Now is my time to shine and I want this championship. It is all I want right now."

The Junior Canes get a breather tonight and hope to regroup and continue their winning ways.

Washington Hosts Chicago

The Washington Capitals put its two-game winning streak on the line on Day 153 when the Chicago Blackhawks come to town. The Capitals are sixth in the Wales Conference at 34-31-11, three points behind Philadelphia and two points ahead of New Jersey and Pittsburgh. Chicago is tied for second in the Campbell Conference at 41-30-6.

The Caps are led by Zigmund Palffy's 28 goals and 48 assists. Patrick Marleau adds 29 goals and 37 assists, while recent arrival David Vyborny has 58 points. Anson Carter contributes 26 goals and 30 assists, and Mikael Renberg is playing well with 21 goals and 34 assists.

On defense, Rob Blake has eight goals and 34 assists. Bryan Berard contributes 12 goals and 23 assists, and Dan Boyle is chipping in with 29 points.

In goal, Manny Legace is 27-26-8 with a 3.16 GAA and .883 save percentage. Peter Skudra is 6-5-3 with a 2.91 GAA and .894 save percentage.

Petr Sykora leads the Blackhawks attack with 43 goals and 47 assists. Scott Gomez adds 15 goals and 58 assists, while Niklas Sundstrom has 59 points. Yanic Perreault contributes 24 goals and 34 assists, and Ivan Kolzvary has 51 points.

On the blue line, Sandis Ozolinsh adds to the offense with 14 goals and 33 assists. Kenny Jonsson contributes 38 points.

Between the pipes, Dan Cloutier is 36-30-5 with a 3.08 GAA and .890 save percentage. Michael Leighton is 5-0-1 with a 3.02 GAA and .896 save percentage. Cloutier is suspended for playing in too many games.

Junior Capitals Tie Philadelphia

The Washington Junior Capitals earned a 3-3 tie with the Philadelphia Junior Flyers on Day 149 to stay in the Wales Conference playoff race. Washington is six points out of the playoffs at 30-33-12.

Philadelphia opened an early lead in the first period when Collins netted from Stajan on the power play at 3:45. Jean-Claude Sawyer was in the box for unsportsmanlike-conduct at the time of the goal. The Junior Caps fought back to tie the game midway through the period on Zbynek Novak's goal from Igor Shadulov and Robert Muller at 11:40, but the Flyers regained the lead just 55 seconds later. Nolan was the scorer from Jessiman at 12:35.

Washington came alive in the second period and scored a pair of goals to take a 3-2 lead. Jakub Cutta got the first from Sean Kotary at 1:29, before Sean Bergenheim netted from Lance Moynch at 12:44.

The Flyers showed why they're one of the top teams in the league in the final period, tying the game with a goal from Beauchemin at 4:18. Jessiman and Sullivan assisted on the goal.

Robert Muller stopped 26 shots for Washington and moved to 5-1-3. Martin Gerber made 31 saves for Philadelphia.

The Junior Capitals return to action on Day 153 at home against the Junior Flyers

Junior Capitals Visit Philadelphia

The Washington Junior Capitals travel to Philadelphia on Day 149 in a critical Wales Conference meeting. Washington is seven points out of the playoffs at 30-33-11, but the club has three games in hand. Philadelphia is second in the conference at 42-30-4.

Sean Bergenheim leads the Caps attack with 17 goals and 35 assists for 52 points. Patrick O'Sullivan is also playing well with 19 goals and 29 assists. Zbynek Novak adds 42 points, while Sean Kotary has 21 goals and 20 assists. Lance Moynch is also contributing with 39 points in 57 games.

On defense, Jakub Cutta has seven goals and 30 assists. Igor Shadulov adds 29 points, and Brett Carson has four goals and 21 assists in 48 games.

Between the pipes, Robert Muller has been a late-season revelation at 5-1-2 with a 1.93 GAA and .925 save percentage. Brad Topping is 14-23-6 with a 3.05 GAA and .898 save percentage. Daniel Taylor completes the goaltending triumvirate at 11-9-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .897 save percentage.

Guillaume Lefebvre is Philadelphia's top scorer with 25 goals and 35 assists. Brandon Nolan adds 56 points, while Dale Sullivan has 25 goals and 27 assists. Hugh Jessiman leads the club in goals with 27 and also has 24 assists.

On the blue lines, Francois Beauchemin has 43 points and Jonathan Gauthier adds 37 points. Nake Kiser is also contributing with nine goals and 14 assists.

In goal, Martin Gerber is 31-24-4 with a 3.00 GAA and .896 save percentage. Bernd Bruckler is 11-6-0 with a 2.93 GAA and .898 save percentage.

Turning over a new Leaf

Leafs long term plan finally in site.

For most Leaf fans, this year has been one filled with highs and lows. But,if anythng, it left lots of questions unanswered. Many will recall the 4 game first round quick exit they made at the hands of the Devils last year. That was a glaring signal that maybe this team wasnt as talented as their past regular season record had lead us to believe. However, the new Leafs management didnt jump the gun, and infact, tried to rectify the problem by bringing in stars with leadership and experience. Players like Sundin and Lindros, as well as Teppo on the back end. In theory this should have helped, but instead, saw the team go through a huge slumping streak during the 3/4 mark of the season. Again, it was noted by management, and some tough decisions were made.

"we felt like with our current pro roster, we had capped out on what we could do. With no more cap room left, it was time to start again, but keep our young stars like Smyth, Sedin, and Park up front, and Kaberle, Morris, and Vishnevsky on the back end. We needed to get younger and create cap room, plus focus on the development part of this team which had been neglected. Im not happy with settling for a great team who can't win in the playoffs. We arent here to milk our fan base. First place finishes are for stat lovers and media types and to sell out those box seats. Its revenue generating only, with no serious plan to win a cup. This is a plan that we hope leads us to that goal."

So, with that said, Adam Deadmarsh knew his days in Toronto were numbered. He was recently dealt to the Sharks for a young, but average defenceman plus 2 solid Jr Dmen who are in the NHL already. I believe they could be seen as on the losing side of that deal, however, it was the best offer they had on the table, and decided it was better than nothing.

So what does this new team look like?? Below is cross-section of current and upcoming talent that you will be seeing soon.

Pro
Centre ---Shawn Horcoff,Henrik Sedin,Richard Park
JR
Centre ---Eric Staal,Rob Schremp,Chris Bourque,Ryan Garlock,Kamil Kreps

Pro
Leftwing--Ryan Smyth,Geoff Sanderson,
JR
Leftwing--Alexander Ovechkin,David Booth

Pro
Rightwing-Joffrey Lupul
JR
Rightwing-Petr Prucha,Eric Fehr

Pro
Defense--Derek Morris,Tomas Kaberle,Vitali Vishnevsky
JR
Defense--Dennis Wideman,Staffan Kronwall,Brent Burns,Shane O'Brien,Paul Ranger

Pro
Goalie --Evgeni Nabokov
Jr
Goalie --Josh Harding,Jason Churchill,Ryan Munce


These are just the assets that will make up most if not all of the main pro roster spots. The other spots will be filled in by role playing gritty power types who can play a checking and defensive role.

One last plus are the team's upcoming draft picks.
Year: 2009: MAP 1, WIL 1, RAN 1, Isl 1, MAP 2, WIL 2, PAN 2, RAN 2, Isl 2, FLA 3, OIL 5
11 total, 9 are in the first 2 rounds. 2 of the first rounders will be top 8, both with a lottery chance. Sufficed to say, there will be even more talent coming to this team, and maybe even a few impact players who could make the jump in a few seasons. Rumors persist that with so many picks, they might test the market and try to trade up. Sure its a stretch, but wouldnt Malkin look fantastic beside his buddy Ovechkin? Not to mention the ability to fill out that last spot with a Fehr/Prucha/Lupul type.

There are a few days left before the end of the season. The team is still offering depth type players with LD and EX for a cheap price, a JR or even lower end draft picks. There is also a chance the Leafs and Flames could deal as well, but for now it seems to be still on the table and could be done closer to draft day.

All in all, the future looks bright and if anything for Leafs fans...they get to see an actual plan of the future, while still getting a chance to see the team be competitive next year.

JUNIOR CANES DUO COMES OUT SHINY AND NEW

Carolina

After a season of disaster with camps, the Carolina Hurricanes received some excellent news late Tuesday regarding their talented duo Stephen Dixon and Jeremy Colliton. For the second week of camps for the two forwards, they received rave reviews from the training staff and seem to have sponged in all the info.

"They looked great this morning in practice," said head coach Craig Hartsburg. "Dix has really made some serious progress this season. Jeremy also looks like he has the stuff to be a solid contributor next season. I feel very good about these two now."

Dixon, who has been lighting up the score board in AA, has committed himself to making the club next season.

"I know I am only 18 but I feel my camps went extremely well this season and I think that plus my desire to get there is going to get me a full time spot with the junior club," said Dixon, who is currently playing center but has been told that next season, he will find himself on his natural left wing side. "I think that coach wants Jeremy and I to fll in on the checking line and maybe chip in some points. By the looks of things, we will be playing with Mike Richards, which is great news for us. We al played together in several world events. It should be a great fit."

Meanwhile, Jeremy Colliton also had a good camp and has left management excited about the possibility of adding this duo to the lineup next season.

"We told them we needed more responsible forwards next year," said Hartsburg. "This year, we have a lot of flash but no defensive hustle. I want these two to set the tone and I think both of them can do that."

Rangers Humbled by Islanders

Despite a week of intensive training, an inspirational message from their leader in exile, and a solid effort the New York Rangers were beaten by the New York Islanders last night.

The Rangers came out flying and dominated the first period with ferocious intensity. A quick goal by Pavel Datsyuk of the Islanders at 4:17 of the first didn't slow them down and they kept coming at the Islanders in waves. Jason Blake utilized his blazing speed to break free on an outlet pass from Ponikarovsky and beat Aebischer just over 2 minutes later.

Sundin blew a one timer past Aebischer on a cross ice pass from Dvorak at 12:46 of the first to put the Rangers up 2-1 on the mighty Islanders but Arkhipov potted an unassisted marker just two minutes later and to tie the game. It was the last lead the Rangers would see in the game.

The second period was much more even with both teams throwing big hits and tightening up defensively. Christian Erhoff scored for the Islanders off a rebound from a Hagman shot and the Isles were out in front late in the second. The second ended with a vicious elbow delivered by Jason York to the head of Pavel Bure that sparked a melee. Fortunately Bure was uninjured.

The Rangers opened the third with a goal from Mike Ribeiro on the power play but the Islanders slowly took control of the period. When Ehrhoff scored at the 12:37 mark of the third the Rangers seemed to sag and couldn't get control of the play. Datsyuk scored the final heartbreaker in the 19th minute and, despite outshooting the Islanders 32 - 30, the Rangers walked away empty handed.

"Well we can take some positives from this," said team captain J.P. Dumont. We played a solid game and kept pace with them every step of the way. All our lines contributed offence and a bounce here or there could have changed the out come. We didn't like the way we played in the third but if we had played our game the whole night I think we could have won. If we up the intensity a bit I think we can take them if we meet in the playoffs."

Capitals Slash Sabres

Bryan Berard scored a goal and assisted on two more to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Day 150. The win keeps Washington in sixth place in the Wales Conference and ups the club's record to 34-31-11. The Caps are one point behind Philadelphia and three ahead of Pittsburgh.

Buffalo opened a 2-1 lead in the opening period despite being outshot 11-6. Gagne got the first goal from Butsayev and Vasicek at 5:31, before Dandenault scored the second from Afinogenov and Butsayev at 9:51. Washington got on the board between the two Sabres goals. Rob Blake was the scorer from Mikael Renberg and Bryan Berard at 9:16.

The Capitals upped the tempo early in the second period to take the lead for good. Berard made it 2-2 from Renberg and Patrick Marleau at 3:02, and Anson Carter netted from Radoslav Suchy a minute later.

Washington turned up the heat even more in the final period, outshooting the Sabres 12-5. Frantisek Lukes put the game away with a goal from Berard and Marleau at 15:03.

Manny Legace stopped 22 shots to earn the win and improve to 27-26-8. Rick Dipietro made 26 saves in the loss to fall to 6-12-0.

The Capitals return to action on Day 153 against Chicago.

Rangers Go To Boot Camp - Train for Isles

The New York Rangers went into intensive training during their time off over the last week in order to prepare for their meeting tonight against the New York Islanders.

The Battle for New York, as it has been dubbed, figures to be a tough one as both teams are gearing up for what could be a key late series in the playoffs.

The Rangers have made moves by adding Sundin and Alfredsson of late in order to fire up an offence that has been tepid most of the season. Despite their lack of a genuine superstar they have made the opposition pay with a balanced attack that eats away at oppostion defences.

We caught up to the team in the midst of a tough workout, just as they received a message from their General Manager who is still in jail for the attempted poisoning of his own goalies.

"Dear Team:

The charges against me are false, erroneous, deceitful, and fictional. I would never harm anyone on this team. I have started another investigation and much of the information I'm getting back is pointing to none other than the General Manager of the New York Islanders as the culprit behind this ruse.

I have personally paid for this boot camp to prepare you to destroy the Islanders tonight. Tear at them like wild dogs! Leave them bloody and beaten on the ice. We will not be beaten. Make this the game they remember and fear when they see your snarling faces bearing down on them at centre ice of the opening game of our playoff series! Send them a message from General Manager Burns!

General Manager Burns says:

NEW YORK BELONGS TO THE RANGERS! NEW YORK WILL DISPLAY THE STANLEY CUP ON THE FALLEN BODIES OF THE ISLANDERS AND THEIR FAITHFUL! LONGER WILL PERISH AND NEW YORK WILL REMAIN FREEEEEEE!"

Many of the team seemed shocked and somewhat incredulous at the message except for a jubilanT Mike Ribeiro. Look for a big game from him tonight.

The league has been notified of the letter and a warning has been issued to both teams that any premeditated violence will be dealt with harshly.

Lightning trade Lemieux

(Tampa) - After months of trying to move Mario Lemieux before he retired at seasons end (4 in 6 chance he will) the Lightning finally made a move to give the star one more chance at the Cup. When it seemed the Lightning were done trading, the ne Gm for the Devils made a call to Gm Sprackman and inquired about Lemieux. The talks, like so many started out slow with Gm Sprackman saying he wanted youth to get a deal done, but when that was impossible, the two teams discussed other players that would fit into Tampa's plans. New Jersey really wanted to get Mario and after some talks the names that came up were Donovan and Schneider. At first, Gm Sprackman was unimpressed with the players offered but after some talks with the scouts and looking at what they may bring next season, Gm Sprackman said...What the F*&%.

"I really wanted to get one maybe two young players, not stars but players we could develop in the next 2 or 3 seasons. No one wanted to offer that so we decided this was the best deal for the franchise. " Gm Sprackman stated. "With Donovan, we look at him as a 4th line winger next season and hopefully he can add some needed scoring on that line. With Stevey moving to center full time next season to take Mario's place, we needed another winger and Shean should be more then capable to handle that duty. We already expect to have a much more improved Schneider (NHL re-rate) next season and will fit in great with Kubina, McLaren, Brewer, Vaananen and Jillson. Overall, we took ahit this season, one we decided anyway when we dealt Thibault, and now look forward to a rebound season next year."

The team was sad to hear Mario was gone but the team told the players that some vets would be moved. With the season winding down, only 2 potential players can move now. Prospal and Svehla have heard their names all season and maybe they too will follow Mario to a team in a playoff spot. We shall see shortly.

CANES TIES THRASHERS, LOSE DOAN

Carolina

In an unfortunate series of events, the Hurricanes tied the weakest team in the CLUTCH while losing their top right winger. Shane Doan, captain of the Canes, was injured in a scrap with forward Mikael Yakubov. That was the second injury Yakabov has been responsible for in a week during a fight.

"He fights like a coward," said Doan. "He fought Bure last week and after the fight he jumped on his leg and shattered. After our fight, I turned to skate to the box and he sucker punched me. He is a winner."

Aside from the cheapshot, the Canes plaed with little fire and seemed to go into this game expecting a walk in the park, the typical game that the Thrashers tend to throw at teams. Once the puck was dropped though, the Thrashers came out hard.

"We were not playing well and I hoped by getting in the fight with Yakky, I could spark something, but it did not work. We need to address our intensity a bit. We cannot play like that every game."

The Canes are luckily off today and will take the time to assess the damage to their fragile squad. Doan will likely miss the next couple of games with his injury.

JUNIOR CANES LOSE GAME 5 ON 5

Carolina

While one cannot fault the young Canes power play in this contest, the 5 on 5 squad was pretty much outplayed throughout the entire game. Chicago came out and had a 4-0 lead before the Canes even got going. Despite going 2 for 2 on the power play, the Canes could only muster a 5-3 defeat and the lazy play at even strength left a bad taste in head coach Craig Harstburg's mouth.

"I hate cliches but lets be honest," said Hartsburg. "When you play like you have already won the game, chances are you will lose. This was the worst even strength performance I have seen from this group all season long."

Newcomer Igor Mirnov was practically invisible during the contest and some around the team feel that maybe the hype of the acquisition got to him a bit.

"He is a great player," said defenseman Shea Weber. "He does things few of us can and I think once he gets in the rhythm, he will be scary. He is that type of talent and I am glad he is here and not on some other team we will have to play. That for me is the bottom line."

Weber, after a stellar defensive camp, returned to notch another goal. The 2 way defender looked sharp on the power play and had coach Hartsburg praising his showing after the match.

"Shea knows what to do with the puck. He was confident and he played smart back there. Too bad the rest of the club did not follow suit."

The Canes continue their playoff race and look for Hartsburg to shuffle up the lines for the next game. It is likely Carter will be back with Junior Lessard and possibly Mirnov. Brandon Reid played well on the power play, but was not effective 5 on 5 with the winger combination.

Junior Capitals Fall to Philadelphia

The Washington Junior Capitals' playoff hopes took a hit on Day 146 in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Junior Flyers. The loss drops Washington to 30-33-11 and seven points out of the final playoff spot.

Philadelphia jumped out ot a 2-0 lead in the opening period and never looked back. Stajan got the first from Ruzicka and Gauthier at 2:25, and Nolan extended the lead from Jessiman and Beauchemin at 3:38.

Washington pulles a goal back early in the second period when Sean Kotary netted from Branko Radivojevic and Igor Shadulov at 1:24. Unfortunately, Stajan scored his second of the game from Gauthier and Kiser just 1:01 later to make it 3-1.

The Capitals got it back to one goal after just 17 seconds of the final period. Greg Mauldin was the scorer from Maxim Orlov. Any chance of a Washington comeback was crushed when Ruzicka completed the scoring for the Flyers from Gauthier and Kiser at 4:28.

Robert Muller made 17 saves in the loss to fall to 5-1-2. Martin Gerber stopped 23 shots to earn the win and improve to 30-24-4.

The Junior Capitals visit Philadelphia on Day 149.

Capitals Visit Buffalo

The Washington Capitals travel to Buffalo on Day 150 for a Wales Conference showdown. Washington is in sixth place at 33-31-11. Buffalo is in 14th at 27-44-5.

Leading the way for Washington is dynamic winger Zigmund Palffy with 28 goals and 48 assists. Center Patrick Marleau adds 29 goals and 35 assists, while David Vyborny has 27 goals and 31 assists. Anson Carter contributes 55 points, and Mikael Renberg is chipping in with 21 goals and 32 assists.

On defense, Rob Blake has seven goals and 34 assists. Bryan Berard adds 11 goals and 21 assists, and Dan Boyle contributes 29 points.

In goal, Manny Legace is 26-26-8 with a 3.18 GAA and .883 save percentage. Peter Skudra is 6-5-3 with a 2.91 GAA and .894 save percentage.

The Sabres are led by Artem Kruikov's 21 goals and 43 assists. Alexander Polushin tops the goal-scoring charts wtih 25 goals and 58 points, and John LeClair adds 23 goals and 35 assists. Simon Gagne is also contributing with 21 goals and 33 assists.

On the blue line, Toni Lydman has seven goals and 33 assists, while Andrei Markov adds 32 points. Paul Mara is also chipping in with 28 points.

Between the pipes, Marc Denis is 21-33-5 with a 3.51 GAA and .877 save percentage. Rick Dipietro is 6-11-0 with a 3.84 GAA and .875 save percentage.

CANES DEAL FAN FAVORITE TUCKER FOR FUTURE HELP

Carolina

In a deal that shocked many fans of the Carolina Hurricanes, the club sent gritty forward Darcy Tucker to the New Jersey Devils, along with offensive defenseman Jason Crain for defensive forward Trevor Letowski, junior sensation Igor Mirnov and a pair of 2nd round draft picks, one of which could become a first if the Devils make it to the conference finals.

While many fans of the team saw the Canes ship off Tucker as a bad thing, the one note that should be made is that Tucker and Crain, together, cost the club 5 million plus. Adding Letwoski has significantly cut the payroll and added a forward who is defensively responsible, although not near the calibre of Tucker offensively.

"This deal came as a surprise to us," said head coach Joel Quenneville. "Tuck was one of our leaders on and off the ice. I am not really sure why dealing him was so necessary this close to the playoffs, but I guess it was one management felt they needed to do."

Looking ahead to next season, the possible logjam of forwards competing for a spot on the right wing side has now gotten more reasonable. The future of the Canes right wing side looks bright with or without Tucker. Additions of Brad Boyes and Brian Gionta should make the offensive side of things acceptable. Shane Doan has continued to grow as the captain of the Canes. Matt Bradley provides more than enough pop and has the ability to knock in a few goals here and there. Enforcer Scott Parker is always around for when the Canes happen to tangle with the Wild.

The future outside of the current pros is also bright with the likely additions of junior Cane stars Ryan Getzlaf and Junior Lessard, along with power forward Anthony Stewart and the dynamic offensive wizard Corey Perry.

"The right side is not an issue with us," said Quenneville. "We felt really strong there and in general, it was the reason we opened up to this offer."

The Canes continue their season in hopes of moving on without Tucker. Look for Letowski to join Kris Draper and Alyn McCauley on the club’s third line.

OFFENSIVE WINGER MIRNOV JOINS CANES IN PLAYOFF RUN

Carolina

A big trade left the Carolina Hurricanes pro squad seemingly weaker in the Tucker deal, but the junior Canes are the ones reaping the benefits.

Speedy left winger Igor Mirnov, a former Carolina draft pick, has found his way back to the organization, complete with a couple seasons of camps and a new dynamic look and feel.

Mirnov, 20, has 50 points in 50 games and sits with 25 goals, putting him fifth on the team in scoring. Considering he has missed 24 games, the impact of Mirnov may be immediate.

"He is a game breaker," “said head coach Craig Hartsburg. "Guys like him can turn on the jets and make other teams make mistakes. He has exceptional wheels and a deadly accurate shot. He makes our team that much more dangerous on every shift."

Mirnov is likely to join captain Brandon Reid and Canes top scorer Junior Lessard on the new number 1 line. The move allows Jeff Carter to center long time friend Ryan Getzlaf and speedy winger Jeff Tambellini on the second unit.

"The options we have for our lines now will make a lot of teams struggle against us. We need that extra depth because realistically, the playoffs are a different monster. Anything can happen."

Fans of the Canes might have been sad to see their fan favourite go, but the future for both the Canes and Igor Mirnov seems to be bright.

Junior Capitals Host Philadelphia

The Washington Junior Capitals go for its third straight win on Day 146 when the Philadelphia Junior Flyers come to town. Washington is six points out of the playoffs at 30-32-11. Philadelphia leads the Patrick Division at 40-30-4.

Sean Bergenheim leads the Washington attack with 17 goals and 35 assists. Patrick O'Sullivan adds 19 goals and 29 assists, while Zbynek Novak has 17 goals and 25 assists. Sean Kotary has 20 goals to lead the club in that category.

On defense, Jakub Cutta adds to the offensive punch with seven goals and 30 assists. Igor Shadulov adds 28 points, and Brett Carson contributes 25 points in just 48 games.

In goal, Brad Topping is 14-23-6 with a 3.05 GAA and .898 save percentage. Daniel Taylor is 11-9-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .897 save percentage. Robert Muller has come on late in the season and is 5-0-2 with a 1.64 GAA and .938 save percentage.

The Junior Flyers are paced by Guillaume Lefebvre's 24 goals and 35 assists. Brandon Nolan is also playing well with 22 goals and 31 assists. Dale Sullivan contributes 51 points, and Hugh Jessiman has a team-high 26 goals.

On the blue line, Francois Beauchemin has eight goals and 34 assists. Jonathan Gauthier is also contributing to the offense with 34 points.

Between the pipes, Martin Gerber is 29-24-4 with a 3.06 GAA and .895 save percentage. Bernd Bruckner is 11-6-0 with a 2.93 GAA and .898 save percentage.

Junior Capitals Top Dallas

The Washingotn Junior Capitals kept its slim playoff hopes alive on Day 144 in a 3-1 victory over the Dallas Junior Stars. The victory moved Washington to 30-32-11 and six points out of the final playoff spot.

Dallas jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the first period on Volrab's 15th goal of the season. Joseph and Niskala earned the assists at 2:50. The opening 20 minutes also featured a pair of fights as Dan Jancevski and Patrick O'Sullivan fought to a draw at 3:52, and Igor Shadulov got beat up by Steve Ott at 8:42.

Neither team scored in the second period, but Washington rallied for three power play goals to claim the win in the final 20 minutes. O'Sullivan got things started from Jean-Claude Sawyer and Lance Moynch at 1:18, before Sean Kotary netted the eventual game-winner from Jakub Cutta and Branko Radivojevic at 7:41. Sean Bergenheim completed the scoring from O'Sullivan and Moynch and 17:33.

Robert Muller made 26 saves to earn the win and improve to 5-0-2. Tyler Weiman stopped 27 shots in the loss and fell to 0-1-1.

The Junior Capitals return to action on Day 146 against Philadelphia.

Capitals Edge Jackets

Frantisek Lukes scored a goal and assisted on another to lead the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Day 148. The result keeps Washington in sixth place in the Wales Conference and moves the team to 33-31-11. The Caps are two points ahead of New Jersey and three behind Philadelphia.

After a scoreless opening period that saw Washington outshoot Columbus 17-5, the Capitals took the lead midway through the second. Lukes got the goal from Greg Watson and Michal Rozsival at 10:23.

The Blue Jackets jumped out quickly in the final period, and Halpern tied the game from Berglund and Heffernan after just 21 seconds. The Capitals turned up the pressure after Columbus tied the game, and David Vyborny became the hero when he scored his first goal for Washington on the power play at 14:59. The marker was Vyborny's 27th of the season and came from Lukes and Andrew Ference.

Manny Legace made 20 saves to earn the win and improve to 26-26-8. Arturs Irbe stopped 34 shots in the loss and fell to 1-2-0.

The Capitals are off on Day 149 before visiting Buffalo on Day 150.

Junior Capitals Down Junior Isles

Fabien Laniel scored a pair of goals to lead the Washington Junior Capitals to a 5-2 victory over the New York Junior Islanders on Day 142. The win moved Washington to 29-32-11 and kept the club's slim playoff hopes alive.

Washington got on the board first in the opening period on Laniel's 11th of the season from Greg Mauldin and Ryan MacMurchy at 7:46. New York tied the game a few minutes later when McDonald tallied from Stewart and Jones at 11:10. Just 41 seconds later the Caps were back in front as Patrick O'Sullivan netted from Sean Bergenheim and Ivan Baranka.

The Isles came through with a goal late in a fairly tepid middle stanza to make it 2-2. Roussin got the goal from Methot at 18:20.

With the game and potentially the season on the line, the Capitals came out flying in the final period and scored three goals to earn the win. Andrew Joudrey started it off from Branko Radivojevic at 8:54, before Bergenheim's unassisted goal at 16:19 made it 4-2. Laniel finished off the scoring from Henrik Tallinder and MacMurchy at 19:38.

Robert Muller made 22 saves to earn the win and improve to 4-0-2. Matt Zaba stopped 25 shots in the loss and fell to 36-25-9.

The Junior Capitals are back in action on Day 144 against Dallas.

Healer Brings Aflie's Groin to Back to Life

Thanks to the magic hands of the world reknowned healing specialist Dr. Frakoonstain, Daniel Alfredsson returns to the Rangers line up for their next game.

"I was worried I'd be out for the season," said a clearly relieved looking Alfredsson. "We did some pretty intense work on the muscles and they healed right up."

"Vee deed some vewy intense and experimental verk," explained Dr. Frakoonstain to the media. "I haf been verking on developing new methods and techniques in zee area of tissue regeneration for some years now UNT I am happy to report zee procedure vas a success. Vee subjected zee patient to intense electro magnetic charges unt he has recovered veeks ahead of schedule."

"I have to admit the procedure was no fun," shuddered Alfredsson. "I was even a little scared, I have to admit, when he strapped me to that table and raised me up through the roof of his castle during the lightning storm. I remember a flash of light and then everything was dark. I woke up 3 days later."

"Eet vas incredible to see my verk come to fruition. Zees procedure ees dee first of eets kind."

"I'm really happy to be back," said Alfredsson. "I know what you're thinking so before you ask I'll just tell you: Yes the bolts in my neck are permanent."

Panthers Bure Retires

MINNESOTA

The Florida Panthers were in town to play the Wild and the Panthers won the game 2-1 but lost one of its best players.

Valeri Bure got in a fight with Wilds Mikhail Yakubov at 10:24 of the first period. Bure who is not by any means a fighter was goaded into the fight and had to defend himself but it had a disastrous effect.

Bure fell awkwardly and Yakubov fell on top of Bure resulting in Bure's leg snapping like a twig.

"It made me cringe." GM Perrault said at the post game news conference. "You could here it snap. The good news for Valeri is he will eventually heal. The bad news for us is because of the severity of his injury he has decided to call it a career and retire. We wish him a speedy recovery and have offered him a scouting job when he is able to get back to doing day to day activities. This is a definite blow to our team at a crucial time of the year but we are more concerned for Valeri's recovery."

Valeri was having a decent year for the Panthers scoring 26 goals and adding 32 helpers for 58 points which was good for 5th on the team. Valeri also had 6 power play goals (tied for 2nd on team) and scored 5 game winners which also tied him for 2nd on the team.

Valeri Bure (31) was to become a UFA at the end of the season as he was in the last year of a contract that paid him $3,380,000 and was rumored to be high on the list of a few GM's wish list which would of ment a big pay day for him.

SHEA WEBER LEAVES CAMP A BETTER MAN

Carolina

When Shea Weber was chosen to represent Carolina in the latest defensive camp, he did so with a slight chip on his shoulder. Weber, 20, has been in coach Craig Hartsburg's dog house throughout much of the season for his passion to over commit offensively. The decision to send Weber to camp could have had a negative effect, but Weber swallowed his pride and instead listened to the teachings. The results seem to show Weber as a better player.

"I have wanted Shea to listen all season long," said Hartsburg. "He is a fabulous player and he has a ton of upside, but in order to be a good defenseman, you need to be defense first and he was not. I think this opened his eyes a bit."

Weber, who is one of the better point getters on the Canes blueline this season, has since admitted his lack of desire to stay strong in his own end.

"When the points are rolling in, you tend to forget what is important," said Weber. "I think that during the camp, I got an idea of what it takes to make the jump to the next level. I feel that I am more complete now."

Weber, a much needed right handed shot, has been touted as an excellent passer with mobility and strength. He was always lacking that defensive presence however. Time will tell if the camp paid off as it seemed to have.

CANES BOLSTER JUNIORS WITH ACQUISITION OF PERRY

Carolina

After a season of hanging out on the farm with little to do, Joffrey Lupul had made some suggestions to Hurricane management that maybe it was time he was moved on.

Lupul, 23, has been sitting on the farm watching his pro club, the Carolina Hurricanes, continue to roll along this season. With few openings up front on the roster, Lupul could see his chances of cracking the club were growing slimmer by the day.

"I just want to play," said Lupul. "The Canes have so many wingers at the moment, I really did not see much else change next year either. It is nothing against them at all, but I need to play."

In exchange for the talented Lupul, the Canes picked up offensive right winger Corey Perry and a third round draft selection in this years draft.

Perry, a former member of the 2005 Team Canada gold medal winning squad, comes to the team who would have been in need of an offensive right winger next season.

"I am pretty happy about this move," said Perry, who now brings the total of players from that gold medal winning team to 15. "It is pretty exciting being a part of this whole collection and it feels great to be wanted here. I hope that everything works out here because I think this club has a great potential for this year and in the future."

It is not expected that Perry will crack the top two lines in Carolina as they are currently held by Ryan Getzlaf and Junior Lessard, both of which have been performing well this season.

"That is fine with me. I think as long as I have a full time spot, I am okay with it. This team has been one of the tops all season long and I figure why would they want to change anything. Next year, we will see where we can take this club though. That is when I figure I will make an impact."

Washington Hosts Jackets in Home-and-Home

The Washington Capitals complete a home-and-home series with the Columbus Blue Jackets in Washington on Day 148. Columbus took the first leg, 4-3, in Ohio. Washington is sixth in the Wales Conference at 32-31-11. Columbus is 14th in the Campbell Conference at 24-43-8.

Zigmund Palffy leads the way for the Caps with 28 goals and 48 assists for 76 points. Patrick Marleau has 29 goals and 35 assists, while former Jacket David Vyborny adds 57 points. Anson Carter contributes 25 goals and 30 assists, and Mikael Renberg is chipping in iwth 21 goals and 32 assists.

On the blue line, Rob Blake packs an offensive punch with seven goals and 34 assists. Bryan Berard contributes 11 goals and 21 assists, while Dan Boyle adds 29 points.

In goal, Manny Legace is 25-26-8 with a 3.21 GAA and .882 save percentage. Peter Skudra is 6-5-3 with a 2.91 GAA and .894 save percentage.

For Columbus, Christian Berglund is one of the few bright spots with 27 goals and 29 assists. Jeff Halpern adds 45 points, while Cory Stillman has 21 goals and 23 assists.

On defense, Tim Gleason has 13 goals and 28 assists, and Martin Hohener has five goals and 36 assists. Deron Quint is also contributing to the offense with 37 points.

Between the pipes, Dan Blackburn is 23-42-8 with a 3.40 GAA and .880 save percentage. Arturs Irbe is 1-1-0 with a 4.20 GAA and .867 save percentage in 18 appearances. Irbe will get the nod against Washington as Blackburn is suspended for playing in too many games.

Junior Capitals Prepare to Host Dallas

Needing a win to keep its slim playoff hopes alive, the Washington Junior Capitals host the Dallas Junior Stars on Day 144. Washington is 11th in the Wales Conference at 29-32-11. Dallas is seventh in the Campbell Conference at 31-33-11.

Leading the attack for the Junior Caps are a trio of forwards with 42 or more points. Sean Bergenheim tops the charts with 16 goals and 36 assists for 51 points. Patrick O'Sullivan has 18 goals and 28 assists, while Zbynek Novak contibutes 17 goals and 25 assists.

On defense, Jakub Cutta adds seven goals and 29 assists, and Igor Shadulov has 28 points in 54 games. Brett Carson is also playing well with 25 points in 48 games.

In goal, Brad Topping is 14-23-6 with a 3.05 GAA and .898 save percentage. Daniel Taylor is 11-9-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .897 save percentage, and Robert Muller is 4-0-2 with a 1.75 GAA and .933 save percentage. Muller is expected to start against Dallas.

Petr Taticek is the top scorer for the Junior Stars with 29 goals and 45 assists for 74 points. Dragan Umicevic adds 28 goals and 28 assists, while Steve Ott has 20 goals and 24 assists.

On the blue line, Garrett Stafford has seven goals and 33 assists. Janne Niskala and Michal Blazek are also chipping in with 26 points each.

Between the pipes, Jason Bacashihua is 31-33-10 with a 2.89 GAA and .894 save percentage. Tyler Weiman is 0-0-1 with a 2.13 GAA and .929 save percentage. Bacashihua is suspended for having appeared in too many games.

Capitals Drop Decision to Jackets

Patrick Marleau scored a pair of goals, but it wasn't enough for the Washington Capitals as the Columbus Blue Jackets earned a 4-3 victory on Day 146. The loss dropped Washington to 32-31-11, but the team remains in sixth place in the Wales Conference.

Columbus got on the board first in the opening period on Davidson's goal from Schill and Lyashenko at 1:18. The Capitals tied the score just over nine minutes later when Marleau netted his first from Bryan Berard and Zigmund Palffy.

Washington took its first lead of the game early in the middle stanza on Marleau's 29th of the season from Mikael Renberg and Palffy. The Jackets made it 2-2 under four minutes later on Jackman's marker from Cooke at 5:43. The Capitals regained the lead on the power play as Palffy tallied from Berard at 6:58, but the home side once again evened the game. This time it was Halpern scoring his 20th of the season from Berglund and Hohener at 15:34. The goal came on the man advantage as Michal Rozsival was in the box for elbowing.

Columbus continued its strong play in the final period, and Berglund's 27th of the year from Roest and Halpern at 12:38 proved to be the game-winner. Washington had eight shots on goal in the final 20 minutes, but the club couldn't get the critical goal to force overtime.

Manny Legace made 23 saves in the loss and fell to 25-26-8. Arturs Irbe earned his first win for the Jackets by stopping 25 shots.

Both teams are off on Day 147 before completing the home-and-home series in Washington on Day 148.

Ottawa GM takes Recruiting to Vegas

GM Schmucky is off to Las Vegas this week with hopes that his Senators JR's can do better without him than with him. The team is on a slide and GM Schmucky believes it may be due to his interference with lines and goalie swaps.

The pro sens should be fine since they suck regardless of who does the lines or doesn't. With big moves in the making, Schmucky is hoping that when he returns, he can make some more moves before deadline day.

The Sens have made a deal for what GM Schmucky calls a 'Superstar' that will change the face of the squad. Deals will not be released until closer to the deadline as Schmucky and the mystery GM agreed to wait until deadline day to put it through for the best of both teams.

'The new acquisition gives our team an entirely new and exciting look and should really be the start of the reshaping of this Senators club as we roll toward next season."

Schmucky is reported to be shopping quite a few players but stated earlier today that Whitney, Bouchard and Ryder will most likely stay put. However, he also said that for the right deal, ANYONE can go and that we would love a 1st round pick to head into this years draft.

3 huge trades leave Maple Leaf fans wondering what might have been???

Leafs pull off 3 dramatic deals that send a clear rebuilding message to their fans.

Trade details

#1
To Toronto
Denis Gauthier
Jr Goalie Josh Harding
Islander 1st Rd 2009
Islander 2nd Rd 2009

To Islanders
Teppo Numminen
Jr Goalie Shane Bendera
Leafs 4th Rd 2009

#2
To Toronto
C Kamil Kreps JR
C Ryan Garlock JR
G Jason Churchill JR
RAN 1(2009)
RAN 2(2009)

To NY Rangers
C Mats Sundin
D Tyler Eckford JR
MAP 5(2009)

#3
To Toronto
RW Adam Deadmarsh
FLO 2nd(2009)
CAL 3rd(2010)

To Calgary
RW Eric Lindros

For Leaf fans, obvious disapointment and slight anger ruled their feelings this week, as they watched the exodus of team stars Eric Lindros ,Mats Sundin and Teppo Numminen shipped out for draft picks, junior stars and salary cap room. Mind you, bringing in guys like Adam Deadmarsh and Denis Gauthier sure isnt just filling a hole. Deadmarsh has had a fantastic season so far, and Gauthier is a cheap but steady defensive player.

Yes, you cant replace the sheer talent and vetran leadership these players bring to a club. However, after last years early first round playoff exit, and this years late season slide, rather than wait for another fruitless playoff result (if they even would have made it), they decided to get the most value for the key assets they had now. They also dont have to worry about Sundin or Teppo retiring, and free up key cap space for their budding JR stars like Staal, Ovechkin, Prucha, Fehr, Perry, Burns, and new goaltenders Churchill and Harding. This doesnt include the new influx of talent that 4 first round picks and 5 second round picks will bring in this years draft.

Deadmarsh's stay may be a short one, with the team still taking offers on him, but for now, nothing has transpired so perhaps Deader will be a Leaf come next season, which isnt a bad thing, since the younger kids will really benefit having such an all around, gritty player to play with.

Sure Leaf fans...this hurts, but like my mom always said..."no pain, no gain". So open wide, take some buckleys, swallow hard and know that even though it tastes awful, this will help cure what has been a weak, often lethargic club.