RobRock

As recently as last season, there were clubs in Sweden and Czech Republic that were willing to talk about joining the KHL, but the problem that exists is more logistical than financial (despite the fact that the bottom dropped out of the oil market). KHL teams don't fly anywhere, and for a lot of players not used to busing for half a day between games, the appeal of millions of Euros loses its lustre after a while. Maybe the prospect of having to travel to Stockholm, Prague, Helsinki or Berlin would enable the league to improve the travel from one city to another. And then there's Putin's statement, that Moscow wouldn't be calling the shots in the league if teams from other nations joined. It's not Moscow they're worried about, it's Gazprom. They're backing much of the league financially, and I think they're justified in worrying whether or not they'd be on a level playing field. Russian pride in the field of sports is very well-known, and if certain people were prone to it, they could very well use their influence to maybe make some questionable player moves in an effort to improve their chances of winning the league title. Let's not forget that thanks to the system at the time, Red Army would assemble the top talent in the country for themselves simply by drafting them into the army (Tretiak was a major, Fetisov was a captain, all their elite players were officers). The only difference between now and then is the method of acquiring players.

ACC's "capacity" is 18,819 and they've averaged over 19,000 since the place opened. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the lowered their official "capacity" so it will look good on the year-end statements. Otherwise the fire marshall would be locking the doors pretty damn quick. The reason why Winnipeg's 'NHL-sized" arena is so small is because the parcel of land they built it on was barely large enough to accommodate it. There's no room to expand, they can't go upwards and still sell the seats, and they couldn't get enough land at the beginning to get the layout that would accommodate a crowd of 18-19,000. It was either an error in judgement – that 15,500 was big enough to bring back an NHL franchise; an error in planning – not getting enough land to construct a facility that would seat 18,000+ for hockey; or an error in design – placing the arena in a location which limited or eliminated the possibilty for expansion.

With all due respect, the Wings were not the first team to use this tactic, and they aren't the only team to do it. If you want to get technical about it, the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers were the first to use the front-loaded contract years ago when they made RFA offers to Sergei Fedorov and Joe Sakic. All that aside, it does go to show one thing. The players aren't the problem and to a degree, neither are the owners. The GMs and the league office are the problem. A lot of people pointed out when the deal was signed that the cap system being put in place would not solve the problems, even though they put in the clause for players signing after they turned 35. The GMs were smart enough to realize that if they signed guys five years longer than they needed them, and paid out a fraction of the beginning of the contract, they not only lowered the overall cap hit, but they also lowered the buyouts at the end, and ideally, freed up money down the road when and if players either retired or found themselves in the minors. What the league office failed to do, and continues to do, is stay one step ahead of the GMs. They don't think like them, and then they handcuff themselves when the GMs find the loopholes that are large enough to get a semi through. And the the owners, who actually pay the bills, let them do it. They were hoping that the cap would be pretty steady as the league came out of the lockout, but it sky-rocketed right out of the gate and, based on economic signs that the global recession may have reached its bottom already, may not plunge as low as previously thought (some were projecting a cap below $50 million again in 2010-2011 or 2012.) If that happens, then the league has to go back to the drawing board and use a little more devious thinking in designing a cap that will actually do what they want it to do. Then the league has to grow a set and enforce the rules properly.

No, Bob wasn't willing to overpay Komi by about $2 million. Komisarek has been among league leaders in two categories; hits and blocked shots. He doesn't score, doesn't contribute much offensively, doesn't get power-play time. And he doesn't fight either. He's a damn good defensive defenseman, but he has never even shown the potential to be anything more than that in his time in Montreal. $3.5 million was more than a reasonable offer. Burke overpaid for him because he thinks he's a Burke-type player. He'd better do more than face-wash if he wants Burke to keep him the whole five years.

No

BOOYAH!!!

Flyers and Sens in OT

Montreal picks up a point on Pittsburgh anyway

Canes win in OT

I didn't think that was smart trade at the time, but it was a masterful move Canes-Pens go to OT

Carolina has a late PP at the end of the third period

SCORES!!! GORGES!!!

Which is pretty much how they scored last year, and that play has developed again because of Schneider's point shot.

I disagree, I think the talent is there for two lines, it's just that the chemistry or production wasn't, and then he lost Lang to injury. Most of the names are the same as they were last year.

SCORES!!! LAPIERRE!!!

Pens-Canes tied at 2 Flyers-Sens tied at 3

Canes up 2-1 after the 2nd Also the first line's success may motivate the next group of guys to contribute more and produce more on the scoresheet

absolutely, but I find it ironic that for two guys that were reported to be on the outs with each other (even reported that Kovy didn't like Koivu, but not the other way), Gainey puts them together and they click.

Flyers and Sens tied at 2

yes, I was being sarcastic

SCORES!!! HIGGINS!!!

well, if you remember correctly, two of those three guys haven't gotten along all season.

SCORES!!! TANGUAY!!!

LATS WITH A PENALTY SHOT

nice little move by Plex, tapping the puck over the d, but he can't put it away