dlbalr

Willsie scores to make it 2-1! Lefebvre and DeSimone with the helpers.

The easy solution to help fix the playoff odd issue would require the league to drop the notion of 4 'conferences' and call those divisions, 2 within each 'conference' (East/West as there are now). The division with 8 teams can have the 5th team cross over come playoff time if that team has more points than the 4th place squad in the 7-team one. This has been a common practice in the AHL until this year. It doesn't solve everything, but that's the best solution short of contracting (won't happen) or expansion (better not happen). Of course, doing this opens up a new can of worms with regards to the more balanced schedule which could become more difficult.

Considering Cammalleri missed the last game day skate and is still on the team, I don't think it's happening.

It doesn't seem as if Hamilton called Delmas up so I'm assuming Lawson can't be injured too badly. I'd guess Mayer will start though.

It wasn't noted when it happened but TJ Fast was released from his PTO in mid-December and signed a full season minor league deal with Hamilton.

Montreal GM Jim Popp is a candidate for the Indy GM job. That'd be a big loss for the Als but in the grand scheme of things, probably really good for the CFL in general. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=384466

Game 2 of Hamilton's 3-in-3 this weekend takes them to Toronto for an afternoon affair against the division leading Marlies. Active scoring leaders: Goals: Andreas Engqvist (9) Assists: St-Denis/Willsie (13) Points: Aaron Palushaj (19) +/-: Andreas Engqvist (+8) PIMS: Zack FitzGerald (122) Active scoring leaders: Goals: Ryan Hamilton (15) Assists: Mike Zigomanis (25) Points: Mike Zigomanis (32) +/-: Drew Paris (+8) PIMS: Kyle Neuber (88) Puck drop is at 3:00 PM EST and can be listened to by clicking this link: http://cham.player.amri.ca/

Tampa Bay: Downie - Stamkos - St. Louis Moore - Lecavalier - Connolly Pyatt - Thompson - Purcell Labrie/Malone* - Tyrell Kubina - Brewer Clark - Gilroy Gervais - Mikkelson Bergeron Garon * Malone skated yesterday without issues so he may very well suit up. P-C Labrie will play otherwise. Montreal: Cammalleri* - Plekanec - Gionta Pacioretty - Desharnais - Cole Moen - Eller - Kostitsyn* Darche - Nokelainen - Blunden Gorges - Subban Gill - Kaberle Emelin - Diaz Price * - Cammalleri/Kostitsyn both missed today's skate and thus have to be assumed as questionable. Emelin, despite taking a shot to the face in practice yesterday, will play with a full cage. Cunneyworth noted he likes the idea of dressing 7 D which suggests one of the 4th liners will come out of the lineup. Puck drop is at 7:00, on CBC and RDS.

Gomez is at the morning skate today which suggests he should be back soon. Cammalleri and Kostitsyn are both absent (2 straight missed game day skates for Cammalleri, I'm starting to suspect he's not 100%).

Make the final 5-2, break out the banana. Hamilton, as Trizz noted earlier, is in Toronto tomorrow for a 3 PM start. Tickets are still available too.

Avtsin scores in the empty net to make it 5-2 Bulldogs. Almost banana time.

Syracuse scores during the commercial. Okay then.

Palushaj scores his 2nd of the game to make it 4-1!

Lawson gets run by Troy Bodie, Bodie gets 5 and a game while Mayer is now in goal.

Thanks for stepping up with the GDT. I've been sick all day but figured I'd wander down to the computer for the 3rd period. By the way, Mathieu Carle, the ex-Bulldogs had an assist on Syracuse's goal.

5:30 left in the 2nd in the Gold Medal game, the shots are 34-4 Sweden. Yowsers. It's still scoreless.

Quite often Gallagher is upside down in the crease as well, he sure can take a beating. I've put the final stats in (including today's 4-0 Canada win) the StatTracker, you can see the final stats and other player notes in there. http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=2680 I will be posting some tournament grades for each prospect later on (hoping to get to that tonight actually).

Some of the ice time stats that stood out for me: - As noted already, Cole played over 27 minutes. In a blowout game, that's way too much for any player, forward or defenceman, - Every player played at least 11:54 (Nokelainen was the low guy) while Gill saw just 12:17 of action. If the Habs keep dressing 7 D, I expect that trend to continue (he was also limited in the FLA game). - Eller played the 5th most minutes of any Montreal forward but saw less than 16 minutes of ice time.

That would be the one. As for the league worst powerplay note, if they play like that on most PP's, they won't be last for too much longer.

Hello suspensions. Rene Bourque gets 5 games while Daniel Carcillo just got hit with 7.

I thought it was today too but I read somewhere they're saving it now for the Saturday game. Frankly, I hope it never happens as I don't see any possible good coming from it.

St. Denis was named to the upcoming All-Star game, a well deserved honour for 'Steady Freddy.' Interestingly enough, 2 of the 3 Western goalies are former Bulldogs, an area of course we've been aching to see improvements in so far this year. Full Rosters: http://theahl.com/2012-all-star-rosters-unveiled-p175275

It should be noted that the lines are a guess as officially, every player is a game time decision. To me, that implies there could be an 'interesting' scratch or two, provided Cammalleri/Kaberle aren't actually hurt (as a reason for missing practice).

I'm on lunch at work so no fancy stuff today... Winnipeg: Kane - Stapleton - Wheeler Ladd - Antropov - Wellwood Glass - Burmistrov - Miettinen Fehr - Slater - Thorburn Hainsey - Enstrom Oduya - Bogosian Stuart - Flood Pavelec Montreal: Cole - Plekanec - Cammalleri * Pacioretty - Desharnais - Kostitsyn Moen - Eller - Blunden Darche - Nokelainen - Weber Gorges - Subban Gill - Kaberle * Emelin - Diaz Price * - Cammalleri/Kaberle both missed today's skate. There seems to be some speculation that Campoli will play, I presume he'd take Kaberle's spot. Leblanc is expected to be a scratch. Puck drop is at 7:30, on TSN and RDS.

I actually like him for his odd quirkiness (I remember him singing at an Als-Argos game, terribly might I add). Before the Cheetah motorcycle commercials came back out, I remember sitting wondering what happened to him.