ARTHUR:
What looked like an injury bug seems to have passed over the Ducks completely, as everyone is saying "probable" to the presence of Getzlaf, Parros and Selanne for tonight's game. That means we may see 600, and it may come from the efforts of what I'm calling the Sexy Finnish Line. Ihanaa a Trois, if you will.
The WCHA Final Five is this weekend, so I'm in a college hockey mood. And to satiate my hunger, David McNab has signed defenseman Jake Newton of Northeastern. Newton's on a three-year deal, and he could actually dress in a game for the Ducks this season if Carlyle makes the call. I missed the Beanpot, but I did catch a Northeastern game on ESPNU in the middle of the night and, as with all college hockey teams, I've been following the team on paper. So I will probably post a scouting report of what you can expect from the San Jacinto native. All I can say now is that Newton is a big signing. Despite being a freshman, this isn't like when we signed Stu Bickel a few years ago; there are expectations of what he can do as a defenseman.
Back to the game. The Blackhawks have become the poster child for changing the NHL rules before the Playoffs. The argument that the league is willing to suspend its superstars falls a bit flat when you consider that Ovechkin left a 7M hole in the payroll of one of the most marketable teams in the league. They'll be without Campbell, obviously, but they will also be starting Corey Crawford tonight. The team is hungry for a regulation win, and you would be too if you hadn't seen one since March 5th. The Ducks, meanwhile, are fighting for much more than regulation win pride. They need the points. It's points or go home from here on out.
Post any game info and lineup changes in the comments.
FOWL!