Eastern News and Notes - 11.04.08
Ashley Gallant | National Hockey League
Nov 4, 06:32 PM | Hype this story!
I was watching CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night (a.k.a. the night when the Leafs scored five goals in the last eight minutes to beat the Rangers 5-2). As usual, they showed clips from other games, and one in particular stood out in my mind.
They showed Marty Brodeur leave the ice with what the team was calling a ‘bruised elbow’. The ‘experts’ pointed out a few times that nobody touched Brodeur, and that he didn’t hit his arm on anything. Read: he was faking it. Or at least trying out for drama school.
Oops, I guess that wasn’t an accurate assessment of the situation.
The New Jersey Devils announced today that Marty will be undergoing surgery this Thursday to repair the distal bicep in his left elbow.
Oh, and he’s going to be out for 3-4 months.
This changes things a bit, doesn’t it?
“When you have a Marty Brodeur as a goaltender and he’s out for a significant amount of time sure it certainly gives you a knot in your stomach, but you have move forward,” said Devils coach Brent Sutter.
A knot in your stomach? That’s putting it a bit mildly.
Kevin Weekes, the backup goalie with the cushiest job in the NHL – playing maybe 3 or 4 games a year – has suddenly become the go-to guy between the pipes.
In many ways, Brodeur has been the glue that has kept this team together – and in the playoffs – for the past several years.
Now that he’s gone…
Speaking of injured goalies, this guy just can’t seem to catch a break.
Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders will be out 4-6 weeks after having surgery to repair the meniscus tissue in his knee.
In June, he had another surgery on the meniscus of his knee. In March, DiPietro had season-ending hip surgery. And then there was the hip surgery the summer before to correct a torn labrum.
And did you forget those concussions in 2007?
DiPietro definitely has all-star talent, but will his body be able to survive the game much longer?
As was reported last week, Alex Ovechkin returned home to Russia to be with his ailing grandfather.
Ovechkin missed 2 games, ending his streak of 203 consecutive games played. While away, his Capitals won a 4-3 contest with Nashville, and lost 5-0 to Buffalo.
Well, Ovechkin returned to practice on Monday, and is expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Capitals take on the Senators in Ottawa.
The Caps will definitely be happy to get their Russian sniper back. Although Ovie only has 2 goals and 3 assists this season, he is the best player on their team and is needed if the team wants to better their 2-4-0 road record.
The Toronto Maple Leafs.
Is this really a shocker anymore?
Forbes announced its list of the NHL’s most valuable teams, and the Leafs came in number 1 for the third straight year, worth $448 million.
Second on the list is the New York Rangers ($411 million), and rounding out the top five are the Montreal Canadiens ($334 million), the Detroit Red Wings ($303 million), and the Philadelphia Flyers ($275 million).
Interestingly enough, the Pittsburgh Penguins had the biggest increase in value. The Pens are now worth $195 million, up 26 percent from last year.
While they are still below the NHL’s average ($220 million), and worth less than Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, they did manage to make a profit last season. Twelve teams, including the Flyers, actually lost money last year.
Comments
DaBich
Nov 5, 06:43 AM
When I saw the headline for this article, As, I said, Oh No, it has to be Brodeur, and the Devils are in trouble…he’s the glue that holds that team together.
Then I read your article, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
They ARE in trouble, poor Uncle Daddy…
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