Empty Netter Assists - 5-23-09
Playoff stuff
Penguins
-Welcome back Miroslav Satan (right).
-Jason Botterill is your new assistant general manager.
-These are not your 2008 Penguins.
-That Evgeni Malkin guy is pretty good.
-Trainer Chris Stewart learned his trade under Hurricanes trainer Pete Friesen.
-We've apparently hired Sidney Crosby.
Hurricanes
-Things get loud in Raleigh.
-The Hurricanes need guys like Eric Staal and Cam Ward to start playing like franchise players.
-Paul Maurice is much more mellow in his second run with the Hurricanes.
-Carolina has been mum on giving Maurice a contract extension.
-Eric Staal needs some help.
-Tuomo Ruutu will be a game-time decision.
-The Hurricanes are allowing fans to watch the game outside RBC Center.
Red Wings
-"It was absolutely the wrong call." - coach Mike Babcock on the penalty given to defenseman Niklas Kronwall for a hit against Chicago forward Martin Havlat.
-Forward Pavel Datsyuk did not play due to a foot injury.
-"You've got to have a short memory when you lose in the playoffs." -Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom.
-The Red Wings have a series on their hands all of a sudden.
-"It bothered me because it's a blatant lie." - Babcock on accusations from Sharks forward Jeremy Roenick that Babcock was anti-American.
Blackhawks
-A broken stick for Lidstrom led to Chicago forward Patrick Sharp's goal in overtime.
-Sharp's goal (Look for the pass by Samuel Pahlsson):
-This video is awful, but check out this re-direction goal by Pahlsson:
-Sharp called his goal the biggest of his career.
-Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin left the game last night due to a "lower-body" injury.
-Cristobal Huet filled in for Khabibluin and was perfect.
-Havlat and Khabibulin are officially day-to-day.
-Defenseman Brian Campbell called the Kronwall hit "gutless."
-Michael Jordan and Bobby Hull were in the house last night:
-We assume that was Aaron Johnson's No. 23 jersey Jordan was wearing.
"-We have a long way to go." - Sharp.
-Chicago actually surrended a 3-0 lead in roughly four and a half minutes.
-They've got standing room only "seats" in Chicago as well.
Smythe Division
-The playoffs could last until June 15. All because that's how NBC wants it.
Non-Playoff Stuff
Atlantic Division
-Devils forward Bobby Holik (right) is planning on retiring. And one more former Hartford Whaler rides off into the sunset.
Northeast Division
-Canadiens forward Maxim Lapierre (ankle) and defenseman Mathieu Schneider (shoulder) each underwent surgery.
Southeast Division
-Washington forward Alex Ovechkin predicted a Penguins-Red Wings Stanley Cup final.
Northwest Division
-Flames general manager Darryl Sutter is facing a lot of uh... heat... after firing coach Mike Keenan.
-Former Penguins assistant general manager and new Wild General manager Cliff Fletcher will bring aggressive hockey to Minnesota.
Adams Division
-German goaltender Robert Mueller passed away following a battle with brain cancer. He was 28.
(Photos: Satan-Keith Srakocic/Associated Press; Kronwall-Paul Beaty/Associated Press; Jordan and Hull-Jim Prisching/Getty Images; Holik-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)