Injury Talk 5.0: Diaz and Bourque out with concussions
 

Latest Updates:
Bourque - concussion - out indefinitely (Feb 26, 2013)
Nokelainen - back - LTIR (skated for the first time Feb. 18, 2013)
Diaz - concussion - out indefinitely (Feb 27, 2013)

Bourque:

Nokelainen:
Diaz:

First!

oh and... yay Markov! The general is back. Let's lose some games 5-4, rather than 5-1.

Blunden is skating.

I want Markov to get a good ten games in at least before the end of the season. Get his legs moving and get the feel back before a long season next year.

5 or less games just won't cut it.

Habs have 16 games left & I would like to see Markov play 10-12 games. We need to see how he performs on that twice rebuilt knee, and I'm sure he wants to see how his knee holds up.

I dont see them giving Markov a whole lot of time, & I wouldnt call it a bad thing if we played him every 2nd game or so, easing him back in to play. Honestly, this year is a write off, and we cannot be jeapordizing the position we're in at this pont. 16 games, left, 2pts behind CAR, and they have a game in hand, 5 pts behind the NYI...

In the West, Columbus is done. They have the 30th spot wrapped up. EDM is 4 points behind with a game in hand, and MIN is 6 pts up on us...

So Far in our last 40,

MTL
2-7-1 in our last 10, only SJ & TOR have been as bad in the same 10 game stretch.
6-3-1 right before the last 10...
4-5-1 before those 10
3-5-2 before that...

So our last 40 games, 15-20-5 (9-17-4 with best taken out, 13-13-4 with the worst out)

EDM,
3-6-1
5-4-1
2-7-1
3-7-0

13-24-3 (8-20-2 with best out, 11-17-2 with the worst out)

CAR
4-2-4
5-2-3
5-4-1
2-6-2

16-14-10 (11-12-7 with best out, 14-8-8 with worst out)

MIN
3-5-2
3-6-1
2-6-2
4-4-2

12-21-7 (8-17-5 with best out, 10 - 15 - 5 with worst out)

NYI
4-5-1
5-3-2
6-3-1
4-6-0

19-17-4 (13-14-3 with best out, 15-11-4 2 with worst out)

In the Past 40 GP
NYI 19-17-4 42 pts (4-5-1, 5-3-2) (5 pts ahead) 16 gr
CAR 16-14-10 40 pts (4-2-4, 5-2-3) (2 pts up 1 gih) 17 gr
MTL 15-20-5 35 pts (2-7-1, 6-3-1) (60 pts) 16 gr
EDM 13-20-7 33 pts (3-6-1, 5-4-1) (4 pts back 1 gih) 17 gr
MIN 12 -21-7 31 pts (3-5-2, 3-6-1) (6 pts up) 16 gr

With the best 10 game stretch out
NYI 13-14-3 29 Pts
CAR 11-12-7 29 Pts
MTL 9-17-4 22 Pts
MIN 8 -17-5 21 Pts
EDM 8 - 20 -2 18 Pts

With worst 10 Game Stretch out
CAR 14-8-8 36 Pts
NYI 15-11-4 34 Pts
MTL 13-13-4 30 Pts
MIN 10-15-5 25 Pts
EDM 11-12-2 24 Pts

I dont see us catching Carolina, or the Islanders... The Isle have been playing rather decent hockey since December. Carolina has been headed in the right direction as well...

Minnesota is in a Death Spiral, Edmonton is roughly keeping the same pace as us,

I think we definately finish in the 27-29 range.

From MTL's 16 GR,

30- CLB 47 pts is light years away from anyone. (1 GIH)
29-EDM 56 pts (1 GIH) (playing relatively equal to MTL)
28- MTL 60 pts
27- CAR 62 pts (1 GIH) (playing better than MTL)
26- NYI 65 pts (playing better than MTL)
25-MIN 66 pts (playing worse than MTL)

Playoff hunt (These teams should be winning)
24- TOR 67 pts (1 GIH)
23-ANA 68 pts (-1 GIH)
22-BUF 68 pts
21-TBL 68 pts (1 GIH)
20- WSH 69 pts (1 GIH)


Markov's return, will probably amount to 8-10 games remaining. That could give us a boost in those final games. Carolina and NYI are currently playing a pretty consistently better brand of hockey currently...
Minnesota's death spiral is what we could potentially leap frog.

IMO above the 24 spot, are teams still in the playoff hunt, and SHOULD be playing inspired hockey.

Heading on our western trip, we are 0-2-1 against these 3 teams, and they are all better at home, with 2 of them still in the playoff hunt/seeding. In fact, after this trip 11/12 games are against teams that are still above the line, and are in the playoff hunt.

4 against the SE, 6 in our Division, 3 against the ATL

We're 6-10-0 SE, 7-8-2 ATL, 7-7-4 vs ours.


I think 16 points is our average bet over this last bit of sched... and based on our last 10... I'd say that would be trending downwards... I believe even having Markov come back, would get us only back to the 16 pt mark at this point.

Markov needs to play every single game. And if we win every single one of those games, so be it.

Do we play the Pens again this season? With both Markov and Crosby practising, who wants to bet on them colliding in their debut ending both careers?

Mediocrity is your favorite thing, is it?

One good hipcheck from Emelin should really test out his knee.

Darche has concussion like symptoms, but I don't remember where I read that to give a source.

Must be from banging his head on his desk when Martin calls him to chat.

I think you're terribly shortsighted if you don't think we should test our number 1 dman before retooling this summer.

Tank nation is pathetic but we've come to embrace it because it's like saying "well I know I didn't win anything in the gameshow but I might get the ~MysteryBox~".

Markov is a key cog which we haven't had in two years. He needs to be at a 100% if we want to do well (ie. NOT MEDIOCRE) in the coming years. How can the GM organize his team after this disasterous year with another giant question mark in place of #1 D-man?

You and the Lafleurs and the rest of your ilk chose to ignore what a stable, consistent organization can accomplish. I look at the Islanders, Jackets and Panthers and shake my head, you guys gloss over it and think they don't exist.

That's pretty funny coming from someone who thinks that a team should encourage players to throw the pride and effort that got them to the NHL to begin with out and intentionally lose games.

We aren't losing every single game for the rest of the year, with or without Markov.

I hope he gets in for the Vancouver game, been so long since I saw him live, or at all for that matter.

Has there been any updates on Moen? Hamilton needs some players back as they have an upcoming brutal 4 games against two of the top teams in the AHL.

Last I saw was this, from a few days ago:

http://legrandclub.rds.ca/profils/60.../135649/public

Says there were intial feelings that Moen may be done for the year but recently he's been doing off-ice work-outs and feeling better. Lavoie speculated he may join the team for the road trip, but he didn't, so I'd say he probably isn't very close to returning.

interesting, I didn't know that it was that bad where they thought he would be done for the season.

Explains why he wasn't traded.

Black is white, white is black blah blah blah.

Those that want a careful, full recovery to ensure that Markov is healthy 1,2 3 or more years down the road are in your estimation "short sighted" ? wow.

The people that demand to see if Markov can skate, hit, be the player he once was (he isn't) and are going to have tantrums until they see it now! now! now! are the ones with vision? Are you nuts ?

Markov is not replaceable and not tradeable. The team is going to live or die with this contract, and as such the team needs to take great care getting Markov back. slowly.

The urgency of the playoffs is over. The urgency of getting a good new player to help the rebuild is it's top priority now.

your personal evaluation of his abilities after 2 years of absence is irrelevent, Markov's greatest contribution to the team now is that he is healthy and contributing if and when the team turns around.

As for your beef with "Tank Nation" take your history lesson from 2001 and then realize that there are people that have another point of view that is completely justified.

Markov is back?

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lojul1hoB91qgzuxc.jpg

Leblanc and Enqvist sent down. What does this mean?

Gomez and Palushaj back in?

Columbus, Islanders and panthers all have 3 things in common. Horrible management. Want to know why the Habs are where they are? There's your answer. Want to know why Florida has gone from bottom feeders to a potential division winning team? They got a GM who came in with a blueprint and a plan, integrated it and the results speak for themselves. Meanwhile the Islanders and Columbus are still meandering near the bottom. At least the Islanders have Tavares to be a force for the next 5 years, who do we have?

Saying that if Markov comes back and we won every game from here on out is acceptable IS short sighted. We've gone through hell and the only solace of this miserable season that shows more mediocrity is on the horizon at the hands of Gainey/Gauthier; is the top 5 pick. You disreguard it as if it has no value or place. THAT is short sighted. It is the only consolation we've got left. Markov's condition is important to know, but hes only got a few seasons in him left even if his knee is a hundred percent and if we endure another season next year like this one, he might be dealt for assets.

What pride do the players have? This losing is an indication of their pride. You see in the ebb and flow of the game who cares and who doesn't. This management group has torn asunder a proud group of aspiring young players whenever they faltered and are left with a broken shell of a team.

Dont blame the tank for the lack of pride and effort. Blame management and the coaching staff. They've instilled this culture and reinforced it with their moves and the players they trade and acquire.

He's right. We have to test out Markov this year to make sure we have our best D at 100% next season. It's too risky going into this year without seeing him play before one of the biggest summers in our history. If we go into next year and something isn't right, we go through all this again.