SB Nation - Michael Ryan

Game 10 Preview: Hurricanes at Avalanche

David Driscoll-Carignan — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:24:58 -0000


Carolina Hurricanes	7:00 MT / 9:00 ET	Colorado Avalanche
2-4-2	October 22, 2009	6-1-2
6 pts	Pepsi Center	14 pts
12th in East	Denver, CO	1st in West

The last time the Carolina Hurricanes won in Denver, they were known as the Hartford Whalers. Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly were 5 years old. That, of course, doesn't matter at all. More importantly, the Hurricanes are off to a poor start. They have struggled offensively, averaging just 2.12 goals a game - and that includes a 7 goal outburst against Florida. Their powerplay is dreadful (29th) and they are the most penalized team in the league, averaging more than 6 minor penalties a game. Guh. The Hurricane's might also be frazzled if the Avs get more than 15,000 into the building tonight (it's Alexei Gusarov night!). Carolina played in front of a whopping 9,000 fans in New York on Wednesday. If you're going, don't yell to loudly; it might startle them.

Peter Budaj will finally get rid of the baseball cap to make his season debut.[UPDATE: Scratch that. Peter Budaj is out with the flu and Tyler Weiman has been recalled and will be in uniform tonight. Per Adrian Dater, Anderson will start.] Craig Anderson has gone the whole way for the Avs so far joining Ray Emery and Martin Brodeur as the only 3 who have played every minute in net. Cody McLeod is out tonight (and tomorrow night) with the eye injury. Hopefully he'll be okay for the West Coast trip next week. Chris Stewart has been recalled after two scoreless games in Lake Erie; either he or TJ Hensick will replace McLeod in the lineup tonight (I think it'll be Hensick as he hasn't played in about 2 weeks). John-Michael Liles has started practicing again, but is not ready yet. Tom Preissing is skating, but not practicing. Ruslan Salei is...uh...well...*crickets*...not close to returning from the sound of it.

For the 'Canes, Cam Ward will get the start. Although Mike Leighton has one appearance in relief, Ward has started every game for Carolina this year. The Hurricanes will be without forwards Erik Cole and Michael Ryan as well as defenseman Tim Gleason. Old friend Stephane Yelle centers the 4th line for them.

Canes Country

Hurricanes vs Avalanche coverage

Avalanche.com preview

Carolina Line Combos

Game Notes

Today in Colorado Avalanche History: October 28th, 2008 - Joe Sakic scores early in the 3rd period to seal a 4-1 win over the Oilers in Edmonton. Sadly, that would be the final goal of Super Joe's career. Darcy Tucker and Wojtek Wolski assisted.

McBain and Sutter Assigned to Albany

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:56:16 -0000

The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that Jamie McBain and Brandon Sutter had both been assigned to Albany. While they are gone today, there is little doubt they will both be back sometime in the future. Unfortunately for them, the Canes had already filled in all their positions with veteran players and there were no spots open. In other times, things might have been different.

Now it's up to them to use this opportunity to gain valuable experience in the AHL. During the lockout, Eric Staal and Cam Ward both played for a year in the development league and ended up to be better players because of it. Carolina management is counting on Sutter and McBain to do the same.

There are now 23 players in town which is the roster maximum allowed on opening night. The extras still here are Jay Harrison, who has locked up the seventh defenseman spot for now, Tim Conboy, who most likely will be the healthy extra on forward, and Michael Ryan, the versatile speedster who has missed the last two games because of an upper body concern, (concussion?).

Ryan would be the logical choice to stay in Raleigh for the other open spot because he has already been in the AHL for several years and has some NHL experience. Unlike Brandon Sutter, if Ryan does not get much playing time, his development won't suffer.

Finland Strikes Back: Jakub Petruzalek Leaves For Europe

Cory Lavalette — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:32:10 -0000

The Carolina Hurricanes have found lightning in a bottle with Finnish-born talent the past 15 or so months. Tuomo Ruutu, Joni Pitkanen and Jussi Jokinen have established themselves as key pieces to the Canes' attack and found a comfort zone in the Triangle. But Finland has come calling — not for any of the aforementioned, but rather free agent prospect Jakub Petruzalek. The Czech-born winger, who played two games with Carolina last season, has decided to leave North America for Lukko Rauma of SM-Liiga, the top league in Finland.

Petruzalek tied Jerome Samson for the team-lead in points last season in Albany, scoring 19 goals and 35 assists for 54 points in 77 games. But more importantly, his hustle and determination translated to the NHL in his brief audition. In more than 16 minutes of ice time — including some power play and penalty kill time — in two games, Petruzalek got his first career assist and was plus-1.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Jakub Petruzalek	2	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0

But while his contributions in Raleigh seem minimal, Petruzlek is still just 24 and could have been been one of Carolina's go-to call-ups in 2009-10 (along with recently re-signed journeyman Michael Ryan) if he had re-signed with the Hurricanes.

Instead, he's off to Finland. Hopefully the country is as friendly to Jakub its three natives have been to the Hurricanes ... and hopefully Carolina can fill the hole vacated by Petruzalek's departure.

NHL Free Agency - Day One Recap and Discussion

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:47:46 -0000

The biggest news around Raleigh, North Carolina yesterday was that Erik Cole re-enlisted for another two years on the Carolina Hurricanes. According to the Canes Country poll on the front page, an overwhelming 85% of you are in favor of that deal, although a very vocal minority is against it. For those of you who are unhappy, things could always be worse. Wait until we take a look at some of the other deals around the league. (see below)

Lost in the shuffle yesterday were the signings of Michael Ryan and Patrick Dwyer. Both agreed to a two-way deal, which gives the Hurricanes the ultimate flexibility. While both spent some time with the big club last season, they will most likely be spending most of their time in Albany next year. It's a bonus that both are NHL tested if needed though.

Also, there is a little matter of the signing of Chad LaRose, still pending. Apparently, Jim Rutherford was a little peeved late yesterday afternoon when LaRose's agent never returned a phone call. Rutherford was reportedly waiting on bated breath because he was in the middle of dealing with another free agent. Interesting.

We will see how that all works out, but don't count on LaRose being out of Raleigh until you see the official ticker that has him signing elsewhere. We will be watching for that news all day today.

Also lost in the shuffle was the announcement by ESPN magazine yesterday that the Hurricanes franchise was rated the second best franchise out of 122 sports clubs analyzed. Congratulations to Hurricanes management. We will investigate about this a bit later and run a more detailed article once we have completed some research and have more facts.

Now for the recap-

The most active team? Bob Gainey and the Montreal Canadiens. They wanted some new blood and that is exactly what they got, but at what price? After being laughed at around the league for taking Scott Gomez's outrageous 7.3 million dollar contract over from the Rangers, they went out and added even more expense. Check out these numbers- Mike Cammaleri, 30 million over five years. Brian Gionta, 25 million over five years. (WOW) Jaroslav Spacek and Hal Gill were also both added with multi-year contracts. That's a lot of bread, but they can certainly afford it. The Habs are trying to buy themselves a good team, but will it work?

The funniest deal? Martin Havlat to Minnesota. The Wild refused to re-sign Marian Gaborik because of his injury issues, but replaced him with another injury prone player. We will see what happens there.

The Rangers replaced Gomez's 7 million dollar contract with another one for Marian Gaborik. While the superstar can look like the most dynamic player in the league at times, he remains a walking groin injury. Can he stay healthy in NY?

The Sedins stayed in Vancouver, no surprise. Nik Khabibulin signed in Edmonton with a 50% cut in pay. Can he stay healthy?

Marian Hossa signed a lifetime contract in Chicago. Teams are beginning to figure out how to circumvent the salary cap a bit now, as they sign star players to long term deals, and front load the payments. Hossa's deal ends up only paying him a million a year in the final years of his 12 year deal. If Chicago decides to cut him or if he retires, it's at minimal cost to the team. Look for the future CBA negotiations to address these types of deals.

The Southeast Division got better as Washington signed Mike Knuble. Tampa and Atlanta both improved their defenses. Florida kept David Booth and is looking to make a splash today.

Chris Neil managed to get a four year deal worth $8 million from Ottawa. The price of agitators just went up.

Speaking of agitator, we will continue keeping an eye on the LaRose situation and will report as soon as we hear anything. Or perhaps Rutherford will sign the "other free agent" he is working with?

____

Let's compare Cole's contract to a couple of others.

Chris Neil, $8 million for four years. Last three years of production- 21 goals, 37 assists, 58 points.

Erik Cole, $5.8 million for two years. Last three years of production- 69 goals, 85 assists, 154 points

Brian Gionta, $25 million for five years. Last three years of production- 67 goals, 91 assists, 158 points.

If you compare Cole's contract with Gionta's and take into consideration that Cole is a more physical player, (look at the hit totals for each player), Carolina got a bargain.

So a Few Things Stood Out During the Nieuwendyk Press Conference

Brandon Bibb — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:02:50 -0000

One was the subtle jab at Bryan Marchment from Tom Hicks. I don't blame San Jose fans for holding Mush in high regard. He was one of their's just as Steve Ott is one of our's.

From my viewpoint, he's still a dirty MF'er.

The other?

This.

"I don't see it as a way of building," Nieuwendyk said. "What normally happens is you end up overspending on Day 1. And I think a lot of teams have fallen into that over the years. With all due respect, our team was one of them. You have to be careful."

Especially in a salary cap era. And especially when it appears that cap is going to go down the next two years.

I've always believed that you build your team by good drafting and getting key pieces by 'buying low' if you have to buy. And you need look no further than the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers as proof that freely spending in free agency doesn't guarantee anything.

Luckily, I got through that sentence without chortling over the Ryan Smyth signing by the Avs and the Chris Drury signing in New York. Sorry for bringing that up, Derek.

Anyway, good drafting ensures you stay competitive year in and year out. And as much as I hate to do this, the Detroit Red Wings serve as the gold standard for drafting and developing their own players.

Not to say the Stars have completely sucked at drafting. Afterall, they've hit on Loui Eriksson, Brenden Morrow, Steve Ott, James Neal, and Nik Grossman. But they've also missed on Tyler Bouck, Jason Bacashihua, Yared Hagos, Michael Ryan, and Johan Fransson, who was selected with the 32nd overall selection in the 2004 draft out of the Swedish Elite League.

Or 65 spots ahead of Johan Franzen. If only they hadn't have messed up the spelling on the last name when they submitted their draft card to the league office.

Tidbits — Playoff Edition

Cory Lavalette — Tue, 05 May 2009 02:36:22 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

7 months ago: Carolina Hurricanes center Chad LaRose (59) tries to get past Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (30) after stealing a pass from defenseman Zdeno Chara, left, which set up a second-period goal by Matt Cullen during Game 2 of an NHL hockey Eastern Conference semifinal series Sunday, May 3, 2009, in Boston. The Hurricanes beat the Bruins 3-0. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Browse more photos »

With nine games in the books for the Hurricanes, we can probably finally use some of the statistics from this postseason to assess where Carolina is thriving and where the results haven't been so good. Keep in mind the Canes are the only team to have played nine games so far, so the numbers can be skewed. We'll also peek at some of Boston's numbers to see if anything stands out.

With his empty-netter in Game 2 against Boston, Eric Staal has six goals this postseason. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby's and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin's hat tricks Monday pushed them ahead of Staal with eight and seven, respectively. Staal also ranks second in shots (37) to Alex Ovechkin's 58 (prior to Monday).
Chad LaRose's six assists are tied for fourth this postseason. Ryan Getzlaf is tops with 10 assists. The Ducks center also leads the NHL in playoff points with 13. Staal's nine points are the best on the Canes, tying him for fifth with several other players (prior to Monday).
Tim Gleason ranks fifth in playoff PIMs with 26 (15 of which game in Game 6 of the New Jersey series following a fight with David Clarkson that led to matching misconducts). That's the most among NHL d-men. Joni Pitkanen has taken seven minors, just one less than the Canucks' Willie Mitchell for the most this postseason.
Matt Cullen has one of four shorthanded goals this postseason.
The Bruins' Michael Ryder and Marc Savard each have a 33.3 percent shooting percentage on five and four goals, respectively, good for a tie for second in the postseason. Vancouver's Sami Salo has three goals on seven shots (42.1 percent). Carolina's Jussi Jokinen is ranked eighth with four goals on 15 shots (26.7 percent).
Joni Pitkanen has been one of the league's workhorses this playoff season, with his 25:50 per game ranking him 10th in the league. Surprisingly, that's a minute more than Boston's Zdeno Chara (24:44, 22nd). Joe Corvo is averaging 25:03 per game, good for a tie for 15th.
Corvo (one goal, four assists) and Pitkanen (five assists) are tied for ninth in defenseman scoring. Dennis Wideman (four assists), leads Boston. Corvo and Pitkanen are first and third in defenseman shots with 28 and 25, respectively.
The Bruins' Patrice Bergeron has been among the best faceoff men this postseason, ranking fourth with a 60.4 percent success rate. Rod Brind'Amour is 15th at 53.2 percent. The Canes' captain has struggled shorthanded, winning just 12 of 37 draws on the penalty kill.
Pitkanen and LaRose have five even-strength assists, trailing only Washington's Nicklas Backstrom (six). Four of LaRose's have been on the road (tied for third).
Pitkanen is plus-4 at the RBC Center, compared to minus-1 on the road. Conversely, Gleason is plus-4 on the road and even at home.
LaRose, Pitkanen and Staal have each been on the ice for 11 of Carolina's goals, tops on the team. Chara has been on the ice for 10, best on Boston. Pitkanen has also been on the ice for 11 goals, one fewer than Kimmo Timonen and Adrian Aucoin's 12. Dennis Seidenberg has been on the ice for nine goals, tied for 13th.
Gleason (28:22 minutes) and Brind'Amour (26:51) have played the second and third most time shorthanded for Carolina this postseason, and neither has been on the ice for a power play goal against.
Gleason's 30 hits trails only Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik (34 before Monday's game) this postseason. Tuomo Ruutu has 28 (tied for sixth) and Erik Cole has 27 (tied for ninth). Gleason also has 17 blocked shots (tied for sixth) and Seidenberg has 24 hits (tied for 14th) and 16 blocked shots (tied for eighth).
Cam Ward has 283 saves, just 30 less than leader Jonas Hiller of Anaheim. Ward has a 2.08 goals-against average (sixth) and .937 save percentage (fourth). Ward, Hiller and Washington's Simeon Varlamov all have two shutouts.
Tim Thomas has faced only 10 shots on the penalty kill, stopping all of them. Ward has stopped 57 of 60 (.950). His save percentage shorthanded this season was .871. Thomas had a .905 save percentage in the regular season on the kill.
Carolina is yet to lose this postseason when scoring first, as is Boston.
Boston has scored three times the number of goals they've allowed (21-7). They've allowed just one goal in the third period, Staal's empty-netter in Game 2.
Boston is yet to play a one-goal game this postseason, while Carolina has played five. The Canes are 3-2 in those games.
The Canes have the same number of shots and shots allowed this postseason (266). Carolina's shots for are the most this postseason, while they have allowed one fewer shot than Anaheim (267). It's interesting to note the Ducks have only 180 shots on goals, 87 fewer than they've allowed in eight games.
Boston's Mark Recchi is tied for 49th all time in playoff points (118). Brind'Amour is tied for 65th with 107.

Canes Outlast Sabres, 2-1 in Shootout

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:13:48 -0000

The Carolina Hurricanes overcame a one goal deficit heading into the third period, then held on to defeat the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout last night at the RBC, 2-1. The Canes started off a bit slowly and were outshot the first two periods 24-13, as they fell behind 1-0. But the team eventually cranked up the intensity as well as the pressure in the Buffalo zone, and tied the score in the decisive third period.

After a scoreless overtime, newly acquired Jussi Jokinen tallied the only goal of the shootout to give the home team the important victory.

Cam Ward played an excellent game and earned first star honors. At one point in the opening period, the Sabres had been out-shooting the Canes by a 6-1 margin. Ward kept the team in the game as he made one fine save after another.

Carolina was awarded several powerplays, including 34 seconds of a two-man advantage, but they were unable to capitalize. The powerplay has been ineffective for several games now, other than the two goals scored by Joe Corvo during two consecutive 5-on-3 situations against the Lightning last week.

Officially they were 0-6 last night.

In the third period as the Canes started to work harder on offense, Anton Babchuk rifled in the tying goal with a rocket shot from the point at about the seven minute marker.

Eric Staal dug the puck out behind the net and fed it to Mike Ryan, who found Babchuk all alone. Ryan had been moved up to the Staal/Ruutu line because of a suggestion by Tom Barrasso between the second and third periods. The recommendation paid off as Ryan showed off his genuine speed and meshed well with Staal. They generated a couple more chances during the period.

The overtime was pretty much dominated by the Sabres as they outshot the Canes 4-1, but Ward held his ground throughout.

Next came the shootout as once again, Ward was equal to the task as he stopped all three of the Buffalo shooters from scoring. (Pominville's shot hit the post, after grazing the goalie's shoulder).

Tuomo Ruutu shot first for Carolina, but was stopped by Lalime. Jokinen was next, skated in slowly, made a couple of moves, then finally saw an opening and wristed it in for a goal. Matt Cullen tried something similar, but was stopped.

The win gave the Canes 69 points, but that still is not good enough to push them out of 9th place in the conference. They are now tied with Buffalo, who still has a game in hand and is officially still in 8th.

Game Notes:

Matt Cullen played an outstanding game and was probably the best forward for the Hurricanes. He hit the post on one shot and was doing a smooth job of puckhandling throughout. Unfortunately his linemates did not seem to be on the same page.

Cam Ward stopped 36 of 37 shots and looked smooth and confident in the shootout, which has been his downfall in the past. After the game, he said he tried just to keep positive thoughts in his head. Fans will hope that he can keep those thoughts until next time.

Rod Brind'Amour did a great job saving a goal during a scrum in front of the net in the first period. He and Patrick Kaleta seemed to have an ongoing disagreement throughout the game. It looked like the Sabre was trying to goad the captain into a fight, but Brind'Amour would not accept the challenge. Finally in the third period, the frustrated Kaleta took advantage of Brind'Amour while he was fishing out a puck along the boards, and leveled him. Kaleta was called for charging, and the captain was slow to get up. Maurice said after the game that he should be all right.

Frank Kaberle played a ton on the powerplay, (5:13), which was a bit surprising considering he had been a healthy scratch for several games. He was even on the ice for the 5-on-3. Pitkanen and Seidenberg each had 3 minutes of powerplay time while Babchuk only had 2. When asked about the change after the game, Maurice said that he was trying something new and he felt that the defenseman had a fine game.

After being outshot by the 23-14 margin for the first two periods, the Canes poured on 18 shots during the third.

Jussi Jokinen lived up to his reputation as being a shootout specialist. At one time with Dallas, he was 12 for 12 in those situations and he is known for being one of the league's best. That trade has big paid dividends already as Jokinen now has points in four straight games.

Cam Ward was asked about having to face Anton Babchuk's shot in practice. He said that it was not fun and he usually stood up when the big defenseman would shoot, so the puck would not hit him too high. He thinks Babchuk has one of the hardest shots in the league.

Mike Ryan has the speed to play along side Eric Staal, but does he have the hands to score? If Samsonov remains out, fans will probably find out in Atlanta.

Next up for the Canes will be a game in Atlanta on Saturday night. Will they ever be able to move up into the top eight and get into the playoff mix?

Ryan and Petruzalek Return to Albany

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:23:08 -0000

The Carolina Hurricanes reassigned forwards Michael Ryan and Jakub Petruzalek to Albany today. Both skaters made nice contributions for the Canes while they were with the club. More information from the presser:

Petruzalek, 23, made his NHL debut, and earned his first NHL point with an assist, in the Hurricanes’ 4-3 shootout win at San Jose on Feb. 5. The Litvinov, Czech Republic, native also skated in Carolina’s 7-2 win at Phoenix on Feb. 7, and returns to Albany with a team-leading 22 assists and team second-best 34 points in 47 AHL games this season.

Ryan, 28, returns to Albany after having played in four of the Hurricanes’ last five games, averaging 5:42 of ice time in those contests. The Boston, MA, native leads all River Rats skaters with 23 goals and 36 points in 36 AHL games played this season.

Ryan was healthy scratched for the Phoenix game after the acqusition of Jussi Jokinen, but Petruzalek played in the 7-2 shellacking.

What this means is that Scott Walker or Rod Brind'Amour, or both of them, are ready to take the ice again. The Canes looked faster without the older players during the past couple of games. Will the loss of the two youngsters hurt the Canes?

Another question needs to be asked. If both Walker and Brind'Amour are ready to return, then who sits? Ryan Bayda? Jussi Jokinen? Patrick Eaves? A valid argument could be made for each of these players to stay in the lineup. Paul Maurice has some difficult decisions to make. It's going to be tough to break up the present lineup after such a dominating performance like the one in the desert.

Last season the Canes did well when reinforcements from Albany came to the rescue. Then at the end of the season when the previously injured veterans returned, the team faltered. Will history repeat itself?

The AHL all-stars: Two Girouxes, Rory and a Brodeur

James Mirtle — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:15:07 -0000

The AHL also announced its all-star teams this week, and they give you a decent idea of who some of the top talent is in the NHL's minor league:

Team Canada

Forwards	Defensemen	Goaltenders
Steve Downie, Nor	x-Johnny Boychuk, Pro	Mike Brodeur, Roch
x-Alexandre Giroux, Her	Kyle Cumiskey, LE	Barry Brust, Hou
x-Claude Giroux, Phi	Cody Franson, Milw	x-Brian Elliott, Bing
Mike Iggulden, Bri	Bryan Helmer, Her ("C")
Jason Krog, Man	x-Derek Joslin, Wor
Corey Locke, Hou	Andrew MacDonald, Bri
Brett MacLean, SA	Brett Palin, QC
Mark Mancari, Por	Danny Syvret, Phi
x-Chris Minard, W-B/Scr
Cal O'Reilly, Milw
Teddy Purcell, Man
Martin St. Pierre, Pro
Mike Santorelli, Milw		x-starters

The tough thing about these all-star games is that, not only do you have to hope no one gets injured, but there's also the problem of call ups to consider. Claude Giroux just torched the AHL in his first pro season with 17 goals in 31 games and is now up with the Flyers, perhaps permanently given their injury woes.

At least they don't have to worry about Captain Helmer missing the game. (Great character guy. Was good to see him get some time in the NHL with the Caps as part of his swan song.)

Three Milwaukee players here, all Nashville picks in the midrounds. Franson's a great example of the depth the Predators have on defence now; he's only 21, big and skilled and would be in the NHL with most franchises. (Not bad for a third rounder.)

Purcell looks like a really good NHLer, someone we'll see play a role with the Kings when they're climbing the standings a year or two from now. He probably misses this game, too.

Boychuk leads AHL defencemen in scoring for the Baby Bruins, and I bet the Avs are kicking themselves for dumping him this summer.

And looking at the goalies, I wonder if the Sens will give Elliott a shot in goal if Gerber and Auld continue to struggle. (And in case you're wondering, Mike Brodeur is a distant cousin of Marty. He started the season in the ECHL and has been very good for Rochester in a dozen games so far.)

Team PlanetUSA

Forwards	Defensemen	Goaltenders
Keith Aucoin, Her	Rory Fitzpatrick, Roch ("C")	Jeff Frazee, Low
x-Chris Bourque, Her	Jonas Junland, Peo	Daniel Larsson, GR
x-Nikita Filatov, Syr	Mattias Karlsson, Bing	x-Cory Schneider, Man
x-Nathan Gerbe, Port	x-Jakub Kindl, Gr. Rapids
Martins Karsums, Pro	Ben Lovejoy, W-B/Scr
Tim Kennedy, Port	Bobby Sanguinetti, Hart
Petri Kontiola, Rock	Jaime Sifers, Tor
Drew Miller, Iowa	x-Yannick Weber, Ham
Joe Motzko, Chicago
Michael Ryan, Albany
Ryan Potulny, Spr
Jeff Taffe, W-B/Scr
Ryan Vesce, Wor		x-starters

Vote for Rory paid off! The plucky defenceman gets the captain's 'C' while playing for his hometown Americans despite having a pretty pedestrian season so far.

Aucoin's another veteran worth pointing out: a 5-foot-9 30-year-old playing for one of the best teams in the league, he leads the AHL in scoring by a mile with 48 points in 34 games despite missing some time while playing three games with the Capitals in the NHL.

Filatov's with Columbus at the moment, so his participation's in doubt.

Karsums is a talented young Latvian who I saw at the world juniors quite a bit when they rolled through B.C. two years ago. He's eighth in league scoring and should see time with the big-league Bruins in the near future.

Weber looks like another good one for the Habs, too, who also have P.K. Subban on the way on the blueline.

Kindl... don't tell me you're suprised the Red Wings have another European stud coming on the blueline.

Speaking of Detroit and potential gems, so much for Jimmy Howard as the goalie of the future: Sweden's Danny Larsson has outplayed him by a mile and makes the team here. He was a late third-round pick in 2006.

I know there are some readers who see a lot more AHL hockey than I do; let me know what you think of the teams and some of the players' play to date.

Hurricanes			Avalanche
6	26th	Points	2nd	14
2.12	26th	GF/G	14th	3.22
3.00	17th	GA/G	3rd	2.11
12.5%	29th	PP%	2nd	28.6%
81.8%	12th	PK%	9th	82.9%
46.1%	29th	FO%	30th	44.8%
19.2	30th	PIM/G	16th	13.7