This is the time of every fourth year where if Zach Parise aggravates a foot injury as he did last week, the winger’s pain will be felt all over this land, and even in New Jersey, where that state’s fine citizens might otherwise be sticking pins into a doll dressed in the Wild’s No. 11 uniform.
For Americans will wrap themselves in the colors of Red, White and Blue these next two months, with the Olympic Games on ice set to open in Sochi on Feb. 13 for Team USA (and for Team Canada). Every twinge, every broken bone, every concussion sustained in NHL play will be measured against the timetable for this tournament rather than against the impact on the league standings.
The Yanks going to Sochi will be identified on Wednesday, when the roster is announced following the Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich. As of last week, there were still battles for spots both up front and on defense even as the goaltending pecking order appeared to have been settled.
Brandon Dubinsky, according to several sources, has played his way into the group of a handful of forwards vying for the final two or three spots on Team USA. Dubinsky, who unaccountably was snubbed when team hierarchy did not invite him to the summer orientation camp, has the advantage of being able to play both wing and center.
Though Dubinsky has played his way into serious consideration for a roster spot, Derek Stepan appears to have played himself onto the wrong side of the bubble over the last three weeks. A spot was surely the young Ranger center’s to lose going into the season, and even into December. Stepan seems to have done that in what has been an extremely disappointing year.
Team USA general manager David Poile is selecting the team, with advice from Ray Shero and Brian Burke and input from several other Americans with NHL personnel responsibilities. Dan Bylsma will coach the U.S. after Ron Wilson led the squad to silver in the 2010 Games in Vancouver, beaten in overtime by Canada in the gold medal contest.
With another few days to change hearts and minds, here’s the anticipated breakdown of the 25-man squad that will include 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders.
FORWARDS
Locks: 1. Parise; 2. Patrick Kane; 3. David Backes; 4. Ryan Callahan; 5. Dustin Brown; 6. Phil Kessel; 7. Joe Pavelski; 8. Bobby Ryan; 9. Ryan Kesler; 10. James van Riemsdyk; 11. Max Pacioretty.
Bubble: Dubinsky; Stepan; T.J. Oshie; Kyle Okposo; Brandon Saad; Jason Pominville; Paul Stastny; Blake Wheeler; Alex Galchenyuk.
Slap Shots’ choices: 1. Dubinsky; 2. Okposo; 3. Saad.
DEFENSEMEN
Locks: 1. Ryan Suter; 2. Ryan McDonagh; 3. Kevin Shattenkirk; 4. Erik Johnson; 5. Keith Yandle.
Bubble: John Carlson; Dustin Byfuglien; Cam Fowler; Justin Faulk; Matt Niskanen; Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik.
Slap Shots’ choices: 1. Byfuglien; 2. Fowler; 3. Carlson.
GOALTENDERS
Locks: 1. Ryan Miller; 2. Jonathan Quick; 3. Ben Bishop. 4; Cory Schneider (in case of injury).
It was a high-risk choice at the time, the Rangers’ 2010 Entry Draft selection of Dylan McIlrath at 10th overall when Cam Fowler unaccountably was still there for the taking after tumbling down the board.
Three seasons later, the decision isn’t quite in the 2003 Hugh Jessiman/Parise/Dustin Brown/Ryan Getzlaf territory — what could be; Darren Veitch fifth overall in 1980, one pick ahead of Paul Coffey? — but Fowler’s development with Anaheim, who chose the defenseman two picks later, has made it a sore spot, all right, almost as sore as the young and willing McIlrath’s wounded knee.
By the way, what message was coach Alain Vigneault delivering to the Rangers by scratching McIlrath the game after the kid dropped his gloves to fight Calgary’s Brian McGrattan, one of the NHL’s acknowledged heavyweights, in his second NHL match?
Marian Gaborik, who sustained a broken collarbone on Dec. 21 in his first match after having been sidelined for 17 games with a sprained knee, is determined to compete for Slovakia in Sochi if health permits, even if the Blue Jackets aren’t exactly thrilled by the prospect.
Another injury would destroy the trade deadline market for the former Ranger, who, as an impending free agent, would be considered one of the prime available rentals up front with the Islanders’ Thomas Vanek, Buffalo’s Matt Moulson, Calgary’s Mike Cammalleri and perhaps the Rangers’ captain Callahan and the Devils’ Jaromir Jagr.
In light of the apparent season-ending injury to Pascal Dupuis, you would have to believe the Penguins will be knee-deep again in that market.
Boy oh boy, would the Maple Leafs love to find a taker for Nazem Kadri.
The read of commissioner Gary Bettman’s clinical decision to uphold Shawn Thornton’s 15-game suspension reinforces the fact that while all sorts of people spoke up for the Boston perpetrator, no one involved in the formal supplementary discipline process other than the NHL commissioner and his deputy, Brendan Shanahan, themselves, took any notice of the victim named Brooks Orpik.
This, even as Orpik’s concussion surely jeopardized his prospect for making the U.S. Olympic Team and has jeopardized his standing in the summer market as a pending unrestricted free agent.
Finally, Washington owner Ted Leonsis, who fancies himself a progressive, must be so proud of the intermission feature that ran on his arena’s scoreboard screen during Friday’s match against the Rangers, in which former Cap and current TV analyst Alan May gave a fighting tutorial for … well, for whom, the kids in the stands?
May, who, according to hockeyfights.com, had 92 fighting majors while picking up 1,189 penalty infraction minutes in 345 games for the Capitals from 1989 through 1994, showed how to gain the upper hand in on-ice bouts by grabbing and twisting an opponent’s jersey, and in using body shots before throwing upper cuts to the face to seize control. Clips of the Capitals pummeling opponents with their fists were interspersed with the lecture.
Classy stuff.