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The Nashville Predators have been hopeful that December 20 would be the day that Pekka Rinne would get good news that would allow him to proceed with his workouts to get him back in proper hockey shape. Rinne has been sidelined with a bacterial infection in his surgically repaired hip. The Predators issued a statement today regarding the prognosis of their 31 year old starting goalie.
As a follow-up to Pekka Rinne’s MRI earlier this month, we indicated Dec. 20 as a date for further update and next steps relative to Pekka’s recovery from a bacterial infection. It is important to note that Pekka and the medical team have not encountered any setbacks in his recovery and rehabilitation.
However, as we have realized and learned throughout this process, the recovery and rehabilitation from a bacterial infection does not involve a specific timetable. It does come with a degree of uncertainty.
The Predators are going to err on the side of caution when it comes to Rinne's rehab. Thats why the team is going to wait another two weeks before they allow Rinne to begin "strenuous" activity.
To that end, and in taking every possible precaution to insure the bacterial infection is managed and controlled with a goal of returning Pekka to full strength, the doctors have recommended Pekka remain on limited activity for two weeks before considering more strenuous activity in his recovery and rehabilitation.
While we were cautiously optimistic Pekka might begin activities now, our primary concern has been, and is, for the long-term. We – Pekka, the team, doctors and our fans – want the same thing and that is for Pekka to be at 100 percent and back in goal for the Predators as soon as possible. However, we also understand we are dealing with a situation that includes some uncertainty and does not involve a specific timetable for treatment and recovery.
Bacterial infections are serious health matters. No two people react and recover the same way. The Predators are in no hurry to rush Rinne back too soon. They are willing to wait until he makes a total recovery. In the meantime, they will continue to play the young back-up tandem of Mazanek-Hutton.
Pekka will continue to be monitored on a daily basis by our medical team. We will provide further updates as warranted.
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All that Linus Omark wanted was a chance to play in the NHL. The Edmonton Oilers buried him in the minors.
One man's "junk" is another man's trasure.
Omark is en route from Oklahoma City to Boston where he will join his new NHL teammates later today in Beantown.
Ted Nolan said today that Omark will play on Saturday night against the Bruins.
The Sabres are hungry for offense and Omark will get a prime opportunity to step unto a winning lineup and to help produce goals.
Nolan told Sabres.com on Friday:
“With the injuries that are occurring, losing McCormick and we don’t know about Hodgson yet,”Nolan said. “It could be a good time for him. He’s a very talented young man so maybe it’s perfect timing.”
The Sabres have an itch and they will scratch it with Omark.
I'm liking this trade more and more. I really appreciate Omark's skill. I'm encouraged by what a friend, who scouts the AHL told me. That is, Omark has gitten better on the defensive side of the puck and is rounding into a complete player.
I like that he's 26 and that he's been screwed over by Edmonton management and coaches in his tenure there. He has a chip on his shoulder and he'll likely want to flip the metaphorical bird to Craig MacTavish for burying him in the AHL while the Oilers have been struggling all season long.
Hell hath no fury like an NHLer scorned!
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The St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg jets continue to scout the Sabres in Buffalo.
Both Western conferences teams have been mainstays at Buffalo games this season.
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The Sabres will want to pay extra respect to the Marchand-Bergeron-Smith line on Saturday night in Boston. Marchand scored twice on five shots. His line finished the game with eight shots on Ryan Miller. Were it not for Miller's brilliance in net, Marchand may have had another goal on Thursday night.
Marchand was in vintage 2011 form. Observers that I spoke with in the B's room after teh 4-2 loss in Buffalo remarked that Marchand played his best game of the season against the Sabres on Thursday night. Claude Julien remarked that he hadn't seen Marchand skate that well all season long. He created off the rush and stuck his prodigious beak into the danger areas from the slot to the goal line. Both of his goals were hard-working efforts with the first coming on a partial breakaway that beat Ryan Miller clean.
Bergeron skated 17:36 TOI, blocked two shots and was 14-8 on faceoffs.
The Sabres have to play stick on stick and take away the time and space of 63 and 37 otherwise they will get burned by them.
Marchand reacted positively to the stern talking to given him by Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli.
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Connor McDavid is Harry Potter in disguise.
The kid is a freakin wizard!
Like Pavlov's dogs, Sabres fans can drool over at this McDavid-Horvat-Reinhart goal.
Buffalo will be drafting in the top three overall this season and will have their sights set on Reinhart, whose brother Griffin was a first round draft choice of the NY Islanders last season. His father Paul is a former NHLer.
The 16 year old McDavid isn't draft eligible until June 2015, however, Sabres fans can dare to dream. Reinhart is expected to go first or second overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
McDavid and Reinhart were full value in today's Team Canada's 4-2 pre-World Juniors tourney in Finland. McDavid waved his wand and produced two magical assists.
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