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Brian Gionta spent five season in Montreal. He was the captain of the club. He's still got a lot of friends in that room, however, the only thing that matters to him right now is getting two points against his former employer on Wednesday night when they skate into his new barn.
That was then, this is now.
He's the captain of the Sabres now. He's turned the page.
Gionta said Tuesday that the only thing that matters toi him right now is getting the Sabres back on track after their terrible 3-9-1 start to the season. He's heartended and encourages by his team's 2-2-1 record in its past five games.
Thanks, Sabres.com
Gionta is still chasing his first Buffalo Sabres goal. In 13 games, he has generated only one assist on 20 shots on goal. He's -6 this season.
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Ted Nolan's iPod on shuffle spit out these new forward pairs on Tuesday:
Mitchell – Ennis – *Stewart Larsson – Hodgson – Stafford Moulson – Girgensons – Gionta Deslauriers – McCormick – Flynn/Kaleta (close to being cleared to return) *Foligno day off
Gorges – Myers Meszaros – Ristolainen Zadorov – Strachan Weber – Benoit
Neuvirth (starter) Enroth
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Anaheim Ducks bench boss Bruce Boudreau has several valid reason to be concerned right now.
Injuries are occurring at an alarming rate to the high-flying Ducks right now. Today, the team got word that sensational sophomore goalie John Gibson's wonky groin may keep him out six weeks, or longer. This on top of the news that Frederik Andersen has been dealing with a leg injury of his own. Andersen's 6-0-0 record matches a career high (last: Oct. 20-Nov. 4, 2013); he currently leads all NHL goaltenders with a 2.60 GAA and .941 save percentage, and is tied for second in wins (7). During his six-game win streak, Andersen posted a career-high scoreless streak of 152 minutes and 46 seconds (spanning three games) from October 17-22.
Gabby is taking it all in stride.
“You just have to deal with the adversity and if you take it as a challenger rather than a ‘Woe is me,’ you come away from it OK.…, Boudreau told Ducks.com after Tuesday's practice session in SoCal.
Injuries to the D corps have ham strung the Ducks all season long. Bryan Allen, Mark Fistric, and Ben Lovejoy all have missed games due to injuries.
Now, their 21-year-old tender is on the shelf after suffering a groin complication is pregame warmups in Denver on Sunday.
The Ducks also announced the recall of goaltender Igor Bobkov from Norfolk of the AHL. Bobkov has posted a 20-23-2 record with two shutouts, a 3.05 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage in 46 career AHL games with Norfolk and Syracuse.
Boudreau was shocked to learn that Gibson's injury is worse than expected.
“We had no idea at first,… he said. “I just thought he tweaked his groin. Evidently, it’s a lot worse than we figured.…
Boudreau has told his team that they all have to bring their compete level to the next level to compensate for the long term loss of Gibson, who is 2-2-0 with a 2.28 GAA, .927 save % and one shutout.
“We have to suck it up,… he said. “I don’t see anybody crying for Columbus or other teams that have a lot of injuries right now. We have to do what we have to do, and we have to pick it up."
At Ducks practice on Tuesday, Frederik Andersen, Jason LaBarbera, and Bobkov were in the nets for the Ducks.
Andersen's availability for Wednesday night's game versus the NY Islanders is still in question. If he cannot play, then LaBarbera will get the net for the second straight game.
Boudreau is being very cautious with Andersen's
“We want to make sure nothing is wrong,… he said. “We want to make sure everything is where we want to be. It felt better today than it did this weekend. We’ll see how it goes.…
Andersen says he experienced the muscle tightness in Friday’s game at Dallas when he tweaked his leg. “I felt okay and was able to finish the game,… he said, “but the next day in Denver I felt like I couldn’t really be in my butterfly position.…
If Andersen can’t go tomorrow, Boudreau says LaBarbera will start in net
If Andersen cannot bounce back in good health, LaBarbera and Bobkov will not be feasible long term solutions for Anaheim. They may have to consider signing UFA goalie Ilya Bryzgalov as a stop gap effort. Or, they may want to pursue a veteran goalie by way of a trade. Buffalo's Michal Neuvirth may be an option for Ducks GM Bob Murray to consider. Neuvirth is a pending UFA and carries a $2.5 million cap hit this season. The Ducks have gotten a real good ook at Neuvith having played against him twice in the first month of this season. On October 13th, Neuvirth made 44 saves in a 5-0 shutout loss in Buffalo. On October 22, Neuvirth made 33 in a losing effort.
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Samson Reinhart will participate with his Kootenay Ice team this week during practices and in games. It will do the super skilled kid a lot of good to play big minutes and in key situations with kids his own age. Reinhart has been named captain of the WHL squad at next week's Subway Super Series.
This tourney is a precursor to the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships which will commence on Boxing Day. Reinhart will likely be named captain of Team Canada's WJC squad which has failed to win gold for the past five tourneys. Montreal and Toronto will host the 2015 WJCs. Reinhart and Connor McDavid will be the top two centers on Team Canada.
Here's the Subway Series news, per the WHL:
Reinhart has been added to the roster of Team WHL which will compete against Team Russia in the 2014 SUBWAY® Super Series.
Reinhart, a 19-year-old from Vancouver, BC, has also been named Captain of Team WHL for both games of the series and joins teammate Jaedon Descheneau in representing the Kootenay ICE at the event.
Team WHL will face Team Russia in Game 1 of the 2014 SUBWAY® Super Series in Saskatoon, SK on Monday, November 10th, and will continue the series on Tuesday, November 11th with Game 2 in Brandon, MB. The OHL will host Games 3 and 4 while the QMJHL will conclude the series as hosts for Games 5 and 6.
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the second overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, Reinhart was returned to the Kootenay ICE after appearing in nine games for the Sabres to start the 2014-15 NHL regular season. The 6’1…, 185-lb forward was named the 2013-14 WHL Player of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year after finishing tied for fourth in WHL scoring with 105 points in 60 games. Kootenay’s first-round pick in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, Reinhart has amassed 101 goals and 254 points in 203 career regular season games. He also represented Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships, and was a three-time member of Canada’s Under-18 team.
Reinhart will be suiting up for Team WHL in the SUBWAY® Super Series for a third consecutive year.
The WHL also announced the Assistant Captains for Team WHL. Defenceman Josh Morrissey of the Prince Albert Raiders and forward Nicolas Petan of the Portland Winterhawks will serve as Assistant Captains for both Team WHL games versus Russia. Additionally, defenceman Madison Bowey of the Kelowna Rockets will wear an ‘A’ for Game 1 of the series in Saskatoon, SK, while defenceman Joe Hicketts of the Victoria Royals will serve as an Assistant Captain for Game 2 of the series in Brandon, MB. All four players named as Assistant Captains for Team WHL are Captains of their respective WHL Clubs.
Each of the three CHL member Leagues assembled a selection Committee, working closely with Hockey Canada, to select the players for this year’s series. This year, Team WHL will be coached by 2014 WHL Coach of the Year Dave Lowry (Victoria Royals) who will also serve as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon Wheat Kings) will be the assistant coach for Team WHL.
The 2014 SUBWAY® Super Series is supported by CHL associate sponsors, BMO Bank of Montreal, Cooper Tire and autoTRADER.ca.
Team WHL roster for the 2014 SUBWAY® Super Series:
GOALTENDERS Eric Comrie (Tri-City Americans / Edmonton, AB) Tristan Jarry (Edmonton Oil Kings / Delta, BC)
DEFENCEMEN Madison Bowey (Kelowna Rockets / Winnipeg, MB) Haydn Fleury (Red Deer Rebels / Carlyle, SK) Dillon Heatherington (Swift Current Broncos / Calgary, AB) Joe Hicketts (Victoria Royals / Kamloops, BC) Josh Morrissey (Prince Albert Raiders / Calgary, AB) Travis Sanheim (Calgary Hitmen / Elkhorn, MB) Shea Theodore (Seattle Thunderbirds / Aldergrove, BC)
FORWARDS Tyson Baillie (Kelowna Rockets / Fort Saskatchewan, AB) Conner Bleackley (Red Deer Rebels / High River, AB) Greg Chase (Calgary Hitmen / Sherwood Park, AB) Jaedon Descheneau (Kootenay ICE / Edmonton, AB) Jayce Hawryluk (Brandon Wheat Kings / Roblin, MB) Morgan Klimchuk (Regina Pats / Calgary, AB) Nic Petan (Portland Winterhawks / Delta, BC) Brayden Point (Moose Jaw Warriors / Calgary, AB) John Quenneville (Brandon Wheat Kings / Edmonton, AB) Sam Reinhart (Kootenay ICE / Vancouver, BC) Cole Ully (Kamloops Blazers / Calgary, AB) Jake Virtanen (Calgary Hitmen / Abbotsford, BC)
(Please note: Roster is subject to change)
The schedule for the 2014 SUBWAY® Super Series is as follows: Game 1 – Monday, November 10 at Saskatoon, SK Game 2 – Tuesday, November 11 at Brandon, MB Game 3 – Thursday, November 13 at Peterborough, ON Game 4 – Monday, November 17 at Kingston, ON Game 5 – Tuesday, November 18 at Bathurst, NB Game 6 – Thursday, November 20 at Rimouski, QC
The 2014 SUBWAY® Super Series will be nationally broadcasted in its entirety live on