February Blues

You know I'm on the wrong end of a cold when I skip sports to stay home in bed. I suffered all day at work, and I will officially say that it was a mistake to get out of bed this morning. I've canceled with the volleyball team for tonight, and I've medicated myself to the teeth. I'm officially done for the evening. Much like Alexei Kovalev, I'll be staying home instead of working up a sweat. The Montreal Canadiens officially hit the "panic button" as they told Kovalev to stay home as they embark on a two-game road trip through Washington and Pittsburgh. But the moves weren't done with the lethargic Kovalev. No, the Canadiens sent the enigmatic Sergei Kostitsyn to the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs with the hopes that he can rediscover his scoring touch. Overall, it appears that Montreal and I are suffering from the same thing: February blues.

Let's not go too crazy here, though. Mathieu Schneider will be wearing #24 when he suits up for Les Canadiens, and he'll be joining a team needing a boost. Whether or not he's the answer for a listless powerplay remains to be seen, but the Habs desperately need some sort of change in order for them to hang on to a seemingly unwanted playoff spot.

Glen Wesley will be honoured in Carolina tonight as the Hurricanes and Bruins meet. The former Bruin, Whaler, Leaf, and Hurricane will have his jersey retired by the Hurricanes. This is a nice honour for a steady player like Wesley. Was he Hall-of-Fame material? It's debatable, but he is certainly one of the best to ever don the red-white-and-black of the Hurricanes. Congratulations to Glen Wesley on this accolade, and his career!

Great piece on TSN's Off The Record with Michael Landsberg today. Former Penguins head coach Michel Therrien had nothing but praise for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as leaders of the Penguins' dressing room, and said he was surprised he was fired as head coach. While he didn't get into the details, he still believes that the Penguins are a playoff team despite them sitting tenth in the Eastern Conference right now. A very classy interview by Therrien, and he deserves some recognition for taking the high road.

Don't get me wrong here, but Dallas losing Brad Richards for six-to-eight weeks with a broken wrist won't be the end of the world. Yes, it's a loss in the scoring department, but it will allow other players to step up. One of the guys I'd like to see thrust into Richards' spot on the depth chart is rookie James Neal. Neal looked like a special player during his brief stint with the AHL's Manitoba Moose, and he has certainly played well with Dallas. He hustles, he plays hard, he scores goals, and he deserves mention as a darkhorse as a Calder Trophy candidate. If he gets to step in where Richards played, his stock will certainly rise. He's second in rookie goal-scoring, and fifth overall in points for a rookie. Get him on the ice, Dave Tippett!

Ok, I'm going to bed. Buffalo has a stranglehold on their game with the Leafs, and Drew Stafford scored against the Leafs again. No highlight reel goal this time, but it appears that Stafford likes playing against the Leafs. Anyway, my body is telling me to get it some sleep, so I'm off.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!