The Ducks had a little bit of a shift on their blueline on Friday night, as
Brett Festerling came into the line-up for Box 12 defenseman,
Steve Eminger, against the Predators. Eminger has been pretty quiet in the previous few games and the Ducks have needed something to boost themselves back into the playoff race, which also didn't happen on Friday night in their 1-0 loss. It's getting to be crunch time for Anaheim and it will be key for them to find some chemistry soon.
There was a fear that
Guilaumme Latendresse would miss out on the contest against the Sabres on Friday night, but he actually made it back into the line-up in time. Coming out of the line-up instead was
Chuck Kobasew, the Box 22 forward, as he sat as a healthy scratch for the game. Kobasew hasn't had much luck this season with injuries this year, playing only 39 games between Boston and Minnesota this season, picking up 10 points in the process. There's no word as to whether or not Kobasew will be inserted back into the line-up before the next game.
It's official as of Saturday morning.
Doug Weight's season is done, as he'll undergo shoulder surgery on Thursday to repair a torn rotator cuff. Weight only managed to play in 36 games this season for the Islanders, scoring only one goal and added 16 assists. One of the biggest jobs that Weight had placed upon him this season was mentoring their prized draft pick,
John Tavares, through his rookie season.
The Rangers decided on scratching
Sean Avery for the first time this season, which was a bit of a talking point in the coverage for the game on Friday night. With the Rangers facing off against the Thrashers in Atlanta, it seems as though they decided that a little extra grit wasn't necessary and they really wanted to concentrate on scoring some goals, instead of agitating a struggling team. It did seem to work, as the Rangers beat up on the Thrashers, 5-2. The question is now is, how does Avery fit into the plans down the stretch, with the team still on the outside looking in.
Rotate! On the out for the Capitals on Friday night at home to the Lightning was
Eric Belanger,
Boyd Gordon and Box 30 defenseman,
Jeff Schultz. The Capitals continue their resting and chemistry lesson ways, already having clinched their playoff spot and their division, they are allowed to work with these parameters in the last month of the season. The Caps did drop their game against the Lightning, but I'm sure that just helps their learning curve down the stretch.
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