ekansekans's blog: "df"

HELSINKI, FINLAND – Boone Jenner isnt sure what else he could have done. The Canadian centre was assessed a major charging penalty and a game misconduct for a hit on Jesper Pettersson in the second period of Saturdays exhibition game against Sweden. Pettersson, a defenceman who plays for Linkopings HC in the Swedish Elite League, was stretchered off the ice and could be heard yelling in agony as he was loaded into an ambulance and left the Helsinki Ice Hall. Pettersson sustained a shoulder injury and will miss the world junior championship.    "It happened pretty fast," Jenner said after Canadas 2-1 shootout win. "I was just in on the forecheck, forechecking hard, just trying to finish my check and thought I made sure my arm and my shoulder were down so I thought it was a clean hit." Its possible Jenner, one of six returning players on the Canadian roster, will face supplemental discipline from the IIHF. "Thats kind of out of my control now," said Jenner, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, who plays for the OHLs Oshawa Generals. "Like I said, I thought it was a clean hit." Canadian head coach Steve Spott certainly doesnt think his third-line centre should face further sanctions. "Boone is an aggressive player, he was in hard on the forecheck, he made contact shoulder to shoulder," said Spott. "You can argue that it was late, the puck wasnt there, [so it could have been called] interference, maybe a charge, but ultimately, in our mind, in my mind specifically, there shouldnt be any extra punishment." "We thought it was pretty good hit," said Canadian centre Ryan Strome. "Thats what he brings to the table. We saw him hit like that last year and hes going to put his heart on the line for the team and when hes in the lineup were a better team so we hope hes around." Spott believes the call on Jenner was the most blatant example of what was a series of bad calls by referees Jari-Pekka Pajula and Anssi Salonen, who work in the Finnish Elite League. "We know the standards are different over here," said Spott, also the head coach and general manager of the OHLs Kitchener Rangers. "Our players are prepared, but ultimately, in the first two games, I think, as a hockey person, not as Team Canadas head coach, as a hockey person, I dont think anyone can argue that the level of officiating in the first two games for all the teams has not been at the level that were probably used to and should expect." Eleven Canadian players have combined to take 18 penalties during the two pre-tournament games. Dougie Hamilton (four), Ryan Strome (three), Ty Rattie (two) and Scott Harrington (two) were the multiple offenders. Three of the four goals allowed by Canada have come with the team shorthanded. And two of the goals came with Canada two men down.  ** A full list of every Team Canada penalty taken on Thursday and Saturday is available at the bottom of the article. ** On Saturday, Spott pointed out that the officials werent even sure if the game-deciding shootout should feature three shooters or five. After Canada scored twice (Jonathan Huberdeau and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) in its three attempts and Sweden snuck just one puck by Jordan Binnington there was an awkward moment on the ice. "We knew it was a three-man shootout, but unfortunately the officials werent aware of that so its just another example of a long day on the ice for the stripes," said Spott. "We didnt know if it was three or five shooters and Spotter was yelling, Three, and the Swedish bench was yelling, five," said Rattie, describing the bizarre scene. Rattie actually took one of the few penalties that Spott felt was warranted, a holding call when he was back-checking in the first period. "There were a couple of penalties, the [Ryan] Strome penalty and the Rattie penalty, that were well-deserved in the first period," said Spott. "I didnt like either one of those and the players heard about that." Hamilton leads Canada with four penalties in the two games. The Niagara IceDogs defenceman only has 32 penalty minutes in 32 OHL games this season. "I got to learn from it and be careful, just got to keep my stick down and just try play more puck I guess and just not be as stupid out there," Hamilton said. Heres a list of Canadas penalties: vs. Finland on Thursday: 1st Period 1. Dougie Hamilton - Cross-checking 2. Ty Rattie - Slashing 3. Ryan Strome - High-sticking 4. Scott Harrington - Cross-checking 2nd Period 5. Dougie Hamilton (2) - Hooking 6. Mark Scheifele - Tripping 3rd Period 7. Xavier Ouellet - Cross-checking 8. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Slashing 9. Scott Harrington (2) - Roughing 10. Ryan Strome (2) - Cross-checking vs. Sweden on Saturday 1st Period 11. Ty Rattie (2) - Holding 12. Ryan Strome (3) - Cross-checking13. Phillip Danault - Boarding 2nd Period 14. Dougie Hamilton (3) - Roughing 15. Jonathan Huberdeau - Slashing 16. Griffin Reinhart - Delay of game 17. Boone Jenner - Charging 3rd Period 18. Dougie Hamilton (4) - Slashing Cheap MLB Jerseys .25 million contract with the Ottawa Senators. Latendresse, 25, spent the past three seasons with the Minnesota Wild. Cheap NBA Jerseys .1 million ($4 million) from UEFAs C100 million ($128 million) fund to compensate clubs for releasing players to the 2012 European Championship. http://www.azulvirtual.org/hot.html . While that means the Canadians will be able to maximize the talents of hard-serving Milos Raonic, team captain Martin Laurendeau doesnt think theres a surface out there that can slow down the powerful Spanish. NEWARK, N.J. -- Most of the talk about the New Jersey Devils and their run to the Stanley Cup finals against the Los Angeles Kings has focused on Martin Brodeur, Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Peter DeBoer. The 40-year-old goaltender, the teams two big goal scorers and the new coach all have played major roles in getting the Devils back to the championship round just a year after they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996. The guy who tends to get lost in all the talk is Travis Zajac. This was almost a lost season for the Devils No. 1 centre. He tore an Achilles tendon in August, had surgery the next day and tried to come back in December. He lasted eight games before calling it quits. Over the next two months, there were times he thought his season was over as the injury and soreness wouldnt go away. The 27-year-old continued his rehab and eventually came back in late March. It took him a couple of weeks to find his game but one can argue he has been the best player for the Devils in the post-season, which will start its final round on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Kings visit New Jersey. "He is the type of player who does a lot of things well, from the faceoff to the forcechecking, taking the body," Brodeur said. "He does a lot of little things. A lot of people who are not watching him and who only look at the stats, miss a lot. He is an effective player. He logs a lot of important minutes. Thats what you have to look at, and who he plays against every single shift, and that tells you a lot about them." His statistics arent shabby either. Zajac has seven goals -- tied for the team high with Kovalchuk and Parise -- and five assists. His 12 points are tied for eighth best in the post-season. He also played on New Jerseys power play and kills off penalties averaging more than 20 minutes a game, third highest among the teams forwards. Not bad for player who appeared in 15 regular-season games. "Getting this far Im sure its enjoyable for everyone but it really is for me," Zajac said after the Devils practiced Monday for the first time since winning the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers on Friday night. "Playing this late in the season really makes me feel like I didnt miss the whole season. Its really a fun time to play hockey." Coming into this season, Zajac had been the Devils current iron man.dddddddddddd He had played in 401 consecutive games for the team between 2006 and the end of the 2010-11 season only to get hurt working out at home before training camp. If there has been a positive in terms of the injury, Zajac is fresh. While most of his teammates have played around 100 games, he has played in 33 and seemingly is rounding into midseason form. Veteran forward Dainius Zubrus said Zajacs return has been one of the keys to the Devils success. Instead of gambling and making a deal for a top centre at the trading deadline, general manager Lou Lamoriello stood pat and waited for Zajac to be ready. "It took time, but the surprising thing for me is how well the guy can play after basically missing the whole year," said Zubrus, who plays on Zajacs right wing with Parise on the left. "He is playing top minutes, PP and PK, and all that stuff. You cant get a player like that on deadline. When he got healthy it was a big addition." DeBoer said Zajacs contributions are immeasurable. "We wouldnt be here without Travis," said DeBoer, who was forced to use roughly 10 different centres this season in searching for replacement for Zajac. "Looking back now in reflection, that was an awfully big hole," DeBoer added. In facing the Kings, the Devils will be taking on the NHLs top team in the post-season. Los Angeles is 12-2 and it has barely been tested in knocking off the top three seeds in the Western Conference -- Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix. In each series, Los Angeles won the first three games. "They have big size up front, they check well and control the puck offensively, thats been one of their strengths throughout the playoffs," Zajac said. "They have some D-men who can make plays and jump up on offence." The Kings also play like the Devils. They roll four lines and have an outstanding goaltender in Jonathan Quick. "There are similarities for sure, but every team at this point plays a similar style, they forecheck hard and the D keeps puck alive," Zajac said. "I think every team that has been successful was similar structure." The Kings travelled on Monday to New Jersey. A media day for the teams is scheduled Tuesday. ' ' '