Tied 1-1 in games, Mikhail Grigorenko returned to one of his QMJHL stomping grounds in Halifax. Grigo played for Patrick Roy at Quebec Remparts last season. Perhaps his familiarity with the Halifax barn would inspire his scoring touch.
Grigo has been doing everything within his power this Summer in order to catch the eye of Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff. Grigorenko showed well for Buffalo at his pro prospects camp in Buffalo in July. He skated, scored, created, and used his body to protect pucks in the Blue and Gold scrimmage. His play on the defensive side of the puck has been very impressive to this observer. He's a better defensively player than I first gave him credit for. He's a tall kid, with a long stick who can deny time and space with the use of his fast feet, long stick and excellent hockey instincts.
However, he's only been so-so offensively in the first three games of the Canada-Russia Challenge.
On Monday night, Grigorenko did all the little things well== skated well in all three zones, played stingy D by denying time and space, and looked to create plays for his wingers. On this goal, Grigo wastes little time parking his 6'3 195 pound frame to the left of Canada goalie Brossoit. Yakupov's point shot was deflected in for the go ahead goal.
thanks, oilers.nhl.com
Again, the kid is playing well. He's playing the Russian system to a tee. Save a couple of dreadful turnovers he committed in Game three, with one resulting in a Canada goal. I feel like its time for Grigorenko to turn up the gas and to ignite his own personal offensive game right now.
If Grigo wishes to earn the top line centre job, or any other centre jon in Buffalo this season, for that matter, he's going to have to do better than creating only one assist through the first three games of this series. Russia has scored 12 goals in its past two wins. Grigo hasn't contributed offensively. This comes as a shock to me. He's getting his scoring chances. He's setting up Yakupov. I don't get it. Grigorenko is playing with the red-hot Nail Yakupov in this mini tourney. He should be scoring and assisting at-will on goals.
Here's the one that got away.
thanks, oilers.nhl.com
The official scorer gave Grigo a gift on this PP assist in game one.
thanks, oilers.nhl.com
Russia beat Canada 6-5, to take the 2-1 series lead. The fourth and final game os Tuesday night in Halifax.
Canadian defenceman Ryan Murphy was the standout for Canada as he notched a goal and three assists. The Kitchener Rangers defenceman showed why the Carolina Hurricanes drafted him in the first round in 2011
The Canada-Russia Challenge is using IIHF point system. Meaning, a win in regulation gets team 3 points, a win in OT two points,a loss in OT 1 point.
Canada MUST win on Tuesday night.
Grigorenko must find a way to will himself onto the score sheet in Game 4 if he's to be considered a serious contender for Buffalo's top line centre job. The kid must show me and the Buffalo eyes in the sky that he is truly capable of playing like the 12th overall pick in the NHL entry draft.
In the war of public opinion and social media, it appears as though the NHL owners are getting hammered by the players.
I love how the players, past and present, are one-timing snipes back at Gary Bettman and the owners via Twitter. Last Friday, Hall Of Famer Bobby Orr, now a player agent, lent his support to the NHLPA. In recent days, NHLPAers Steve Ott, Gabriel Landeskog,Steve Montador, Brian Gionta, and Brad Richards have tweeted pro-NHLPA messages. It seems to be working, as the number of fans who follow these players and others on Twitter
Sucks to hear Bettman say they will lockout....I'm in Toronto on tues for negotiations at @nhlpa office.
Tuesday morning in Toronto is when NHLPA boss Donald Fehr and his player representatives will present their counter proposal to the cockeyed deal that the owners and Gary Bettman presented last week.
Fehr was in Toronto on Monday. Players in CBA negotiations today: Mathieu Darche, Rick DiPietro, Steve Montador, Chris Phillips, Matt Stajan, Kyle Quincey and Mike Weaver. Fehr and the PA will unveil their “alternative view” of a collective bargaining proposal on Tuesday.
thank, nhlpa.com
The NHLPA’s executive director has stated that it would not be a counter-proposal to the deal the NHL presented on July 13.
The NHLPA is set to push for an expanded revenue sharing model, as well as sweeping changes to the present salary cap model.
The players will converge en masse in support of their union brethren on Tuesday.
Excuse me while I emote. I just slammed my cranium off the corner of my computer desk. Three times in a row, causing a huge knot of a goose egg in the middle of my forehead. It hurts real bad. My vision is blurry. I’m getting weaker by the moment.
You wanna know what caused me to to mutilate my own head the way that I did?
I was reading Mike Chambers’ report from the Denver Post. The Avs are all shot in the ass with their “news” that they have signed veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere to a $1.5 million extension. Jiggy is now locked-in the veteran goalie through the 2013-14 season. So too is young goalie, Semyon Varlamov. Jiggy will mentor Varly.
Giguere played in 32 games last season, with a 15-11-3 record, 2.28 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. Big whoop.
Party time. Excellent.
The Avs’ best complete player, in my opinion, Ryan O’Reilly, is left to rot on the vine while his GM takes his sweet time tending to other more important matters like the Jiggy extension.
O’Reilly became RFA on July 1, since then, there has been very little to talk about with regards to his future in Denver. Matt Duchene became RFA as well on 7/1/12, however, he got himself a new 2 year, $7 million deal in less time than it takes to order a double-double at Timmy Ho's. I think Duchene's hometown haircut screwed O'Reilly's opportunity to earn more money and term.
O’Reilly was the leading scorer in Denver last season. His entry level contract has been expired for 7 weeks. Its not like money is the object. The Avalanche are $19 million below the NHL salary cap. They choose not to sign O’reilly, while they instead opt to sign PA Parentau and David Jones to matching 4 year, $4 million contracts this Summer. Right now, O’Reilly isn’t a factor in Colorado’s plans. He is still unsigned.
Can someone, preferably Buffalo GM Darcy Regier, PLEASE sign Ryan O’Reilly to an offer sheet already?
The hero of the second match with the Canadians Kiril Kapustin shared his feelings with the press service of the Russian Hockey Federation, after Russia’s 6-3 victory over Canada in Yaroslavl on Friday. Kapustin plays for the Yaroslavl club team. Needless to say, scoring a hat trick, on home ice, in front of his home fans was a special moment. What added more drama and intrigue to the Kapsutin’s memorable performance was the fact that he was able to shake off the serious after effects of a heavy collision and was able to not only finish the game, but score three goals after he had suffered a knee-on-knee hit from Canada’s #1 centre, Winnipeg Jets prospect, Mark Scheifele.
Kapsutin told the Russian press service after game two that he thought that he was done for the game after the Sciefele incident.
“I would like to thank the doctor, to be honest, I thought I would not go out more today. Many thanks to the fans. Hat-trick dedicate to my parents and girlfriend, who now were in the stands”.
The Russian forward agreed with the official’s penalty call on Scheifele, who was assessed a major penalty and ejected from the game for the knee-on-knee hit.
Kapsutin said that he didn’t see the hit coming.
“All right.I left the fight, made a motion, after which he entered into my knee”.
After the fray, Kapsutin and his team mates focused their attention on keeping their emotions in check and playing intense hockey, rather than running around the ice looking to settle grudges.
After the loss, Team Canada head coach, Steve Spott, defended Scheifele saying that the kneeing call was, in his opinion, unfair. However, Spott did say that other Canada penalties were not and that they killed his team’s momentum.
“We knew that if we took poor penalties and were soft with our discipline we were going to allow them to stay in the game. Ultimately, for me, that was the difference in the game,” said Spott.
Russian Captain, Nail Yakupov, was at first concerned for Kapsutin.
“But he just could not stand the knee. I even told him: "If you do, Cabbage, all seriously, then do not take risks." But he returned to the ice, first hopped like a rabbit, and then once or twice, and everything is fine (laughs). Scored one goal, the second and third. I was in a pleasant shock! The guy tried and played for a team of Yaroslavl boys, for their city. He burned his eyes. He - well done!”, Yakupov told rhu.ru after Russia’s 6-3, Game 2 victory.
Yakupov noted that for Kapustin to put on a show for the fans of Yaroslavl made the game all the more memorable for Team Russia.
“Very happy for him. Especially in light of the fact that at the end of the first period, he received a severe blow to the knee. Kirill - a graduate of "Locomotive", long plays and scored on his own stadium in front of their fans three goals. What could be better? I hope that will Kapustin for his club team of the new star. He took another step forward in this direction. And in the first team in time he too will succeed. He deserved it (the hat trick)”
Spott says that Game 3, on Canadian soil, will give his young team a boost in confidence.
“I know our team's really excited about the atmosphere in Halifax.
Spott’s message to his team: Stay out of the penalty box.
“
The penalties that we took, for me, were ones that were uncharacteristic for us. They were stick penalties they were far away from our goaltenders.
“They're penalties that were unacceptable in an event like this.”
Kapsutin says his team has one singular focus for Monday night’s Game 3 in Halifax.
“We plan to play to win”.
Expect Team Canada to be amped up for Game 3. Should be a great game.
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