John Walton Hockey

Wed, Feb 18th, 2009 12:19:00 am

REIRDEN (FOR NOW) IN CHARGE UP NORTH

Assistant coach Todd Reirden has been named interim head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, replacing at least for the moment Dan Bylsma. As reported here yesterday, we hear that Pittsburgh is allowing Bylsma to keep the seat warm for now, but that other options available to Mario Lemieux and the boys are being explored. The name I've heard now from two different sources that Pittsburgh is looking into is Peter Laviolette, but he may not be the only one. The fact that the Penguins are putting Reirden at the helm in the WB suggests that the search at the NHL level may not be over yet at well. Pittsburgh is back on home ice Thursday against Montreal.

http://www.citizensvoice.com/articles/2009/02/18/sports/doc499c3d9f577af280305511.txt

Thanks to Puck Daddy for citing JWH yesterday on this story as well. We're going to have Greg on TOBHS this coming Monday. If you're not familiar with his work, you should read him regularly.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Headlines-Mats-Sundin-and-the-great-poker-?urn=nhl,142116

Here's the latest from Randy Rock as well, as the Caps hit the ice tonight against Montreal.

CAPS LOOK TO GAIN POINTS FROM BIG HOMESTAND

by Randy "Rock" Johnson
JohnWaltonHockey.com

The Washington Capitals look to (sorry…I can’t refuse) “capitalize” on the five-game home stand the club begins tonight at Verizon Center against the free-falling Montreal Canadians. While the Caps still maintain a comfortable eleven-point lead over the red-hot Florida Panthers for first-place in the Southeast Division, they are locked in a dogfight with the New Jersey Devils for second place in the Eastern Conference.

So with having nine of their next ten games at the Phone Booth, including the five-game home stand, the Caps have an opportunity to not only bury Florida in the division race, but perhaps solidify something of a hold on the second spot in the conference. Also, they are far from mathematically eliminated in the race for the top spot in the conference. The Caps trail the first-place Boston Bruins by eleven points in the East, with the Caps having a game-in-hand. Obviously, finishing second or third in the conference is not a season-killer, but the roll the team would have to get on to make a run at the Bruins would be a nice wave of momentum to ride into the playoffs.

It’s also good news that the Caps are relatively healthy, especially at this point of the season. While earlier in the year the team’s injury report was as long as a Saturday morning shopping list, the Caps now find themselves icing as close to a full line-up as they have all season. There are still a couple of injuries to deal with, however. Goaltender Brent Johnson is still out at least six weeks while recovering from hip surgery. Forward Viktor Kozlov continues to be day-to-day with a pulled groin. Chris Clark is gone for the year with a wrist injury, and Brian Pothier continues to deal with post-concussion syndrome.

Johnson’s injury does leave the Caps without a veteran backup behind Jose Theodore, but the debut performance of rookie Michel Neuvirth in last Saturday’s 5-1 win in Tampa (32 shots-31 saves) has to calm the Caps’ nerves somewhat. If Theodore were to go down for an extended time, however, heading into the playoffs with a potential Neuvirth/Simeon Varlamov tandem between the pipes would not be ideal. In spite of all of the talent this team has, the Caps’ Stanley Cup hopes will rise-or-fall on the shoulders of Theodore. If he’s healthy and in a groove, the Caps have the potential to inflict some serious damage come playoff time. If not, well…

FIVE GAME HOMESTAND---Tonight, VS Montreal; Friday, VS Colorado; Sunday, VS Pittsburgh; Tuesday 2/24, VS Philadelphia, Thursday 2/26 VS Atlanta.