LAUGHLIN RECOVERY GOING WELL ... JONES TO AHL FOR 'CONDITIONING'
Hockey … Nothing But Hockey …
HARRY FEUERSTEIN reports long-time friend (and
former NHL standout) CRAIG LAUGHLIN is “doing
well” following open-heart surgery Feb. 4 … At least he
had time to prepare for it. Laughlin, 67, knew for quite a
while he had blockage in a left anterior artery as well as
a damaged bicuspid aortic valve that required repair ...
Feuerstein owned the ECHL Richmond Renegades, and
convinced Laughlin, having retired from the Washington
Capitals, to join him … for what proved the team’s glory
days … with a championship in 1994-95. It was the only
team to win it all in Richmond hockey history … from
the Robins (1971-76) to Renegades II (2006-09) and
also included the Wildcats (1976-77), Rifles (1979-81),
and RiverDogs (2003-06) … Renegades I came close
again in 1998-99, leading Mississippi, three games to
one, in the finals … before dropping Game 7 in overtime
to the Sea Wolves coached by BRUCE BOUDREAU.
Now, three decades later … Laughlin has been co-voice
of the Capitals on TV since 1990-91 … Boudreau, 70,
having been behind the bench of four NHL teams
including Washington (2007-2012), is heard (and seen)
on a variety of hockey shows, and Feuerstein, 62, is
president of the ExCo Group … His son JARED is
writing a book on the 1994-95 Renegades that “should
be out soon.”
------- Boy, did TNT studio’s COLBY ARMSTRONG
have it nailed about the New York Rangers Sunday.
After one period against Pittsburgh, which like NY
allowed eight goals in a one-sided loss Saturday, the
score was 1-1 … and host LIAM McHUGH said: “The
Rangers have had only five fighting majors all year … Is
there an energy level they need to get to that just isn’t
there now?”
That was all Armstrong, 42, former first-round draft
choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs and nine-year NFL
veteran … who never has been shy about saying what he
thinks … needed to unload on the under-achieving
Broadway Blueshirts. Once again they played poorly
and looked like a team that didn’t care if it won or lost ...
One of the few players who played hard, 6-8 ½ MATT
REMPE, drove Penguins’ defenseman MATT
GRZELCYK head-first into the glass and was called
for a five-minute major that eventually was overturned
and received only a minor for interference with 2:19
gone. Grzelcyk went to the dressing room and didn’t
return.
Said Armstrong, “The way I would describe them …
they’re reeling or kind of crumbling … They look like
deer in the headlights or stuck in quicksand … If
something can go wrong it’s going to … and their body
language … they don’t have that. That’s why Rempe
stands out a little bit … and that’s why they went out
and got JT MILLER who plays that wild game ... with
passion and emotion … They’re missing that. They won
the President’s trophy last year. What happened? Where
did they go? Where’s the passion? Where’s the
emotion?”
Cut to a commercial … but first ...
“One thing you don’t want to be is a deer in the
headlights … stuck in quicksand,” McHugh said.
Nothing like a little levity … even if, you can be sure,
the Rangers aren’t smiling, much less laughing.
Well, New York did have the last laugh this day, winning
5-3. scoring the last three goals including the winner by
ADAM FOX 11:36 from the end … a BAD goal, by
any description. SIDNEY CROSBY’s expression told it
all after teammate and goaltender JOEL
BLOOMQVIST simply missed the unscreened shot
from the high slot.
To think the Penguins dominated, outshooting the
Rangers 12-5 in the first 20 minutes and 30-9 after two.
Everyone agreed NY goalie IGOR SHESTERKIN,
who was pulled Saturday against Buffalo after allowing
five goals on 16 shots, was the difference in this one. A
unanimous first star.
------- The Washington Capitals came out of Sunday’s
7-3 rout of Edmonton with the NHL’s best record … and
a 13-point lead over second place Florida in the Eastern
Conference ... yet hardly anyone is willing to concede
they will finish ahead of pre-season favorite Carolina in
the Atlantic Division much less win their second Stanley
Cup … Maybe it’s because few thought they would
make the playoffs this season … deferring instead to
ALEX OVECHKIN‘s chase of the all-time goal
scoring record held by WAYNE GRETZKY … Instead,
second-year coach SPENCER CARBERY has his team
of no-names (not one was chosen for the just-completed
4-Nation tournament) plus the Great 8 playing an up-
tempo, all-out style that has rivals gasping for breath by
the second period. And Ovechkin has been anything but
a distraction.
The latest – possibly greatest – example came Sunday
when Ovechkin scored three goals, the last into an
empty net, to close to within 13 of dropping Gretzky’s
894 to No. 2. It was difficult to tell who was enjoying it
more, Ovechkin, his teammates, the home crowd or
TNT’s four-man panel.
“We stick together, no matter what … ups and downs,”
he said. “That’s what I like about this team … we play
for each other.”
Gushed McHugh, “He’s got 29 goals in 41 games …
He’s 39 years old. AND HIS TEAM KEEPS
WINNING.”
It was Ovechkin’s 32d career hat trick and 135th game-
winning goal, tying him with JAROMIR JAGR for
most all-time. In addition, he became the first player in
NHL history to score 200 goals in three different
decades including 245 in the 2000s and 437 in the
2010s.
“He was a bear to play against,” said Hall of Fame
defenseman CHRIS CHELIOS while the network ran a
clip from 2005 of Ovechkin scoring a goal against
Detroit (and Chelios). “It wasn’t fun.”
------- Finally … ZAC JONES was not in uniform for
the Rangers over the weekend but, for the first time, he
wasn’t a healthy scratch. The 24 year old defenseman
from Richmond was sent to AHL Hartford Thursday for
conditioning purposes and, therefore, was not available
to the rest of the league on waivers. He had to agree to
the move, and while he could not stay more than two
weeks, was recalled Monday. Jones scored a goal in
Saturday's 6-5 victory over Providence, snapping a four-
game losing streak.
Until next time …
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