Passing on NHL All-Star Saturday, I decided to watch a hockey game and make the annual trip up to Hartford to see the Wolfpack. They defeated the Penguins by a score of 4-1.
I was looking forward to seeing the guys who were close to coming up to the Rangers, in addition to anyone else who would stand out. Unfortunately, Bobby Sanguinetti was out of the lineup due to losing four teeth in a game the night before. Corey Potter and Artem Anisimov were in the lineup, however.
Potter played a steady game. He looks comfortable and ready for his next callup. Always seemed to make the right decision with the puck.
Anisimov scored the game winning goal, a power play goal early in the third period to give the Pack the lead. He poked home a rebound, nothing special, but was a presence for sure. At 6-4, 205, he stands out. The concern with him right now is what do you do with him next season, at which point he should be NHL-ready. Blair Betts is a UFA, but is one of those guys you have to have on a team for his role. Centers are locked up on the other three lines. There is still a long way to go before these problems come up, but something to keep in mind if you are the GM.
One of the more entertaining moments of the evening was in the first period, when Hartford big man Brandon Sugden went one on one with some Penguin. Took off the helmets, had the boxing pose and everything. After knocking his man down, Sugden made like a cowboy, putting his guns in the holster. Kind of reminded me of Tie Domi back in the day.
AHL games play fast. The games start at 7:03 and with maybe one timeout per period that is not even as long as your average TV timeout in the NHL, the games are over shortly after 9. It's worth your time to make the trip at least once a year to catch the Rangers affiliate. Just expect to lose at least twenty minutes post-game getting out of the parking garage and onto the expressways.
No comments:
Post a Comment