Hockey Hearsay compiles stories from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, 12 months a year.
FLAMES’ BAERTSCHI STUDIES KIPRUSOFF, IGINLA
The Calgary Herald considers that he may only be 20, an age when perspective and appreciation are nowhere near fully developed, but Flames forward Sven Baertschi understands the significance.
“I don’t take it for granted, that’s for sure, being able to say you played with Miikka Kiprusoff, with (now Pittsburgh Penguins winger) Jarome Iginla.
“That’s special, for any young player. A dream.
“Those guys, they are where the rest of us want to be. But few of us will get to. They’re all-timers. So you watch, and you learn, while you can.”
He wasn’t done there.
“It’s huge for me, for any young guy, to come in here and be in the room with him, with Jarome (Iginla). When I first came up here last year it was a gift. Being able to be around these guys, guys who’ve achieved so much in their careers, is a huge present for me.
“It was good to sit beside Iggy at the start of (this) season. He wouldn’t get that goal right away, then when he gets it, he just goes crazy and scores another 30.
“Those guys, Jarome, Kipper, you study them, how they handle themselves, how they do things. They’re the standard. On the ice, (Kiprusoff)’s incredible. Even in practice. He makes my life so hard in practice. He’s been the biggest part of this team for quite a while.”
JUSTIN SCHULTZ TO BULK UP FOR OILERS
The Edmonton Journal points out rookie defenceman Justin Schultz has played 76 pro games this season; the most he played in any of his three seasons at U of Wisconsin was 43.
“This is a player who played 120 games the last four (actually three school) years,” said Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger. “He’ll be in the 80s for us just this season. Reality is this kid is a winner, and he’s never going to look for an excuse, but the reality is also this: there is a mental strain on the core group below 25 on our team. They’re learning how to deal with it.”
What he needs to do is get a little more muscle on his 6’2”, 185-pound frame, if only to break up the cycles physically along with what the coaches always preach “an active stick.” He says he’ll work on the muscle, but don’t count on him coming back all bulked up; his strength is in his feet and his hands and his head, not leaning on people.
“I have to get bigger and stronger. That’s what you work on every summer,” said Schultz.
Could he come back at 200 pounds? “I don’t know if I’d like to be that heavy, but you have to get stronger to battle other guys.”
LUKE SCHENN EMERGING AS FLYERS’ WORKHORSE
CSNPhilly.com notes that with all of the injuries to the Flyers’ back end this season, 23-year-old defenseman Luke Schenn has been logging significant minutes. Exhausting, sure, but he has been pleased with the opportunity.
“It’s real nice getting the chance to play that much,” Schenn said. “Obviously, it’s kind of unfortunate how many injuries we’ve had. But that means a little more opportunity, a little more ice time, which any player will tell you they love.
“I just go out there. The odd time you make a mistake or whatever, you don’t really have to think about it when you come back to the bench, because you’re probably right back out there and moving on to the next shift. You just get in a groove and a rhythm a little bit more, I really enjoyed it.”
Schenn, who came to Philadelphia last summer from Toronto in exchange for James van Riemsdyk, had a bit of a rocky start with the Flyers but has improved significantly since then. The second half of his season, especially, has been solid.
COYLE PLAYING RESPONSIBLY FOR WILD
The Minneapolis Star Tribune observes that after leading Saint John to a Quebec League title last year with an MVP postseason, Charlie Coyle has become one of Wild coach Mike Yeo’s most trusted players after only half a year in the minors.
Yeo uses Coyle in every situation because his game is so mature. Coyle’s physical tools are easy for anybody to see. He’s big and fast and has a great shot and good hands.
But what’s so impressive for a rookie is the fact Coyle understands every facet of the game, especially how to play without the puck.
“It’s not just the plays he makes. It’s the plays he doesn’t make,” Yeo said. “Some youngsters are going to do three or four great things in a game, but they’re going to have five plays you wish they could have back. His game keeps removing the things that you wish that he didn’t do. They’re becoming fewer and fewer every night.”
LUCIC STRUGGLING WITH CONFIDENCE
CNNSE.com notes Bruins winger Milan Lucic doesn’t want to make excuses, but knows that his confidence level just isn’t where it should be coming off the two best years of his career.
“It’s been a frustrating year. I want to be better. I’ve got to be better. I just need to find a way to work through this, but it hasn’t gone the way you want it to go,” said Lucic. “It’s definitely not going to be easy. I just need to get over the mental hump right now. That’s where it’s at.”
But No. 17 was quick to admit the problems causing his season-long slump – and the solutions to ending it – all remain locked within him.
“I want to contribute for this team. I want to contribute for my teammates. I want to contribute for the fans in the city,” said Lucic. “I’ve always taken pride in always trying to be a big part of this team. Right now it sucks because I haven’t had the same effect that I know I can bring. You want to work your way through it.”
“Right now it’s about just getting back that hunger and emotion back into the game, and finding how to play with it again to where it was – and where it can be. If I figure that out then everything else will take care of itself.”
WANG OPEN TO ISLES LEAVING EARLY FOR BROOKLYN
Newsday writes that Islanders owner Charles Wang said Thursday he would favor moving the team to Brooklyn one season earlier than planned.
Asked about the possibility of moving the hockey team in 2014, rather than 2015, when the Islanders are to begin playing at the Barclays Center after their Nassau Coliseum lease expires, Wang said he had talked to Barclays developer Bruce Ratner “about this, obviously, and it would be nice if we could and there is maybe an opportunity. But government works in very strange ways many times, and some of them we don’t understand what the result is. We are committed to fulfill our lease.”
Later, Wang told Newsday “We are not in any discussions” about leaving Nassau Coliseum next year.
“It’s really not in my control,” he said. “We will work with whatever the county does. We are prepared to honor the lease, which is what we’re doing now. . . . [Moving early] would be fine, but we’re set with where we are and what it is is what it is. We knew this going in.”
SKINNER NOT CONCUSSED
The Raleigh News & Observer passes along that Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said Thursday night that forward Jeff Skinner did not suffer a concussion in the game Tuesday in Ottawa.
Skinner absorbed an open-ice hit from Senators defenseman Jared Cowen and left the game in Ottawa with an upper-body injury. He returned to Raleigh on Wednesday for medical evaluations.
Rutherford said before the Thursday game against Winnipeg that all the medical tests on Skinner have been completed and that he received the reports, saying, “Jeff was not concussed. He’s fine.”
Rutherford said Skinner would skate Friday at PNC Arena. Canes coach Kirk Muller said earlier Thursday that he was hopeful Skinner could return to the lineup by the weekend.
LIGHTNING’S KILLORN ‘CAN’T MISS’
The Tampa Tribune describes how when new Lightning coach Jon Cooper talks about 23-year-old rookie forward Alex Killorn, he can’t help but smile.
“It’s all up to Alex now,” Cooper said. “He’s a can’t-miss in my eyes.”
Killorn has put his Harvard education to good use, analyzing on-ice situations and making rapid adjustments.
“You look to see how long it takes for young players to process the game,” said Cooper, who coached Killorn in Syracuse. “Alex came in last year when we were on this unbelievable winning streak and fit right in. The game slowed down for him after a few weeks and you knew he was going to be a ballplayer.”