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Updated:
Trevor Gillies cleared waivers.
Updated 5pm:
Nino Niederreiter was sent to Bridgeport on a conditioning assignment, he is only permitted to play there for two weeks and will debut (with Gillies) Wednesday morning in the Sound Tigers next game.
Simply put this team needs to win a hockey game Thursday.
It does not matter if it's the kind of game they won against Minnesota, or three pucks bounce in from center ice, does not matter if this teams slow defenders need to have the best games of the careers.
Even the middle or lower of the pack teams have demonstrated an ability to put up some even strength goals, the kind this team did from mid-Dec a year ago.
All opposing coaches no doubt go in with the same plan, don't let Tavares or Streit beat us, wear down Staios, Eaton, Jurcina and Mottau by playing the game in their end of the ice, they cannot score at five on five.
Standings do not lie, even with games in hand.
This team has to win a hockey game right now.
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Trevor Gillies has been sent down before, but kind of an interesting situation. To dress him meant Comeau or another forward do not play, to send him down leaves Matt Martin and virtually no effective veteran fighters. (Mottau cannot fight with his eye)
My choice would have been to put Mottau on waivers over Gillies.
No clue what happens when Niederreiter is ready, he is a right wing so either Pandolfo sits, Rolston sits or once again becomes a left wing for Comeau sitting.
Either that or once again someone plays out of position.
I would bench Rolston or send down Pandolfo, it's not working for Rolston because he needs to be a left wing here to be effective as he was in the second half with the Devils.
Right now Capuano has the player the Devils placed on waivers last December.
No one is going to mistake Jay Pandolfo with a top flight defensive player. A line where Martin, Reasoner, Niederreiter dress should be a plus line, and that's what's needed most right now.
Goaltending? It's worked but very unconventional, all three have said the right things.
Personally could care less if the goaltenders are not happy with the circumstances because what else can the team do? All three are injury prone or have been ineffective, partly due to injury.
What are the three goaltenders going to do? Nothing.
Al Montoya does not like it he can go back to being an AHL backup in San Antonio, if Nabokov does not like it he can go home and come back when again his contract is tolled when he's healthy, no winning team would have him as a starter.
If DiPietro does not like it he can retire.
All three have been effective, but that's the reality of the club's goaltending.
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Mark Katic has another shoulder surgery coming.
For those wondering Kirill Kabanov is with Shawinigan and started playing last week, prospect blog has updated his profile.
