Lightning forwards Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos could replace Ryan Getzlaf, shown here, should the Ducks forward not be able to compete at the Vancouver Olympics. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)1. Getzlaf day-to-day, vows to be ready for Olympics
After learning that an MRI exam showed no significant ligament or muscle tears in his left ankle, Anaheim Ducks centre Ryan Getzlaf indicated in a statement that the sprain he suffered on Monday will not keep him from playing for Canada at the Olympics.
"My ankle feels much better today and I'm relieved the test showed no significant damage. My goal is to return to the ice this week for the Ducks, and I look forward to joining Team Canada for the Olympics on Monday," Getzlaf said.
The Ducks have three games remaining before the Olympic break. They play host to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, and visit Calgary and Edmonton on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Canadian Olympic team executive director Steve Yzerman wants all his players 100 per cent at the Vancouver Winter Games, a lesson learned from the 2006 Olympics when defencemen Chris Pronger and Wade Redden played hurt. So Yzerman will keep a watchful eye and make a final determination on the weekend. Olympic teams have until Monday at midnight to make final roster decisions.
Two options for Yzerman as possible replacements for Getzlaf, if his ankle does not heal in time, are Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis.
Stamkos is riding a career-high 10-game points streak and needs two more power-play goals to set the franchise record for most in a season. St. Louis has nine goals, including five game-winners, and 17 points in his past 14 games.
2. Finnish goalies continue to shine
Is there any country that has deeper goaltending than Finland?
On Tuesday, there was:
- Tuukka Rask stopping 43 stops for Boston in the Bruins' 3-2 shootout win in Buffalo against the Sabres. He's 2-0-2 in his past four matches.
- In Tampa Bay, Antero Niittymaki made 39 saves in a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks to build his current run to 7-0-1.
- Antti Niemi led the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 shootout win on the road against the Dallas Stars.
- Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff and Nashville's Pekke Rinne suffered one-goal losses, but kept their respective teams in games on Tuesday.
- Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom is expected to return to action for the Wild on Wednesday after recovering from a back ailment.
- The Stars obtained Kari Lehtonen for the stretch drive as he is set to make a comeback after two back surgeries.
The only Finnish goalie whose game is in flux is Anaheim backup Vesa Toskala.
3. Stars acquire Lehtonen, but Turco told he's No. 1
Dallas acquired 26-year-old goalie Kari Lehtonen from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for defensive prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth-pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft on Tuesday. So what does this mean for 35-year-old incumbent Marty Turco?
The move gives Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk an option to move the veteran Turco, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent, before the trade deadline.
There is no doubt that when healthy, Lehtonen is a capable netminder. But Nieuwendyk told Turco that he still is the No. 1 goalie with the Stars.
"I told him that I believe it's still his net right now," Nieuwendyk told the Dallas Morning News. "We had four unrestricted free-agent goalies heading into the summer, and we needed to get some kind of plan for our future, so this is just one part of the process."
Backup Alex Auld and farmhand Brent Krahn also will become unrestricted free agents this summer, while Lehtonen is a restricted free agent.
4. Gaborik suffers leg laceration in practice
The New York Rangers have relied on the offence of Marian Gaborik all season. But when they take on Nashville on Wednesday, they may be without the star forward, who has accounted for 35 goals and 69 points in 57 games or 45 per cent of the Rangers offence, because he suffered a deep cut on his right leg in practice on Tuesday.
Gaborik collided with goalie Henrik Lundqvist at practice during a drill, remained on the ice briefly before limping off to get stitched up. The Rangers were mum as to the seriousness of Garborik's ailment.
5. Penguins want next all-star game
The Pittsburgh Penguins have submitted a bid to play host to the 2011 NHL all-star game in their brand new Consol Energy Center, set to open in the fall, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. There was no all-star game this season because of the Olympics.
The Penguins also want to host the NCAA Frozen Four, in conjunction with nearby Robert Morris University, in the new rink in either 2013 or 2014.
