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On the Beat

On the Beat: John Erskine questionable, Penguins need some secondary scoring and Wild GM rumors

What team beat writers are saying this afternoon:

  • The toughness of the Ducks/Wings series is coming as no surprise for Detroit.  The Wings outplayed Anaheim for the last three periods of Sunday’s game, so I’m sure they are confident heading into Game 3.
  • After winning Game 2 in Round 1, the Hurricanes had a letdown at home, so this round they are hoping to avoid the same resultPeople underestimate just how hard it is to play in Carolina at playoff time.
  • John Buccigross could be the Blue Jackets’ play-by-play man in the future, but right now he is signed at ESPN.  Buccigross is a huge hockey fan and a great broadcaster, so the fit is pretty natural in my opinion.
  • Overtime and the Red Wings just don’t get alongDucks have had their number in extra time.
  • Some news and notes regarding the Wild’s GM search, Stephane Veilleux and a possible replcament for Marian Gaborik.  Should be a very, very interesting summer in the land of 10,000 lakes.
  • Some interesting words from Guy Carbonneau last night.  Who knows what happened there.
  • The Penguins need some scoring from players other than Crosby/Malkin.  Kunitz is the key for me.
  • Is Ray Emery a good fit in Philadelphia?  I can think of worse places for him to end up.  He has talent and they have a good structure there and strong leadership.
  • With John Erskine questionable, Karl Alzner may check into the Capitals lineup tonight.  They would miss Erskine’s phyiscality but Alzner is smooth has experience in pressure situations for a young player.