Blue Notes

One of the red-coated bellmen at the Marriott Chateau Champlain, a stone's throw from Bell Centre, often greets me with some remark about the Canadiens.

Not this time. After I clambered out of the cab last night, he grabbed my luggage and was all fired up about how the liberals were whipping up on the ruling Parti Quebecois in yesterday's elections.

Reality check: The NHL took a back seat here yesterday.

Tonight? Another story.

It'll be a privilege to be in attendance at Bell Centre, which will be rocking for a monster game. One of my fondest memories from last season was here, the ceremony to honor Boom Boom Geoffrion---who died suddenly a day before the tribute was staged. Hey, I even look forward to the morning skates here.

A dispatch on that will follow shortly.

But quickly, some responses to posts which apparently arrived while I was out and about dodging raindrops in the old city (including a stop at the bistro Modavie):

*Two points is a lot to ask for against the red-hot-at-home Canadiens, as I wrote in today's editions, especially if the Rangers parade to the penalty box. One point would suffice, and two would knock me out of the skeptic's soapbox from which I moaned much of the season. Either way, some favorable scores in other games tonight couldn't hurt and two points in Philly on Saturday is crucial.

*It could come down to a clutch-save duel bewteen Lundqvist and Bratislava's Jaroslav Halak, who made his NHL debut Feb. 18 and has gone 7-4-0, 2.84, .907 SP with a shutout in 11 games.

*Commish Bettman made headlines up here with his stance on the rush to ban fighting yesterday. A little late, eh? I spoke with him by phone Thursday afternoon about Simon and Orr and my Sunday Newsday column quoted him on that---including his feeling that fights were not the worst thing in the world but that stick attacks certainly were.

*As far as I'm concerned, the Simon-Hollweg incident fallout is stale, it's over. Newsday's Greg Logan has covered this extensively as well. In my opinion, Simon---dazed or not--- should have apologized to Hollweg during his presser in the locker room immediately after the game, before he got all lawyered up. He somehow managed to apologize to his team, though. FYI: Among the first words out of Colton Orr's mouth were "I hope he's OK" after his punch flattened Fedoruk.

*Not sure if these notes from yeserday made the paper or newsday.com today (some internet gremlins this a.m., so...)

Lundqvist will start his 12th straight game tonight...The return of D Fedor Tyutin, out since March 1 with a sprained MCL, has been temporarily delayed by the availability of a knee brace, which was to have arrived a few days ago. "Once he gets the brace, he'll be able to skate on his own without pucks and then moving into the middle of the week when we get back...we'll evaluate where he is," said Renney. "I don't think it's day-to-day at all". Personally, I'm not sure he's back before the final game of the regular season... Karel Rachunek and Marcel Hossa won't be either, and Jason Strudwick isn't eligible for the post-season....The Rangers have not surrendered a first-period goal in ten consecutive games and have led 1-0 in nine....After Perry Pearn and Mike Pelino's team won a four on four, blue-line-in game, goaltender Stephen Valiquette said with a wink, "it's never a bad idea to let coaches score."...In the team's NCAA pool, according to Jed Ortmeyer, a lot of players have Florida and Ohio State; Hollweg has UCLA winning it all and Orr has Georgetown, a pick made with Ortmeyer's assistance.