Injuries:
Forward Mike Knuble, who has recovered from a fractured vertebrae, has been medically cleared to play but won't suit up tonight. Coach Robbie Ftorek said he wants Knuble to be tested more in contact drills. ''He's got to have some contact in order to feel comfortable, I would think,'' said Ftorek. Knuble didn't disagree. He said he's been practicing but his teammates are reluctant to really test him, so he'd like a few more drills. ''That would probably be good,'' said Knuble. ''I really haven't bumped around much. But where do you get contact except in games? Conditioningwise, it feels good. Three weeks off is a lot but we do a lot of cross-training. They're long days when you're injured and it makes you want to get back faster.'' ... Left wing Sergei Samsonov (sprained knee) didn't make the trip. He is taking treatments, and the medical staff told him to refrain from skating.
Goaltending
It's not too strong to say that Ftorek, like many bench bosses, hates discussing his goaltending plans because he doesn't want to give the opponent any edge. However, he did offer a glimpse into his thinking with regard to tonight and tomorrow night. He said it's likely Byron Dafoe will play one game and John Grahame the other. ''You don't know how much it kills me saying that,'' said Ftorek. ''I'm not a fan of it, that's all.'' The upshot is that whoever doesn't play tonight will play tomorrow. Ftorek said he knows he needs to get Grahame some work; he has had just four starts. ''Johnny has to play, there's no question about it,'' said Ftorek. ''He works hard in practice. He's got to get in the net so if the unfortunate should happen he's ready to go.''
Forward Mike Knuble, who has recovered from a fractured vertebrae, has been medically cleared to play but won't suit up tonight. Coach Robbie Ftorek said he wants Knuble to be tested more in contact drills. ''He's got to have some contact in order to feel comfortable, I would think,'' said Ftorek. Knuble didn't disagree. He said he's been practicing but his teammates are reluctant to really test him, so he'd like a few more drills. ''That would probably be good,'' said Knuble. ''I really haven't bumped around much. But where do you get contact except in games? Conditioningwise, it feels good. Three weeks off is a lot but we do a lot of cross-training. They're long days when you're injured and it makes you want to get back faster.'' ... Left wing Sergei Samsonov (sprained knee) didn't make the trip. He is taking treatments, and the medical staff told him to refrain from skating.
Goaltending
It's not too strong to say that Ftorek, like many bench bosses, hates discussing his goaltending plans because he doesn't want to give the opponent any edge. However, he did offer a glimpse into his thinking with regard to tonight and tomorrow night. He said it's likely Byron Dafoe will play one game and John Grahame the other. ''You don't know how much it kills me saying that,'' said Ftorek. ''I'm not a fan of it, that's all.'' The upshot is that whoever doesn't play tonight will play tomorrow. Ftorek said he knows he needs to get Grahame some work; he has had just four starts. ''Johnny has to play, there's no question about it,'' said Ftorek. ''He works hard in practice. He's got to get in the net so if the unfortunate should happen he's ready to go.''
