1. Is there a better goalie in the league right now than Daniel Altshuller? Coming off a mostly forgettable rookie year, he has turned heads since his recall from Florida. Based on how he's played, it's almost impossible, in my mind, to send him down. With Drew MacIntyre hurt for now, the decisions on goalies won't be necessary right away.
2. They told us it would be heaven on earth in San Diego. They told us the city is amongst the best in the country because the weather is perfect all year round. They lied to us. Unless endless rain and floods are your idea of utopia. I'll never believe "they" again.
3. The Checkers' fourth line (Hagel-Wohlberg-Boychuk) has been very good since head coach Mark Morris put them together about a month ago. Having said that, I wonder how much longer until Boychuk goes up to a scoring line. He has confidence and is certainly an offensively-gifted player.
4. Don Cherry cried again last week on Coach's Corner that Canada lost out on a medal in the World Junior Championship because they had key players playing in the NHL and therefore, they had to ice an less-than-ideal team. Cherry puts on this act every single year Canada loses, which is becoming a trend over the past decade. You don't hear anyone from Team USA crying about not having Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin and Noah Hanifin.
6. There's no doubt this is the best stretch Sergey Tolchinsky has put together both offensively and defensively. Recently, Morris had him on the ice late during close games, which goes to show how he's has earned the trust of his head coach.
7. I am assuming recently-traded goalie Dustin Tokarski will face the Checkers Friday or Saturday. He was a big part of the Norfolk Admirals when they destroyed the league on their way to a Calder Cup with head coach Jon Cooper. Anaheim has too many good goalies. Something has to give.
8. The games will start late on Friday and Saturday if you're listening back in the Eastern Time zone (or as I like to call it, the normal time zone). 9:45 p.m. EST pregame shows. We haven't been on this late since the Abbotsford games. I think I'll call the third period in a British accent to see if anyone is still listening.
9. I interviewed hockey legend Bill Clement last week. I asked him how important it was to start his pro career in the AHL. He said, "It meant everything... I wasn't ready for the NHL."
10. If I owned any furniture, I would arrange it like a hotel room because I'm so used to it by now. Two more games and we are coming home.
