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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
 Posted - 03/21/2011 : 14:29:08
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Well, it looks like Manny Malhotra is gone for the rest of the season with an eye injury that he suffered a couple of games ago - for those that didn't see it, he got a puck in the face on a fairly innocent play.
The season (including playoffs) is now officially done, but there is real worry that this is a career ending injury for Malhotra, if his vision does not return to normal. Certainly a very large loss for the Canucks going into the post-season, he was a very good addition in the offseason and has turned into one of the best 3rd line centres and PK specialists in the NHL this season.
Here's hoping he can make a comeback next year.
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2011 : 14:52:02
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Tough break. If his career is indeed over, it could be one more step towards visors being mandatory! There's already been talk of that and injuries like this make the idea easier to convince some on!
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Beans15
Moderator
Canada
8286 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2011 : 16:43:55
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Hopefully this is not career ending but I gotta say that guys like this win championships. Sure a team need guys like the Sedin's to score but if you don't have that on ice leader guy to shut down the other team??? Tough slug.
Look back on the past 10ish years of Cup winners and you will see that not only do they have a talented offensive group but they often have one of the best 3rd lines in hockey. Chicago's group last year with Byfuglien(when he wasn't on the PP), Ladd, and Burrish I believe. Anaheim with Moen, Pahlsson, and Niedermayer. Detroit with Draper, Cleary, and Maltby at the time. Carolina's group centred by Brind'Amour.
I have said it before and I'll say it again, a 3rd lines win Cups. This makes me even more comfortable about my upcoming bet with Alex for the Canucks in the playoffs. Now if only I can get Arrnott injured than I win against TBar too! |
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doublechamp7
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
278 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2011 : 17:13:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Beans15
Look back on the past 10ish years of Cup winners and you will see that not only do they have a talented offensive group but they often have one of the best 3rd lines in hockey. Chicago's group last year with Byfuglien(when he wasn't on the PP), Ladd, and Burrish
p]
The Hawks last year were Bolland, Versteeg and Ladd. Bufglyien was on the first with Kane and Toews
Bring back the Jets! |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2011 : 17:20:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Beans15
This makes me even more comfortable about my upcoming bet with Alex for the Canucks in the playoffs. Now if only I can get Arrnott injured than I win against TBar too!
Hey! You haven't even proposed the bet yet! I don't know the actual wager, only the stakes! lol....
I got a bad feeling about this one. I know it's going to involve the Canucks and their playoff fortunes and though i am very good at betting with my heart (not my wallet), i'll likely find it tough to turn you down. Well, as long as it's not too far fetched of course!  |
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2011 : 17:49:41
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| I too have a very bad feeling about this one... Malhotra is one of those guys that is going to carry you far in the playoffs, and his loss is arguably as bad as a Sedin or top-2 dman, albeit in a different way. I'm not sure who is going to fill in on the 3rd line, but they won't be able to replace that faceoff, PK, and grit. |
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ryan93
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
996 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2011 : 18:40:59
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| Hopefully Malhotra will be ok and he's able to resume his NHL career in the future. You won't find a better guy than Manny. While he was a huge disappointment for us Ranger fans, it was nice to see him turn into one of the better 3rd liners in the game in recent years, and he had a good thing going in Vancouver. |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2011 : 08:22:24
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Hate to say it, and this is second/third hand info, but i was speaking to a girl i know who works at VGH (Vancouver General Hospital) and her co-worker works with the surgeon Malhotra saw. Apparently things don't look very good for him going forward and there's a better than avg chance that he's lost the vision in the eye. It's likely a career ending injury unfortunately.
Again, this is heresay / 2nd hand / rumour (call it what you want) but it's not just something i read somewhere. Take it for what it's worth and hopefully it's not worth anything as it'd be a shame to see another guy's career end due to something like this.  |
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2011 : 08:26:29
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| Alex, I heard the same, although not from sources that close... total loss of vision in one eye is a likely outcome here for Manny. Steve Nash (Manny's brother in law) said the same in an interview. |
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just1n
PickupHockey Pro
282 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2011 : 12:45:22
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It was fairly obvious it wasn't good when they said that the orbital bone wasn't broken (like what just happened to Jody Shelley), not much left there except the eyeball. I'm assuming one can't play with only one working eye?
Sucks for the Canucks obviously, but a scary injury just in general as it sounds like it's worse than what happened to Ohlund years back. Bones heal, etc but this one is different. I'm sure Manny wishes he had been wearing a visor. I wonder if any other Canucks that don't sport a visor will rethink that now... |
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tbar
PickupHockey Pro
Canada
376 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2011 : 13:18:43
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quote:
Originally posted by just1n
It was fairly obvious it wasn't good when they said that the orbital bone wasn't broken (like what just happened to Jody Shelley), not much left there except the eyeball. I'm assuming one can't play with only one working eye?
Sucks for the Canucks obviously, but a scary injury just in general as it sounds like it's worse than what happened to Ohlund years back. Bones heal, etc but this one is different. I'm sure Manny wishes he had been wearing a visor. I wonder if any other Canucks that don't sport a visor will rethink that now...
Its a little off topic but if I remember correctly back in the earlie 90's when the North Stars were still around they actually had a goalie with one eye on their farm team. If I am not mistaken he actually was put in a game that he was called up to backup.
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Edited by - tbar on 03/22/2011 13:19:28 |
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2011 : 15:17:48
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| there are a few cases of old-timers that had very bad vision in one eye. The NHL standard today is apparently 20/400 in both eyes, uncorrected. |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2011 : 15:48:51
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| Bieksa was on the radio today and they asked him if he's tried a visor or if he'll consider one now. He said he's tried 3 or 4 different ones in practices but prob didn't give it enough time to get used to so he's never stuck with it. He also said there's very little chance he'd make the change mid season but would consider trying one as next year rolls around. |
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n/a
deleted
4809 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2011 : 05:16:40
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nuxfan - if that is the standard of vision, Berard must have paid someone off to still be playing.
Hunh. I just looked it up, it is 20/400, but that was with Berard wearing a contact lens to bring it up to that level, barely. He never really was the same after that though, tough break.
So - 20/400, corrected is fine.
"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug |
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Pasty7
PickupHockey Veteran
Canada
2312 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2011 : 05:45:32
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Lapierre and Higgens have become huge deadline pickups for the nucks,,, and nuxfans just wait and see Higgens is a very good defensive player a lot of people wrote him off because he has lost his scoring touch a bit, but he never takes a shift off and came into the league as a center and if i remember correctly is not too shabby on the draw,, the guy gives 110% for his team he can deffinetly step up and help fill the void left by manny,, i don't mean he is anywhere near the player Malhotra is but the kid can help fill the gap
"I led the league in "Go get 'em next time." - Bob Uecker
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2011 : 07:26:41
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Good to hear Pasty, the Canucks are going to need them! I do wonder though, who the Canucks may have targeted had the Malhotra injury occurred before the deadline? Would it be the same, or was there someone out there they'd have gone after who would have replaced Manny in a more similar capacity? Just curious really, it's obviously too late now.
As far as someone filling in, it's no different really than any team in quest of the cup. They all go through injuries at some point and need unsung hero's to step up their game. The Canucks will need someone to be that guy and have a better playoff than they had regular season. The obvious candidate who comes to mind would be Mason Raymond. If he can start to find the net again, he could be a big help during the playoffs. No, he's not going to replace what Malhotra brought to the table, but he can help in other ways!
As for the vision thing, i've no idea about the rules and what all the numbers mean but the rumour i've heard is he may lose the sight in that eye completely. |
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2011 : 08:52:51
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Pasty - I have been impressed with Higgins so far, he has size and some speed. His finish is a little rusty, but you can see that he knows what to do with the puck when he gets it. I like this pickup, and I'm hoping he can find some chemistry on the second line with Kesler. Higgins-Kesler-Raymond has the potential to be a very formidable line
The Lapierre pickup however is looking to be the game saver for us. Higgins is great, but he's not a centre, Lapierre is. His faceoff numbers are not nearly as good as Malhotra, nor is his PK ability very good. But he's big and has experience, and will be able to fill in on the 3rd line.
Come playoff time I'll expect to see one of Bolduc or Rypien back in the Canucks lineup. I also would not be surprised to see Hodgson back, perhaps as a 3rd line centre. |
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2011 : 09:27:17
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slozo - thanks for the clarification, 20/400 uncorrected seemed odd, it makes more sense that that is the corrected number.
Confirming with Alex though, word is that he's lost total vision in one eye. I don't think you can come back from that. We'll see if thats the case though. |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
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Malhotra done for the season and playoffs 
