Rocket:
This series is important to Canadiens fans with prospects PK Subban (Belleville) and Yannick Weber (Kitchener) competing against each other for OHL championship.
Rangers’ Weber twists ankle
TheRecord.com
Rangers’ Weber twists ankle Kitchener may have to try to oust Bulls without blueliner’s blistering slapshot
May. 08, 2008
Jeff Hicks RECORD STAFF
KITCHENER
The series has taken a turn.
Kitchener Rangers blueline bomber Yannick Weber has a sore right ankle.
His 99-mile-an-hour slapper might be missing tonight at 7:30 as the Rangers try to clinch the Ontario Hockey League playoff title with a win against the Belleville Bulls.
The Rangers lead the best-of-seven series three games to one.
“I just twisted my ankle,” said Weber of the injury that occurred in the third period of Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Bulls in Belleville. “I felt the pain and I had to get off.”
Weber tried to return but couldn’t.
“We tried taping it to go back on the ice,” Weber said.
“But I could barely move.”
Weber’s Rangers host the Memorial Cup tournament next week, with the Bulls joining them as Ontario entries.
The Montreal Canadiens prospect, a 19-year-old from Switzerland, still hopes to play tonight.
He took some treatment on the ankle yesterday. If it’s better today, he’ll take a skate. “If not, we go day-by-day,” Weber said.
Meanwhile, the Bulls are hoping for a boost from the possible return for star forward Shawn Matthias.
The national junior team centre and Florida Panthers prospect hasn’t played a playoff game this spring as he recovers from mono. Yesterday, the Bulls awaited the latest test results on Matthias’ spleen.
If it’s no longer swollen, he’ll be able to play.
“He’s getting close,” Bulls coach and general manager George Burnett said yesterday afternoon, as the Bulls prepared to bus to Kitchener for an overnight stay.
“Whether he’s in (tonight), we’re still unsure.”
The Rangers are $1,000 poorer going into tonight’s Game 5 after coach-GM Peter DeBoer was fined by the OHL for verbally blasting the refs after Matt Beleskey’s power-play winner on Belleville’s third man-advantage in OT.
Kitchener blew leads of 3-0 and 4-1 on Tuesday.
But the Rangers still have a chance to win the franchise’s fourth OHL playoff title with a win on home-ice tonight.
They also won in 1981, 1982 and 2003.
“I don’t think these guys care whether we win at home or on the road,” DeBoer said.
“But it’ll be a boost for us to come out (tonight) in front of 6,500 people here.”
Rangers goalie Josh Unice wants to leave Tuesday’s collapse in the past.
“We’ll learn from that happened and move on,” he said. “We just have to grasp the opportunity.”
If necessary, Game 6 will be Saturday in Belleville.
Subban and Weber will one day be patrolling the Habs blueline and potentially playing big roles especially on the powerplay unit.
I think Bob Gainey has some options when it pertains to these two offensively talented defensemen.
Hopefully, Gainey doesn’t re-sign Mark Streit to anything beyond 2 years as Emelin, Carle, Weber, Subban and McDonagh will be knocking hard at the ice time door within the next 2-3 years.
Streit will want a 3-4 year contract which I would be very hesitant to give him…..let him walk if the contract term becomes an issue!!!
“Emelin, Carle, Weber, Subban and McDonagh will be knocking hard at the ice time door within the next 2-3 years.”
Well said Habster! And don’t forget about David Fischer and Pavel Valentenko. Bulldogs coach Don Lever estimates that Carle and Valentenko could be ready to join the Habs by the end of the 2008-09 season, if not sooner.
With Markov, O’Byrne and Komisarek already in place, the Canadiens are solid on defense for years to come. That’s further reason to think that the one-dimensional Streit will be expendable.
Pavel Valentenko is a solid defensive player and has a very good shot from the point but he’s still developing his offensive game.
David Fischer has offensive upside which still hasn’t been fully developed in the NCAA (he did have some health issues which slowed his development)……….I’m not convinced he’s in the Habs long term plans though.Fischer will most likely sign a pro contract with the Canadiens and forgo his junior year at Minnesota to play in Hamilton…..just a hunch!!!
I see him being expendable as part of a trade package before or at this year’s draft…….time will tell, won’t it!!!
Rocket, you’re right about the future…..it looks really bright on the Habs blue line for many years to come!!!
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