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You likely heard the news -- first panic, then mildly assuaged worry -- that Lubomir Visnovsky's crazy summer continued with a crash in an auto race in Slovakia. [Non-crash update: Visnovsky's arbitration hearing is set for Sept. 4, according to Larry Brooks.]
The picture of the practically sheered-off front end of his Ferrari -- hey, it's #17, how cool! -- is enough to make a fan grateful for modern safety this and that.
The Islanders released a statement saying Garth Snow spoke directly to Visnovsky and reports "no serious injuries," which is to say he's at minimum going to be sore for several days but probably will be just fine in time for a lockout a void of his trade training camp. So, you know, more theater.
Elsewhere in the fine August world of hockey:
- The Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL schedule is out. Which is good, because come October that will be our hockey.
- Big game-winner guy Ryan Strome talks about winning the Canada-Russia Challenge.
- The EA NHL13 ratings for the Isles, with FanShot talk here.
- These are Ice Girls.
- This is an Islanders Round Table [video]
- Here are some NY/NJ reps from THN's latest top 50.
Stat-Like Substance:
- So like the neutral zone is the key?
- No really, the neutral zone is the key?
- Unless it's ice time.
- If it is, here are the TOI plots for all 30 teams. No surprises if you follow the Islanders, but you might learn something about the other teams' deployment.
CBA-type Thing:
- Pretty good look at PPP regarding how the big-market owners are happy to bleed small-market teams dry ... you know, within the rules.
- Why owners do it to themselves when just one of them signs Martin LaPointe.
- Donald Fehr subtly changes the language of CBA talks, as he is wont to do.
- Gary Bettman sounds a lot like he sounded last time around.
May you have hockey again at a reasonable time.