Wednesday Roundup

Not much news following yesterday's day off (and demotion of Jeff "They told me to get a residence here, so I did that" Schultz), but that doesn't mean there isn't speculation. Tarik believes Schultz was sent down to make room for a forward in case Alex Semin isn't ready to go this weekend which means Alex Semin isn't ready to go this weekend, and perhaps neither is Brian Sutherby (though the team may be looking to bring up a scoring-line forward - Chris Bourque, perhaps? - rather than continuing to bump up Brooks Laich).

The team gets back on the ice today (and likely back to work on the power play), so there should be plenty of news - or at least more speculation - coming out of K-Plex. Stay tuned.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks

The AP not-so-gently reminds us that the season is 82 games long (to which I remind them that two points in October count the same as two points in April).... On this date in 1987, Mike Gartner had his 13th career hat trick for the Caps in a 6-4 win over Chicago.... Speaking of history, it was on this date in 1989 that, for the first time, two Russian players faced each other in an NHL game (the Flames' Sergei Makarov and Sergei Priakin matched up against the Devils' Slava Fetisov and Sergei Starikov).

Daily Awards

• Hart: Matt Cullen (G, 2A, +1, 4 SOG, 54% faceoffs won)
  
• Ross: Matt Cullen, Justin Williams, Cory Stillman (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Dennis Seidenberg (A, +2, 3 blocked shots)
  
• Vezina: Cam Ward (W, 27 saves on 28 shots against)
  
• Richard: 8 players tied with 1G each
  
• Calder: Kris Newbury (Played... the only rookie that did Tuesday night)
  
• Aiken I: Vesa Toskala (L, 7 goals allowed on 39 shots against)
  
• Aiken II: The rest of the Leafs