Mar 19, 2012
No suspension for Bogosian on Nodl hit
At Carolina Hurricanes practice Monday, the team was without Jussi Jokinen and Andreas Nodl.
Jokinen was given time off. After a lot of games, the veteran needed a maintenance day according to head coach Kirk Muller.
Nodl, on the other hand, is not that clear a case. Nodl received a vicious hit from Winnipeg defenseman Zach Bogosian Sunday night. Bogosian was given a five-minute major for charging and was also given a game misconduct. As of now, the NHL plans no further disciplinary action against Bogosian.
As for Bogosian not missing time for his hit, Muller took the diplomatic road.
“I don’t know. I guess I got to get a chance to read the writing that is written and see how it coincides with the decision. It is not our call as coaches to make the decisions, but you know we got a guy who could possibly be out a week from it. I thought it was clear that he left his feet and clearly a charge, but I guess they saw it differently,” he said.
The team will take all of the testing precautions with Nodl.
Muller did not qualify Nodl's injury as a concussion, but he did say there are symptoms. Muller said that Nodl “got his bell rung.” He added the slight positive,”There are no actual facts obviously that say he is actually concussed yet.”
Back at it
Jeff Skinner was back on the ice after missing the last two games of violating rule 49, a kicking incident against the St. Louis Blues Scott Nichol.
Skinner was putting in some work after practice with another star trying to get back on the ice, Joni Pitkanen. The two took part in a battle drill run by Rod Brind'Amour at the end of practice.
Muller said there could be a chance Pitkanen returns to the line-up Wednesday. “If he (Pitkanen) is physically and mentally in sight of like saying ‘I want to go, I want to play’ it would be great to have him by on Wednesday,” Muller said.
There is room for the defenseman’s return with the lower body injury Jaro Spacek suffered in Minnesota. Pitkanen has missed the last 44 games due to a concussion and knee surgery.
Five and counting
The Carolina Hurricanes stand five points out of a playoff spot with nine games left to play. The team is coming off a successful two-game road swing, overcoming third-period deficits against both the Wild and the Jets. The ground that the Hurricanes have made up has not been lost on Muller. “We’ve been dealing with it day by day kind of as model so far," he said. "They can see it (the playoffs) now; they can start to taste it.”
The Canes are thinking they have a legitimate chance at the postseason even though the experts don’t think so, and that fact hasn’t been lost on the Canes head coach.
“I keep saying that we travel to all these cities and everyone keeps talking about who is going to make and who is not and no one ever mentions Carolina,” Muller said.
Is it a motivating tool for the Canes? If you listen to their head coach you have to believe it is.
“I think our boys in there really take that to heart, they believe in it that they got a shot still,” he said.
“I think those games, coming back, shows the fire that they have, that they want to stay in the race. All we can do is control our games and just keep winning. Hopefully we do, and we see where we end up at the end of the schedule.”
LaRose in full bloom after battling through tough injuries
Chad LaRose has been on an incredible hot streak with six goals in nine games in the month of March. He is two goals off his career high of 19. LaRose has only played 58 games, missing time due to a difficult bout with vertigo. LaRose said it was “the scariest injury I’ve ever had.”
LaRose is healthy and has found time on the top line with Eric Staal. Muller called LaRose's missed time a blessing in disguise. "It has kept him fresh,” he said.
“He’s brought energy when I put him up with Staalsy (Eric Staal); he’s had a good energy boost playing with Juice (Jussi Jokinen) with that group.”
Muller continued to give LaRose praise adding, “He’s really been a guy that has added a lot of that fore-check and energy, attacking the net kind of game, and he has really stepped his game up since he’s been back.”
Do you think Bogosian's punishment will be determined on the 30th?- Posted by RaleighPirate
Rank: All Star 
Rank: Pro 
2013 VW Passat s or Jetta s $199mo $0 Down
2013 Honda Civic lx $229mo $0 Due at Signing
