D-Man Welch moved to forward...

...for Sunday's practice, as reported by the Miami Herald. Given the shockingly low number of healthy up-fronters, someone had to fill the holes(s). I'm presuming defenseman Nick Boynton - who was replaced by Welch in a game last week - remained on the blueline. Too bad for me: I saw the name "Welch" and "Forward" in the same sentence, prompting dreams of hat tricks and four-point nights, resulting in the perceived value of my Welch-signed puck skyrocketing. Hey, when you're in the Southeast basement, that's all a fan's got to work with. Oh wait, hold on...we're in the conference basement. Ooops...lol...make that the league basement. Barkeep...?!

AccuScore Prediction (Ye Same Olde edition): Yotes 2.6, Cats 2.1

The intelligentsia at AccuScore have - as usual - simulated tonight's game 10,000 times and come up with the astounding pronouncement: Florida will lose. Based on their last five games (all losses) one cannot really criticize such a conclusion. It's a computer, after all. So was HAL.

BTW: Olesz and Welch are out.

End of First: Blues up 1-0

A PP goal by the best man-advantage unit in the league (featuring five forwards) puts St. Louis up by one.

A sloppy and tired start by the Cats, showing every bit of the mileage and action the past five days have brought them. Key word: Turnovers. Couldn't keep possession and passes were ill-fated. They settled down a bit after the first seven minutes or so, and an unremarkable performance by both clubs ensued. The goal wasn't Andy's fault; a right-circle pass to Tkachuk in the crease. The veteran went behind his back, instead of shooting, placing the puck directly on the tape of Brad Boyes, to the left of the goal, who scored into an empty net. Anderson, defending the right crease, had no help thanks to the nifty move by Tkachuk. A sweet play for the Blues.

Notes: Blues third-string goalie Ben Bishop is in net for St. Louis. He's 6'-7". Off skates. Gargantuan. Looks like the Cloverfield lizard in front of a soccer net. Tallest goaltender in the league. Ever. Noah Welch is suddenly the veteran on his defensive pairing with the loss of Cory Murphy, which follows the loss of Bryan McCabe. If I were Jason Garrison, I'd make certain my medical insurance is in good standing. Speaking of Garrison, he looks good. The leading scorer in Rochester, he's looking solid and confident. Getting power play time - on the point - as well. So far a wise addition. Could this guy end Jassen Cullimore's hopes of a return to Florida? Thanks to FSN, we learned that before Garrison tonight, the number 52 had never been used.

Anderson Smacks Senators, Other Notes

Florida Panthers' goaltender Craig Anderson (41 saves), left, reveals a defensive lapse before him; explains his concern to fellow Cat Karlis Skrastins (+3) in a photo from Wednesday's game in Ottawa. Asked prior to the game what his thoughts are on Sens' forward Dany Heatley, Anderson simply replied "He tasks me, and I shall have him,".

A rousing 3-1 victory on the road, topped by an effort that is increasingly becoming the norm for "Andy". Didn't see the game, caught it on NHL radio (and I'm really liking the interface they employ). I did hear "The Save" late in the third; it brought the Ottawa broadcasters out of their seats. Check the video here, and The Miami Herald's coverage here (and it's George Richards' A-Game on this one):

"In previous seasons, one could have counted on a furious comeback by the home team, bet the farm Ottawa would get two quick goals, send the game into overtime and win it there."

Yes, I would have. Indeed, I pretty well expected it last night. Good effort, good coaching, no letdown. A big moral win, and a gargantuan showstopper by Anderson, earning him Third Star of the Night honors over at Puck Daddy.

A couple of quick notes and links as well:

- Panthers' defenseman Noah Welch's unusual donation is discussed by Michael Farber at SI.com.

- Update your favorites list: James Mirtle's blog has moved, evolved, and been reborn as From The Rink (dot com). A must read each day, but you all knew that.

End of Two: Dos - Dos

Right off the bat, Stephen Weiss gave the Cats their first lead, and Zeds grabbed his second assist. Atlanta tied it up late, keeping this one tight, and the crowd mostly at bay.

Observation: The speed - of both clubs - has been intense. The Panthers are literally falling over themselves keeping up with the pace, but hanging in, and making a good game of it. Another couple of weeks and they'll be acclimated...or dead. It's that fast. Forget the last few years...this is a different team. Fantastic to see the carryover, speed- and pass-wise, from last night in Raleigh. Vokoun much sharper, evidently seeing the puck better than yesterday. Weiss is no longer invisible. Duh. Bouwmeester: unquestionably the best defenseman in the division, probably the conference. Fearless, fast, and inventive. Only gets better with each shift. For those - like me - that have waited for his leap to the next level...he's there. PERIOD.

No Belak tonight; assuming he got the hook thanks to the dual penaltiesd he took last night. Zednik is looking ten years younger, as is Dvorak. Need more from Olesz. Atlanta's working hard...this game is closer than lineups would suggest. Not much from Stewart yet (on fourth line), Frolik showing his skills but a bit confused (on third line), Welch has been steady and reliable so far.

Gamenight: Cats at Oilers, Round Two

Even in Edmonton, Coach DeBoer's amazingly widespread appeal brings in the ladies.

Should be quite the battle between these two, given the animosity following yesterday's PIM-fest.

Wanna catch the contest on radio? Check out Edmonton's 630 CHED (The Big Ched); the pregame (yeah, they have those in hockey) is running at this moment. The Oil just cut 15 players, so intensity among the kids remaining is certain to be sweet.

Gonna be doing a little live posting along with a few other Florida die-hards (ahhh...the Illustrious Twelve) at the suddenly lively On Frozen Pond. George, the site is looking fantastic. Amazing what a coat of paint and new drapes'll do.

Live updates, stats, ice time, attendance, restroom capacity, peanut vendor contract disputes, and any other bit of info on tonight's Cats game can be found at NHL.com's real-time scoreboard. Lots of cool widgets to explore during the game. And get your fill of the site's new look.

In other Florida news, defenseman Noah Welch loses his head...well, not all of it yet. A noble kid with extraordinary character.