Konsolen Treiber » that charade for much

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - As we speak, the city of Las Vegas is entrenched in the exploratory phase of a ticket drive meant to assess its readiness to accept an NHL franchise in the near future. Coming out of last weeks Board of Governors meeting in Boca Raton, commissioner Gary Bettman was adamant that expansion and relocation were merely topics discussed and not a dead certainty. There are 30 teams currently, and, if you believe the conspiracy theories that pop up whenever the league decides to realign its divisional format, two more spaces open for clubs in a 14-team Western Conference to balance out a 16-team Eastern Conference. There is no formal expansion process, Bettman said. There is no vote that was taken today. There is no vote that was contemplated. We dont have an agreement to sell anybody an expansion process. Still, its not difficult to read between the lines when billionaire businessman Rick Foley practically falls over himself in the last year to get the leagues attention and set out and prove that this former desert stop-over for GIs in World War II could field a hockey team at the continents highest level. Mr. Foley, who is investing a considerable amount of time and effort in expressing his interest, wants to have a good idea as to whether or not its a good idea, Bettman said last Tuesday. Were interested to know the results, as well ... if he just wants people to sign a piece of paper and say Im interested, Im not sure thats the same as somebody taking a deposit. Reports have surfaced that an expansion fee for Vegas could reach as high as $400 million, a number which seems to have discouraged all talk of a club coming to Seattle. Thats absurd, but thats apparently enough of a windfall to remedy any lingering cash flow issues from the 2012-13 season which began in late January due to 3 1/2 months worth of discord over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. A league seemingly impervious to business decisions which at times have pushed it to the brink of ruin would be stupid not to consider it. Its amazing that Bettman -- who has presided over three work stoppages and one entire cancelled season under his watch while revenues and a salary cap have seen a net increase in that time -- can simply sit back and let potential owners flock to him without really lifting a finger. But thats where we are. The National Hockey League, for all its faults and shortcomings and occasional labor battles which truncate season schedules and alienate hard-core fans, has reached a point on the North American sports landscape where starry-eyed civic-minded heroes are lining up to grab a piece of the rock on little more than the promise of an audience with the king. In Vegas, its the lure of legitimacy for a city eternally left out of the professional sports picture due to the stain of gambling and the possibilities of regional rivalries with southern California and Phoenix. In Quebec, now approaching 20 years since the Nordiques left for Denver, a whole new arena to replace the famed Le Colisee is being built on nothing more than the hopes of attracting either a wayward franchise or a totally new one. Lets not forget theres a brand-new arena in Kansas City which was all set to welcome the itinerant Penguins seven years ago before the deal of the century kept the team in Pittsburgh. And then, theres Florida. Nobody should be focusing on the Panthers as a relocation candidate. Period, Bettman said. Its inconsistent with everything we know and believe, its inconsistent with everything (owner) Vinnie Viola would be telling me and inconsistent meaning he has no intention of moving the club. He is committed to South Florida. With an average of well under 9,000 fans per game -- numbers which recently doomed the second NHL club to be placed in Atlanta -- its laughable that Bettman could keep up that charade for much longer. Just as when he preached patience and confidence for the Thrashers franchise and then allowed it to bolt up to Winnipeg in May of 2011, if the economics of a new locale will strengthen the overall brand, you can bet Bettman -- and by extension the rest of the BOG -- will sign off on the move before the first plastic rats hit the ice in protest. The devil, as always, is in the details. To wit: If were having this conversation in two or three years, it might be a different issue, Bettman said. And why wouldnt Bettman and Viola have this conversation by then? Its taken more than a decade for things to become so pear-shaped, how could it turn around in such a short time frame even with a winner in the building? While the puppets dance around him, sometimes by his own hand and sometimes to the beat of their own drum, Bettman and the NHL can just bide their time. Expansion and relocation is coming. Its simply more dramatic to hear the hedging and denials first, because thats what makes the final decision so explosive to the public and so ecstatic to the hopeful. In the meantime, pray for Vegas and Quebec and all points in between dont become too swept up in the sweepstakes because its all just a game in the end. 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"You dont need to talk to anybody else." Indeed, Peralta did it all as the majors top team won again.TAMPA, Fla. - Cedric Paquette replaced a top rookie in the Lightning lineup and played a key role in Tampa Bays win.Paquette scored a tiebreaking goal late in the first period, and the Lightning snapped the New York Islanders five-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory on Saturday night.Im still battling (for playing time), said Paquette, who has played nine of his 11 NHL games this season. My confidence is getting better in every game. A game-winner, I feel great.Paquette, inserted into the lineup in place of 2013 No. 3 pick Jonathan Drouin, put the Lightning ahead 3-2 from the slot with his fifth goal this season at 15:29.We put a lineup in tonight that we thought would give us the best chance to win, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. Somebody has to sit out.Drouin, a healthy scratch for the first time in his rookie season, has gone nine games without a goal since netting his first in the NHL on Oct. 24.Jo is going to be a great player for us, Cooper said. So is Cedric Paquette. You want to have depth, and weve got that right now. These things are going to happen. Its a learning process for everybody.Paquette took a high stick to the head from New Yorks Anders Lee midway the third, but remained in the game. The forward was a healthy scratch in the Lightnings 2-1 loss to San Jose on Thursday.Ryan Callahan, Valtteri Filppula, Tyler Johnson and Radko Gudas also scored for the Lightning, 7-1-1 in their last nine games. Jason Garrisson had two assists, and Ben Bishop improved to 10-2-2 after making 25 saves.ddddddddddddThe Islanders got goals from Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey. New York, looking to tie its longest winning streak since February 2008, allowed just six goals during their five-game run.Callahan and Filppula also scored first-period goals.We werent as sharp as we would like to be defensively in the first period, New York captain John Tavaras said. They capitalized on their chances and got a lead. We generated some chances ourselves. We just couldnt get that next one to kind of put them on their heels.Tampa Bay took a 4-2 lead when Tyler Johnson beat Chad Johnson from the right circle 1:39 into the second. Gudas stopped his 26-game goal drought with a late third-period goal.Chad Johnson stopped 23 shots.The Islanders also failed in an attempt to sweep their third straight set of back-to-back games this season. New York beat Florida 4-3 on Friday night in a shootout.Back-to-back nights, I thought we were all right, Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. It wasnt a bad game for us. It wasnt a great game.NOTES: Islanders RW Cal Clutterbuck sat out due to an undisclosed injury. ... Lightning C Steven Stamkos set up Filppulas power-play goal and has 11 assists and 21 points in 21 games against the Islanders. ... Stamkos didnt have a shot on goal. ... Tavares had an assist, giving him 13 assists and 19 points in 18 games against Tampa Bay. 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