Hockey Hearsay shines a light on stories of interest from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, year-round. <\/i><\/p>\n
NHL Line Combo Central<\/a> | Nichols on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n KARLSSON, COOKE REACT TO MELNYK-NHL MEETING<\/b><\/p>\n You no doubt heard about Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melynk meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman Monday, reportedly to present the findings of the \u201cforensic investigation\u201d<\/a> to see if former Pittsburgh Penguin winger Matt Cooke, now with the Minnesota Wild, intentionally sliced the Achilles\u2019 tendon of Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson last February.<\/p>\n Via The Ottawa Sun<\/a>, here\u2019s Erik Karlsson\u2019s reaction:<\/p>\n “I heard about it. It’s not something that I’m personally involved in or something I put any focus on. (Melnyk) is a very emotional guy and he cares about this team deeply. He’s always had our back. If he’s done something he wants to do and move forward with that’s totally up to him. That’s not something I’m involved in.”<\/p>\n Karlsson, on moving forward: “It’s almost a year now. You can’t think about that stuff anymore. It’s done and it’s happened. It’s always going to be a part of me, but it’s something I rarely think about anymore,” he said.<\/p>\n And finally: “It’s just one of those things. We play a sport where injuries happen. If I could go my entire career without being injured I would be the luckiest guy alive.<\/p>\n “This is totally (Melnyk’s) own choice. If he wants to do it, that’s fine. He cares about this team and his players. That’s something that we respect.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, here\u2019s Cooke, to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune<\/a>: \u201cI think it\u2019s really strange. It\u2019s almost a full year ago that it happened. I\u2019ve said this from the beginning and I still say it. It was a complete accident. It\u2019s happened two or three times since with other guys.\u201d<\/p>\n On if he wishes Melnyk would just let it go: \u201cI can\u2019t control it. I learned a long time ago, all I can control is my actions and my words. I try to do that to the best that I can. Other people are going to have judgments. They\u2019re entitled to their own opinions. I can\u2019t tell this guy how to spend his money. He\u2019s entitled to do what he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n CONCUSSED VISNOVSKY STILL HOPEFUL FOR OLYMPICS<\/b><\/p>\n Newsday<\/a> caught up with Islanders defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, who has been sidelined with a concussion since Oct. 19. He\u2019s at least 10-14 days away from returning to action.<\/p>\n As far as playing for the Slovakian team in Sochi, to which he was named?<\/p>\n “I’m looking for my first game back with the Islanders and be back in perfect condition — after that, I try thinking about Olympics.”<\/p>\n And: “In my country, Olympics is something very big. But you need to be in good shape. I don’t want to go out there and kill my team by playing. I have to be ready for games here and then we will see.”<\/p>\n BRUINS\u2019 BERGERON ADDRESSES OLYMPIC SECURITY<\/b><\/p>\n Candid, extensive quotes via The Boston Herald<\/a> from Bruins center Patrice Bergeron regarding his thoughts on security concerns for the upcoming Sochi Olympics.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is scary to some extent. I\u2019m not necessarily concerned about it right now. I don\u2019t feel that my own personal security is going to be in jeopardy over there, so I feel fine about going.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard about the recent threats but I haven\u2019t thought about it too much. I\u2019m still focused on playing the games here. It\u2019s still a few weeks away and we have a lot of games left …<\/p>\n \u201cMy family, my wife, my brother went to Vancouver, but they\u2019re not going this time. I\u2019ve got to say security is part of it. I wanted to worry about my game and my team, and I didn\u2019t want to have any other distractions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still a huge honor to go to the Olympics. I\u2019m focused on the Bruins right now, but I\u2019m really excited about Sochi. I\u2019m really looking forward to it.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the terrorist threats, it actually blows my mind that people could consider attacking the Olympics. It\u2019s sad that it comes to that. It\u2019s such an honor for athletes and such a great event. You work so hard to get there. It\u2019s sad that this could happen …<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if anything could change my mind. You obviously don\u2019t want to hear about anything happening. That\u2019s the last thing you want to hear. But I feel like the security over there is going to handle it. I\u2019m sure the Olympic village is going to be very secure. So right now, I feel OK.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Vancouver the security was great. It was actually hard to get in anywhere even as an athlete, to the village, the rink, or wherever. Our families were not allowed to come visit us in the village. I thought security was great four years ago and I\u2019ve heard there\u2019s even going to be more force there this time with the army.\u201d<\/p>\n PATRICK KANE MARVELS AT PENGUINS\u2019 CROSBY<\/b><\/p>\n The Chicago-Sun Times<\/a> relays Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane\u2019s thoughts on the face of the NHL, Sidney Crosby.<\/p>\n \u2018\u2018He produces every night,\u2019\u2019 Kane said. \u2018\u2018He\u2019s fun to watch. Even on nights where he maybe doesn\u2019t have his best game, he still comes out of there with two assists or a goal and an assist. Then there are games where it seems like he\u2019s determined, and he\u2019s the best player in the world and just dominates the game. You\u2019re like, \u2018Wow, this guy is amazing.\u2019 I think he\u2019s the best player in the league, for sure.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Kane added: \u2018\u2018The thing is [being] consistent,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u2018\u2018That\u2019s the biggest thing about it. To do that for 82 games is where he\u2019s at, and I\u2019m not, I guess. Consistency is the biggest thing, just to keep that chugging along the whole year. I was real hot and right there with him, and then he kind of continues and keeps trotting on.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n PAVELSKI\u2019S HIGH HOCKEY IQ<\/b><\/p>\n Sharp profile on Sharks forward Joe Pavelski from CSNBayArea.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Coach Todd McLellan recalls taking over the team in the summer of 2008.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could tell at that point that Pav was astute. He wanted to know how we were going to do things,\u201d said McLellan, the former Red Wings assistant. \u201cHe asked a lot of questions about people we had in Detroit \u2013 the Pavel Datsyuks, the Henrik Zetterbergs. He wanted to know how they did things.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere others were meet-and-greets and that type of stuff, Pav was already digging, trying to find ways.\u201d<\/p>\n McLellan also noted: \u201cHe\u2019s not Marian Gaborik or Patrick Marleau when it comes to skating. So, his mind has to get him to places where their legs get them. Pav has that sense. He knows where to go. Then when he gets there, he has the courage to stay in it.\u201d<\/p>\n RUPP BEING GOOD TEAMMATE FOR WILD<\/b><\/p>\n