Tag Search Results for "AV"
So say it with me Wild Fans. Let's Play Hockey!!!!!!
It's the most wonderful time of the year.......(sing it). It even feels like Christmas with snow on the ground. God seems to have extended winter in honor of the Wild's post-season birth.
The playoffs are finally here and the Wild are back! Memories of 4 years ago still dancing in our heads as fans. But, in a ...
Back on February 5th, the Rangers made a move that not only was questionable, but in the eyes of some Rangers fans (including myself), was not needed. They had acquired Sean Avery from the LA Kings for Jason Ward and a couple minor leaguers. At the time, I felt that a player like Sean Avery wasn't what we needed on this team. I thought that we needed finesse players who...
With the playoffs in full swing and some excellent hockey on Versus, the St. Louis Blues have rarely been on my mind. Don't get me wrong. The team put in a solid Blue's collar effort this season and finished one position better in the standings than I had expected. More importantly, they played entertaining hockey and eliminated the ability of couch-coaches to easily predi...
The Rangers pulled out a win today in a tightly contested game, beating the Atlanta Thrashers 2-1.
I felt the Rangers had the better of the play for the whole game tonight. The first Sean Avery goal was a fluke, but well deserved by Avery, who was easily the best player of the game. He had more shots than anyone else on the team, assisted on Shanahan's game-winner, and ...
So I'm busy AGAIN tonight, and this would mean missing TWO broadcasts in a row, which I don't think I can handle. Does anyone know if a radio station in New York City plays it? Normally, I listen to all the game on internet radio so I can hear Rick Jeanneret's broadcast. If RJ's play-by-play is unavailable, what is the radio station that has the Islanders' broadcast? I...
Tonight should be another great night of NHL playoff hockey, with some big games going on in the East.
[b]Thrashers @ Rangers, GM 3, Rangers lead 2-0[/b]
The New York Rangers are looking to take a commanding three games to none lead over the Thrashers as they return home tonight.The Blue shirts took away home ice from Atlanta by winning a pair of one goal games, 4-3, a...
Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis. The Tampa Bay Lightning's Big 3.
Before the series with New Jersey, one of the best defensive teams in hockey, the story regarding the Lightning was "What's Tampa Bay going to do when New Jersey shuts down their main line - where will the scoring come from?".
Funny thing happend on the way to answering that que...
With all of the playoffs going on, its tough being a Avalanche fan. Something is missing from the current post season... The 2007 version of the Colorado Avalanche came within 1 point of the playoffs. Putting new meaning into the old adage that every game counts. Blown leads, poor defensive play all played a part in the Avalanche missing the 'real' hockey season. Credit sh...
The second round is set and the Rangers will be facing off with the Buffalo Sabres starting this week. I don't know if either matchup was more beneficial for the Rangers as they had a losing record against both of their potential 2nd round opponents this year.
They were 1-3 against Ottawa and a sterling 0-4 against the Sabres.
To look on the bright side they haven't ...
> Congratulations to [url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8449545&service=page]Scott Mellanby[/url] on a very good career. Mellanby [url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2007/04/23/mellanby-retirement.html?ref=rss]announced his retirement[/url] after 21 seasons in the NHL. He finishes with 364 goals and 476 assists for 840 regular sea...
from The Checking Line
Thanks to a couple bad seasons and a little assistance from the lockout, it’s now been over 1,100 days since the St. Louis Blues have been part of a playoff series. So what are the chances of my beloved Note getting in the dance in 2008? Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that John Davidson and Co. have months to work their magic becaus...
Supernick writes...
Mes prédictions pour la 3e ronde et Lecavalier contre Price?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Sabres de Buffalo vs Sénateurs d'Ottawa
Les sabres on eu un début de séries plûtot ordinaire contre les rangers mais ils se sont bien repris dans les deux dernières parties. ils ont la chance de compter sur 4 bonnes lignes d'attaque, leur seule faiblesse est l'avantage numérique, ils ne font pas grand chose en avantage. aussi il leur manque un jouer de caractère ...
It was a rough finish to the rangers seaosn. They blow a 1-0 lead with 7 seconds to go in game 5. Then they lose 5-4 on home ice in game 6. Although there are a lot of "What ifs..." in this series, Rangers should be happy with what they accomplished. They didn't look like they were even in the playoff mix in February.
Bring in some young guns, add a fiesty Sean Avery, ...
Well, typically it takes a little time into the off-season, usually some time after the Cup Finals for it to get started. It even may last until just around the draft...but rest assured - before we hit July - Eklund and other hockey rumor mongers will have Vincent Lecavalier wearing the sweater of the Habs, St. Louis in St. Louis and Brad Richards somewhere else.
I like...
The speculation that various Canadian venues in Ontario would be chosen if the Preds were to leave Music City doesn't ask the right question: [b]If the Preds were moved[/b] to Kitchener, Brantford, Hamilton, or even The Soo or Sudbury - [b]the real question is,what conference would they be in?[/b]
Would they automatically become an Eastern Conference team with such a m...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens have siged Jonathan D’Aversa to a 3 year entry level contract. He is 21 years old and has spent th last 3 years playinig for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. He has had 150 pints in 259 games. His defense partner was Jordan Staal's brother Marc.
[url]http://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
Obviously the Spezza- heatley- Alfie trio has been amazing in the playoffs for the sens this season, and to blame one line for playoff failure seems a bit weak. This line has carried the sens throughout the playoffs, and it is up for the rest of the team to step it up. Comrie 2 goals. Schaefer 1 goal. Fisher 4 goals. Of the second line, fisher has been the bright spot, whe...
From the Tennessean:
[i]Jim Balsillie has submitted a formal application to buy the Predators.
Balsillie’s lawyer, Toronto-based attorney Richard Rodier, said the application was sent to the NHL late Monday.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that the league received the application Monday night.
The application, which includes a purchase agreement, ...
So it's 90 degrees now, several of the local rinks have already switched to running inline or putting turf down for soccer/lax, and I'm blogging on a hockey site. Hopeless, right? Well, this summer I'm turning this blog into a sort of stream-of-consciousness on hockey, music, film and life.
--Scott Niedermayer...if you retire on top, you'll be doing a good job, but it'l...
Here we go again:
11) Carolina----Brandon Sutter
May have the best all-around game in the draft, but I still think this is a little high for him consideringCherepanov was still on the board. Needs to fill out a lot and still develop a little more grit. Yes he's a Sutter, but he isn't as Sutter-y as others. Has good character to fall back on if his skills don't make him a...
Life after death……or in Buffalo’s case, life after Drury and Briere, is it time for fans to prepare for what seems now to be our inevitable fate?
Like an Atheist afraid of death Buffalo Sabres fans must now seriously ponder what the world will look like if the two captains leave. As was reported on TSN.ca earlier today Briere looks to be gone. Combine the fact th...
For the first time in a while, Avalanche fans can be happy about a move made by the team's front office. There is an excitement around this team now that hasn't been here since the Avs star-crossed acquisition of both Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya before the 2003-2004 season in an attempt to make a determined run for the cup. But we all know how that ended up. Train wre...
Before the salary cap was instituted, you could always count on one thing in the NHL: The Colorado Avalanche were going to make the playoffs and be cup contenders. Every year GM Pierre Lacroix put a playoff team on the ice and every year they would deliver. At the end of the 05-06 season, Lacroix stepped down and handed things over to Francois Giguere. Things started rocky...
The Blues have brought many good players into there system. The thing is they all where old. Kariya is bringing them in the right direction. They still won't be a playoff contender, they need alot more, but they will be better.
Can Jason Arnott be the hero the Nashville Community needs?
While the fate of the Nashville Predators continues to twist in the wind of uncertainty one thing came to mind. We need a hero! Bonnie Tyler style…
Where have all good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Goalie Chris Mason recently pur...
After a sophomore slump, a few trade deadline rumors and looking arbitration in the eyes, the Colorado Avalanche re-signed Marek Svatos to a one year deal.
Obviously Francois Giguere and the Avs are hoping that Svatos can return to his rookie form where he finished tied on the team and 3rd among rookies in goals with 32. He also notched 9 game winning, tying the rookie...
'Tis the season to speak of free agent signings, and speculation about where the Nashville/Hamilton/Kansas City Predators will end up playing next year. I wish to take a break from this babbling and take on a more serious issue... the players that I (and hopefully after reading) you absolutely HATE. I have found ten players that I loath with every part of my soul. Let's ge...
With the past few weeks the NHL has seen some outragious signings. There have been questions about how healthy is the NHL and is the new CBA working? We will know the answer about the CBA next year if the salary cap stays around the same and the teams that spent alot of money with long term contracts(Flyers, Avalanche) will not have the cap space to spend next year. Explai...
[b][i]Vitaly Vishnevski is now a Devil[/i][/b]
The Predators lost another unrestricted free agent yesterday when the New Jersey Devils signed Vitaly Vishnevski to a three year deal worth a reported 5.4 million dollars. This is a player that no one in the organization or fans of the Preds expected to resign.
"Vitaly Vishnevski is a defenceman who brings a physical pr...
Now with some more updates I'll come again with some more FA signings.
Hannan (COL)-Scott Hannan is one of the most underrated defensemen in the National HOckey League. He is a great two-way blueliner and high marks to the Avs for signing this guy.
Grade:A+
Smyth (COL)-This one is interesting. "Captain Canada" becomes "Captain Colorado" and gives Joe Sakic a linemate th...
Now with some more updates I'll come again with some more FA signings.
Hannan (COL)-Scott Hannan is one of the most underrated defensemen in the National HOckey League. He is a great two-way blueliner and high marks to the Avs for signing this guy.
Grade:A+
Smyth (COL)-This one is interesting. "Captain Canada" becomes "Captain Colorado" and gives Joe Sakic a linemate th...
As a fan of the Colorado Avalanche since they moved to Denver, it's easy to know why I hold a special place for Peter Forsberg. How can I forgot Forsberg missing the entire 01-02 season only to return and become arguably the best player in the playoffs? Then there's the magic that Forsberg captured along with Milan Hejduk in the 02-03 where he won the Hart Trophy and helpe...
Deke2194 writes...
The Good, the Bad, and the Smytty; The Ryan Smyth Debacle
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Ryan Smyth always wanted to play his entire career with the Oilers. And he thought it was something he was going to able to do. Now he had always taken the “hometown discount” to stay with the Oilers in the past, but wasn’t it time after 12 seasons that the Oilers finally showed him the kind of money that most other teams in the league would be willing to pay for h...
March 15, 2002: The Atlanta Thrashers trade Ruslan Zainullin to the Calgary Flames for Marc Savard. In 182 games with the Thrashers, Savard went on to score 63 goals and 196 points. After the 2005-2006 season, Savard priced himself out of Atlanta, signing with the Boston Bruins for 4 years, at $5 million per season. Since that point, Thrashers GM Don Waddell has continuous...
I will begin with my opinion on the Leafs/Avs possible trade. Our dear friend, Mr. Eklund reports that the Colorado Avalanche might be asking too much in return for Hejduk. My opinion is that they are not asking enough! (Colaiacovo and Jay Harrison) Here are the players I would be asking to the Leafs if they really want him: Tomas Kaberle & Kyle Wellwood. Too much you wou...
Every GM would trade for Vinny Lecavalier...in a heartbeat...probably including Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe. But this blog isn't about Mr. Lecavalier and his sniping ways it's about Tampa Bay's other Vinny...as in Vaclav Prospal.
The Oilers desperately need some true top-6 talent and the Tampa Bay Lightning could use a little wiggle room from under the crushing weight...
ItsJacketsTime writes...
Scorers Draw Crowds, Goaltending Wins Championships
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
Hey guys.
Seeing as this is my first post I think I should introduce myself. My name is Matt and I'm 15 years old. I live in Cincinnati, OH and I'm mainly a Columbus Blue Jackets fan. I've been a hockey fan my entire life, when my parents raised me on the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and IHL. And ever since, I've been hooked. With that, let's blog.
The one thing the...
Well, it appears pretty simple to me. However, I'm not the General Manager.
The Leafs lack depth at right wing. Plain and simple.
It's time to bring in a top line right winger to complete the trifecta. Blake, Sundin and .............
Hejduk (4m) and Svatos (1.2m) are obviously being targeted by the Leafs management. After hearing Giguere today, commenting on possib...
Calgary Flames - C
Key Acquisitions:
Owen Nolan, Adrian Aucoin, Cory Sarich
Question Marks:
Offensive Production, Mike Keenan
One of the best defensive teams in the league got better and deeper on defense this off season. The additions of Cory Sarich and Adrian Aucoin make one of the best bluelines in the league better and solidifies the Flames as one of the ...
For almost a week now it has been rumored that The Leafs and The Avs have been trying to make a trade with the biggest name in the deal being Milan Hejduk or Marek Svatos. In return the Avs would likely receive a young defensive and draft picks.
So when you step back and look at this trade, as an Avs fan, are you happy? Right now the Avs have Leopold (26), Liles (26), ...
[img:right]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/855832279_cb08a30250_m.jpg[/img]
What makes a man cave a great escape form the riggers of everyday life? That is a great question. I have come up with a list:
1. Pick a Theme & go with it!!!!!!!
2. Big Screen TV
3. Seating I went with the sectional couch & Custom Bar
4. Surround sound system
5. Video game sysytem- My c...
Recently the fighting debate has come back into the forefront. Derek Boogaard's actions of teaching children how to defend themselves on the ice has brought the debate back up to a boiling point, with no end in sight. I have a hard time with fighing because, as much as I love to watch a good fight, I can sympathize with those who feel that it has no part in the game.
...
AlexanderScharf writes...
NYR- To Be or Not To Be: Peca, Jovo, Avery, Hossa
Posted Thursday | Comments 2
What are the Rangers going to do next? Although the Rangers should be content with what they have done this off-season, especially considering that they do not have alot of cap room, rumors continue to swirl about a big move that they are planning. I've heard the Rangers are interested in Ed Jovanovski and Michael Peca and they are yet to resign Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa...
It has been said that Mr. Holland is still looking at the market. Well who is not? I am feeling very comfortable with the Wings line-up this season. With the coming of age of Johan Franzen, Daniel Cleary and Flip. I think that Johan can replace what Todd Bertuzzi was supposed to bring to the wings grit with the help of aged Dallas Drake. Zetterburg and Datsyuk are definite...
Its been a great offseason for the Rangers. They signed two top tier centers to long term deals and retained their core group of players, with the exception of Nylander and Cullen. But its not too late to botch the job. Critics have already labeled this offseason as a return to the "Same Old Rangers". I dont believe that to be true but that is a dicussion of its own. What ...
Its pouring cats and dogs up here in the catskill mountains so while I would normally spend my Sunday afternoon in the great outdoors, I am currently stuck in the cabin in my camp armed with only my brain and a Motorola Q. And so, I decided to write about the upcoming arbitration hearing of Sean Avery which will take place tomorrow.
A quick review, Avery, a 27 year old...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Update: Avery Awarded 1.9 Million in Arbitration and Signed
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Journal News reports that Rangers forward, Sean Avery, has been awarded a salary of 1.9 million for 1 year. Avery, who came to the Rangers at last seasons trade deadline from the LA Kings, helped to turn the Rangers season around. After acquiring him, the Rangers went 17-6-6, a tear that boosted the team into the the playoffs as the sixth seed. Avery scored 8 goals and...
With the signing of Sean Avery today, is it the end of shopping season for the New York Rangers? The scary part of this offseason is that Rangers went back to their spending ways, but when you realize what they were able to bring back it's not as bad as it seems. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury are upgrades over Michael Nylander and Matt Cullen. You have to love that the Range...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Davidson: "We are done" Say Hello To The 2007-2008 Blues
Posted Thursday | Comments 9
Now that John Davidson has confirmed that the Blues are sticking to the roster they already have, we can start breaking down the kind of team the Blues will have for the upcoming season. Let's start with the forwards:
David Backes - big and strong, was a veteran at the development camp last month, has matured a great deal and shoulc score many goals if he just drives to t...
Before I start, let me just say that last night I was so starved for hockey, I [img:right]http://nhldraftnet.aol.com/NHLDraftNet/file.php?ID=237[/img]watched The Mighty Ducks Two. For all of you movie buffs out there, its definitely not better the second time around. Emilio Estevez's struggle with fame and sponsorships was not a gripping tale. You're coaching pee wee hocke...
PART 5 IS OUT, OFFENSE #5. VIEW IT ON HTTP://MY.HOCKEYBUZZ.COM/TAG.PHP?TAG=RAGS2RICHES
AND COMING TO THE HOMEPAGE SOON!
Im sorry that it took so long to get this installment out. Ive been very busy for the past few days and havent had a chance to write. Moving on, we are up to part 4 of the series and as always, dont hesitate to comment on my writing. Ive just learned ho...
The very first live professional hockey game I ever seen was between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. The year was 1994 and Wayne Gretzky was a King. Edmonton was leading the game 4-2 with 10 minutes in the third period. I believe it was Louie Debrusk had just been kicked out of the game following a fight/scrum.
In the next 4 minutes the Kings came back, t...
[i]With all of the big new contracts signed this year, there are a lot of players with big shoes to fill. There are a lot of players with a new responsibility to be "the guy" for their respective clubs. There are a lot of players that need to step it up this season and show why they were worth the big bucks that their teams threw at them.
So which players are actually...
First off I have to say how much I enjoy hearing all of the updates that happen on this site. Even the Mike Peca ones. That's why I check in once or twice daily. However, with all due respect to everyone who's following the ongoing Peca saga, I'd like to shed a little light on the situation.
Mike Peca will not contribute greatly to a team this year. He hasn't done a...
[img:left]http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/allan_muir/11/07/GM.meetings/tx.forsberg.jpg[/img]I still remember vividly the 02/03 season. The Colorado Avalanche we're still in a dynasty with the likes of Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Milan Hedjuk, Alex Tanguay and Patrick Roy. Forsberg led the league in scoring with a 106 point campaign (29G, 77A), and a league leading +52. F...
I don't know how those boxes got there.Sorry.
With just a couple of weeks left until training camp starts I thought I would write what I think the standings in the Western Conference would be if the teams would be if they were to use the players they had right now.
1.Anaheim Ducks
Additions: Shane Hnidy, Todd Bertuzzi, Mathieu Schneider, Dan Lacouture
Losses: Dus...
naslund91 writes...
Linden Signing not about numbers, but about playing time?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
Is it possible that Trevor Linden is delaying this contract status to show to Vigneault that benching Linden for so many games last year was a mistake?
If Canucks fans can remember, Linden was benched lots throughout the season, even after a 2 goal game, even after one of his best games of the season. When he was put with the Sedins, he had many chances, hit the post a ...
K. Lee has been doing an excellent series of blogs regarding the Sens all time team, and a lot of people have followed suit and posted their own all time teams full of the best players. It got me thinking that yeah, a team with Lecavlier, Crosby and Heatley would be nice, but it's been done. Therefore, I've decided to come up with the team that would draw the most pen...
steve from chicago writes...
A Captainless Organization searches for a Captain
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Who will wear the "C" in Chicago this season?
It will probably be Havlat but can anyone name a team, a franchise, so lacking of captian material?
I've always liked the team that had the classic born in Canada captain like Dirk Graham, Terry Ruskowski or Tom Lysiak. Those guys knew what it took.
Who on the Hawks today can be counted on to say what needs to be sai...
[b]Up next, I looked at the Northwest Division (one of the toughest to pick)
Minnesota Wild[/b]
The Minnesota Wild had a good year last year, perhaps overachieving a little bit. Mainly they were able to take advantage of Edmonton when they were on their spiral down towards the basement of the Northwest Division. The Wild were 6 - 2 against Edmonton and 4 of the wins ...
steve from chicago writes...
Who is on the Hot Seat in Chicago? Dale Tallon and it's Hot.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Have you looked a the scheudule for the first 10 games? Detroit twice, Colorado, Dalas, San Jose, Minnesota etc. It isn't until game 10 that the the Hawks get to face their equal in Columbus and Columbus has handled them the past couple of season's.
Have you thought about the fact that there isn't a forward line returning from last season? There isn't even a pair of for...
I haven't had the chance to write a blog for quite sometime, due to class restrictions and working on my papers. Although I took tonight to draft my fantasy team. I had the second overall pick and just missed out on Sidney Crosby, and I decided to take Mr. Joe Thornton. Below is my team I drafted, and would like if you all would rate my team :)
Joe Thornton - C - San Jo...
I have always wondered about this, but have never asked. Why do the Avs have a foot on the shoulders of their jerseys? Don't think I'm some novice to hockey, I quess I just missed the memo on that one.
ExtraB writes...
From Gretzky to Lemieux... he scores! O Canada Hockey Cards!
Posted Sunday | Comments 1
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"O Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee"
The first lines of the Canadian National Anthem perfectly describe the dedication of Canada's national hockey teams and for the first time a hockey card set is being created to celebrate. Perhaps, no other country in any other sport has achieved the consistent excellence that Canada has attained in international hockey. These wi...
ExtraB writes...
From Gretzky to Lemieux... he scores! O Canada Hockey Cards!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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"O Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee"
The first lines of the Canadian National Anthem perfectly describe the dedication of Canada's national hockey teams and for the first time a hockey card set is being created to celebrate. Perhaps, no other country in any other sport has achieved the consistent excellence that Canada has attained in international hockey. These wi...
It is time for the second edition in my series of blogs about the new NHL jerseys. For those who still have not seen the new jerseys:
http://www.fartfignewton.com/rbk_edge/
And for those who missed Part 1 of this series:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
This time I am turning my critical eye towards the Northwest division.
[b]C...
today after the skate lindy ruff held a brief presser (http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=337685). in this news conference he stared that he intends on keeping one of the most exciting lines for the sabres last year(RAV) together. this article also states that the rest of the forwards will look like this opening night.
Vanek...
mage23 writes...
[2007-09-26] Sharks use Powerplay/Shootout to down Canucks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Unlike the game less than a week ago in San Jose, tonight's matchup between the Sharks and Canucks did not feature the fisticuffs and ejections that played a role in the earlier matchup. The excellent goaltending of Roberto Luongo, however, was once again on display for all to see as Luongo went head to head with Sharks youngster Thomas Greiss.
While Luongo was perfect...
Statement made. That's the way I look at last night's 4-0 Predators win over the Colorado Avalanche. Statement made.
Yes I know that one game does not a season make but Colorado is a good team...a team everyone is predicting to make the playoffs. They are loaded with fire power and the off-season addition of Ryan Smyth gives this team yet another weapon. None the...
Just listening to the Avs vs. Sharks game - and Mr. Paul Stastny has 1g 4a in this game, while having a hat trick on opening night, which brings him to 8points in 3games. And i got him in 3 of my Fantasy Teams :-)
I knew this kid would rock this season, and i also did believe he would have a fair shot at the 100 point mark - but this much improvement and absolute domina...
For anybody who was wondering (which quite possibly is nobody...haha) I never did write part 3 of Living up to the Big Bucks.
There are some interesting stories developing already in this young NHL season; The Avalanche led by sophomore Paul Stastny, the Edmonton Oilers starting 2-0 against two tough teams, the Defending Champion Ducks starting 1-3, and the Capitals sta...
The Flyers need to get their act together, Boulerice deserved 25 games and I hope he doesn’t play for the Flyers again.
Jim Basillie will end up buying the Preds, this will be good news for Canada and bad news for Kansas City, in the long run this will benefit the NHL, not sure if Bettman can figure that out.
I still can’t get over the Bills Cowboys game from Mon...
The 2007-2008 season is only four games old, but a disturbing trend has already settled in with the Blue Jackets.
After a solid team performance in the home opener against Anaheim, Columbus traveled to Minnesota the next night and played another good team game, albeit for 40 minutes.
During the third period of that game, the Jackets diverted from their game plan and...
Another blog in a series of blogs that focus on the game outside of scores and reviews, here's one that deals with band wagons and jumping ship...
There are purists out there (mostly Leaf and Hab fans) that believe you root for one team your whole life - win or lose, whiners or not - they are YOUR team. I do believe that once you are grown up enough to make a tough deci...
Ryan Smyth returned to Edmonton for the first time since being traded last season at the deadline. He was traded to the New York Islanders for prospect Ryan O'Marra, Robert Nilsson and the Islander's first round draft pick for the 07 draft (Alex Plante).
Before the game began a tribute to Ryan Smyth was shown over the video display board of his contributions to the Edm...
Apparently, Leafs General Manager John Fergusen Jr has been secretly talking to young Oshawa Generals forward, and future number 1 pick, John Tavares about maybe going pro, and signing a contract to play for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL next season. Is this their last resort at trying to end their 40+ year Stanley Cup drought without having to rebuild like most normal te...
bcallaway writes...
David Perron: Is Blues Management all on the same page here?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Jeremy Rutherford who covers the Blues for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and stltoday.com had this to say yesterday prior to the Blues game in Columbus:
"[i]Murray continues to emphasize the work Perron is getting off the ice. While everyone agrees with that, I get the feeling that some in the club want to see Perron in a game soon. That decision continues to be left with...
Hey pens fans,
Well, tonight the Pens lost to the Avalanche 3-2. Crosby had both goals and the Pens were up 2-0. The second period was a bit of a disaster for the Pens and the third period was scoreless. Crosby played a great game and I am not just saying that because he scored 2 goals. Sidney played like a man possessed on both ends of the ice. It was a strong game ...
Howdy,
Well this sure is a strange turn of events... someone in Hockeybuzz's management has clearly lost their marbles and let a degenerate like me have the keys to the team blogger bathroom. I would really thank Eklund for giving me the opportunity to do this. Not that he was left with any choice after BD threatened to post his next 16 Islander blogs in Braille unless ...
2006: They havent made the playoffs since 1997. They have a no-name defense and no depth on offense. Starting goalie Kevin Weekes goes down with a groin injury. Only a 7th round, unproven, unexperienced Swede can fill that spot.
2007: A disappointing season that included a 9 game losing streak and an awful record. They were guarenteed to miss the playoffs before the sea...
It's been awhile, whatelse can I say. In the busy life that I lead, I have been unable to follow the Canucks as closely as I have in past season. So far this season it seems to be a good thing. With that being said it seems that we will all be looking for "other things" to occupy our minds while the Canucks play out what appears to be a rather dissmal season.
Yes, it i...
Its been a tale of two seasons for the Rangers. Their home record stands at 8-2 while they are still winless on the road at 0-5-1. Tonight was another example of a dominant home performance as the Rangers mustered 39 shots in a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team is now 1-1 head to head, the other game ending in a 1-0 Penguin's victory.
Lots of good highligh...
ExtraB writes...
Heroes and Prospects Cards Fully Loaded: New Tavares Set Too
Posted Sunday | Comments 8
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In The Game, Inc. began putting out the Heroes and Prospects hockey card set during the 2004-05 hockey season. This set has proven to be a favorite among hardcore and casual hockey card collectors alike. Each year the set delivers a great bang for your buck as it is fully loaded with autograph and game used memorabilia pieces of hockey equipment actually worn by playe...
AlexanderScharf writes...
GAS Line, Fourth Line Heroes, Henrik: Put Rags Back On Track
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First nine: 2-5-1. Last nine: 7-2-0.
That tells the story of the turnaround the Rangers have made in this young season. That proves that the early hiccups that this team experienced were nothing more than growing pains. That when the right line combinations are found and the players learn to play with each other, it will create success. That when the team defense is con...
Jon Jordan writes...
If He Said It, Sean Avery Deserves Everything He Gets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Howard Berger, you have my utmost support.
Wade Belak, you do too.
If Sean Avery did, in fact, make comments directed at Jason Blake regarding his battle with cancer, bigger questions still remain.
(For the record, I have no reason to believe that he didn't make these comments, considering the source(s) on two levels ... one, it came from Mr. Berger, whose reput...
If you didn't see it, Sean Avery of the Rangers had a heated argument with Jason Blake and Darcy Tucker of the Maple Leafs during practice prior to their game on Saturday. The incident apparently was instigated by Avery. The former LA King was arguing with Tucker before he shoved Blake. Tucker then aimed his stick at the Rangers' agitator, and then the two got in each othe...
Sean Avery is a decent hockey player. He can score and pass and skate but his main purpose is to agitate. Nobody can deny that he does that well. Nobody can deny that he helped the Rangers turn around a dismal season last year. Nobody can deny that he disrupted the Thrashers in the playoffs and that it is quite remarkable that he drew diciplined Ilya Kovalchuk into a fight...
Tonight, Martin Brodeur is facing off against the Blueshirts in the hopes of getting his 500th div...err.. win! It should be a great game because of the following:
1.) It's against the Rangers.
2.) It's the Rangers first time playing at the Tombstone (little inside joke there)
3.) It's Scottie Gomez's first game on the Devils' ice
4.) Sean Avery and Marty are great p...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Sam Rosen Reports: Blake Says Avery Is Innocent
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
During tonight's broadcast of the Rangers-Devils game, Ranger's analyst Sam Rosen said that he spoke to Jason Blake. Blake told him that he did not hear Avery make those comments. Assuming that Sam Rosen isnt lying and Blake isnt deaf, this means the Avery did not make a "cancer" remark to Blake.
Now the blame shifts to whoever created this rumor. It is a terrible thing...
[b]The Predators continue their run[/b] against Central division foes as the Chicago Blackhawks come calling tonight. These rejuvenated Hawks are not the same team that has been a cellar dweller for many years. This is a team with young and exciting talent (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews), veteran leadership (Robert Lang and Martin LaPointe) and a solid coach in Dennis Sa...
[b]COLORADO AVALANCHE:
A NATURAL DISASTER
IF YOU HAVE TO PLAY THEM[/b]
My National Team tour leads me to one of the most offensive teams in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Av's most potent weapon is obviously the offense, with way too many players to mention who can put the puck in the net. This team has talent good enough to match up with any team in the...
So says Islander defenseman Radek Martinek.
This was Martinek's response to how he was told to react to Sean Avery's constant yapping, as he experienced last night in the Islanders 2-1 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps it's something even I should take into consideration.
Martinek has long been a favorite of mine. In fact, I'd call him one of the...
DucksFan07 writes...
Lecavalier and the All Star Ballot - What is the Deal?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sidney Crosby leads all Eastern Conference vote getters by over a 2:1 margin. Will he end the season with over 240 points and is he twice as good as his closest talent? I say assuredly "No." The leading scorer in the NHL and the best player in the NHL today is Vincent Lecavalier and he has less than one third the votes of Sid. What gives? Daniel Briere, a great player...
Tonight will be a good one. Colorado has a record on the road like the Sharks have at home, but throw all that out the window. Colorado always shows up to play the Sharks whether it is at home, away, Japan, or Zimbabwe. No matter how you look at it tonight will be a good test of will for the boys in teal.
Colorado will be looking to improve a woeful road record, while ...
Why are the Ranger slowly falling in to the abyss?
Why aren't they mucking and grinding out anymore 2-0 games?
I'll tell you why cause [b]Sean Avery [/b]is out again after being hit by a team mates puck!
This Ranger team misses Sean Avery more than they would miss even [b]Jagr[/b]?
Ok, maybe not, but you never know!
He proved he was a spark plug and that he coul...
Norrena is scheduled to start in net against the Avalanche tomorrow Wednesday December 12th 2007. Norrena hasn't started a game in 11 straight days. Pascal Leclaire is taking a breather while letting Fredrik Norrena takes another crack and starting in net since facing the Flames and winning the game. Let's see if Norrena can pick up where he left off as he allows Lecl...
Alright, we all know that Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has the potential to be an all-star. We also know that he is not having the best year. Now comes word that he will be on the sidelines approximately 6-8 weeks with an ankle sprain.
So, the question that will be asked again is this: Is it time to try to trade one of our goalies to Pittsburgh? And if so, for whom...
[b]What used to be known as 'The Joe Sakic' show[/b] comes to town tonight as the Colorado Avalanche come to the Sommet Center to finish off the Preds four game home stand. Sakic is nursing a groin injury and will be out of action here in Nashville but that doesn't mean that this team is without firepower. Paul Stasney is picking right up where his 78 point rookie camp...
As the hockey season is well on its way, I cannot help but feel as though something is missing. While I do not doubt the intensity and passion that the players possess, I am still finding a void between the way the game is played now and the way it was before the new rules. The so called evolution of the game has made it a super pest’s paradise, a one way street where a ...
Recently there has been much talk surrounding these two young, very talented players and probably for good reason. Liles is coming off of a superb year in which he was scoring with the "big boys" of the defensive world but is off to a rather slow start this season, while Svatty obviously had a disappointing year in comparison to his rookie campaign, but has started to pick...
My friends can testify to the fact that, prior to the 2007 Free Agency period, I was almost SCREAMING for Colorado to get two guys: Ryan Smyth & Scott Hannan. Why you might ask?
Ryan Smyth is an obvious choice, if for no other reason than his leadership ability - something our team sorely needs due to all the new guys coming in (Svatos, Hensick, Wolski, etc). He also p...
bcallaway writes...
Teemu Selanne to St. Louis? Could it happen?????????
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's not out of realm of possibility. Andy Strickland was on a local radio station last night and basically summed it up this way:
Everyone knows already that Teemu is working out every day. He talks to Paul Karyia every day and if there is anyone that could sell Teemu on the idea of coming to the Blues it's his best friend.
Not to mention the chemistry that Selanne...
[b]Well with the trade freeze in effect until the 27th obviously nothing will happen physically-though I'm sure there is a lot of banter between GM's right now.
Colorado's identity has changed a lot in recent years - powerhouse that could beat you anyway they wanted to coping with the loss of star players to an almost-rebuilding team with a lot of young talent. Since th...
I am calling you all out. All of you who came out strong at Sean Avery after the Blake incident in Toronto. You said that Avery was an immature and wothless player and that he "deserves everything he gets." You may have said that he did something bad IF he did it. You may have said that he did do it. You may have wanted him dead or severely injured. But you all came out an...
Going into X-MAS, the Avalanche had a 21-13-2 record, good for 44 points. They were riding a three game winning streak, and playing very strong hockey despite numerous injuries. Most importantly, Peter Budaj was finally playing well, after Joel Quenneville finally decided it would be a good idea not to play José Théodore who couldn't stop a beach ball if his life were at...
[b]A belated Happy New Year to everyone! Ok, the Avs have now lost 4 in a row. That being said, December was a great month for us, despite the injuries to key players. It's fairly obvious what the biggest struggle is for the Avs right now. No I'm not referring to goaltending at the moment, or our defense...it is our power play.
Last year's PP was amazing, 21.1% with 79 ...
[b]Headline: Ryan Smyth out eight weeks with ankle injury
[url]http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12381-Colorado-Avalanche-star-winger-Ryan-Smyth-out-eight-weeks-with-ankle-injury.html[/url]
The question must be raised now, with our mounting injuries to our key players (Joe, Ryan, Tyler, etc, etc), is it time to push the panic button (or the Staples 'Easy Button') to ma...
As a follow-up to my blog on the dwindling number of former [b]Winnipeg Jets[/b] still playing in the NHL, here's the breakdown of the one-time [b]Quebec Nordiques[/b]:
[u][b]Players[/b][/u]
[b]Adam Foote[/b]-CBS
[b]Martin Gelinas[/b]-NSH
[b]Jon Klemm[/b]-LA
[b]Aaron Miller[/b]-VAN
[b]Owen Nolan[/b]-CGY
[b]Martin Rucinsky[/b]-STL
[b]Joe Sakic[/b]-COL (the only re...
As a Ranger fan, I am used to disappointment. We have memories of 1997-2004 that I am still trying to repress, but now in 2008, here is the situation that the Rangers are in:
1.) Inconsistency [the facts]
2.) The blame game [the frustration]
3.) Possible solutions [the realism]
[b]Inconsistency[/b]
The Rangers have had both mini and large streaks, be it the abysma...
[b]The next 3 games for Colorado should prove very interesting: Car on Sat, Fla on Sun, and TB on Tues. Not only are all 4 teams, including Col, slumping (or are just down-right awful right now) but I believe Col has the potential to make a trade with any of these three teams.
From Col's end there are few untouchables and the names going remain Liles, Svatos, one of ou...
Let me begin this post by stating that I am both a Penguins fan, as well as a hockey fan. I think there are a lot of great young players in the league today.
With that, it is interesting that the media and hockey people are using the great starts of players like Lecavalier, Kovalchuk and Iginla as a reason to say they are disappointed in Crosby this year, and that he i...
Catfan912 writes...
Colorado sinks Panthers', Trying To Claw Up The Standings
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With a frustrating shootout loss against the Colorado Avalanche, that only adds another game to the loss category, and only further frustrates the team. The Panthers were recently accused of not trying hard enough to win their games, because as we all know, although they have raw talent, they can't just win games with a mediocre effort. They gave it their all against ...
[quote]"I am Cody McLeod of the Clan McLeod. I was born in 1984 in the village of Binscarth on the plains of Manitoba. And I am immortal."[/quote]
Hmm, the new guy on Colorado Avalanche's roster this past month seems a tad intense.
I wonder if there are any good stories on this undrafted winger? The stats speak of quite the berserker in the minors.
[IMG]http://i9.ti...
[b]Since I started blogging, I have been suggesting ideas to help the Avs solve their close-to-woes this season (and next). Well, the beat goes on with a "what about this?" idea.
First, as much as I hate it, trade Liles to CAR for Commodore + pick. It would have to be a trade and sign for both teams but I put Commodore in the $2.5-3.0 range for next year (given recent m...
Last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs should say something about this team.
It needs a change.
While I'm sure there will be plenty to jump to the Cane's side on this, suggesting they are only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender, and as much as I love to believe that, they're not.
It says something about the team when Sergei Samsonov is t...
Last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs should say something about this team.
It needs a change.
While I'm sure there will be plenty to jump to the Cane's side on this, suggesting they are only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender, and as much as I love to believe that, they're not.
It says something about the team when Sergei Samsonov is t...
[b]So it's bad enough Colorado is without Joe and Ryan...now more bad news: Stazz is out for 2-3 weeks after appendix surgery.
There are two ways to react here:
1) Q and the coaching staff ask the players to step up to the plate and get 'em fired up *coughHejdukLilescough*. Hensick has been called up, according to Chopper. This guy is going to be really good someday...
Like Frankenstein's Monster, I was nearly driven off the chicagoblackhawks.com message boards the other day by an angry mob of villagers wielding pitchforks, for daring to say that the Hawks had no chance of making the playoffs.
"This is a fan board. Why are you here?" One poster reasoned.
I am a fan. But I am also a journalist, and therefore I need to make objective...
In every season where we have to reflect on what’s transpired, and what must happen going forward. Here we go.
This team misses Ron Hainsey, and they dearly miss Sergei Fedorov’s composure. There was a glaring inability to move the puck against Colorado, who really could have taken the night off and won the game.
A lack of consistency from the back end on out is ...
Andy Murray has done a spectacular job turning this team around, despite the recent slide in the standings.
But the honeymoon is over with Murray. Crunch time has come, and the team is flailing. One of the knocks on Murray's coaching style is that he loses control of the veteran players as they lose faith in his system, which sounds eerily similar to the Mike Kitchen fi...
[b]Well tonight's game certainly had its share of ups and downs for both teams. I thought Colorado came out with a lot of speed and energy to start the game, flying up the wings and making smart passes. Then came a disheartening goal by Weber who let one rip from the point on the PP. Shortly thereafter, the Preds continued to press and wound up hitting 2 posts (if i'm not ...
[b]Well I didn't get to see the whole game as the Leafs game was taking air-priority on the *cough "channel" cough* I was watching. When i picked up the game finally it was 1-0 and suddenly a blast from Rolston made it 2-0. Colorado has been alright at digging themselves out of a hole this season (remember, Flames fans?) but leaving yourself this wide open against the Wild...
OK, maybe not in the best taste as far as a headline. But it is time to "clear the air" on a range of subjects and misperceptions surrounding the Blackhawks.
[b]"Tallon should be fired. He isn't acquiring the players we need to compete."[/b]
FACT: There are roughly 25 teams in both conferences "in the hunt" for playoff spots right now. Most of them, by the way, are m...
-Everyone goes out of their way to credit Anaheim's turnaround to the return of [b]Scott Niedermayer[/b]. Why has no one pinned their lousy start on the fact he sat home for the first 20-some games?
-Speaking of which, since veteran players can apparently take off a ton of games at the start of the year, why all the uproar about going to 84 games?
-Which all-star(s) ...
[b]At the beginning of the month, I admit I was pretty skeptical about the Avs chances to make the playoffs. With the injuries to Sakic and Smytty it was looking more and more likely that the Avs could miss the 2nd season for a second season in a row. The month did not start out very well as the team continued its dismal end to December, going 1-3 in the first 10 days but ...
[b]The AVS begin February with a 2-0 loss to Detroit in Motown. What more can be said? A lot.
The first period was a tough one...Colorado gets 3 shots on net but played a good portion of the period in the box, including a 5-3 on which bombs were dropping from Lidstrom and Rafalski (among others). What really struck me in this period was our poor passing. Whether it was...
In last night's 3-2 shootout loss to San Jose, Denis Savard made a real head-scratcher of a decision, sending out Cam Barker as the Hawks' shooter on a do or die try in the shootout.
If he made it, the Hawks' stayed alive for another round; if he didn't, they lost. And he was sent out ahead of Tuomo Ruutu, Martin St. Pierre and Yanic Perreault.
He didn't make it. An...
With [b]Alexander Ovechkin[/b] soaking up the spotlight, and [b]NBC[/b] repeatedly opting out of showing [b]Penguin[/b] games to showcase other teams, how bad has [b]Sidney Crosby[/b]'s injury [i]really[/i] been for the [b]NHL[/b]?
When are [b]Sabres[/b] fans more annoying, when the team is winning or when it's losing?
What's harder to find: a fully occupied row of s...
[b]'Tis trade deadline month I hear, and each day that we get closer to the 27th, the more itchy the "trigger fingers" become as General Managers try to find the best ways to improve their teams. The Avalanche are notorious for big-time deadline acquisitions - though in recent years the "blockbusters" have been somewhat lacking. Considering all this, here are 5 transaction...
It’s official. The “new” NHL is just as out of control as the last one.
The other day, I used the phrase “Patrick Sharp money” while talking about Dan Cleary’s contract demands. (Yes, Dan Cleary is allegedly thinking about holding out for a pay raise. Dan freaking Cleary. He’s had one good year this year, and that warrants a big raise?)
Wait a minute. T...
Alright. Well. In the last two games against the Wild, the Canucks have looked ugly, disgusting, and in all senses of the word, unattractive. It seems fitting that this game falls on VD, which, in addition to being an anagram for Valentine's Day, is also an anagram for something ELSE that may or may not share characteristics with my descriptions of the Canucks' play agains...
This is not a random ranting blog about the Sharks, but more of brainstorming solutions to save the Sharks now, and in the future.
Currently there is no motivation, passion, or desire. Fan frustration continues. Alot of that is due to the fact the Sharks are not living up their expectations. The excuses were supposed to stop, but continue, and the boring, uninspired...
For the Canuck fans who follow them tenaciously you've most likely noticed that Alexander Burrows has been a marked man all year. There's always extra pushes and face rubs whenever he's on the ice. Cooke and Kesler are normally the agitators when it comes to trying to get temper tantrums flaring but this year it's Burrows who's the prime agitator.
Every team needs a pl...
The night had all the makings of things finally pointing in the right direction for the Avalanche with 20 games left to play in the regular season. Joe Sakic was back in the lineup after missing 38 games, the last of the big 3 forwards returning from injury. This was the first of three consecutive games against the Canadian division foes, and a chance not only to start t...
[b]
While some don't agree, I am unbelievably joyful that long-lost Foppa returns to Colorado!
Even if it turns out to be just one game, just one time to see him put that jersey back on, with his #21 and to see him step onto the ice - that's more than enough for me. I'm sentimental I know and maybe a bit of a mushball but this guy - this great Avs players - has returne...
For the first time since Al Iafrate, the Sharks have a true, #1 offensive defenseman to lead them into the playoffs. It was a great move by Sharks GM Doug Wilson to get the prize defenseman of today's trade deadline without giving up any core players. Bernier was liked in San Jose, but the consensus of Sharks fans is that it was time for Bernier to move since he hasn't r...
[b]
Peter Forsberg returned to the Avalanche lineup last night, MUCH to the delight of the home crowd who rose to their feet in appreciation of all he has done and in hopes of what he will do in the future.
There was a lot of hype leading up to this game, mainly because we were all waiting to hear if he when he would actually play his first game for the Avs. Peter hims...
Jsaquella writes...
NHL Officiation: Only the Inconsistency is Consistent!!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, once again, I have drunk enough tequila to write a blog complaining about the NHL's inability to locate competent on ice officials to run it's games.
This past week, two game deciding goals were scored on plays that should have been blown dead by one of the four on-ice officials.
The first was San Jose vs Detroit. The Sharks scored a goal that clearly hit the ...
[b]Colorado hosts Anaheim tonight in what should be a spirited contest. Anaheim has won all three meetings with Colorado this season, but keep in mind, by only one goal each game. Personally, I thought the Avs could have won all 3 games but somehow Anaheim squeaked out the victories in each contest.
Here are some quick-hit keys to Colorado beating the defending Stanley ...
[b]Chalk another win up for Colorado during their "March Madness"! I don't think any team is better during this month, this year and last year - I just hope it doesn't end up with them missing the playoffs by one measly point thanks to OTL's.
It sure wasn't a "pretty" game last night by either team, but nonetheless, it was fairly entertaining. There were a lot of hits i...
3-1 Colorado
Dave Tippett's message to his team in practice has been that work has to come before the teams skill. Dallas began the game working hard which led to them winning the individual puck battles and leading in shots 10-4 at the 11:30 mark of the 1st period. Dallas was unable to ratchet up the intensity when they had to though. They got up by a goal and for...
3-0 Dallas
The Dallas Stars finally came to play tonight. They outworked Colorado consistently, shut Colorados powerplay down, and manhandled them at even strength. The Morrow/Modano/Richards line was electric at times, but the Hagman/Ribeiro/Miettinen looked flat at times. I barely noticed Ribeiro on the ice. Dallas simply outworked Colorado tonight. It doesn't ge...
[b]Obviously at this time of year you want your team to win[/b] but if you are like me I am scoreboard watching like crazy! Right now I am so thankful for my Spring TREO that allows me to continually check the status of games of interest. I wonder if the people at ESPN are seeing my increased use in their bottom line numbers?
"Guys...ummmm...we had ten thousand hits on...
[b]I wanted to write this yesterday but I came down with a bad case of strep throat coupled with a decent fever...ugh...oh well, it gives me a day or two off work at least!
TSN recently polled website visitors regarding who they thought should be named "Comeback Player of the Year". The choices were Alex Kovalev, Jose Theodore and someone else (forgive me for not rememb...
The past couple days in the NHL have been marred by questionable coaching decisions that have cost teams games or at least made things interesting when they shouldn't have been.
Yesterday the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks met in Dallas where the Stars have consistently been able to handle the Canucks behind the netminding of Marty Turco. The Stars were playing on ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
The Remarkable Northwest; The Needed Games Start Tomorrow
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ask anyone, whether it be bloggers, journalists, coaches or players, and the universal response to the question "How many points will it take to make the playoffs in the Western Conference?" would probably be 94 or 95 points. The Calgary Flames are embroiled in the tightest points race in hockey, the Northwest Division race, a remarkable logjam of a division that, if it co...
[b]Coming off their lucklaster performance against the Wild on Monday, Colorado will look to rebound as they get set to faceoff in the Saddledome tonight at 9pm EST/6pm PST.
Calgary, as we all know, is a very skilled team. They have gotten great goaltending from Kipper as of late, even though by all accounts he has struggled this season. Of course, the Flames' D is tou...
[b]It seemed like an easy thing. After an embarrassing 3-1 loss to Minny on Monday I figured the Avs would come out of the gate flying - good rushes, hits, etc. At least there was a fight.
In a CRUCIAL game, the Avs simply did not come to play...AGAIN! They looked a lot better in the third but even then, come on. With a whopping 3 shots in the first, 7 shots in the sec...
[b]Avs 2, Flames 0. Although the score may seem somewhat misleading, the game was much closer. Again, at the start of the game the Avs came out somewhat tentative, though I have to say our passing was much crisper tonight. I thought Calgary really set the physical tone early, especially thanks to Phaneuf. I love this guy, I really do, and I thought he was great tonight (at...
[i]Dan Ellis has unseated Chris Mason as the teams starter. [/i]
[i][b]"I wish I could trust him."[/b][/i]
[b]That's what kept echoing in my brain[/b] last night following the superb performance by Dan Ellis last night in goal. for the second game in a row Ellis has stood on his head and led this team to victory. First it was the 2-1 shootout victory over the Bla...
I wrote this blog in the beginning of this year, and I got bashed for it.It turns out I was right on almost everything.Please read this ,and let me know how wrong or right I was.
08 should be a piece of cake for wings...until the playoffs.
Posted 12:37 PM ET | Comments 13 | Edit | Delete
The season of '08 is looking great for th...
[i]Preds tough guy Tootoo could be marked man tonight...[/i]
[b]At this point in the season[/b] every game for the Predators carries huge playoff implications. To say we need every point we can get is a huge understatement and tonight's tilt against division rival Columbus is as big as they get.
The Preds are coming off a hard fought (literally and figuratively) 3...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Lose Heartbreaker To Oil; Winning Out Would Win NW
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I just did not have the energy to muster a blog post late last night, after the Calgary Flames' 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at home. So I'll briefly summarize this huge game before detailing how it affects the Flames' division hopes. This game was, in my view, simply a heartbreaker for the Flames, who outshot, outchanced, and had more puck control for the entire game t...
[b] My wife and I were in our basement suite busily trying to decorate the place in pro-Avs colors when in walked one of my best friends (and another buddy)... Canuck fans. With Avs jerseys, scarfs, trinkets, mugs, a blanket and two Canuck fans, the stage was set for the pivotal push for the postseason.
I sometimes have a big mouth when it comes to the Avs. Usually, at ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Sharks Or Wild For Flames In Round 1, 'Hawks Do Flames Favor
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the Calgary Flames finally having an 'x' next to their name in the standings, along with the rest of the West, I can now finally focus a blog post solely on the Flames' playoff prospects.
The Flames were aided by another spoiler team tonight, as the Blackhawks defeated Nashville 3-1 to ensure that the Predators will finish in 8th and the Flames cannot finish lower ...
The NHL draft lottery may have seen the Tampa Bay Lightning win the big prize, and most assume it to be Steven Stamkos, but the Blue Jackets made out better than anticipated.
Of course, after the first few weeks of the season, no one expected the Blue Jackets to be hunting for a lottery pick. Some didn't think they would be looking at a top-ten pick. But with the team s...
[b]Following a humbling defeat at home[/b] by the Detroit Red Wings, Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock claimed that he didn't think his team wanted to beat their division rivals. What he really wanted to say was that he's sick and tired of coaching AHL talent and trying to make a winner out of players that just don't have it, but I'm not going to put words in the man's mout...
Hockey every night for 2 months? My favorite time of the year, and last night didn't disappoint.
Sens vs. Pens: Nothing that I didn't completely expect from the Sens OR the Pens in game one, except I guess I expected Crosby would get on the scoresheet. At the end of the CBC broadcast, Garry Galley, who was doing color for the game alongside Jim Hughson said he couldn't...
Let me preface this blog entry by saying my true feelings: PURE BITTERNESS. Since the schedule was released I made time for this weekend. I made an opening of a weekend to watch the Wild in their first round playoff match. The six hour drive to St. Paul wasn't too much, especially top stop my desire. However, a monstrous snow storm, unseen to the month of April has hit Min...
Playoffs are here, finally. Some tidbits:
-Sean Avery's creative screening of Martin Brodeur certainly crossed some kind of line. I heard Ron MacLean call it "dishonorable" on HNIC, but that would assume Avery had any honorable traits in the first place.
-As the experts stand stunned at the Stars two games to none lead, remember that Anaheim was an inconsistent team...
For those of you who did not see the game, here is the YouTube link that shows what the notorious NHL pest, Sean Avery, did during Game 3 in Round 1 of the Rangers' series with the New Jersey Devils.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ec_2oKWe2Gw
This is absolutely atrocious, a joke, and by far an embarrassment. Sure, as a reader you may feel that I am being a biased Islande...
7 minutes to write this...I apologize if it's not up to my usual standards. But I've been reading and posting to the reactions over the Avery/Brodeur incident, and while I'm just as guilty as everyone else who's voiced an opinion on this, I do have to wonder: How is that a fairly non-dangerous play has merritted an instant statement by the league regarding the interpreta...
You want find me saying this often, but I stand by Brodeur in his decision to not shake hands with the notorious pest, Sean Avery. The handshake is meant to show respect to one another after a hard fought series of the most demanding games of the year. Personally, I only think you should show respect for someone if you honestly have it. Avery does not respect anyone at all...
Nobody had ever seen anything like Sean Avery's stick-in-the-face antics against Brodeur. Most people thought it was unsportsmanlike behavior, not in keeping with the integrity of the sport of hockey. The NHL acted swiftly to clarify the rules, [i]aka[/i] the "[i]Sean Avery Rule[/i]" to make sure this never happens again without an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 2 mi...
[b]Beating a Dead Horse...Again.[/b]
As expected, Nashville Tennessean columnist David Climer played the [i]'same ol' Predators'[/i] card this morning.
Most local Nashville writers have chosen to take the 'glass half-full' approach regarding the Predators Game Six series-ending loss to Detroit, but of course David wouldn't be David if he didn't demonstrate his fair-w...
grapes17 writes...
Round two preview: winning templates, Avery, and NBC
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Thoughts heading into round two.....
-- It's funny how things work out sometimes. The salary cap was supposed to mean every team had a chance of winning every year, and that has been the case.
In the post-lockout NHL, no team that reached the Stanley Cup finals has advanced out of the first round the following season, but look a little deeper.
In the Western Confe...
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4704620&page=1
So apparently Sean Avery has decided to work for Vogue. I just keep thinking of him in place of Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada.
Ridiculous.
More to come on the tonight's playoff matches.
When I wrote my first blog for all the hockey fans watching their team on the golf course while other teams competed in the playoffs, I announced that the Washington Capitals were my choice to go as far as possible. Unfortunately that all came to an end two days ago and now I have to sit back in my chair and decide once again.
We're left with Detroit playing the Avs and...
Well after an amazing first round I'm back with my predictions for the Conference Semis!
First off a recap of my first round predictions:
(1) Detroit v (8) Nashville---[b]Nashville in 6-Incorrect.[/b] Nashville seemed on a roll until Arnott couldn't deal with the Radulov hit and the OT loss in Game 5.
(2) San Jose v (7) Calgary---[b]Calgary in 7-Close but no cigar...
When a team wins first place in the regular season, why can't that home-ice advantage extend to even a modicum of home-fan advantage for broadcast start times of away games?
Those of you cheering on your teams in the Eastern Conference won't even know what I'm talking about. But for Wings fans, being in the Western Conference and in the Eastern Time Zone results in an ...
Well, not bad for the first round... 4/4 in the East, but only 2/4 in the West; having picked Anaheim and Minnesota to move on.
So I will recap my predictions and update them for the 2nd round!
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Detroit vs. Colorado... Oh, NBC must love this. I'm sorry to say this series won't have the same guts as the ones in the late 90s used to, but it should ...
I'm already nervous about the game tonight.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
Have a great weekend
Sports lore is replete with curses. In baseball, the Curse of the Bambino and the Curse of the Goat come to mind.
In hockey, some think the President's trophy [b]MIGHT[/b] be a curse. While this award really hasn't been around long enough to provide sufficient data for that conclusion, smart teams no longer take chances with it. For example, Wings Captain Nic Lidstr...
Everyone deals with those common, plaguing questions that it seems everyone must ask you. We've all got a memory of being stuck at a party (unfortunately, not the fun, alcohol driven college variety) and having 20+ people ask the same question. What did you study in school? What are you doing with your life? Have you seen Uncle Joe's nosehair?
At first, those questions ...
Just kidding. I am not going to go there yet. Looking back at the season, it was pretty much a bad beginning, mediocre middle, followed by a bad ending. The good thing is there is always next year. Hopefully this team gels and grows and maybe adds a solid defenseman or two. The main competition is the Penguins now. That is who they have to keep up with. But this team has g...
sm623181 writes...
The Truth about hitting the Post/Last night's wrap up
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
...We all know that "clank". It's the last minute of the game. Your team is down by one. They've pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. It's a jumble of players in front of the net when suddenly the puck pops free and right to the stick of you star. He shoots with just seconds left on the clock. It's almost as if everything is moving in slow motion.
"CLANK!"
...
Avery lacerated his spleen and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
Tough way to go out if you're a Ranger's fan. After a rough start and numerous highs and lows over the course of the season, the team looked good heading into the playoffs, just like last year. And just like last year, the team is done in the second round. Clearly things have to change to get over the hump and contend: Fortunately (I guess...) turnover in today's NHL is ra...
...I'm going to be in Europe from the 9th to the 16th...so i'll be missing the first 4 games of the series. Does anyone know a way I can watch abroad??? Help! I appreciate any ideas.
Tomorrow night the Detroit Red Wings organization will give everyone a free red t-shirt with the Winged Wheel logo on the front to, "Make the Stars see Red."
On the back the shirts have the official cartoon of "Al" the octopus as though he were in a police line-up. The actual purple octopus hanging from the ceiling of Joe Louis Arena and let down before the games is o...
I'm afraid fans in Toronto are still delusional. They may have opened their eyes after having them closed for so long, but they are still blinded by the sun.
I cannot see any well respected and established General Manager taking a job with the Leafs. The team is currently coming off of a disaster of a season, with little help coming from within the organization. Top ...
Jon Jordan writes...
The Coaching Carousel Could Soon Hit Full Spin Cycle
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
***This is a reprint of today's entry from my main page Lightning blog.***
Ron Wilson's ousting as head coach of the San Jose Sharks makes him the latest name to be added to the ever-growing list of NHL coaching candidates. Technically, there are six vacancies at present - Atlanta, Colorado, Florida, Ottawa, San Jose and Toronto - with three other intriguing situations ...
Thanks to Larry Brooks stirring the pot just a little, there is now word circulating the internet that Avery could be an Islander come next year. We can all agree he loves being in New York and that he can spark a team, but is it really possible he will go to the Islanders? Many people say that if he doesn't get the money he wants from the Rangers, he could seek to stay in...
According to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the Colorado Avalanche have signed left wing Per Ledin to a one-year contract. Ledin will turn 30 when training camp begins. While playing for HV71 of the Swedish Eliteserien last year, he scored 16 goals and 33 points in 52 games. Known for his gritty style and agitator role he also had 137 penalty minutes. He appeared in 7 game...
The Avalanche have only one selection in the first three rounds. Some websites suggested that Colorado might go after Blake Wheeler because of that. Assuming that this won't happen ([url=http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=15711]Wheeler will probably sign with Boston[/url]), the Avs need to look for other opportunities to compensate the fact that they have traded so...
With July 1st and the draft quickly approaching, rumors about every team in the NHL are flying, but I have read few involving my beloved Avalanche. What is not a rumor is that the 2008/9 Avalanche roster is largely up in the air.
Jose Theodore is supposedly ironing out the details of his contract.
Goaltending? Check
Fowards? Defense? Not so much.
Brunette...
amidst tundra writes...
Stop the Moralizing: Why Fighting is a part of the game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[i]Fighting in the NHL remains one of the most staunchly debated subjects in the world of the hockey and yet the argument barely divides supporters down the middle. Far from a modern topic, the recent incident with Patrick Roy’s son Jonathon has quickly risen fighting back to its usual grandstanded place. Now I’m not here to endorse stupidity like Roy’s kid or fighti...
The Avalanche went into the draft holding six picks and ended up making seven selections. The 61st pick overall was added by trading forward Brad Richardson to Los Angeles. Richardson was drafted in 2003, 163rd overall, with the draft pick Colorado got in the trade that sent Scott Parker to San Jose. So in the end, Parker turned out to be a 2nd round pick. However, it woul...
Patrick Roy's biography called "Patrick Roy: Winning, Nothing Else" will be in stores Ocotber 10 this year. The book written by Michel Roy is in English language and consists of 416 pages. The product description reads as follows
[quote][i]In the early 1970s, a young Patrick Roy laced up his hockey skates for the very first time, like thousands of other kids. Thirty years...
If there is one time of year when the NHL becomes a platform for stories of profound personal interest, the Entry Draft is that time. From the inspirational, brave and underdog style champion of the world tales to the heart warming and outright tragic, the Entry Draft is a narrative that runs a full gamut of emotions. Yet beyond the glitz of those first five or ten picks, ...
[b]Liles and Foote re-sign with Avalanche[/b]
It seems like John-Michael Liles and Adam Foote have signed contract extensions with the Avalanche. Liles was expected to draw a lot of interest on the open market but decided to stay with Colorado. He will earn $4 million per year over the next 4 years. It could have been about $0.5 and $1 million more on the open market.
...
By this time tomorrow, many Isles fans may be sitting at their computers disappointed with lackluster results on the day of Free Agency...but many may not. Snow has all ready set up the safety net for the strong possibility of his club not signing any marquee free agents. We saw last year's Free Agency period kick start many Isles fans into an uproar, demanding refunds on ...
[b]I apologize for my absence Avs fans, but in May of this year I moved to South Korea for one year to teach ESL and it's kind of hard to keep updating blogs with everything that's been happening!
As Colorado fans, we clearly remember the date of July 1, 2007. On this day we made two major signings to kick off Free Agent Frenzy, with the additions of Ryan Smyth and Scot...
Honestly when the season ended last year I didn't think we would be sitting in such a good place right now. I didn't think we would have signed both Suter and Weber and am a bit surprised that we were able to lock up Dan Ellis as well. Add to those pieces the resigning of Martin Erat, the resigning last year of Jordin Tootoo and the big extension given to David Legwand and...
[b]Let me start by saying that I am an optimistic person by nature. I try to believe that all things will work out well in the end or at least that every situation has the potential to turn out well.
As the whole hockey world anxiously awaited FAF (Free Agent Frenzy), I suggested the Avs could use some depth wingers - guys with a little heart and soul. You can't questi...
I dislike the guy with a passion ... but I'm willing to give him a chance. The fact that he will be wearing green and white makes the past irrelevant, at least for now. We all know he can play the game well; he simply has to keep his mouth to a minimum. I think with Morrow in command and Hull's guidance from above, Avery can be an excellent addition to this team. This ...
As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I am a huge Leaf fan, have been for the past 26 years(entire life). Given my memories start back when Bester was the blue and white's net minder and they lost to the Blues in the first round of the playoffs(was at one of the games at the Gardens), I like to think I have a very open mind when it comes to hockey and the Leafs.
As ...
With the Rangers prospects progressing with the hand of the coaches,they are also gaining much needed mentoring with veteran leadership. That veteran leadership role will need to be filled in Hartford in the crease. The Rangers moved Al Montoya last spring to the Phoenix Coyotes along with Marcel Hossa. In return the club thought they were getting an adequate goaltendi...
Last week Jaromir Jagr confirmed he would be leaving the NHL to join Avangard Omsk of the Continental Hockey League, now 36 and with his heart set on an eventually return to his native Czech Republic and HC Kladno, the news all but certainly signals the end of Jagr’s oft brilliant, oft controversial NHL career after 17 years.
For anybody who grew up in the hockey world ...
[b]First a little disclaimer: this blog won't be entirely different from my last as it concerns the addition of grit to the Avalanche in the upcoming season...thought you'd like to know now instead of later.
So, in the past few days, the Avs have resigned the "Cody Macs", that is Cody McLeod and Cody McCormick and now have added former Avs player Brian Willsie from the ...
nephew23 writes...
Dave Tippett Extended and a Classic Mid-Summer Classic!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The STARS rewarded Dave Tippett with a well-deserved 2-year extension, locking him up through the 2010-2011 season. Tip has one of the best, if not the best, regular season winning percentages of any coach in history. Under his guidance the STARS have been to the playoffs every year, and 2 wins from the Stanley Cup Finals last season. Tippett's success with the STARS pa...
Hey there to all my hockeybuzz brethren and sistren (is that a word? Sure, why not). So, this isn't a normal blog or anything just a call for help. I know that alot of you out there in hockeybuzz-land live in the greater Toronto area, and alot of the others have visited the area. So, my wife and I are making our first ever trip to the Toronto are in a couple weeks and othe...
[b]This blog is in response to the latest slew of rumors concerning the [former] Bulin Wall, Nikolai Khabibulin. Per EK's latest blog: "The Avalanche are currenty rumoured to be getting into the Khabibulin race." He goes on to say, "I frankly don't get it." Well that would make two of us, at least.
Let's take a look at some numbers, courtesy of NHLnumbers.com. The Avs c...
CAPMESS11 writes...
FORSBERG FOR X-MAS,COULD RANGERS LAND SWEDISH STAR?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Forsberg For X-mas, it just might happen. If predictions about Foppa's health stand pat, then he will be ready to get going sometime around the Holidays.The Rangers are currently holding out to see if they can land one more vet to accompany their young talent. Either they manage to pull one big rabbit out of a hat and grab Mats Sundin or bring back Brendan Shanahan for...
Last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished 7th last in the league after a dissappointing campaign that had high expectations. They failed to make the playoffs for a third straight year mainly because of poor defensive play and inconsistant back-up play by Andrew Raycroft.
Quite Frankly, I don't think Paul Maurice was quite up to the task of coaching in Toronto.
How...
[b]EK, on his latest blog, was suggesting the Avs have been linked to Pavel Kubina of the Leafs. He also states that the Avs are in the Jay Bouwmeester sweepstakes. Let's take a look at some numbers (per TSN stats):
Kubina, signed at $5M per until 2010:
Age 31, Games-664, Goals-83, Assists-187, Points-270, +/- of -86, PIM-827, Shots-1252
Boumeester, RFA, seeking clo...
Toskala35 writes...
Anaheim's AHL Affiliate Sets up Best Publicity Stunt Ever
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The [b]Anaheim Ducks[/b] have a new [b]AHL[/b] affiliate, and what better way to bring buzz to the team with a good, ole fashion, publicity stunt. Well the [b]Iowa Chops[/b] have gone above and beyond any publicity stunt seen before... It may seem like I'm going way off topic here, but hold on:
The entire sports world is hanging onto every piece of news in the [b]Brett ...
[b]So as you will probably already know and as per the Denver Post, Marek Svatos has resigned with Colorado for 2 years, with a contract worth $4.1M (1.75/2.35). It is great to see Svatty back in our colors after all the talk surrounding possible trading partners like Chicago and Florida. Though I wouldn't rule those deals out, per se, for the time being, I'm really happy ...
This year the North West division might be the closest and one of the most interesting divisions in hockey. Why you ask? Well because all 5 teams have a legitimate chance of winning the Division but all face certain questions that could make or break there season. But who really knows anyone could be a top three seed come April.
[u][b]Colorado Avalanche[/b][/u]
...
Thanks to Brett Favre, Cowboys' training camp, and the [b][u][i]Texas Rangers actually still in the playoff hunt[/i][/u][/b], there is very little news about the STARS to report!
According to Mike Heika from the Dallas Morning News ... Les Jackson has told him that the STARS will not contact Mark Parrish about playing for Dallas this season. Apparently they are too clo...
AvsHockey55 writes...
Ahhh Another Reason To Scream At The Schedule Makers!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Colorado Avalanche just released their TV Schedule and I'm not too happy. Like I've had to sit through Nuck game, after Nuck game here in BC and I though TSN & CBC might just put a little more Avs games on their schedule. Well, how wrong was I! Their are 6 games between CBC & TSN that include Colorado and the rest are all Vancouver, Toronto & Montrea...
The popular mindset during this offseason is to be skeptical of the moves, or lackthereof, made by Glen Sather and the New York Rangers. The Rangers were a solid team that had made the playoffs for three straight years while maintaining a core of veteran players. When Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan did not re-sign with the club for the fourth post-lockout...
In my first ever Hockeybuzz blog entry, I would like to look on the first five NHL Entry Drafts of the new millenium. I tried to list ten best picks from these years. This list doesn't mention neither Sid Crosby or Alex Ovechkin and others. Those aren't good picks, they are obvious picks. Rather, I have focused on the later rounds of draft and the giant pool of talent that...
Greetings hockey fans! I'm back from my summer hockey hiatus and ready to get down to the business.
I have to say that I'm sick of rumors about Sundin and don't even mention Forsberg. This time of year prompts a lot of speculation which in the end is generally useless. We're coming down to the wire and everyone wants to get their 2 cents in but there are only a few s...
I have not been posting in a while. I have graduated from university, went on vacation, started my new job. But with the Avs’ training camp just around the corner I will try to write more frequently about the Avs.
What can we expect from the Avalanche this upcoming season? Some analysts have already made up their mind and don’t think Colorado will qualify for the play...
I had the opportunity to attend the Colorado Avalanche's rookie camp today and here are some observations.
[b]Key players that stood out:[/b]
T.J. Hensick- Hensick heads the class of rookie camp. He is the second fastest skater to Kelsey Tessier (the guy looks like a young Pavel Bure). He has a shot that can be either hard or accurate but rarely both. He has great in...
I spent some time studying Kyle Wellwood during last nights 4-3 SO game against the Oilers, and came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter whether he is in 'hockey shape' or not.
He was never once out of breath when he came back to the bench at the end of his shifts. Heck, I couldn't even detect a single bead of sweat on his brow thoughout the contest (and he played ...
Chris Stewart has been cut from the Avs roster and will play for Lake Erie at the start of the season. You could see that coming. Stewart was, besides Per Ledin, the only player remaining on the Avs roster who has never participated in an NHL game. He did not have to clear waivers and is on a two-way contract which made the decision for coaches and management easier to sen...
Tucker, McCabe, Raycroft, Sundin.. what meaning do these names hold? They are the mainstays in what will come to be remembered for the forceable future as the last Leaf team that could compete. This years round-up sells itself considerably short in comparison to the band of jolly clowns that has missed the post season by a hair in each of the last 3 seasons. So where do...
[b]
Well, training camp is over and so is preseason. Cuts and roster moves have been made and really the only question remaining is: Isn't this the same team as last year?? Good question.
There has been a lot of hype (mostly negative) surrounding new, old head coach Tony Granto's decisions regarding his final roster moves. If you hadn't heard already TG sent TJ Hensick...
What follows is my meager attempt to fill in the black hole that is Avs coverage on Hockeybuzz.
Maybe Engblom will be back. Maybe not. But I can construct sentences. Mostly.
Alright, enough poking fun at Engblom's Hemingway-like sentence structure, let's get to it. I am nothing if not a procrastinator, so now that there's only a few hours of preseason left, thi...
Not the start the Avs were looking for last night.
You see 5 goals on 20 shots and you think the goalie must have had a terrible game. And while Budaj certainly did not have a good game, it's hard to lay the blame on him for the actual goals that were scored. Maybe the most stoppable shot was the first goal, but it should be noted that it was an unopposed shot from th...
my avatar will not "load" and is only visible in the "MyHockeyBuzz" section
this has been ongoing since site was redesigned, and there seems to be no concern here to fix the problem or offer suggestions via site guru's
I get following error message
[quote]Array ( [avatar] => Array ( [name] => watson.JPG [type] => image/jpeg [tmp_name] => /tmp/phpyQD2IR [error] => ...
Two games in the books and... yikes.
I'm very curious to hear from other fans, and Avs fans in particular, what their take is on the goalie situation (mess).
How much patience and/or faith do you have in Budaj and Raycroft?
How much last season flavored rotation amongst mediocrity can your stomach take?
I was optimistic that the Avs had a #1 guy between Budaj m...
Three games into the season and the Toronto Maple Leafs have already embarked on an up and down ride.
After defeating the Detroit Red Wings in an aggressive, defensively responsible and convincing opening game, the Leafs are now spinning their tires. Saturday night's debacle at the ACC was an embarrassing display that saw the Leafs panic under attack, never regaining th...
First, let me say that I have seen the phrase "You don't get style points in the NHL" so often that it makes me want to spit up on my keyboard like that creepy baby in those Etrade commercials. Really? There's not a stat keeping track of style points? WOW! What insight!
While style points get you nothing, the play of the team does in fact matter beyond the score a...
Three games in and everyone who didn't believe in the goaltending is crowing about how right they are. I've even heard talk amongst this team's "fans" that they hope the Avs lose so that they can properly rebuild. All this after three whole games. Maybe this is what sports is about these days - over reactions to everything. The Savard firing certainly looks that way fr...
The Avs finally put up two points. Quick thoughts -
Raycroft played well but wasn't tested much. The two goals allowed were certainly not his fault - a penalty shot and a 5 on 3 pp goal - and he saved the other weak chances the Flyers threw at him. The best thing the Avs can do is put Budaj back in goal Saturday. Do not create a goalie controversy - yet. They procl...
The Avs finally put up two points. Quick thoughts -
Raycroft played well but wasn't tested much. The two goals allowed were certainly not his fault - a penalty shot and a 5 on 3 pp goal - and he saved the other weak chances the Flyers threw at him. The best thing the Avs can do is put Budaj back in goal Saturday. Do not create a goalie controversy - yet. They procl...
The Avs finally put up two points. Quick thoughts -
Raycroft played well but wasn't tested much. The two goals allowed were certainly not his fault - a penalty shot and a 5 on 3 pp goal - and he saved the other weak chances the Flyers threw at him. The best thing the Avs can do is put Budaj back in goal Saturday. Do not create a goalie controversy - yet. They procl...
The Avs finally put up two points. Quick thoughts -
Raycroft played well but wasn't tested much. The two goals allowed were certainly not his fault - a penalty shot and a 5 on 3 pp goal - and he saved the other weak chances the Flyers threw at him. The best thing the Avs can do is put Budaj back in goal Saturday. Do not create a goalie controversy - yet. They procl...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
No Need To Panic..Yet: Postgame Reactions/Week 1 Impressions
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Apologizing to Flamestr for kind of ripping off his blog title. Think of this as a sort of point/counterpoint thing.
On the strength of three consecutive second period powerplay goals, the Oilers beat the Flames 4-3 tonight in the first Battle of Alberta of the season. Aside from the powerplays alone, the Flames were generally dominated, being outshot 35-29 and being ou...
Genius is over rated just ask us idiots,
Hey geniuses thbbbbbbbbbbbbbtttttttttttttttt
I have often wondered why I blog, it is not like anyone reads my blogs. Yet I seem to get very upset when no one reads them. My wife asks me why do I blog what is in it for me? I seem to love the sport, I am so feeling in adequate mostly because I pretty much suck at writing heck I...
Can we agree now that the sky is not falling?
I haven't seen any postings by "fans" rooting for the team to lose lately, so hopefully everything is ok again. Those same fans are probably now planning the parade route through downtown Denver.
So what do we know so far?
This team can score goals. I think every Avs fan hoped the offense would look like this, but ...
The pest that we all love to hate will be making his return to Coliseum ice this Thursday when the New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars. Last night he made a more notable return to Madison Square Garden to face the Rangers. I didn't expect him to be out of line when playing against his former team, and from the little I saw my prediction was proved correct. But as usua...
Sven_119H writes...
Juniors Scoring Returns with 7-3 Win over Victoriaville
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Captain Matt Fillier's Hat-trick leads the way
Montreal. Sunday, October 26, 2008. The Montreal Juniors entered this afternoon’s game versus the Victoriaville Tigres in search of their second straight home victory of the weekend and a chance to regain 1st place in the Telus Western Division. In their only prior match versus the Tigres, Montreal enjoyed their best of...
Two games, two goals allowed (total), and two wins.
The Avs must be thrilled with these two wins. Budaj stepped up and played very well and the defense has looked much improved. Guys are starting to understand their roles on D, and have kept things simple. The team should not be concerned at all that the scoring dropped a bit in these wins. It's just not possible to...
[b]The Good[/b]
Nash @ Center ends quickly, as he is moved back to his normal LW position after getting caught out of position and taking an interference penalty because of it.
As a result, Chimmy is rejoined with the kids and the Goat line produces another solid night.
Toughness... Avs bring in goon Tucker... Dorsett and Tucker go toe to toe with some quick jabs ...
Favor to ask of you kind folks....
.... for any of you that watched the [b]Flyers/Oilers[/b] game yesterday SNET (I think thats the network you have), apparently there was a part of the pre-game show that had a Flyers' [b]Craig MacTavish[/b] jersey on it.
Well, that jersey is mine.
MacTavish has been my favorite hockey player since I was eight and...
I leave the country for a week and this is what happens?
I came back looking forward to watching the 4 games I'd Tivo'd, but all I got was a huge turd sandwich.
Streaky you say? All you have to do is look at the titles to this post and the last. The last one said 5 in a row. And the Avs started off by losing their first 3. If they are to have any hope at all of m...
Might as well keep the streak-in-the-title thing going.
Another slow start doomed the Avalanche last night. That's the obvious newspaper take anyways, and sure it's true to a point. 0-6 on the PP is bad news though. Especially with Sakic out, this team needs to simplify on the power play and utilize the ability of guys like Smyth and Tucker. Get the puck to the net ...
The Avs finally broke their losing streak, ending the horror at 5 games. Budaj played very well. No, Nashville is not a good team right now, but shutouts in the NHL are hard to come by, regardless of the opponent. The Avs were actually able to put together a complete game - they had multiple offensive chances, defensively they were very solid, and Budaj played well and ...
Easily Budaj's best game of the year last night as the Avs beat the Canuckleheads 2-1 in a shootout. Sure, I can hear the cynics: "Budaj's best game isn't saying much - it's like bragging about being the tallest dwarf," but he really did play a fantastic game. The only goal he allowed was the (BS) penalty shot in a first period that the Avs dominated. Yes, to be an eli...
After signing a 11-year, $85-million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lecavalier believed he would be happy in Tampa Bay for the rest of his career.
However, everything changed later during the summer as Barry Melrose became the new head coach of the Lightning after a 13-year hiatus away from an NHL bench.
After yesterday's loss to the Red Wings, the ...
I love these ferry rides from Long Island back to school in Connecticut. They allow me to sit down and write up speculation pieces without worrying about having anything else to do. While most of my blogs usually contains facts or fun opinions, these ferry ride blogs are usually speculation pieces simply because I do not have internet, and I like to write down some fun tho...
16 games in, I am not very surprised about how the Avs are playing. They're having some problems with consistant effort and, in particular, burying the puck. Goaltending had a rather precocious start but has gotten better as of late (the loss to Columbus notwithstanding.) Here's my breakdown of the five areas:
[b]Offense:[/b] We have a lot of talent, that's for sure. Th...
Over the course of a season, every team wins a few that they shouldn't, and loses a few that they should win. The Avs have already had a few games that they "should" have won, so this 3-2 shootout win evens it out a bit. The shots were only 35 to 32 in favor of the Oilers, but they carried the play for the majority of the game. The Avs were able to generate some chances...
A quick take on Stastny's extension -
A nice signing by FG I think. Some people look at Stastny's numbers and think $6.6 per is too much, but I don't think so. It's just under Kopitar's $6.8 per. The Avs were able to buy out one of his UFA years and keep the sharks from circling during any future RFA periods. Sure he'll be a bit overpaid next year, but if he conti...
After their 6-1 embarrassment at the hands of the Sharks on Thursday, the Flames really couldn't have delivered a better birthday present to this blogger. In their most impressive effort yet, they fired 51 (!) shots at Peter Budaj, who preserved the game until Adrian Aucoin's game winning goal 12:28 into the 3rd. The final score was 4-1, a score far too generous to the Avs...
Keenan was pissed off at his team after getting their doors blown off in San Jose, and that translated to his team's attitude as the Flames came out and dominated play against the Avs Tuesday night. Sorry haters, you'll have to wait another game to shriek about Budaj, as he was only tights and a cape away from being a superhero and stealing this game for the Avs. He foug...
There are few sins a team can commit that are more egregious than getting shutout at home. It envelopes the home crowd in apathy. In this game, they got to see one goal and the home team lose. Not something that will bring back the sellout streak anytime soon. And speaking of streaks, the Avs are now back on a losing one.
The Avs played better than they did in Calga...
Turnovers and lack of physicality is what the Oilers identity has become this year. Seems to be game after game that a gawdy turnover just before the offensive blue line results in a scoring chance for the opposing team. It's worth noting that at this moment Hemsky ranks at number 15 in points but he is the only guy in the top 15 with a negative plus/minus. Hemsky is a ple...
[b]Final score: Avs 4 Kings 3 (SO) [/b]
The Colorado turned in a hard-fought but costly victory Saturday night.
Saturday night's game against the Kings saw a return of some of the up-tempo hockey we saw to start the season. The Avs put a lot of shots towards the net (29 shots on net). The Avs passed really well and got some good play from their top two lines.
The ...
The Avs tried to give away a win in LA, but they just couldn't quite do it thanks to a nice tying goal by Stastny and a strong finish from Budaj. Granted, Budaj had a bit of a relapse on the two third period goals he allowed to give the Kings the lead, but he was able to steady himself and close the door in the third period, OT and the shootout.
The Avs offense looked ...
[b]Crystal Ball Gazing[/b]
[i]A look at the Avs’ pipeline[/i]
While the Avalanche’s stars are starting to age, it is time to look at some of the prospects coming through the Avs’ pipeline. Prospects are listed based on NHL readiness. The number in parentheses is the estimated number of years to NHL readiness.
[b]Centers:[/b]
T.J. Galiardi- 6’2” 185 lb...
[b]Crystal Ball Gazing[/b]
A look at the Avs' pipeline
While the Avalanche's stars are aging (minus Paul Stastny and few others), it is time to look at some of the prospects coming through the Avs' pipeline. Prospects are listed based on NHL readiness. The number in parentheses is the estimated number of years to NHL readiness.
[b]Centers:[/b]
T.J. Galiardi- 6'...
Definitely top three.
What was most concerning was the lack of effort. The Avs have had bad performances before, but this game was a new low point in the effort department. After the third Ducks goal, the Avs looked content to basically run out the clock and get to the locker room. At a time when you would expect a surge to try to bring the game back to within two go...
[b]
First of all, I want to give a shout out to the other Avs bloggers on this site - you're all doing a great job, writing nearly every game. It's nice to see some more support than we had last year.
As previously mentioned, it's not real easy for me to get blogs out as I'm currently in South Korea teaching ESL to bratty little children...anyways...it's nice to be bac...
pokeyreddick writes...
Top 5 Worst Contracts In The League(in Honor of Jason Blake)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Inspired by Jason Blake's unmovable contract I thought I'd post the 5 Most untradeable contracts in the league.
5. Ryan Malone 4 more years @4.5 million- This was a toss up between him and Michael Ryder. Malone wins because his team is playing terrible. It doesn't matter if you're a playoff performer if you can't get your team to the playoffs.
4. Sean Avery 3 more y...
The old saying the squeeky wheels gets the grease( oilers in this case). The home team prevailed 4-3 against an Edmonton team who spotted Dallas two goals before twice tying the game. This has been the Stars problem all season can not hold a lead. Like crazed holiday shoppers they sprint to score but forget to defend. They have yet to produce a solid 60 minute game. San...
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend.
I spent mine with family in Arizona, and took the opportunity to attend the Avs/Coyotes game on Friday afternoon.
It was my first time at Jobing.com arena. Nice enough place I guess, but clearly a step below places like the Pepsi Center and the X. It is very strange, however, to attend an NHL game where the arena is le...
Due to injuries and poor play, the Avs have made a change. It is a small change but one for the future. They put an "A" on the jersey of Paul Stastny.
Since made this club two years ago out of training camp, we knew he was the future. He was the guy to take the reigns from Joe Sakic. He was going to take this club into the forseeable future. What has this done?
In tw...
Last night's game was as thoroughly entertaining as last Friday's game in Phoenix was boring. It's amazing that two games three days apart can be so completely opposite in every way - style of play, effort, scoring, atmosphere. There were plenty of mistakes made by both teams, to be sure, but it was fun to watch.
The Avs actually played hard and forechecked from the b...
Tonight marked the first night the Dallas Stars looked like the Dallas Stars everyone is used to seeing; minus giving up 37 shots on net. And to solve that problem they had Marty Turco at his finest. He stole the game away for the Stars and did not give the home town Flames much all night.
The Flames stuck to their game plan all night, getting pressure on the forecheck ...
C4LL4W4Y writes...
NHL to Dallas - Sure, we'll help save your locker room!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Excuse me for thinking this whole thing sounds extremely fishy.
Here's a quick chronology:
1.) Sean Avery opens his mouth and tries to bait a Flames player into a tabloid war (again). He makes the claim that NHL players are after his "sloppy seconds" - which in a couple of cases, is actually correct.
2.) The media goes to Marty Turco, the maligned goaltender wh...
The Carolina Hurricanes have just announced that they have fired head coach Peter Laviolette, who led the team to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship. They have replaced him with former Hurricanes and Maple Leafs head coach Paul Maurice.
Sources say Maurice will remain on as head coach at least until the end of the season, at which point the position will be re-evaluated ...
Sakic is out now at least 6 weeks. Tucker is still out for a while. The Avs have been injury prone for the past few seasons. They have a lot of firepower but no desire to fire.
First and foremost I think Colorado needs to re-evaluate their coaching staff. Granato can still work well for them, but they need better defensive and special teams coaching. Seriously, look at ...
Your centers are Weight, Thompson, Bailey, and Sillinger...the Isles are up by a goal with less than a minute remaining in the third period with a face-off in their zone. Who do you put out there?
Mike Sillinger. His value on face-offs while with the Islanders has been paramount over the past two seasons and has been greatly missed in his absence. Weight and Nielsen ha...
[b]
The Colorado Avalanche suffered a big loss today, announcing that our heart and soul, our captain, Joe Sakic, will be on the shelf for AT LEAST 6 weeks with a herniated disk in his back. Ouch.
Alright, so let the rumors begin. With Joe out, the Avs have to shake things up...but how do they go about this?
One option is to stick with the current team and promote f...
Wow, it's like a bad movie week this week as the Toronto Maple Leafs saga comes to an end with Burke finally becoming the New General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Or, as I would like to call it, the worst kept secret in the NHL. What really bothers me with this incident was that there was really no doubt about this. With the Burke hiring, there was really no big ...
Well the Sens are 3-0 in thier new black jersey's, anyone else think they should keep wearing them?
Finally we have a confident reliable goalie in net. Alex Auld has been a great addition, and has made Gerber a 3.5 million dollar paper wieght.
While I don't think the team is a contender yet, it is finally nice to see the team winning.
Although still way too many ...
In my last blog, I wrote that the NHL should have backed off and let Dallas handle the whole Avery debacle as an internal matter. I still feel that way.
I also wrote that the NHL missed an opportunity to show a game within a game, a true attraction where a loud-mouthed pest could have been chased around by physical, ticked off opponents. I was wrong about that.
I'm...
I know its been a few days since Sean Avery's mouth did a drive-by on the topic of his "sloppy seconds" but I think its good to examine whether he is of good to this league or not. Its a relevant idea considering some analysts have made the bold prediction that Avery will not see NHL ice again.
I definitely am not out here to defend him. His words were utterly disrespec...
The entire Sean "Sloppy Seconds" Avery saga is fascinating stuff, especially with a suspension for just spoken word and stupid comments. I looked in the current law dictionary and their is no definition for the term "sloppy seconds". The term could have multiple meanings and by itself is not a vulgarity as defined by the "7 dirty words".
Many have commented on the st...
As the circus get's ready to complete it's first week in Big D, the Stars were able to mix in a hockey game between Avery circus . Marty Turco posted the win stopping 27 shots; outdueling Peter Budaj. Not missed in all the saves was Marek Svatos he was all over the ice creating plenty of scoring chances. Scoring with 55 seconds left on a sweet pass from Paul Stastny to tie...
Two road games against two mediocre (or worse) teams and the Avs only come up with one measly point. Not good enough for a club that is finding points very hard to come by. It is only early December, but it already feels like time is beginning to run out for this team. If the Avs continue to tread water at .500 (or worse) for much longer, they won't make the playoffs. ...
This time it was the opponent's goalie who gave up a bit of a weak one to allow the Avs to force overtime and win in the shootout. Tjarnqvist did a nice job of finding the open space, calling for the pass and one-timing a nice hard shot at the net with Stastny creating some traffic, but I'm sure Schneider would tell you that he should have had it. Anytime the puck appear...
In today's new NHL the structure of the organization and the quality of the personnel manning the front offices are as important as the players that don the jerseys for the drop of the puck.
A team with meddling owners can wreak havoc to a team's chemistry and the coach's ability to lead the team in a common direction. In the classic example of a conflict of interest...
It has taken two years but the Avalanche and its fans finally got to see what Chris Stewart brings to an NHL team.
Tonight's game against the Kings showed us what to expect of Chris Stewart. Looks like we have another good first round pick to aid us in our rebuild.
Stewart put on a show tonight. In his first few games he was immediately cutting up the ice, getting ou...
It has taken two years but the Avalanche and its fans finally got to see what Chris Stewart brings to an NHL team.
Tonight's game against the Kings showed us what to expect of Chris Stewart. Looks like we have another good first round pick to aid us in our rebuild.
Stewart put on a show tonight. In his first few games he was immediately cutting up the ice, getting ou...
Let's keep it on the ice at first, shall we?
The Avs 6-1 domination of the Kings on Tuesday night was fun to watch. For once the Avs came out flying in the first period. Svatos' goal was admittedly a bit of a lucky one, but that's why you go to the net. Immediately after the goal, Lappy took care of business with Zeiler for his hit from behind on Foote. This was a p...
There's a surprising amount of negativity out there today regarding the Avs' 4-3 loss to the Blackhawks last night. Dater's blog in the Denver Post sounded like his Ambien hasn't been working for him lately - he's pretty grouchy. He basically calls it a choke job by the Avs. Maybe I'm an optimist, or maybe I've just been able to get a good night's sleep, but I didn't co...
[b]
So, as everyone knows, Super Joe Sakic is out for the next three months thanks to his snowblower accident. Avs bloggers have already began talking about possibilities and so this blog is simply a continuation of their ideas.
If Colorado decides they need to trade for a center, it should be someone who is a great team player and a really good all-around player. Sco...
We have a Raycroft sighting! And what a good one it was.
In my last post, I stated that teams getting the better of special teams play and goaltending win at least 90% of NHL games. On Monday night, the Avs were that team. Raycroft played an excellent game, the Avs scored an early power play goal to go along with Leopold's penalty shot goal, and the penalty killing w...
Let me be clear, I don't think for a second this idea is new or revolutionary. The simplicity is the point. You can analyze 200 aspects of any individual hockey game and the players therein, but due to the unprecedented parity in today's NHL, game results can usually be traced to goaltending and special teams.
The Avs were certainly on the short end of both functions ...
Recently Gary Bettman said Avery's remark offended him as a parent.
"To be perfectly honest I wouldn't want to have to explain to my 12-year-old daughter what he said," the commissioner said.
I find this humorous considering the NHL allows its teams and media partners to advertise viagra with a disclaimer: [i]in the rare event of an erection lasting more than 4 hours...
[b]DIVING IN THE NHL: IS IT A PROBLEM?
[/b]
The idea for today’s blog came from a friend of mine in the Chat room that I visit whose name is Brent: Diving: is it a problem, and can something be done about it?
[b]What is the infraction Diving?[/b]
Well I downloaded the NHL rulebook and found the infraction under 64.1, and I quote (and yes I don’t have much of ...
In honour of the original sports guy Bill Simmons and on the eve of the World Jrs we introduce the 1st Canadian Sports Guys NHL Power Poll of the season.
[b]The John Tavares Division[/b]
30-Tampa Bay Lightning SEEN STAMKOS?
One thing is for sure about this Lightning team, Barry Melrose or Janet Jones-Gretzky wont have any money riding on them anytime soon.
29-NY Isla...
I originally thought that for this blog I would write a Christmas list to good'ol St. Nick listing all the necessary presents my Isles can use...but then I realized that list might be way too long. I have a list that not only addresses this season, but the years that follow. So instead, I broke it down to the basics, and it all comes down to one issue: this team needs work...
With yet another blow to the hockey team, losing Paul Stastny in the dying minutes of the game against Phoenix, the Avalanche have lost their top two centers on the team. The team has very little to hope for between the pipes, with Budaj showing his characteristic inconsistency and Raycroft trying to trick us into thinking he can hold down the number 1 job. With the team s...
Sens have been playing fairly well so far, which is a nice change. The same reaccuring theme has been rearing its ugly head already, Spezza looks lazy and the defense isn't playing well despite the low shots total.
Alot of penalties in the first period. Both teams are playing very aggresive, Gonna get ugly.
And as usual Ottawa's play has caught up with them, 3-2 Calg...
In a game that would have even Jeff Goldblum studdering, the Avs beat the Red Wings.
It was a wierd game, Saturday night, one that the Avs were supposed to lose. Thanks to Oli Jokinen and a snow blower, the Avs were without Paul Stastny and Joe Sakic, respectively. They had Tyler Arnason taking Paul Stastny's spot. They were starting Peter Budaj, who hasn't played well...
The effects of high altitude are well known in professional and amateur sports. On the plus side, the thin air means the athletes will be able to move with less drag and greater efficiency. However, unless trained or acclimated to altitude, most teams will not be able to perform at maximum level when playing in Denver. This is especially true when the athletes are hockey ...
No Sakic, no Stastny, no problem? Not exactly, but "No Excuses" is hopefully the mentality that Granato has instilled in this team.
When I last left your Avalanche (before heading to family Christmas Center Ice-less purgatory), they were finishing up their road trip with two games in Florida. Although the result was a disappointing split, getting 4 out of 8 points on ...
1. 14 Goal scorers after the first 2 games.
2. Jamie Benn's hat trick.
3. John Tavares with 2 goals and 2 assists.
4. Canada ties all-time highest shutout goal total with 15.
5. Jamie Benn's unbelievably unselfish assist on Tyler Ennis' PP goal.
6. Ryan Ellis playing an incredible point shot position.
7. Chris DiDomenico's hands and cycling skills.
8. Goaltending is...
[b]Montreal Rebounds 4-1 over Tigres[/b]
[b]Montreal. Sunday, December 28, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors rebounded from a 5-1 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes Saturday, beating the Victoriaville Tigres 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Barely 24 hours after suffering defeat to Shawinigan, the Juniors got back into the win column thanks to a breakout performan...
Is a turtle a predator? Because I know a certain Predator that is also a turtle!
His name is Jordan Tootoo. You have undoubtedly seen him before. His specialty is charging, although he rarely gets called for it. Sometimes he misses his man and goes flying wildly into the opposing teams bench (hysterical). Sometimes he hits his mark and inures a player - like Brian ...
Let's begin with the vastly more entertaining game - USA's loss to Canada in the World Junior Championships.
With all of the hype of the Winter Classic in Chicago, the true classic got lost in the shufle. This was most entertaining hockey game I have watched in quite awhile. The skill, speed and emotion of all players for both teams made this game absolutely fantast...
After hearing the Canadian fans lustily cheering for Slovakia against Team USA at the WJC, I'll never root for Canada again. Despite being American, I always rooted for Canada when they weren't playing against the U.S. in the Worlds or Canada Cup. Perhaps this is indicative of how the rest of the world perceives America in political terms but nonetheless, we have long me...
The Avalanche were handed a crushing defeat by the Blue Jackets last night, scoring first but then surrendering 6 unanswered goals. The defeat shouldn't come as any surprise to Avs fans (I'm sure it didn't) as Budaj continues to prove exactly how inconsistent he can be. One of the many fan irritants on the team, Budaj's play has resembled both ends of the spectrum, spectac...
So much for bottling that anger and frustration from the Canada game and pouring it out on Slovakia; more like the US dribbled it down their legs.
I don't want to be too hard on these kids - it's not like they weren't trying. The effort was certainly there. It was just one of those classic upset games. Like the cliched slow motion car crash - you could see it happeni...
The Avs lost 2-0 last night despite getting 33 shots and several quality scoring chances on Wild goalie Backstrom. The effort was back tonight, but in the NHL effort isn't always enough. That's why it is imperative to have a maximum effort every game. Had the Avs played this way against Phoenix and Nashville, perhaps this would have been their only loss instead of the...
In the battle of two struggling teams, the Avs did just enough to win. That's about all that fans can realistically hope for right now considering the current injury list. Still a shot total that was far too low, although the Avs did manage some pressure at times in the second period. Raycroft had a very good game although he did have another scare with his glove hand -...
The Avs came away with 2 points in their latest match against the Blackhawks, arguably the best young team in hockey. Aside from the up tempo new style Avs fans have seen of late, Andrew Raycroft has been steadily making his case for the #1 job which has been held by Peter Budaj. Now critics (and most hockey fans) will agree that Raycroft sucks. Yes, this is sadly true how...
With the Isles off for the next few days, I figured I'd discuss with you my thoughts on what is probably the most intriguing trade rumor that I have read thus far. Again, they are just rumors, and although Hockeybuzz gets these rumors from "reliable sources," they are still just rumors that may not develop into anything more than just food for thought. But here we go.
W...
The Avs beat the Penguins Saturday afternoon 5-3 and after this one I'm pretty sure we can all pump our fists knowing that the 'Wolski show' we're all seeing is for real. Matched up against Sid the dirty fighting Kid, we came out on top limiting the damage as well as putting up some key markers. Of course the other guys came through as well, David Jones and Cody McCleod pi...
Two excellent games by the Avalanche equal two wins over two very talented hockey clubs. Solid goaltending from Raycroft along with a huge 1st star performance by Wolski was enough to overcome some spotty play on special teams. Add some secondary scoring and the Avs are winners of 3 in a row and are suddenly fun to watch again.
Wolski's ascendence to a first line cent...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We’re toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in ...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We’re toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in ...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
When [b]Paul Stastny[/b] went down with a broken forearm, I, like many hockey fans, thought the Avalanche were done. We're toast, build to next year, get a high draft pick and start from scratch. However, several centers have emerged to give Avs fans playoff hopes once again.
First is [b]Wojtek Wolski[/b]. Since being moved to his new position, he has put new life in th...
Again the Avs fail to break above 3 games over .500 and lose to Colombus 4-3. This was a performance reminiscent of the road game in Phoenix on New Year's Eve. After the Avs were suffocated early by Hitchcock's well disciplined defensive system early, the Avs seemed content to sit back and try to counter-punch. Worse, the bad behavior was reinforced by going up 1-0 on S...
In a game that could be described as the answer to the question I posed in last night's postgame blog ("Is Kipper playing too much?") the Flames were whupped 6-2 in Colorado by the Avs tonight with Curtis McElhinney in net. Though this game looked virtually the same as yesterday's home loss to Phoenix, I still pin most of the blame on Curtis Mac, as I blamed Kiprusoff for ...
... is to get the eighth seed. Look at the Avs' schedule and you realize a pattern. January is a perfect example:
Wins: Chicago, Pittsburgh, Calgary, Nashville
Losses: Minnesota, Columbus (2x), Edmonton, St. Louis
Anyone else see a pattern? The Avs have been Detroit twice, played hard with San Jose and Boston but lost to teams like Columbus, Edmonton, Minnesota, F...
Now I know that a lot of people are saying that the team needs to just give up and let it sink. I don't feel this is really going to do anything! This team has a good roster, it just has had too many injuries to too many key players. Now the important thing to notice is that there have been no season ending injuries. Although some say Sakic's injury might be a season e...
With John Tavares being the likely candidate to go first overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, there have been various people have been saying how this kid is possibly better than Sidney Crosby and how he may in fact be the true "next one". Bringing a kid like this into the NHL can do wonders for the team that drafts him and for the league. Look what Crosby and Ovechkin did...
Fristly this is kind of a re-post on my part. I wrote this blog back in July of Last year and wanted to re-post it. I re-posted because well it looks like "Tank Nation" is getting their wish this year with the boys in blue and white. I have been able to watch John Tavares play alot more since Chrismas at the Jr Tourny and then the trade to the Knights. Amazing player, ...
With 40 games remaining in the season, I suggested that the Avs should consider this remainder in 10 game increments. I also stated that in order to secure a playoff spot, the Avs would need to play .650 hockey, getting 13 pts out of each 10 game set. Well since then, the Avs dropped games at Columbus and at St. Louis along with home games vs. the Oilers, Kings and Shark...
The Avs were able to win an entertaining game against Calgary last night, but it means little after the disaster that has been the previous 8 games. The Avs have won only 2 of their last 9 games, 7 of those were at home. It's tempting to look at the standings right now, see the Avs only 4 pts behind three teams tied in the 6 thru 8 spots, and think that the Avs are right...
[b]Getting defensive[/b]
The Avs are really stocked deep as far as defensemen go. They have a plethora of options as far as defense goes. In fact, it is not outrageous to suggest that in five years, not a single defenseman from the 2008-09 team will remain. Here is the list of defensemen currently in the Avs’ pipeline, listed alphabetically:
[b]Colby Cohen[/b]- 6�...
[b]Getting defensive[/b]
The Avs are really stocked deep as far as defensemen go. They have a plethora of options as far as defense goes. In fact, it is not outrageous to suggest that in five years, not a single defenseman from the 2008-09 team will remain. Here is the list of defensemen currently in the Avs' pipeline, listed alphabetically:
[b]Colby Cohen[/b]- 6'2" ...
If you have been reading my blog for the greater portion of this season, you probably know that I have been holding onto my belief that the Rangers can win the Stanley Cup with the personnel that they currently possess. But after the Rangers imploded with a horrid 3 game losing streak beginning with a thrashing at the hands of Pittsburgh, my faith has deserted me. Yes, the...
Having completed part one of my team by team speculation in the South East division, for part two I figured I would jump across the continent and hit the North West division.
The North West is arguably the tightest division in terms of competition in the league. There are only 13 points as of tonight separating first through firth in the division, a lead any of the four...
Sean Avery is an idiot. He has been alienating his teammates since he came into the league. He has made extremely insulting and hurtful comments. He has taken shots at Dion Phanuef, Quebec, Martin Broduer and allegedly Jason Blake in the last two seasons alone. He is a locker room cancer, the type of guy who destroys chemistry by creating conflict and division within a tea...
Avs win a nice game Thursday night against Dallas, coming up with a goal late in the third to win. Unfortunately, the good vibes from Thursday were erased by yet another steaming pile of a game on Saturday in St. Louis. Some absolutely horrific defensive lapses in the second period put the Avs on their heels and they simply couldn't recover. Not only did they lose, but ...
With two more losses the Avs have cemented the fact that they are not making the playoffs this spring. They are all but mathematically elminated. They have the lowest points percentage in the West. They sit 24th in the league in points with several teams just below them having one or more games in hand.
At what point is it ok for Avs fans to begin openly pulling for ...
First, let's give the Avs some credit for the last two games against the Habs and the Wings. They played very well in both games, and both games were entertaining as hell. Can't ask for much more than that. Frustrating end to the Habs game as the Avs allow another late goal to lose (if you are still hoping for wins, I am not), but they seriously outplayed Montreal most ...
Many people in the Hockey community are not aware of the tragedy that struck two St. Louis Blues fans and a future St. Louis Blues fan a week ago. As reported by the St. Louis Post Dispatch ( http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/1D2B34AF39C85DB686257565001231FF?OpenDocument ), "a man and his pregnant wife were killed Saturday afternoon in a...
The Avs faced the Rangers, and wound up taking part in possibly their most embarrassing loss of the season. The game was out of hand from the get-go and unfortunately the return of Paul Stastny to the lineup hasn't been the spark plug fans had hoped for. The question we ask ourselves now is; what now?
With the trade deadline fast approaching, and a GM who has possibly t...
The Avs faced the Rangers, and wound up taking part in possibly their most embarrassing loss of the season. The game was out of hand from the get-go and unfortunately the return of Paul Stastny to the lineup hasn't been the spark plug fans had hoped for. The question we ask ourselves now is; what now?
With the trade deadline fast approaching, and a GM who has possibly t...
It's really quite simple. The salary cap (and Sather's spending) has ruined this team for the mid-long term. It would be great if the cap was, I dunno, $70 million, but that's not going to happen in this economy, and with 30 teams.
So why Avery? Well, I'm a numbers guy, and Avery's numbers are impressive with his time on the Rangers, both season and post season.
[b...
The big question in Chicago this week will not be the ongoing goalie Soap Opera (now starring a new player, unorthodox Finnish import, Antti Niemi).
It won't be the running debate between Hawk fans as to whether 2005 first round pick Jack Skille is the second coming of Bobby Hull or Ken Yaremchuk.
It won't even be rumored minor deals for the likes of Dominic Moore, N...
There is plenty to discuss when it comes to the New York Islanders lately; tonight they host the all but forgotten 2007 trade deadline acquisition of Ryan Smyth and the Colorado Avalanche; our captain is floating in trade limbo as March 4th approaches; Sean Bergenheim is elevating his game to a potential leadership role; and of course, more trades are probably on the way. ...
Avery back to NYR
everyone saw this coming
So its midnight, and officially it is deadline day, and that means the Avs should be in for an all night day-er. With the best impending UFA goalie off the market the Avs really need to look into making a trade to secure their crease next year. Raycroft and Budaj are both free agents, but with Budaj being RFA we can retain him and reserve the bench for him, hoping he can e...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
I know, he did not trade Wade Redden, but nothing short of a miracle deal could have bested the moves made by Glen Sather at the March 4 trade deadline. He improved the team tremendously for this season, and was able to open up space to re-sign key players during the coming offseason. The most impressive feat was that Sather accurately evaluated the skills of each player i...
Its been a few days since the Trade Deadline passed, with nothing to show for the Avs save Montreal's 2nd round pick this year. Giguere sent Leopold back to Calgary on deadline day for a scrub waiver wire pickup, Ryan Wilson..an undrafted defenseman, and Montreal's 2nd round pick. Not exactly the type of package Avs fans would have hoped for since even Brian Burke managed ...
With the first selsction in the 2009 NHL draft the Islanders select...Listen guys/gals there is no guarantee that they will obtain the first selection let alone draft the guy you want.I understand its a bitter sweet process having a good chance at selecting first overall, but it also meens you need more help then that one pick can do for you.That being said it looks like ...
I do agree that AHL playoff experience can help some of the eligible players, but I don’t think it’s a good idea - just like Bailey not playing for Canada in the WJC. Some of these guys wont gain anything by playing in the AHL playoffs that will directly translate to NHL success. A player like Jesse Joenssou is a different story, the more competitive hockey he plays t...
This is a funny city we seem to live in, the same media who bad mouths the Leafs when they don't sign a free agent or make the better trade or are not able to win more games against Montreal or Ottawa now has turned their attention to wanting the Leafs to tank and finish last in the league.
I find it ridiculous that in reading a couple of daily papers, last night's game a...
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something that many of you will find to be absolutely ludicrous: Glen Sather has done a fantastic job since 07.
Yes, THAT Sather. I will go as far to say that Sather made only two glaring post-lockout mistakes: signing TWO free agent centers in the summer of 07 and inking Redden.
In the 07 offseason, Sather probably shoul...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Giving Fans a Reason to Look Forward to Next Year
Posted Friday | Comments 549
They are winners of five in their past seven; Kyle Okposo leads the team with 16 goals; the original third-string goalie is playing at the level of a number one starter; Bailey, Okposo, Nielsen, Comeau, and Bergenheim are all in the same point range; Gervais is starting to look like a real defense-man playing along Mark Streit; Mike Iggulden comes up and has a very impress...
Over the last 3 games, Sean Avery has been the best player on the Rangers. Not all-star goalie Henrik Lundqvist who wrote history by sealing his 4th consecutive 30 win season in his fourth season in the NHL. Not Chris Drury or Scott Gomez who are each earning more than 3 1/2 times the much maligned winger's salary. Not Nik Zherdev. Not Nik Antropov. And certainly not Wade ...
With 7 games left in the season, the Avs sit dead last in the Western Conference, coming in second only to the Islanders as the worst team in the league. Most years this would be disappointing, however,with the team lacking any true direction, this situation forces their hand slightly.
The consensus first overall pick is John Tavares, with Viktor Hedman coming in a clos...
Rob McGowan writes...
Let's Start The Debate: Tavares or Hedman and Why?
Posted Monday | Comments 745
In a season that started out with mixed vets and kids heading for a downward spiral to the bottom of the standings pretty much from the get-go, to a release of some "bad apples" and increased reliance on prospects and AHL fill-ins, the year is coming to a rapid close with only seven games remaining. During the usual fun-filled playoffs, 16 teams will compete for a chance t...
First off let me just say that watching John Tavares play here in London since his trade I have come to see that he is an exceptional talent..........So was Alexandre Daigle. I am not saying that Tavares will be a bust like Daigle, just that talent alone will not make you a star in the NHL. Daigle did not have the heart to play nigh in and night out at the NHL level and ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Not Weighting Around; Doug Extended For Next Season
Posted Tuesday | Comments 827
Before I begin, I just want to inform my readers that my former username was TopRtLW76. Being that I write for the NYI Blog Box, I felt it would be more appropriate to have my real name displayed instead. Sorry if this has caused any confusion.
But yes, Doug Weight has been extended for the 2009-2010 season. This is a great signing and one that fans should be happy to s...
Sparked by a readers comments, about who would the Avs be shopping for this offseason when it comes to management, I became intrigued at the opportunity to investigate.
Current GM Francois Giguere has had one of the worst starts a GM could have when handed an elite franchise, like the Avs were post lockout. Unlike our rival RedWings, the Avs have not been fans of the ca...
Alright Isles fans...take a collective sigh of relief. We've made it through 82 games...82 long, injury riddled games. Some were exciting, some were let downs, and some just plain ol' sucked. But there seems to be a very bright light at the end of the tunnel with the draft lottery tomorrow night on Versus.
I know, we're all salivating over the possibility of drafting J...
First off, I would like to thank the New York Islanders for running the NYI Blog Box for a second straight year and allowing me to be a part of it this season. Over the course of the year I have met a lot of great people that helped me get adjusted to something that was very new to me while never making me feel like that "new guy." Despite the season being a long, hard sea...
Brian Burke steps in front of the media last week and comes right out and lets everyone know that he is targeting John Tavares the potential first overall pick in this years NHL entry draft. Leaf fans jump for joy but when you sit back and think about it, what would the Leafs give up for the #1 overall pick. The guess here is at least two first rounders this years and next...
Sean Avery and John Tortorella have entered a new phase in their relationship, Parent-child. Avery was put in a time-out tonight by his coach after taking two selfish penalties at the end of game four almost costing the Rangers the lead. Avery has had 10 shots, 8 penalties , and has been a minus one in his four games in the playoffs. Torttorella finally had enough after ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Bill Guerin: Returning To The Island This Summer?
Posted Monday | Comments 721
It recently dawned on me that our former captain will be searching for a new home once his playoff run comes to an end with the Pittsburgh Penguins, whenever that may be. The trade that sent him to the Pens has been finalized with that conditional fifth round pick going from a fifth, to a fourth, and finally to a third with them advancing to the second round of the playoff...
The Leafs are in a rare situation in the NHL as most of the teams are going to loose money the Leafs are going to continue making money so if I were the Manager I would make the following moves that frankly I think Burke will.
First the UFAs that he will go after are the following:
H. Sedin, D. Sedin because Burke has a history and they are solid top 6 forward
...
With 55 days until the one of the biggest drafts in Islanders history, the Islanders were helped out by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks this week. Last Saturday the Penguins ended the Flyers season guaranteeing the Islanders a third round pick. And Anaheim’s victory on Monday over the San Jose Sharks guaranteed them the Sharks 26th pick in the draft. So while G...
Rob McGowan writes...
First Overall: A Definite? A Gamble? Or Wishful Thinking?
Posted Friday | Comments 244
The Isles have the first overall pick...blah blah blah blah....Tavares or Hedman? Yada yada yada...we all know this by now. So what's with all the talk? The Isles are going to either draft a franchise defenseman or forward...right?
As usual during this time frame, there are a lot of rumors swirling around the pollen infested air to catch our attention and think, hmm, wh...
Rob McGowan writes...
Starting to Believe the Isles Will Take Tavares
Posted Wednesday | Comments 780
First off, I want to explain that I am aware that it has been almost two weeks since I wrote my last blog. Being that we are in the month of May, although that means fans are in store for intense games of hockey during the NHL playoffs, it also means final research papers and exams are due, and I simply did not have the time to write about my beloved Islanders.
But now...
So, here we are. The draft is coming up, and the Blues sit with a plethora of capable defensemen, and not so much offensive pure scoring depth. I think we can all agree one more potent scorer would put this team over the top. Tampa Bay sits at the #2 pick, and are seeking some high caliber defensemen in exchange for the #2 (or Lecavalier, for that matter).
The Island...
Rob McGowan writes...
So It All Comes Down to One Game, Plus Some Isles Chatter
Posted Wednesday | Comments 717
So after six games we are heading back to Detroit to watch the final game of NHL hockey of the year, with Pittsburgh fighting to win their first cup in over a decade.
Like I predicted, the series has relied heavily on the positive effects of home ice. If it continues to play out as the past six games have, then Detroit will skate away as champions once again. I'm still...
Since the resignation of Brent Sutter, many names have been tossed about as far as prospective replacements, from the expected (John MacLean), to the qualified (Peter Laviolette), to the downright strange (Ted Nolan). But if the Lamoriello-run Devils are notorious for anything, it's going off the board. When everyone at the 1990 draft loved Trevor Kidd, the Devils loved Ma...
I thought we would play fantasy hockey; pretend that we are all fantasy general managers (in my case it is really fantasy). What would you give up to get the Heater? Is Danny the franchise player, or better yet, does he make the players around him better?
Well, first of all, you can bet the Sens would like to get a top dman and number one prospect. Also, maybe another ...
gkmkiller writes...
With the 1st pick in the '09 draft, the Rangers select......
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Now that the Stanley Cup Finals have concluded, its time for us fans to start looking at the offseason and how are we going to improve our rosters so we can compete for a cup next year. I'm going to put a little different spin on that thought by discussing what I would do if I was GM of the Rangers and we had the first overall pick in this year's draft instead of the Isles...
The June 26th NHL Entry Draft is not far away and now that the Stanley Cup Finals have come to an end, the hockey world now shifts its focus to the draft. Here are my predictions for who will go in the top 15.
[b]15. Anaheim Ducks – RW Scott Glennie (Brandon-WHL). [/b]Glennie has made amazing strides in the last year or so. He is definitely a bonafide goal scorer but...
There are a LOT of rumours going around that the islanders are gonna draft Hedman..... that they're gonna take Duchene, but in all seriousness, as it stands now, the top 4 draft picks will be picked in that order.... the respective teams cant afford not to.
New York Islanders- They NEED Tavares, he may not be a defensman but he is still a strong player, he is also one o...
Alot of people have been wondering who the Islanders will select 1st overall in the upcoming 2009 NHL Entry Draft. There have been some rumblings lately that Matt Duchene will be the pick. Should we believe them? I dont think so.
The bottom line is, when the Islanders select a player 1st overall on friday night, that player should be and will be John Tavares. When you a...
As the New York Islanders embark on a tough decision with the first pick in the draft, John Tavares will likely be heading to Long Island. The pressure on Garth Snow, the Islanders GM, will be great. With Snow being questioned about his qualifications to be a GM plus having control of a franchise whose future in Nassau County is up in the air. So the question is....do you ...
As the draft seemingly slowly approaches it is the biggest question in Islanders Country, who will be the 1st overall pick? With rumors of John Tavaras dancing in most Islanders fan's heads and the hope that he will bring a cup to Long Island, it could be clouding what is really behind the exteriors of the "Big 3". Lets take a quick look at each of the "Big 3" in my eyes....
Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock will be named as Team Canada's head coach for the Mens Olympic hockey team at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. The decision was made by one of Babcock's former players, executive director, Steve Yzerman.
This had to be a lock with or without the presence of Stevie Y. Babcock has proven himself at the NHL level. He's been to the Cup ...
There seems to be tons of blogs surrounding the Leafs/GM Brian Burke's pursuit of a higher pick ahead of Friday's NHL Entry Draft - very few of those blogs are actually analyzing the work that Burke has done thus far.
With the regular season coming to a close, Burke stated to the mass media that he would do anything and everything in his power to land the Islander's to...
Tonight the heavily anticipated NHL entry draft will be held with the Islanders set to make their first overall pick. The three top candidates are well-known by now: John Tavares, Victor Hedman, and Matt Duchene.
The order in which they should be listed has been debated over the past several weeks with them shifting over and over again. My personal take is that if we dr...
Tonight at approximately 7:17 Eastern time, the Coliseum erupted. That was because Islanders GM Garth Snow announced to the world that the Islanders were selecting John Tavares first overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. The 10,000 people at the Coliseum shook the Coliseum like it hasnt been shaken in years. However, that was just the first step.
Now its time to get John to th...
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft has the possibility of going down in the record books as a major turning point the turning point for the New York Islanders franchise. For a franchise who’s tank has been running on empty for quite some time, this draft brought along several things that the Islanders needed so direly: excitement, possibility, and relevance. Excitement, in the sen...
[img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/06/27/alg_tavares-cap.jpg[/img]A collective sigh, or booming scream from the 10,000 plus Coliseum crowd, was let out all at once when Garth Snow stood up at the podium to announce that the Islanders have selected John Tavares as the number one pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
From all the years the Islanders have walked up t...
He’s been highly touted as the “best goaltender outside of the NHL” and has been rumoured to be coming over to the NHL to play next season. The 24 year-old has apparently been in contact with the Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Sharks, and Stars. We still don’t know where he’s going to end up, and it’s almost July 1st. Now, I’ve watched as much tape as I could possib...
Just wondering through written word, what my beloved hockey team will look like next season. With their reluctance to ever sign impact UFA's from other teams over the summer and their hesitation to tender contracts to their own UFA's thus far I dont see a marked improvement on last season. Unless some speculated signings are actually executed, this is not going to be a pre...
With all the hype circulating around the draft, many, like myself, almost forgot that free agency was looming just a few days later. The Islanders were heading into July 1st with one real major concern, and that was finding a suitable back-up goaltender for Rick DiPietro. They did just that with Dwayne Roloson.
At first I was unsure of how I felt with the signing. He's ...
[b]DANNY HEATLEY SAGA[/b]
NHLPA is standing behind Heatley. Well, technically he is not doing anything wrong. Morally is another story. When it comes to pure talent, I am one of his biggest fans. I love watching Heater play. I am a huge fan of his play, but right now I am not a fan of his attitude. When it comes to a player, I would like to be a fan of the hockey pla...
There has been a lot of comparison lately between the summer of Sundin and this summer - the summer of "the Monster". But make no mistake about it, this is one heck of a tough decision for Gustavsson to make. The young goalie is still young...don't over-look that. At age 24, he has lost both parents - his mother very recently. He's been getting huge credit in Sweden for ...
predram writes...
Pred Offense - Less stable than a Cowboys' practice facility
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Its safe to say that the Nashville Predators will once again be scrounging for goals, this for the 2nd straight season.
While the obvious next move for GM David Poile would obviously be a top 6 forward, its very clear that a move like such will not happen in the next few months. See, there I could have easily said that last sentence without "in the next few months". Mor...
As expected, the John Tavares Press Conference today went rather smoothly and involved very little Q and A with the press. A very pleasing crowd of 350 fans arrived for the first free press conference the Islanders have held, while there was also a fairly large number of media and photographers. Situated right next to the opposing team's bench were Greg Logan of Newsday an...
First off, let me just say that Eklund's rumours have some truth to them. The truth lies in that, assuming his sources are good, a certain team has interest in a certain player and has contacted the player or the team owning the rights to that player. Whether talks or counter-offers are part of it will up the rating on the "E system". For example, when the rumours of Ovech...
I understand the Islanders wanting/needing to rebuild with young talent. The problem is that they have very little young "talent". If you look past Bailey, Okposo and Tavares, there is absolutely no young talent what-so-ever.
Bergy is nothing that we thought he would be, Neilsen is OK at best and Tambo is a complete failure. I don't mind these guys being on the team,...
Michael Lindow
July 14, 2009.
Toronto – It has been less that a year since Brian Burke took the reigns as the Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager but already the team has a new look and some much needed optimism in a city that was starved for it. Having to clean up the mess left behind by the previous GMs John Ferguson Jr. and Cliff Fletcher Burke stil...
I'm sure many of you would agree with me? Dale Tallon took the Hawks from one of the worst teams in the league, to one of the best. He completely re-built the Hawks the professional way, and deserves full credit for it. However, the only thing he got was a stab in the back. I understand that John McDonough believes Bowman is the man for the job, but statistics don't lie, t...
The hockey world is pretty much at a stand still right now so I decided to take a page out of Eric Engels' book and pose 5 questions for the Preds this upcoming season, all of which you are more than welcome to answer.
1. Will the Predators add a top 6 forward between now and the 2010 trade deadline?
2. How long do either David Poile or Barry Trotz last, in months (f...
[b]By Glen Miller[/b]
New York Islanders Net
Compared to most teams, the Islanders’ off-season has been very quiet. While that might upset some Islanders fans and would certainly upset the fans of most every other NHL club, this is certainly the best move for the team. After several years of losing and trying to bring in veteran players to boost the club’s fortunes...
KickHisAssSeabass writes...
Mr. Glass departs Beantown for Eaves and 4th Rounder
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Not sure that anyone has even seen "unbreakable", so that reference may be totally lost on you.
However, I was quite dissapointed that I was checking Hockeybuzz.com all day yesterday awaiting any Kessel news (to which there still isn't any), and not seeing anything pop up about the Ward trade. I actually learned about it watching the 6 o'clock evening news. At that p...
We've reached the end of a decade, so it's time to consider who was the best championship team over the last ten years. But since it's also the start of the 21st century, we can go one step further. So, over the next few posts, we will be working our way towards naming the Team of the Millennium. We've had 9 Stanley Cup champions, thanks to the 2005 lockout, but only...
As I live in Saskatoon SK, where the camp is bieng held I will be watching the Red and White scrimmage and providing thoughts and analysis Sunday night. Stay Tuned
Kenny
In the last post, we covered round 1 of the Champions from the past decade. Here were the results:
2001 Colorado Avalanche defeated the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins
2002 Detroit Redwings defeated the 2008 Detroit Redwings
2007 Anaheim Ducks defeated the 2003 NJ Devils
2006 Carolina Hurricanes defeated the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
[b]Round 2:[/b]
[u]2001 Colorado...
Quick update. I am told the scouts are experimenting with Nazem Kadri centering Brandon Kozun and Taylor Hall. A line they believe will put pucks in the net.
I finally had a chance to watch practice and the Red vs. White Game today. Practice was just some drills and the players shooting on the goalies. Matt Duchene's stick skills are some of the best I've seen.
The Games
Final Scroe: 5 to 3 for the Red Team
Shawn Lalonde scored twice in 43 seconds late in the second period to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 advantage as Red ...
Before everyone jumps on me all at once to kick the crap out of me for providing false hope in regards to the Isles actually making the post-season, let me just say I don't see it happening either. This is just a thought that maybe Garth has higher expectations for this team, or maybe he's just doing some smart planning ahead.
I'd also like to say yes, I am well aware ...
Rob McGowan writes...
The 2009-2010 Islanders: How They'll Look and What to Expect
Posted Friday | Comments 345
Although many are holding on to that thin thread of UFA hope where the Islanders will sign an enforcer as well as some type of play-maker/scorer, it seems that the Islanders roster is all but set.
Here are my line predictions. They may look somewhat similar to other bloggers, but I have a few scenarios in mind that may come into play over the year.
(In order)
...
Being a small-time blogger has it advantages, as I can pretty much say anything I want and no one cares. I know a lot of the players, but they do not know I am a blogger and do not follow me anyway. So it is not really putting myself out by saying what I wish would happen this season. But what do I know? I am just a small-time blogger, and like I said no-one is really r...
Every summer as camps are about to break, conversation in some circles turns to who will be the most enigmatic rookie performer in the forthcoming season.
Last year's Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason didn't even start playing until after the season had started but made a huge impression by taking his team to their first ever postseason berth and leading the league in s...
Marc Savard. Assuming the Bruins dont resign his the leafs MUST! He would immediately be our best forward. The bruins have a back up plan for Marc departure. It's David Krejic. So im hopefull the Bruins don't re-sign him at which point he'll be UFA. Immediately the Leafs need to sign him. 6 years at least 30 million. Also I would love for them to sign Pat Kane as I believe...
So, after a summer of waiting on the sidelines, Alex Tanguay has finally signed, with the Tampa Bay Lightning and I think that is a GREAT move for them.
When Gary Bettman said, at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, that he had a trade to announce and that it was Tanguay to Montreal for a 1st and 2nd round pick, I was ecstatic! Tanguay has always been a solid contributor to wh...
With training camp only a few days away and the Habs rookie camp already underway, there is no doubt that hockey is in the air....and I'm lovin' it! Given that the 2010 season is almost upon us, it got me thinking about the new-look Habs and what their chances of success are, this season. While I'm not brave enough to make a prediction, I think that I can say that I am c...
I’m always talking about this new up-tempo style Tortorella will provide. John Tortorella has a proven style of hockey, after all he lead the Lighting to the 2004 Stanley Cup Championship. In an interview by Newsday.com Vinny Prospal said, “ I always played my best hockey under him”. Hearing this I’m very confident that his coaching will help this team. This year I...
Few things are more frustrating for a hockey fan than to see your team draft a great prospect, watch him come up through the ranks to become a star, only to then see him leave as a free agent or trade. It's the reality of the NHL, but imagine if it wasn't so. Imagine a world where your team could keep every player it ever drafted. How different would the NHL landscape b...
A few days ago, Kyle Okposo was the recipient of a devastating open ice hit in a pre-season game against the Calgary Flames, delivered by none other than Dion Phaneuf. Since then he has returned to New York for further testing for what has been diagnosed as a mild concussion. After watching the hit several times, I will state my opinion: it was clean. Perfectly clean. He n...
You won’t find much about hockey in this blog but rather some words of wisdom that may save you the pain we have endured over the last 24 hours.
I hope you all are as lucky as I am to have found a special someone who not only humors your passions in life but truly shares in them as well. Much to my surprise, my bride of more than 10 years suggested that we take a much...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles vs Pens: Mirrored Image of What's To Come?
Posted Saturday | Comments 566
I can't remember the last time the Islanders had their first game of the season be their home opener. If my memory serves me correctly, they usually started on the road, but tonight they have the privilege of opening up in front of their home town fans. Lucky for us we get to watch them start against the defending Stanley Cup champs.
The lines are predicted as follows:...
Rob McGowan writes...
Although They Lost, Isles Home Opener Was A Success
Posted Monday | Comments 414
...and I am not just saying that because John Tavares scored.
The Isles were playing host to the defending Stanley Cup champions, a roster that includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fluery, Chris Letang, and so on. After the first period we were tied at one and John Tavares had his first NHL point. And let me tell you, the second that kid touc...
Michael Crabtree, the 10th overall pick in this year's NFL Entry Draft, had a face-to-face meeting with the San Francisco 49ers who drafted him. What does this have to do with hockey? Nothing really, except to highlight how lucky we are to have such a great developmental system for hockey.
The 49ers offered their top pick a 5-year, $20 million contract with $16 million ...
With the Predators 3 to 2 win, they now have won their first two games of the season. The top line of Arnott/Sullivan/Hornqvist at times dominated the play. Hornqvist digging the puck out of the corners and getting in front of the net, Sully's vision and passing, Arnott with the bomb. Tremendous play by that line.
Notables from the game:
Hornqvist (A-) - Really ...
The Rangers entered Sunday’s matinee contest against the Anaheim Ducks feeling pretty good about themselves. After all, they were riding a 3 game winning streak and had gotten the hoped for offensive production from FA additions Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. Plus they were catching the Ducks on the back end of two games in two nights.
The Rangers would have to be ...
And no, I'm not talking about the amount of work they will have to do IF the Lighthouse Project ever passes.
The Islanders had a typical let down Saturday, scoring three goals in a solid 50 minutes of hockey to watch it fade away in the final 10, losing in the shootout to a team they had all but beaten in regulation.
Monday they had a chance to make up for it with a...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 15/10/09: Mtl - vs - Col - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
At last folks ... the home opener! How appropriate that we play Colorado with all the recent talk about reserrecting the Nordiques!! For the opening they had all the Habs say "Je Suis" followed by their name. Was nice to hear ... here we go!
1st Period:
20:00 - Start of Period
19:21 - Avs with a chance, Habs with some great defensive work
19:10 - Habs with a chance...
Ugh. This was the closest Montreal has come so far, in this young season, to playing a full 60 minutes. However, sadly, they decided to take the 2nd period off and as a result ended up losing the game. Yes, both Colorado goals were lucky bounces, butt hey resulted from work. They simply out-worked Montreal in the 2nd and were rewarded with two lucky goals. Here are a ...
Let's put it this way folks; there are only two full weeks left in October and the Isles have seven games left to play. So far they've played six and have done everything but win. Throw in the fact that both goalies have combined to let in 10 goals in the past two games and the same forwards are the only ones contributing on a nightly basis.
TIME TO WAKE UP GUYS!
The...
What's the date? Are we still in October? We are! And the Isles won a hockey game?!
Pinch me, I must be dreaming.
Wait, no I'm not...the Isles still managed to give up a two goal lead late in the third period and went to the shootout, once again.
Being in the Blog Box last night provided for some gut-wrenching moments. One in particular was when John Tavares was...
What have we learned so far? Let's face it, in order to thrive in the "new" NHL, you have to do a number of things well. This week, the top team's show us how important it is to draft (or acquire) young talent that can start and make an impact right away. This has been a key for teams that have won the cup in each of the last 4 seasons and by the looks of it, this trend...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Continue To Fall And Fingers Start To Point
Posted Sunday | Comments 220
Once again, Isles fans are getting to see an Islanders team that is incapable of holding a lead. I cannot stress enough that this is a result of having a young squad, but it is also due to the fact that some of these guys should not be playing in the NHL. But of course, fans are starting to point fingers, looking for a scapegoat.
Let's start with the fourth-liners, and...
Colin Campbell said on NHL Live this afternoon that there was nothing illegal about Mike Richards' hit on David Booth Saturday night.
"He did not jump. He did not elbow him. He did not hit him in a place where he wasn't expecting it. It was an area where you expect to get hit, both the player passing the puck and the player doing the hitting," Campbell said.
Campbell...
I am guessing that when the season began not many expected the Colorado Avalanche to have only 1 regulation loss through 11 games and be leading the Western Conference. A team that was scheduled to be occupying the cellar of the west for most of the year has come out of the gate on fire due to some stellar goaltending from journeyman tender Craig Anderson. Toiling in the C...
While watching the Vancouver Canucks Vs. Detroit Red Wings game i noticed something, by the end of the second period the score was 2-1 for the canucks but yet the the shots were 28-16 for the Red Wings. Now some might have a different opinion on the matter but to me it didn't seem like bobby luo was that busy, the canucks seemed to dominate the first two periods of play in...
Nidder14 writes...
Gameday: Northwest Division leaders, Colorado Avalanche
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, after yet another long break, the Flames are finally back in action tonight against probably the biggest suprise team of the season to date. The Colorado Avalanch are in town, bringing with them a plethora of young talent and the hottest goalie in the league. With a 9-1-2 record the Avs sit atop the NW division, five points up on the Flames, however the Flames ha...
Just a few quick thoughts before I hit my pillow…
The Flames have no problem starting games anymore; it is simply playing the rest of the 60 minute game that they seem to have issues with. Leading 2-0 a minute into the game and the Flames stepped off the gas pedal and idled in neutral for most of the game. They were so close to running Anderson from the net, yet they ...
I attended last night's first Islander/Ranger tilt not as a blogger, but as a fan. At times in the blog box I may shout or slam my first on the table, but for the most part, I try to keep myself contained since I'm representing the Islanders as a member of the media. But as a fan, I get to let loose.
And boy, did I enjoy this one. The perspective you get as a blogger in...
Rob McGowan writes...
Catching Up With Islanders Draft Pick Travis Hamonic
Posted Thursday | Comments 554
This past Wednesday I had the privilege of catching up with Travis Hamonic, the Isles 53rd overall selection in the 2nd round of the 2008 NHL entry draft. He is currently playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL up in Canada. Right now he leads the league in scoring as a defenseman. He’s played in 15 games, scoring 7 goals, 13 assists, and is a +3 with 23 PIMs. I th...
Martin Havlat- This guy is the crown jewel of the Wild offseason signings, meant to bring offense in as the team goes through a new mentality. He has been horrible with 7 points in 14 games, isn't he supposed to be a star?
Olli Jokinen- For a guy who is supposed to be a #1 center his 8 points in 15 games is extremely poor, what makes this more confusing is that it's a c...
After a few weeks into the season, many great stories have been told already. Maybe the most surprising to everybody is the Colorado Avalanche. Why have they been so good? Only Miss Cleo knows the real answer. Maybe it's because they are young, fast, relentless, and maybe naive enough to not understand pressure yet. They had no expectations from anyone in the hockey wo...
Yeah, I know the Meat Loaf song goes "Two out of three ain't bad," but three out of four is even better.
The Isles started off their road trip with an over-time loss in the shootout, an 11-round one at that, to the Washington Capitals. It was a game in which the Isles let the Ovenchkin-less Caps back in after gaining a 3-1 lead in the first period. Last night the Isles ...
Rob McGowan writes...
It Wasn't a Hat Trick, But Isles Walk Away With Two Points
Posted Monday | Comments 407
"It's weird!" - This was Matt Moulson's post-game answer when asked how it felt to win a game in regulation on the road.
Well, it should feel weird considering that the Islanders have gone to over-time or the shoot-out in their past three away games. From 3 points, to 4, to now 6 points taken out of a possible 8 and the team moves to 7-2-2 in their past 11 games.
N...
A battle for first place in the Northwest division turned out to be a bit of a snoozer. Coming off a 3 game road trip in which they secured 5 of 6 possible points, the Flames came out looking tired. Getting beat to numerous pucks, the Flames could never find their groove in a loss to the Avalanche. For the second time this season on home ice, the Flames fell 3-2 to the Avs...
So the Islanders have not gained a point on this second leg of their first real road trip of the season. Tonight the Islanders and John Tavares make an appearance in Toronto. And of course, the media is going to have all their attention on JT’s first return to his home on ice.
Hopefully Tavs will put on such a good show that Brian Burke will want to find Garth Snow a...
Another day, another injury for the Devils, who, despite the growing list of injured players, have remained at the top of the Eastern Conference. This last one, however, may really come back to hurt them. Clarkson had seven goals and eight assists so far this season, and was doing a great job on the Devs' third line (for most of the year, he was on that line). He is goi...
John Tortorella, Sean Avery, Donald Brashear... do I really need to say more? Okay I'll add in Matt Cooke just for laughs.
Tortorella complained to reporters after his Rangers lost 8-3 to the defending Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night that Cooke intentionally hit Rangers forward Artem Anisimov in the head and that the linesman who got hit several times tr...
The Islanders finished the month of November with a 6-6-2 record, bringing them to an overall record of 10-10-7 with 27 points at 11th place, just one point out of the final playoff spot. I’m sure many fans would agree that if anyone said over the summer that the Islanders would be a .500 team on the cusp of a playoff berth by the start of December that they would have t...
I have realized over the past few days I tend to be biased toward certain groups of players. With biased opinions being having a strong presence in any fan base, it does not surprise me that I tend to want these players to succeed more than others, even if the logo on their sweater dictates I should think otherwise. There are a few attributes that would make a fan apprec...
I'm sorry... I must have misheard. You must be mistaken. 4.3 million cap hit for Savard? The guy is capable of 90 points and he cost less against the cap than Horcoff?
I would like to take this opportunity to let all elite center men know that Calgary would like to sign you for the amazing high salary of 5 million a year. Hell... we'll give you 5.5 million, as long...
Rick DiPietro will be playing in net for a professional hockey team for the first time in over a year this coming Saturday for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. All I have to say is ...FINALLY!
It's been a long time since Isles fans have seen Ricky on the ice in game action. Since his absence began, Joey MacDonald, Yann Danis, and the newly acquired pair of Dwayne Roloson an...
Looking at the recent extensions in Chicago, this this make the rumored deals involving Sopel of Sharp coming to the Leafs that much more possible? I wouldn't rule either out. Even though the Leafs are looking better as of late, a lot can still be done to make this team look a lot better, and Sharp is a great place to start. Question is who would the leafs need to give ...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091201/capt.b69d37411aab4325a67bcc5009d5bbe4.bruins_savard_hockey_ny178.jpg[/img]
The Boston Bruins signed Marc Savard to a seven year extension worth just over 28 million. There are many reasons why this is an amazing deal for Boston.
First off, Savard is 32. They signed him through the 2016-2017 season, when Savard will then be 39 ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Fall to Lightning, DP Makes It Through 40 Minutes
Posted Sunday | Comments 687
Last night the Islanders lost 4-0 to a team that had played the night before and did not return until very early Saturday morning after their flight back from New Jersey. It was also a showdown of Victor Hedman vs. John Tavares, two draft picks that that will be debated for many years to come.
It would only be fitting for Hedman to score his first NHL goal when he woul...
It had been leaked on the Internet that Garth Snow is looking to add a mobile, veteran defenseman to the Islanders thin blue-line. If Snow finds a willing trade partner, he might want to add someone with size, grit and the willingness to stick up for his teammates.
The Islanders lost a tough one tonight, 6-2 to the Flyers. It's never encouraging to see your team let up ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Who is the best agitator in the league? POLL RESULTS ARE IN!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 3
Who is the best(most effective) agitator in the league?
RDS was talking about the league's agitators on a broadcast recently, and that made me think about who YOU think is the best - meaning most effective - agitator in the league.
Vote, in the poll on the right side of the screen at Habs To The Top, to let us know who you think should be named champion! You love th...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Secondary Scoring Remains As A Major Problem
Posted Thursday | Comments 361
As is the case with most young teams, the Islanders have had many interesting third periods in which they either lost the lead, or fought their way back after being down early. (Ahem…hence the abundance of overtime losses). Last night was a case of the latter, but not all late efforts will be rewarded, and Jason Blake made sure to remind us that with his late goal with ...
So over the last couple days a rumor has broken out about the Flames, this in itself makes me question it because Sutter (Darryl) is a guy who does not react kindly to leaks, about Dion Phanuef.
The meat of the rumor is that Dion would go to the Islanders for something along the lines of Tavares or Okposo (who he almost killed in an open ice hit in pre-season) or a firs...
The Flames lost to the Minnesota Wild Friday night by a score of 2-1. They lost in overtime. The Flames scored the first goal of the game. All this being said, the Flames were severely outplayed by Minnesota and were out shot 46-23. They failed to register a shot until the 14th minute of play and only mustered 3 shots on net in the first period; the Wild fired 19 Kiprusoff...
The laundry list of Islanders problems can start at the top of a 12-story building and flow all the way down to the pavement at Charles Wang's feet. It can start from way back when the Islanders chose to trade away players such as McCabe, Chara and the first-round pick that turned into Spezza, to the constant Lighthouse debacles.
This team has been struggling for what ...
First and foremost, this blog is simply to provide a fun conversation as well as enjoying some of the rumors that are going on.
It is no secret that the Flyers are struggling, and in the cap era this seems to be the only time that major trades really have any traction. For the most part this also brings about big dealings at the deadline. In relation to the Flyers I ...
We are seeing a tremendous year of hockey. Tight standings, fun play and a division/conference that is up for grabs. Currently we have three teams that are in a fight for the western conference lead with 47 points apiece, L.A., Chicago, and San Jose. However, Chicago has earned those 47 in just 33 games. Nashville stands alone at 45 points, but stands to move up if they...
Nine games into Peter Laviolette’s stint behind the Flyers’ bench as head coach and the team is a measly 2-6-1, playing the same uninspired brand of hockey that put John Stevens out of a job.
Laviolette has come in and done some things differently than Stevens – players are being held accountable at practice for in-game stupidity, for one. Is it helping? Nope. ...
[i]OK, first off: I don’t often respond to stupid trade rumors from other hockey “news” blogs – which I realize is a complete redundancy in terms.
But please, stop it with these “Duchene and O’Reilly to Atlanta for Kovalchuk” and “O’Reilly and Liles and Wilson and half the Denver Mint for a couple of underachieving Philadelphia Flyers” rumors.
Repeat ...
As I start this blog there are only 28 minutes left on Christmas. The last blog I wrote was a week ago on the 18th and I am actually annoyed at myself for not having a chance to write in the mean time. But I will say it has been a hectic week as I'm sure it was all the other bloggers and readers out there.
During this week, yours truly finished all of his assignments a...
The Islanders lost a rough one to the Flyers yesterday for their matinee game on a Sunday afternoon. It was a tough loss to swallow, especially for Marty Biron, a goaltender looking for just his third win of the season. Although the Isles played hard, it was frustrating to watch them make a pass that should have been a shot or struggle to carry the puck out of their own zo...
John Michael Liles is a player who has shown the ability to consistently achieve 40 point seasons. That is nothing to snuff at by any means. Sacco thinks he can do better, and so do I. We as fans all kind of have this collective feeling that he is worth more than he is putting out.
I do however feel that he has a somewhat fragile ego. We could look back at his perfo...
Some thoughts I needed to share. Panic looms with every loss especially the ones at home. The Rangers are constantly under pressure even if they win. Look at them now instead of looking at our 6-2-2 record in the past ten games as pretty good. The constant woes of lack of scoring and home ice advantage seem to take center ice. Which I think falls heavily on the team....
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Avoid Snowballs, Robbie Schremp With Goal Of The Year?
Posted Thursday | Comments 2
Alright...it is a bold argument to make being that 2010 is just a wee seven days old, but if anyone saw Robbie Schremp's goal last night, they would understand why he might have a case for the best goal of 2010.
Over the course of his young career, Schremp has had a very difficult time finding his way onto an NHL line-up. If you watch him play, it is evident that the k...
After watching the Rangers, and specifically Mr.Avery dismantle the stars last night,the Olympics can't come quick enough.
The goals that were scored were soft,and Turco,once again didn't show up....Mike Ribeiro was accidentally shanked by Chris Higgins and will be out 4-6 weeks with a neck contusion.
I don't see how showing up for the first five minutes of each ...
I was recently given an opportunity to blog at another site, so I will not be blogging on this site much, if at all. I will still be by to join in the conversation, but won't be doing much in the way of write ups.
However, I would encourage all of you to come by and visit www.thereedreview.com and join in on some conversation there as well.
The Bruins could really struggle to play .500 hockey for the rest of the year unless they can make a serious trade, and obviously I’m talking about Ilya Kovalchuk.
The loss of Marc Savard to a torn MCL could force Boston to use one of their valuable draft picks they received in the Kessel trade far earlier than they imagined. In fact, as bad as Toronto is playing, the...
The Bruins could really struggle to play .500 hockey for the rest of the year unless they can make a serious trade, and obviously I’m talking about Ilya Kovalchuk.
The loss of Marc Savard to a torn MCL could force Boston to use one of their valuable draft picks they received in the Kessel trade far earlier than they imagined. In fact, as bad as Toronto is playing, the...
Buffalo (30-12-7) at San Jose (34-10-8)
The last time these two teams met was on February 13th, when flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Even though the NHL offered to postpone the game, the Sabres chose to play.
Buffalo went out to a four goal lead, only to see San Jose come back and score five goals. Jason Pominville tied the game up wit...
The Islanders had recent success against some of their more challenging opponents in the Red Wings, Sabres and Devils over the past week but have been unable to stay on board that train to the end of January. First they lost a tough one to the New Jersey Devils, and last night they were embarrassed by Alexander Semin and the Washington Capitals.
It was a rough one to w...
Hey everyone,
Today I attended the Islanders morning skate and had the opportunity to interview John Tavares, one-on-one, after their practice, courtesy of the Islanders PR staff Seth Sylvan and Kimber Auerbach.
If you would like to check it out, head over to this link:
http://thehockeywriters.com/one-on-one-with-john-tavares/
Feel free to leave comments and se...
Rob McGowan writes...
As Isles Start To Sink, Joensuu and Martin Get The Call
Posted Sunday | Comments 1
Seven losses in a row, folks. That's how many consecutive games the Islanders have surrendered to their opponents in a stretch where they have only scored nine goals. Secondary scoring has always been an issue with this team, but when the top guys of Tavares, Okposo and Moulson aren't getting the job done, and Josh Bailey is on the Injured Reserve, this team will really st...
In an hour the Islanders will be hosting the Boston Bruins, the seventh placed team in the East that sit seven points ahead of the orange and blue. The Isles are only six points out of the playoff race but only have 18 games remaining, including this afternoon's tilt.
Here's the long and short of it: If they play today's game the way they played the Atlanta Thrashers T...
Rob McGowan writes...
Two Points Fly By As Isles Still Have Growing Pains
Posted Tuesday | Comments 16
If the Islanders were looking to make a statement, tonight was the night. If the Isles were looking to prove that they were due for a win on the road as they have lost their last seven road games in a row, tonight was the night. If the Isles really wanted to end a 14-game losing streak against the Philadelphia Flyers, tonight was the night. If the Isles wanted to win in an...
I have been saying to anyone that will listen (not many)...for some time now...that it's not hits to the head that are the problem in the NHL, it's the blindside hits that create the most potential for injury.
I'll get to that more in a second...
When it comes to hits to the head, the NHL is in a very difficult spot in terms of making rules that apply specifically to...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Send Gold Medalist To The Bench, Silence Media
Posted Wednesday | Comments 11
Put that as your headline, Vancouver.
Last night the Islanders visited the Canucks and defeated them 5-2, ending their seven game home winning streak. John Tavares exploded with a five point effort, a new career high that paved the way for the win.
The Islanders started the game with a very strong first period, coming away with a 2-0 lead on eight shots. The goals c...
The score in tonight’s Avs-Flames game was 3-2 for 5th time this season.
It’s as if no other outcome is possible.
However, this time, the Calgary Flames finally beat the Colorado Avalanche on the back of a stand out performance by Miikka...err Vesa Toskala?
Is Calgary the place to go when you are Finnish, a goalie, and not performing how you should? Is Darry...
The 'we'll be better next year' mantra has already started on Long Island. The season has 8 games remaining on 2009-2010, and the Islanders have almost solidified themselves with either a top-3 or top-5 pick in this year's upcoming draft. Throw in to the mix that Rick DiPietro has yet to play another game, allowing many to assume that his come back year may be shut down pr...
Last night the Islanders faced off against the New York Rangers for the last time this season at Nassau Coliseum, losing 4-3 in regulation. After a strong start where the Islanders scored a power play goal early and then added to it with another tally before the end of the first twenty minutes, the Isles would come out flat in the second and fail to connect on a 5-on-3 opp...
Hockey players are some of the most athletic, flexible and well-built athletes in professional sports. Not only are they trained in strength and endurance, but they also have to have the ability to skate; a skill that is not easy to acquire. Think about it: hockey players add the skills they develop with their hands to the use of a hockey stick, and then combine speed, agi...
After weeks of uncertainty the Calgary Flames are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention. This ends days, weeks and months of faint hope and un-needed stress for most Flames fans who still wanted to believe this team was destined for the big dance.
It was the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Matt Duchene, who officially eliminated the Flames, when...
Check out my seasonal review for the New York Islanders at The Hockey Writers!
http://thehockeywriters.com/2010-islanders-seasonal-review/
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Doug Weight is the current captain of the New York Islanders, but for how long?
Weight appeared in only 36 games this year due to injuries to his shoulder that eventually forced him into shutdown mode since his ailments required surgery. In that short time-frame, he scored 1 goal and 16 assists for 17 points. Despite having a solid outing on offense the year before, th...
(6) Bruins
vs.
(7) Flyers
[b]Prediction: Flyers in 7[/b]
[i]Synopsis[/i]: Both teams are dealing with some significant injuries. The Bruins get Savard back, but lose one of their only pure goal-scorers in Marco Sturm. Meanwhile, the Flyers are still without the services of Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter...both of whom would be first line players on the Bruins. The Bruin...
The Philadelphia Flyers are going to be the toughest opponents that the Montreal Canadiens have faced thus far in this year’s playoffs. That’s not only because Peter Laviolette’s 2010 squad is somewhat reminiscent of the old school Broad Street Bullies, but because they are a team that wins by out-working their opponents and doesn’t rely on raw talents like Ovechki...
The Flyers are in the Stanley Cup Finals! Congrats to all the Flyer faithful, and even those who had their moments of doubt and pain.
Mike Richards is becoming a leader before our eyes. His taking the game into his own hands against Boston, when he demolished Krejci, reminded me of Scott Stevens (only cleaner) on Lindros. As a Flyer fan who was psychologically injured ...
There were 4 players that most fans felt the Islanders would end up with at the 2010 draft with the 5th overall pick. Every mock draft had the Isles taking one of either Gormley, Gundbranson, Connolly or Fowler. when Garth Snow walked up to the podium at the Staples Center on Friday night, he proved that every mock draft, every fan, (including me) and every pundit was dead...
Looking back, Evgeny Artyukhin, Raffi Torres, and Cheechoo are still out there, If any of these guys get an offer, it is going to be a cheap one. The bulk of pundits think Torres may get an offer once the Kaberle situation is clarified. The other two seem to be on nobody's radar as of Aug 1. Savard has the best chance of going someplace like Calgary, if he goes anyplace at...
Today I will look at the Rangers in free agency as it pertains to their own guys. Here’s a break down of several of the Blue Shirts top UFA’s and RFA’s. I’ve included last year’s stats, salary and free agency status along with arguments for and against retaining the player plus my final take on the situation. In no particular order here we go.
Vinny Prospal �...
I will have to admit, in the past I have been very critical of David Poile and the Predators have not taking a high-end risk. (Yes, the Forsberg trade was a high-end risk.) I think a move like the acquisition of Sergei Kostitsyn from Montreal for a goaltender you had no interest in keeping as a UFA and a 4th, or at most a 3rd line center, who is a RFA and future considerat...
July 1st has come and gone with some surprising events and some not-so-surprising. There were a slew of signings but there were many good players still left searching for their new team; including star winger Ilya Kovalchuk, former Shark tender Evgeny Nabokov and veteran netminder Marty Turco.
This year’s UFA frenzy seems to be moving slower than in years past. This i...
10 year deal.....12 year deal.....15 year deal.....17 year deal.
Which of these deals is related to the New York Islanders? Any and all would be the correct answer in a previous year—but not in 2010.
How many of you fans have come onto these boards and poked fun of, cried, and lamented about how pathetic our team owner—Charles Wang has become. And that lame brain...
[IMG]http://i32.tinypic.com/14t6jnr.jpg[/IMG]
While it wasn't Maverick, Ice Man, and Goose (not to mention Kelly McGillis--talk about your young guns), a good time was had by the 2,200 and change inside the SPTimes Forum last Wednesday for the Lightning "Young Guns" event.
What a great idea. Showcase new talent, generate a bit of revenue, and stir up the faithful....
Hello black and gold fans. When it comes to dealing a player in these times many factors are in play. I for one would not trade either of these players at least not now. IF I could play GM I would hold on to both and if I needed to make a change I would wait til trade deadline 2011 then it would be just Savard You will receive more for Savard than Thomas now anyway. If ...
Since joining the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brian Burke has worked feverishly to distance the club from the atmosphere of mediocrity which pervaded during the years of mismanagement that came before.
While upgrading the playing staff and reducing the age demographic of the locker room are the two most apparent hallmarks Burke has placed upon the Leafs, his backstage upgradin...
Mr_X writes...
Does a deal for Marc Savard make sense w/the Ottawa Senators
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I don’t want to say what both teams should or shouldn’t do, or compare players to see who would get the best deal. To me, this one just makes sense, and it falls into place with the only scenario I can realistically think would work (for both).
Savard already expressed interest in waiving his NTC for both Ontario Teams if the right trade came along. Does it make se...
NHLNumbers writes...
Best Draft Years Between 1998 - Present (Anaheim to Detroit)
Posted Sunday | Comments 2
Total Games Played and Player Quality Considered - All results are open to debate
Anaheim Ducks 2003 Draft
Rd 1. Ryan Getzlaf
Rd 1. Corey Perry
Rd 6. Drew Miller
Rd 8. Shane O'Brian
Atlanta Thrashers 2000 Draft
Rd 1. Dany Heatley
Rd 6. Darcy Hordichuck
Boston Bruins 2006 Draft
Rd 1. Phil Kessel
Rd 2. Milan Lucic
Rd 3. Brad Marchand
Buffalo Sabres ...
detwiler007 writes...
If Kovalchuk = UFA, what does it mean to the Sabres?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Long story short, nothing. And everything.
Nothing because there is not a single chance in the world that the Sabres would do something as ridiculous as sign Kovalchuk. The Sabres already have 2 contracts like that: Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. On a quick aside, I would be very inclined to say that dumping either of those at the right price would be a very intell...
What did arbitrator Richard Bloch accomplish, in the big picture, in upholding the NHL's rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102-million contract and ruling against the NHLPA?
As Nicholas Cotsonika wrote "What, exactly, are the rules? They aren't clear. At least they aren't clear enough."
If a 44-year-old Kovalchuk playing in the NHL is "not impossible, but it i...
New post up over at The Hockey Writers looking for YOUR predictions as the Islanders head into the 2011 season. Will they make the playoffs? Will they get better production from their offense? What are your thoughts on Rick DiPietro continuing his come back?
http://thehockeywriters.com/nyi-2011-a-playoff-team/
Leave comments under the blog, they are always appreciate...
When talking about players who were drafted in the 7th Round of an NHL draft, not many players really stick out at you. Sure, there are the Henrik Zetterberg’s(7th Round in 1999) or Pavel Datsyuk’s(6th Round in 1998) of the world, but for the most part the best a late-rounder will be is a third line grinder or bottom tier defenceman.
Enter David Moss, drafted #220...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Peter Chiarelli (GM) Claude Julien (Head Coach)
[b]2009-10 Stats: [/b]82GP 39W 30L 13OTL 91PTS
[b]Place:[/b] 3rd Northeast, 6th East, 14th NHL
[b]Top Scorer:[/b] Patrice Bergeron – 19G 33A 52P
[b]Captains:[/b] Zdeno Chara (C), Patrice Bergeron (A)
[b]OFF-SEASON MOVES
OUT:[/b]
Denis Wideman (Dealt to Florida)
Vladimir Sobotka (Dealt to ...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Greg Sherman (GM), Joe Sacco (Head Coach)
[b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 43W 30L 9OTL 95PTS
[b]Place:[/b] 2nd Northwest, 8th West, 12th NHL
[b]Top Scorer:[/b] Paul Stastny – 81GP 20G 59A 79P
[b]Captains:[/b] Adam Foote (C), Paul Stastny (A), Milan Hejduk (A)
[b]OFF-SEASON MOVES
OUT:[/b]
Brett Clark (Signed with Tampa Bay)
Chris Durno (Sign...
Darcy Tucker has officially called it a career. "After spending the whole summer anticipating I would play, it got to a point where I knew it was time."
"I just knew, during workouts I didn't have that same feeling," Tucker told TSN, "and I needed to be fair with my family."
Darcy Tucker had a successful career playing the role of a grinding pest. After beginning hi...
Frazier writes...
My Two Cents: Underrated Rookie of 09-10, and Rookie Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The 2009-2010 season wasn't a very good year for rookies. No star breakouts.
Being a Buffalo fan, I love Tyler Myers. And I believe he did deserve to be the rookie of the year. However, I think that someone that could really have given him a run for his money is (*Cough* Tyler Ennis *Cough*) the NY Islanders' own John Tavares.
Let me break this down into why he's an...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Grab A Waiver Pick Up And Head For Opening Night
Posted Wednesday | Comments 4
Check out my two most recent posts:
Here at The Checking Line I take a look at the Islanders recent pick up in Michael Grabner. This site has taken off over the past year and has really developed into a solid and entertaining hockey site. Register and become a member so you can enjoy the forum and leave comments on each blog that you read!
http://thecheckingline.com/...
The Red Wings pulled another one out tonight, almost in spite of themselves. Taking three penalties late in the third period proved that the Wings have a decent penalty kill, but it's best not to try to give games away. Detroit's boys escaped with another two points against a Central Division rival that may prove critical down the stretch, but it wasn't pretty.
The Re...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that takes a look at how Trevor Gillies and Zenon Konopka are doing what they do best and helping the Islanders win hockey games...leave comments under the blog in the comments section!
http://bit.ly/aAa4lF
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Check out my recent post at The Hockey Writers discussing John Tavares' first NHL hat trick in the Islanders loss to Florida last night. Leave comments!
http://bit.ly/cwnHL4
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The trade rumors for Bruins center Marc Savard continued today, specifically pertaining to the Bruins shipping their star center off to the desert with the Phoenix Coyotes. Savard, who easily could never be back to his prime form, has been the Bruins leading scorer each full season since he was acquired after the 2005-2006 season. He has been a leader for the B's and in so...
This is my first blog on here so let me take a minute to introduce myself to all of you.
My name is Mike and I am a DIE HARD Islanders fan. One of the few remaining since the golden era of hockey here on Long Island.
I tried not to get caught up in all the hype to start the season with the Islanders making a miracle run to start things off. I will be the first to a...
The NHL has all kinds of players.
Some are skilled scorers.
Some are in your face competitors.
Some are there just to throw punches.
Sean Avery is a rare breed. He posses a little bit of each of these qualities, which in today's NHL makes him a valuable member to his team...well...on most night's anyway.
Yesterday Avery proved again why even though he can b...
With Marc Savard and Marco Sturm on the cusp of returning to the Bruins’ lineup, it has been well-known that there needs to be some changes in order to clear up salary-cap space.
The first move in what should be a long line of chess moves happened late Monday night for the Boston Bruins.
General Manager Peter Chiarelli shipped defenseman Matt Hunwick to the Colorado A...
The Thrashers are looking to keep it rolling tonight in Colorado versus the Avalanche. The way the team is clicking right now, they should do just that. Being drug up the standings by the play of Dustin Byfuglien and Ondrej Pavelec, the Thrashers will seek a franchise tying sixth straight win tonight. Following a week of play that included victories over the Capitals (...
The Iceman writes...
Islanders Lack Offensive Attack, And Protection In Own Zone.
Posted Friday | Comments 1
With the Isles set to concluded there home and home mini series with the Rangers tonight at MSG, they are once again trying to dig themselves out of a hole that they themselves have dug. A sloppy yet gut wrenching 6-5 loss last night at the coliseum can be blamed on turnovers, countless defensive lapses, failure to clear the puck, failure to protect the puck, failure to cl...
Rob McGowan writes...
The Kids Are Alright, Isles Youngsters Aren't The Problem
Posted Monday | Comments 6219
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line, taking a look at the current core of this team and how the 2011 year has been treating them statistically
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/kids-are-alright-isles-youngsters-arent-problem
Register and leave comments! Also be sure to check out Better With Popcorn (BWP) at betterwithpopcorn.com...
The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for help on the wing (as always). They have recently inquired about Nikita Filatov, Kris Versteeg, and David Booth.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to bring in a puck moving defenceman from the Eastern Conference. Mike Commodore cleared waivers, and will soon hit re-entry waivers.
The Boston Bruins are not shopping Marc Savard...
Check out my latest post at THW discussing John Tavares recent scoring streak
http://bit.ly/eF8wqS
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
With the Avalanche sitting in 8th Place, in a tight Western Conference. Meaning, on any given night you could be in 4th place or within a few loses and beeing out of the Playoff Picture and as low as 11th Place.
So, with that said. With the Trading Deadline Fast Approching. The Avalanche havent had any consistent Goaltending all year and the Defense not there on some n...
The boys in Maroon and Blue really enjoy keeping the Avs fans on the edge, right until the very end. It has become a common trend to see more competitiveness amongst the teams in the NHL, especially from the Western Conference. Last year the Avs clinched the final spot in the West just five points ahead of the 90 point Blues and Flames. This year it seems to be even closer...
Nothing has ever come easy to Jonas Gustavsson in his hockey career. He has had to work for everything that he has achieved and has strived to prove naysayers that he is capable of being a starting goaltender in the NHL.
After displaying a dominant performance in his final season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League, which included a 1.96 goals against average, 0....
The past two games may have been the Avs worst combined performances all year. Colorado is now outside the playoff race at No. 9 with 54 points, 1 back of No. 8 San Jose, and 2 back of No. 7 Chicago.
With a 5-1 and 6-2 lose to the Preds and Bruins respectively, it appeared that the Avs were sloppy and defeated at every position on the ice. With the exception of Matt Du...
The last bunch of games have been a roller coaster for this young Avs roster. The boys in Burgundy and Blue simply have to be better and more consistent if they would like to stay in the playoff picture.
Goaltending has been extremely shaky. Anderson had a solid game, followed by complete disasters. The one game vs. the Wild, he was poised, controlled and making those s...
The NHL All-Star game happening this weekend in Raleigh, and during the broadcast of the All-Star draft, TSN mentioned that the salary cap numbers for both of All-Star rosters where over $100 million! This got me thinking about what type of All-Star team could I put together using the NHL Salary Cap floor of $43.4 million.
This team will be made up of 12 Forwards, 6 D...
Let me begin this post by congratulating our very own Michael Grabner on his stellar performance this evening in Carolina. I don't think anyone is shocked by the outcome and like I have said a million times before, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!!
To catch up a little bit, I know I am a few days behind but the blog went live last night so I wanna address some recent headl...
The Islanders kick off the second half of the season against the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday night, game #50.
So what should we expect to see from this team in the remaining 33 games?
In my opinion we are going to see the Islanders improve. I think their second half record will be a nice improvement from the first half. I also feel that this second half will be a...
First off, WELCOME back Kyle Okposo. He picked up his first two goals of the season. Travis Hamonic also grabbed his first of the year and first of his career. So it was a great night for the first timers.
I will keep this short. It was a great night all around. A few minor breakdowns and 1 fluke goal. I'd say if they keep up this play and this strong effort they will p...
So after listening to all the feedback from last nights game I have thought long and hard about what I would say on here today.
I realize a little extra caution is necessary since I am the new kid on the block. So allow me to express my opinion and not use a single vulgar word in the process.......this time.
I am as big of an Islanders fan as anyone out there. I am a...
The word is spreading like a wild fire, Rick DiPietro's selfish flashy play once again bites the Islanders in the butt and this time the pain will last 4-6 weeks.
I can't say I am all that unhappy, I am glad Poulin should get the nod as starter.
I have been following the blogs, tweets, and other forums and people seemed to have mixed reviews on the fight the other ...
First I want to apologize for the late post. We were celebrating my 30th birthday and what an ending to an awesome night.
The game was action packed from start to finish.
I was lucky enough to be sitting in section 118, so I got an up close look at Matt Martin pounding Z. Smith of Ottawa.
So during the week people were taking jabs at the Isles saying they lack hea...
If you look at the Avs and try to point out the problem, you're going to have a hard to time because the whole team is out to lunch.
I mean I've seen porous defense but they look like swiss cheese out there! No, its not just Hunwick even though he is the worst thing for Colorado since Patrice Brisebios. [At least he's not making 60 foot passes across the neutral zone in o...
What a 2 days it has been. I didn't blog about last nights game because my goal wasn't to do a blog after each and every game breaking down the periods. I wanna write about what is happening with this team.
I have said a million times we are building a winner. I have been laughed at, made fun of and insulted. I have tried explaining to people the transition that the tea...
Hey, I'm just another armchair GM and fan, but if I'm Calgary's Jay Feaster, I'm really looking to bulk up for a serious playoff push. With the way Calgary have turned their season around since the departure of Darryl Sutter, I suspect Calgary will squeak into the playoffs.
And, I’d hate to be the guy to say “anything can happen in the playoffs”, but… ANYTHING C...
To eliminate myself from any bias, allow me start off by saying I was born and raised a Toronto Maple Leafs fan idolizing Mats Sundin. Based on his contributions to my favourite team, he's my favourite player of all time.
Having said that, the greatest Swede ever is retiring today. Something I calculated on my own time that I think a lot of people overlook is that only ...
What an ending!!!!
I am ALMOST at a loss for words right now. 2 months ago this would have been another loss however this new and improved version of the Islanders continues to shock and awe people.
Michael "The Rocket" Grabner scored AGAIN and Josh Bailey notched his first goal in 20+ games.
This team continues to amaze me. I can't say I am all that surprised how...
What an ending!!!!
I am ALMOST at a loss for words right now. 2 months ago this would have been another loss however this new and improved version of the Islanders continues to shock and awe people.
Michael "The Rocket" Grabner scored AGAIN and Josh Bailey notched his first goal in 20+ games.
This team continues to amaze me. I can't say I am all that surprised how...
Before I launch into my game analysis I just wanna thank everyone who took the time to introduce themselves to me at the game tonight. I also want to say what a pleasure it was to meet the one and only Dee Karl. I also had the honor of meeting Dani, the NY Islanders social media manager. A true professional. Oh and I got to meet Stan Fischler. I even took a picture with hi...
You know how every single time something that you are doing is coming to an end you reflect back and imagine a million ways you could have made it better? Well the 2010-2011 season is coming to a close and looking back at all the ups and downs of the season so far, I have made a top 10 list of things I wish would happen in the 2011-2012 season.
List is subject to chang...
Over the past few days we have continued to see the Islanders keep their hot pace going. They are slowly creeping up the standings at a pace of 2 points a night. Right now the main focus is on the Devils but keep watching the Islanders, as they have one of the best records in the second half so far.
I was fortunate enough to secure my $20 tickets early however I was on...
Well Long Island wasn't a happy place to be tonight.
I was totally amped up to attend tonights game after the amazing ending to the Philly game on Thursday. I thought for sure the team would come out on fire against the caps who got tossed around by the Rangers last night 6-0.
On Thursday they didn't play their best hockey of the season but their heart and determinat...
Montreal Canadians are moving!
They are in the process of trading Scott Gomez, PK Subban and Louis Leblanc to Tampa Bay, in return they will get Vinny Lecavalier. Rumor says that they will bring down Beliveau #4 jersey from the Bell Center ceiling and give it to Vinny Lecavalier.
Perhaps the best thing that GM Sherman could have done at the deadline is stand pat. He did just that and it seems to be the right move. The amount of tension in the lockeroom has been increasing and due to the slide in the standings it was only increasing as the trade deadine approached. Players like Liles and Stastny were in numerous rumors and with the way that Sherman ...
Some people seem to think that something good always comes away from something bad.
Well that just may be what happened to the Islanders after Tuesdays tough loss in the winding down seconds of the third period and ultimately finalized in OT.
Holding a 1-0 lead with just a few seconds remaining to the game they gave up the tying goal and later in OT Ovechkin sealed t...
New post over at The Checking Line covering the Islanders 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues this afternoon at the Nassau Coliseum
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-defenders-tune-out-blues-5-2-win
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Well another phenomenal weekend in the Islanders world has come and gone.
On Saturday we were witness to the destruction of another west coast team, the St. Louis Blues.
The game started with a highlight reel goal by John Tavares (1G, 1A-2 Points) breaking his 9 game goal slump. Mark my words, that will be a top 10 finalist when they vote for the best goals of the se...
http://nyi247.blogspot.com/ GOTTA SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT
As the season comes to a close and the Islanders off season quickly approaches, the issue of the new arena will once again become a talking point. I decided to take a little road trip over to Jersey and check out the new arena.
In my life I have been fortunate enough to visit several Baseball stadiums across the U.S. . In my travels I made it a point to visit Wrigley F...
As the 4-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers was the most disappointing win of the season, last night's fall to the Washington Capitals 5-4 in a shootout was definitely the most satisfying loss this year for the Philadelphia Flyers.
This entire week, with games against Washington, Pittsburgh, and Boston, is pivotal for playoff placement, and we will all see just how...
Check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
Follow me on Twitter @nyi247
I have been discussing Zenon Konopka's role on the Islanders for a pretty long time now and as the season wraps up there are more and more people discussing his future on Long Island.
There is no denying what he has brought to this team over the past season and how big of an impact he has h...
check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
Now that the Islanders are officially out of the playoff race it is time to start looking towards next season and see what improvements need to be made to become a contender next year.
First let me say, I think this season was a huge success. Sounds crazy, I'll explain. As last season concluded, myself and many other fans...
The Islanders season has sadly come to an end, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism heading into next season...and concerns as well.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-2011-end-year-review
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I saw a joke the other day on the internet; a bar graph titled: WHEN AN ATHEIST BELIEVES IN GOD. And it showed bars with various categories like: in an argument, running late to work, didn't study, etc... with various percentages. The only category with 100% was 'Watching a Sporting Event'...
I feel like, as far as jokes go, this couldn't be truer.
I won't get into ...
When netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was pegged the starter for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins, there was a faint hope in the minds of Flyers fans that they had finally found their true, number one goaltender. The young Russian goaltender has needless to say, come out of nowhere. Winning 28 games this season, and having a superb first half of the season (much...
With the goaltending of Ryan Miller and Jhonas Enroth, they helped provide some great saves during the regular and post-season. Compiled, is the top 10 saves from this past year, Starting with #10 then working down to #1. Enjoy!
Click here to check out the countdown:
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/05/20/saves-of-the-year/[/url]
Read my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the busy week that just passed for the New York Islanders and what might be the next move made by Isles GM Garth Snow
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-are-making-noise-early-off-season
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Willie Wilts writes...
LEAFS – Richards or Stamkos Possibility? Is Vinny The Key?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The debate over where Dallas superstar center Brad Richards will play next season is heating up again after Richards basically said goodbye to the Dallas fans via twitter Saturday night. Many teams are in the hunt for his services of course but the Leafs and Rangers were thought to be the front runners. That is until it became known Brad preferred to play in a less Media...
I just got off the phone with a source of mine in Colorado who tells me a Huge trade might happen soon between the Av's & Leafs.
[u][b]To Colorado[/b][/u]: Gustavsson, Lebda, 25th & 30th Picks in 1st Round (2011), Leafs 3rd Round Pick (2011) & Boston's 2nd Round Pick in (2012)
[b][u]To Toronto[/u][/b]: Paul Stastny & John-Michael Liles
I hope t...
Read the latest at The Checking Line with updates from Micheal Haley, Travis Hamonic and Matt Moulson as to their thoughts on Ryan Strome and what they have planned for the summer!
http://t.co/B1X18Ae
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
P.S. I apologize for the multiple posts of the Strome article, my browser was not working properly.
Making the assumption that Darcy Regier has stopped tinkering, and by tinkering I mean doing it with a sledgehammer, the Sabres have their team set for the 2011-12 NHL season. The only exceptions to this being signing Enroth, Gragnani, and Weber. The final spot on the roster I probably foresee being designated to bringing up one of the forwards from Rochester. Luke Adam ha...
So I guess we will start out with the end of our playoffs. To me these play offs were just ok. I never felt like the sharks were going to dominate a series. We almost dominated the wings but we all know how that went. To me the sharks were relying on their size and puck possession as the only offense. This can work well but isn't the hardest thing to defend when you kn...
Will it be Mark Streit? Kyle Okposo? John Tavares? Or could it possibly be some else? Head over to my post at The Checking Line for a look at who might be next to captain the New York Islanders.
http://t.co/J8juNlB
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Steve-B-Avs-96 writes...
Ryan O'Reilly Top 10 in Takeaways per 60 Min Last Season.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
There is not much to read about these days but this is definitely something that highlights what a special talent we have as a 3rd line center. Considering the company he keeps on this list I thought it was worth discussing. This kid might well be the best 3rd line center in hockey some day.
All we need to do now is give this kid some consistency in his wingers and the ...
Steve-B-Avs-96 writes...
Ryan O'Reilly Top 10 in Takeaways per 60 Min Last Season.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
There is not much to read about these days but this is definitely something that highlights what a special talent we have as a 3rd line center. Considering the company he keeps on this list I thought it was worth discussing. This kid might well be the best 3rd line center in hockey some day.
All we need to do now is give this kid some consistency in his wingers and the ...
With an 82 game schedule this upcoming season for the young Colorado Avalanche here is a look at the big showdowns heading into the 2011-2012 season. As always games will become more important throughout the season based on standings and previous meetings between the clubs.
If you see another stellar tilt on the calendar add some reasons why fans should mark it down and...
The August 1st referendum failed, Blake Comeau has been re-signed, the realm of uncertainty looms about the aging Coliseum and a third jersey has been leaked on the Internet. Read my latest piece at The Checking Line as I report what has been happening on the Island.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-fans-ask-whats-next
-Rob McGowan...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 7 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Colorado Avalanche Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
...I think Brendan Shanahan will do a great job as the new league disciplinarian. He has the combination of playing experience, intelligence and common sense to understand how the game should be played and officiated.
...I'm NOT REALLY DIGGING the new Predators home uniforms. Maybe when I see them in game action my mind will change, but right now, I'm reminded too much ...
The dust is starting to settle. The pain of another baffling 'shot-yourselves-in-the-foot' playoff ouster is starting to subside. We're not even to training camp yet, but we've had a chance to reflect on a season that was disappointing in result but promising to build on. If you feel like you've had that thought before about the Sharks, you aren't alone. But reflecting on ...
This week in hockey
Well I am going to start a weekly blog outlining the happenings around the NHL. I know that probably no one will ever read this aside from my wife and I but figured what the heck. It has always been sort of a pipedream of mine to become a sports journalist but with life and bills getting in the way it could never become more than that. Hopefully this b...
Rob McGowan writes...
Tavares Nets Six Year Contract Extension With Isles
Posted Thursday | Comments 6
The New York Islanders have locked up number one center, John Tavares to a six-year contract extension that will keep him with the organization through the 2017-2018 season. Rob McGowan reports.
Head over to The Checking Line to read more!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/tavares-nets-six-year-contract-extension-isles
-Rob McGowan
...
As training camp concludes and the Avalanche inch ever-forward toward the regular season, many doubts still abound in the Rocky Mountains, but could there be hope in the mile-high city?
If you’re among those following analysts around the league, the outlook for the Avalanche this season seems pretty grim. Don’t judge them too harshly, however, as there is ample re...
The 2012 season is just around the corner as the Islanders prepare to embark on the year that will hopefully be different than the previous three of the rebuild. Check out my post at The Checking Line that provides an insightful look at the upcoming season.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/and-islanders-will-finish
The 2012 season is just around the corner as the Islanders prepare to embark on the year that will hopefully be different than the previous three of the rebuild. Check out my post at The Checking Line that provides an insightful look at the upcoming season.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/and-islanders-will-finish
-Rob McGowan
Follow...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
Yesterday the Islanders announced the new captain of the team, but there was also something else to report: a new proposal for the Nassau Coliseum. Head over to The Checking Line to read more:
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-files-new-captain-new-arena-proposal
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The war of words is already in full force among fans of the NHL, more specifically supporters of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. "Wayne Simmonds is a hypocrite." "Sean Avery is a scumbag." "(Insert player of choice) committed the worse crime."
Comparisons to other cases of unsportsmanlike conduct have been made.
But the truth is that derogatory and di...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Bolts Have Cleared Waivers. Fold Laundry With a Purpose!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Of note, forwards Mike Angelidis, Michel Ouellet, Alex Picard, Trevor Smith and J.T. Wyman, and defensemen Richard Petiot and Mike Vernace have all cleared waivers. These seven players are now assigned to the training camp of the AHL's Norfolk Admirals.
With the remaining members of the Lightning's main camp fully settled i...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as the Islanders have made a few decisions regarding the roster as training camp and pre-season are quickly coming to a close
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-files-inching-closer-season
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Several promising Rangers prospects fell victim to the second round of cuts on Saturday, as the roster was trimmed to 25 players. It seems like the club will at least start the year with only one rookie on the roster, and Stu Bickel does not figure to see much of the ice. This is a turnaround from last season when the opening night lineup included rookies Michael Sauer and...
Dirty rumour that Sid-the-Kid will be back in line-up shortly. This is strictly a rumour at this point. Crosby has not yet been cleared for contact, and he is still wearing the red jersey in practise.
That being said, the line has opened up on Sidney Crosby's games played this year. Vegas bookrunners have the odds at exactly 50 / 50. On the over under for games played t...
The Islanders managed to pull out a win against the Minnesota Wild on Monday but have struggled to get pucks to the net. Rob McGowan takes an in depth look at the Isles offensive struggles.
http://thecheckingline.com/node/4745
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
[img]http://wwwcache.wralsportsfan.com/asset/racing/nascar/2008/09/25/3611612/25368-nhl-400x300.jpg[/img]
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b]
We are now 8 days into the new NHL season. We’ve got goals, fights, suspensions (with videos), shutouts, and yes! The first classless act of the season from Mr. Arron Asham (albeit he’s a good guy, and ma...
The Islanders top line has started to click with Moulson, Tavares and Parenteau finding the back of the net. But will the rest of the team be able to keep up? Head to The Checking Line for a look at the team's offensive depth.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/where-isles-second-act
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.co...
Who the heck are these guys ?
Wow. So far this season the Jets had yet to show ANY kind of jump. Whatever Claude Noel said to the team appears to have got through. I don't think the Pens registered a shot on goal through the first 10 minutes of that period.
Alex Burmistrov was easily the best Jet out there. So slick with the puck. He registered an assist on each...
2-1 Jets after 40 minutes.
Fantastic chances for both teams in the period. Pavelec has been unbelievable. This must be that goaltender that I heard about in the early part of last season, holy smokes. This could easily be a 5-5 game if the teams had buried the plethora of chances they have gotten.
Refs pooched a goalie interference call (or should I say non-call) ...
So it appears my prediction of a Penguins laugher was somewhat off.
You really can't blame me for thinking it would be a cakewalk for the Pens after what the Jets had shown over the course of their first three games. I don't really know if this was the Jets team we can expect to see throughout the rest of the season or if it was just an anomaly.
Here are some of the...
The only thing missing from the Avalanche Game was the home team advantage. Sorry but I am going to say it one of the best teams in the league (for the moment) have a horrible fan base. Never in my life have I been to a home game and heard the away team chant... And the worst part was that the home team chants where swiftly overcome by "Lets go Blackhawks." Absolutely terr...
So lets start by saying Hello, to my fellow bloggers.
This is my First Blog ever, so bare with me. Unfortunately for all you Vancouver Canucks haters, i am not one. I have been a fan for as long as i can possibly remember. Lets get down to business.
There is a lifetime of Luongo things that can and will be written, along with cody Hodgson, the twins production and al...
The Islanders have fallen to .500 after losing two straight in Florida. Is it time for head coach Jack Capuano to shuffle up the lines? Rob McGowan takes a look at the Islanders' play over the past six games.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/are-isles-better-500
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Like us...
Curious as to what is new with top Islanders prospect, Ryan Strome? Well there is plenty, and you can find it all out in my interview at The Checking Line!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/one-one-ryan-strome
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Be sure to "like" The Checking Line's new Islanders Facebook ...
The Islanders played a full 60-minute hockey game last night but lost in overtime due to a questionable call on Travis Hamonic. Rob McGowan provides the post-game report at The Checking Line.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-get-hammered-sharks
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Be sure to "lik...
Now that the long road trip is over and the Rangers still seem incapable of playing a full game of good hockey, fans turn to the next excuse for failure. The defense has been struggling without its leader Marc Staal, that is undeniable. However, the suggestion that a miraculous return by Staal would put an end to the Rangers’ struggles seems a bit misguided. He would cer...
Sully8303 writes...
Battle of the back ups: Ben Scrivens vs Jonas Gustavsson
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson's recent decision to start 'Big Ben' instead of 'The Monster' against the St Louis Blues played out as nothing short of an inspired choice. Scrivens was undeniably excellent on a night when the Leafs came out strong, fell asleep for 35 minutes, and then awoke for the final few minutes and overtime to earn the W. What does this decision ultima...
Steve-B writes...
Our top 6 (NOT TOP 9) Projected pt totals & Line juggling
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I ripped this off of the Avs website. Just for fun I was going through and looking at the projected point totals for our TOP six forwards.
_____________
GP G A +/- Pts
M. Duchene
17 6 7 -2 13
M. Hejduk
17 7 5 -1 12
R. O'Reilly
17 2 10 -1 12
P. Stastny
17 5 6 -4 11
D. Jones
17 6 4 -3 10
G. Landeskog
17 5 3 +2 8
_____________
Duchene - 28G / 35A / 63P...
[i] Author's note: Hit the "Discuss" link to comment on any individual topic in a regular Hockeybuzz forum [/i]
The Rangers have not lost a game since recalling Sean Avery from the Connecticut Whale on October 31. Contrast the 4-0 record with him in the lineup against the 5-3-3 record with him off the ice, and it looks pretty good for the agitator. This continues a long...
Rob McGowan takes a look at the current state of the New York Islanders as well as providing some suggestions as to what needs to be done for both the long and short term benefits of this hockey team.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/where-have-isles-gone
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.faceboo...
OK .
Where do i start.
Do you know what is sad? When a Die-hard Avs fan like myself has to witness so many bad played games by the Avs that i consider not cheering for them anymore. But i cant do that, because that means i would have to stop liking hockey altogether. And honestly, i still love the Avs.
So i was thinking on my way home after the 3-0 loss t...
The Islanders, who are boasting the worst offense in the league with only a dismal 59 goals for (the second worst team is the L.A. Kings with 63), were heavily criticized for one specific thing over the past three months; not scoring enough goals. (Shocking, right?)
After being shutout several times this year, the Isles were becoming a one-trick pony; if the line of Mou...
It’s not often that the Lightning and Avalanche get together. As I mentioned in one my other game previews, that is going to be one really nice thing about re-alignment. We will get to see all these Western teams twice a year. Not only will it help to create rivalries, but it will really help spread the game across the United States. I can’t be the only one who is ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Lose to Avalanche in Goalie Battle + Rumor Round-Up
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
My prediction was a high scoring, offensive battle with the Lightning coming out on top. Instead, we got a low scoring chess match in which the Lightning lost. It’s high time I stop predicting Lightning wins; they never seem to come through. Let’s get to my post-game Good, Bad, Ugly analysis.
[b]The Good[/b]
The best part about tonight, despite the outcome, was ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
A V for Vinny, a V for Victory: Bolts Down Habs 4-3
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Although the effort wasn’t as strong as it had been in the last two, you’ve got to like the Lightning’s comeback from 3-1 down. It was a game that had a little bit of emotion, some nice offensive play and a lot of excitement. Overall, while I wasn’t totally impressed with everything from the Bolts tonight, it was nice to see a victory after falling behind early. ...
Yellowknife, NT
[img:left]http://nyrnation.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/sean_avery-300x3001.jpg[/img]
Welcome to the first rendition of the Broadway Blueshirt Blogger. You will have to forgive me as I am not a professional writer or journalist. I am simply a die hard New York Rangers fan. I signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent fan on July 21, 1996 alon...
The Nashville Predators d-man Shea Weber practiced without contact on Tuesday for the first time since suffering the injury on December 23 2011 againts the Dallas Stars, Says ESPN.
The 26 year-old had skated with his teammates in a public practice in Franklin, but Nashville coach Barry Trotz maintains that there is still not a realistic time line for when the Predators ...
Semyon Varlamov stopped all 25 Chicago Blackhawks shots he faced en route to Colorado Avalanche's dominating 4-0 victory last night.
Simply put, the Blackhawks were out-skated at almost all parts of the ice and Corey Crawford was no where near as sharp as his opponent, Varlamov, was at the United Center last night.
The Blackhawks did have some decent scoring chances ...
14 of the past 19 on the road, an absolutely brutal, brutal stretch, the last three games the Wings havent had their legs, falling behind early by two or more all three times. I nice week at home, games every other day, plenty of rest and home cooking for this years best home team, Datsyuk healing, Jimmy Howard rested up. currently sitting in third place, two points behi...
Three wins in a row...two in the Sunshine state where we've definitely taken our lumps over the years...and one against the Hurricanes - who also give us fits...has Penguin fans feeling a lot better than a week ago.
Without exaggeration...we needed those wins badly.
I wouldn't say all of the Penguins ills have been cured...but it is safe to say that they seem to be ...
Another game, another loss. Give the Avs credit, they played a solid game but the issue of scoring keeps coming up. Right now, the Avs just dont have that extra shooter that can be a difference maker for this team. Mueller's play has been a spark, no doubt, Duchene is still hurt, but even when both come back this teams loaded down the middle but lacking a true sniper on th...
As the trade deadline approaches there is much speculation, anticipation, and reservation to go around, depending on where your rooting interests lie. Sometimes it is easy to predict the players that will be traded, but where they go and for who can be a little tougher to pick. Instead of trying to figure the future out, I am going to revisit some recent trades that invo...
For the Chicago Blackhawks, it gets to a point when the same old excuses become more than tiresome cliches:
"The *insert excuse here* just didn't get it done tonight."
Despite Chicago maintaining a 2-2 tie heading into the third period, David Jones had a three point night and Paul Stastny put up two assists as Colorado skated away with a 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.
...
Theres a lot being made of the Avs trading two high draft choices for Varlamov, who till this date has yet to secure the starting goaltender role from JS Giguere. Varlamov, a 23 year old former first round draft pick has amassed a total of 90 games over 3 seasons in the NHL, with a record of 44-29-13 GAA of 2.60 and a .910 SV%.
Just for a comparison, 23 year old Jonath...
To the Blues Management and Coaching Staff,
Please do something with Chris Stewart. He's not helping the team. He's not a good player right now. He's not producing. He's not working. He's not a Blue. It's way past time for something drastic. Was today the day?
Reports from practice today are coming in as positive as ever for #25. Hitch, good job in putting hi...
Something is happening this year with the St. Louis Blues. Something is different. Things are changing. A 5-1 victory, in years past, would call for a parade down market. Nothing but good feelings. No matter how the team would have played the score would have dominated the coverage, the reaction from the fans, even the players and how they talk about the game. This y...
Kyle Quincey was the perfect pickup for the Wings. As I see them, here are the reasons...
1. Former Wing, knows the players, the system, wont disrupt chemistry.
2. You can never have enough d-men in the post season. This gives us eight.
3. Insurance with Stuart moving on.
4. Can quarterback the second power play unit, something we desperately need.
5. He paired with...
There’s been a lot of talk lately as the Sabres (and fans) assess their organization. Again, the idea of creating a so called “Hockey Heaven” in Buffalo is pretty vague.
Management thinks that it is making it a great place to play hockey. The idea of selling Buffalo of as a great place to raise a family is fantastic too. The new locker rooms and upgrades to the a...
What the hell was that? The Flames looked terrible tonight against a much better Blues team. Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/flames-sing-blues
Newman
I can already imagine the comments I will get on this piece, but regardless what I am told, I need to document my stance on this (as well as put this on record for when the prediction comes true :)).
Jonas Gustavsson has been under some serious heat from the moment he was signed by the Blue and White. Thought of as the soon-to-be goaltending saviour of the franchise, w...
[b]Welcome to another blog by Aarif Deen. For more blogs, and EVERYTHING HOCKEY 24/7, follow me on twitter @NHLAarifDeenRep. Enjoy the read![/b]
Well here we are fellas. It has been eight years to the day Todd Bertuzzi shocked the entire hockey world by pulling off one of, if not, the biggest cheap-shot in the history of the game. Young, promising, gritty forward St...
I don't usually write a blog that simply mentions another blog but this seems to be very appropriate.
Tim Panaccio's latest:
[url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Tim-Panaccio/Flyers-React-to-Elimination/2/44345[/url]
A bunch of comments from the Flyer's players and coach but the things they say, about how different the two series were, are very telling.
The most ...
FEFZONE28 writes...
Why the Avalanche Have a Better Shot at Ryan Suter
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
While a team like Detroit might be closer to winning a cup *now* don't you think if he was signing somewhere he would want the team to be competitive on the long term basis? I am not doubting that Detroit will be competitive because of their management but with Lidstrom retiring and Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the downswing of their careers, they are going in the opposite di...
Howard Berger tweeted yesterday that Toronto could be re-visiting talks for Stastny. We all know that Toronto was throwing deals at the Avs earlier in the season for Stastny that were just straight up ridiculous. They tried to offer us Nikolai Kulemin, Cody Franson and a third round draft pick in 2013 for Stastny. That would be a horrible deal so why not send one back a...
TheJerseyDevil1 writes...
Why the Avalanche Need to Make a Strong Push for Semin
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hello all,
As it finally turns to open season for UFA hunting, despite the array of recent signings, Colorado still sits with a roster of just 16. So where does Sherman go from here?
The Av's have 8 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed as of July 1st. There are still a couple notable RFA's who should reach deals like Erik Johnson and Jamie McGinn. With some ...
I am new to the site, and plan on giving a different perspective on Buffalo Sabres hockey. My knowledge of the Sabres is extensive as my 20 year hockey career. Today is as fitting a day as ever as it was 5 years ago today that the Sabres lost Briere and Drury. New ownership, a different looking team, but the same diehard fans. Here is to a great 2012-2013 season!
Don't ...
JasonPanov writes...
Free Agent Signing to Add Energy to Detroit Goalie Corps
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I know I promised (on Facebook) that I wouldn't make any Monster jokes, but I couldn't help myself. Wings have inked former Toronto backstop Jonas Gustavsson to a 2 year deal. Gustavsson went 39-45-15 in 107 appearances with the Maple Leafs over the past three seasons with a 298 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. To be honest, I’m not terribly exci...
Is there one piece still missing ? With over 17 million left in Cap space, O'Reilly will get a raise somewhere around the 3+ million mark Jamie McGinn should get a raise probably around 1.5-2 million area. Leaving close to 12+ Left so Im thinking between 3-4 million on another top 6 forward would be a bonus plus you must lose salary with a D-man going somewhere hate to say...
According to a Twitter hockey insider there is a possibility of Darcy Regier going after Shane Doan to possibly replace Thomas Vaneknif he's used in a trade which looks like it would be for Paul Stastny. Buffalo has talked to Doan's agent and has also had multiple talks with the Avalanche. In my eyes, Buffalo should do whatever it takes to grab Stastny with giving up a to...
According to a Twitter hockey insider there is a possibility of Darcy Regier going after Shane Doan to possibly replace Thomas Vaneknif he's used in a trade which looks like it would be for Paul Stastny. Buffalo has talked to Doan's agent and has also had multiple talks with the Avalanche. In my eyes, Buffalo should do whatever it takes to grab Stastny with giving up a to...
It's about time that the Leafs make the right moves with reasonable mutual moves its clear that the Nucks are asking too much Bernier may make a good move for the Leafs and provide a 1 2 punch.
As for talent within they have assets thaty need to take initiative to build themselves up to the next level.
Kadri, Colbourne, Frattin all could elevate their game to top 6 i...
[u]I apologize for the late submission of part 4. I've been having trouble on this website getting this uploaded. Finally got it to work. Thanks for reading![/u]
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.
[/b]
[b]15. Los Angeles: [/b]
Lad...
Obviously everyone out in blogger world (for the NHL at least) is igniting this site with lock out news (we all know its looking grim for a normal season). So I figured A different blog could be beneficial to us who still want to discuss possible outcomes for the (hopeful) season.
I believe we Avs fans are on the verge of a season worth the wait considering how tough i...
Obviously everyone out in blogger world (for the NHL at least) is igniting this site with lock out news (we all know its looking grim for a normal season). So I figured A different blog could be beneficial to us who still want to discuss possible outcomes for the (hopeful) season.
I believe we Avs fans are on the verge of a season worth the wait considering how tough i...
Obviously everyone out in blogger world (for the NHL at least) is igniting this site with lock out news (we all know its looking grim for a normal season). So I figured A different blog could be beneficial to us who still want to discuss possible outcomes for the (hopeful) season.
I believe we Avs fans are on the verge of a season worth the wait considering how tough i...
The Philadelphia Flyers find themselves 0-3 for the first time since 1995, in what was also a locked-out season. There have been many pitfalls for this team thusfar, and from what I've seen the team is playing worse and worse each game.
In the Pittsburgh game, the two goals Pittsburgh scored on Bryzgalov came immediately off of faceoffs, the first one a PP goal on 3 Pit...
This is seemingly assuredly, the Avs don't want to pay his contract and need something in return. The reason for hiatus is that they want O'Rielly for his center ice play. This gives a major advantage for the leafs.
Reason:
Tyler Bozak.
Now I like Tyler Bozak, he has been good for us, not #1 center but good, and I know he is no Ryan O-Rielly.
Here's why I think he...
The Flyers just pulled off probably the biggest win of the season against the Islanders today. I think I speak for most Flyers fans when I say it's about time they got a win, especially in blowout fashion. The Flyers needed goals, and badly. Up until today, the boys were having trouble scoring more than one goal per game. The Flyers have definitely been lacking scoring...
Well this is more like it! A lot more of what I expected out of the Habs this year, building a lead through two periods and blowing it in the third. I know it’s a pessimistic point of view, but one thing I’ve learned from Les Habitants is to never count your chickens before they hatch. My one key to this game was to shutdown Tavares and Moulson, the only offensive punc...
[b]Tale of the Tape[/b]
BOS 11-2-2 NYI 8-10-1
Goals For: BOS 2.87 NYI 2.90
Goals Against: BOS 2.20 NYI 3.37
Special Teams BOS: PP 14.9%(23rd) PK 94.8%(1st)
Special Teams NYI: PP 24.4% (5th) PK 84.1% (9th)
Bruins Road Record 7-1-1
Islanders Home Record 2-7-0
Season Series: 1-0 Boston (4-2 January 25th)
Currently Riding: BOS 3W NYI 1L
[b]Pr...
The score does not do this game justice. It’s not too often you can sit down and enjoy a 4-1 loss, but this was the exception.
The first period saw both teams come out physical early on, trading hits and matching each other’s physical agenda. Isles head coach Jack Capuano did his best at the beginning of the frame to avoid the Tavares-Chara match-up that, apparently...
[b]Tale of the Tape[/b]
OTT 12-7-3 NYI 8-11-2
Goals For: OTT 2.14 NYI 2.86
Goals Against: OTT 1.82 NYI 3.48
Special Teams: OTT PP 15.8%(20th) OTT PK 89.2%(3rd)
NYI PP 23.5% (5th) NYI PK 84.9% (7th)
Senators Road Record 3-6-1
Islanders Home Record 2-8-1
Season Series: 1-0 Ottawa (3-1 February 21st)
Currently Riding: OTT 1L NYI 3L
[b]Projected Lines[/b]
[i...
Yesterday the Islanders were able to stop a three game skid by beating the Ottawa Senators on home ice. No, it’s not a typo. The Islanders actually won a game on home ice. I caught only bits and pieces of the game. Afternoon games are not made for people with kids, unless you’re at the game.
Brad Boyes got the Islanders on the board first with a nice shot over the g...
The Islanders kept up with the Canadiens and battled their way to a 6-3 victory, their second win in as many games at home. A more balanced attack by Capuano and Co. led to fresh legs that were able to keep up with the speedy Canadiens. The Islanders offense is scoring at a rate that keeps them in the tops in the league, possibly something that Montreal didn't consider and...
royalgardens writes...
Pavelec, Jets Frustrate Leafs; Holzer AHL Bound?; Iginla?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
[b]March 12[/b]
[i][b]Maple Leafs 2 @ Winnipeg Jets 5[/b][/i]
Oh boy, where should I start with this one...?
After witnessing the first two periods, I was about to give most of the credit to Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec, and then build a rant up against the officials from this one, but since the Maple Leafs completely fell apart in the third period, I will just chal...
Writing about the Philadelphia Flyers is almost impossible this year for me. I could list you a complete sheet of all the dismal stats that show how pathetic this team is this year. To cut it short, this team has greatly underachieved thus far this season.
Believe me, I know there is not enough talent on this team to win the Eastern Conference; and they should not have...
I am an optimistic person at heart.
I usually look for the good in a situation and believe all things are possible...with the right determination and effort.
I'll keep fighting to the end if the cause is right.
But...I am also a realistic person.
I can look at a situation and see it for what it is (most of the time).
When I watch the Penguins play...playoff ...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
The Avalanched have taken the first few steps needed in order to turn around this franchise. Sacco being fired and winning the lottery (albeit by chance) take the first 2 spots, but the biggest and possibly the most crucial move came when the club announced that Josh Kroenke and Joe Sakic will be replacing the Lacroix's who previously held the President and VP positions. C...
[b]June 2[/b]
Alright, I think I get it now.
It's not okay for Dustin Penner to grab Michal Handzus and throw him out of a scrum to protect his goaltender Jonathan Quick.
It's also not okay for Dustin Penner to finish his check on a speedy Blackhawk and keep him out of the play.
But it's okay for Dave Bolland to all of a sudden take a run at Mike Richards behin...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
The 2013 draft class has been called one of the deepest in decades where the top 5 picks are “can’t miss” prospects, the next five could very well make any NHL roster next year, and the next 30 would be first rounders in most other draft classes. Seth Jones is a very intriguing prospect he has great size, a great shot, and is a proven winner at every level he plays ...
So, with the season almost over, everyone will hope to fill needs through the draft, trades and free agency. My love of this season and all it brings gets me thinking what can a team do, so how does your cap fit? Today Colorado. As I am sure you are already aware, for the first time in memory, the cap gets smaller dropping down to $64,300,000, so here goes....The Av's pre...
As we draw closer to the draft, more and more news and speculation leaks out about possible transactions that may occur this offseason. With the General Managers meetings going down in Boston this week, the gossip has hit a fever pitch. Here are some of the more juicy tidbits.
- Joe Sakic told the Denver Post that the Avalanche will NOT be selecting top rated prosp...
Everybody knows that size matters.
I’m talking about the one that gives you the reach to get to the puck first or take it away from a player, the one that makes you less likely to get tossed away from the puck or that you can use to toss smaller players from it, the one that hurts when you bodycheck a player and the one that makes it less likely to get hurt or tired whe...
Joe Sakic shocked the hockey world Wednesday by announcing that the team was leaning toward picking one of three forwards with the first pick instead of Seth Jones. Some find it puzzling that Sakic would announce something of this magnitude, and for those who have followed the Avs in the past this is completely against the behind closed doors attitude that we have come to...
Since Aaron Musick's departure, there's hasn't been enough Avalanche talk on HockeyBuzz and I wanted to take over that role, until an official blogger is assigned, to keep the Avalanche HockeyBuzz community up to date with the team. This is my first time writing a blog, and as a stray die hard fan from Montreal, I hope that I will be able to fill in the void.For my first e...
The Avalanche, on Tuesday, confirmed the hiring of Assistant Coach André Tourigny, Video Coach Mario Duhamel, part-time Goalie coach François Allaire, and part-time Defensive Coach Adam Foote, with Assistant Coach Tim Army being the sole survivor of last year’s bench bosses.
Colorado also announced the promotion of Craig Billington to Assistant General Manager, like...
[b]Ilya Bryzgalov, 33 - Philadelphia[/b]
Contract: $51.0m/9yrs
Buyout: $23.0m/14yrs
This contract is the definition of what the power of having a union can do for you. For most people who are fired or let go they are lucky to get severance and even if they do, that severance is almost nothing to kick back on and retire early with. Meet Ilya Bryzgalov.
The epitome o...
The first trade of the new regime came on Thursday night when the Avs traded RW David Jones and D Shane O’Brien for LW Alex Tanguay (!) and D Cory Sarich.
Jones was coming off a dreadful season, scoring a mere 3 goals in in 33 games, his lowest game per goal average since his rookie season. After signing a 4 year, 16 million extension during the 2012 off-season, Jones...
royalgardens writes...
Losing Mark Fraser Would Be a Mistake; Other Toronto Targets
Posted Saturday | Comments 2
[i][b]June 29[/b][/i]
Nearly on the Eve of the first day of free agency...
Just some quick thoughts on the Maple Leafs before the real offseason frenzy begins...
News today that Mark Fraser has rejected Toronto's two-way qualifying offer. I am a little disappointed to hear that, because I think that the soon to be 27-year old proved that he deserves to be a solid ...
If you have been following the Avs for the past few years then you know by now that the teams presence on rumor websites has been slim to none. During the entirety of the Lacroix era the Avs were the most tight lipped organization in the league, and when a trade did happen it was right out of left field.
Then here come in Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy. In the first month o...
The Avalanche kept their word and started the Draft by selecting Nathan MacKinnon of the Halifax Mooseheads first overall. Only time will tell if this was the right selection however, no one can deny the potential of MacKinnon which immediately helps the top 9.
After MacKinnon, the Avs mostly focused on selecting Defense. Although rated as a position of strength on hock...
royalgardens writes...
Resigning of Tyler Bozak Imminent? (Updated 10:35 PM)
Posted Thursday | Comments 1
Happy 4th of July to everyone in the United States...and a belated Canada Day Week to folks in our near North!
Just a couple of thoughts before I head up to Lake Geneva for the day from the Chicago area...
Good news hearing the Maple Leafs have decided to buyout Mikhail Grabovski to free themselves of the decent size cap hit the Belarusian cost over the next four mor...
With already 22 contracts, and the soon to be signed MacKinnon, the Avalanche already had a full roster making for a slow free agency season. The Avs put both Hunwick and Zanon on waivers with the hopes that one or both would get picked up by another team. No one was interested, leading to Zanon being bought out earlier today. The Avs did not use one or their two complianc...
The Flyers made a big splash in free agency when they acquired former Tampa Bay Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier after being a victim of a compliance buy out. The terms of the deal were for 5 years and $22.5M - an annual cap hit of $4.5M.
While more people than not seem to be in favor of this acquisition, there are still some echoes - and even the occasional ridicul...
With Matt Duchene now locked up for another five years after this season, I think this could be the beginning of the end for O'reilly in Colorado. People cant forget how distracting the situation was last year with the contract talks, it affected the team in a negative way since they had to answer all those questions. One that I taught, that was affected by it, was Duchene...
Hello, my name is Daniel Jackson, i am 22 years old and i have been reading this site for 3-4 years now. i am quite interested in writing blogs and i plan on writing many here. I am a HUGE avalanche fan, so you will see many directed to them, but i would like to cover every team in a "look to the season" with projections, lineups, breakout players and whats to come for the...
Every year since 1975 Flyers fans have been stuck asking "is this our year?" or muttering the phrase come spring time "there's always next season." Many times over the years Flyers fans have watched the Orange and Black come so close to reclaiming Lord Stanley but falling short in the end. While factoring in injuries and 'down' seasons I'm going to look at the case for the...
Everyone keeps speculating that Ryan O'reilly will be moved at the trade deadline, due to his contract debacle and offer sheet snafu of last season. However, I don't agree. The old management is gone (who caused that contract debacle in the first place), so there old ways of doing business should be gone too (trading players when they hold out for more money, or make a c...
Five members of the 2013-14 Avalanche squad received an invitation to their country’s Olympic camp earlier today. Matt Duchene will be the sole representative for the Avs at the Team Canada camp, joining 24 other highly skilled forwards. I hate to be writing this but Duchene’s chances to have a spot on a Center position seem slim, with the likes of Crosby, Stamkos, Ber...
So in this lull of the off-season where rosters are fairly intact and trades seem less-likely, I thought I would start a "lively" discussion with my fellow Avs fans. Recent events of poverty (don't worry, I just graduated College and don't start my job till next week, life is good) have left me with not much to do other than watch NHL VAULT and eat Ramen. The following pop...
As per Darren Dreger, RFA Cody Franson of the Maple Leafs is asking for more money than Toronto can pay, considering their cap situation. Having just above 6 million with Nazem Kadri and Mark Fraser also needing to re-sign, both RFAs, and would then need one more player to have 23 on the roster.
Dreger reported the Leafs would be looking for a pick and a prospect for Fr...
Hey everyone,
Let me start off by saying I love having Holmgren as a GM, at least there's never a dull moment and you can't blame him for not trying! As long as we don't have to sit through 5 years of a painful, embarrassing rebuild I'm okay with it... and I do think we're closer to winning a cup with Schenn, Simmonds, Voracek, and Couturier than Carter and Richie (it w...
The Sharks raised a few eyebrows when they gave Joe Pavelski the identical deal that Logan Couture received. Each player got a nice raise, going to $6M per for five seasons on their respective extensions.
The purpose of this blog is to calm the naysayers about Pavelski's new deal.
Here are the stats for the last three seasons for each player.
[b]Couture[/b]
[i]...
There are several sites/posts around that will tell you that placing Martin Havlat on the LTIR list will magically fix the cap problem for this season. They'll also try to convince you that Havlat on LTIR creates this magical bag of cap space for the Sharks to head to the mall and use as they see fit.
They're wrong.
Martin Havlat being placed on the LTIR, as the cap ...
The Avalanche invested further in their young captain by shelling out $39 million over the course of seven years.
Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic are trying to work with their current roster as no major moves were made in free agency to sign any available players. Other players were acquired through trades and picking up any free agents seems unlikely as the owners are choosi...
Note: I can't seem to post comments so bare with me. I can only post short words, but not full sentences.
The Avalanche are very much stocked up with centers and their defensive woes are bound to bite back.
Here is their current line-up on D:
[b]Erik Johnson[/b]:
The former #1 draft pick will be making this his fourth year with the Avs after being traded by...
With the rookie camp looming and Patrick Roy having all but announced his starting line up, it's time to take a look at things Colorado may be looking into doing.
With a major glut at the Center position, we have Ryan O'Reilly moved to the wing, of which I am not necessarily a fan of this move, however it may be for a reason. Paul Stastny being kept as the 2nd line Cent...
nayefj writes...
What will it take for the Avs to make a serious Cup run?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]I still can't seem to post any comments on MyHockeybuzz without the words "mySQL Error in statement" appearing and my comment not showing up. Just to let you know I'm not ignoring anyone's comments.[/b]
Liles was mentioned a couple of times in the comments so I'd like to address this point for a bit.
Sure, Liles was great with the Avs during his time in Denver. No...
As soon as Toni Rajala told Craig MacTavish that Gus dies at the end of Season 4, the writing was on the wall.
I mean, it's the sort of thing you just don't do. You're a talent with tremendous upside, but you're also 163 pounds. 163! You're already on the bubble, at best. And then you go and blab about Walt poisoning that kid when he swore to Jesse that he didn't. The p...
With golf season winding down and training camps on the horizon, the Colorado Avalanche set to begin the 2014 season rejuvenated. The additions to the front office have already broken with tradition, extending both Matt Duchene and Gabriel "Call me Gabe" Landeskog. With both Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy at the helm, fans can expect a bit more transparency, or at the very leas...
Avalanche fans have been hearing for some time now (not without good cause mind you) that our defensive group is porous and largely devoid of any real talent. Anyone who watched this group play last year would be hard pressed to argue and since the offseason has not yielded any changes on the back end we can expect to be hearing about the issues on defense for the immediat...
Let the talks heat up again as Ryan Miller is, apparently, back on the trading blocks. Eklund first reported that talks between the Sabres and Avalanche involving Ryan Miller were heating up once again as training camp quickly approaches. Then another outlet reported the same thing that Miller talks in Colorado were beginning to brew. Then, Garth told us yesterday ...
Linus Omark never should have been sent down to the minors.
He never should have gotten injured while down there. He never should have been exiled for mysterious reasons. He never should have been hung out to dry like laundry flapping in the wind. He never should have scored all those points in Switzerland when he could have been scoring them for the Oilers.
MacTavi...
I was thinking about the Sharks roster while I was on vacation, and I thought about who the top players on the team were. Then I thought about who were the most important players, not necessarily the best players. Here are my top 5 most important Sharks players for the upcoming season.
[b]5. Matt Irwin[/b]
[i]The biggest question, for me, is whether or not Irwin can...
Now on Twitter, follow me @NewEraAvs
Mark Kiszla says the Avalanche has no shot at making the playoffs this year without Ryan Miller. Adrian Dater says there is nothing to the rumors of a Stastny-Miller swap. Seems like there’s an internal feud at the Denver Post. The trade on paper makes perfect sense. Both are position of needs on each team. Both have expiring contr...
tonylynch15 writes...
Rangers Season Starts With A Trip To Traverse City
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.kare11.com/images/640/360/2/assetpool/images/130426112048_Danny_Kristo_1280.jpg[/img]
Danny Kristo photo by Getty Images
[b]By Tony Lynch (@TonyLynchSaid)[/b]
[i]Blueshirt Off My Back is a series of NY Rangers related thoughts, musings and reflections by Tony Lynch.[/i]
Labor Day may mean that Summer is over, but it also signals the return of hock...
[b]October 5[/b]
Welcome back Maple Leaf and King followers...
With my busy coaching and teaching schedule, it is going to be tough for me to express my thoughts on my beloved clubs after every game, so I will try and fill in at least once a week for a little "unbiased" recap. I use the term unbiased very loosely, obviously.
After being noticeably outplayed in the...
Well, many people could see this one coming after the poor start the Flyers had. I had a gut feeling this one was coming. Not even just because of a 0-3 start, but just how the team looks in general. I for one, had great optimism for the Flyers because of their offseason additions this year and felt they would get back on track with a training camp and full season. Now, ...
Well, after a week in the its safe to say that Patrick Roy is the right man for this Avalanche team. After 3 games the Avs have set a franchise record in starting 3-0-0 since the move to Denver, Colorado. Something that past great Avs teams have never done. The team is working really hard and it seems that Coach Roy has them bought in to the aggresive game, everyone is lay...
PucksOnPucks writes...
The Blame Game: Peter Laviolette vs. Paul Holmgren
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Peter Laviolette vs. Paul Holmgren
I wanted to give myself a few days to process what happened in Philadelphia before I started ranting and raving about the turn of events that transpired this past Monday morning. If you don’t already know, Peter Laviolette was relieved of his coaching duties just 3 games into the 2013-14 regular season. I don’t necessarily think hi...
Meeqsb writes...
The Good, the Bad and the Outlook on All 30 Teams... Part 1!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the season having just started I figured now would be a good time to go through every team in the league and look at how they are doing and how they are headed. So without further ado.
[u]Anaheim[/u]
The good: This team has insane depth at Goalie with 2 nhl starters and 2 of the top rookie goaltenders in their system. The ducks have a lot of flexibility with wher...
Is it just me, or are the top teams in NHL completely overwhelming their competition? It looks as though the Sharks, Avs and Maple Leafs are the wrecking balls of the league. Or maybe I'm just completely distracted by how Brent Burns is morphing in to a cave man slowly but surely. In any case, last night the Sharks completely annihilated and outplayed the Blues. That's rig...
The past 24 hours or so have been busy to say the least for the Colorado Avalanche organization. The team that has started the season with a phenomenally surprising 10-1-0 record is looking to face their toughest challenge this weekend. And it won’t just be the Stars and Canadiens.
Goaltender Semyon Varlamov turned himself in upon hearing there was a warrant out for h...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks defeat Sabres and Canucks, injury news, Steckel signed
Posted Monday | Comments 0
After defeating the Phoenix Coyotes, the Ducks had 2 games left on their 3 game homestand against the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks. They came away with victories in both games, extending their home record to a perfect 8-0 and extending their league leading point total to 31 with a record of 15-3-1. Frederik Andersen played in both games and improved his record ...
[b]December 3[/b]
[u]Undermanned Maple Leafs Unable to Sink Sharks[/u]
The first big test of a tough and critical stretch of games for the confidence stricken Toronto Maple Leafs came tonight at Air Canada Centre against the San Jose Sharks, perhaps the best team in the NHL at the moment.
To be quite honest, the Leafs played a strong game despite being dominated f...
CaseyPSH writes...
Phoenix Coyotes Prevail On The Road Over Colorado Avalanche
Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
[b]By Casey Gagnon, Phoenix Sports Hub
E-Mail: CaseyPSH at yahoo dot com
Twitter: @CaseyPSH
PhoenixSportsHub.Blogspot.com[/b]
The Phoenix Coyotes needed players to step up Tuesday night in Denver to fill voids in the lineup. Forward Antoine Vermette and goaltender Thomas Greiss received the message loud and clear. Both played as solid a game one could ask for, an...
Consistently inconsistent, as they say. For stretches the Dallas Stars dominate opponents on the ice. But like clockwork the dominance ends as soon as it begins, never stretching beyond 3 games. After laying an egg against division rivals in Nashville, losing 2 huge points the Stars bounced back and scored a plethora of goals against the equally important Winnipeg Jets....
royalgardens writes...
Leafs "Top Line" Refuses to Play Defense; DET Earns SO Point
Posted Saturday | Comments 3
[b]December 21[/b]
[i]Jekyll and Hyde Maple Leafs Battle Red Wings Down to the Wire[/i]
Happy Holidays all you hockey (Maple Leafs) fans out there!
Let me start with some of the good in tonight's Original Six match up between the Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings at the ACC...
After a horrible first period from the Maple Leafs, a team that played with no energy or ...
December 25
A very Merry Christmas to all you hockey fans out there!
As we have hit the Christmas break of the 2013-14 NHL season, let's take a quick gander at to what we have seen thus far.
In my opinion, the Anaheim Ducks are the best team in the league at the moment. The Ducks have also approached the midseason break with a nine game winning streak as a result...
The answer comes historically and from the present. Historically as GM he got the Oilers into the playoffs twice from 2001 -2009. He claims we are on our 5th year of our rebuild and that fans should be patient and yet the Oilers have done nothing since mortgaging their team 7 years ago.
He has brought in numerous coaches and GMs and still the Oilers finish last, sec...
Hall Fan writes...
More Reasons Eakins is the Worst Coach ever to be in the NHL
Posted Monday | Comments 58
We all know the number Eakins has done on Yakupov this year. Nail coming off a big end to last season and then starting this season on line 3 with 4 minutes of ice time. Then being called out by the coach for his lack of point production with his limited ice time and sub par line contribution after only playing 48 games in the NHL. Then he sits Yak 4 times this season. ...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Win Battle of Recent Champs; Leafs Quit in Carolina
Posted Friday | Comments 1
[b]January 10[/b]
I am going to start with something good tonight.
First of all, I really enjoyed the Boston Bruins-Los Angeles Kings game. I always like it when those two teams get together.
This game had a little bit of everything; two recent Stanley Cup Champions going head to head, hard hits, determined fore checking, pretty goals, some big saves at both ends...
[b]January 12[/b]
[u][i]Bernier and Maple Leafs End Skid; Shake Off Poor Officiating[/i][/u]
At least the losing streak came to an end.
Still, I am very glad to see the Maple Leafs earn two points tonight, they played hard enough and deserved to win the game in regulation. Jonathan Bernier hung tough and helped his team snap the string of bad losses especially whe...
[b]Game day Preview:
Red Wings @ Flyers 1/28/14 RED WINGS (23-18-11) at FLYERS (25-22-6)[/b]
The Flyers have lost 4 straight, making it the worst losing streak since October. With The Stanley Cup Playoffs about 11 weeks away, and with the standings so closely bunched together in the Eastern Conference, each game seems like it will have serious postseason implications ...
Personally I love that the NHL sends players to the Olympics, although I truly believe that this will be the last installment that the NHL will participate in the winter games. With injuries to some key players and affecting the teams that pay their salary, the NHL has found out there are many cons, as apposed to pros, for sending their elite talent and closing business fo...
****3/9 Edit. Ah, the lovely readers of hockeybuzz. The lack of reading comprehension on this site never ceases to amaze me. At no point did I say that either say that either team [i]should[/i] make this trade. I merely thought it was an interesting concept as in some ways each team has what the other needs. I don't even know that either team would want to make the tr...
Thursday April 10th 2014rnrnBreathe in, Breathe out.rnA Senators fan’s thoughts on what many are calling a disappointing Season.rnrn On Sunday, the 2013/2014 campaign will come to an end for the Ottawa Senators. This season came with great expectations, many of which were not met. From my perspective as a Sens fan, this season was Agony. We were constantly taunted with f...
The NHL Playoffs are back again! Wednesday night kicks off the start of the playoffs once again in the NHL. The new NHL format has created some very good match ups in the first round of the playoffs, and are likely to create more great match ups as the playoffs move on.
Sixteen teams have earned their spot in the playoffs with one goal in mind: to win the Stanley Cup. H...
[img]http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/YJBErx8hGR4/0.jpg[/img]rnrnrnThe hit by Chicago's Brent Seabrook on St. Louis captain David Backes in game 2 was a clean hit that resulted in a game misconduct, and three game suspension for Seabrook. rnrnBackes was coming around the boards from behind the net. He touched the puck, but flew by leaving it in the corner to be picked up by Chicago...
The final four teams remain in the National Hockey League Playoffs with the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs coming to an end in early to mid June.
On June 15th, or 48 hours after the Stanley Cup has been awarded, the NHL compliance buyout period begins. All 30 NHL teams will have until June 30th to use a compliance buyout on up to two players on its roster. These buyouts wil...
Is the 2014 offseason the biggest offseason for the Edmonton Oilers in recent memory? Sure, every oiler fan since 2007 has said this in April or May. But the challenges that face the rookie GM and coach are steep, and patience in Oil Country is running thinner then my hair. The challenges are plenty, but I would like to touch on a couple today.
1. Probably one of the ...
So the rumor de jour for Flames fans is that Vincent Lecavalier could land in Stampede city. Tim Panaccio Brought this up recently and is the source of this rumor.
Why it makes sense: Burke identified a number 1 center as part of the off season targets, Lecavalier is now removed from being considered a #1 but as far as Flames skill level there are worse guys out there t...
Been a while, been replying mostly to posts from our Kings beat blogger Jason Lewis...what a great job he has done having taken over for the at times overbearing yet passionate Matthew Barry. Thanks for all of your work this season!
Some first period thoughts...lousy opening 20 for the Kings. Looking to finish the series on home ice in front of thousands of die hards I ...
I was watching the press conference that the Avalanche held with Sakic and Roy just last week. The answer to every question was laid out with either Core, structure or both. The structure talking about finance - No one gets paid more than Matt Duchene, although that was clearly never stated it was never denied on behalf of Joe Sakic when asked point blank is this what stru...
We all saw how game 7 ended against Minnesota - A lead blown - not once but twice.
They were missing their leaders - where was Stastny when it mattered? They want to resign him? for what? Johnson was missing - Talbot?
This off-season the Avalanche need a leader a winner - Tanguay healthy? The start of the season, sure, by the playoffs? Who knows!
Let Colorado l...
I just wanted to toss this out there, but what would one think of the Colorado Avalanche signing Marty Brodeur to a 1 year deal? When he and Patrick Roy were younger Marty lived in Roy's basement. As history played out, Roy became the NHL's all-time winner in regular and post-season, followed by much more. Game 7 - Roy and Marty went toe to toe for the cup, which we all re...
ZzHockey writes...
Will a trade benefit Colorado more than signing a UFA?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the St. Louis Blues having huge interest in Paul Stastny what will Colorado do?
When it comes down to it, the loss of a Centre is not really that big a deal to Colorado, they have an unbelievable amount of depth that no other team in the NHL has. Stastny would be a huge blow speaking of chemistry between Landeskog, MacKinnon and himself, but not something that can...
thebuds1987 writes...
My 2014-15 Leafs October Roster (if no more TML deals)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[u][b]2014-15 TORONTO MAPLES LEAFS OPENING NIGHT ROSTER[/b][/u] -------*** If my fantastic format does not work (because based on the previews, it looks like one horribly long paragraph that will generate many negative comments), I apologize because I hate trying to read through that just as much as the next hockey nerd. ***--------- With the 2014 NHL Draft now complete an...
The 2014 draft had Colorado walk home with 7 new prospects. I can honestly say I was shocked when the Avalanche did not talk Brendan Lemieux when he was available at #23, a natural wing, in which Colorado depth wise is in need of. He grew up around the Avalanche, was born in Denver Colorado his favorite player is Ryan O'Reilly. Instead Colorado takes CONNER BLEACKLEY a pla...
After a rocky 2013-14 season with two MCL sprain injuries the Colorado Avalanche have decided to part ways with PA Parenteau. Colorado has traded PA and a 5th round pick in the 2015 draft to the Montreal Canadians for Forward Danny Briere.
Some comparison:
Adrian Dater of the Denver Post ranked Pa Parenteau a C for Colorado in 2013-14 (http://blogs.denverpost.com/av...
July 1st 2014 began very horribly for Colorado Avalanche fans as they found out Centre Paul Stastny signed a 4 year (overpaid) contract with rival St. Louis Blues.
As the day went on, the Avalanche made a few moves that could be questionable yet could turn out to be great.
What Colorado got:
Jesse Winchester, 30, had 18 points (9g/9a) in 52 games for the Florida...
With a little over 10 million left for the Avalanche cap space, Colorado continues to sign players even as they wait to sign pending contracts with Ryan O'Reilly, Tyson Barrie, Stefan Elliott, Joey Hishon and a few others.
Today Colorado announced they have signed 27 year old Defensemen Maxim Noreau to a 2 year 1-way contract at $1.25 million - $625k per season.
No...
The draft has come and gone, most free agents have found their new homes, and now there are just three months until October 8th when the Flyers open their 2014-2015 season in Boston.
However, during these next three months there are some questions that need answers for the orange and black. Here are three.
[b]Will Vinny Lecavalier still be a Flyer?[/b]
The word a...
A lot of questions remain for many including Colorado Avalanche fans after the unexpected off-season turned in by Executive Vice President's Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy.
Everyone right now are looking at the Avs and wondering and even publicly stating, "After this off-season, will the Avalanche even make the Playoffs?" It is a fair question and with-out any hesitation, a...
[b]AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT HIS CAREER AND THE ARBITRATION HEARING MOVING FORWARD[/b]
The Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly are facing an arbitration hearing just six days away. The rare ‘club-elected’ hearing was set after the Avs refused to extend a 6.5 million dollar qualifying-offer to the young forward.rnrnIt’s a story that seems all a bit too familiar for the ...
bred20 writes...
Will the 2014/15 season be David Krejci’s last in Boston
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
By Erik Caron
The common theme this offseason has been the Bruins stay in cap hell and some have even suggested next offseason will be just as hard when the Bruins have more of their own key free agents to sign to new contracts. First line center David Krejci is just one of the Bruins upcoming pending free agents who will be looking for a deal in the summer of 2015. Asi...
Tomorrow will mark what happens to Ryan O'Reilly's situation with the Colorado Avalanche. Ryan is looking to stay in Colorado, long term. The only issue here is Ryan's long term is 8 years at nearly $7m per, while Joe Sakic's idea is more like - 5 years $5.5 per (give or take .0-.999)
We all go back to free agent frenzy day and beyond when a presser was held in Denver....
After a waiting and waiting, Colorado fans did not have to get news on Ryan O'Reilly from an arbitration stand point. O'Reilly and the Avs have agreed to a two year deal that nets a cap hit of $6M per. For Ryan it is broken up $5.8m year one an $6.2 in his second season.
There are still big questions here. Yes they were able to work out a deal however where does the bl...
AarifDeen writes...
Ryan O’Reilly Signs For Two Years: What It All Means
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me at twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly both
confirmed Wednesday morning that the two sides agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth 12 million dollars. The contract will pay him 5.8M in 2014-15 and 6.2M in 2015-16. The deal was struck between Pat Morris and Joe Sakic in the w...
July 23rd 2014 marked a big moment for the Colorado Avalanche organization. Colorado and Executive Vice President Joe Sakic, General Manager Greg Sherman, Ryan O'Reilly and agent Pat Morris were able to settle a short-term bridge contract. O'Reilly was awarded a two-year deal worth $12M, $5.8 and $6.2 per, with a season cap hit of $6M per. It finally opened up a gate to bo...
Let's say, for arguments sake, that neither Thornton nor Marleau will be wearing a letter when the Sharks open the 2014-2015 season. Let's assume that they are 'passing the torch' to the younger players in the organization.
Who gets the letters? Let's look at the real candidates, and there aren't many.
Logan Couture
Joe Pavelski
Marc-Eduoard Vlasic
Brent Burns
...
[b]Follow me on Twitter @DailyNHLGrind[/b]
[b]A Glance Back[/b]
Looking back, it’s insane to think that this division didn’t win the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks were amazing, the Blues were great, and the Avalanche were simply fantastic. They actually stole the title from St. Louis during the final days of the season.
Patrick Roy got the best out of pretty muc...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Colorado Avalanche won their first game of the 2014-15 NHL season in Boston on Monday. The afternoon game ended with a 2-1 score after Daniel Briere scored the game-winning goal in the third period with less than a second left on the clock.
The teams played a hard fought offensive game for 60 minutes ...
[b]follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avs held on for as long as possible in Toronto but we're unable to come away with a victory. On their 40th shot of the night the Maple Leafs came away with a 3-2 overtime win off of Phil Kessels stick
The game started off the right away for the Avs. Right off the opening face off Duchene drew a pen...
AarifDeen writes...
GOALIES DOWN: Avs blow 3-1 lead - Lose Berra To Injury
Posted Friday | Comments 1
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Ottawa Senators stormed the Avs in the third period to come away with a 5-3 victory on Thursday night. The Avs' loss came with rookie goaltender Calvin Pickard losing his first career NHL contest in his first appearance.
Earlier in the day the Avs announced starting goalie Semyon Varlamov would be a g...
Greetings,
[b]Habs [/b][b]vs [/b][b]Avs[/b]
Before I get into the actual game, I would like to say congrats to Pierre Gervais on 2500 games in the NHL. I've never heard of an equipment manger as loved, nor a team throwing one a ceremony before, but hats off to the Habs on celebrating what has been a hard working and accomplished career so far. Keep in mind he's won a...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs Drop 4-3 Contest in Overtime – Winless in Four
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @ https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
DENVER — The Avs hosted their second home game of the season Tuesday night but couldn’t come away with a victory. They were beat by the Panthers 4-3 in overtime despite using a big second period to erase a two-goal deficit against a low-scoring Panthers team.
They didn’t start the game off as stron...
AarifDeen writes...
A Night That Was Long Overdue – Avs Score 7 Goals, Route Van
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
It was only a matter of time. The Colorado Avalanche finally unleashed the offensive weapons and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 7-3. It was the night of story lines for the Avs. But more importantly, it was a night they desperately needed.
Coach Roy made it very clear after the loss Tuesday night tha...
Last night, the Winnipeg Jets lost another game to Steve Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. An all too familiar result for the Jets and their fans as they continue to struggle out of the gates this season. This loss however, was especially frustrating as the Jets out-shot outhit and essentially outplayed the Bolts for most of the game. So who's to blame for this unl...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs’ Overtime Loss hands Winnipeg Third Win of The Season
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
On a Sunday matinee in Winnipeg, the Jets scored twice to win the game but the Avs will need more than just two ice packs in the locker room to attend to the wounds from today’s battle.
The Jets outhit the Avs 27-23 and leading the way was big, rugged, 260 lb forward Dustin Byfuglien with eight. In the...
AarifDeen writes...
Goalie Gains a Point – Avs Lose to San Jose Despite Solid
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
Semyon Varlamov. That was the beginning, middle, and end of this 65-minute story.
The Avs lost their fourth overtime game of the season tonight by a 3-2 final. This one went all the way to the shootout. Despite the Sharks seemingly controlling the play for almost the entirety of the first two periods, the...
AarifDeen writes...
A Night Of Firsts – MacKinnon, Fourth Line Lead Avs to SO
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
It was a night of firsts in Denver tonight. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New York Islanders 5-0 for their first shutout of the season. The game-winning goal came off the stick of Cody McLeod early in the opening period and the Avs never looked back.
McLeod’s goal, which came off a nice setup from...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs Still Can’t Solve The Overtime Period, Steal a Point in
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avs remained winless both in overtime and in divisional play Saturday night when they lost a shootout to the St. Louis Blues. The Blues skated away with a 3-2 victory after holding a 2-0 lead early in the third period.
The Avs used their power play to tie the game before the third period even went to ...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
In a hard-hitting Sunday night matchup, the Avs tried to use a late surge to tie the game, but were unable to get a goal. They lost to the Ducks 3-2 after scoring the first goal of the game.
They continue to attempt to ride red-hot goaltender Semyon Varlamov and a penalty-killing unit that hasn’t surren...
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind
[/b]
The Avalanche lost 5-2 to the Canucks on Tuesday after scoring the first two goals of the game.
They came out with an early jump and got on the board quick. John Mitchell received a nice pass from Alex Tanguay and lasered one past Ryan Miller for the goal just over a minute into the contest. It was his se...
[i][b]Twitter:TheDailyLeafHB[/b]:[/i] Recently, there has been some rumors of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers engaging in trade negotiations involving a Jake Gardiner for David Perron swap. This trade definitely makes sense for the Leafs, Perron (26 years old) is a young left winger who can play all different aspects of the game. Last year, with the Oilers ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs End Winless Streak – Beat The Leafs in a Shootout
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Follow Me On Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avalanche hosted Hockey Fights Cancer night and skated away with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Pepsi Center. The entertaining, fast-paced game was won after the Avs put a perfect three pucks past Bernier on three opportunities in the shootout.
Despite the fantastic pace on...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs fall short of a Comeback, lose to Flyers in Philadelphia
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avalanche was unable to complete a third period comeback and dropped a 4-3 contest to the Flyers. They scored three times in the third period, all coming from the bottom two lines, but were unable to capitalize on the last minute push.
Colorado’s goals from Max Talbot, Alex Tanguay, and Zach Redmond...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
When the Colorado Avalanche signed Jarome Iginla to a three-year contract this summer, they were looking for a player to replace Paul Stastny’s production offensively. Statstny had just signed in St. Louis while Iginla was coming off yet another 30-goal season with the Boston Bruins.
Iginla was always J...
When it comes to deciding the outcome of games, the Detroit Red Wings would rather fight than shoot it out.rnLooking at their numbers during the shootout, who can blame them?rn“I think a lot of guys are getting sick of it,” Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard said. In their latest game, Sunday’s 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Wings failed on all three shootout atte...
The NHL's next potential superstar could have a serious injury following a fight that took place on Tuesday night in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters are the league's best teams this season with a 16-1-0-1 record after 18 games this season in the OHL. Their top player on the roster, and potentially the top overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, i...
AarifDeen writes...
Islanders shut out the Avalanche in a one-sided game
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avalanche suffered a 6-0 loss on Tuesday night by the very same team they dominated just 12 days ago. On Veterans Day and on their last trip to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Colorado was held win-less for the 13th time in 17 games.
Nick Leddy’s goal just 93 seconds into the game was the eve...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs battle for a shootout victory at Madison Square Garden
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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The Avalanche won its fifth game of the season in a shootout Thursday night after defeating the New York Rangers 4-3. It was their second straight shootout victory following two losses in the tiebreaker where they went scoreless on five opportunities.
Matt Duchene scored the first goal of the game and add...
AarifDeen writes...
Duchene scores late, Avs defeat Devils for second straight v
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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The Colorado Avalanche has strung together its first winning streak of the season. With Matt Duchene’s late third period goal, the Avs defeated the Devils 3-2. The teams were tied at 1 going into the final frame but the Devils scored before the Avs (6-8-5) eventually tied and won the game before the final ...
I wanted to break down what the Colorado Avalanche so far this season. The Avalanche have had a rough start that many people did not expect, although some expected a slower start, not many expected this slow of a start.
Breaking down the subtractions and additions to the roster as of 11/16/2014:
Paul Stastny; signed a 4 year deal with the St. Louis Blues. Stastny st...
Last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche were near identical in almost every aspect. They both had a top three pick at the 2013 NHL draft, Colorado selecting Nathan MacKinnon from the Halifax Mooseheads number one overall and Tampa Bay taking Jonathan Droiun (MacKinnon’s line mate) also from the Halifax Mooseheads.
Both teams went out and made a tr...
Once again in less than 20 games for the Colorado Avalanche, goaltender Semyon Varlamov is injured. The first time Varly sustained a lower body injury during morning practice before the Avalanche took on the Ottawa Senators. In that game, less than three minutes in, backup goalie Reto Berra, would sustain a head injury after a collision with two players. This left young ro...
AarifDeen writes...
Ovechkin scores late, Capitals beat the Avs by one goal
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Colorado was back on the ice Thursday night after four days off and was beaten by the Capitals 3-2. The Pepsi Center crowd, which was graced by the presence of Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg, witnessed a hard-hitting, back-and-forth contest that was decided when Ovechkin scored with under 6 minutes remaining o...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs erase slow start to defeat Carolina 4-3 with Pickard
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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Ladies and gentleman, the cardiac kids are back. Colorado was down two goals twice tonight and roared back to win 4-3 against the Hurricanes at the Pepsi Center. Reto Berra started the game but was pulled late in the first period after surrendering three goals on 10 shots. With Varlamov still suffering from ...
AarifDeen writes...
‘Cardiac Kids’ are here to stay—Avs erase three goal deficit
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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It was Déjà vu in the desert Tuesday night for the Avalanche. Colorado won for the second straight game after Reto Berra was pulled and replaced by Calvin Pickard in the first period. They beat Arizona 4-3 in overtime despite surrendering three goals in the opening 10:53 of tonight’s game.
As miraculo...
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Colorado missed out on another opportunity to get back to 500 for the first the first time this season. After tying the game early in the third period, Colorado surrendered the game-winning goal with 5:17 remaining for the loss in front of a sold out Pepsi Center crowd.
Calvin Pickard started in net for t...
Hello everyone, this is my first blog, so I am going start with an introduction. My name is Brendan, one of the owners of @WTPHockeyFacts on Twitter. I am a young, but very knowledgeable hockey fan (take a look at our Twitter account for proof, many of those facts are found by myself, through research and my extensive hockey knowledge). I have been a hardcore Edmonton Oile...
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Colorado won its ninth game of the season on Saturday after defeating the Stars 5-2 in Denver. They outshot the opposition 47-24 and kept their foot on the pedal until the very end. Alex Tanguay scored the game-winning goal late in the second period and Matt Duchene added a powerplay goal early in the third ...
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The Avalanche lost to Montreal 4-3 Monday night in Denver and was denied a chance to reach .500 hockey once again. The game was tied at three heading into the third period but a late goal from Max Pacioretty gave the Canadiens the victory. Montreal won both contests against the Avs this season with Calvin Pi...
Although this is an exciting year for the St. Louis Blues with the emergence of an up and coming star in Vladimir Tarasenko, the core of the gritty hockey club seems to still produce average offensive numbers. ...
The Buffalo Sabres having won six out of their last seven games are now 9-14-2. This could mean two things. 1. the team if buying into Ted Nolans system and are playing with confidence and will continue to win games, and maybe, just maybe ( but probably not) playoffs are in sights. 2. this is just a phase and it will soon pass.
The question is which one is best for...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs blow another game in overtime, lose to Calgary at the Sa
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Calgary scored twice in the third period to win its 17th game of the season. They defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime and their two goals brought their third period total to a league leading 39 goals.
The Avalanche got their starting goalie back tonight but was still unable to play a solid 60-minute effort in...
If anyone believes for one minute Katz.MacT.and the entire management doesn't know what they are doing then its your fault for not paying attention.#1-Katz is a savy buisness man who thinks and plans long term and large.#2-Mac T is an extremely intelligent hockey man that knows what pieces are needed and will do what it takes to aquire them.The players brought in primarily...
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The Avalanche has hit rock bottom. After blowing a late lead last night in Calgary, Colorado had nothing going for them tonight. The Jets stormed out to score early an often en route to a 6-2 victory over the Avs. Bryan Little led the way with a hat-trick and they also received goals from Chris Thorburn, And...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Fluttering Again; Big Night for Bernier in TO
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Another regular season, another Kings team, simply sliding their way through yet another 82 game schedule, hoping for the best and hoping for a chance to play further into spring.
I have seen enough of this group to draw the conclusion that they are constant underachievers in the regular season, but perhaps not overachievers when it comes to the second season of the NH...
What has happened to the Colorado Avalanche in this 2014-15 season?
You cannot say that the Avalanche have had it easy by any means, considering both the NHL has studied up on the team since their explosion last season that saw them #1 in the Central, #2 in the West and #3 in the entire NHL. A gutsy rookie that came into the league like he had something to prove, after ...
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Colorado’s season continues to dwindle after another shutout loss in Denver. The Predators came into the Pepsi Center and put one goal past Calvin Pickard. They would eventually add a couple of empty-net goals to finish off the struggling Avs 3-0.
Pickard was called up to start after Semyon Varlamov onc...
AarifDeen writes...
Pickard plays spectacular as Avs come back to win shootout
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The game clock had 8:16 remaining on it when Paul Postma exited the penalty box. The Avs had just failed to score on its second consecutive power play opportunity and were down 3-1 with nothing going for them.
Colorado scored two late third period goals after the failed power play attempts en route t...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs and Blues put on a show, Oshie wins it in Overtime
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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Paul Stastny made his long awaited return to the Pepsi Center to play his former team tonight and came away with a victory after the Blues defeated Colorado 3-2 in overtime. The centerman signed a 4-year $28 million contract with St. Louis after spending eight years as an Av.
Stastny however was not a fac...
What, on earth, do you do with this hockey club?
I hear a lot of "no-donts" online about them. Let's face it, the last time they had success, that success' name was Chris Pronger, and his wife nagged him to Anaheim. Since then, they've been nothing but a train-stop in a dead city.
I'm not going to give some pretentious thorough evaluation of the team. ...
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The Avs lost their second consecutive game in overtime Thursday night after Blake Comeau scored the only goal of the game 2:24 into the overtime period. Calvin Pickard faced 48 shots and saved all but one in front of a rowdy crowd in Pittsburgh.
The Avs fought valiantly through 40 minutes exchanging shots...
It's here. It's finally here.
After many long, cold, and miserable painstaking years, the end of days is finally here for the Edmonton Oilers. The firing of Eakins serves as a long overdue acceptance that this "rebuild" has failed. It is time to...rebuild...again
Rather than admit this fate was inevitable, the organization pressed on, trying to save our world one sma...
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The Avalanche is turning a corner. With John Mitchell and Patrick Bordeleau both returning to the lineup tonight, the Avs are as healthy as they have been in a long time.
Colorado completed its second game of a three-game road trip tonight at the First Niagara Center and came away with a 5-1 victory. It w...
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They were once a couple of 18-year-old goaltenders waiting to get drafted into the National Hockey League. Calvin Pickard, the Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender, was ranked #1 by Central Scouting rankings among North American goalies. Petr Mrazek was a goalie playing in the Czech Extraliga. In fact, he was not...
The duel for back-up in Denver seems to be over, though it is not 100% sure what Colorado will do. Just a few weeks ago, Calvin Pickard was re-assigned to Lake Erie even though he had played out of him mind for the Colorado Avalanche. The young goaltender was sent back due to the fact that Semyon Varlamov was healthy and Reto Berra was their number two. Their other reason ...
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The Avalanche is back at .500 in time for the Christmas holidays. Colorado scored early and often as they shut out the Blues 5-0 Tuesday night in Denver. Semyon Varlamov returned after missing six games with a groin injury and recorded his second shutout of the season.
“It’s a big win for us. You know...
2ndTierOilerFan writes...
McDavid, Lindross, and the Edmonton Oilers Conspiracy.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
Contrary to popular opinion; the Oilers front office is not full of incompetent fools. Arrogant, untrustworthy, two faced liars maybe, but not incompetent, and not fools. It pains me to say it, but when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers, the only fools are the fans and the media. The people who converse back and forth over a studio console or a bar room table all have ...
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It was an old fashion battle between two of the fastest up-tempo teams in the NHL Saturday night. The Avs and Hawks put on a show in front of an overcapacity sold out crowd at the Pepsi Center as Chicago came away with a 5-2 victory after an empty-netter sealed the deal late.
“Their powerplay was better...
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Tonight may very well go down as the final meeting ever between two NHL greats—Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. With one of them a coach and the other nearing the end of his career as a player, Roy and Brodeur’s storied rivalry will go down as one of the best between two goaltenders in NHL history. Tonigh...
AarifDeen writes...
Ryan O’Reilly scores in overtime – Avs win last game of 2014
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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We’ve all heard the story before. A player dominates an entire game, fights for puck possession every single shift, hits a couple of posts, misses a couple of opportunities, and has nothing on the scoresheet to show for it. Until of course, overtime comes around.
That was Ryan O’Reilly today. The one ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avalanche shake off a desperate Oilers team with a shootout
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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Colorado started the year off right in front of a rowdy Pepsi Center crowd. The boys in burgundy fought through a very quiet game offensively and came away with their fifth shootout victory of the season after defeating Edmonton 2-1. It was the first meeting against the Oilers this season and it comes while ...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Goalies MIA vs. NSH; Leafs Suffer Once More
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Enough is enough...
The Kings sleepwalk their way into a 5-1 deficit against the Nashville Predators, who I really think could knock out the Chicago Blackhawks this time around, especially if the 'Hawks continue to go with Corey Crawford in net. You want to talk about a joke, Crawford is the leading vote getter in the All Star Game coming up at the end of the season, an...
AarifDeen writes...
Blue Jackets stun the Avs with last minute game-winning goal
Posted Sunday | Comments 3
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Colorado suffered a heartbreaking loss Sunday night in Denver. It was a game they wanted to win, perhaps should have won, and more importantly—needed to win. David Savard took a shot from the point with 61 seconds remaining and it bounced past Varlamov off of Borna Rendulic. The Blue Jackets cemented their...
saneopinion writes...
Potential NHL moves to further dissuade tanking (Oilering)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
There is no Hippocratic oath in the NHL, there is no solemn swear to always try to win especially if the prize for losing is such a benefit. Conner Mcdavid, a “Generational Talent”, who can be the Crosby/Tavares/Stamkos type player for your organization. Failing first overall you get Jack Eichel who is projected to be a first line center.
Pretty sweet deal for bein...
AarifDeen writes...
Two Days Later: Varlamov still haunts the Blackhawks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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You could sense a little uneasiness from Blackhawks fans before the puck dropped Tuesday night at the United Center. In fact, during the warm up one fan told me, “I hope they don’t fall behind early and play catch up hockey the rest of the way.” Unfortunately for him, that’s exactly what they did. An...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs moving in the right direction after another big win
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Semyon Varlamov was at it again for the Avs. It seems the Blackhawks aren’t the only team wondering how to solve the goalie. The Senators put 38 shots on the Russian Olympian tonight and scored just twice. The Avs countered with five of its own en route to a convincing 5-2 victory Thursday night at the Pep...
AarifDeen writes...
Colorado wins the big game, inching closer to playoff spot
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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It’s been hyped up around the team for days now. Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars in a divisional battle for the better positioning in the wildcard race. Colorado came in winners of two straight and they turned some heads with an impressive comeback win in front of a sold out Pepsi Center crowd. The Avs ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs lose in Washington; Roy unhappy with penalty call
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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Colorado saw its three game winning streak come to an end Monday night after losing a 2-1 battle to the Capitals at Verizon Center. Washington won after scoring the first goal, which they have done so many times this season. The only team with a better winning percentage after scoring first is Montreal.
A...
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Colorado was dominated once again in the shot category on Tuesday night in Carolina. The Hurricanes won 3-2 in the shootout and Calvin Pickard had to make 44 saves in his first NHL start in nearly three weeks.
The Avs were playing their second of a back-to-back and came away with a single point after losi...
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There are plenty of words that could describe the Avs’ recent five-game road trip. The simplest way to put it is ‘not good enough.’
Colorado went 1-2-2 in the five-game swing away from home with both OT losses coming in the shootout where they had won five straight coming in.
“Looking back at t...
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For the third time in four games the Avs received a late goal with Semyon Varlamov on the bench. In Tampa Nathan MacKinnon scored with 7 seconds left, at home against Boston Ryan O’Reilly scored with 1:45 remaining, and tonight, with just 36 seconds left on the clock, Nick Holden scored to tie the game at ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs split with Nashville; Iginla records 1,200th point
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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Nashville has the second best record in the NHL? No problem. Erik Johnson is out for the foreseeable future? Big deal. Semyon Varlamov starts his 15th game over the last 16 contests? No biggie.
The Avalanche welcomed the Predators to the Pepsi Center in the second of a home-and-home series tonight and wal...
AarifDeen writes...
MacKinnon scores a hat trick as Avs hold on to beat Tampa
Posted Sunday | Comments 3
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For the first time in almost five years the Pepsi Center crowd was treated to a hat trick by a Colorado Avalanche player. Nathan MacKinnon, just 19 years, 174 days old, scored his first career three-goal game in the NHL to break out of a 14 game scoring drought. It was the youngest Avalanche hat trick in tea...
February 26, 2015 grabo84
As the trade deadline approaches, every team is assessing their wants and needs. Despite reports, the Islanders are no different. Many cup contending teams will tinker with their depth chart at the trade deadline. This Islanders team is built for the future, but there is no need to wait on taking a serious run at the cup. Many rumors around...
The Penguins were defeated in Colorado Wednesday night by a score of 3-1. The Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and two assists to lead the Avs to a win at the Pepsi Center.
Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 28 saves, including 12 in the third period, to lead his team to a victory against Pittsburgh, who had won four straight heading into a west coast r...
First this great comment from a winning coach. My Favorite quote of the year.
"All those beautiful stats, they're not worth nothing once the score is up there and the game is over. That's the most important stat and tonight they got one goal more than us,"
Bob Hartley (as per TSN) after out shooting Columbus 40-26 and loosing in overtime.
Ok with that...
NEEDSMORHORCOFF writes...
The Craig Mactavish Year End Presser: A Review
Posted Monday | Comments 20
In case you missed the Oilers year end press conference, allow me to save you 25 minutes of your life by summing it up:
Prepare for more of the same.
While the press conference was visually better than last years, not much was said which most oiler fans didn't already anticipate, and essentially consisted of Craig Mactavish blowing smoke up everyones ass.
Some o...
Reddevil45 writes...
NY Islanders against Washington Capitals:Series Prediction
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The second seeded Washington Capitals will face the third seeded New York Islanders. Both teams had players who were in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals) and John Tavares (Islanders).Both players have got five points in the four games when these two have faced each other. Both teams didn’t make the playoffs the previous season but have rebou...
Reddevil45 writes...
Anaheim Ducks against Winnipeg Jets: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Winnipeg Jets will play in their first postseason since relocating back to Winnipeg. The Jets will hope that their goaltending (Ondrej Pavelec or Michael Hutchinson) will hold in the series against the Ducks young goalies Frederik Anderson and John Gibson. The Ducks will go with Anderson in net and the Jets with Pavelec. The Ducks finished top in the west finishing onl...
Hello HockeyWorld, ScottQ32 here. It's true tank nation is over and my Sabres have not won. The Edmonton Oilers will draft 1st overall. The Sabres will pick at second and will still get a generational player in Eichel but from my standpoint you can't help but think what could of been. I tried to see Connor in Erie at my birthday in November but he was injured. I also tried...
People around the NHL world are, as predicted, crying foul over giving the next generational player to a team already with a glut of forward talent that isn't developing (certainly not beyond expectations, mostly below them). I think I saw this in the Simpsons once, when Homer got lodged in the water slide, so they tried to solve the problem by sending more kids in to try...
saneopinion writes...
Conner won't Lindros the Oilers, he'll McJesus them
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So bitter.
Yes, it sucks that Edmonton won the draft lottery, outside of Edmonton they are reviled as a worthless loser of an organization and yet get the main prize of this generation. Or do they?
They get to draft Conner McDavid but that doesn’t guarantee a that McDavid plays a game for the Oilers. On TV the analysts looked downtrodden, the other G.M.’s rolled ...
"Oh you're just saying that because you [finish defeatist statement here]." I'm over it--though take me at my word, won't you? Pleeeease? When milk spills, I get grumbly for a second, and then I go collect paper towel and clean it up before it ends up seeping into everything. Likewise, I was angry like pretty much 86% of the other fans were, but here I am, still writing,...
Well it's been quite the week in Oil Country. Exactly one week ago, morale was about as low as it's ever been at the end of a season. The Oilers finished 28th overall, and while in previous years fans had been dissapointed, the draft was still a chance to look optimistically at the future. This year, even though this draft has been called one of the deepest drafts of the l...
I woke up to a text yesterday morning from a good friend that read, “WHO IS DAVE HAKSTOL?”
Admittedly, I had no idea but a mere second later when I opened Twitter I knew he had just become the 19th head coach in Philadelphia Flyers history.
In an off-season that is just over a month old for the Flyers, rumors swirled and swirled about former Sharks coach Todd M...
Well, here I am hanging out at home and I am feeling bored so I thought "Hey, why not write a quick blog so I can read responses that say either 1. How stupid I am, 2. Good read or maybe some random 3rd option"
So let me start off this with a quick statement, Eichel is not a better prospect than McDavid. Thanks and now on to the blog.
I decided to write a quick blurb...
Hard to believe we are already into August. For myself, thinking about how over a month of summer has gone by is an unhappy thought. Luckily, all I need to do to cheer myself up is think about we are that much closer to training camp and then, opening night. One thing I always look forward to in seeing in August is nhl.com’s 30 in 30 preview. It’s a great way to re...
There has been an argument, who's voice has grown louder as we approach the beginning of the season, and that is if Chiarelli has done better than MacTavish. McDavid hype is still alive and well but drafting the 18 year old wunderkid was a task that a 6 year old could have accomplished.
To properly compare these two men, let's jump back to the end of the 2012-2013 seas...
AarifDeen writes...
JT Compher Exclusive: “I’m Excited to join young Avs core"
Posted Friday | Comments 1
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The opportunity to join an organization with a young core provides a lot of excitement for newly acquired Avs prospect JT Compher.
The third player acquired in the Ryan O’Reilly blockbuster deal, Compher believes he will “fit right in” with the Avalanche’s young players.
“It’s great anytime you j...
And we're back! Enough talk of hypotheticals, possible point productions, and potential line combinations. We finally have some real hockey to see and discuss, happy times are here again! As we've discussed many times over the last few months, everything feels different about this team and training camp has been no different. The pace has appeared quicker, the coach, more ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 9- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Colorado Avalanche
Posted Saturday | Comments 2
The road trip continues in Denver with a catch. Ryan Johansen will be out of the lineup due to an illness, which means other players will be seeing more ice time- primarily the centers of the club.
The Jackets come into this game winless and have different lineups because of Joey's illness. Tonight, Rene Borque is in.
As for the Colorado Avalanche, this is the firs...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Post-Game No. 9- Free At Last (From the Goose Egg)
Posted Monday | Comments 2
A victory at last. Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 4-3.
The struggling Avalanche had goals by ex-Jacket Jack Skille (in the first); Jarome Iginla (in the second); and Nathan Mackinnon (in the second), my player to watch. Also, ex-Blue Jackets Nick Holden, Blake Comeau, and Francois Beauchmin each had helper...
Anyone can say that the Oilers have been rebuilding since 2007 but have they? Sure they have added some big name talent in proven players such as Eberle, Hall, RNH and Nail. Plus hopefuls such as Reinhart, Nurse, Draisatl and even Schultz for some prospecting sites. Still this is the first real year of anything resembling an attempt to improve the franchise all around.
...
We're 6-12. Nope this isn't 2014..or 2013..and this isn't a joke that will end in some sort of comedic cymbal bash. This is reality. The Edmonton Oilers have stumbled out of the gate, and despite "visually" (insert throw up here) looking better they still can't seem to obtain results that matter.
With this morbidly depressing thought in mind, I wanted to start a featur...
Those of us who follow the Carolina Hurricanes closely continue to be pleasantly surprised by the consistent, high quality play of the Canes defence grouping. We keep waiting for the shoe to drop, but guess what? Not going to happen. Outsiders look at a “D” group of Faulk, Hainsey, Liles, Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin and say “who?”, dismissing them as light weight an...
Those of us who follow the Carolina Hurricanes closely continue to be pleasantly surprised by the consistent, high quality play of the Canes defence grouping. We keep waiting for the shoe to drop, but guess what? Not going to happen. Outsiders look at a “D” group of Faulk, Hainsey, Liles, Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin and say “who?”, dismissing them as light weight an...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 46- Colorado Avalanche v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
At Nationwide tonight is a battle of East v. West. Both teams are in a fight to avoid the bottom of the league. Columbus is there now. Colorado is on their way. The Avs are loaded with former Blue Jackets on their active roster- Andrew Bodnarchuk, who they claimed off waivers recently; Jack Skille, who signed with them over the summer; Nick Holden, whose been there for...
At Nationwide Arena, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 2-1.
Colorado got their lone goal from Chris Wagner, who they picked up from Anahiem off waivers earlier this season. Jarome Iginla and Chris Bigras had the helpers. Matt Duchene, my player to watch for Colorado, was a plus/minus -1 and had six shots on net. Speaking ...
First I must commend Bob Hartley on demanding a strong work ethic and compete level in Calgary. These are not easy intangibles to build but with that being said the young Flames need a true tactician. A coach that can take these brilliant hockey minds like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, and Hamilton and take them to the next level.
[b]Current Issues:[/b]
The Flames sit ...
First I must commend Bob Hartley on demanding a strong work ethic and compete level in Calgary. These are not easy intangibles to build but with that being said the young Flames need a true tactician. A coach that can take these brilliant hockey minds like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, and Hamilton and take them to the next level.
[b]Current Issues:[/b]
The Flames sit ...
Travis Yost posted an article on TSN's webpage trying to answer a question many of us have... What is the value of a top pick these days?
For those that missed it is here:
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/examining-the-true-value-of-toronto-s-first-overall-pick-1.491169[/url]
The article is by Travis Yost and he is not as bad as many when it comes to these things. I thi...
With the Stanley Cup Finals about to get underway, we now have a handful of games remaining for the 2015-2016 hockey season. And with that comes one of the most exciting times for fanbases of teams who are looking to upgrade for next year, the offseason. First comes the draft which is roughly a little more than 3 weeks away. Followed by July 1st, aka free agency.
For ...
dizzleskill writes...
leafs future 16/17 , 17/18 playoffs, stamkos? Dman?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
so looking through my blue and white goggles ive come up with a few scenarios that the leafs could take from now to the next season and see if maybe this team could be a playoff team/contender in 1-2 or 3 years down the road.
the most glaring need for this leafs team after the trade and signing of freddy anderson (G) is a top defender to go along side morgan rielly if w...
It took roughly 5 days for Islanders general manager (buffoon is more like it) garth snow to fail the team and his franchise center in John Tavares. Wednesday June 29th was ruled by a number of trades. Yet none stuck out more for the frustrated Islanders fan base than the trade of now former Edmonton Oilers winger Taylor Hall. The 1st overall pick in the 2010 entry draft w...
Reliving the glory of the dynasty oilers with Gretzky is all we oilers fans can do in present time until the oilers are competitive once again. There is a glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel now with Connor McDavid in oil town and comparisons being made to Gretzky. While those may be lofty comparisons to the great one, it does give us hope. rnrnGretzky was the grea...
While there will undoubtedly be fireworks this Fourth of July, they most likely won't come in the form that most Bruins fans would hope. Though Don Sweeney was busy on day one of free agency with the five-year, $30 million contract offered to David Backes (as well as depth signings Riley Nash, John Michael Liles, and Tim Schaller), he has yet to address the Bruins most gla...
Top Current NHL Players (My opinion)
1 Ovechkin
2 McDavid
3 Doughty
4/5 Seguin
4/5 Kopitar
6 Tavares
09/04/2016
Once in a while we will be fortunate enough to witness a goalkeeper such as Matt Murray arrive in the NHL at a very young age and make an incredible impact, circumstances can instantly create hockey heroes.
All players start to hit their stride at different points in their career; a good poolie watches closely to recognize indicators. I have been intere...
shawzy_111 writes...
How Russia Exploited Team North America's Exuberance
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In the midst of seeing countless replays of the McDavid-Matthews connection against Team Russia yesterday, I came to the realization that there is something rather essential lacking in mainstream hockey coverage in this day and age.This missing ingredient is actual tactical analysis of how one team breaks down the other or stifles the opposition offence. At best we see a b...
Let's take a look at a few stats to start your day feeling warm and fuzzy.
Last year it wasn't until January 2nd that Cam Talbot had 6 wins.
Edmonton's 4th win against the Western Conference last year came on March 16th.
The first 7 games last year Edmonton's Defense had 6 points this year they have 13.
And the most important stat of all the Oilers have gone from l...
After Crosby made his seasonal debut, I wanted to see if it was a legitimate possability for him to win the Art Ross this year and started doing some research. 1st I looked at ppg under Mike Sullivan last year. He scored 66 points in 52 games. (1.27 ppg). I then took that number and and multiplied it over the remaining 73 games (93 pts) and added the 5 he has now. That...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 17- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Colorado Avalanche
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The second game of back to back nights for Columbus brings them back home to take on the different looking Colorado Avalanche.
Going with the different look, the Avs made a lot of changes to the roster in the summer. Their former head coach, Patrick Roy, resigned from the team. They lost five players to European teams, including enforcer Patrick Bordeleau; former first...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 17- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Colorado Avalanche
Posted Monday | Comments 3
The second game of back to back nights for Columbus brings them back home to take on the different looking Colorado Avalanche.
Going with the different look, the Avs made a lot of changes to the roster in the summer. Their former head coach, Patrick Roy, resigned from the team. They lost five players to European teams, including enforcer Patrick Bordeleau; former first...
The winning streak at home has come to an end by way of an overtime defeat to the Colorado Avalanche. The final score was Colorado 3, Columbus 2.
Nine minutes into the first period, the Jackets get a mini series of lucky bounces for a 1-0 lead. Cam Atkinson shot the puck from the side of the net; hitting off Nikita Zadarov's stick; and off Mikko Rantanen's skate to get...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 22- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Colorado Avalanche
Posted Thursday | Comments 1
Happy December everyone!!! The countdown to Christmas begins.
The Blue Jackets are back on the ice tonight in the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado to take on the Avalanche.
These two teams are playing each other for the first time since the trade they made late last week- swapping depth defensemen Cody Goloubef and Ryan Stanton.
These two squads also recently...
It was the type of atmosphere, that the Isles had in the first and second rounds of the playoffs last year, and they did not let down their fans. The Isles advanced to 4-0-1 in in their last 5 games and starting to play like a playoff team. In the 5 game point streak the Isles went from 6-10-4 to 10-10-5 making their presence felt in the league again.
The day started o...
The Isles needed four points last weekend, and they ran into slumping teams. The Islanders scored two goals in two games this weekend (one in each) and both were back-to-back 2-1 losses to the Avs and the Coyotes. Johnny Boychuk had a goal on Friday and an assist on Alan Quine's goal on Saturday. Thomas Greiss played both games and was brilliant in both. Staying discipline...
After the Islanders 7-4 loss to Carolina, the Islanders needed a shakeup-well, maybe they needed a shakeup from November. Thomas Greiss who played every game since Halak has been placed in BPT on December 30, struggled versus Carolina. Nothing happened, as expected. The Isles moved on to play the Boston Bruins who they beat on December 20. Greiss got the nod again for NY ...
The Islanders were defeated by the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon and they knew heading into Sunday that they needed to beat the Colorado Avalanche. JF Berube would start Sunday, as Thomas Greiss started Saturday. Joe Colborne, they former Flame got the ice-breaker in the first period giving the Avalanche a 1-0 lead and it looked like another blood bath for Berube, ...
Great to see the Oil get a convincing 5-2 win last night against the Arizona Coyotes; it helped calm the sea of fans screaming about the lack of secondary scoring as of late. The Oilers are 10th in the league in scoring even with players like Lucic, Nuge, Eberle, and Pouliot drastically underperforming. What's going on here?
Let's break it down by looking at the Oilers...
Late on Tuesday, the Oilers made a trade that sent Brandon Davidson to the Canadiens in exchange for David Desharnais. From a managerial outlook I understand the trade. Brandon Davidson was almost certainly going to be lost to Vegas in the expansion draft and the team knew it. Desharnais is a couple seasons removed from his last productive season but Chiarelli and the Oile...
Connor McDavid is kind of a big deal in case you are late to the party. He's unbelievably fast, has amazing vision, and while there is still plenty of debate on who the best player is in the NHL right now; he is by far the best playmaker. One thing McDavid is not, is a shooter.
Right now Malkin and Crosby are tied for second in the league in scoring with 31 and 36 goals...
The theme of this post is one I’ll return to regularly -- a recap of current Sharks highlights . . . along with a lowlight or two.
So, let's jump to the former, with #1 -- Chris Tierney:
It has become evident over the past 20 games or so, that Tierney has developed and matured in poise and vision. He once clearly fit in that “bottom six forward” category (in th...
With little under a week remaining in the NHL season, the Islanders remain alive, for now. With the Bruins winning both games this weekend with versus the Panthers and the Blackhawks, they pushed the Ottawa Senators back into the second wild card 6 points ahead of the Islanders. Jaroslav Halak has been the "hot" goalie if you want to call him that. 3-0 in in his first 3 st...
Subtle mid-season moves and the youth movement provide at least some reason for cautious optimism in Avalanche world. When we think of the future for the Colorado Avalanche, we of course first think of Tyson Jost, who recently made his Avalanche debut, as well as Mikko Rantanen, JT Compher and Nikita Zadorov. But the Avs also quietly picked up three cast offs from other t...
Apaulo13 writes...
Oilers lines - best of active oilers (past and present)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Just because I like to live a life filled with fantasy, (must be the years of losing that required me to develop a vivid imagination) I thought it would be fun to see what a roster would look like made up of all Oilers past and present, that are still active in the NHL.
*[CURRENT TEAM IN SQUARE BRACKETS] - BLANK IF CURRENT OILER
GOALTENDERS
1a - Cam Talbot (2017 st...
royalgardens writes...
Niklas Hjalmarsson Deal A Big Miss For Chicago AND Toronto
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As a long time Toronto Maple Leaf supporter and Chicago Blackhawk season ticket holder since 2006 here in Chicago, I am very disappointed to see the Hawks making such rash (irrational) decisions with their current roster today. And with the Maple Leafs in such dire need to find at least 2 solid 1-4 defenseman (if they want to compete in the East next year and the next few ...
The Avalanche looked absolutely terrible this year. Roy's probably laughing at the team, but he shouldn't; he helped make this disaster. Roy and Sakic were stuck between two dynamics: Roy wanted a bigger team that was hard to play against and Sakic... I don't know what Sakic wants to do. I don't think Sakic knows what Sakic wants to do.
I can look at the Avalanche li...
The NHL challenge has been another addition to the game which follows the successful model in the NFL, giving another reason for anticipation for fans.
But its reach has not yet been refined.
Years ago, the "horseshoe" blue line allowed Matt Duchene to score a goal for the Avalanche, and yes, that was a blown non-call by the linesmen. It's a tough job, sometimes...
AarifDeen writes...
Is Carl Soderberg having an underrated offensive season?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For NHL standards, 32-year-old Carl Soderberg is a grizzled old veteran waiting to be replaced by a young up-and-coming star. It also doesn’t help his case that he plays for a team that has preached developing younger players at the NHL level. The Colorado Avalanche are the youngest team in the NHL with an average age of 25. Soderberg is one of just two regulars on the t...
AarifDeen writes...
Where does Nathan MacKinnon's primary-point-production rank?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 3
Nathan MacKinnon collected his fourth weekly NHL three-star honors this afternoon after posting six goals and two assists in four games for the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon’s eight points were one off of leader Alex Pietrangelo’s nine points. But as he’s been doing all season, MacKinnon has done a fantastic job collecting primary points. He scored six goals and adde...
AarifDeen writes...
MacKinnon deserve the Hart Trophy for his consistency
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Hart Trophy has been a hot topic around the NHL for the better part of this entire season. It seems like there’s a new name added to the list of potential nominees each week. While reporters everywhere have dug into all the reasons why certain players should win, I’ve decided to look at the consistency of these players throughout the year in regards to offensive pr...
If you were told at the beginning of this season that Connor McDavid would not only surpass his previous career high of 100 points, but that he would also do so by scoring 11 more goals, you would probably be thinking "playoffs are going to be fun this year."
Yeah about that....
[b]GRADE A+
[/b]
There is no other grade to give Connor McDavid another than this. He h...
royalgardens writes...
Maple Leafs and John Tavares?; LA Kings Future?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 3
Tavares to Leafs? Panarin to Kings?
Figured it was about time to start speaking up for a change.
First, congrats to the Washington Capitals on winning their first ever Stanley Cup title. It sure seemed bleak when it came down to the Caps vs. Vegas in the end; rooting for a perennial playoff choker to put an end to Mr. Bettman’s disgusting Vegas Cinderella story, b...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 37
Legal Pot and Pulling the Goalie
The NHL regular season is in full swing. Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss the legalization of marijuana in Canada, and how it will effect hockey. Then they dive into when is the proper time to pull your goalie. Analytics is changing when coaches are choosing to do this, and more goals a...
It started with Chris Wagner, and it ended with Wagner.
Finishing off a California swing of three games in four nights, the Bruins completed the California sweep with a 6-5 overtime win over the Sharks. But the win didn’t come without drama and controversy.
In the first, Chris Wagner’s tip of a shot trickled past Martin Jones, but before the puck could, in real ...
archromat writes...
A Bunch of Questions: about offside, tavares, sabres, etc
Posted Tuesday | Comments 5
In no particular order:
I notice goalies have been getting much taller lately; I also notice that the "slap shot" is going away. Is this all a result of those mega flex sticks that do the work for the player? If there was an insane reversion to the wood sticks, would the goalies get smaller again and would the slap shot make a comeback?
The Sabres looked really good...
Toronto Boston was supposed to be the talked-about series the next day... was among fans of those teams, I'm certain, but much of the talk was amount the Sharks' 5 minute power play after their captain hit their head on the ice.
I let this slide: I always thought passively that it was the right call, but on the wrong player, so whatever. Vegas is the team that couldn...
Mitch Marner is awesome. He plays very well in space, creates space, and finds open players at an elite level. He competes hard on the back-check, is a good penalty killer, and has a very high IQ for the game. I really like Mitch Marner. I could just end my blog here with a rant about how we should keep him at all costs and Dubas needs to break the bank to sign him. B...
After tonight, there is no reason why the Sharks could not make a push into the playoffs. Sure, the division has many competitive teams, but none are taking control of their destiny. The Canucks lost to an outdated Minnesota roster, and to make things worse, Pettersson missed the game due to a lower body injury. Jay Beagle and Jake Virtanen were injured as well, but cam...
Just a few days past the Flames lost Captain and defensive rock Mark Giordano to a hamstring injury. Currently, he’s week to week so it’s hard to know when exactly he’ll be back and ready to go, but one thing for sure, is the Flames REALLY don’t need anyone else going down with an injury. Especially so close to the seasons end, with so many teams in the race for ...
It is officially Avalanche season and prepare yourselves folks, it's gonna be a long one. Name me another team that could be without Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, Matt Calvert, Colin Wilson and starting goaltender (Gruby) and STILL keep rolling through the league... Don't worry i'll wait...
Sure it was the lowly and I mean LOWLY Detroit Redwings, but ask Le...