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MicMechannic writes...

Gone in a gust of wind..

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the regular season came to an end like a cold Labatt's 18 pack at a Bills game tailgate party, the anticipation for the post season boiled over inside of me at an unbearable rate. The sabres open up the playoffs at home hosting the Presidents cup against the Islanders. The subplots and story lines are obvious with Teddy and Satan coming home and every fan in WNY cannot ...
C'est platte quand ton équipe préférée est pas dans les séries. Les canadiens gagneront jamais avec des cons comme Kovalev pis Samsonov dans l'équipe. Samsonov c'est sûr qu'il va partir, mais malheureusement Gainey a pas l'air de vouloir échanger Kovalev cet été, les canadiens ne seront pas tellement améliorés l'an prochain s'il garde Kovalev qui joue une game...
ExtraB writes...

Learn all about Hockey Cards

Posted Thursday | Comments 7
My name is Eric, I am a hockey card collector who started collecting during the 2003-2004 season and have learned a lot since then. When I started collecting I quickly realized that things had changed from when I last purchased hockey cards as a kid in the early 1980's. So many brands, manufactures, insert sets, subsets, etc. had me confused and overwhelmed. I gr...
After enduring two weak efforted playoff series by the Predators the last two seasons I’ve finally seen in person what “Playoff Hockey” really means. The Preds started the game with the same marginal at best, tired sloppy penalty filled effort that we have seen the last few weeks. Alexander Radulov’s first fist pumping slamming into the glass celebration after hi...
predjoe writes...

Steve Sullivan Update

Posted Thursday | Comments 2
A source I have at the Preds says that Sullivan, who was at the game last night, seemed to not be feeling any ill effects of a lingering back injury. According to my source Sully was jumping around and spent most of the game standing and cheering on his team mates. While I understand that jumping around cheering is far different from playing NHL level hockey I think the...
"When you stick your elbow in his face and put knee on knee that's an intent to injure. That's why he got kicked out of the game," said San Jose Sharks Head Coach Ron Wilson after Wednesday nights game against Predators. Here’s the deal…I was at the game. I saw the hit. I knew when it happened that he was getting the 5 minute major. I did not know if a game misc...
go_leafs_go writes...

Hartnell gets off clean

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Nashville Predators' forward Scott Hartnell will not recieve a suspension after taking his second game misconduct of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Cheechoo took a blow to the knee in game #1 which resulted in Hartnell's first game misconduct. In last nights games, he was involved in a scuffle, however according to TSN, the league determined that he was in fact involved in...
writes...

Hartnell gets off clean

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Nashville Predators' forward Scott Hartnell will not recieve a suspension after taking his second game misconduct of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Cheechoo took a blow to the knee in game #1 which resulted in Hartnell's first game misconduct. In last nights games, he was involved in a scuffle, however according to TSN, the league determined that he was in fact involved in...
predjoe writes...

Victims Of A Shark Attack!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Anytime your team loses I think the first reaction is to look at your team and find fault. While I will do that in a post later today I think I first need to give credit to the Sharks for a well played game. [b]What They Did:[/b] [b]Played Physical[/b] - The Sharks played the physical game I expected but they did not take the penalties that I thought would come with ...
Three topics to touch on briefly. 1. I'm thoroughly excited for the Rangers-Thrashers game tonight. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers respond to being back at home. This is an extremly important game. A win will put the series at 3-0 and put New York in a comfortable position to move on. A loss and the Thrashers gain a huge amount of momentum and could ...
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...
Since this site is woefully prejudiced against us Capitals fans, I felt it was time to step up to the plate and fulfill the glaring need for a Capitals Blog. Granted there are only about four Capitals fans on this whole site, but that is really besides the point. As anyone remotely familiar with the NHL knows, the Capitals were atrocious down the stretch, and in some w...
predjoe writes...

Is This Leadership?

Posted Thursday | Comments 2
Trotz looked beaten, saying "We're going to have a mourning period for about an hour, and then we'll look forward to the next game." What? Is this the kind of response you expect from the guy who is supposed to shape the way his team feels and reacts to a loss like this? I don't think so. The Preds have not played well these past two games of the series and in doing...
Okay, I know everyone is tired of predicitions but hey, it's my blog!! And if you don't get the blog title, listen to "Everything to Everyone" by the Barenaked Ladies and you'll get it! [b]Buffalo vs. New York Rangers[/b] Buffalo in 6 - they are in playoff mode and I think Miller will be the better goalie. [b]New Jersey vs. Ottawa[/b] Ottawa in 6 - They believ...
So I was recently in Dallas for the first time (I'd been through the airport before, but I hadn't spent any time on the ground) and took in a Stars game. I felt pretty strange going to the game, to tell you the truth. Like I was somehow betraying my childhood. You see, I grew up in Minnesota with the North Stars. When you grow up in Minnesota you follow hockey. End of ...
DigitalMonkey writes...

Point Shots 4.26.07

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
> 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...
pensfan17148 writes...

Team Report Card Part 1

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, As, promised here is the team report card. I'll start with a player by player break-down. Sidney Crosby Regular Season 120 points (36+84) Playoffs 5 points (3+2) Sid played in 79 regular season games. He was +10. This season was truly a breakout season for number 87. He played marvelously and we couldn't have asked for more. Sid had goals that amazed a...
- [b]The largest, best, and longest running hockey card and memorabilia expo takes place this weekend, May 4 to 6 2007, at the Toronto International Centre. The 32nd Toronto Sport Card and Memorabilia Expo will deliver over 900 tables of rare cards and nonsport items from the world of hockey and other sports.[/b] The show boasts a heavy line up of autograph guests like...
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 ...
WILL THE BUFFALO SABRES AND THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS PLEASE REPORT TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS...THE BUFFALO SABRES AND THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS....THANK YOU That's what I heard over the HSBC p.a. tonight following an embarassing showing (or lack thereof) by the Sabres in game 1 of the ECF. Bottom line is, if their power play continues to b...
mojoworld writes...

DAYAAAMMM RRIIGGGHHHTTSSS

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
2-0 Buffalo.... They FINALLY decided to show up.... best start of the playoffs yet, hope they can keep it up!
mojoworld writes...

LINDY -- WE NEED DREW!!!

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Need that Drew Stafford guy back. Like fer sho'. He needs to rip it up with Vanek and Roy again. Gaustad and Mair, pick one and drop him for one. It ain't happening enough. It's not anyone's fault, but you need to mix it up here. It's must wins in OTT because you basically can't afford the split and have Ottawa try 3 times to clinch. Great game. I need more BUF poi...
NHL fans are getting a healthy dose of all possible camera angles this off season as the league takes every possible step to ensure that goals are rewarded properly. By and large, I have to say, they have done a good job. With apologies to Mike Ross of XM Radio, Thomas Vanek's disallowed goal was so blatantly obvious a call that Mick McGeough would have made it-and even...
The last three games you picked Buffalo and you saw the results. Our city has a curse as it is, your picking jinx doesn't help. All kidding aside, the Sabres really are in a huge hole. Let's hope the 3-0 gives them a HUGE wake up call. Here's to the team showing up tonight....here's to Miller doing his stuff again...here's for lots of shots and some goals (dare I...
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...
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/78531.html A woman and 6 of her friends attended Game 4 of the ECF up at Scotiabank Place dressed in Sabres jerseys and gear. After the game, this lady was pushed down to the ground, punched, and others in her group were injured as someone attacked them. This is absurd and utterly horrible to hear...not just ...
pensfan17148 writes...

Rumor Time

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, That's right it is back to rumors. So, here's what I have heard. Tom Poti is again being mentioned as a good possibility of coming to Pittsburgh, but we've all heard that one before. Gary Roberts seems to be split between the Pens and the Leafs. I am unsure how this will turn out. Craig Rivet is a longhot, in my opinion, but he is rumored to be a possible P...
mojoworld writes...

The return of the Wade

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Yup, it's key, when you stars play like stars. Wade, you rock. I'm so glad you're back and playing well. Just now on the 5on3, you dove and made sure the puck got away. You're my hero and I'm glad you gots yer A-game back! :)
This blog is in responce to the Game 5 television dabacle on NBC. I am posting the E-Mail I sent to Seth Winter - NBC-Sports SVP of Sprots Programming just in case he decided not to return to work yesterday afternoon from a three martini lunch at Rainbow Room in Lower Manhatten. I did not want my outrage missed about NBC's programming decisions on Saturday. I think my s...
Anne Hier writes...

Whither goest thou, Preds?

Posted Thursday | Comments 2
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...
SmokingChicken writes...

The Rumor Mill

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
My record third blog of the day. I'm sure some folks are getting tired of me, but c'est la vie, as my girlfriend would say. Manny Fernandez has made it public knowledge that he wants out of Minnesota. Manny said in the Pioneer Press that he wants out of the organization to be with "more supportive team-mates and coaches." I, for one, would've never expected that environ...
SmokingChicken writes...

David Poile's Euro Binge

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
Okay, folks, there have been some moves in the past by some GMs that have left me scratching my head(the Gerber signing sticks out; also the entire tennure of Mike Milbury with the Islanders), but the last week has left me stunned. David Poile has gone out and signed SEVEN European players since the playoffs ended. SEVEN of them! I've already commented on the first six,...
SmokingChicken writes...

Latest Prospect News

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I've been fighting off frequent fits of boredom this afternoon, which will quickly be remedied when I depart for Reelfoot Lake in west Tennessee. I've never been there, but they say it's beautiful. Here's some of the latest signings and players you can expect to see in camps: Thrashers: Tobias Enström (D, SWE), Ondrej Pavelec (G, CZE- from QMJHL) Coyotes: Martin Ha...
I just got word today that Preds prospect center Patric Hornqvist will play his first full professional season in the Elitserien, rather than in the NHL or AHL. I'm not surprised, but I am a bit disappointed. I really think Patric's stock peaked this year and THIS was the year he needed to come over. Then again, he may be like Nicklas Bacstrom and use the year to fully...
Hey pens fans, Here are a few fast rumors. Gary Roberts may be a Pen next season, but it is more likely he will be in Toronto. Mark Recchi is going to be a Pen. He is not signed, but I am almost certain he will be. Robert Lang - yeah, that name is a blast from the Pen's past - He may be coming back to the Pens, but it is not the stronggest rumor I have hear...
Here is my prediction of the first round basing it on each team's needs as pointed out in my previous blog. I believe this is the most accurate way you can do a mock draft, and I hope you people enjoy this. Here we go: 1. Chicago - Patrick Kane - RW 2. Philadelphia - Kyle Turris - C 3. Phoenix - Alexei Cherepanov - RW 4. Los Angeles - Sam Gagner - C 5. Washington...
The top name that keeps getting thrown around town as rumours swirl is Ryan Smyth heading to the Leafs, this seems to be the Leafs #1 target this off season with the backline all shored up pending Colaiacovo's signing which should be done shortly, what seems to escape many people's minds is that the Leafs are also looking to add some much needed grit to the lineup with the...
Here is the continuation of my series of predictions for the upcoming 2007 draft. This will be the final installment seeing as I haven't prepared a third round. I would be happy to make one up if you want me to, but as of right now this is it. Enjoy! Round 2 31. Buffalo - Thomas Hickey- D 32. Phoenix - Stefan Legein - RW 33. Vancouver - Michal Repik - RW 34. Wa...
pensfan17148 writes...

Rumors - It's that time

Posted Sunday | Comments 4
Hey pens fans, Mark Recchi will most likely return to the Pens this coming season. I cannot see him leaving, though he has drawn outside interest. Gary Roberts has drawn heavy interest from Toronto and he will either be a Leaf or with the Pens and I am not sure how this will go. Tom Poti is drawing lots of interest from all around and the Pens threw their name in...
Tout le monde le sait, le repêchage de la LNH commence demain à Columbus, la première ronde sera télédiffusée à RDS à 7hres. voici le profil de quelques joueurs québécois qui pourraient être intéressants pour les canadiens: Angelo Esposito Esposito est un centre qui lance de la gauche. il patine très bien et il est très talentueux, mais il n'est pas ...
pensfan17148 writes...

Recchi and Roberts

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi have been resigned. I will after draft info througout the weekend. [url]htp://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
Some of you may have followed my predictions for the first two rounds of this year's NHL entry draft. Here are the results of my predictions comparing them to where they actually ended up. They are ordered in how I picked them, the number on the right is where they actually ended up, and the third number is how far off I was: 1. P. Kane - 1 = 0 2. K. Turri...
The Leafs left this weekends NHL Draft with a few extra pieces then when they arrived, an impressive move by Fergusen picking up Toskala to shore up the Leafs goaltending and adding gritty winger Bell from the Sharks and still drafting Oshawa Generals winger Dale Mitchell a 40+ goal scorer this past season in the third round equals a great weekend in Leafland. The situatio...
Every year different NHL teams try to make an off season move that will change the shape of their franchise for the better, but sometimes we see the general managers of these respected teams hitting their heads over a desk asking "Why?". I've made a list of five players who, this season, didn't come as advertised and instead get paid for having a big name and nothing else....
A few weeks ago (maybe even a few moths ago), Eklund floated a rumor out there about the possibility of Michael Peca returning to the Sabres. When I read it back then, I immediately dismissed it as nonsense (no offense Ek!). Now however, looking through the lens of the Sabres current situation (which doesn’t looks so rosy), Peca seems like a very good option for 3r...
That is a question that all the oiler fans have and are starting to maybe even change their answer. Kevin Lowe is an amazing GM, and honestly the things he has done for the organization is pretty sweet, but not trading any of the first 3 picks of the draft for roster players might have been a great idea. Look at it, he might still make a deal, and sources all around edm...
Slasher98 writes...

Washington Capitals preview!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Are the Capitals done signing free agents or trading to get help with their current roster? I believe M. McPhee is done with the big stuff and will only round-up his lineup for opening night. Here's a look at our lineup: Goalies Olaf Kolzig Brent Johnson Frederic Cassivi We can assume there will be no change in net as Kolzig is still our #1 and no prospect a...
What is this city coming to? Have we been reduced to acting like the fans of a certain hockey team in Southern Ontario? Mr. Gainey, Bobby "G", or my personal favourite, "Teflon Bob" has been, and continues to be criticized heavily from both the English and French media since the draft. The man who once sported a head of dirty blonde curls is probably wondering if Theo ...
What is this city coming to? Have we been reduced to acting like the fans of a certain hockey team in Southern Ontario? Mr. Gainey, Bobby "G", or my personal favourite, "Teflon Bob" has been, and continues to be criticized heavily from both the English and French media since the draft. The man who once sported a head of dirty blonde curls is probably wondering if Theo c...
MVPrice writes...

Habs Grow from Within...

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The habs this year will be a taste of whats to come. Without the arrival of a first line UFA (once again) the Canadiens finally have the luxury of having good building blocks at every position. The lines this year will hopefully involve a rookie or second year player on at least three of four lines, and since these rookies are highly touted prospects, this is an excelle...
jlauffer writes...

What the Leafs Should do

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I think the moves that would help the leafs would be to sign Alexei Yashin and Micheal Peca. Next get rid of Raycroft and Kubina in a trade to the Yotes for Jovanovski and Cujo. Then sign Brian Berad who in won the Calder in the 1996-1997 season and racked up some good points with Columbus in the 2005-2006. IMO that would be the best set of moves for my Leafs. Thoug...
jlauffer writes...

What The Leafs Should Do

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I think the moves that would help the Leafs the most would be to sign Alexei Yashin and Micheal Peca. Next get rid of Raycroft and Kubina in a trade to the Yotes for Jovanovski and Cujo. Then sign Brian Berad who won the Calder in the 1996-1997 season and racked up some good points with Columbus in the 2005-2006 season. IMO that would be the best set of moves for my L...
Links http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157600720204954/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3OyB4VZPQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opC6wKLcoVc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMnv7rm-Ws There is no video from the first session due to battery conservation. 10 am Group 45= RJ anderson, 58= Oskar Bartulis, 61=Josh Beaulieu, 51= Freddie Cabana...
BluemanGuruu writes...

Who goes???

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Blues are into a transitioning mood as we get ready for the 2007-08 season. So far the reports from development camp are more than positive. There are four or more players ready to play now. I'm thinking I like Perron playing in the AHL this year instead of Quebec. This is going to hopefully pressure vetrans to play hard or force them to be traded. Unfortunately s...
A HockeyBuzz Q & A with Sabres Prospect Adam Dennis. [img:right]http://www.letsgosabres.com/images/players/photos/adam_dennis.jpg[/img] INTRO SC07: Adam can you spare a couple minutes? AD: Yeah sure. SC07: I wanted to ask you a few questions for HockeyBuzz. AD: Ok. THE PLAYER SC07: Who is your favorite player? AD: Miikka Kiprusoff SC07: Wh...
61 writes...

Free Agency: Halfway through July

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Well, this is my first HB blog, so I hope it's a good one. I think with this blog I will have more than the real CBJ blogger, surprise surprise. I can't follow Howson. I don't get why he isn't signing a Sutton or Tanabe for even one year. Then after this season ends, Foote and Fedorov's contracts are up and we can either sign Sutton or Tanabe for a longer contract, or l...
Having gone to the Habs rookie camp for the past three years, I have been able to see those who are lined up to play for Les Glorieux for many years to come. Last year it was Guillame Latendresse, Kyle Chipchura, Sergei Kostitsyn, and of course Carey Price who stood out from the hoi poloi. The focus of most of our prospects over the past few years has obviously been offens...
HabsMan11 writes...

Kovalev Needs to Go!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I do not dislike Russians. I do not think Russian players are inferior to Canadian players. In fact, I believe that Russian players are the most exciting players in the game-and look at the talent it has produced: Malkin, Ovechkin, Markov, etc. However, there are certain Russian players in this league that either think there better than everyone else, or there just lazy-ma...
HabsMan11 writes...

Kovalev Needs to Go!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I do not dislike Russians. I do not think Russian players are inferior to Canadian players. In fact, I believe that Russian players are the most exciting players in the game-and look at the talent it has produced: Malkin, Ovechkin, Markov, etc. However, there are certain Russian players in this league that either think there better than everyone else, or there just lazy-ma...
bcbenzel writes...

A Proposition for Fighting

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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. ...
Michael Peca yearns to be a Sabre, and the Sabres need a center who can win faceoffs, kill penalties and add leadership. I guess the question is, should the Sabres sign Peca or wait and see if there is a younger, healthier center that can be had later on after the arbitration hearings are complete? Does Darcy Regier believe it is time for the younger players such as De...
Hi my son and I attended the prospect Camp this week and I thought I would spend some time and give you an idea on who I thought gave the best impressions in the Camp [b] 27 Andrei Taratukhin[/b] By Far the best prospect Knows what to do with a puck very smart great passer. The thing that impressed me the most was his strength I had no idea of how strong he was w...
Mike Peca only played 35 games last season but was big part of the PK. Peca in the Lineup [b]85%[/b] PK Without Peca in the Lineup [b]78%[/b] PK Thats a 7% drop in the PK when Peca isnt in the line up. He not only can kill penalties but can play against teams best centres ex. Speeza, Koivu, Savard, Crosby etc. He will also bring leadership to a team that could us...
jnamio writes...

We Signed Who??

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I think Coyotes fans, more than most, have spent these first few weeks of the Free Agent signing season looking at each other and saying, "Who?" We realize, naturally, that the Yotes are going to "get to the playoffs" on the cheap this year. Cheap and young. Why, they might even have to have Kool-Aid in the locker room for this bunch. And they certainly are going to hav...
tjcode writes...

Redden willing to waive NTC.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before I start, let me just thank all of you out there for all your emails that you sent to me in the recent months. For those who know me, I don't really have to say much. You know my track record, and I think, from my stand point, that it's a pretty darn good one. For those who are just tuning in for the first time to read my posts, you'll be the judge, and hopefully...
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...
Speaking to a source close to the Rangers front office, I've been informed that the Rangers are willing to swing a deal for Sens defensemen Wade Redden. I have also been told that if it doesn't happen, the Rangers will look at Jovo again, but will most likely go into opening night as is. Also, watch for Hossa to be moved. The Sharks have made an offer. I have much more ...
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...
One afternoon, when I was 4 years old (1984), I was at the Ice Palace in West Edmonton Mall with my brother and parents. I don't remember what the event was or why I was there, but, the Edmonton Oilers were playing a charity shinny game with some guys wearing red jerseys to this day, I claim, that they were the flames. Not because I remember Lanny's moustache or even a fla...
duckyjets writes...

Edmontons Prospects

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I dont know about you Oiler fans out there but I just can't waite to see Cogliano and Shremp play. I wonder how long it's going to take for them to make the team and see some NHL action. Cogliano reminds me of a young Kariya. The speed that he saktes with the puck is amazing. Shremp seems to me to have hands of gold this kid should be a welcome addition to the oilers in te...
Is it me or are Toronto and Montreal the two teams most known for recycling over the hill players resigning them when they are past their prime? Let me start by saying that from what I've been hearing, the Brisebois deal is a done deal. The only thing I can think of that could be good coming out of this deal is if now we somehow manage to get rid of Dandeneault or preferab...
Habs cap space inclusive of Ryder signing: 6.317 million. With Brisebois signed, they would still have roughly 5.6 million in space to use for a solid UFA. Dany Markov comes to mind. Possibly some really good forward. *** Patrice Brisebois apparently very close to a deal with the habs. Some might even call it a done deal. It is believed that Bob Gainey has offered Brise...
First and foremost I would like to start out by saying that I attended the New York Yankees/Toronto Blue Jays game last night in Toronto. I am more and more amazing by how incredible Toronto is everytime I travel up north. The people of Toronto are very friendly and helpful if need be and I Thank You Torontonians. (Torontonians sounded good so I went with it) Last wee...
Though I am biased as a hardcore Sabres fan, I think few will debate the fact that Buffalo has one of the best farm systems in the NHL. In the past few years, we have seen guys like Paul Gaustad, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek come up through the ranks and be very successful at the professional level. Buffalo has a knack for developing young talent and the Sa...
Well what a day it was today, I worked nearly 12 hours between two food industry jobs and brought in well over $100 in tips, yeehaw! However, the glory of the day was when I saw a gigantic young man walk into Domino's. I looked at him and thought 'wow, he's really big.' I looked at the pizza that said 'John' on it and said, "Are you John?" he said "Yes." I said "John Scott...
By popular demand, I have decided to abandon the "Analyzing The Rangers" series and I will be moving on to bigger and better things. I am currently sitting on a coach bus with 50 of my friends on a trip to Niagara Falls from upstate New York. We left an hour ago and after the DVD player on the bus broke (we had Pirates II and Harry Potter IV) most of the guys went to sleep...
ChaosCris writes...

Peca Wrong For Rangers

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The concept of bringing Michael Peca to the New York Rangers occurred to me for a minute last month, but I figured there would be no way something like that could [img:right]http://mapleleafs.nhl.info.pl/news/data/upimages/Michael_Peca_10.jpg[/img] get done. Not with the Rangers currently over the salary cap and not with the teams' commitment to the youth movement over the...
I woke up this morning, and for being August 15th, the air in Buffalo was crisp and cool; Albeit I woke up at 7:30am. I updated my blog, [url]http://www.pelicanfoul.net[/url], and I check the news everyday for my Sabre fix, as that's what Buffalonians do now a days. The Bills... who are the Bills? This summer we have seen anger, disgust, sadness, retribution, joy, and e...
Alright, folks. I've predicted players stats for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Now I'm going to the Buffalo Sabres, a team I have lots of respect for and holds a distant #2 to my Leafs. The following is a prediction blog of the players on the Buffalo Sabres and how much goals and points I think they will accumulate. *NOTE*: I'm just assuming everyone p...
mslepp writes...

Peca, overhyped?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
With the 07-08 season on the rise, I wanted to post my predictions on the top 30 players in the league for scoring. I bet you can bet who is first on the list, I'd be totally and utterly insane not to put him there. NOTE: I'm just going to assume everyone plays 82 games. But it ain't happening and I already know that, amigo's. [u][b]Top 30 Scoring Leaders:[/b][/u] 1...
clarasax writes...

Hockey = Social Life

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Since it's the off-season, I feel like about a third of my social life has gone away. There are so many people we see only during hockey season, so many activities that are directly a result of Preds games. First there are our cellmates in Sections 303 and 304. They've been with us through wins, through losses, through that time Paul and I got to do an on-ice contest...
bigbert44 writes...

Depth in D

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I personally think that the canucks have one of the if not strongest defence in the league. With Ohlund-Salo , Mitchell-Bieksa , Krajicek-Miller/Bourdon it's hard not to argue that it is very strong. Their defence in the future looks really good with 1st round pick Luc Bourdon may be cracking the starting lineup and Alex Edler a reliable callup from Manitoba. The Canucks h...
Much is being made of Nashvilles support levels for the Predators coming from various levels of government. Some might be suggesting that Nashvillians don't truly support their team if they don't want to see tax dollars spent on it. Of course, it should be remembered that CANADIANS didn't want to see their tax dollars going to fund hockey teams either. In this blog I ...
dagley writes...

The Peca Factor?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img:left]http://mapleleafs.nhl.info.pl/news/data/upimages/Michael_Peca_10.jpg[/img]I don't really have a lot of time to write this blog, I just got back from my grandparents after a long weekend of putting a new roof on the barn here in beautiful Nova Scotia. It was miserable all weekend, it absolutely poored all weekend. I finally got a chance to go for a walk on the bea...
A lot of talk has gone on about how the two cities who should get the expansion teams when they do actually come out with them is Las Vegas and Kansas City. I don't see how either of these cities really should get a team considering they are both considered low in the ratings pools for popular sports cities. Don't get me wrong I know KC loves their Royals and their Chiefs....
writes...

D-Day for Peca

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Quick update before I hit the sack: It has been reported that today, Peca will decide which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season. http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog The three teams involved now and their odds of them acquiring him IMO are: Rangers: 46% Leafs: 32% Jackets: 17% Other: 5% It should be an intersting day, Im go...
AlexanderScharf writes...

D-Day For Peca

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After I wrote and posted this blog only to realize that I hadnt signed in and would have to re-write it, I realized that I need some sleep. So Im going to quickly get this out before I hit the sack. Peca will reported decide today regarding which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season. http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog This comes as...
I have been sitting at the computer all day waiting for some news on Peca. According to his agent, Peca will reported decide today regarding which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season. If the Rangers, who many consider to be the front runner in the Peca sweeps, do not get back to Peca today he will walk away from the Rangers and sign elsewhere. http://webl...
The Bill Watters Show has reported that Peca will not sign with the Leafs. Peca's agent Don Meehan has stated that it is not about the money and the Leafs did not feel that Peca would be right for the team. It is now down to the Rangers and Blue Jackets. If a deal is not struck today with the Rangers, Peca will not sign with them. Columbus is the only other option as of no...
John Dellapina reports that Don Meehan, agent for Michael Peca, never recieved an offer from the Rangers. http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rangers/ Peca is now down to the Columbus Blue Jackets and possibly another team which is not known. I say this because Blueshirt Bulletin reported that Meehan stated that he had two offers that he would look at and decide on by week...
CBJ09 writes...

Welcome to Columbus, Mr. Peca

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Depth isn't all that Michael Peca will provide the Blue Jackets, and what a good thing it is. It was reported tonight by the Columbus Dispatch and the NY Daily News that Peca's agent, Don Meehan, and Columbus GM Scott Howson are finalizing a one-year contract. Terms are not immediately available. The official annoucement is expected Wednesday morning. Peca's remar...
AlexanderScharf writes...

Peca To Blue Jackets

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In the final edition of the Peca blog series, TSN has confirmed the Michael Peca has reached an agreement on a 1 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets that will be officially anounced later today. This ends a 3 week saga where he was involved with the Rangers, Sabres and Leafs. His signing is welcomed in Columbus, a team that just lost a forward, Svitov, to Russia. The ...
Leafer93 writes...

Mike Peca: A Preventable Loss

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
With news that Michael Peca will be heading to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the blame definitely lies on the shoulders of JFJ. In Peca, the Leafs have lost a top-notch penalty killer, one-time Selke winner, and a guy who can play a solid defensive game; in other words, he was the kind of player the Leafs desperately needed. In Matt Stajan and Alex Steen, the Leafs have...
When I first heard there was an e3 rumor that Michael Peca was comming to Columbus, I kind of got a little excited. Now that he's signed I really have some mixed emotions about him being on the Jackets. Why I like Michael Peca as a Blue Jacket It seems to me that every year, that the Jackets are a team that look like they can be a decent team on paper, but it never tr...
I've been thinking a lot lately about our upcoming Blueshirts.. some have only played a few games in the big league, while continuing to dominate the minor leagues, but I am curious what you all think about the following. [b]Dawes[/b] - Small guy, but great hands. He's a pure goal scorer.. [b]Staal[/b] - Big guy, an offensive-defenseman from what I've read/seen... perh...
Ok, a month or two ago, I was reading that Pete was going to play for his father's league back in Sweden...What happened? TSN.com is reporting that Ottawa and Vancouver are now in a "race" to pick up this injury-prone forward from his one year stint in Nashville after being dealt away by the Philadelphia Flyers. His career is winding down, and I honestly think that if h...
There is always a lack when your teams under attack because the defence are able to fly by the pressure is thick and the umberlla is set and the powerplay is under way a shot block is nice when your protecting the net the diamond position and collapsing D are the recipe for who you need oh yes indeed we need the King of the Penalty Kill Now its getting t...
mayorofangrytown writes...

Flyers Forecast

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I tend to be pessimistic but hopeful. I can see the Flyers getting off to another bad start but not being non competitive like they were last year. The team made a lot of moves after February, some I like, some I like less, some seem to come with question marks. [b]The Forwards:[/b] I wanted them to sign Drury but they ended up with Briere so I was a little disappointe...
Hey there, Finally, across the city, we can feel the nervousness and febrility of everybody. All the talk and chat are centered in only one subject : The Canadians. The passionate optimistist, the everyday pessimist, the young newbies, the seasoned veteran or the expert...everybody and their mama agree on one thing : They can't wait until it really starts! So, let...
The Peca Rumors we're constant. The Sabres, Rangers and Leafs were at the top of the list but is seems as though EVERY team was linked to Peca at some point. Evrey team but Columbus that is. At first blush it seems like an odd match. At this point, Peca is the classic "final piece to the puzzle" type player and columbus hasn't even gotten all the piece out the jigs...
When Cristobal Huet injured his hamstring last season Jaroslav Halak came in to the picture, and played well, yet they were still not able to get into the playoffs. Huet is now a proven first-stringer, and his absence certainly factored into why they did not make the playoffs. A healthy Huet should win his job back at training camp, unless Carey Price shows him up, but we'...
I was looking over what the capitals have been doing this off-season and just placing it in my mind what is actually going on with this team. You would think that the team would have a better standing with the talent that seems to come out of there don't you? Some will argue that there is no talent... well that's just hog-wash. Alexander Ovechkin is an obvious 100 poin...
FLAMESTR writes...

Nystrom gets sent down

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Acccording to latest Flame press release at calgaryflames .com QUAD CITY (AHL): Eric Nystrom (LW) I am not sure this is to surpising but Eric Nystom was one of 6 players that got sent down today. I am really surprised that he has not made the team as of yet but I wonder how much longer he has . Brett Palin (D) Sold dman still needs time to progreess but he ...
Now that The Kings have released Dan Cloutier (thank GOD). The Kings have limited the goalie problems to just a few. This preseason Labarbra has not proven yet to be a #1. Aubin is a clear backup. Bernier has proven that he is good. The only problem is his age. As I see it. Labarbra will be used in a trade with a Kings prospect to get Gerber from Ottawa. I know the Kin...
Today's blog may take some of the Canuck faithful by surprise and I may also add to the list of people who may consider me an enemy. In the end, something has to be said, enough with the pats on the back and the 'attaboys'. When you have to get something off your chest...you do it. Now, mocking the history of the Vancouver Canucks is a rather simple thing to do. The ter...
AlexanderScharf writes...

Ranger Fight Nights

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For the past few weeks, potential Rangers players have been fighting for a spot on the roster. As training camp ended and the preseason began, more cuts were made and the team found that they had quite a few position battles on their hands. So after three preseason games and 10 fighting majors, the situation seems to have cleared up a bit. [b]Goalie Fight (no, not that...
Just read something interesting on TSN.com in the Article about Dead McAmmond talking to TSN. ([url]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=219333&hubname=nhl[/url]) [quote=Sens Headcoach John Paddock]"I think for the good of Steve Downie. He needs to be suspended for a long time. We were cheering for him the last two christmas times (World Junior Championships) and h...
- In a previous post I announced the upcoming O Canada Hockey Card set to be released on October 18, 2007 by ITG Trading Cards. More information has been released about the spectacular autograph cards in the set. In The Game Trading Cards released the following information in their September 25th newsletter... The autograph cards feature Gold Metal winners from the ...
IslesNation writes...

Isles Recap

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Islanders touched down at the Harbor Yard arena in Bridgeport Connecticut to face the New Jersey Devils for the second time this preseason. This was the second game of 3 games in 3 nights for the Islanders. Islanders dressed only a handful of their star lineup as the rest of the Islanders made their way to Boston to face the Bruins tomorrow for their final game of the ...
Rob Kerr was saying the same things last night; the preseason dousn't mean much, but you gotta be worried. Keenan openly admited the boys havent had much practice time, on some occasions they were NHL veterans getting beaten by minor leaguers. One can use the excuse that it's just preseason, unfortunately now the bets are off. A record under .500... hell .700 is just u...
Finally, our many preseason questions have been answered as the Rangers set their 23 man roster by dropping Nigel Dawes and Al Montoya. The final roster, which appears at the bottom of the page, is what most expected and is expected to lead New York to its first Stanley Cup since 1994. The puck drops at 7:00 PM as the rangers host the Florida Panthers at MSG. Here are a fe...
CaptShark writes...

San Jose gets to 23 !

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Sharks have narrowed the roster down to 23, with some strategic use of the IR. Alexi Semenov, Brad Norton, and Thomas Plihal were put on IR to cut the 26 man squad to 23 for opening night. All 3 in my opinion should have been sent to Worcester simply because they just don't have the "IT" that is needed to crack this line-up. So as for the line up, it looks very solid, ...
This will be my 3rd attempt to post this blog???? Maybe I am a complete incompetent boob, but it shouldn't be this hard. Anyway, before everyone gets all hyped up and lights their posse torches, please let me say that I have accepted this fact and am completely at ease about it. In many respects, I am very happy about it. There are a lot of positives to having a limite...
Hey pens fans, On a positive not, I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to MArio Lemieux. Now, onto the game... Tonight, the Pens lost their season opener 4-1. The Pens' lone goal came in the third period. It was scored by Mark Recchi and assisted by Gonchar and Malkin. Fleury was in goal to start the game, but after letting in 4 goals on 26 shots in the first ...
[b]Recap[/b] The Rangers began the 2007-2008 season by posting a 1-1 record. They beat Florida by a score of 5-2 on Thursday,followed by a 2-0 shutout loss in Ottawa. Although did come out with 2 points, the Rangers seemed shaky on the ice in both games, did not play well as a unit and generally did not put out a good effort. While the 4-goal third period on Opening Night...
CBJ09 writes...

Opening with a BOOM!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It is far too early to tell if the Columbus Blue Jackets are as improved as they claim they are, but Friday night's 4-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks is definitely a stepping stone. Last season, the Jackets were often guilty (okay, very often) of playing for 40 minutes, sometimes less. They came out with fantastic energy and played in-your-face for two periods, and once t...
pensfan17148 writes...

Pens Fall to Canadiens 3-2

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens took on the Canadiens at the Mellon Arena. They lost to Montreal 3-2. During the game, there were times where the Pens looked magnificant and there were times when they could not complete a pass if their lives depended on it. It was an up and down night. Unfortunetly, the Pens did not pull this one out on top. The Pens' goals were...
Deke2194 writes...

Week 1's Hero and Zero

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I have decided to start up my own little blog entry, similar to the players of the week. Except it will be the Hero and Zero, (although I may add a couple of sidekicks for the Hero if I feel it is necessary), pretty self explanatory I think so I will just get right into it for week one. HERO: [img:left]http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/1/12/230px-P...
Hello everyone, and welcome to my first blog here on MYHB, First of all, you will have to excuse me for my English, which is not perfect since i'm one of those Frenchies in Quebec City, but I will do my best. I will start from the very beginning. It was a saturday, back in october 2005. I woke up, and somehow, i had this idea of doing a Website and a petition, in ord...
I was deperately hoping this was true but according to wgr550.com it isn't as of yet. Hopefully it gets done soon. They need to get working on these guys. If it isnt a done deal who should they sigh first: Hecht, Cambell or Kalinin. Here is my order: 1. Campbell- The longer they wait the more $$$$$ it will cost them 2. Hecht- If the reports are somewhat true I th...
FrankD writes...

Pens vs Caps preview

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Penguins take to the road tonight, heading out to DC to faceoff against the Capitals. And you know what comes to mind when you hear that team name - Ovechkin. Yet, perhaps Ovechkin isn't the biggest concern for the struggling Pens D. I mean, sure, he's no doubt a threat, but this is a game where they can really get their self-esteem. Shutting down Ovi isn't the bigg...
pensfan17148 writes...

Pens Defeat Capitals

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens took on the Caps on the road. They came out victorious 2-1. Both of the Pens' goals came in the second period. Staal scored assisted by Recchi and Orpik and then Whitney (PP) assisted by Crosby and Malone. Comgratulations to Ryan Whitney on his 100th point tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal stopping 30 of 31 shots. The Pens had 2...
FrankD writes...

Pens Beat Caps 2-1 Game Recap

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Consider it to be a little bit out of character for a Pittsburgh Penguins squad that has on average scored three goals a game this year to win by the score of 2-1. But hey, they'll take it. The Penguins improved to 4-3 on the season with a road victory in DC. The defense did their best to contain Ovechkin, but he still managed to get off 9 shots. That is why full credit...
The Hamilton Bulldogs hosted the Manitoba Moose and Drew MacIntyre this afternoon on "Pink in the Rink" day, to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. It was an overall successful day, except for the fact that the Bulldogs lost 5-1. Jaroslav Halak did not play well at all. His rebound control was not what I have seen it before, and his body language showed that he di...
Hey pens fans, Well, the Pens played the Leafs tonight and lost 5-2 to end their streak. Crosby scored in the first period, assisted by Malkin and Recchi to make it 1-0. In the third period, Gonchar scored and was assisted by Crosby and Malkin to make it 5-2 Leafs. Fleury stopped 22 of 27 shots. This season the Pens have been very hot and cold. Sometimes, it seems ...
Randy Jones was handed a two-game suspension today by Colin Campbell. While it may not be the number of games everyone wanted, this is probably the right suspension. While I don't think that Randy Jones was in any way trying to injure Patrice Bergeron, he does need to be a little more cognizant of the possibility of injuring him in that situation. I am sick of reading a...
For those who haven't noticed, NHL Network (SD and HD) has launched on DirecTV channel 215 and it is automatically available to anyone who purchases the NHL Center Ice Package through DirecTV. If you do not have Center Ice, you can still receive the NHL Network with a subscription through the "Choice Xtra" package.
When a team is said to have potential year after year, at a certain point people start believing that potential is unfulfilled. As the saying goes, potential is often a nice way of saying something simply is not very good right now. Scratch the potential from Columbus Blue Jackets in that case. If you have not noticed, this team is very good. How good? A playoff t...
Its a sad day for me! Even with all the people who dont like Lindros for what he did not wanting to play for the Nordiques. I over looked that aspect and respecting him as a player, person and somewhat of a childhood idol. I played hockey growning up in the late 80's and 90's in Los Angeles and Gretzky was about to be traded to the Kings. I choose to look up to Lindros sin...
It only seems fitting for the once labeled "The Next One" to have his retirement go unnoticed after all of the troubles Eric Lindros experienced in the NHL. As a Flyers fan, I believe that it's quite sad to see Eric go out this way--just last week I had scoped Youtube to find any tape on Lindros, back when he was with the Flyers, back when his future looked so bright. ...
We all know that as fans it seems like there are only 2 emotions in our fan-lives, a giddy rollercoaster of ups and downs, from supreme and utter glory as our team wins to dark, lonely despair as they fail don't. In some ways it's easier to be a fan of a really good team, like the Wings, or a fan of a struggling team, like the Blue Jackets. The Red Wings of the pas...
So far, the young season has provided many highlights for the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets, off to a franchise-record 8-4-2 start. They have taken full-heartedly to Ken Hitchcock's structured mentality, and using their speed and forecheck to pressure opponents into turnovers. Vintage Ken Hitchcock hockey. With a team as young as the Jackets, it is plausible to wond...
- 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...
PwozNYR writes...

Triumph in Newark [updated]

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
MarkMerc writes...

Ottawa, LA trade rumor??

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Anyone know if that trade rumor that was going around still possible or is it just a rumor?
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...
Sabrefan44 writes...

20+ games in...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I wanted to wait until the Sabres were at least 20 games into the season before I started writing a blog. My feelings coming into this season were that the team would be fine without Chris and Danny, but that it was going to take about 20 games for them to find their way. I liked the make up of this roster, but knew that some changes would have to be made as the season ...
Hockey fans that have not spent much time in Southern California are often surprised to find the undercurrent of hockey support in the region. Sure, the media coverage is largely non-existent while many people on the street have never seen a game live. But dig deeper and you will find a strong community of youth leagues, recreational leagues, and die-hard hockey fans. ...
gocanucks writes...

Homecoming for Mark Recchi?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6527/recchi81099zv1.jpg[/img]Could there be a homecoming for Penguins winger Mark Recchi? Recchi, who won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with Carolina, is rumoured to have seeked a trade from Pens GM Ray Shero after being a healthy scratch for more than once so far this season. Who would want the 39 year old winger and $1.75M sala...
After listening to Ek's idea on the talk show earlier in the week about having the idea of handing out Hockey Buzz hats at the Winter Classic this year and needing people to help contribute to pay for this idea an idea popped into my head. As small as this may seem (I am by far not a rich man) I want to auction off my autographed Alexander Ovechkin Puck. This puck was sig...
There once was a time when a struggling team could be counted on to make a trade in an attempt to change it's fate. There was a time when teams would swap key players in an attempt to shake up their roster and kick-start them onto the path of success. That time is gone. With the end of the lockout fans were promised more player movement along with more parity in the...
TJD92295 writes...

The chance

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Dear Darcy, PICK UP MARK RECCHI! If you need inspiration, just look at Ilya Bryzgalov. He gets picked up by Phoenix and ends up winning 4 straight! From, Sabres fans
- On November 20, 2007 the popular McDonald’s NHL hockey cards became available through McDonald’s restaurants across Canada and will continue until the end of the year or while supplies last. The last three years the sets were put out by Upper Deck. This year’s set is a definite improvement and one of the nicest McDonald’s hockey card set put out so far by Uppe...
junkyard15 writes...

San Jose needs to move...

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Marleau trade rumors abound, but what about Cheechoo. Granted he is on IR right now, but he has been more useless than Marleau and is getting paid a lot of dough. Both of these guys seem out of it. If the Sharks were smart, they would deal Cheechoo before the league realizes that he scored all those goals thanks to the best player in the league, Joe Thornton. I'm afrai...
gosharks19 writes...

Stars, Sharks, and Cheechoo

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Well it is cold here in Buffalo, but things will be heating up this afternoon in San Jose as the Sharks host the Stars in an afternoon game. The Sharks played their best team effort Thursday night against Vancouver, and I expect the Sharks will come out with the same effort and intensity they had Thursday. It should be a good hard fought battle over 2 points between the Pa...
The Jackets traveled to Beantown last night to face the Bruins in what might be a very silent ride back to Columbus for the Jackets. To get shutout in any sport at any level is always discouraging to say the least. Many of the Jackets weren't as down as many teams would be, instead they were thinking positive as this was a learning experience from a great defense th...
RyanMac writes...

The Unknown Swede

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]By Ryan MacLeod [/b] Most leaf fans can put together a pretty long list of accomplishments stemming from Swedish centre Mats Sundin, but there is a new Swede invading the team’s ranks that I guarantee many know nothing about. That’s none other than prospect defenseman Anton Stralman. The team called him up from the AHL to help fill-in while McCabe is shelved, so ...
mapleleaf92 writes...

Where is Ovechkin going?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I feel that this is a topic that has not been getting as much attention as it should. One of the best players in the NHL, he will be going into unrestricted free agency after this season. A blog from Sportsnet suggested that he goes to Montreal, but lets be serious, it won't happen. Another popular one is that he will go to the leafs, but it certainly will not happen wi...
Nash sat out with a sore throat closing his air passage making it hard to breath. Nash missing the game didn't seem to make the Jackets lose a beat at all. They have been one of the most unluckiest bunch in the league this year with an ever growing injury bug creeping back and forth between the ranks of the Jackets locker room. Nash is also to miss the predators game ...
Does Mcgeough try to screw it?? Someone at sometime has to stand up, against the ridicule suffered by opponents and say, "Mick "blind Mcgoo" Mcgeough has to be let go. Too many times has this very patial referee made a games outcome in favour of a team not from from Alberta. You know when the game starts and some one who you never met before says, "Uh-oh "Mcgoo" is...
Let me start out by saying that I'm American. I'm not one of those who acts like every other country is crap and that the American way is the only way. Nonetheless, I am an American and I am proud of it. I have lived in Columbus, Ohio for my entire life. The city is very much a part of me, and I love it dearly (no matter how obsessed it is about Ohio State Football). I wou...
The first half of the rangers season ended on a bad note, with a 3-0 loss to the Canucks in Vancouver. The expectations this team had coming into the season were not met by their 20-17-4 record, totaling 44 points in 41 games. But overall this team had two sides and personalities. [img:left]http://voice.paly.net/media/images/2007-05-05-picture_1_280x349.shkl.png[/img] ...
Last night the Blue Jackets played their 41st of 82 games, and are now officially halfway through the season. With a record of 19-16-6, 44 points, the jackets are on pace for at least 80-90 points, which may be good enough for a low playoff spot in the Western Conference. Let's reflect back on this up and down season. A great start The Jackets got off to a great start ...
[b]"The Code"[/b] If you were to look in the Webster's Dictionary of Hockey for a definition, you would probably come up empty. If you were to ask anyone in the game, they might knowingly smile but likely not cough up to much. Some might. Ask a diehard fan what the Code means and he would likely be able to put some walls around it. [b]Action and Reaction:[/b] Thos...
From the first shift of his first NHL game, Alex Ovechkin has been knocking people on their asses. Ask Radoslav Suchy. You know, the guy that Ovechkin checked so hard on his first shift in the NHL that Suchy went through the glass. Ovechkin, ever since, has been a man among men in the NHL. Suchy? Well, he is playing in Switzerland, downtrodden and demoralized. Ap...
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...
It has been a whirlwind week for the Washington Capitals organization and its fans -- one which will always be remembered with the greatest of Capitals lure. But the Philadelphia Flyers, as they have done countless times in our 34 year history, played the spoiler as they came to town and skated away 6-4 winners. On a day meant for Alex to shine, it w...
Capitals fans (and no doubt the team itself) have dealt with swirling rumors regarding their 22 year old superstar in recent weeks. Fans of teams around the league were concocting outlandish rumors of trades that were supposedly near fruition. We heard Nashville, Columbus, Montreal, and countless other teams were "close" to making a deal for the face of the Capitals' rebu...
From Freddy Meyer's [i]Witt-esque[/i] crunch on Jason Spezza to Rick DiPietro's near-miss empty netter, that was as complete a hockey game as the Islanders have played all season. Of course, Ottawa fans and Islander haters alike will protest that the Sens were coming off a highly emotional contest against the Detroit Red Wings the night before and that they were without...
Anne Hier writes...

Fantasy Stanley

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Having all that I can handle with reality, I don't do fantasy. Or fantasy hockey. On the plus side, fantasy hockey forces homer fans, loyal to their team, to actually look at other good players in the league. To do well in fantasy sports, one must, of necessity, keep up with the scores, stats, and injury reports league-wide. Of course, I am sure there are plenty of fant...
CBJ09 writes...

Pazzy, Jackets Earn Win

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, last night I said tonight’s game was almost a must win game. You get two solid efforts at home versus two central division rivals, and have one game remaining at home (Canucks) before the all-star break. Tonight was a key win, Pazzy played good as usual. Russell is finding his form, and Methot has looked solid since he played with us last year. Brassard’s pla...
dagley writes...

82 to 84?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20071024/kelly_68861.jpg[/img]It hasn't been mentioned quite that much, but earlier this season NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly introduced the idea of changing the season schedule from an 82 game season, to an 84 game season. The NHL board of governors will get the opportunity to vote on the idea this weekend during the Al...
CBJ09 writes...

Solid Road Trip

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Finishing with 3 wins and 2 losses. Could have been two wins, with three losses. Or four wins and one loss. But, we finished 3-2. Winning two in a row, and both could have just as easily been losses. Ugly games.. you gotta win them. Unless you don’t wanna make the playoffs. If you don’t wanna make the playoffs, lose the ugly games, I don’t care. The Jackets are ma...
The core fans are the ones who buy the products, the tickets, show up to games. The perimeter fans, you have to have them, just like you have to have and develop new fans all the time, but you better take care of that core fan first. This is why the NHL needs to get back to cold weather cities, the Core is in the north, period. My idea is a migration of teams nort...
CBJ09 writes...

Curse Reversed, Right?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]The road ahead for the Blue Jackets doesn't get much easier[/b]. Following what could have been this year's most disappointing loss (at home to Phoenix), the Jackets pack their bags and head down to Darth Vader's lair. True, the Blue Jackets ended their 12-game losing streak to the Predators in Nationwide Arena on January 12, but playing in Nashville has been an entirel...
CBJ09 writes...

Caps Roll In, Other Thoughts

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]Not counting Saturday's loss to Minnesota[/b] (which I refuse to blog about), it's been a quiet few days for the Blue Jackets. The deafening silence may soon be lifted, however. The acquisition of defenseman Dick Tarnstrom from the Oilers signaled a ray of hope from GM Scott Howson, parting with an expendable asset in order to get something the Blue Jackets need- tra...
[b]The Blue Jackets suffered yet another humiliating defeat tonight.[/b] This time, it was the red-hot Washington Capitals who rallied from 2-0 and late 3-2 deficits to win in overtime, 4-3. Alex Ovechkin scored the overtime winner at 2:28, and added the Caps' first goal of the night. Backup Brent Johnson shook off a rough start and carried the Capitals into overtime, m...
Number23 writes...

Five Burning Questions

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
In Ahead writes...

Hey, What's That Smell?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Oh, it's just another stinker from the Washington Capitals against a Southeast opponent at home when they are trying to stake their claim to the division lead. Six days after allowing Atlanta to skate away with two points at the Verizon Center, the Capitals let the Hurricanes regain control of the division in a game eerily similar to that Thrashers loss. The Capitals ...
The Freshman writes...

My Maple Leaf Wishlist

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So after reading endless posts about the leafs, and who they could get for our captain...I thought i would just put up a list of players i would love to see in a leaf jersey once the trade deadline passes. I am not an NHL GM and find myself unqualified to be planning trades, but here are some players i believe the leafs could get their hands on with the right moves by Mr. ...
Hey pens fans, The Pens have once again recalled Tyler Kennedy from the Baby Pens. He will be here for his third stint this season. He missed a few weeks with mono and then returned to the ice in the AHL last week. He has 2 goals in his last 3 games for the Baby Pens. Rumors Count the Pens out, when it comes to Boyle. It is not likely and I don't think he would ...
I finally had the NHL Network added to my programming a week ago, and obviously I can't turn it off. Something that they were talking about the other day was Mike Bossy's "50 goals in 50 games" accomplishment. I knew that he was the second play to ever achieve this after the great Maurice Richard, but I was wondering how many times it was done after him, so I looked it up....
Alexander Ovechkin wurde auf einer kleinen Serie vor kurzem Kälte in den letzten beiden Spielen zwar in den sonnigen florida gegen die Panthers und den Lightning. Er hat bis dreizehn Punkten in den letzten zehn Spiele und mit einer negativen eins plus / minus. Alexander dem Großen ist noch mit der Spitze der Liga achtundsiebzig Punkten, nur einen Punkt vor Malkin, mus...
Texhorns02 writes...

This blog/update

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I've decided that I'm going to try to export some of the Stars updates to blogger.com. I'm going to keep putting them up here, but also there so more people that don't necessarily have a hockeybuzz season pass can keep up with the Stars. The address right now is undecidedname.blogspot.com. I've already moved the hockeybuzz archive over there as well. Problems: 1. I do...
Mad writes...

Time to Get Malkinated

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Malkin's torrid pace since Sid the Kid went down has been nothing short of super power induced. It's been obvious his production up until then has been the ability to not be matched up versus the top checking lines of other teams and also be sided with Sid who draws most of the paranoia by opposing defenses. But thrust into the 1st line center position it was immediately t...
Well, Nonis will have another opportunity tomorrow to prove his worth. And in the last of a 3 year deal himself, he's got some proving still to do. Nonis, like his mentor Burke, doesn't get himself pushed around, but also doesn't sit still. He wants to do a big deal. A big deal that will get him an impact player that will be here for years to come. With so much ...
Matt Ederer writes...

The problem is...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[u][i][b]The problem is...[/b][/i][/u] The date was April 19th. The year, perfectly enough, '99. The image is a hockey classic, not unlike Bobby Orr flying through the air, Patrick Roy throwing his hands up in surrender, or Brett Hull skating in the blue paint. A helmet-less Wayne Gretzky skating off the ice, waiving to the people who supported, loved, and r...
jalapski writes...

Theo Peckham Recalled By Oil

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Edmonton Oilers have recalled defenceman Theo Peckham from the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. - edmontonoilers.com Word is Matty Roy has injured his shoulder and Smid and isnt quite ready to go. Expect to see him in the Oilers lineup tommorow against the Jackets.Theo has put up 6 goals and 10 points in 42 games along with 11...
Last night, Henrik Lundqvist achieved something spectacular. He earned his 30th win of the season, for the third straight year. What this means is the following: In each of Henrik Lundqvist's first three NHL seasons, he has at least 30 wins. This has not been done since Garden favorite Ron Hextall (37 wins in 86/87, 30 wins in 87/88, and 30 wins in 88/89). To Hext...
All fans have a certain player or players that they gravitate to. Guys that they just admire for some reason or another, or just have to watch on TV whenever they get the chance. Mount Rushmore in South Dakota is a place where four of America's greatest leaders are immortalized. But if presidents can have their own mountain, why cant hockey players? Who is on your "M...
This topic was being discussed in another forum on this site, asking for the top goalie prospects not in the NHL. I thought I'd throw some stats together to settle some arguments:D... [i]Note: PLD is my abbreviation for how many games a goalie was pulled.[/i] [IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/eliddle112/GoalieStats.jpg[/IMG] I'll be putting out an indepth ...
Have you ever heard one of the soccer (futbol) announcers scream, "Gooooooooooooooo (take a deep breath) aaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll" after a goal? I don't care who you are. When you hear that kind of exuberance and excitement, you can't help but smile and maybe even laugh out loud with some of the same bubbly enthusiasm. Or have you ever heard R...
icedog97 writes...

Ovechkin is the MVP

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Sometimes it takes a loss to understand how important a player is to his team. The Capitals lost 5-0 to the Blackhawks last night. In a game where the Capitals failed to score, it was more apparent than ever how Alexander Ovechkin is the league MVP. A week or so ago, Ek posted the "Who Would You Build Your Team Around" blog. The options...Sidney Crosby or Alexander...
RITBeast writes...

RIT Hockey 2007-2008 Recap

Posted Friday | Comments 1
So, for those unfamiliar, I'm a fan of college hockey in general, but particularly the Rochester Institute of Technology's team. There was big news in the land of RIT Tigers Hockey today as Simon Lambert was listed as a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker award. Not bad for a guy who started his college career in division III, wasn't drafted by the NHL and isn't even on ...
leafs_slayer writes...

Ovechkin is not done

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Ok. Ovechkin hit 60 goals with 6 games left. Cool. Now we can all relax. He's juiced the most he possibly could have out of this season. C'mon, am I right?? Nope! So, heres how I look at it. Ovechkin is the top scorer since the lockout. He's the best goal scorer, statistically, since Mario Lemieux put up 69 goals in 1995-96. But thats only so far. Could, hypothetical...
The NHL has made a cultural shift since the lockout. In a game that was once dominated by players in their early to mid thirties, a youth movement has taken place. Now we have players like Crosby, Ovechkin and Phaneuf among many others who are dominating the game while in their early twenties. It is players like these that every team covets, and if you ask any GM in the...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Enjoy http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts Have a great Sunday.
I would like to conduct an unscientific poll as to what those of us here at HB love about our game and what we believe, collectively, is the single best reason for being a hockey fan today. Another way to look at this would be to ask yourself, "what is my favorite part of the game?". A number response is all that is required, but feel free to comment as well. [b]Results to...
Before I begin, let me start by saying this is not written in stone yet, but if the playoffs were to start with these two head-to-head, it would be the best series throughout the first round of playoff hockey. While the Capitals still require lady luck on their side, it's important to note that their chances are significantly higher considering the Flyers are going head-to...
xmyth writes...

Hockeybuzz - a lack of class.

Posted Monday | Comments 0
A lack of class? maybe.. a lack of 'real' hockey understanding? probably. saturday's game between the canucks and flames was not really worth mentioning. both teams were lackluster and without energy. a typical end of season game containing a dejected outsider and a relieved insider. not worth mentioning? one of the all-time greats in Trevor Linden played what most...
[i]Note: Since my last name is Grimm, the name is a takeoff on my name and the music awards of a similar name. These are not predictions, nor are they any kind of announcement of the actual awards.[/i] [b]Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals[/b][i] Runners-up: Joe Thornton (San Jose), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh)[/i] In the end, it wa...
Anne Hier writes...

Leon Cain't Do It All...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Gosh, it gets tedious to read the hockey reports in the [i]Sporting News[/i]. The title of a current epistle is [i]Ovechkin falling flat in playoff debut.[/i] Are we watching the same games? Are we reading the same stat sheets? Do the Flyers get no credit for executing well? Frankly, this type of reportage is more an indictment of the flawed mentality prevailing in ...
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Wall_clock.jpg/300px-Wall_clock.jpg[/img] 86,400 ticks of the clock before I can breathe again... 86,400 muttered curses as the clock marched mercilessly on...86,400 hopes against hope that a squibber, a deflection off a shin, a seeing eye five holer might turn the tide. Eighty six thousand, four hundred ...
I only did the western conference going 2-2. I picked Calgary and they came just a bit short, and Anaheim shocked everybody except Dallas. Anyways.. Round 2 Predictions. Just noticed that the first, second, fifth and sixth seeds advanced in each conference. These have got to be some of the best second round matchups I have seen in quite a while. WESTERN CONFEREN...
It's the playoff series the Flyers fans and possibly the players have wanted since the end of the Regular Season. As we all remember back to that final Sunday game in Philadelphia where some media and players insinuated that the Pens threw the game to take the easy route to the Eastern Conference Finals. I would actually have cheered for this if I was a Pens fan, calling...
I have been to plenty of professional national conventions over the years. Though the usual rubber chicken [i]du jour[/i] at the awards luncheons is not worth remembering, the individual accomplishments of those so honored usually rates a line or two. But how does that work at the NHL? Currently on the NHL website is a headline stating that Mats Sundin received the Ma...
M. Hackney writes...

NHL Awards predictions

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Tomorrow night is the NHL's version of The Oscars: The NHL Awards (boy, what a killjoy opening sentence). I did one of these blogs a couple of years ago on my MySpace, with somewhat successful results. I went 4-for-8. You can read the predictions blog here: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=32863123&blogID=135769656&Mytoken=89AEB6AC-619E-...
David Poile should play poker professionally. He should. I saw him on local news tow nights ago saying "I am not confident at all that we will be able to sign Dan Ellis. I think he wants to test the free agent market." Well...I'll be jiggered if he didn't go and pull off a deal that cleared the way to get Ellis to sign by trading Mason away to the St. Louis Blues. This ...
Well these past two days have been rather uneventful for Pens nation. Unless you count the mass exodus that is going on as eventful, but I don't exactly find myself looking for my party hat as much as I am looking for the missing hair on my head and wondering why a bottle of tequila is empty. Here I am a couple days from my vacation from work and instead of focusing on ...
benbca writes...

City of Edmonton

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Wasn't that long ago when Pronger announced he wanted out of Edmonton after just signing a 6 year deal there. Pronger along with numerous other Oilers (Spacek, Peca, Samsanov, etc) formed a mass exodus out of Edmonton, the City, not the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club. A team just 4 weeks prior played in a 7th game of the Cup finals. Pronger had his problems personally, his...
On Monday, [b]Alexander Medvedev[/b] gave an exclusive interview to a correspondent of "Soviet Sport" paper in Russia regarding the transfer agreement situation. [url=http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.sovsport.ru/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search?q=sovetskiy+sport&hl=en&safe=off]Her...
Shout outs to Karen, brooke, #23, Kristin, Donna, Theresa, Jeremy, Eric, and Erica. They skated these kids very hard. At the end of the whole day several players jerseys were absolutely drenched all the way not in inch left unsweaty. No one really stood out to me as head and shoulders above everyone else. Plus there was alot of skating drills as the Power Skati...
A short blog on today on the first day Lalande, Kevin Had a great day, his play has really improved. Kevin's lateral movement from side to side was very good. Still needs to work on his angles giving to much room for the shooter. But he is quicker than last year he looks like he has had a good summer working out. Keetley, Matt Looks like the old Matt as us...
[b]DAY 2 THE FORWARD AND DEFENCMEN COME TO CAMP [/b] Let me start out like this; I am telling you about this camp through my eyes. It is really hard to judge a rookie by a first day in camp. I can only tell you what I see. This is not a make-or-break statement about said rookies. Now, that being said, let's discuss the observations of camp day 2. [b] Group A[/b] ...
Shout outs to Erica, Brenda, Karen, Julie, Brooke, Theresa, Donna, Bill and Scott Thank you to all the Flyers prospects for a great day. I missed the opening act for this day due to bad online directions. When I got there the players were doing group shots on the beach. I believe they may have gotten done sooner then expected. When talking to Jim McCrossin l...
FLAMESTR writes...

Day 3 The Goalies come to play

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]DAY 3 PROSPECTS CAMP[/b] First of all, I am going to try to have a small write up on every prospect except Boyd; he is not really a prospect. I want to apologize for some criticisms, I am just commenting on how they played, not on the person. [b]GROUP A FORWARDS 75 John Armstrong [/b] I actually saw some light at the end of the tunnel for Armstrong. His...
[b]DAY 4 PROSPECTS CAMP[/b] First of all, I am going to try to have a small write up on every prospect except Boyd; he is not really a prospect. I want to apologize for some criticisms, I am just commenting on how they played, not on the person. [b]GROUP A[/b] [b]FORWARDS[/b] [b]75 John Armstrong[/b] John continues to shine he is beginning to show why we d...
[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 ...
Shout outs to everyone. I think I texted everyone who kept me informed all the days I could not go. I hope that I lived up to the expectations. Today there was alot of switching back and forth between rinks. It made the time go much faster so that they didn't have to wait for the zamboni to finish. Today's scrimmage was very high tempo and physical. There wer...
I would like to thank Mr. Spratt Personally he was a great to allow me some time with him. I can tell, what the Flames see in James Spratt you can tell a lot about man by his dad thanks so much again. I will posting another interview with Mr Severen in a couple of days both men deserve equal time. ...
[b]Interview with Mr. Severen CJ's father[/b] [b]FLAMESTR[/b]: You mentioned one thing yesterday that I want to start out with. He started out at what, four and a half? [b]Severyn[/b]: He was rollerblading at three and a half, and at four and a half he stepped on the ice. The first time he stepped...
[b]OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF THE FLAMES PROSPECTS CAMP[/b] I was quite pleased when I went to this camp. It was really interesting to see the progress of the players. I love the talent; I had no idea of the ability of the prospects. The Flames will have a solid future for many years to come. Especially in the net, where they have plenty of depth. What made it more fun...
With around five weeks until pre-season action kicks into gear, the Habs' talented core is training hard to try and repeat a successful season. Among those players lies an underrated defensive defenseman, one who I believe will get noticed (more so), and feared league wide by the end of next season. The 7th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft compiled some impressi...
It is difficult to make a comparison on the 2007/2008 season with these two superstars due to the injury of Crosby, but here are some key points. Ovechkin side-- Ovechkin averaged .79 goals per game and 1.37 points pergame to Crosby's .45 goals per game and 1.36 points per game. These statistics are more accurate than total numbers due to Crosby missing several games. ...
With the imposition of the salary cap taking some clout away from the financial Super Powers (or so they say), the “new” NHL focuses upon the importance of successful drafting and a constant flow of young players on cheap, entry-level contracts. With scouts now being dispatched to all corners of the globe, it’s getting to be quite a small world. The boundaries of t...
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...
Acekicker123 writes...

Schenn: One Dimensional?

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
On Draft Day ‘08, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the bold move of trading up from the 7th selection to grab Kelowna Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn 5th overall. Leaf fans have been waiting a long, long time for a young franchise calibre to fall into their lap, and they may finally have found one in Luke. Heading into the draft weekend, Schenn had the presitigious honor o...
Acekicker123 writes...

Schenn: One Dimensional?

Posted Thursday | Comments 3
On Draft Day ‘08, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the bold move of trading up from the 7th selection to grab Kelowna Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn 5th overall. Leaf fans have been waiting a long, long time for a young franchise calibre to fall into their lap, and they may finally have found one in Luke. Heading into the draft weekend, Schenn had the presitigious honor o...
This is my first blog on hockeybuzz so here goes, I have been an avid blues fan since birth and this year has to be the most anticipated year of blues hockey that I can remember. I think John Davidson is taking this team in the right direction and if we as blues fans can be patient we might soon be seeing the blues raising a stanley cup banner of there own real soon.
markoftrad writes...

Sens Prospects Camp

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Sorry for the delay, I waited to see if the Hockeybuzz's Ottawa writer was going to post but he did not, atleast yet so here's a breakdown of the Sens Prospect camp last week. Goalies--- To no surprise for other Sens fans our Goalie prospects didn't stand out in a good way. Elliot looked like a CHL goalie, new to the minors. Mitch O'keefe showed why he's a free agent. N...
There’s a little bit of the irony in the title because in fact, Christopher Didomenico has rarely been in the spotlight at all during his hockey career. He is the definition of an underdog, and a testament to what hard work and perserverance can lead to. As a young Toronto native, he was passed over by the OHL draft, after playing just 4 games in 2 seasons with the No...
Jsaquella writes...

The Little Brown Building

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://philadelphia.about.com/library/gallery/lincoln39.JPG[/img] The Spectrum. The little brown building at the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia. The home of the legendary Broad Street Bullies. The structure that infected NHLers with the Philly Flu. The place where a blue collar town came to love the ultimate blue collar sport. [...
As the 4th month of the Sundin saga approaches there is still no end in sight. Sundin has displayed an unprecedented inabilty to make a decision if you factor the number of teams that have publicly expressed interest in his services. He was quoted recently stating "I just can't give you a timeline right now as I still haven't made a decision whether I'm going to play o...
This is the second in a series about memorable moments at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. [img]http://www.dio.net/pictures_misc/a_special_from_the_spectrum_us_38100-3d_vhs_big.jpg[/img] Dio poster On December 11th, 1977, the lowly Cleveland Barons visited the Spectrum and were dealt a severe ass kicking. Flyers defenseman Tom Bladon had the night of his life, scoring ...
Dale Mitchell was picked in the 3rd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 74th overall. At the time of the selection, Mitchell garnered plenty of interest and pressure from the fans and media as the Leafs' first pick that year. They had traded away their 1st and 2nd round picks to San Jose as part of the Vesa Toskala trade earlier that day. A little over a year later, Mitchel...
So, I lucked my way into a ticket because my sister in law couldn't go and my mother in law invited me, bless her heart! So, I will first admit that this was my first Flyers game at the Spectrum and sadly I imagine it will be my last. But, it was an amazing experience. My mother in law has a good friend who has been a season ticket holder since 1969 and apparently has ...
Tons of hype and mostly disappointing results. On the surface, it would seem like Boston product Jimmy Hayes and the Toronto Maple Leafs were a match made in heaven. All kidding aside, Hayes was drafted by Toronto in the 2nd round, 60th overall this past June. Once touted as a possible Top 10 pick in one of the deepest draft classes of the decade, Jimmy had an absolu...
MarleauMan writes...

Thanks.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
A quick note, somewhat unrelated to hockey. In my first blog I made a big mistake, I put down people who I look up to, and with- out them I would not be posting these blogs. Mark Freitas, Ryan Garner, and Danielle Marchelle. Now I may not agree with every- thing in the posts(who does) but i respect each of you for what you ...
With the 2008 pre-season almost drawing to a close, it's the time of year when every fan is filled with hope and optimism about their teams chances to look competitive or maybe do well or even take home the cup. Leaf fans get to predict that they will have a defense this year; Islander fans get to hope they have someone who scores at least 50 points; Shark fans get to bel...
Preseason has concluded for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After 9 games of juggling line-ups and testing their young guns, the Leafs have finished with a 2-6-1 record. However, this blog does not have the objective to bash the Leafs and bring the fan base to a heaving sigh. Instead, let's take a different approach. Let's go into the season with our heads high. Let's go into the...
Tampa Bay gets: Krajicek: A solid D-man who should develop further into a serviceable top 4 defenseman, Krajicek was a good bonus in the Luongo theivery. However he was sloppy and expendable by Vancouver. Let's face it, when it comes to moving assets, the Canucks D-corps is the way to go, but 3 of their top 6 have no trade clauses. Tampa got a guy who can log better...
More Spectrum Retrospect: [img]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/images/scoop/spectrum.jpg[/img] When you think Flyers goalies, you usually think of the clutch brilliance of Bernie Parent, the grace and stellar reflexes of Pelle Lindbergh or the grit and toughness of Ron Hextall. [img]http://www.hockeyforum.com/photopost/data/2/1974-75_bernie_parent_flyers_with_trophies....
Ryman writes...

Opening night

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I got to the tank about 7:10 and the energy in the building felt good. I was a little worried when the shark head did not come down for them to skate out of. I was a little worried that it could have been a bad omen. The into of the game was awesome, the graphics off the ice were mind blowing. I really liked watching the Pacific Division Champion banner show up on the ...
One day while bored at work I was thinking about hockey and wondered if it made much difference if we weighed point production from a per minute basis. I decided to check the top 40 scorers last year and compare them by how many points that they produced by actual playing time. Of course there is always the debate about who is better, Ovechkin or Crosby. Lets see who is be...
[b]Blackhawks Goalie Graveyard?[/b] Did Khabibulin fall victim to the same fate as Brian Boucher? I started getting into hockey a couple of years ago when Boucher, playing for the Hawks, went 1-10-3. He ended up getting waived by the Blackhawks that year and played minimal games for the Blue Jackets. Boucher holds the distinction for the longest consecutive st...
With their top lines not producing, their goaltending looking spotty and their special teams non-existent, finding somewhere to lay the blame in Canucks land is pretty easy. My share of blame would be sent to 2 areas: D and Penalty Killing. The Canucks have long been one of the best penalty killing teams in the NHL. They were top of the league 2 years ago and did f...
bagasome writes...

The Other Alex

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hearing "The Washington Capitals” and “Alexander” in the same sentence, has for the last few seasons conjured up “the Great 8” Ovechkin for hockey fans. This year, however, a new Alexander has finally arrived in downtown DC. Yes, that’s right, Alexander Semin, #28, is finally producing the way all the scouts thought he could, and he is getting...
Ryman writes...

Sharks off to visit the Flyers

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The day before the Sharks play the Flyers I am thinking about the last game. The last game I was sweating and on the edge of my seat. I LOVE games like that. We had fights we had good skating and just one hell of an exciting game. A lot of people seem to be worried about the flyers. I have watched only this one game and have to say they looked fine to me. This next...
If anybody has read any of my blogs they may have realized that I love stats. My day job has been pretty slow lately so I spend alot of time scanning NHL.com and hockeybuzz. My newest here is compiling a list of the early season power players. I have ranked them by counting goals as 2 points and assists as 1. WP is weighted points WP/G is weighted points per game Pl...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com Boudreau and the boys head into Thursday's game coming off a loss, Tuesday, to the Calgary Flames. The Caps are 3-2-1, tied for first in the Southeast Division with Carolina (7 pts.), heading into Thursday's game against Gretzky and the Coyotes. The Capitals desperately need to right the ship, to avoid losing three in a row for the fir...
bagasome writes...

Third Time Not The Charm

Posted Friday | Comments 0
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com For the first time in the Bruce Boudreau era, the Washington Capitals have lost three straight games during the regular season. The Caps travelled to Phoenix on Thursday night and lost 2-1 to Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes came back from a 1-0 deficit and scored two unanswered goals in third period and held on for t...
bagasome writes...

Home Sweet Home

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Capitals are finally back home after a three game road trip out west. The Caps went one and three on their road trip to Calgary, Phoenix, and Dallas. They picked up two points on the trip, while they would have liked at least three points, they remain tied for first in the Southeast with Carolina. The Caps play the Nashville Predators Tuesday night at 7pm, however, the...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com The Buffalo Sabres showed the Washington Capitals on Saturday night that speed kills. The Capitals came out flat and got absolutely blown away, 5-0. Apparently, after the game coach Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals was as mad as he has ever been, since taking over the reigns last November. The Capitals looked flat from the start. Thomas Van...
airtsabes writes...

100 point scorers!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Over the last 3 seasons 100 points or more has been scored by players 16 times. 2 in 2007-08 7 in 2006-07 7 in 2005-06 Alexander Ovechkin – 2 Sidney Crosby – 2 Joe Thornton – 2 Dany Heatley – 2 Evgeni Malkin Vincent Lecavalier Martin St. Louis Marian Hossa Joe Sakic Jaromir Jagr Daniel Alfredsson Eric Staal So far this season there are 14 pl...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com The two nations' capitals will square off tonight, at 7:30, in Ottawa on election day across the United States. Both teams are coming off losses on Saturday night. The Capitals were shut out by the Buffalo Sabres, and Ottawa lost a tough game to Tampa Bay in overtime. Neither team has yet to find its true identity yet this season, and ...
obe24 writes...

4 in a row

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
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 ...
bagasome writes...

Point Taken

Posted Monday | Comments 0
From http://capsstop.blogspot.com Today's post will be a just a random list of points to ponder over, feel free to comment along the way or email thoughts. -The Capitals earned a point last night that they did not deserve in New Jersey, with the exception of Jose Theodore. -The recent play of Brent Johnson has motivated Theo to play better and it has shown over th...
bagasome writes...

All Star Disaster

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
From http://capsstop.blogspot.com The NHL All Star Game has turned into a joke. This coming year the game will be played in Montreal. The Canadians and their fans are celebrating their centennial and the NHL felt it only right to reward them with the game during such a historic season. The only problem with the whole game is the process for who will start. Less than ...
The Capitals head to Minnesota tonight, a place they have not won at since 1993, to face a tough Wild team. The Caps are 11-6-3 and lead the Southeast with 25 points, while the Wild are 11-6-1 with 23 points. The game is an 8pm start on Versus. The Caps head to Minnesota coming off loses at LA and San Jose, while the Wild have also lost two straight. For yet another gam...
martok2309 writes...

Crystal Ball Gazing

Posted Monday | Comments 0
[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...
martok2309 writes...

Crystal Ball Gazing

Posted Monday | Comments 0
[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'...
Well the news for the Capitals has not gotten any better, yet again. In fact, it's worse. Captain Chris Clark has been put on long term IR again. Apparently, Clark is suffering from a stress fracture in his right forearm. This is just the latest in a rash of injuries that have stuck the Caps in the last two weeks. Originally it looked like it was the Carolina Hurricane...
watsonnostaw writes...

The Sean Avery fiasco

Posted Friday | Comments 10
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...
The Calgary Flames played their best defensive game of the of the season. Kipper was outstanding, kicking out all 31 shots. Now you may say it sounds like Kipper stole the game, but the defense really did limit the scoring chances. The forwards really came back to help the defense. When the forwards do their part in the defensive zone, this team can be successful. The best...
I never want to see my team lose as bad as this...but it happens...hell, in Jagr's debut game for the Rangers they lost 9-1 to the Senators and I think Jagr was held to one assist (don't ask me how I remember things like this, I just do). The major problem with last night's loss was that there was no heart in the Isles game. They quit once they were down 3-1. Their shifts ...
[img]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61fFParYYZL._SS500_.jpg[/img] [b][u]December Forever:[/u][/b] [b][i]Dear Flyers' Players. Please don't be too quick to rip the wrapper off your 2009 version of the team calender!![/i][/b] I think if Coach John Stevens had his Christmas wish, it would be to play the rest of the year like it was the 12th month of 2008! ...
markoftrad writes...

Opening my vent.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I've had enough of hearing and reading stupid "comments" and "soundbytes" So this whole blog is my chance to vent on everything bugging me in hockey lately. ------------------------------------------ Mats Sundin - Everyone is sick of this I agree, but I more sick of the media coverage of this guy. Every medium has said Sundin has or will sign with just about every t...
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...
The Bruins' first pick in the second round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft (63rd overall), David Krecji, 22, has climbed fast on the Bruins depth chart. Currently the Bruins' third centre behind point-producer Marc Savard and proven youngster Patrice Bergeron, Krejci is quickly making his mark in the NHL. His new line-mates Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder have perfectly cli...
The rematch between the Caps and the Flyers will begin at 1pm today at the Wachovia Center. These two teams faced each other in a great 7 game series this past season, where the Flyers won game 7 in overtime on a Joffrey Lupul goal. I'll tell you what, you want to see an entertaining game, you got it right here. Alex Ovechkin and his crew come here to Philly to take on the...
Just got back from Czech/USA First off by far the best game of the World Jrs. so far. The Czech's came out hard in the first and the US was not ready........at all. The Czech's set the tone for the game and maintained it, unfortunately the tone wasn't enought to keep the oddly lazy and unorganized American squad at bay. Despite the Czech's playing hard and hitting...
Just six months ago many a grapevine was carrying rumor of NHL expansion while I lamented the integrity of a revenue bound salary cap. Even into the new season few had foreseen the sheer gravity of the global economic downturn and its impact on jobs, housing, businesses and every facet of life down to sport. Now as international markets stutter into a depression that many ...
This is the time of year for New Year's resolutions. You know - the one where most people will try to not to eat people for the year. Well, that might be a bad example. I have decided to make resolutions for other people, since I am too perfect and do not need to improve at all. I think it is time someone pointed out some good new year resolutions for the poor misguided h...
icedog97 writes...

Now That's More Like It

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night a loud exhale could be heard across the Penguin Nation. Finally, the Pens played a game with purpose and determination...and won. There is hope that these guys can right the ship in time for the playoffs afterall. The Penguins adopted a more conservative approach to last night's game, using a variation on the neutral zone trap...it really amounts to a 1...
Every Isles fan and hockey fan by now has to have come to a complete understanding in regards to this dismal year for the blue and orange. This season was designed to ignite a maturation process for all the young, inexperienced players; to learn from mistakes, to understand the game, yada yada yada. But in a youth movement, there are supposed to be signs of progress. Each ...
FLAMESTR writes...

HOCKEY HAPPENINGS

Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]GOALIES LEAVING ADDRESSES[/b] The goalies are changing addresses and some may be on their way out more as the Pens and Oil say "let's make a deal". Goalies switching teams as Mathieu Garon goes for Dany Sabourin, Ryan Stone, and a fourth round draft pick. An interesting move by the Oil, as they trade one of their goalies yet get one back from the Pens. I expect Danny...
senate666 writes...

Who is the NHLs Best Player?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Jesse Connolly's recent article, entitled "Why Alex Ovechkin Will Never Be the Face of the NHL" really got me pondering this question again, as I have so many times in my life. There has always been a player regarded as the face of the NHL, and that player was generally recognized as the best in the league at that time: Players like Richard, Howe, Orr, Gretzky and Lemieux ...
Richie18 writes...

NHL Second Half Predictions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As we get ready for the second half of the season, I have my lead-pipe lock predictions for the second half. Some of my predictions will be positive, others will be negative. 1. The Columbus Blue Jackets will make the playoffs this season. Why? Steve Mason will single handedly lead them to the playoffs. Yes, I understand that he's a rookie and there is a possibility tha...
In the NHL, having money is great, but it doesn't always mean success; well not on the ice that is. Take a look at the whack of free agents Tampa Bay signed in the off season, and look at them now. Anyway, as I sit here and take a look at the class of 2009 free agents; I am less than hopeful in what big splashes the Leafs will make July 1st. That's not to say there ar...
martok2309 writes...

Getting defensive

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[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�...
martok2309 writes...

Getting defensive

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[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" ...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Will the real Carey Price please stand up please stand up. What a mess right now, that being said I fully believe he will turn it around. We get hot wings and Cajun wings Wednesday after hockey, I don’t like the cajun wings, I just don’t. The Niedermayers are first cousins with Jason Strudwick. Glen Metropolit has played on 20 different teams in 14 years he’...
I'm positive I don't have to explain that the Leafs are going in to the March 4 trade deadline as sellers. As an avid reader and poster here on hockeybuzz, I have seen my fair share of lopsided proposals resulting in high draft picks and stellar prospects for our 2nd and 3rd strings of roster players. With that in mind, I decided to analyze each team's prospect pool th...
icedog97 writes...

Penguins Missing Grit

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
When the Penguins lost Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, and Jarkko Ruutu to free agency last summer, many observers thought that the team had lost too much grit to be successful this season. Personally, when those players left, I wasn't immediately inclined to buy into that belief...I took the "wait and see" approach. Well, I have waited... and now I have seen... [b]thos...
With both teams fighting for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens square off against the Flyers tonight at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The Canadiens will line up against a Flyers offense that has been scoring at will as of late, and who will only get stronger with the long awaited return of Daniel Briere. Briere will look to seamles...
Darryl Sutter has never been much into the hype of Trade Day. He's known for making all his moves in the post-season and doing a fairly good job of it. On trade deadline days, his past has seen him maybe pick up a depth defenseman, a depth forward, and possibly a back-up goal-tender. He’s said before that the available players are not worth the price teams have to pay. T...
Let me introduce myself since this being my first blog here, my name is Tom and I'm a hardcore Flyers fan, even more a hockey fan. I hate the Penguins with a passion, one much great to describe yet I [b]hate[/b] Sidney Crosby even more. That's a quick little intro to me. As it stands right now, my Flyers are standing fourth in the conference - tied with those pansies ...
First off, I will not BS you, I am on Ovechkin's side in this little saga, so yes, there is bias in this Blog. We all know about Don Cherry recent criticism toward Alexander Ovechkin for his 50th goal celebration...if you've watched Coach's Corner(or Coach's Room as OV likes to call it) in the last three weeks you will know about this, heck if you've watched TSN, Versus...
Last year Philly came into the playoff series against the Penguins with the intention of pounding them into the boards on every shift - and it the process - they hoped to pound the life out of Pittsburgh. The result...Pens won the series in 5 games. A couple of years earlier, in a regular season match-up in Philly, Derrian Hatcher pounded on the face of, then rookie,...
BryanM writes...

On to Round two

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Joining the rest of my fellow hockey buzz enthusiasts, here are my predictions for Round Two as well as a review of Round One. [b]Round One[/b] I'll take a 6-1-1 record into the second round. I correctly predicted wins for Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh (even got the games right), Detroit, Vancouver, and Chicago. San Jose let me down, just like pretty much everyone e...
BryanM writes...

Time to panic! Or is it?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After losing 4-3 and falling into a 2-0 hole to the Washington Capitals many may think it is time to panic for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I disagree. Watching the game tonight I saw exactly what I expected to see: Ovechkin versus Crosby in a fast-paced, hard hitting matchup. Both teams controlled the puck well in the offensive zone and at times it seemed like the ice was tit...
BryanM writes...

Never Panic!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After the Penguins fell into a 2-0 series hole to the Washington Capitals, I wrote a blog about how it wasn't time to panic yet for the birds. Crosby had been spectacular, and they were getting scoring from stay-at-home defenseman Mark Eaton (who?). But there were things the Penguins needed to work on. One of those things was puck posession. The Pens had not been good o...
[b]The Save[/b] I wrote a couple of days back that Marc Andre Fleury needed to be in #1 star form for the Penguins to advance in the playoffs. That he had to find a way to play his BEST in game 7. Fleury ended up being the #3 star in the game...and as it turns out, he really didn't need to be #1 with the way the rest of his team handled the Capitals on Wednesday night...
First thing's first, congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins! Once the Devils were eliminated they became my adopted team from the East, and while my adopted team from the West, Chicago, did not make it to the finals, Pittsburgh both made it and won. I'm also happy for a pair of former Devils—Bill Guerin's only other Stanley Cup came here in Jersey back in his rookie ...
Ineedanother175 writes...

Draft Day.

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The NHL Entry Draft will soon be upon us and the Blues are looking to have another strong draft weekend. The Blues have an amazing prospect cool, but it could stand to get better. After take the time to analyze team needs and prospects that could be available at the given times the team will be selecting players. Round one: Given Jarmo's track record with late 1st r...
In the Dark Knight, Aaron Eckhart said "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain". Metaphorically speaking, I think there is a lot of justification behind this quote and of course I can relate it to hockey and my New Jersey Devils. For the better part of two decades, Martin Broduer has been the face of the New Jersey Devils and GM Lou La...
It is my belief that the Leafs will not be trading up in this draft. The teams in front of them are just too desperate to get a highly touted prospect... The Islanders will go for the option of selling tickets before looking for the future of the franchise, and Tavares will probably go first... Even though to me, it looks like Duchene and Hedman look like they will develop...
Jrod691 writes...

Who should San Jose keep?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
This is only my second blog on this site and has to be short and sweet since I do not have much time. I just wanted to share my thoughts about which players the Sharks should keep, as well as hear some input from other Sharks fans. I think there are only three players that I would be really upset to see go and they are: 1 - Dan Boyle: He is my choice for Captain next...
hAbfAn33 writes...

WTF are the Habs doing?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
nadreyer writes...

Vancouver Off-Season Checklist

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ok, first I would like to say that resigning the Sedin twins was clearly the right move to make. Working on this extension with Lou, also a great idea and a huge piece of the puzzle. Now these were difinitely my main concerns with our team is the future of those huge components. Now, that being said where is the improvement? Gabs....gone Mike Cam....gone Brian Gionta....go...
nreeb21 writes...

09/10 Maple Leafs

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Let us take a quick look at the 09/10 Leafs depth chart and possible moves; Goal Toskala Pogge Defence Komisarek Schenn Kaberle Finger White Exelby Van Ryn Stralman Oreskovic Frogren Forwards Hagman Grabovski Kulimen Tlusty Stajan Ponikarovsky Stempniak J. Mitchell Blake O...
This is part 2 and final of a two-piece article writing about the value of Montreal Canadiens UFAs and RFAs from the 2008-09 season. In part 1, I covered the big name Habs UFAs and compared them to the new recruits. In short, the value of the UFAs were on average lower than that of the new signings. And as the new signings are more or less all younger (exception is Ale...
HI everyone I hope you are having good summers. If you are in hockey withdrawal, I would like to suggest attending your local prospect camp. These camps are generally free to watch. You get to see your future players and new draft picks. Flyers prospect camp as a special event at the Jersey shore. It is called Trial on the Isle. The players split into 3 grou...
I just want to start by saying that some of you sabre fans should really be ashamed of yourself. People are being very critical of the Sabres Brain trust which is very understandable, but you really look at everything that has Transpired since the Lockout, the Sabres have had a plan. they established a team out of the lockout that was structured for the new NHL and play...
HI everyone Flyers prospect camp fell during my busiest week of the summer. I had the pleasure to go Friday and Sunday. Friday the Orange team again beat the very talented black 2-1. Today the black team won in a shoot out care of Mr Dingle. Pat Maroon continues to dominate during this camp. He really is a presence there. Riopel and Morrison did excel...
Garth Snow and the New York Islanders entered the offseason with quite a bang. The anticipation and excitement leading up to the draft party, the draft party itself, the selection of John Tavares, and the signing of a quality netminder in Dwayne Roloson all helped to give Islander fans a sense of rejuvenation and renaissance. However, since then, all has been pretty quiet ...
During the first season after the lockout and of the new CBA, I had occasion to take the inaugural NHL Scouting and Management course offered through Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW). It was definitely interesting and well worth the price of admission. We had weekly chats moderated by ESPN’s E.J. Hradek that also including Barry Madigan who runs a highly respected Goal...
Continuing my series of scouting reports on goaltenders who have yet to make the NHL, I have decided to do Erie Otters starting goaltender Jaroslav Janus. Janus was drafted in the sixth round, 162nd overall in this past NHL entry draft, taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Many people know him because of his sensational performance at the 2009 World Junior Championships. He w...
how you say that is beyond me.. really.. it makes no sence.. crosby plays with malkin, and the majority of his goals are tap ins.. you talk about all around players, lets loook at the stats... when ovechkin is on the ice you fear him.. you fear his shot, his scoring, his hitting... that fear is not there for crosby.. crosby is great sure, but best player in the world.....
how you say that is beyond me.. really.. it makes no sence.. crosby plays with malkin, and the majority of his goals are tap ins.. you talk about all around players, lets loook at the stats... when ovechkin is on the ice you fear him.. you fear his shot, his scoring, his hitting... that fear is not there for crosby.. crosby is great sure, but best player in the world.....
The latest in the Dany Heatley Soap Opera (according to ESPN.com) is that the Senators have rejected a trade offer that would have sent Sharks RW Jonathan Cheechoo and offensive defenceman Christian Erhoff to Ottawa for Heatly. Reasons why the trade was not accepted were not posted, but judging by what I've read all summer long it came down to money. Since Heatley's ...
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...
kenny878 writes...

Leafs Prospect Rankings

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
#1 Nazem Kadri - London Knights #2 Jiri Tlusty - Toronto Marlies #3 Mikhail Stefanovich - Quebec Remparts #4 Chris DiDomenico - Drummondville Voltigeurs #5 Dale Mitchell - Windsor Spitfires #6 Jerome Flaake - Cologne #7 Kenny Ryan - U.S. U-18 #8 Joel Champagne - P.E.I. #9 Viktor Stalberg - U of Vermont #10 Jesse Blacker - Windsor Spitfires Noteables - Grant Rol...
kenny878 writes...

Leafs Prospect Profile

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In the next few days I will be writing prospect profiles on my list of the Top Ten Leafs Prospects. Begining with number ten Jesse Blacker counting up to number one Nazem Kadri. 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...
In the 2008 season Jesse Blacker had limited ice time. Only appeared in 17 games. This year his totals and ice time have jumped with 21 pointsfor the powerhouse Windsor Spitfires. Blacker was picked by the Leafs in the second round #58th overall. Blacker is expected to play one more year with Windsor then make the jump to Marlies or Leafs. Blacker plays a solid defensi...
Stahlberg had 27 goals, 26 assists and 89 PIMs playing for the Frölunda Indians in the Swedish Jr. league in 2005-06. Now playing with the U of Vermont Stalberg has developed into what could be a solid 3rdliner in the NHL. Stalber is a big player with great speed. Accelerates really well and reaches full speed very fast. Forechecks successfully and plays with good inten...
Joel Champagne has finished his final year in the CHL with the PEI Rocket. He uses his size to work corners and in front of net but lacks scoring ability. Blessed with great size, Champagne already has the physical makeup of a professional hockey player. However, appearances can be deceiving and despite his visible attributes, he is very much a project. Willing to use his...
2008-09: Played for the US National U-18 Team Development Program, scoring 20 goals and 16 assists in 49 games. Ryan is a goal scorer, and works hard to get pucks as well. He is committed to Boston College in the fall of 2009. Kenny
Flaake took the DNL, Germany's top junior league, by storm this season, finishing as the top scorer with 80 points in only 36 games. He also managed another six points in four playoff games. His 2007-08 season ended up being quite a long one, as he put in time playing for both the U18 and U20 national teams as well as a 30-game introduction to the DEL, Germany's top men's ...
Chris went undrafted in the OHL draft. DiDomenico is on the small side at 5'11 and only 165 pounds but has overcome his size deficiencies so far with excellent hockey sense. Though his skating is only average, he is excellent on faceoffs and is a good penalty killer. If he is able to add muscle to his frame and continue to play a smart, two-way game he could surprise. Di...
On paper, Stefanovich looks to have all the tools that teams look for: a blend of scoring ability and size. Stefanovich’s sharpshooting abilities and offensive instincts are top notch, but his effort is inconsistent at best. Though he is willing to drive to the net, Stefanovich is a player who mainly fights through contact but doesn’t initiate physical play. His skatin...
On October 25, 2007, Tlustý played his first regular season NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring two goals in his début. His first goal was originally a shot by Alex Steen, but it deflected off of Tlustý's backside and went in the net. Thirty-five seconds later, he scored with a wrist shot from the wing. He earned his first assist on November 2. When he got...
2006-07: This was Kadri's rookie season with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). In 62 games, the center recorded 22 points (7g+15a), adding another two assists in nine playoff games. 2007-08: Kadri improved on his numbers from last season, netting 25 goals and another 40 assists in 68 games with Kitchener (OHL). He excelled in the postseason as well, recording 26 points (9g+1...
If you've been playing fantasy hockey for a number of years, you inevitably start to get attached to certain players. You have it stuck in your head that the player is a star and has to be drafted. If you're interested in winning, you sometimes have to forget the past and acknowledge when the dog just can't run like he used to. The trends indicate that these boys are on...
leafsprospect writes...

The Death of a Prospect?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Not unlike Arthur Miller's famous 1949 script, "The Death of a Salesman", many an NHL prospect has failed to taste success and so falls by the wayside! The summer month of August certainly drains the life out of most talk hockey! Come September we will be gearing up for prospect tourneys, training camps, and pre-season! An earlier start to the regular season du...
Kaberle's NTC is void for 2 more days. Will he be traded. Not likely.
hplayer11389 writes...

2009-2010 Predictions

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Eastern Conference: 1. Washington Capitals 2. Pittsburgh Penguins 3. Boston Bruins 4. Philadelphia Flyers 5. New Jersey Devils 6. Montreal Canadians 7. Buffalo Sabres 8. Tampa Bay Lightning --------------------------------- 9. Ottawa Senators 10. Carolina Hurricanes 11. Toronto Maple Leafs 12. New York Rangers 13. Florida Panthers 14. New York Islanders 1...
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...
Beware to all the DirecTV people out there that are NHL fans. You will not see any games on Versus this year. This means that if your team plays a game on Versus, that game will not be shown on CenterIce. Versus has EXCLUSIVE broadcast rights for those games within the US and judging by the way they negotiate with satellite providers, they will not relinquish those righ...
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...
ed16 writes...

Offseason Review

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Just two days till camp and there are still many questions to be answered. Hype for the season is beginning to build and the ice is starting to freeze in arenas around the league. So where do we stand? Recap: Here is the list of guys we picked up this offseason who will likely start Donald Brasher Marian Gaborik Chris Higgins Ales Kotalik Enver Lisin Vi...
Rob McGowan writes...

Isle Cry For Help

Posted Saturday | Comments 573
With training camp set to open soon with the start of the regular season just weeks behind, you would think fans would be gearing up and getting amped to watch Islanders hockey. For some, that really isn't the case. I have said it before and I will say it again, I am not one for politics. I am not well-versed in the matter (although I know I should be and have been ...
Dany Heatly has officially been traded. The summer-long soap opera of the poster-boy for millionaire crybabies is over, but was it really a good deal for all involved? The Sharks traded two solid (not superstar, but reliable) players worth $7 million for one former superstar worth $7.5 million. I rarely agree with Ryan Garner's blogs, but he brings up a solid point in h...
So, continuing in my 5 part series on what will (or won't) make the Habs successful this season, I want to start off by replying to one of the comments from my last post. In my previous post, I had said that I define the Habs' success as finishing anywhere between 4th and 8th, in the East. The poster, 'flamminghead', wondered why not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd? Well, the answer i...
Clarkie16 writes...

NHL on TV in the US

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Wow, I know that Gary Bettman has been busy with the Coyotes mess, but no response from the NHL for over 2 weeks that Versus and DirecTV have split ways. This means a 25% DROP in viewership for all Versus NHL games. I wonder if the sponsors of those games are getting a discount? Here is what the Commish needs to do... 1. He needs to get Versus back on DirecTV or h...
Anne Hier writes...

No Versus? No Problem.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As a DirecTV subscriber, I was all set to see the Wings Swedish opener this Friday on Versus. But, because of the cut-throat, in-bred telecommunications world, I have to make other plans. So I miss my team's opener. Too bad for me. Too bad for Wings fans. Really too bad for hockey. However, I have no intention of calling up DirecTV to complain or rearrange my life by...
HOCKEY!!!! Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. :-) Just like all of you out there, I am incredibly happy to be able to watch a hockey game that counts. I'd love to say that it was one for the ages...a classic that will go down in the annals of hockey history and which we will be talking about for years. Unfortunately, that was just not the case. While it...
This is the 1st time I have ever written a blog on this site so bare with me. Being an Islanders fan since I was 4 years old (that being 18 years) I have seen some crazy and stupid things when in regards to what has happened to this once great and feared franchise. Like many of us, we have been increasingly frustrated with what the previous powers that be in the front offi...
Once again these two monster corporations have unwillingly conspired together to stop NHL fans on DirecTV away from watching the Flyers and Ducks tonight. My normal blog has to be postponed from tonight since I couldn't see the game. Thanks again to the people from these 2 organizations for stopping me from seeing this great matchup between these 2 powerhouse teams. ...
andydrmm writes...

Wonderous Offense

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's finally happened. The Sabres have scored more than the Buffalo Bills in a single 60 minute game. The scary thing is, the Sabres are still playing. Unfortunately, I was unable to actually sit down and watch the Sabres play up until tonight. Aren't weddings wonderful? I saw bits and pieces of the Coyotes game. Other than that, I haven't been able to see a game. T...
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 ...
The Preds finally scored 2 goals again, but it wasn't enough as Ovechkin had two goals, including the shootout winner. Compared to previous games, this was a much better effort against a great team. In the first period, the Preds missed two breakways by Ward and Weber on the PK. They got good scoring chances and did a good job of only allowing 2 goals to this offensiv...
As part of my series of articles reviewing the best and the worst of the past decade, I decided to take a look at the trade deadline deals that have gone down over the past ten years. Here are the "biggest" deals in terms of significance then and the longer term impact. We obviously don't know the full impact of some of the more recent deals, but we'll do our best to gue...
bizan writes...

Canadian Franchises in Danger

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Here's a new look: Canadian franchises are in danger, not because they aren't drawing enough crowds or making enough money. No, Canadian franchises are in danger because the game as a whole is struggling. When 80% of the league is based in either a non-hockey market (boy have we heard that phrase a lot this summer) or in a struggling economy (sorry neighbors to the s...
It's not often that a team can pull out a valuable player from the ashes of the waiver wire, but when they do, it's like getting something for nothing. The past decade saw a big switch in how this process works. Prior to the new CBA, there was a waiver draft held each year just before the season started. Now, it's not uncommon to see players being claimed off waivers t...
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...
Wow. What a game. The usual hype of a Saturday night tilt between the Habs and the Leafs played out, in all its spendor last night. While Montreal should probably have won this game in regulation, going to a shoot out made the end all that much more exciting for the 21,000+ fans in attendance - of which I was one! A few things I noticed/enjoyed about the game: 1 - L...
With the rumour that will not just go away. I suggested this scenario back in the summer and apparently as per Mr. Lebrum the storm is about to converge. Phil Kessel is about to make his Leaf debut this week and in the process the Leafs will have a little surplus of forwards and with the fact that there are no fewer than 4 forwards in their last year of a contract and w...
As we continue with the decade in review, it's time to look back at most memorable moments from the Stanley Cup playoffs over the past 10 years. Here are the plays and incidents that will be remembered for years to come. 10. (2006) - In game 1 of the Cup finals between the Hurricanes and Oilers, the Canes overcame a 3 goal deficit to win the game. Towards the end of t...
Ouch. Groan. Blech. Another day and another weak performance by the Montreal Canadiens. Three days after barely beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, our beloved Habs lost to the Kovalchuk-less Atlanta Thrashers and man was it ugly! From top to bottom, Montreal was disorganized and discombobulated. From sloppy defensive zone coverage to bad turnovers. From inconsistent g...
As we continue to look back at the past decade in the NHL, there were a number of rule changes that have significantly affected the state of the game today. Many of these were positive changes, but a few were downright awful. Most of the changes in the last 10 years happened as a direct result of the lockout. Here's a look at the 4 best and 4 worst rule changes over the...
Montreal was finally able to spin out of their offensive lethargy last night by beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4 - 2 IN REGULATION! Yes, in regulation. For the record and in case anyone is counting, that is only their second regulation win this season. A frightening stat for even those with the most stable hearts. Ok, on with the observations: 1 - Tomas Plekanec has no...
Each year, the experts get together and vote on the best players in the game. As part of my decade in review, I'd like to look back at the last 10 years and award the Vezina, Norris, and Hart Trophies to best candidates, covering their play over the entire decade. Some worthy candidates were passed over in these categories, because they only played a handful of seasons, ...
It's 7:22 and my rabbits are going crazy with Hab fever! Welcome back everyone! Tonight, the Habs will face off against a team who we can actually say is doing worse than the Habs. The Carolina Hurricanes have not been able to find the form that took them to the conference finals in last years playoffs. Couple that with an injury to starting goaltender Cam Ward and a fl...
Blech. This team is freaking weak. Sorry guys (and gals), but its true. For sure they have the very real excuse of having a boat load of injuries to key guys, but still. This is just a weak team and they are showing that unless their goalie stands on their head - which Price has done the last three games he played - they don't have any chance of winning. Consequently,...
So the overtime/shootout streak has been broken. Sad, but it was bound to happen. After winning 8 games in either shootout or overtime, this season, the Detroit Red Wings, led by Datsyuk and Zetterberg brought this dramatic night to a close. Looking at this game and the great comeback by the Habs, I really think that if it wasn't for Laraque's useless string of penalties i...
It's the time of year when you take a minute and reflect upon your life and the things in it that you are thankful for. If you haven't done that already...make sure you do before this holiday is over. With me...first and foremost...it's my family...and the fact that we are all healthy. You can't really enjoy the other things in life the way you should, without that. It'...
It's not hard to look up and down the rosters in the NHL and identify a handful of contracts that each team would like to take back. This past decade saw a ridiculous jump in the amount of money and term being handed out to players as GMs try to woo the top free agents to their market. While a number of these bad deals ran wild in the era of free spending, the salary cap...
Last night, the banged-up Pittsburgh Penguins beat the even more banged-up Montreal Canadiens 3 - 1, in regulation. The streak is dead. Long live the streak! Ok, it was a meager streak but the way things have gone so far this year, you have to make each baby step a celebration or you'll be waiting too long to rejoice! So without further ado, here are a few observations fro...
Wow, what a game and what a comeback and what an unfortunate tying goal by Caps with 11 seconds to go and what a heartbreaking loss in the shootout. Ummm, ya. The Habs baiscally came out flat in the first period and Washington used their speed to back up the Montreal defence. It resulted in a 2 - 0 Caps lead, and it would have been even worse had Price not played another s...
andydrmm writes...

Politics of the NHL

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I was brought up understanding that all men are created equal, regardless of who you are. This should be true for the NHL. Regardless of whether you play for the worst team in the NHL, or the best team in the NHL, the top scorer in the league, or you struggle to get one point each season, you should be treated with the same. What I said in my introduction is not the cas...
As we continue to look back at the best and worst of the past decade, let's consider the top forward lines of the past 10 years. It's not often any more that a team will stick with consistent lines over a period of time, but there are a few notable entries to be found. For the most part, I tried to avoid great duos who were mixed with interchangeable parts, unless the pl...
yideboit writes...

Some Leafs CHL prospects

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Even with a few the Leafs most talented young players already with the big club there is still a fair amount of what looks like mid to high level talent coming up in the next few years. I'm going to touch on some of the top prospects not with the club at the moment and provide some stats. Now I acknowledge that I have limited or no knowledge about other teams prospect d...
KevinJames writes...

Buffalo Blanks Ovie, Caps

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Buffalo (16-9-2) vs. Washington (19-5-6) It looked like a no-brainer. The caps were easily the favored team against the Sabres. With Buffalo scoring one goal in their past two games, Washington looked like the best bet in this one. The Capitals came into the game first in points, goals, and power play percentage. Wednesday night, Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres...
Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec, said this week that after talking with Gary Bettman, he is confident NHL hockey will return to Quebec City. “It is going to happen,” said the Premier, citing plans to build a new arena to lure the NHL back to Quebec’s capital city. Cela est une grande idée Jean. But here’s why it ain’t gonna happen. 1. Population of Quebec ...
Today is the 15th of December and as we hit the official half-way point of the month we also hit the half-way mark of the Habs' 17 games in 28 nights. And how have our beloved Habs fared so far? Hmmmm, looks like a win one/lose one trend, much like the rest of the year has been for them. Sadly, this team could have a lot more points that it currently has (33 in 34 games) i...
The return of Andrei Markov was the storyline of the night and the game - a 3-0 win by the Habs - could be summed up as great goaltending, great special teams and a very special player. While Markov's two-goal performance warmed the cockles of Habs fans everywhere, the real hero this evening was Jaroslav Halak who in turning in a 40 save shutout performance continues to ra...
saneopinion writes...

Flames Prospect Update

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Since the big team is not really giving us much to talk about lately I thought I'd check on the up and comers. Quietly Mikael Backlund has risen to third in team scoring with the Heat with 8 goals and 8 assists after starting the season very slow. It is nice to see his balanced attack is starting to pay dividends, Backlund has a tremendous shot and great passing with v...
Habs win! Habs win! Long live the streak! A two-game streak that is. But, after losing 5 in a row, we'll take it. Last night in Atlanta, the Canadiens once again played the role of thieves, stealing two points from the suddenly within reach, Thrashers. Before last night's game, Montreal (35 points) were four points back of Atlanta (39). With the overtime win, the Habs gain...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091224/i/r95991619.jpg[/img] Buffalo (22-10-3) vs. Washington (22-8-6) The Sabres are coming off of a overtime win in Toronto, in which the team played without Thomas Vanek and Patrick Kaleta. The Capitals have not played since Saturday, when they scored four times in the third to defeat Edmonton. The Capitals have 130 goals score...
After waiting for 64 years the Habs finally won a December 23rd road game. I always find little stats like that pretty useless but as human beings we seem to track even the minutest of details. And as such, it is good to know that "the curse" has been broken. Ummm....ya. In demolishing the Canes 5 to 1, the Habs extended their winning streak to three games and are now 4...
TJD92295 writes...

Buffalo Disaster

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It is absolutely astounding that the Buffalo Sabres were even able to sneak a point out of their usual kryptonite, the Senators. Right from the opening puckdrop, the effort was simply not there from most of the Sabres, the exception being the guy in the blue paint. It took 18 Ottawa shots and 17 1/2 minutes of game time for the Sabres to get a puck through to Pascal LeCl...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091228/capt.16fb2ef16d5f44d7af63e2ec402fdc41.sabres_blues_hockey_motg101.jpg[/img] Sabres (22-11-4) at Blues (17-15-5) Sunday marked the only meeting between these two teams. Buffalo edged out a 4-3 victory in their lone meeting last year. The Sabres are coming off of a overtime loss against Ottawa while the Blues beat Minnesota on Sat...
Plekanec is overtime hero, Price's strong play, Habs beat lightning...read all about it: http://www.HabsAddict.com Don't forget to check out the Habs To The Top Mid-Season Report Card: http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/habs-mid-season-grades.html Agree, disagree? Let me know! Happy New Year all!
Everybody makes mistakes. Some are just more prominent, embarrassing, and harmful than other. Looking back on the year in the NHL, there's no doubt certain individuals would like to have a do-over on few of their decisions. On many decisions, it's far too early to tell just how bad (or perhaps good) a move will ultimately be. Inevitably, years from now, we'll look back...
Buffalo (28-11-4) vs. Colorado (24-15-6) The Sabres enter the night with a perfect 7-0 record against the Western Conference. Buffalo is looking to extend their current win streak of six games while Tim Connolly hopes to extend his eight game point streak. Patrick Lalime starts between the pipes for Buffalo, allowing Ryan Miller to rest after making 48 saves last nig...
icedog97 writes...

Like an Onion...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Disclaimer: this is not a blog about hockey... Baseball...the professional sport...is like an onion... Peel back one layer of deception and sure enough, there is another rotten one just below it. The recent comments made by Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and Tony LaRussa are a glaring example of this. McGwire finally admits to using steroids...although he said he ...
I'll be honest, I've never really been one to look at the nhl numbers closely, but this season is different. We have Tomas Plekanec who is an upcoming UFA, and we have very little cap room to re-sign him. Word around the water cooler is that he'll be looking for 4.5-6 Million for 5 years. Problem with that is with all the money being freed up in the offseason, the habs are...
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...
The Islanders have had Joel "The Wrecker" Rechlicz sitting in the minors but have felt that he needed time to develop his game, as an enforcer, in the AHL before he could be considered as a legitimate NHL fighter. Trevor Gillies, an AHL journeyman, has been playing with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season as well. Last year he played in 30 games with the Albany Riv...
gkmkiller writes...

Decision Time

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Nice win for the Blue Shirts tonight! The King was awesome, Gabby got a goal and the Rangers played a pretty solid game on home ice. But guess what, I don’t buy it. It was only 1 of 82 games that will be played this season; the Rangers have struggled for much of the season and have little reason to believe things are going to change drastically despite tonight’s succes...
Well, hello! Dr. Jekyll, I presume? And so the zig-when-you-expect-them-to-zag Canadiens defeated the mighty, streaking Washington Capitals last night, 6-5 in overtime. True to the form that we have gotten used to, the Habs kept their fans guessing by doing the opposite of what the majority expect. Perhaps that is our own fault and we should just learn to expect the une...
Can you feel it? Can you taste it? That palpable anticipation and excitement that is building in Vancouver and is echoing across the hockey world? It’s growing. And with each minute that passes the anticipation will continue to build on one of the biggest, most important days in international hockey history. With five hours before the puck drops on what is being c...
Like a cat sharpening its claws before the hunt, Canada warmed up on the Germans yesterday in preparation for today's monstrously huge quarterfinal game versus Russia. In handily defeating the German team 8-2, Canada qualified for the medal round. In doing so, they generated a little more cohesion on the ice. While Monday morning saw Team Canada as a nation in the th...
They say that a loss is a loss no matter how well a team play. On paper there is no question that last night's 3-2 loss to the Sharks hurt the Habs tremendously in the standings. That being said, there were no shortage of positive and encouraging signs for the Habs but unfortunately you don't get points for effort in the NHL. Both teams had their chances in the first pe...
saneopinion writes...

Flames feed me crow.

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
They have timing don't they? I write a blog that outlines how little the Flames have scored lately and they come and show me that they have four lines that can score in a 5-3 win over the Devils. I always hope they do well, I am a fan after all, and if I'm going to point out their shortcomings I guess it's fair to give them props for last night. They were physical, went to...
This is the final meeting between these two teams for the regular season. The Hurricanes have won two of the first three, despite being towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Tim Connolly began the scoring with a power play goal to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. Buffalo played a solid first period, only allowing six shots on goal. In the second period, Jochen Hec...
icedog97 writes...

Two Sides to a Coin

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
Last night's 4-3 shootout loss to the league leading Washington Capitals was, oddly enough, a welcomed sight to many Pens fans. Of course, after the "sleepwalking" effort they put forth Monday night against the Red Wings, anything resembling a "conscious" attempt to compete last night would have been a marked improvement. Even so, and without question, last night's g...
brodie403 writes...

European Connection

Posted Monday | Comments 0
As an avid Flames fan I sit here and wonder why is it all the great and exciting teams today in the NHL have that "it" factor then it hits me no exciting european. (All do respect to Kotalik who really is not that good now that we have seen him play out west) For now we have to wait on Backlund and Hagman who do have upside there no Ovie and Geno or Datsyuk or I hate to sa...
Last night was another example of the Penguins NOT "getting to their game" against a quality opponent. Against division leaders this year the Pens have routinely not gotten to "their game", going a remarkable 3-11-3 in those contests (all 3 wins vs the Sabres). That's the record of LAST YEAR'S Stanley Cup Champions against THIS YEAR'S Stanley Cup Finals favorites. ...
Wednesday night...4/14/2010...the alarm sounds at 7pm. The playoffs started for the Penguins and the team woke up from what seems like a season long slumber. Well...for about 10 minutes. That's about how long they "got to their game" on Wednesday. Long enough to bang some bodies...draw a penalty...and score an early power play goal to go up 1-0 in game one. ...
The Canadiens have completed an improbable (some might have said a week ago that it was "impossible" ) comeback from down 3-1 to defeat the Washington Capitals 4 games to 3. In so many ways, it really was a case of David slaying Goliath. To defeat a powerful offensive club like the Capitals takes a lot of hard work and determination. To do it with a team that is m...
Flyers17 writes...

So Long, Mats.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/flyers/images/upload/2009/10/matsumoto_phantoms1028.jpg[/img] Jonathan Matsumoto, the leading scorer for the Phantoms last season, has been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for pick #206 (Ricard Blidstrand.) Some people may say the Flyers gave up too quickly on Mats. I am one of those people. Matsumoto was never given a chance to prove himself in ...
Flyers17 writes...

Flyers Draft Review

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Pick #89: Michael Chaput, C, Lewiston (QMJHL) The Flyers started off their draft by selecting Michael Chaput of the MAINEiacs.Chaput was ranked 81st in The Hockey News Draft Preview. Chaput had a solid season for Lewiston in the Q, with 28 goals and 27 assists in 68 games. He finished 2nd in point and 1st in goals for the MAINEiacs. Chaput put up a good amount of points ...
The Flyers Prospect Camp roster and schedule have been announced. With a few of the Flyers forwards on the trading block look for a young guy to step in as a regular for the big club. Roster Forwards Michael Chaput Shane Harper Ben Holmstrom Dave Labrecque Tye McGinn Luke Pither Brendan Ranford Zac Rinaldo Andrew Rowe Mike Testwuide Eric Wellwood Defens...
Check out my piece at The Checking Line discussing the Isles actions thus far in Free Agency! And if you're not already a member, sign up! It's free and there are plenty of blogs to read covering all topics around the league. Or check out the Fan Forum where you can share your thoughts as well! http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/grading-isles...
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...
Source: NJ.com John MacLean turned out to be a pushover in his first day on the ice as Devils head bill-kostrounAP.jpgBill Kostroun/APLarry Robinson was back as an assistant coach as the Devils opened prospects camp. coach. He cancelled a scheduled scrimmage as prospects camp opened today at the Prudential Center, but players shouldn't get a false sense of comfor...
[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....
Free agents Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder got the multi-million dollar deals from the Devils this summer. Rookie defenseman Tyler Eckford is just hoping for a chance. The question is whether Eckford, who signed a one-year, two-way contract on Thursday that would pay him $500,000 if he plays in the NHL, is ready to make the jump. "Of course I'd like to th...
Recently Sutter came out and said that he was willing to go to 1 or 2 year contracts, this flies in the face of the Hossa like deals that are ranging 10,12 even 15 years in length. My question is why? If Sutter is only giving out one or two year contracts is that because ownership is only giving him that amount of time to turn this around? Most of Sutter's contracts have b...
killTHEnight writes...

Flyers Prospectus

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In my Gagne article last night (this morning) I failed to mention my one of my favorite Gags stories. Although, in reality, it just makes me mad. It's only one of my favorites mainly because A: i was right, and B: al morganti was wrong. I remember near the trade deadline a few years back (maybe more than a few), Al Morganti was on Flyers post game live saying that Bobby...
killTHEnight writes...

Flyers Prospectus II

Posted Wednesday | Comments 5
I really should have started blogging earlier. I missed out on writing about so much (winter classic, trade deadline, playoffs, and the draft.. for the love of god!!! the draft!!).. but hey, all that means is I get to write about that stuff next season. It's also too late to talk about the Shelley and O'Donnell signings, or the Meszaros trade. But I'll cover that when t...
FLAMESTR writes...

Prospect Camp Day 1.

Posted Monday | Comments 0
It's interesting how we are judging the prospects after watching them only for an hour at day one in the camp. But as bloggers, that is what we do. I hesitate to judge the prospects too harshly as they go through the motions for the coaches. I sat there watching some of the players this afternoon, trying to figure out which ones to pick out for my blog. I cannot go throu...
This is less of a blog and more of an article on Nyren that I wrote for another website. Thought it had some local flavour and might give some more insight into another potential Flames propspect. Calgary Hitmen defenceman Giffen Nyren does not belong to any National Hockey League team; not yet at least. After being invited to the Minnesota Wild camp last summer, he...
FLAMESTR writes...

Camp Notes Day 2

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Notes from Day 2 Mikael Backlund Backlund continues to be the best prospect on the team. He proved it again today. He was awesome today. His skating skills were particularly strong, he was smooth and fast. He has a great shot and terrific speed and vision. John Negrin Negrin continued to shine today. His skating skills are best by far among all the defenseman. ...
kingofswing74 writes...

The Youth Movement

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I have been bored out of my mind over the last two weeks, the entry draft is far behind us, free agency has slowed to a crawl, arbitration hearings are the last exiting thing that remains. And we all know how boring arbitration is. Case-48 hours-decision-48hours-another decision. kill me now! So while this summer drags on I have been thinking of how Pierre Gauthier seems t...
FLAMESTR writes...

Yea

Posted Friday | Comments 0
It was a rough afternoon at the prospects camp this afternoon. Whether it was the ice or the players themselves, it was real chippy practice. The rookies were put through a light workout, as they were finished about a hour earlier today. The defence were having some troubles controlling the puck in the offensive zone. But in the defensive zone, a couple of Defensemen...
Many people around hockeybuzz who talk about a rebuild don't look far enough into the future to project what a team will look like when a rebuild is complete and said team is actually a contender. A lot of people including our very oilers blogger Richard Cloutier often project the entire roster in 3 years time to be made up of all current oilers or prospects but if you loo...
New at The Checking Line, I analyze and rank the seasons of the Canadiens top six forwards, assigning each a letter grade and sharing my expectations for each for this upcoming season. Where did each player land? How good were they? Read the blog to find out at the link below! [url=http://thecheckingline.com/blog/george-prax/montreal-canadiens/off-season-analysis-t...
FLAMESTR writes...

WHO IS YOUR ENFORCER

Posted Friday | Comments 0
What would happen if the NHL had no off-season? Can you imagine the freedom, husbands? You could watch the TV as much as you liked. Think about it, we would not have to listen to whiny kids ever. It would be your wife's job to take care of the kids all year during hockey. The only problem is the cost of a bodyguard to protect you from your wife killing you. Who would ...
Hello everyone. My name is François Simard and I will be blogging on Habs and hockey activities. I am new at this, but I will be looking for feedbacks and comments. In the recent years, the Habs pool of offensive prospects has been almost dry. No one came up the ladder and put some decent numbers (apart from Latendresse). The offensive leaders in Hamilton (Maxwell...
The Washington Capitals were far and away the best regular season team last year. The Caps scored 36 more goals than any other team in the league, with a home record of 30-5-6, winning the Eastern conference by over 15 points. In a conference that was considered “weak”, a team with those credentials should have, and was considered a favourite, to go very deep into the ...
I was fairly close to the output I expected from a few players last year, also with a couple that I was somewhat distant on so I'm looking to improve this time around. First I'll start with the lineup as it stands today that could conceivably represent Toronto on opening night, then I'll briefly discuss how wide-open the North East is and then move on to individual Mapl...
Here we are ... about 40 days away from the drop of the puck. Is anyone as antsy as I am for the season to start? It's not that I don't like summer, but watching baseball just doesn't do it for me. But at least there's some Canadian Football to tide me over. Speaking of which, Ottawa is supposed to get a team for next season. But I digress ... Since the Habs ros...
I "Beleaf" this year will prove that Brian Burke know's what he's doing. And will also finally silence doubters. If all goes well, the statistics and line-up will look like this. LW/C/RW Kris Versteeg/Tyler Bozak/Phil Kessel Clarke Macarthur/Mikhail Grabovski/Colby Armstrong Nikolai Kulemin/John Mitchell/Marcel Mueller Fredrik Sjostrom/Christian Hanson/Luca Caputi ...
CoreyPerry94 writes...

MY Awards Predictions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Stanley Cup: NJD Reason: All hinges on Brodeur, but with a more competent backup (The Moose), he will get more rest in the regular season and with the wicked supporting cast NJ has, I can definitely see them taking it all if Brodeur steps up his post-season play. Presidents: Washington Capitals Reason: Is a reason needed? Maurice Richard: Alexander Ovechkin Reason...
In the wake of the Quebec governement announcing that they will put forth 45% of the cost for a new arena in in the Quebec capital, I believe it's time for the city to get a team. The first major issue is finding the new Ramparts. The Coyotes, Panthers, Islanders, Predators and Thrashers are all in financial trouble and could all very well be moved. There are many suitors ...
KevinJames writes...

Center of Attention

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The summer of 2010 may not have seen much head-turning activity on the part of Sabres management, but they still managed to make plenty of moves to shake things up in the roster. Changes made to the defense have garnered the most interest, as certain veteran players were put on the market, while fresh faces were brought in to fill their roles. The combinations of defens...
saneopinion writes...

Debatable Defence

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Brodie and Pelech. Then there were two. The other obvious up and comer would have been Negrin but he's all heating it up in Abbotsford ( I hope that's their slogan, if it isn't you're welcome.). Brodie the Offensive D-man and Pelech the stalwart stay at home guy who no one likes to go near. So who makes it? The power play last year sucked and having a guy on hand who c...
It has been a pretty good pre-season thus far. Unbeaten and seeing some surprising faces score is certainly encouraging but enthusiasm for the upcoming season can often put the blinders on reality. For instance it is nice to see Kotalik trying, I did say we should give him a chance a long time ago, however he will not out score Iginla in the regular season. In pre-season h...
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...
Rob McGowan writes...

Isles/Habs Live Blog!

Posted Friday | Comments 4
Stop by at The Checking Line for my Isles/Habs live-blog tonight from the press box at Nassau Coliseum around 7 PM. The Isles look to take a win after being defeated in Montreal, as the two teams will conclude their home-and-home series tonight on Long Island! Here's the link: http://thecheckingline.com/calendar/habs-isles-liveblog Hope to see you all there! -Rob ...
The obvious statement is that a 7-2 loss at home against the Capitals may have been the worst game of Hockey I have ever witnessed. The 2nd period will for sure hold a title of the worst period of all time, maybe of any club. Getting past the obvious though there may be some things that are more disconcerting. After what has to be a low point in many of the Flames' car...
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs will play host to the Ottawa Senators at the ACC in a game that could be a nail biter for all the wrong reasons. For fans who are looking for a tight game, the Leafs have provided endless periods of "so close!" The Senators? They seem to be running down a similar path, despite blowing out two of their opponents last week with five goals for...
Hello folks! Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Halloween!!! May it be safe for everyone! http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/11/06/after-17-games-%E2%80%93-player-points-projections-re-visited/ Thank you for reading!! Anthony
I was going to right earlier today about the exact same crap as before, to old lots of talent even more NTC, at the end of the day the team lives and dies with iggy. I think it can be agreed that this group of players isn't the right group to get it done, and will be together for awhile thanks to the aforementioned NTC's. I think its time to trade Iginla (gasp unthinka...
FLAMESTR writes...

One on One with saneopinion

Posted Friday | Comments 1
Today I am doing another part of the Flames Questions. Here are the answers from Brad Windsor, a very good blogger from Myhockeybuzz, who follows the Flames: Which area do we fix first? You have 3 options A. Coach - Do we need to send Coach Sutter on his way? Is the system the problem? B. First Line Centre for Iggy - Do we need a Centre for Iggy? Would he succeed ...
djthrash writes...

Thrashers Rolling

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
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 (...
Hello folks! Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Holidays!!! May they be safe and merry for everyone! http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=334 Thank you for reading!! Anthony
licwinko writes...

Yale Hockey Blog

Posted Monday | Comments 13
[url]http://ryanwatcheshockey.tumblr.com[/url] Go Bulldogs!
meckelangelo writes...

Week 16 Power Rankings

Posted Monday | Comments 3
Feel free to refer ESPN's, TSN's, and CBS's Power Rankings for Week 16, as linked below. If you'd like a much less subjective ranking, however, please continue reading... [url]http://espn.go.com/nhl/powerrankings[/url] [url]http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/rankings/nhl/[/url] [url]http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/powerrankings[/url] So, last week (Week 15), I took a ...
Hello folks! Please visit the following link to view the blog. http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=441 Thank you for reading!! Anthony
Welcome to Friday mornings Pre-Game Blog for tonight’s game versus the Saginaw Spirit! In last Sundays game, our boys got spanked 6 – 1 by Mississauga. Justin Shugg led the way for the Majors with a hat trick while line mate Chris DeSousa had 2 assists. Cody Ceci scored the lone goal for the 67′s. It was certainly a game our boys want to forget, but should also be...
meckelangelo writes...

Week 17 Power Rankings

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Here are my NHL Power Rankings for Week 17... Please refer back to my last post for Week 16, and a description of the fields... [img]http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j354/meckelangelo/Week17.png[/img] Again, let me know if you have any questions.
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...
As far as I am concerned, biggest All Star snub was Tomas Plekanec. He is in the conversation with Ryan Kesler and Pavel Datsyuk as best two-way forward in the NHL. Reasons why Plekanec is an ALL STAR: -Top Line center who still ends up playing against top lines and best D-men pairings -Producing despite lack of production from linemates (leads team in goals, assist...
meckelangelo writes...

Week 18 Power Rankings

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If you haven't gotten the drill by now, here's some information... I'm doing Power Rankings. However, unlike most websites, I don't pull names out of a hat, or collect votes among "experts". I actually use a system. Mathematics. I'm aware that the hockey analysts of the world love numbers, but seem to hate math. Well... Nonetheless, here are the Week 18 Power Rankings. ...
Ragingpikey writes...

All-NFL NHL Team

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As a society we are obsessed with comparison. Our insecurity is palpable and on display in a very public way. Social media like Twitter and Facebook while marketed as tools of openness and connection provide greater concealment as they are devoid of real intimacy, an essential component of most meaningful relationships. However, while they allow us to hide behind a veil...
Well, Terry Pegula did it. The Buffalo Sabres newest owner acquired the team from Tom Golisano and will take over on February 22nd, less than one week away from the NHL trade deadline. This should be an interesting situation. Pegula may try to make a splash and please the fan base. He may be content to play Darcy-puck and sit still at the deadline. Only time will tell...
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...
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.
Newman writes...

Flames talk

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Come on over to the Sports Roundup to listen to our podcast for March 7, 2011! http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/podcast-march-7-2011.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
The last set of a long, hard workout is always the hardest. After minutes of breaking down muscle, your entire body is ready to quit. Faced with a choice of doing it well or copping out, lesser men often take the latter option. The easy way out. But looking back, the last set more often than not determines if the entire workout was a success or failure. It builds muscle, y...
On a night where Washington had its 100th consecutive shutout, a sluggish start had the Sabres in a 2-0 hole less than five minutes into the game. Mike Knuble put home his 22nd goal of the season just 37 seconds into the game. Alexander Semin banked in a rebound for the Capitals second goal, which Alex Ovechkin recorded his 50th assists on. Lindy Ruff had to settle thin...
The common myth around the NHL fan these days is that the only way to rebuild is to tank as low as you can for as long as you can to gain top-5 picks and young star prospects. Well I ask you, why is this not the case for current teams like the Coyotes, Kings, Islanders and Blue Jackets to name a few? There is usually only two answers. One, you picked the wrong player in th...
The follow up to my first prospect blog where I judged the top-20 1st round prospects drafted during the Gretzky era in their development. This will be a short piece because of Maloney only drafting three guys in the first round so far. 2009: New management in place and a new outlook on drafting. Or was there? Maloney once again took a risky pick so early by drafting Ol...
Newman writes...

Calgary Flames Post Mortem

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Flames season is over. So lets take a look back at what went wrong. Come on over to the Sports Roundup to read more! http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/calgary-flames-post-mortem.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
Conroy might be able to provide two Flames players with some perspective this offseason. Come read more at the Sports Roundup! http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/craig-conroy-common-denominator-for.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
Newman writes...

Washington Capitals: Perplexed

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So I've been wrong before, but never like this. The Caps were a strange team this year and the sweep at the hands of the Lightning have their coach on the hot seat. Come read more here: http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/washington-capitals.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
The Islanders are holding a press-conference tomorrow with Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano about a plan to renovate the Nassau Coliseum. Head over to The Checking Line to read my take on the news that is at hand http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/have-islanders-finally-gotten-their-new-arena -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http:/...
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 guess it's too expensive to make the changes in these crappy economic times!
I guess it's too expensive to make the changes in these crappy economic times!
colavsnum1fan writes...

NHL Realignment

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Since the NHL's departure from Atlanta to Winnipeg the question has been on everyone's mind as to how the New divisions would look. That answer has been put off one year by the NHL, as the Winnipeg Jets will be playing in the SOUTHeast division with the likes of Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington. There have been rumors floating around about a new 4 division ...
colavsnum1fan writes...

NHL Realignment

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Since the NHL's departure from Atlanta to Winnipeg the question has been on everyone's mind as to how the New divisions would look. That answer has been put off one year by the NHL, as the Winnipeg Jets will be playing in the SOUTHeast division with the likes of Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington. There have been rumors floating around about a new 4 division ...
I’ve read some blog posts recently and the replies them that seem to indicate a strong feeling that the Flames have no prospects, that other teams have youth on their side and seem to imply that the Flames are destined to be a last place team. There are a couple things to look at here, are the Flames really that old? Do they really have no prospects? Of the players si...
First off I would give some props to Dale Tallon for the quick signing of Tomas Kopecky for some offense (stats below), albeit I think he overpaid a bit a 4 years 12 million (especially since Kopecky made 1.2 mil last year). They could have gotten him for a bit cheaper but there trying to reach the cap floor with a little over 20 million left to spend and Kopecky was a big...
1st Round- 8th Overall C- Sean Couturier-Drummondville, QMJHL Getting Sean Couturier with the 8th overall pick is a steal. Couturier, who was named the number one draft eligible prospect by International Scouting Services in December, is a player who is often compared to Jordan Staal. While he had the most points per game of any player in this draft, 1.66, he might n...
Miss11 writes...

Happy French Connection Day!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It’s 7-14-11, and to Buffalo Sabres Fans, that can only mean one thing – It is FRENCH CONNECTION day. The numbers 7, 14, and 11 hang grouped together in the rafters of HSBC arena in tribute to three hockey players who were arguably one of the greatest line combinations in NHL history. With the late Richard Martin (#7) at left wing (Rest in Peace, Rico), Re...
habsteen26 writes...

10 Questions

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Welcome back for another installment of habsteen26's 10 questions! First off, I would like to talk about my name. While I realize it is stupid, my username for virtually everything besides twitter, 'habsguy26' was already taken. So was 'habsman26' and along with 'gohabsgo26'. So, I regretfully took 'habsteen26'. And I am regretting it. Did I already say that? Becaus...
I've done this for 3 years now, with varying success, and mostly do it for entertainment... So flamers fire up your torches! Granted, this is assuming Luke Schenn is signed for the start of the regular season, and banking on the roster staying as-is outside of that, but this is my lineup and predictions for each individual this year. Also, I know I wrote a blog with ...
djvoiz writes...

Situation in Quebec City

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It's been a while since I posted a blog here. In fact, I haven't posted anything in ages! I decided to write a bit about the situation that prevails here in Quebec City regarding the new arena and everything that revolves around it. First off, I think I speak for everyone here in Quebec when I say Congratulations to Winnipeg! It is so amazing that you got your team b...
[img]http://www.cyberpresse.ca/images/bizphotos/435x290/200910/30/120459-maire-sortant-regis-labeaume-multiplie.jpg[/img] There has been alot of people complaining about the fact that Quebec City's new arena would be built using mainly public money. When we take a look at the situation it is easy to end up with this conclusion, but there is more to it than what it lo...
hi im a new blogger and wanted to start with something sabres related. Thanks to Terry Pegula's buyer mentality the sabres have a situation that we havent seen in years, competition. Every year the returning players of the sabres have been able to come back and reclaim their previous role on the team because there was never a surplus of players, young and mid-aged that we...
Today's fantasy hockey stats and formulas can provide more information than one person can possibly interpret at one time. It's becoming easier every year to get lost in the numbers. I used to go thru some pretty intense number crunching when trying to predict how well players would perform in the upcoming season. Getting data from previous seasons and computing differe...
It's such a great day for everyone who dreams of the return of the Nordiques in Quebec, like myself. I have been dreaming about this for so long and now, its unreal to take a moment and realize that a new NHL-ready arena will be built and delivered during the 2015 summer. The "Assemblée nationale" voted for Bill 204 today, which means that it secures the deal betwee...
icedog97 writes...

Stupid and Ignorant

Posted Friday | Comments 1
The banana peel throwing incident from last night's Flyer's game is the most recent event that has me fuming at how completely ignorant and stupid some people are. And it's a problem that only seems to be getting worse. Maybe I am way too old fashioned, but whatever happened to the adage: "If you don't have anything nice to say...then keep your ****ing mouth shut!" ...
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...
NJDAaron1 writes...

THE DEVILS' PROSPECTS

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Prospects who could be seen this season: FWDS: Nathan Perkovich 6'5 215 Adam Henrique 6'0 200 Petr Vrana (recently put on hold from his other team) 5'10 175 DEFENCE: Adam Larsson 6'3 197 Alexander Urbom 6'5 215 Tyler Eckford 6'1 205 GOALTENDERS: Mike McKenna 6'3 195 *Palmeri, Fayne, Tedenby, Josefson, and Larsson will all play more than 25 game...
Hmmm.......where do I begin ? Well, lets start with Bryan Little shall we ? He was.....well......brutal. He was eventually replaced on the top line with Mark Scheifele who was better tonight than he has been in the last two games. Still, there was absolutely no chemistry between any line tonight and although the entire team wasn't very good, some of them were just pl...
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...
RickDixon writes...

Pens are coming back

Posted Monday | Comments 1
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) ...
RickDixon writes...

Jets get first win of year

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
Coming off an impressive 7-2 win that snapped a losing streak in Ottawa that spanned several presidential elections, the Philadelphia Flyers return home tonight to face the Washington Capitals. And Alex Ovechkin. Not necessarily in that order. The series between these two teams has been tight in recent seasons. Since the 2007-08 season (the first season following...
Daniil Zharkov, 17 year old Left Winger of the Ontario Hockey Leagues Belleville Bulls is beginning to turn heads with his recent play. Zharkov has 5 goals and 1 assist on the season. Not impressed?, What if I told you his season only began five games ago?. That is right, Zharkov has been sidelined since the preseason with a broken left clavicle. Zharkov was Belleville...
Earlier this week, the news came out of the nation's capital that Bruce Boudreau, the head coach of the Ovechkin-led Washington Capitals since November of 2007 had been fired. Instantly, reports flowed in that his firing was in large part due to Alexander Ovechkin's unhappiness with his own performance as well as with Bruce Boudreau himself. Bloggers and columnists ...
With the Lightning off for a couple of days, I have time to sit back and enjoy some other hockey games. That being said, there’s always chatter and things going on in the Lightning world so I do my best to keep my readers posted. Here are some news and notes on the Lightning to begin December. - Guy Boucher is really trying to push speed. An article posted today in...
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. ...
jaredseason writes...

Capital Issues

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Whats going on with the Washington Capitals? There’s a question I think every hockey fan and analyst are asking themselves these days, especially when you look at the southeast standings. The Florida Panthers have a four point lead over the Caps for the division lead, something I would think no hockey analyst would ever have guessed at the start of this campaign. Ovechki...
Who needs success when resiliency that leads to failure is a perfectly good option? Once again, the Lightning started out slower than a turtle in a pivotal game. You would have thought that the team would be better prepared to take on the high flying Capitals. In my pre-game report, I mentioned that Ovechkin was a sleeping giant; I also mentioned that I’m terrible at ...
Over the past few weeks, I've received numerous tweets and emails asking me the same question. "What should Calgary do" and "Should Iginla be traded". This is not an easy question to answer, and therefore I have decided to write about it. The organization will be analyzed as a whole, and I'll give MY opinions on what the Flames' should do. I think that for the best inte...
icedog97 writes...

Turning the Tide?...and a Rant

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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 ...
The Flames' get out shot 32-25 against the surging Los Angeles Kings, and again can't score, however the overall game was a solid performance by Calgary. Here are some notes on last nights' game, as well as some others leading up to tomorrows' game against Edmonton. - Jarome Iginla was a beast last night. Scoring a Powerplay goal, and coming in 2nd on the team for total...
Well there's another one in the books folks. The Calgary Flames' defeat the young and vibrant Edmonton Oilers, 6 - 2 in what did not look like a 'Battle of Alberta'. Although the shots (23-23) would indicate a fair game, it was far from it. [b]A few things from the game to note:[/b] - Lee Stempniak was a monster, scoring 3 G, adding 1 A for a total of 4 points. He a...
Newman writes...

How do you become an NHL Agent?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Ever wanted to know how to become an NHL Agent? Do you need to be a lawyer? What education do you really need? Well, NHL agent Ritch Winter answers all those questions and more in his latest post http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/02/ritch-responds-becoming-agent.html
With the trade deadline only weeks away, and the stretch run in full swing, it’s time to make some predictions. The Lightning have an off day, so today’s blog will give a brief synopsis of the month’s remaining games. Should anyone put money down on these predictions? With my track record, absolutely not. That said, with all the talk about taking things ‘one ga...
Blue chip prospects are running all over the NHL this year. With the 2010-11 season a little past the half-way point, now is a good time to catch up with the top five of the 2011 draft class and get a progress report of how our young hot-shots are doing. [b]Ryan Nugent-Hopkins[/b] was undoubtedly the most highly touted prospect in the 2011 NHL draft. The crafty left ha...
I read a brief "what if" that suggested Jeff Carter might get traded for Alex Semin. There are virtually NO RUMORS to support this particular trade...at least that I have seen or heard. All that we know for sure is that both players have been mentioned as available. I thought about this for about 2 minutes and realized this is the no-brainer trade that HAS to be m...
The Detroit Red Wings will head into this weekend with the home win streak of 18 games and the NHL home win record of 20 consecutive games on the line. The current record of 20 consecutive home wins is held by the 1929-30 Boson Bruins and the 1976 Philadelphia Flyers. The record would be a wonderful thing but the Wings may have bigger fish to fry. By bigger fish, I mean...
The Detroit Red Wings made history on Tuesday Feb. 14 by winning 21 home games in a row and breaking the NHL record for most consecutive home wins in a single season. The talking heads are already downplaying the Wings’ accomplishment by pointing out that winning 21 consecutive home games is much easier in today’s NHL because after the NHL lockout the league went t...
The Detroit Red Wings made history on Tuesday Feb. 14 by winning 21 home games in a row and breaking the NHL record for most consecutive home wins in a single season. The talking heads are already downplaying the Wings’ accomplishment by pointing out that winning 21 consecutive home games is much easier in today’s NHL because after the NHL lockout the league went t...
Wanna hear about the day Glen Sather punched Ritch Winter and why Ritch deserved it? Come to the Agents of Change to find out. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/02/ritch-responds-day-glen-sather-punched.html
There is no denying the ability of Alex Ovechkin. Size, speed, power, he has all those things. There is one thing missing from the Great 8's game. Character. With the struggles of this team over the course of this season, it has become woefully apparent that Ovechkin is not exactly what you would call a team player. He is not doing the things that brings you the a...
rnoonan96 writes...

My 2012 NHL Mock Draft

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Without further ado... 1. Columbus- Nail Yakupov, LW, Sarnia Sting - Columbus succeeds to 'Fail for Nail' and select the best player in this draft. Comparable: Alex Ovechkin 2. Edmonton- Ryan Murray, D, Everett Silvertips - Although most scouts believe Grigorenko will go second overall, the Oilers address their needs on defense by taking the best blueliner in th...
First off, I do not beleive montreal needs to draft a Defencemen this upcoming draft, so I am writing this blog as if they will be drafting one of the top 4 offencive prospects that could go in the top 5 in Pittsburgh this June. 1. Nail Yakupov (5'11, 189lbs) - W - Sarnia Sting - 37GP/30G/35A/65PTS/26PIM 2. Mikhail Grigorenko (6'3, 200lbs) - C - Quebec Remparts - 57GP/...
[b]Follow me on Twitter for prospects news, analysis and Calgary Flames updates @RyanHB [/b] In this edition of my blog, I will look at a Calgary Flames' prospect, in Michael Ferland. Over the past couple of years I've been watching Ferland play, and develop into the player he is today. I will go over his strengths, weaknesses and projected placement- in a precursor ...
icedog97 writes...

Phoenix...Quebec...Revisited

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last June I wrote the following blog about realignment. In it I included some comments concerning the Coyotes and a move to Quebec. I thought I would re-post it now because it seems that it's relevant given the news about the new arena being built in Quebec....and I think only 4 people read the original posting of it... __________________________________________________...
Today, Jay Feaster announced the signing of the 26 year old Czech centre Roman Cervenka to a a 1-year contract worth US$3,775,000 including bonuses. The deal had been in place since Thursday, however Cervenka's contract ended on Monday. Roman Cervenka recently led his team in points, registering 11 goals and 11 assist in 20 KHL playoff games. He is described as having...
[b]For everything hockey 24/7 follow me on TWITTER @DailyNHLGrind[/b] [img]http://athletes-celebrities.tseworld.com/cached/_images/maintainwidth/160x192/3289d6466a2cd8483042263f956c9f7d/shanahan-brendan-160-1933.jpg[/img] Well here’s something each and every single one of us hockey fans have been aware of all season long. Brendan Shanahan—the head disciplinarian o...
The round robin portion of the World Championships are complete and the Habs representing their respective countries this Spring have been largely impressive. The four Quarterfinal games will all be played on Thursday, followed by Semifinal Saturday and the medal games taking place on Sunday. Lars Eller had the most disappointing tournament of the Canadiens as his team...
Not since the late 80s has a team thoroughly dominated the NHL like the Oilers. There was a 5 year period where they won 4 Stanley Cups. The Oilers organization took what youth they had and expended as much from them as possible. Ever since the Oilers of the 80s, there has not been another team that ran through its opponents so easily. I would call the Oilers of the 80s a ...
NHilts writes...

Cody Ceci to Senators

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As I sat watching the NHL Draft tonight, I realized after Tampa Bay selected Slater Koekkoek tenth overall, that the Ottawa Senators would have a chance to select an extremely gifted player that many thought would not make it that far. In the four picks prior, I knew Ottawa would have a choice of Filip Forsberg, Mikhael Grigorenko, Radek Faksa, Zemgus Girgensons, Cody Ceci...
The 2012 NHL Draft is now in the books, and reaction is pouring in from fans all around the league. As in any draft, there were surprises. Scouts' rankings were all over the board and that made for a very exciting weekend, as we saw players drop and rise. Now, with all 30 teams having made all 211 picks, allow me to list and explain a few teams that won big in the draft, a...
Well, I have not posted an article/blog on this site for a while, and am returning. I figured why not return by answering a short question/answer forum. I asked people via twitter to send in some questions, and I will answer here. @ChrisBowenYYC asks: "What do you think the make up of the blue line will be come opening night" - Well its tough to tell right now. Jay ...
Much has been made about the prospect depth that Ottawa's front office has assembled through quality drafting. This has allowed both the fans and team optimism for the future, especially within the top six. However, it also enables trade flexibility (such as the Rundblad for Turris deal) and the opportunity to be a factor during free agency. Ottawa has allegedly been v...
Much has been made about the prospect depth that Ottawa's front office has assembled through quality drafting. This has allowed both the fans and team optimism for the future, especially within the top six. However, it also enables trade flexibility (such as the Rundblad for Turris deal) and the opportunity to be a factor during free agency. Ottawa has allegedly been v...
Gator26 writes...

Kane to Montreal?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I love it. Pat Kane would light up the lamp for us. The rumour (per Hockeybuzz writer John Jaeckel) is Pat Kane and Nick Hjalmarsson for Tomas Plekanec and P.K Subban. Not only does this deal make sense for both teams, it is a PURE hockey trade at its finest. Hawks need a second line centre and an OFD with edginess. They get exactly that with Plekanec and Subban. Montr...
First blog in quite awhile for me. But today I am going to be doing my predictions for every notable player on the Flyers roster today. Please note that these are if every player plays 82 games, which will NOT be happening. So give/take 5-10 Goals less! I will also be including the players +/- stat. [u][b]FORWARDS[/b][/u] [b]Giroux[/b]: 30 G, 75 A, 105 P, +13 [b]Hart...
FLYERSROCK! writes...

My All-Prospect team

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Alright, 2nd blog today, but this a fun one. I will be doing my all-prospect team today. These prospects can only have a MAX of 1 year under their belt. They must also play their respective position. I will be doing 12 FW, 6 D and 2 G. Yakupov-RNH-Landeskog Schenn-Galchenyuk-Kreider Johansen-Couts-Forsberg Granlund-Hodgson-Connolly Larsson-Gardiner Gudbranson-Ha...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
Looking through the rosters of many of the teams in the NHL I noticed how many teams lacked a top line forward. By top line I mean a talent player that you would realistically call a top 3 forward. I consider a front line, top 3 forward as a player who is a legitimate 30+ goal scorer and point per game player. Not a player who can have a 30 goal or point a game over a whol...
I’ve had this rattling around in my head the past few weeks, and just haven’t had the time to sit down and put it together. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I’m “signing” a long-term “contract” of my own when I get married next week. There’s been a lot of talk surrounding the length of contracts in the NHL, and it’s even a focal point in the current CBA ...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey. Hockey to me is pure. Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday. Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey. Hockey to me is pure. Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday. Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey. Hockey to me is pure. Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday. Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
With the St. Louis Blues home opener scheduled for less than a month away, we, as Blues fans, should be waiting for the NHL premiere of Vladimir Tarasenko and the proud moment when we get to lift a championship banner to the rafters, but instead Vladi is in Russia and the banner is probably getting hung up without a celebration. So, what is there to do during the lockou...
andydrmm writes...

The Risk of Replacements

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I saw earlier today, the rumor (on several sites) that the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, in all his infinite wisdom, may consider using replacement players should the NHL remain in a lockout come November. This is extremely risky, even just to have it be a rumor. There are thousands of hockey players in the world who want a shot at the NHL. I went to college with a few...
Next up is the Washington Capitals Top 10 draft picks. The Caps have indeed made other draft picks besides Alex Ovechkin. Here are the Washington Capitals’ top draft picks since their first draft in 1974. 1. [b]Mike Gartner[/b] RW, 1st Round 1979, #4 overall 2. [b]Alexander Ovechkin[/b] LW, 1st Round 2004, #1 overall 3. [b]Scott Stevens[/b] D, 1st Round 1982, #5 ove...
As I sit and think about what I should be watching on a Tuesday night, (Sabres vs Senators), I’ve been scrolling through pictures of games that I’ve been at. I got to thinking about what games I’ve been to, and what games I wish I was at. I figured I’d break this up into 2 questions. 1. What’s the best hockey game(s) that you ever went to? and 2. What game(s)...
With the a 6-5 overtime loss to Russians, Canada's national junior team not only leaves Ufa with the disappointment of no gold medal, but also with the knowledge that they are the first Canadian team in fourteen years without a medal of any colour. That's a tough pill to swallow for anyone, let alone a bunch of teenagers who are faced with a level of expectation that most...
When Joe Nieuwendyk took over the General Manager position for the Dallas Stars in May of 2009, he took over a team with a prospect pool so shallow it was more akin to a shower. The Tom Hicks era left the team with very few prospects of note and after 2008, the winning ways stopped and this became more evident with those curtains pulled back. Now Joe is a few seasons...
msimoes writes...

Is "De-Expansion" the key?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Before the lockout I thought the NHL was doing great and getting more and more popular by the year, I wasn't exactly right but not wrong either. The NHL hit record revenue with [b]$3.3 Billion [/b] in the 11-12 season. When the lockout finally ended I turned on ESPN, NESN, CSN, NBC expecting a panel of analysts talking hockey and big banner across the screen, but I was sho...
The Shortened 2013 NHL season might have just started, but there is already some decent buzz surrounding the upcoming draft after the season. While the focus seems to mostly be on mock drafts and projectability, here is a look at three players who could make an impact for a NHL team next fall.rnrnSean MonahanrnMonahan has the size (6’2”, 195 pounds) and experience (thr...
One of the things that irks me (and most teams in the East) about the new proposed realignment is the fact that the East would have 16 teams, and the West has 14. One prevailing rumor is that there will be two expansion teams added to the league shortly after this realignment. It's not news to most that Seattle is the front runner if expansion happens, but the way this rea...
[b]March 6th[/b] [u][i]Kings 6, St. Louis Blues 4[/i][/u] Wow! What a game! Watching this one late into the night was even better than popping by DVD copy of "Slapshot" in the player... To be honest, I was not at all surprised that the Kings made this sort of comeback. To me, it was the defending champions toying with the Blues all night. They may have just ska...
First, my disclaimer, I have been a Sabres fan since as long as I can remember. My first phrase as a child, as far as I've been told, was "I wanna watch hockeysabres" Yes as one word. I do live in Maryland now as I had to sadly move from Buffalo to pursue my career. The Sabres efforts have been lackadaisical as of late. Everyone from as high up as Pomminville all the w...
[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...
Eric Mellin writes...

Does Ovechkin Have Hart?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Is Alex Ovechkin now a candidate for the Hart Trophy? If you told me after the first couple weeks of the start of the season that the Washington Capitals would be sitting atop the Southeast with 8 games left I would have laughed at said, "Maybe". If you told me that Alex Ovechkin would be tied for the league lead in goals I would have laughed a little harder and said, "...
tomkob11 writes...

The End Has Finally Come

Posted Monday | Comments 0
In breaking news....It has been made official that Darcy Regier will be the GM next season. Well that kills my hope for change. Darcy remains GM to fix his own mess of a team. After a second straight season with no playoffs, looking worse than before, and the same lousy excuse for a general manager the Sabres organization sees it fit to raise ticket prices...THIS IS MAD...
Follow me on Twitter @flamesfan1981 and please note I will be Tweeting LIVE FROM THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft! Thanks to the Flames partial fire-sale during the season, they are in a unique position of owning three 1st round draft picks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft taking place in New Jersey. The draft is deemed by many scouts and hockey experts to ...
This is my first attempt at writing a blog so all constructive criticism and opinions are welcome. Ill write with some depth on the top ten picks, and then just make the rest quick with little explanation and based on current standings because the playoffs are not finished yet.rnrnThis year in hockey has been full of ups and downs for Oilers fans, our season was over quick...
This is my first attempt at writing a blog so all constructive criticism and opinions are welcome. Ill write with some depth on the top ten picks, and then just make the rest quick with little explanation and based on current standings because the playoffs are not finished yet.rnrnThis year in hockey has been full of ups and downs for Oilers fans, our season was over quick...
TheHockeyRumors writes...

NHL Rumors List

Posted Monday | Comments 0
NHL Rumors and Speculations page. This page is devoted only to rumors and speculations that are not confirmed unless stated ‘Confirmed Source’. Brad Richards (Under Contract): The New York Rangers could explore options (compliance buy-out) to rid Brad Richards humongous big contract he signed a couple of summers ago. Richards was used as a fourth liner and was scrat...
Cedric_RedWings writes...

Size

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
Flyers17 writes...

Flyers Potential Draft Targets

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For more on the Flyers draft/prospects, follow @FlyerProspects on twitter.[url]www.twitter.com/flyerprospects[/url] With the 11th overall pick in the NHL draft, the Flyers will have a lot of top end talent to choose from. Here are some of the players that might hear their name called by Paul Holmgren come draft day [b]Rasmus Ristolainen, D, TPS, SM-Liiga [/b] Rist...
[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...
[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 ...
The Oilers traded down twice to collect 10 players in the draft. Some are questionable picks and others have some great upsides. Here is a list of all of them along with a professional scouting report. 18 year old Canadian D – 6’5 192 Lbs Darnell Nurse GP 68 G 12 A 29 P 41 -15 Darnell Nurse is a big, mobile, gifted blueliner who has a lot of Chris Pronger in...
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981 The 2013 NHL Entry Draft was probably the single most important draft in the history of the Calgary Flames franchise. Flames brask has made it clear they intend to rebuild the team properly and made the promise to fans they would draft the 'Best Player Available' in order to fulfill the needs of the organization. Did Jay Feaster an...
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...
Exciting times ahead in Motown. The Wings were active on FA Day bringing in much needed top six depth while staying away from costly trades or ill-timed signings. I've seen a lot of fans chime in on line combinations lately, and without a doubt Mr. Babcock has plenty of options to play with. But, for the thrill of the guess, i'll post my idea of an ideal situation on op...
It's day two in Traverse City. That means we've seen Red Wings picks from the past few seasons on the ice together for two days. So what have we learned so far? 1) Little Bertuzzi is a pain to play against: just ask Nick Jenson who got into a scrap with the second round pick during day one. Bertuzzi got the best of him and now Jenson is nursing a shoulder tweak and mis...
[b]Twitter : @ProspectReport[/b] I checked out the Calgary Flames' scrimmage today, and just felt it necessary to post a few thoughts, going over who impressed, and who didn't. It's going to be a quick blog. For those who don't follow me on twitter, I run my own scouting service, and cover the Flames for a few sites - just starting to post here as well. Mark Jankowsk...
While we're in Development camp mode, I wanted to dive a little deeper and look at five Wing prospects that have great potential to either play in Detroit or Grand Rapids this season. The future is bright for the Wings and I wouldn't be surprised if the Griffins went for a repeat next year. With Nyquist, Tatar, Andersson and DeKeyser likely making the jump to full ti...
Aside from the recent front office change (welcome back, Hexy!) things have been pretty slow on the Flyers front and probably will be since their biggest splashes have already been made. What I’m being asked about now focuses on the prospects, the young guys, who makes the team, etc. Before I get into that, let’s assume that the following players open the year with...
Flyers17 writes...

Prospect Profile: Jason Akeson

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For more on the Flyers Prospects follow [url]www.twitter.com/FlyerProspects[/url] [b]Jason Akeson[/b] [img]http://www.phantomshockey.com/Graphics/Layout/MainStory/Story/Photogallery/akeson3.jpg[/img] Akeson's first NHL goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kROOd0z9--k Akeson is somewhat of a curious case, as he started the season in the ECHL and ended it in 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...
[img]http://cdn.rapidmanager.com/echl/files/MarcelNoebelsTrenton1213.jpg[/img] [b]Marcel Noebels[/b] In the 4th round of the 2011 entry draft, the Flyers selected the Tornisvorst, Germany native, Marcel Noebels. Noebels had come over from DEL, German Ice Hockey League, the season before and played for a bad Seattle Thunderbirds team in the WHL. Noebels had a decent r...
[i]Follow [url]www.twitter.com/flyerprospects[/url] for more on the Flyers Prospects![/i] Tye McGinn might be the most NHL ready prospect the Flyers have right now. He may not have as much potential as a Scott Laughton, but he has shown that he is more than capable of playing in the NHL as a 4th liner. He was chosen by the Flyers in the 4th round of the 2010 draft, and ...
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...
Flyers17 writes...

Prospect Profile: Petr Straka

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[i]Follow [url]www.twitter.com/flyerprospects[/url] for more on the Flyers Prospects![/i] Another free agent acquisition by Paul Holmgren has a chance to prove himself this upcoming year. Petr Straka is a 92 born Czech forward, who was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2nd round of the 2010 entry draft. Before being drafted, Straka was coming off a great rooki...
Sorry for the delay in returning. Taking a much needed holiday has kept me from my blog. Originally I was going to look at Mr. Feaster's possible off-season moves, but I think I pretty much missed the boat on that one. So now I am going to turn my attention to Junior Camp for the WJC and talk a bit about my impressions of some of Canada's hopefuls, concentrating on Flam...
The pre-season can't come quick enough. The Sharks lineup should look relatively the same as far as personnel go, but there could be some rotations in the make up of the lines. Here are my 2013/14 Sharks projected lines: [b]Forwards[/b] Marleau - Couture - Pavelski Wingels - Thornton - Burns Torres - Kennedy - Hertl Sheppard - Desjardins - Burish [...
This is the second of my installments based on the the Junior Development Camp in Lake Placid. Game 2: Canada:7 Sweden:3 Canada's starting lineup: Poirier-Gauthier-Jankowski Horvat-Monahan-Lazar Domi-McDavid-Hudon Rupert-Gaunce-Rychel Mantha Sweden came out flying in this one. They were undefeated so far in the tournament in four previous starts, and had bee...
luke32 writes...

Oilers Top 5 Prospects

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hi all, Amidst the lack of stuff going on with Edmonton Oilers I've decided I write a blog focusing on the prospects. The oilers have done great recently in acquiring top end talent through the draft. It's only a matter of time before the talent from the backend begins to shine and the oilers become a solid cup contender, here is my list of the top 5 oilers prospects....
Ek posted a poll about NHL participation beyond Sochi, so I thought I'd have a few thoughts on the topic. The reason the NHL players go to the Olympics is because they want to. They want to represent their countries in their sport on the biggest international sports event in the world. The only thing holding up Olympic participation in any year has been the owners an...
It's that time of the year again. The Toronto Maple Leafs open their pre-season schedule September 15th at 6:00 PM in London as the Philadelphia Flyers play host to the Leafs. With current holdouts Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson still question marks to begin the season with the team, the Leafs prospect pool might be getting a long look this upcoming training camp. With...
[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...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Prospect Tournament

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Oilers lost another decisive game to Winnipeg tonight 7-2 in the Rookie tournament lending an answer to the question "Who Does the Oiler's Really have for Prospects?" Their defense are suppose to be some of the best non NHL players in any franchise and yet main stream media is picking them apart after the two losses in this meaningless tournament. The truth is that...
Here is my offering regarding game two of the prospects tourney. Flames lineup was changed for this game, with more of a ‘B’ team look on both defense and up front with the tryout guys getting a shot: Reinhart-Jooris-Penner Ferland-Monahan-Smoskowitz Hanowski-Granlund-Poirier Elson-Knight-Baertschi Kanzig-Culkin Davies-Wotherspoon Roy-Ramagern Ortio ...
By Tony Lynch (@tonylynchsaid) The Rangers' preseason officially kicks off tonight when the Rags take the ice against the Devils in Newark. Before they take the ice, here's a recap of how the Rangers prospects fared in the annual Traverse City Prospect Tournament. Though the team did not fare well in the standings at the tournament, finishing 1-2-1, a number of players ...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
Before I get into things I'll quickly mention that Nick Petrecki was sent to Worcester in the AHL yesterday afternoon, bringing the roster down to 31. ***** The theme in last night's pre-season game between Phoenix and San Jose was similar to four of the previous five games this year: Close. The Sharks record fell to 3-1-1 after losing in regulation to the Coyotes...
[b]Twitter:[/b] @ProspectReport After a long hiatus, I'm back to cover Calgary again. What felt like an eternity, the summer is finally over and hockey is back. Calgary lost their opening night 5-4 to the Washington Capitals in a hard-fought game. There are a lot of positives to take away from last nights game. Calgary absolutely dominated the first period, and made...
I thought it would be fun to break the Ducks season up into 10 game increments, and every 10 games make a post about how the team was doing. I'd look at stats over the course of the past 10 games and compare them to the entire season and see how the team was doing. The season being only 10 games old, this 1st entry will obviously have both of those parts be one and the sam...
The Drury-Briere era Sabres team has long become folklore in hockey heaven. This extremely short period of Sabres history saw a team that never gave up and made a habit of tying games in the waning seconds of playoff games and going on to win it in overtime. Not only has the dominance and never-say-die attitude disappeared from Buffalo's beloved hockey team, but also has...
The Drury-Briere era Sabres team has long become folklore in hockey heaven. This extremely short period of Sabres history saw a team that never gave up and made a habit of tying games in the waning seconds of playoff games and going on to win it in overtime. Not only has the dominance and never-say-die attitude disappeared from Buffalo's beloved hockey team, but also has...
The Drury-Briere era Sabres team has long become folklore in hockey heaven. This extremely short period of Sabres history saw a team that never gave up and made a habit of tying games in the waning seconds of playoff games and going on to win it in overtime. Not only has the dominance and never-say-die attitude disappeared from Buffalo's beloved hockey team, but also has...
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 ...
And just like that, the 1st 20 games are on the books. Anaheim has a 15-4-1 record for 31 points, currently leading the league. As I did after the 1st 10 games of the season, I'll look back and see how the team has done over games 11-20, and see where they improved and where they regressed. I'm hoping that by breaking up the season like this I'll be able to get an idea of ...
No question, games 21-30 was the worst 10 game stretch for Anaheim so far this season. After going 15-4-1 through the 1st 20 games, the Ducks went 3-3-4 for 10 points in their last 10 games. The Ducks did improve their special teams play, but their overall play suffered, and injuries continue to be a huge concern for the team. As always, I'll 1st start with individual s...
In the Ducks 1st 10 games of the season, they had 7 wins and 3 losses. I figured that would probably be their best 10 game stretch of the season. Hopefully they would equal that output again later in the season, but I wasn't expecting a better stretch. And then in their 2nd 10 game stretch of the season the Ducks went 8-1-1. Just 10 games later and the Ducks had already pu...
Always Mighty writes...

Wrapping Up December

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Ducks finished the month of December with a 6-3 over the San Jose Sharks on New Years Eve. After the Sharks had ended the Ducks 10 game winning streak, the Ducks were looking to get revenge on their California rivals and did just that. Overall, the Ducks played 13 games in December and had a record of 11-1-1, good for 23 points! As with November and October, I'll go th...
After winning 10 games in a row, I knew that the Ducks would not be able to match that pace over their next 10 game stretch. But, the amazing this is, while they did lose 2 games, they still put up another 8 game winning streak and have won 18 of their last 20 games, easily the best stretch of regular season hockey in Ducks history. Besides the insane number of games that ...
The Hurricanes are going to miss the playoffs again. This is less of a prediction and more of an inescapable reality at this point. One could spend days dissecting this team in an effort to understand why the Hurricanes have only made the playoffs once in the past 8 seasons but rather than sitting here and tossing blame about like the overzealous poo-flinging monkeys w...
mike719 writes...

Nameless Prospects?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's trade deadline 2014 as you know. And I've noticed something in all of the discussions here on HockeyBuzz about the fans and seemingly the GM's too. Nobody wants to trade their prospects. When some fan suggests a potential trade with another team that involves any of their prospects (especially their top prospects), fans from the other team immediately reply bot...
Eric Mellin writes...

The Caps Will Fail.

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Washington Capitals will not make the playoffs. If you just come out and say it, it feels so much better. Cathartic. The trade deadline was supposed to answer a few problems the Caps had within their team, and General Manager George McPhee answered a couple of those problems in trading Martin Erat and Michal Neuvirth. Both players expressed disinterest in their rol...
Cashen19 writes...

Kuznetsov has landed!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The long awaited debut for Evgeny Kuznetsov will finally take place tonight in Washington against their rivals from Pittsburgh. Kuznetsov was drafted 26th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. He has since been playing in the KHL for Traktor Chelyabinsk where he has 65 goals and 146 points in 210 games. Kuznetsov helped Russia win gold during the 2011 World Junior and took home t...
After going 5-5 into the Olympic break, the Ducks came out strong, winning their 1st 2 games post Olympics, but then stumbled and only won 2 of their next 8 games, going 2-4-2 in the process. Overall, in the Ducks last 10 games the team went 4-4-2, good for 10 points and technically a record of .500, but this was the most difficult 10 game stretch of the season for the Duc...
Mac_65 writes...

Mark Stone:Diamond in The Rough

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Mark Stone. If you are a Sens fan, you`re gonna be LOVING this guy, maybe even as soon as next year. Stone holds a special place in my heart as he played for my local Dub team(the Wheat Kings). A 6th round pick in 2010, Stone is showing that he is an absolute GEM! After scoring just 28 points in 39 games his draft year, and his skating being compared to a beached whale(man...
Flash4 writes...

The Kovalchuk Effect

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT7uWEEoG-n0v7xWud8yaUK7VigxXGs2o-Up57hO1TiQMgw_VxM[/img] Ilya Kovalchuk is still a destructive thorn in the side of the New Jersey Devils franchise. Kovalchuk perfectly executed a blueprint that would set the Devils back, costing them as much as possible. First there was the notorious contract: 17 years for 1...
nmaving writes...

The Sabres Rebuild

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Sabres have many roster questions going into the 2014-15 season. As a college student going to school out of state it was very tough to watch such a bad team play all season. I am proud to say though that I stuck with this team all year, and hopefully will be rewarded this year and next year with some electric prospects. The question of Reinhart or Bennett is one I can...
saneopinion writes...

Vinny to Flames Rumor

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
With a little less than one week until the NHL draft, here are my current rankings of the Flyers prospects before Ron Hextall takes the stage in Philly: [b]1. Scott Laughton (C, Oshawa Generals, OHL) 2012 1st round, 20th overall[/b] Scott Laughton Highlights-[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YEoBOQEsvI[/url] The choice between Laughton and Gostisbehere was p...
JAKUB VRANA LW/RW (13th), VITEK VANECEK G (39th), NATHAN WALKER LW (89th), SHANE GERSICH C/LW (134th), STEVEN SPINNER RW (159th), KEVIN ELGESTAL RW (194th). No Defense in the draft, but I do know the organization has Defense as a priority. So I assume they will be very active in the Free Agency market come July 1st.
[url]http://capitals.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=723988[/url]
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...
This year was the first year I attended a Bruins development camp and it definitely was a fun experience. The Prospects only spent about an hour on the ice but there were a few standouts in my eyes. David Pastrnak, the Bruins 2014 first round pick was very exciting to watch and brought some hope to the team’s prospect wing depth. The young Czech forward showed a lot o...
GomezforMVP writes...

Stepping Forward?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens, especially general manager Marc Bergevin, are being praised for making the final four and finally becoming a major contender in the Eastern Conference. Even though the habs took huge steps forward with a much needed successful season, the pressure will surely mount as a hockey mad city is sure to have their expectations through the roof next season....
hockeyfan611 writes...

Niagara Ice Dogs Podcast

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
We do a podcast for Bullet News Niagara on the Niagara Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League. We also discuss the OHL at large as well in the podcast. For all OHL and Niagara Ice Dogs fans, it is a must listen! [url]http://www.bulletnewsniagara.ca/index.php?p=Sections&id=1957[/url] Visit us on twitter: [b]@NiagaraDogPound[/b]
As we get closer to the start of training camp, the Philadelphia Flyers prepare for a “bridge season” before their most prized defensive prospects are ready to don the orange and black. This past off-season has been a quiet one for the Flyers due to their cap problems but with the news of Kimmo Timonen's blood clots, they have recently signed Michael Del Zotto to a 1 y...
Last night Howard Bloom of sportsbusinessnews.com reported via Twitter that Quebec City, Toronto, Seattle and Las Vegas would become NHL expansion teams by 2017. Bloom even included that expansion fees would total $1.4 billion. The tweet spread like wildfire on the social network and was making it’s way to television within mere hours. A respected journalist with sp...
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...
[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...
Sam Reinheart was selected #1 overall in the 2014 NHL Draft this year, As the young man has given Buffalo some light headed into this early young NHL season entering November. Sam Reinheart has earned his first point in the NHL last night as the Buffalo Sabers beat the San Jose Sharks by a final score of 2-1. In his 9th game with the Sabers Sam finally found himself on the...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] 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...
icedog97 writes...

Thanksgiving (2009)

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Quite a bit has changed for me personally in the past 5 years (separation/divorce)...death of family members and my sister's life threatening cancer...but when I read this blog again today...I knew it STILL applies. From 2009 --- It's the time of year when you take a minute and reflect upon your life and the things in it that you are thankful for. If you haven't done...
Just for fun. Here is my early season Sabres mock draft for the upcoming 1st pick (2nd overall)- [b]Jack Eichel[/b] (Center); The Sabres get their franchise centerman. Eichel will immediately step in and produce for one of the leagues worst offenses. The Sabres may be crowded at the center position but there is no doubt Eichel immediately jumps to the top of the dep...
[b]Follow me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] 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...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] 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...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] 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...
It was nice to see that the NHL in Quebec city is always present during the media tour that attracted an impressive number of journalists at the site of the multi-purpose arena. Throughout the visit, Mayor Régis Labeaume was illustrating what will be the amphitheater Hockey plan.rnIt was in the lobby entrance that he described what the atmosphere will look like in a playo...
Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist were back in the lineup for a game that was important for two reasons: One was that the Pens had been playing horribly (losing to terrible Carolina on Thursday), and they needed a victory. They got it against another lowly team, the Arizona Coyotes. Despite not scoring until 7:16 of the third period, when Daniel Winnik scored, the Peng...
[b]Does every NHL team have a drafting identity?? [/b] When discussing prospects/potential selections I've heard multiple categories used to describe the reasonings for why an NHL team will select who they will select... these include: 1. BPA - Best Player Available 2. Organizational needs 3. Safe pick 4. Transferable NHL skills/size 5. Previous chemistry with othe...
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...
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...
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...
The NHL Draft is quickly approaching (June 26th and 27th) as the Conference Final playoff round heats up. Who might your favorite team be selecting in rounds 1-3? [u]Round 1[/u] 1) Edmonton Oilers – C [b]Connor McDavid[/b], Erie - The Oilers having been getting pieces and more pieces to the puzzle and now they can finish it off with the biggest of them all. ...
The Edmonton Oilers have the chance to add 4 players in the first two rounds of the draft this year. Among them is one of the highest acclaimed players of our generation. If he lives up to that hype or not, he will be expected when the Oilers are shopping to fill holes in their roster. I think the Oilers might be in one of the most unique positions in NHL history. In...
Top 10 Habs Prospects, end of season edition. [b]Nathan Beaulieu, Greg Pateryn & Jacob De la rose[/b] are expected to start the 2015-16 season in the NHL so they won't be included. [b]1. Nikita Scherbak[/b] The best prospects the Montreal Canadiens have. If there's anyone who can become an impact offensive forward in the NHL, it's him. He had another solid season in t...
First of all, i want to introduce myself, that you have a feeling who is going to write :D My name is Tom, 30 years and a native of Bavaria, Germany so please be not so hard on me if there are gramatical mistakes. There were irritating rumors that the Oil own 5 of the first 63 picks, but our own 3rd round pick was traded and we have the 79th and 86th pick instead from ...
It’s been a wild weekend for the Buffalo Sabres franchise and fans, and things don’t look to be settling down anytime soon. All of these additions to the team have lead to many people creating starting lineups. Of course, these are just speculations, as it’s likely head coach Dan Bylsma will try out new lineups at training camp later in the summer. But with all of...
The Oil once again went into free agency with a lot of talk. Their goal, the same as it has been for many years; grab a top tier defense man and a starting goalie. I know that we aren't aware of the options that the Oilers actually had. Maybe some players just refused higher money to play elsewhere. I think in a few years this will change but for now lets assume the Oi...
Michael OConnor writes...

Top NHL Duo's 2016

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
5. Claude Giroux(73 points) and Jacub Voracek(81 points): This duo is a little unlike the rest, as the Flyers have had very little success in the past few seasons. The team has absolutely no depth and is a fairly weak throughout the lineup. However, this duo is able to keep the team somewhat competitive night in and night out. They are going to be one of the most d...
In this article I aim to outline the top goal scorers in the NHL today. Some players may be well established while others may be just coming into their prime hockey years. After looking over the list, I can already tell that many people will be upset by who made the cut and who did not. The top couple players were fairly easy, but the later picks became nearly impossibl...
Blanehartley writes...

More thoughts

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Here we are on a Tuesday night and, yes, summer is practically over. Of course, I couldn't be happier. Training camp is almost here and before you know it, television will be watchable again. Although news is slow, the league is alive as ever with teams rounding out their rosters and players ready to compete for Lord Stanley. Here are a few things that are on my mind cur...
The Marc Bergevin machine is now fully operational, next year we will see what he has been working on for some time. Alex Semin, Dale Weise, Tom Gilbert and yes, Thomas Plekanec will all be UFAs, Semin and Gilbert will most likely be let go making room for youth. However, with the way the organization is setup, Bergevin is now in a position of power, he can extend the cont...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Year 1 of the rebuild

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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. ...
A topic that has been discussed more as of late with the owners meeting is the possible expansion. A huge road block being discussed is whether players with NTC's and NMC's will be made available for expansion teams. Another will likely be the salary cap as the last expansion was before it was implemented. As a whole, I think the expansion could benefit all parties involve...
Last years Maple Leaf approach to their upper level picks was to trade down to increase the amount of picks, to attain a higher total draft pick value. Basically, they traded the 24th overall pick for the 29th overall pick and 61st, then traded that 29th overall pick for the 34th and 68th. So, after a year, we can see how these prospects have developed, and get an initia...
Eastern Conference 1 KINGSTON FRONTENACS (46-17-5) vs
8 OSHAWA GENERALS (27-33-8) Top Prospects Kingston: LW Michael Dal Colle (NYI), LW Lawson Crouse (FLA), D Ronald McKeown (CAR), RW Spencer Watson (LA), Lucas Peressini Oshawa: C Anthony Cirelli (TBL) 2 BARRIE COLTS (43-22-3) vs
7 MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS (33-30-5) Top Prospects Barrie: RW Kevin ...
Tonight is the start of the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships that are taking place in Tampa, Florida this year. Here are the match ups in round one. Quinnipiac V. Rochester Inst. Top Prospects Quinnipiac- Travis St. Denis Rochester _____________________________________________ Yale V. U. Mass-Lowell Top Prospects Yale U. Mass-Lowell- LW CJ Smit...
The Blue Jackets will be looking forward to a long offseason, but for the upper management, it will be only the start of their work. Columbus has five draft picks in this year's draft- their first, second, third, sixth, and seventh. Their fourth round pick is in Chicago courtesy of the Brandon Saad blockbuster; their fifth is in St. Louis from the Jordan Leopold trade. ...
Zak MacMillan writes...

CBJ- Prospect Pileup

Posted Friday | Comments 4
CBJ- Zach Werenski Signs With Columbus The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed their top prospect, defenseman Zach Werenski to a three year entry level deal. Also, the Lake Erie Monsters, the Jackets affiliate team, signed him to an amateur tryout offer. Werenski was drafted eighth overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The past two seasons, Werenski...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Gabriel Carlsson to a three year entry level deal. Carlsson was drafted 29th overall by the Jackets in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. This draft selection was the second first round the Jackets had in the draft, moving up in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Per Elite Prospects: "Big stay-at-home defenseman with excellent...
freelancer writes...

Two Unknown Prospects

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Going to try something a little bit different today. I'm going to talk about two different prospects that are members of different organizations. Both are 22; one is a defender, the other a forward. I'm going to go over their scouting reports, production, and any other relevant information. I want you, the reader to decide if this is a player you would want in the Oilers o...
According to Hockeybuzz's very own John Jaeckel, the Chicago Blackhawks were pursuing KHL star Vadim Shipachyov as a free agent. Sadly, even if it was a serious consideration for Chicago, the chance has vanished into thin air. Multiple sources reported today that Shipachyov has resigned with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Reports from habseyesontheprize.com say that talks ...
Looking around at summer ideas for blogging, Peter Tessier's idea of reviewing the history of top draft picks is one that got. Besides being a hockey fan, history is something I enjoy almost as much. Since the Columbus Blue Jackets draft third in the 2016 NHL Draft, I will be looking back in the past to see who was draft in this spot in previous drafts. Today, it w...
The New York Rangers owned six draft picks in the 2016 Draft, they did not have a pick on the first night of round one. On day two the Rangers lucked out big time and when their pick came up at 81 in the third round they wasted no time selecting Defenseman Sean Day from the OHL Mississauga Steelheads. Day,18 is a two way defender who possesses elite talent but has struggle...
JosephOchs writes...

Bruins Next Move: Part 1

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
thejonathans writes...

Top Players

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Top Current NHL Players (My opinion) 1 Ovechkin 2 McDavid 3 Doughty 4/5 Seguin 4/5 Kopitar 6 Tavares
rakish... writes...

30 Pipelines

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Pronman has a new article ranking pipelines. Yesterday I had a link showing his rankings, but I can't find it now. Mine is different since I don't care if people have graduated to the NHL, I just collectively rank their last 5 drafts. I pretty much order the teams by the number of players under 20th highest ranked in their year, you'll likely want to move the teams that h...
The Columbus Blue Jackets' best prospects will travel to Traverse City, Michigan to compete in a tournament against other teams' prospects. There are eight teams in the tournament including Columbus- Minnesota; Detroit; Carolina; New York Rangers; St. Louis; Chicago; and Dallas. The tournament starts on Septetmber 16th and wraps up September 20, and features three of C...
Will.Pesek writes...

Pelech recalled

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The New York Islanders announced Thursday morning that Adam Pelech has been recalled from BST. This will result in tomorrows contest with the Colorado Avalanche as he will most likely play for veteran Dennis Seidenberg, because the Isles have a history of not playing veterans back to back. Or, this can result for the Isles to carry a 7th Dman before they head West and god ...
freelancer writes...

Would You Draft Me?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The weeks leading up to the draft are an exciting time for the hardcore hockey fan. While the average fan probably knows who Nolan and Hischier are, it takes a particular type of person to know the details about Noel Hoefenmayer (probably a late 2nd-3rd round pick). Scouting reports and a player's stats card paint a picture for what kind of NHL player a prospect [i]migh...
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...
Marcus Boutilier writes...

Back To Back

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For the second time in 4 games the Washington Capitals are facing another backend of back to back games on the road. After suffering a 7-6 OT loss last week to Pittsburgh on the second night, the Caps will look to win their first road game in New Jersey vs the Devils. The Caps have 10 remaining back to backs this season. The Caps where 21-15-5 on the road last season. A...
Marcus Boutilier writes...

Back-To-Back Again

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For the second time in 4 games the Washington Capitals are facing another backend of back to back games on the road. After suffering a 7-6 OT loss last week to Pittsburgh on the second night, the Caps will look to win their first road game in New Jersey vs the Devils. The Caps have 10 remaining back to backs this season. The Caps where 21-15-5 on the road last season. A...
Jay Ess writes...

Great Start, Now What?

Posted Monday | Comments 8
It's been a breath of fresh air to have a team to cheer for again. Our Habs this year have come flying out of the gate. They have had some hiccups along the way so far, but overall its been a fast and exciting team which has been night and day from last years roll over and die edition. Early returns suggest that we won the Galchenyuk and Pacioretty trades hands down...
Hello all, first time writer here and big time leaf fan! Given the leafs current cap crunch and the never ending Mitch Marner saga, i found it odd the leafs signed Ceci instead of attempting to walking away through arbitration and spend that 4.5M elsewhere? I get Gardiner can make HUGE head scratching blunders but he’s consistently titling the ice in the right direction ...
Kudos to George Malik for getting these out http://themalikreport.com/2019/09/05/some-quick-thoughts-regarding-the-red-wings-prospect-tournament-roster/ Although I’ve let it be known that I think there is too much for these prospects in terms of tourney/camp/preseason, I am excited about the actual tournament. Looking at the lineup I see Zadina, Hirose, Veleno, and Ku...
In a show of courtesy and generosity, all the games in Traverse City are being streamed this year. Click on this link: https://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/watch-dallas-stars-compete-in-traverse-city-prospect-tournament-sept-6-10-live-streams-090519 8 teams including :Detroit, Toronto, Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis, New York, Columbus and Chicago. Obviously I�...
So far, the prospect’s tournament has been a breath of fresh air, for the most part. Detroit went 2-0-1 in 3 games, scoring 17 goals. A healthy dose for sure. There is, however, and “I told you so” moment for me here. Injuries. Alec Regula was taken out of last night’s game in the first period with a concussion. There was no penalty on the play, it looked like ...
This was a surprise, for sure. I like the kids we have, and like what’s coming down the pipe. Joe Veleno surprised me, and I was expecting him to be really good. In 4 games he had 7 goals and 1 assist. One goal was an empty net in game 3, but in the other three games he had 2 goals. Good grief that’s consistent. And, it’s impressive. This kid wants a job right now wi...
Zak MacMillan writes...

CBJ Talk - Summertime 01

Posted Wednesday | Comments 21
It’s time to be realistic and focus on the present. The Blue Jackets are in another dilemma with another star with another expansion draft looming ahead. The Blue Jackets retained the fifth overall selection for the upcoming draft, with two other first round picks to follow later this summer. Patrick Laine is on an expiring deal with little update on the contract f...
SAN JOSE, CA - San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) interim General manager announced earlier today that the Sharks have signed North Bay Battalion forward Mitchell Russell. While per club policy, the terms of the contract were not disclosed, a lot of good things were said about the new Sharks prospect. "Mitchell is a character player and leader on the ice with good product...

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