Tag Search Results for "PIT"
Well folks, it finally has arrived! The playoffs are here and I couldn't be more excited. A great slate of games tonight with what will probably be one of the most exciting series being Ottawa V. Pittsburgh. So much speed and talent on the ice between both teams and two young upcoming goaltenders. Ray Emery has a lot to make up for from last year's run when he laid a f...
June 2004. The eve of the Stanley Cup finals. The explosiveness of the top seed Tampa Bay Lightning vs. the grit of the No. 6 seed Calgary Flames. U.S. vs. Canada, new vs. old... it couldn't get any better than this.
While most sports media and casual fans ho-hummed about two "small market" teams meeting in the finals, I was salivating with plenty of other purists who a...
I’ve seen every Penguins game in the past two years, and most of them over the last 20 years. Soon after Michel Therrien took over last season, real structure began creeping into the Penguins’ game and their work ethic sky-rocketed. By the end of the season I felt they were the hardest working, most disciplined Penguins team I had seen since I became a season ticket ho...
Great game last night. A full 60 minutes of forechecking and goals. The locals will be lining up the get their free pizza today I'm sure. I can see Pizza Pizza implementing a new policy "umm...everybody who has a ticket must answer a skill testing question...recite the first 12 numbers after the decimal point in Pii" Things definitely got a little chippy at the end of ...
The SRU Campus is about 50 miles North of Pittsburgh, but we are Black and Gold to the core up here. Last semester was my first at SRU and I was amazed to see how far Steeler Country's boundries extended. Every week my fellow students came out with a strong showing of Steeler's gear. Ocassionally I'd spy a Penguins hat or something, but for the most part the black and gold...
(Please read my blog post 'Pens Playoff Fever at Slippery Rock University' first)
The jitters. I know I had them after not watching Penguins playoff hockey in six years. I can only imagine what most of the players felt like...
Unfortunately, their butterflies showed. I had class until 7:30, so I missed the begining. On the radio during the car ride over to the bar Mi...
Yes the refs were horrible but the pens were as well. I really don't have any idea where Gonchar was in this game. I can honestly say that 3 of the goals may have been his fault. He stood around all night. Also he couldn't keep the puck in the zone on the power play the worst pen all night. Malkin couldn't win a faceoff for his life. Recchi just seems like the game is pass...
In a recent article entitled "How to Rebuild the Flyers", Hockeybuzz blogger Tim Panaccio give his breakdown on the Flyers offseason outlook.
In the piece he says the following in regards to Flyers young defensman Joni Pitkanen:
"They also desperately lack a No. 1 defenseman. [i][b]Joni Pitkanen should have been able to assume that role by now.[/b][/i] Yet his inabil...
With the senators in control of this series this is a very important game. If the pens lose today they will be down 3-1 and have no chance to comeback. It is a desperate situation for the pens. It worrys me that during the moring skate the pens looked so relaxed. Maybe it is a tactic that Therrien is using so the pens do not have to think about the pressure they face. The ...
Although the Sabres don't play tonight, there are still 5 games that should be very interesting.
[b]Atlanta/NYR[/b] - [i]Rangers lead series 2-0[/i]
Atlanta must win this game to have any chance. They already gave up both of their home games to start the series. It Atlanta can play well on the road for the next 2 games, they could have a shot at winning. However, I ...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens fell to the Sens in game 4 at the Mellon Arena. The Sens got their firsst goal on a flukey bounce off Jordan Staal's stick. It was just a bad bounce and neither Staal or Fleury can be faulted for it. In the second period, Staal tied the game and was assisted by Roberts and Ouellet. Ottawa went ahead 2-1 in the third. Fleury was in goa...
Yitzhak writes...
The First Official Washington Capitals Blog on this Site
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
Now the Penguins are down 3-1 to the Senators. Yea it seems impossible but who knows. This penguins team has done so many unexpected things all year why not. This team wasn't even supposed to make the playoffs but they proved everyone wrong. The Pens may be able to catch the Sens relaxing a bit during game 5. If so look out. If the Pens would manage a way to prevail in gam...
The Pens have played better in the last game but are still down 3-1. They are looking for a way to get momentum. Well couldn't it be a huge momentum builder if the pens could pull off a dramatic win in overtime. This type of win could shift all the momentum in a penguins favor and bring the series back to the igloo. I know it may sound far fetched but i believe in the pens...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens lost the series to the Senators. The score was 3-0. The game was not bad, overall. It is just hard to find the good, when the season is over. One thing to gain from this playoff experience is Experience. That is something that most of the team did not have and now they have playoff experience. This will do them a world of good in the...
mwiles19 writes...
Dissapointing End, But Still Happy With Overall Result
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The 2006-2007 NHL season came to an abrupt end for the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, as they were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators. The same Senators team, in name only, who the Penguins recently beat three straight times in the regular season. The reason I say in name only, is because the Senators picked it up a notch for the playoffs and simply dominated this young Pen...
[img]C:\Documents and Settings\Greg\Desktop\gregs ringers\staalhattrick.mp3[img:right][img][/img]What do you think was the best moment of the year for the Pengins? Personally i think Staals overtime goal versus toronto that completed the hattrick was best.[img]C:\Documents and Settings\preferred customer\Desktop\evolution.jpg[/img]
Can anyone see or hear the pic?
Hey pens fans,
So, about a month ago Crosby broke his left foot blocking a shot. He has been playing through it, obviously. He just announced he will miss worlds to let it heal properly. And FYI, if you don't remember him breaking his foot, don't feel bad, neither do I and it was not on the injury reports, i already checked.
[url]http://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
Yes, Caps fans, change is the offseason's buzzword. As the Caps' season was thankfully on its way to being put to rest, the slogan 'Change is Coming' was (for good reason) broadcasted for any fans still paying attention.
So, what changes can Caps fans expect?
[u][url=http://www.washingtoncaps.com/news/news.asp?story_id=4783]New uniforms[/url]:[/u]
The Caps will unve...
I grew up in Mississippi in the days before minor league seeped into our southern borders. Hockey was not a sport that got much talk in my household. My childhood was surrounded by football and baseball. I don't even remember the 1980 Miracle on Ice (I would have been nearly 7 at the time). The only exposure to hockey that I got was the occasional game that may have sl...
It's been reported in the Swedish press recently, it's [url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/2007/05/backstrom_agrees_to_terms_with.html]now official[/url].
Backstrom will be flying over to DC with his family on Monday where the Caps have scheduled a press conference to announce his signing.
Backstrom's playmaking panache should make for the perfect com...
Well, I haven't posted a Flyers off-season thoughts blog, yet, so I figured to combat my insomnia, I'd offer my two cents.
Right now, in goal, things seem pretty much set. Martin Biron is the starter. I expect him to play as many as 60 games. Antero Niittymaki, coming off a brutal season, will be the back-up. Biron was a breath of fresh air, on and off the ice, after co...
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...
Wahington caps
[img]http://www.nhldigest.com/wp-admin/images/Capsnewjerseys.jpg[/img]
I think the Flyers have done exceptionally well so far in terms of positioning the team for future success. Paul Holmgren & co are looking like geniuses; but right now the team is entering a most critical stage of this "restructuring", where the next couple of moves will largely determine the fate of this team over the next several years. One of these moves will likely be ...
I'll keep this one simple, straightforward, and to the point:
1) Chicago----Patrick Kane
Obviously the knock on Kane is size and for him he's going to have to use his agility more, which has been compared to Martin St. Louis', to continue to be productive at the next level. He runs the powerplay extremely well on the half wall and has great hands around the net. This sou...
July 1st in the NHL always gives you the feeling of Christmas, the oilers did there best to fill holes that are open and to improve the tea. The move to trade Jason Smith and Joffery Lupul for Geoff Sanderson and Jani Pitkanen was a great start. Sanderson will add some great veteran experience that is needed since Smith is gone, he will also be a dependable 3rd or 4th line...
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...
[b]Jason Smith : A Steal for the Flyers?[/b]
July 7th 3:42 PM:
Last week, the Philadelphia Flyers traded Joni Pitkanen, Who is a young defenseman who racked up 43 points last season, and Geoff Sanderson, Who is considerably one of the fastest players in the NHL, He racked up 29 points. The Flyers acquired Joffrey Lupul, Who most Edmonton fans believe was a very bad acq...
The NHL announced that a outdoor game will be played this year. A Pittsburgh newspaper said that the Penguins have agreed to be the away team. The two possible home teams are Buffalo and Detroit. This game will most likley be played at the Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. This game will be amazing! Sign me up for tickets. As a Buffalonian this will be a cha...
Yesterday kicked off the beginning of the 2007 Arbitration Hearings, with the Washington Capitals and Brooks Liach on the top of the list. A restricted free agent may file for arbitration if negotiations between the player and the team holding their rights reach a stalemate. This off-season 30 players filed for arbitration on July 5th, 11 of those cases have since negotiat...
Yes, this is a one-year, [b]two-way [/b]contract. Many around these parts have harshly critiqued this move by Scott Howson. Why?
NHL Central Scouting provides the scouting reports to TSN, and many cringe when they scroll immediately to "career potential." Beech has an NHL-capable frame, and is listed with above-average playmaking skills and vision. Just because a player...
Let's take some time to take a look at the best prospects of the organization. A few of them have a good chance of making the team right out of training camp.
The obvious one is [b]Nicklas Backstrom[/b] who is a very talented young Swede who was drafted 4th overall by the Caps in 2006. The 6'0'' 183 lb centerman should play on the second line with Alexander Semin and Vi...
Early in the post season Jim Rutherford was very active in trying to acquire one Joni Pitkanen. Obviously he would have like to employ his puck moving abilities and youth to a fairly stay-at-home veteran D-Corps.
As everyone knows, Rutherford did not land Pitkanen, the Oilers did. The man who was on the trading block, Niclas Wallin, remains a 'Cane. It wasn't that th...
Slasher98 writes...
What UFA should the Caps sign to reach league minimum?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Capitals will have to spend more to get past the $34.3 million salary-cap floor by the start of the season. Interesting veteran forwards such as Anson Carter, Mike Johnson, Ville Nieminen, Jeff O'Neill, Jan Bulis or Jason Allison could all give depth to the Caps' top-12 forward group.
The best option would be [b]Mike Johnson[/b], who's a good 2-way player who can s...
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...
Remember my last blog I said Bell will not suspended, just ignore that comment.
Led Zepplin is playing a concert Nov 26th, how cool would that be. 20 million have registed for tickets already, I guess a lot of people think it would be cool.
I guess this Tiger Woods guy is pretty good.
I think Britney Spears is on a fast track for Playboy, what a trainwreck.
The...
Getting right into the Downie thing:
-Yes, dirty hit
-Yes, deserves a suspension of at [b]LEAST[/b] five games
-Should Downie be banned for life or even 20 games? No.
Look at the replay closely. He doesn't lead with the elbow and honestly it's really borderline if he leaves his feet [b]BEFORE[/b] the contact. Based on Downie's past he deserves to not be treated...
Former 1999 Penguins draft pick Darcy Robinson, 26, collapsed on the ice during a game with the Italian Asiago team. Robinson was un-hit at the time of collapse in the first period, and was later rushed to a hospital where he passed. The cause of death has yet to be determined.
Over his short career, Robinson spent time with the Penguins' minor league affiliates. From 2...
Just listening to the Avs vs. Sharks game - and Mr. Paul Stastny has 1g 4a in this game, while having a hat trick on opening night, which brings him to 8points in 3games. And i got him in 3 of my Fantasy Teams :-)
I knew this kid would rock this season, and i also did believe he would have a fair shot at the 100 point mark - but this much improvement and absolute domina...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Columbus Day: Discover the Isles vs Washington at 2pm
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
While some celebrate Columbus Day, where he discovered the Americas in 1492. Well, he didn't really. The Vikings and even the Chinese actually might have found these lands long before. But, what is more important is that in 2007-2008 season, the NY Islanders found their first line and some offensive threa...
I was born in Brooklyn, but spent most of my time growing up in Staten Island. I remember walking in to a Palmer Video (later bought out by Blockbuster) and seeing an ad on the front counter for a chance to enter to win hockey tickets. The entry box was your average, run of the mill box, but at the top right where the slot is for the form was a picture of Mario Lemieux h...
For anybody who was wondering (which quite possibly is nobody...haha) I never did write part 3 of Living up to the Big Bucks.
There are some interesting stories developing already in this young NHL season; The Avalanche led by sophomore Paul Stastny, the Edmonton Oilers starting 2-0 against two tough teams, the Defending Champion Ducks starting 1-3, and the Capitals sta...
The Isles came to Washington last night with a lot of questions, being put back to earth with a .500 record. However, some of those got answered last night with wild game that saw [b]Bill Guerin[/b] tear it up with 3 goals, and a stellar performance by [b]Rick DiPietro[/b] in goal.
By no means was this a one-sided affair. Before Guerin led them to closing the Capitals o...
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...
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...
Enough already! I am getting sick of writing about losing. For those who think winning is overrated they should try losing five games in a row...it sucks! To remedy this situation I thought I would write the blog that I want to be writing tomorrow today...you know some of the Tony Robbins positive thinking stuff. So here we go!
[quote]Now that was Predators hockey...
Henrik Zetterberg, Mats Sundin, Jarome Iginla, Daymond Langkow, Nik Antropov, Paul Stastny, Mike Cammalleri, Rick Nash, Daniel Alfredsson, Patrick Kane, Justin Williams, Rod Brind'Amour, Eric Staal, Anze Kopitar, Daniel Briere.
As of this morning all of these players were ahead of Sid The Kid in the point race. Sid, despite scoring 12 points in 9 games, is 6 behind Henr...
The FlyerFly writes...
11/2 - Richards Provides Spark, Leads Flyers over Caps
Posted Friday | Comments 0
http://flyerflies.com/main/recaps/07-08/07-11-02.html
Before the opening of the regular season, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Stevens decided to give the alternate captain title to 3rd year center Mike Richards.
Stevens is certainly not regretting that decision early in the Flyers season.
Richards brought the Flyers out of a 1st period funk by winning a ...
Tonight's game at the Igloo vs. the Atlanta Thrashers will be a true test to see whether the Pens are ready to turn the corner and start heading up the Eastern Conference ladder, up where many hockey pundits predicted they'd be this year.
The Thanksgiving Night victory in Ottawa vs. the high octane Senators was a huge one for the Pens. Another loss, which looked pretty...
What a difference a game makes.
Two nights after Marc-Andre Fleury was yanked after allowing two arguably soft goals in the first period in Ottawa, Penguins coach Michel Therrien came right back with Fleury back at home tonight vs. the Atlanta Thrashers. Fleury did not repeat his poor performance tonight, in fact he made 28 saves in a 5-0 Penguins shutout. The defense...
23 points in 24. Some disapointing free agents. A very slow start and of course as usual a boat load of injuries. But this year it dosent seem so bad.
We finally lost the players that were hurting us ( Van Ryn, Mclean ). I wish Murphy would be back soon , hes been a pleasant surprise this season on the pp.
The Cats finally got out of their November curse. 6-5-1 so far ...
The Confluence writes...
Penguins' six day break is untimely, to put it nicely
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
What is this, football ??
Just when the Penguins finally start to play some consistent hockey, the enigma that is the NHL schedule maker lowers the boom and gives the Pens a six day break.
Six days is an eternity for hockey teams, especially those teams that are playing well. Obviously, if your team is slumping, the extended time off is welcomed. But this break, at...
Lots of chatter around the Penguins' blogosphere lately concerning the possible departure of veteran winger Mark Recchi.
Courtesy of our colleague Lyle at Spector's Hockey, who received the following blurb from one of his emailers;
Pierre Maguire was on the TEAM1040 this morning (Wednesday)in Vancouver and he was talking about the Recchi situation. Him and Recchi wer...
BuffaloMat writes...
Auctioning off a Autographed Ovechkin Puck (Read inside)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
A night after the Penguins won their third straight game with a dominating 4-1 win against the Dallas Stars at the Igloo, the skate was on the other foot tonight at the Air Canada Center as the Pens took a step back in a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs came out energized right off the bat and took it to the Pens, who didn't have a response u...
The Confluence writes...
Hard to fathom, but Sidney Crosby is hurting his team
Posted Sunday | Comments 1
Oh boy, I could take a lot of heat for this one.
Screw it, I'm gonna get it off of my chest, and put my flak jacket on. I only ask that you hear me out and read my rationale before flaming away.
OK, let's set things straight right now. I LOVE SIDNEY CROSBY, in a purely plutonic fan-to-professional athlete type of way. He's far and away the best playmaker in hockey...
If at first you don't succeed, try seven more times.
The Penguins powerplay was pretty lousy all night long, while not really generating that many good scoring opportunities in the process.
But the Pens decided eight was enough when right-handed defenseman Kris Letang scored in the left slot on a cross-ice feed from Sidney Crosby for the game-winning goal with about ...
More at http://pensburgh.blogspot.com
I'd be more accurate doing a fight recap than a game recap.
The Flyers destroyed the Penguins tonight by the score of 8-2. Both Joffrey Lupul and R.J Umberger were in competition with one another to see who could get the most points. Each got a hat trick on the night for the first time since 1985 that the Flyers have had two ha...
While yes the Kings clearly have goaltending issues that need solving that may not be the big issue. The big issue takes place in front of LaBarbera, Aubin, or one of those rookies who just got called up from Manchester. They onloy have three guys who can score!!!! Kopitar, Cammy, and Brown can put pucks in the net and then no one else comes close except O'Sullivan who c...
Chris Simon and Jarko Rutu are very common names to those who follow hockey, both are well known for being "tough guys", and who have crossed the line on numerous occasions. Chris Simon has been suspended a total of seven times (assuming he gets suspended for this latest incident) in his 15-year career.
1) 1997 - Chris Simon, while a member of the Washington Capitals w...
The Penguins are in trouble this season, but it’s in no way the kind of trouble that would warrant any significant overhauls to the team. The one major change that should be carefully considered is the man behind the bench. Therrien is not getting the best out of his team, period. There is no line combination that he hasn’t tried that is going to be the magic f...
BUFFALO -- To nullify any advantages or adversities created by weather conditions at Ralph Wilson Stadium during Tuesday’s AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic (1 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins will switch ends halfway through the third period – ensuring each team would spend the equivalent number of minutes attacking or def...
[b]1. The Winter Classic[/b]
Overall, the event was a huge success, and I would expect that the NHL is going to plan more for the future. I'd like to see it happen in a Canadian city again though. Perhaps in the Rogers Center in Toronto.
[b]2. The Senators getting bossed around in Washington[/b]
As a leaf fan, i found this to be actually quite entertaining. Ottawa...
Happy New Year everyone!
The High Sticking Show on www.wilyradio.com is comming back later this month. Stay tuned for more details, and I will keep you more up to date this time around!
So during New Years I played Rock Band. If you haven't had a chance to play it, and are a big Guitar Hero fan (like myself), you will really enjoy it! The drums are really fun, and th...
It has been rumored for a while that Jaromir Jagr could be on the move from the Rangers. According to sources Pittsburgh was looking into #68 coming back to ride shotgun along Sid. This season JAGGS has looked dynamic at times and far more often, lost at others. One can sense that this is how fires started in Cap city with the foward coming to Broadway for Anson Carter. Ca...
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...
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcjvoyJDRj0
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603706311538/
Thank you to The Flyers Fan Club for Today's road Trip it was rocking!
Thanks to my Dad and everyone who went on the trip that was so much fun.
Thanks to Julie for coming down to say hi.
I left my house @ 7am to pick up my Dad and be at th...
Like they all say, a win is a win and that's what counts. For the Philadelphia Flyers, today's win is just that: a win.
Mike Knuble scored two goals in the first period, and Mike Richards scored the eventual game winning goal on an exceptional play by Steve Downie whose come along very nicely in recent games (more on him later). Jim Dowd, and R.J. Umberger also scored f...
In Ahead writes...
Washington Capitals - All Good Things Must Come to an End
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
In Ahead writes...
Alexander Ovechkin - Officially the Face of Our Franchise
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
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...
After a succesful homestand, the Sens are back on the road tonight to face a team that for whatever reason the Sens just cant seem to beat in the Washington Capitals. Now had you told me at the start of the year that on January 15 2008, Ottawa would be playing Washington for the 4th time and at that point of the season are 0-3 against having been out-scored 18-10 through t...
In an extremely surprising season series where the Capitals have had Eastern Conference leading Ottawa's number all year long, the Caps look to ice the cake with a broom tonight -- the proverbial season sweep.
As is the case with every game on Washington's schedule, it should not come easy, but against Ottawa (for some unexplained reason) it has. The Senators, in a scen...
4-2 Washington over Ottawa...Sens went a stellar 0-4 against Washington this year managing to get outscored 22-12 over that span. Wow..just...WOW... im not sure if this is just a weird cosmic anomaly that has the planets and moon lined up in the right order when these 2 teams play, but as every sens fan im sure will agree with me, this isn't the team we are used to seeing ...
Alexander Semin has faced more than his fair share of struggles this season. He's been criticized for his soft play and many times appeared to be in his own little world on the ice. But tonight, he was THE reason why Washington beat Ottawa, 4-2 -- finishing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders.
The Capitals, who have accounted for a third of the Sens' reg...
Alexander Semin has faced more than his fair share of struggles this season. He's been criticized for his soft play and many times appeared to be in his own little world on the ice. But tonight, he was THE reason why Washington beat Ottawa, 4-2 -- finishing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders.
The Capitals, who have accounted for a third of the Sens' reg...
I was thinking back to the post-lockout Caps and all the journeymen that made a pit stop in Washington. I decided to check up on a few of these familiar names and share my findings. So here we go:
[b]RICO FATA [/b]- The guy with the soul patch who was always flying around the ice with no particular destination in mind has moved on to Germany. Now in his se...
In Ahead writes...
Kolzig Saves His Best for Last as Caps Move Into Third Place
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Edmonton Oilers were 11-2 in the shootout with 18 goals on 40 tries. The Washington Capitals were 0-2 and had allowed 7 goals in 14 attempts. Nothing had to give, but it did, and the Caps skated away with the victory after Olie stopped all 12 Oilers shooters and Matt Bradley scored for the first time in three career shootout tries.
The Caps' unlikely victory looked ...
The Capitals' win over Florida last night moved them to .500, the same exact winning percentage of the top teams in the Southeast Division. Atlanta, Carolina, and Washington each have a point per game, but only the Caps are moving in the right direction.
Bruce Boudreau puts the Capitals .500 record into perspective -- the way we've come to expect from the coach who seem...
My analysis of the Kolzig dilemma.
I would like to preface this by saying that I realize that he is very loyal to the organization and deserves respect for that. No one can argue that he wasn't a great goalie. He was. I also realize that many fans are attached to him, much like many fans are still attached to Bondra.
However, there comes a time when it is apparent th...
The Washington Capitals have spoiled their followers lately, instilling an expectation that they will win every game - especially against foes that have worse records. Of course this is a silly notion. But what we have seen from this team is its ability to avoid consecutive lackluster performances, giving us plenty of hope for tonight's rematch in the District.
The Caps...
The final minute of Washington's loss to Montreal has drawn much debate over the past two days. People (mainly in the Washington camp) are upset that the Canadiens put their top power play unit on the ice in the final minute when they were up 3-0.
This is the National Hockey League, full of professional athletes that are being paid exorbitant amounts of money to play ...
[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...
Trotz has said it. The players have said it. The prognosticators have said. I've said it. Everyone has said it...this is playoff hockey. The Preds are in the midst of a stretch run that could be one of the most exciting in recent history.
I thought it was put rather well by Carolina Hurricane Cory Stillman in an intermission interview during the Versus broadcast on Tues...
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 ...
[b]The past week has not been the best for the Blue Jackets[/b]. The embarrassment at home to Minnesota, the frustrating loss in OT to the Capitals, the back-to-back solid road efforts in Phoenix and San Jose…the list goes on. The latest in a string of futility was the shootout loss at home to the league-worst Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
[b]Effort being a common deno...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/islesmagic8ball.jpg[/img]
So the Isles have a streak of 4 wins going now. They finally beat the Flyers. TO has fallen. Atlanta went down in flames. The Sharks angrily lost another on the road. How quickly fortunes change in the thick of the close throng in points of the Eastern Conference.
So, step right up and see what the future ho...
Hello everyone...I'm a first time writer, long time reader. I love the community aspect of this site and I'd like to share some of my thoughts about your Pittsburgh Penguins.
There are tons of rumors out there involving the Penguins. The most prevalent one as of now seems to be Staal and some sort of package going to Chicago for T. Ruutu and Havlat. Some conflicting rep...
So another trade deadline has come and gone, with alot more trades then was expected on my part, now we will select 3 teams that we see as winners and 3 teams that we see as losers based on todays trades not on what picks might bring you down the road.
[b][u]WINNERS[/u][/b]
[b]Dallas[/b]- The Stars picked up one of the bigger names at the deadline picking up Brad Ric...
Flyers quiet on Tuesday... Were in talks with Buffalo about D Brian Campbell and the Islanders about Ruslan Fedotenko, notable among other possibilities. Holmgren balked at both because the price was too high and confirmed both asked for Jeff Carter in return. Being that Holmgren kept Carter, you figure he wants to sign the kid in the summer. Campbell would have fit a s...
Hockey is a game of emotion, point blank. Sergei Gonchar lost his cool on a play against superstar/superpest Daniel Alfreddson. Now I may take some heat for calling Alfredsson a superpest but let's call it as it is, this guy gets under your skin. I think the play on Sergei Gonchar is proof in the pudding. But I must also be very clear that I think there is a big differ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Fall Victim To Ovechkin's Magic, Lose 3-2 To Caps
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames were served a reminder of why it was a good thing they only faced the Washington Capitals every two years this evening, falling 3-2 thanks to two late goals, one at the tail end of the second period, the other with less than two minutes left in regulation, by the incomparable Alexander Ovechkin. After the Capitals' Viktor Kozlov had opened the scoring j...
With most teams now around the 10-game mark before the playoffs, battles for the top spot are fierce and today's games could see a lot of shifting in the Eastern Conference standings by end of day.
The New Jersey Devils maintained their hold on first place with a 4-2 win against an injury plagued Colorado Avalanche team, in which goalie Martin Brodeur had to be sharp in...
[b]Needing two points to keep their playoff hopes alive [/b]the Predators came up against a team that was just more hungry than they were. The Washington Capitals looked like a desperate team playing in desperate times and wanting desperately to get two points closer to the post season (did I use the word desperate enough in that sentence? ). The Preds on the other han...
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...
[b][i]UPDATE - [/b]The Tennessean is reporting that Dan Ellis will make the start in net tonight for the Preds. Ellis has played well against the Wings and recently was in net for the 3-1 Preds win at the Joe. [/i]
[b]I will be mobile tonight[/b] at the Preds - Wings. I have not done that yet this year and I am looking forward to doing it. Follow along online or wit...
Well with two games left, the Flyers are in the mix for the playoffs but have not secured a ticket yet. So what are the possibilities for this weekend. Listen I have my degree in Math, but even I won't list all the possibilities. But, here is what I know for sure.
[b]The Good[/b]
After the lost season of 2006-2007 where the Flyers were the worst team in the league, ...
Hello, Hurricanes fans. I know you don't feel much like talking right now, so I'll keep it brief.
Missing out on the playoffs on the last day, on Washington's last game, after holding down the #3 seed for almost the entire season, has got to be extremely hard.
What makes it worse, though, is the national media attention. Every talking head from every major outlet is ...
I am not sure how this happened? The Caps did get hot at the end of the season and they do have a great player to watch. But now all the pundits are picking them by a surprising margin to beat Philly. I even read the Hockey News where they gave the edge in defensemen to the Caps because of Green. Now he has had a nice year, but so did Coburn and Jones for the Flyers. ...
It’s baaaaaaack! The NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are scheduled and are ready to blow hockey fans out of the ice yet again this year. Tonight at 7 p.m. the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins will meet up again in first round live on Versus. Tonight starts the wall-to-wall, double-header charged NHL playoff coverage on Versus that I’ve grown to love over the pa...
The playoffs are among us so i thought I would join the train and come out with my predictions for the first round this year.
[b]Montreal (1) vs. Boston (8)[/b]
This series is extremely tough to call as I think the habs do have the upper hand talent wise but if Boston steps it up just a little bit I think they have the potential to take out the habs. What I don't th...
The NHL playoffs are always great for those who actually watch them. Even those would say that hockey is no longer one of the "4 major sports" in America would agree there is nothing quite like the Quest for the Cup.
But when talking about showcasing the league's product and consequentially helping the NHL gain market share and visibility in the long run to help the le...
Professional athletes make TONS of money.
Compared to the average person, they make more money in one year than we will see in a llifetime.
Like television, movie, and music stars, they often have personas that are larger than life.
We put these people on a pedestal...tell them that they are special...and then tell them that along with being special and making al...
Well the rest was nice, the guys with bumps and bruises had a chance to rest a bit. It has been since Sunday for the Flyers and since Saturday for the Caps. As hot as both teams have been, I am sure both coaches would have liked to start on Wednesday. The long layoff and all the press the Caps and AO are getting might work against them. They are a bunch that really ove...
tallpaul6635 writes...
What's Black, Blue and Red all over?? The NHL on TV
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Please help me get it through the NHL's head that all the Black, dark Blue and other dark colors look black on the high contrast white surface. The games are visually dull and impossible for the average fan to quickly identify the teams. I suggest going back to the 60's and 70's style. The worst are TAMPA, DALLAS, ANAHEIM, PITTSBURGH, VANCOUVER and any team that has a B...
After spending my entire afternoon at a local outdoor roller hockey rink, soaking in the playoff atmosphere of phlegm and teary eyes combined with the hint of summer break on the horizon, I decided it's time to assess what team I want to make the most out of their playoff opportunity.
In the West I have always liked the Sharks, Ducks, Stars, and Calgary. The Ducks in p...
The Flyers outplayed the Caps in DC for 5 of 6 periods of hockey. This shows what I was stating in earlier posts. The Flyers are deeper and more talented overall today. But this Caps team is going to be really good in a year or two. As long as the Flyers play 60 minutes, they should win this series in 6 games.
[b]Game 1[/b]
Briere, Prospal and Hartnell dominated th...
Well, I definately have to eat some crow today. I guess showing loyalty beyond reason on game day is what is great about sports, but it definately makes the day after losing a crucial game in a series that you really have no chance of winning that much tougher. I agree with Penguins fans around the world -- Pittsburgh is definately a 100% better team than the 2008 Ottawa S...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Richards Pentalty Shot Ices It - Flyers 2-1 in series
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_415372974_c73ef1cab6.jpg[/img]
Mike Richards scored the first playoff penalty shot goal in Franchise history and broke the back of the Washington Capitals in the process. Mr. Everything skated in, dipped his shoulder, and calmly tucked the puck in the Five Hole of Cristobal Huet to seal the fate of the Caps. Mr. Hue...
Ok will someone outside of Philly give the Flyers some credit. All I read about the series is how the Caps are not playing well. Here is a hint to the cause, the Flyers are playing very well. If not for a strange 3rd period in Game 1, this series could be 3-0 already. The Flyers are playing "Playoff Hockey". They are hitting, killing penalties and scoring on the power...
From Ed Moran. I want to make sure I point out that I did not write this piece.
"Kimo Timonen will be back in the lineup tomorrow.
The Flyers' star defenseman, who was forced out of the game in the last minutes of the second period in the Tuesday 6-3 win over Washington Capitals, said this morning, "I feel fine. I'm happy. I want to play. I want to win. Like I said. I...
Well, after yesterday's post and the absolute fiasco it turned into, I'm going to take my chances again with a reaction to an in-progress game. Ottawa-Pittsburgh, game 4. And Ottawa isn't getting much help from the refs. I try not to blame officiating for the outcome of games, but given the number of missed calls, I can understand the displeasure of the Ottawa fans. Ma...
No Look Drop Pass writes...
07-08 mercifully comes to an end...what now?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Sens season came to an end last night after a 3-1 loss to the Penguins. Losing the game/series wasn't unexpected -- at best, Ottawa was picked to lose in 6 games. But the way in which they lost -- swept, at home, while getting virtually no contributions from the big 3 (who, incidentally, may have played their last game together last night) -- put a nice ribbon on one o...
I am going to rant here so take a deep breath and here we go.
I hate fans and media types that only watch the playoffs or select one play to write about. I live in the DC area and read the Washington Post daily yet there is almost no hockey coverage at all during the season. One game summary article is typical. Very little effort. But now the Caps made the playoffs s...
Inside the Owner's Box: In need of divine assistance
Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Ted Leonsis for USA TODAY
Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who made a name for himself as an executive with AOL, is sending USA TODAY his playoff journal as the Capitals begin their postseason run with a series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Day 8: Th...
Ok here is Ted's Blog in its entirety for today
[quote]Day 9: Friday, April 18
What a game— a tough OT loss
We arrive at the arena at 5:30 p.m. We mingled with the crowd and then take our seats in the same suite as last game. I note that the fans that were in our face last game are nowhere to be seen this game. And that the Wachovia Center is not playing fight v...
Today the Philadelphia Flyers organization must face the consequences of poking fun at an article that poked fun at their organization. In short the Washington Post is accusing the Philadelphia of Copywrite infringement for passing out a copy of Mike Wise's fan-bashing article. The article was distrubted to fans as the entere the Wachovia center, along with thunder stic...
Wow. That was playoff hockey. I watched the game live, then re-watched most off Tivo because I was way too amped up to sleep. That was what I expected from Washington the entire series. I guess the inexperience took them a few games to adjust.
Carter was a beast. Hard to believe that all the offense his group put up while checking Ovechkin. AO got some points, but...
The Capitals won Game 5, hats off to them. They were hungrier then the Flyers more often then not. Game 6 will be Monday night.
Thoughts...
Did Ovie recieve a memo from Sidney to tell him to dive more? For a player will awesome talent its a shame he now has to resort to diving. It takes away from his game and respect all the other players have for him.
Eve...
Just returned from the Verizon Center for Game 5 Flyers at Caps. I have some problems with the way people treat other fans at sporting events. I grew up in Philadelphia and have watched the Flyers, Phillies and Eagles since I was 5 years old in 1970. I am a lifetime fan and have watched all these teams through thick and thin.
I went to the game today in DC and watch...
I think one of the most interesting things to me this year is how much trash people will leave on message boards under various sports site articles. Mostly because their ideas are one-sided and often presented in an abusive matter.
Here it goes:
~ Pens fans...Sidney Crsoby is definately a talented guy, no one will argue you that. The reason no other teams will resp...
With the hamstring injury to Mike Knuble, the Flyers' office has told me for sure Riley Cote will be back in the line-up tonight for Game 6 of the Flyers/Caps series.
I wouldn't expect much ice-time from Cote, and I'm sure John Stevens will instruct him NOT to instigate things with Brashear or anyone else on the Caps in order to avoid a fight, penalty or anything else w...
Wow what a letdown tonight was. For the first 30 minutes the Flyers did everything right. Attack, defend, and goaltending. Then quickly the collapse happened. There was no passion in the last half of the game. The Caps beat the Flyers to every puck and out worked them all over the rink.
Now the Flyers face back to back nights, a situation where Biron has played poo...
[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 ...
[b]Let's get the bad out of the way:[/b]
Biron: 0-5, 5.95GAA, .822 save % on the 2nd day when playing back to back days this year (by comparison, Huet over the last 2 years in the same situation is 1-4, 3.33 GAA, .904 save%)
The Flyers are 6-6 all-time in Game 7s (all rounds), and for those around before all NHL series were best of 7 the Flyers are also 1-0 in game 3 ...
Tonight one of the hottest two teams in the East will be eliminated for sure. The Flyers have failed to bury the Caps in the last two games. The Caps have shown alot of character and fight by outhitting the Flyers in Game 5 and then pulling a great comeback in Game 6 to extend the series.
The Flyers must get back to basics. I know it is a cliche, but it is true. Whe...
I gotta say. I've tried to be relatively fair with my opinion of officiating in this series. Despite calls for "the fix" by ESPN, I tried to believe that things would work out somewhete fairly. There was definately time where the games went in the Flyers direction and we took advantage of it. However, I ahd a serious problem with Scottie Upshall's "diving" penalty las...
What a way to end the series. Lupul who was the only forward that scored for the Flyers all season and didn't have a goal all series long. He looked lost. So tonight he played mostly with Briere and Prospal and saw time on the 1st powerplay unit. The move paid off in the first OT with Lupul tucking in the rebound on the powerplay to win the series.
As a Flyers fan, ...
I want to start off by saying that this Washington team is going to be a force to reckon with for years to come. The combination of Semin and AO is going to be lethal for several years and the young nucleus around them is only going to get better. Just like the Flyers, from where Washington was last year just getting to game 7 in the first round of the playoffs is a great ...
"...The shot from the point by Timmonen...rebound...THEY SCORE...jOFFREY LUPUL!!! AND THE FLYERS HAVE WON IN OVERTIME IN GAME 7!!! They're going to the next round..."
Thank you Jim Jackson. Thank you Joffrey Lupul.
Thank you Hockey Gods.
What a ridiculously suspenseful game. I laughed. I threw stuff at my TV. I yelled at the refs. And I definately jumped ...
You can fill in the blank with alot of names :
~Briere
~Prospal
~Richards
~Lupul
~Kapanen
~Ushall
~Carter
~Umberger
~Knuble
~Hartnell
~Hatcher
...impressive...
Well, not bad for the first round... 4/4 in the East, but only 2/4 in the West; having picked Anaheim and Minnesota to move on.
So I will recap my predictions and update them for the 2nd round!
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Detroit vs. Colorado... Oh, NBC must love this. I'm sorry to say this series won't have the same guts as the ones in the late 90s used to, but it should ...
These two teams know each other well. After meeting 16 times from 05 to 07, the Penguins and the Rangers again played 8 more regular season tilts this year. The Rangers took 10 out of a possible 16 points with a 5-3 record, while Pittsburgh grabbed 8 points from going 3-3-2 against the Blueshirts.
The Penguins were a squad that saw two of their feature performers mi...
Marty...Marty...Marty...Marty. Biron outplayed Price tonight. One guy looked a little timid and one guy was dominate. I don't really want to hear any more about Biron not being a number 1 goalie. He has proven that he is one. Umberger, Carter, and Upshall dominated the play when on ice tonight. They were all over the place with offensive pressure and great defensive...
After watching game 3 against the Rangers, I'd say pretty good.
But seriously. 7-0. In all likelihood about to be 8-0.
I wouldn't have predicted it, not in a long shot, but the Pens are proving why they're the cream of the crop in the East, and they're rising to the top at precisely the right time.
Their confidence is SKYROCKETING after this win at MSG. Not onl...
[b]Pittsburgh Penguins [/b]
[u]Draft[/u]
2006 #2 overall pick [b]Jordan Staal[/b]
2005 #1 overall pick [b]Sidney Crosby[/b]
2005 #62 [b]Kris Letang[/b]
2004 #2 overall pick [b]Evgeni Malkin[/b]
2003 #1 overall pick [b]Marc-Andre Fleury[/b]
2002 #5 overall pick [b]Ryan Whitney[/b]
2002 #234 [b]Maxim Talbot[/b]
2000 #18 [b]Brooks Orpik [/b]
1999 #115 [b]Ryan Malo...
We enter that time of the NHL season when I am torn.
You see, now that the playoffs are winding down, the hockey is getting better and better. The games are more intense, and we're just one step away from hockey's Holy Grail. The downside of all of this hockey goodness? Games are farther apart and fewer, and by this time next month, hockey will be pretty much done an...
Good thing I didn't write this last night as I had planned... because the loss of Kimmo Timmonen certainly could have that much of an impact.
Was the layoff between the series a bad thing?
I really don't think so. Sure the Flyers were on a roll, but so were the Penguins. And with guys like Hatcher, Smith and others who are older and dinged up as virtually everyone ...
It was the X-mas of 91-92 I was 12 years old and already bleeding Red,White,and Blue. Having started watching Ranger games with the names of Kisio,Mallette,Turcotte,Beezer,Jonnie "O",and Mullen in the mix. There was Domi and "Knuckles" Nylan fading out his career,while a fresh kid from team USA named Mike Richter was knocking on the door of greatness. In 89-90 Neil Smi...
The [i]Pittsburgh Post-Gazette[/i] published a cartoon that showed the giant Uniroyal tire that is near Detroit Metro Airport adorned in Winged Wheel regalia. The air was going out of the tire and the caption was "Deflate the Wings."
In response, the [i]Detroit Free Press[/i] invited readers to submit their own posters to counteract the Penguin attack.
Currently, 28 ...
It's been a great ride for the Penguins in the 2007-2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
These guys have shown a lot of heart and character over the course of the first 3 rounds...and even through two scoreless games of the finals.
Even so, you can't help but get the feeling that time is running out on the Pens.
Two shutout losses in Detroit have demonstrated how complete a...
The Flyers picked up young NHL D man, Steve Eminger in a draft day trade with Washington.
[img]http://dcpages.com/gallery/d/33188-4/16_copy.jpg[/img]
The Flyers paid a significant price in giving over a first rounder, the 27th overall pick, to the Caps for the 24 year old, but they did also get a 3rd round pick from them as well.
Though originally drafted a...
So if these latest reports hold water, I will officially want to quit my job and stand in front of all local media outlets looking for a gig. My blog a few months ago had Mats Sundin on the list and many people felt that NY was not in the mix. Now the NY Post has expressed that the Rangers are his first choice to land this summer. If the Rangers are kicking the tires on ...
Tampa so far wins the "Offseason Award". After adding a former Phoenix Scout the club stepped up and added much needed support on the wings. They not only brought in Ryan Malone,but added some extra veteran leadership with Gary Roberts.If people think that Malone had career year playing with Malkin,wait till he gets his shot to play with Vinny! I still can't imagine ho...
Let me clear something up.
Now that Brooks Orpik has signed with Pittsburgh, some Sabres fans have looked back to Andrew Orpik's comments to the Buffalo News a few days ago and shaken their heads, comments they thought all but assured Buffalo was a likely destination for the d-man:
"Buffalo is a place he'd definitely want to come," Brooks' brother Andrew told the Buf...
I am as disappointed as any Pens fan and season ticket holder about the loss of Marian Hossa.
You can also probably guess, judging from my name and picture, I am not the biggest Red Wings fan.
Nonetheless, Marian Hossa did something yesterday that is seldom, if ever, seen in professional sports.
At the end of the season, Hossa said that he would take less money to...
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...
They aren't all bad, but I've noticed a disturbing trend in recent months - that being bloggers who work harder to stir up controversy rather than cover the "home" team objectively. It seems to me that bloggers with their own site to promote are playing a game inside the game to generate reaction. Howard Berger for the Leafs is one example.
Most recently, "Howie" post...
Few remember the promise that some scouts saw in this young behemoth when prior to his draft year, he led his country of Kazakhstan to a romp over Iceland in some international game in one of the low level groups. He scored 11 goals, 15 assists in a single game, and with that 6' 5" frame, and his youth, he seemed a sure bet for great things some day in the NHL.
Fast fo...
Since I have not seen it mentioned anywhere here on HockeyBuzz, the Penguins, City of Pittsburgh, SEA and all other relevant parties, including a few hundred Penguin Fans chanting "Let's Go Pens", held the official ground-breaking yesterday for the new arena that will probably be one of the finest arena's in all of professional hockey when it opens in the fall of 2010.
...
Can you believe it?
Good ol' Ek posted that a source (no e-rating)....is suggesting Sundin may want to play for the Rangers so baddly that he'll play for as little as $2 million. [my face is still sore from laughing at this one]
Never mind that Mats this week publicly stated that he's still wrestling with whether he want to play in the NHL this year and expects that ...
Let me preface this by saying that Evgeni Malkin is my favorite player and I am glad he is with the Penguins.
So back to the end of last season and early this summer, rumors were swirling that Malkin could/should/would be traded. At the very least the idea of it was entertained by the fans, namely on this website. One such proposal that I heard that was actually offered...
If the Leafs wanted to mimic a team's success, it would probably be that of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens built their team around a superstar. Then more superstars. And even more superstars. There were a few surprises, but for the most part Crosby, Malkin, Staal and Fleury. Add Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, Ryan Whitney and Pascal Dupuis to veterans Darryl Sydor, Ser...
It's been a couple months now since the Stanley Cup was paraded around the Mellon Arena in the hands of the opponent. While the sting has subsided, the memory of that painful sight has not and you can bet it hasn't been forgotten by the likes of Sidney Crosby and Co.
Due to prior engagements, I will not be able to see much more than the puck drop on Saturday afternoon. ...
Shout out to everyone.
Before the game the Flyers hosted the season ticket holder BBQ. They had TV's set up so that people could watch the Phillies.
I went to the Caps end for warmups cause I was hoping that Either Ovechkin or Green would be playing and I could get some pics of them. No luck.
[url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2906637934/in/set-7215760...
The Blues are now in uncharted territory.
For the first time in a long time, the Blues are drafting and developing their own talent, and we'll start seeing the fruits of their labor.
Prior to the lockout, the last legitimate Blues first rounder that stayed in the organization and developed with the team is Barrett Jackman, drafted in 2000. That was 8 years ago. Whil...
These are just for fun, and to get discussion going. If you disagree that's cool, just don't bash, as that always seems to happen on these boards.
EAST:
1.Pittsburgh Penguins
2.Montreal Canadiens
3.Washington Capitals
4.Philadelphia Flyers
5.New York Rangers
6.Ottawa Senators
7.Boston Bruins
8.New Jersey Devils
---------------
9.Carolina Hurricanes
10.Buffalo...
These are just for fun, and to get discussion going. If you disagree that's cool, just don't bash, as that always seems to happen on these boards.
EAST:
1.Pittsburgh Penguins
2.Montreal Canadiens
3.Washington Capitals
4.Philadelphia Flyers
5.New York Rangers
6.Ottawa Senators
7.Boston Bruins
8.New Jersey Devils
---------------
9.Carolina Hurricanes
10.Buffalo...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two point...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals, minus Alexander Ovechkin, head to Buffalo for a Saturday night match-up with the Sabres. The Sabres (6-2-2) come into Saturday nights game having lost three straight. The Capitals (5-3-1) will try and build on the win against Nashville, a 4-3 shootout victory, from Tuesday night. This will mark the second straight ...
YAY, A WIN! AN ACTUAL WIN IN REGULATION!
[b]Quick stats + notes:[/b]
1. Giveaways are horrendous. Buffalo had TWENTY-SIX, while Washington had seven. If anyone was watching the sluggish PP, I'm sure you saw several of the 26 giveaways then.
2. Speaking of PP, Sabres went 1 for 8 (Caps were 0 for 5). I know Roy slid one past Theodore on the 5-on-3, but for a go...
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...
bagasome writes...
The Nations' Capitals Meet Up For An Election Day Showdown
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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 ...
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...
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 ...
Itlan writes...
How to keep BR in the NHL, or How Murray Can Keep His Job
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In an effort that deserved a better outcome, the Ducks dropped a big game against a great Eastern team, the Washington Capitals. One game they should have controlled with the defense corps the Ducks have. But who didn't show up? The Defense. Who did show up? Bobby Ryan. BR was great last night against the Caps.
With style of play that is reminiscent of Corey Perry, sans...
The reports around the NHL right now are that the Capitals are trying to move veteran center Michael Nylander. Nylander has two goals and ten assists this season and is a minus two. Recently, Boudreau has not been impressed with his play and subsequently made him a healthy scratch last week against New Jersey. He returned to the line up the next game, only because of recen...
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...
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...
Shout out to the whole crew at Yesterday's game.
I know quite a few of my crew were complaining about the afternoon game yesterday but sometimes it is nice to see the afternoon tilt.
As requested I took some video instead of doing pictures...
Here is my little bits of video from yesterday's game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SfjaWfUtc4
Anyway I knew it...
icedog97 writes...
They Have Lost Their Way...They Have Lost Their Identity
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A couple of seasons ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a team filled with potential.
They had young talented players who were learning the ropes in the NHL. What they lacked in experience they made up for in desire and hard work.
Almost every game, you could see them gaining confidence...realizing with each day that they could compete and be successful in the NHL.
...
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...
There is speculation-a-plenty around the league lately, as is the usual case in the days approaching the trade deadline.
With this at the fore-front of most discussions in NHL circles, I figured I'd put together a general compilation of what I figure each team will be doing between now and the deadline.
I figure I'll do this in segments, starting with the top-heavy S...
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...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
On January 17 the Pittsburgh Penguins traded Dany Sabourin, Ryan Stone and a 4th round pick in 2011 to Edmonton for Oilers back-up goalie Matheui Garon. My question was, and still is, why??
Since joining the birds Garon has played one game. He allowed five goals on 21 shots in a loss at Toronto and looked like a quality backup for an AHL or ECHL team. In his defense, Ve...
With the playoffs approaching and the trade deadline long gone I decided to give my opinion on which NHL coaches and GM's should be on the hotseat between now and next season.
1.) Bob Gainey, Head Coach/GM, MON -
Gainey was so upset with the fact that his team was only in 5th place after the trade deadline that he fired a well-respected Guy Carbonneau and name...
[b]Remaining Schedules[/b]
[u]Boston[/u]
Doesn't matter they are #1
[u]Washington[/u]
TB- Win
Panthers - Loss
[b]108 points[/b]
[u]NJD[/u]
Sens - Win
Canes - Loss
[b]104 points[/b]
[u]PHI[/u]
NYR - OT Loss
NYI - Win
NYR - Win
[b]102 points[/b]
[u]CAR[/u]
Buff - Loss (trap game)
NJD - Win
[b]99 points[/b]
[u]Pitt[/u]
NYI - Win
Montreal - ...
Okay I'll admit right away that I have not been able to watch all the games of the post season, but I have seen enough to make me want to write this.
We all know by now that the post season is a time when things get ridiculous in the National Hockey League. Emotions are running high, play gets more physical and tempers start to flare. If you thought the officials had a ...
It is much more than just a loss. All of the confidence the Rangers seemed to have after taking two games in Washington is gone. All of the frustrations experienced by the Capitals have dissipated. Look at the players and at the coaches and it is obvious which team is believes and expects to win, and which team is just hoping. Despite being up 2-1 in the series, the backs ...
Just finished watching the Sharks/Ducks game, and all I can say is wow! It is so nice watching the other teams play where you can enjoy it to it's fullest, but later on tonight will not be the case. The all important Game 4 between New York and Washington. The Rangers have had a couple days to recover from their 4-0 loss in Game 3. Now all Rangers fans can do is ask the sa...
Just a quick observation:
It seems to me that the Rangers' series against the Caps has been somewhat of a microcosm of their entire season.
Part A: The fast start. The Rangers jumped out 2-0 on the caps, away from home, much as they seemed unstoppable for the first month of the regular season.
Part B: The slow down/collapse. Despite the huge advantage, the Rangers...
Lets see, where do I begin. Lets start with Devils/Canes series. Can game 6 possibly be better than the first 5? The answer is yes, but we'll see tonight. We have had everything in this one so far, great goalies, scoring chances, organized hockey, and everything you wanted out of 2 loud arenas. Looks like the captain is in tonight, Holik "The Caveman" out.
Chicago/Calgar...
As Blair Betts lay on the ice yesterday afternoon, again the Gary Bettman Gestapo neglected to make a legit call in favor of the Rangers. It's become, predictable that the officials will miss a Capital crosscheck to the back of Avery. They failed blatantly in game 4 to rescue themselves as Callahan hit the ice with a trip and 18,000 fans managed to witness the crime. B...
I'm sure you all heard this during yesterday's Rangers vs Capitals game on NBC, when Mike Millbury came out and called Sean Avery an idiot, then the announcers had a good chuckle about it.
So let me get this straight. It's cool for Millbury to call Avery an idiot on a channel 4, [b]NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAME[/b] but if Avery says "sloppy seconds" in Canada, it's a suspen...
You may recall that, last spring, Capitals owner [b]Ted Leonsis[/b], who gets full marks for enthusiasm and accessibility, used the platform of his blog on USAToday.com to post his "Take" on the fans of Philadelphia:
=====
[i][b]Day 6: Tuesday, April 15 (Flyers 6, Capitals 3)[/b]
My family and partners traveled to Philadelphia —the city of brotherly love. After ...
I have never seen that in my life! 2 goals in the final 1:20 to advance to the next round instead of the golf course. Crazy! What effort by Gleason to keep the puck in for Jokinen to tie it ... and Staal has been simply incredible the entire series. TWO teams come back from 3-1 series deficits to win the series. That should change some percentages a bit.
GREAT NIGH...
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...
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...
As has been pointed out numberous times by NHL.com, the Associated Press, ESPN and some of the bloggers here on Hockeybuzz.com, Pittsburgh's 6-2 rout of their playoff rival Washington Capitals was an anticlimatic end to an otherwise amazing series.
Looking at the series by the numbers we could not have asked for anything more from the leauges brightest stars - Alexande...
This NHL post-season must be a dream come true for Gary Bettman. His marketing team hasn't had to do any real work to sell these playoffs; they've sold themselves. Look at the excitement of the first round where we watched Boston against Montreal in an original six rivalry match, Pittsburgh against their hated rival Philadelphia, San Jose and archrival Anaheim in the first...
After an exciting second round of playoff action that saw three series go the distance and pitted the league’s top young stars - Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby - against each other. Many thought there would be a let-down after the excitement of the Conference Semifinals, but the four teams that advanced have offered enough storylines to at least keep us mildly inte...
With the finals just hours away it is time for me to weigh on in what looks to be one of the best Stanley Cup matchups since 1984 (the last time the NHL had a finals rematch). Before I tell everyone my pick, here's the way I break down these two teams.
Each category is based on a scale of ten. A score of 5-5 is a push, no advantage for either team.
[b]Forwards[/b]
[...
Wow, no penalty shot! Biggest thing of the night. Detroit got away with one on that when Zetterberg closed his hand on the puck in the crease. And no call!!! It still amazes me how the refs rarely call that.
Biggest complaint for me.....SOMEONE SUSPEND KRONWALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why, why, why, why, why has this guy not been suspended. Keep your skates on the ice whe...
1) Glad to see that Malkin didn't get suspended. When you have two skaters who don't have their shirts tied down it is hard to label either a "fighter." Although, Zetterberg did serve in the Swedish army for a few months and it looked like he had a pretty good uppercut technique and could have landed a few good ones if the refs had let him. But for what purpose after the ...
Before the media has a chance to jump off the Red Wings bandwagon (again), I'll put in my two cents on Game 6.
First of all, Detroit was asleep at the wheel in the first period. With the exception of Chris Osgood, the Wings really did look like the older, more exhausted team. The one positive they can take away from the first 20 minutes is that Pittsburgh did not score ...
Rob McGowan writes...
So It All Comes Down to One Game, Plus Some Isles Chatter
Posted Wednesday | Comments 717
So after six games we are heading back to Detroit to watch the final game of NHL hockey of the year, with Pittsburgh fighting to win their first cup in over a decade.
Like I predicted, the series has relied heavily on the positive effects of home ice. If it continues to play out as the past six games have, then Detroit will skate away as champions once again. I'm still...
5:45am
According to www.eliteprospects.com Sergei Fedorov has signed a two-year deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL.
source 1: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=da&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.metallurg.ru/news/48165/&rurl=translate.google.com
source 2: http://www.hockeysverige.se/news_show_nu-ar-det-klart---fjodorov-till-khl.html?id=7974389
I know it is still early in the off-season, there are still lots of UFA signings and trades to be made plus all of the RFA’s need to be dealt with, but I thought it was still a good time to work on the “Off-Season Progress Reports for every team. I am only going to include the impact additions and subtractions. Today I start with the Eastern Conference, South Eastern D...
KUNITZ. CROSBY. GUERIN
FEDOTENKO. MALKIN. ADAMS (TALBOT when he returns)
COOKE. STAAL. KENNEDY
DUPUIS. RUPP. GODARD (ADAMS when TALBOT returns)
GONCHAR. ORPIK
LETANG. MCKEE
GOLIGOSKI. EATON
FLEURY. CURRY
(MCKEE-ORPIK) would be a replacement line for (GILL. SCUDERI)
Hello Hockeybuzz world!
My name's Andrew - I am a hardcore Pittsburgh Penguins fan, obviously very excited for our Cup win this past year and in general happy about the direction of our team! I am also a fan of the Phoenix Coyotes (YES, PHOENIX... not any other city, thank you). I live in a small suburb of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area that is within 15 miles of Jobing...
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.....
Now that was how the game of hockey is designed to be played! Two very good hockey teams that played one hell of an exciting game, it might even have been the best game I have ever seen in October.
Since the game was on Versus and many of you missed the game, here are some notes that I saw tonight. Matt Carle is playing with confidence, knowing he has Pronger with h...
I think we all know while I could do the game analysis that all of you have rehashed last night's game to death at this point in the day. So let's just do the pictures and call it a day.
The most requested pix in msgs to me today
Richards and Ovechkin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3991864276/in/set-72157622415044485/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325...
Please read and post your thoughts and what you like/dislike or what you'd change.
Well, it's early... and it's very safe to say that Power Rankings at this point in time in the season don't mean very much. They're mostly a combination of last year's finish and this year's promise.
I like James Duthie's column on TSN.ca about Premature Evaluation, in reference to ju...
Some quick hits:
If the Pens, Capitals and Flyers are the elite teams in the Eastern Conference let's make one thing clear...
Their defense needs a little work on all the teams.
All the teams need to re-shape their defensive schemes unless they want to play pond hockey all year long.
Thursday night was by and far the worst game I think I have seen the Flyer play this season. They seemed very out of sync with each other and the hockey itself. Hopefully that will remedy itself tonight vs the Ducks.
Giroux faceoff
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3997211783/in/set-72157622554300080/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3997972484/in/set-721...
Sorry Im a couple days late on writing this blog. Time has been in short supply lately, but here it goes.
First, I have a complaint about Versus. Being a Flyer fan in San Diego, it makes it very difficult to watch the games live. Thank God for the DVR, as I can now see the game when I get home. Usually the time alotted for the game is more than enough as NHL Center Ice ...
Well it looks like the Flyers failed in their first test to see if they can match up with the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins. The Flyers shot themselves in the foot right from the beginning of the game giving up a PP goal to Malkin within the few minutes. Then once they tie the game and get the momentum, it is quickly given away as Stall scores on the next shift. The Flyers...
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...
What a great game. These 2 teams are so evenly matched and so physical that these games are a joy to watch for all fans. The first matchup was a barn-burner with the Flyers winning in OT. Tonight the Caps outlasted the Flyers with a great comeback. It looked like Philly had the game in control with a 2-0 lead. Within 2 minutes the Caps had tied the game and taken cont...
Rob McGowan writes...
Lift The Puck! Isles Lose to Caps In 11-Round Shootout
Posted Wednesday | Comments 314
The Islanders managed to get a quick 3-1 lead after being scored on within the first eight seconds of the first period against the Washington Capitals tonight. However, the score was eventually 4-3 Caps by the end of the second period. The Isles were granted two late powerplays, the latter resulting in the game tying goal that got the Isles that point that they would have ...
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...
The NHL season is ten weeks old, so I decided to post my rankings of the 30 teams so far. Stats are through Sunday, Nov. 29.
Rank.......Team.......Record
1.) San Jose 18-6-4
It's hard to argue against San Jose as the best team in the league, especially when you consider they've played only ten of 28 at home.
2.) Chicago 16-6-3
The Blackhawks were playing gr...
Buffalo (21-10-2) vs. Pittsburgh (24-10-1)
Another big challenge for Buffalo arrived on Saturday night. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins were in town to try and defeat the Sabres. Pittsburgh had Friday night off, while the Sabres were busy beating Toronto. Thomas Vanek was unable to play due to an upper body injury. However, Patrick Kaleta was back in the lineup for the f...
Pittsburgh (26-12-1) at Buffalo (23-11-4)
The Sabres entered tonight's game trailing the Penguins by three points in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo is coming off of a big win in St. Louis where Patrick Lalime earned a 5-3 win for Buffalo. Pittsburgh is coming off of a tough loss against Toronto. The Penguins tied the game late in the third, but Ian White scored with ju...
gkmkiller writes...
Re-visiting My Preseason Predictions: Eastern Conference
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Interestingly enough, I found myself reviewing my preseason predictions for the final standings in both the East and the West. In several instances, I was dead on; unfortunately, in others, I was way off. That’s usually the case in these matters.
Just for kicks here’s the links to those posts:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=65941&post_id=8516
http://m...
Buffalo (30-12-6) at Los Angeles (27-19-3)
The Sabres and Kings met for the only time this season. Last time they met, Ryan Miller shutout Los Angeles in a 5-0 win.
The Sabres almost made quite a comeback in their last game against Anaheim. Buffalo quickly fell behind 4-0 in the first period with Patrick Lalime in net. The Sabres came out in the second, narrowing the...
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...
After back to back wins at home, the Sabres headed into Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins for the third time this year. The teams have split the first two meetings of the season, both with one goal wins.
For a while, it looked as if the Sabres had a chance to take first place in the Conference. With the Capitals winning ten in a row, the Sabres are nine points out of t...
Is There Any Chance for other Eastern Teams?
With the massive news today of the Kovalchuk to New Jersey trade, I find myself asking an intriguing question: Are there any teams in the East that can compete with the top 3?
Now by top 3, I am not referring to the division leaders in Washington, New Jersey, and Buffalo, I am referring to the Capitals, Devils, and Pengui...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Washington: Habs Win Wild One Over Caps in OT
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
THE FACTS
The Penguins currently sit 2 points ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Atlantic Division.
The Devils have a game in hand on the Penguins.
Without getting into specific scenarios (and assuming the teams play to the same W/L records the rest of the way), if the Devils win that "game in hand" they will win the division based on the NHL ti...
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.
...
HockeyGalMke writes...
Montreal wins game seven to eliminate Washington...wait, WHAT?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Did I really just see Montreal eliminate Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals from the Stanley Cup playoffs?
I'm going to be quite honest with you. I pride myself on knowing a thing or two about pro hockey, and I like to think I have a knack for filling out brackets (not that my NCAA bracket this year would reflect that statement...), but I did NOT see this coming...
I am impressed by this post by Ted Leonsis on his blog. I had to share!
http://www.tedstake.com/2010/04/29/congratulations-to-montreal/
What defines a Cinderella team when it comes to the NHL playoffs?
I would have to say that the team finished the regular season in either 6th, 7th or 8th place and managed to come on top with multiple upset victories in the playoffs, pushing the franchise to the Stanley Cup Finals. In recent years, fans have seen the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oi...
The year was 1993. Health Care Reform was the big issue dominating news. In sports, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a losing season and the Penguins were poised to make their 3rd straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Somebody hit the gas on that DeLorean and let's get it up to 88 MPH…
Having grown up in Pittsburgh, I've been blessed to see some of the greatest ...
After the disappointing last day failure against the flyers. As a Rangers fan I need to find some sort of hope for a better season. So I turned to two things, the draft lottery and a potential Winter Classic appearance. For a while it looked as if things might turn our way. We got a top 10-pick draft pick. The Capitols and Pittsburgh were knocked out early and the playoffs...
Killing It
The NHL has beaten the Crosby v Ovechkin “rivalry” to the end. Now they look to do the same with the Winter Classic. To me the Winter Classic was taking on a persona as the rare meeting of two teams in a unique enviorment. Something no other sport really does. As a fan I felt that if I have to wait a few years just to see my team in the classic that’s...
Volchenkov is an aggressive defenseman who could definitely add to a teams depth to try to win a cup.
Most likely to go to: [b]a Contender[/b]
Possible Teams: [b]Pittsburgh or Washington[/b]
Summary:
Isn't it funny how the Penguins and Capitals seem to be turning into the Red Sox and Yankees in the way of adding pieces to their puzzles? It seems every high-end ...
[img]http://i28.tinypic.com/168u5jr.jpg[/img]
The Kid. The Next One. Sidney Crosby. All monikers for one of the most talented players in the league and the first of a series of non-Leaf related interviews that I'll be conducting throughout the season. Hockey fans around the world know the stats. Born on August 7th, 1987. 8/7/87. 22 going on 23 and the hockey world at hi...
Let me start this by saying, I am not a Capitals fan. I am also not a Red Wings fan. I am on the opposite side of the hockey world as a Penguins fan. I do also have respect for great hockey teams and a greater respect for great organizations, so while I don't like the Wings and Caps, I do respect them. The Red Wings have been a dominant team for years and will continue tha...
New Jersey- The Devils made some great moves in the offseason to already improve a team that finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference last season. The Devils added Anton Volchenkov and former Sabre Henrik Tallinder. Along with those two big defenseman, the Devils also acquired Johan Hedberg, who will backup Martin Brodeur, and Jason Arnott, who is now in his second stint wit...
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 ...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing the Isles recent loss to the Washington Capitals and Nino Niederreiter's first NHL goal!
http://thehockeywriters.com/el-nino-strikes-in-washington/
Leave comments in the comments section under the blog if you think Nino will end up remaining an Islander for the rest of the year!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on...
As Penguins fans know we are now without a team blogger. We have been lucky to have two high quality writers for us in Brian Metzer and Tom Mast. I know that I get enjoyment from talking about the Penguins in this forum., both on game days and non game days. Lately there has been little to no Penguins talk because there have been no new posts. My goal until we get a Pe...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that takes a look at Sidney Crosby finally earning the right to be in the same conversation at Mario Lemieux: http://bit.ly/gQECY9
-Mike Colligan
You can follow me on Twitter at [url]http://twitter.com/mikecolligan[/url]
SO....This is going to my first blog. To get you clued in, I am a girl, live in florida, former northern native and miss it terribly. I love hockey and I am a huge Pittsburgh Penguins fan. The thing I really hate is trying to find hockey fans down here, seriously it sucks. So I found my way here to a blog page and hopefully it will be fun!
Since I am a Pens fan, how bo...
The Toronto Maple Leafs (10-12-4) will visit the Consol Energy Center to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins (19-8-2). This is the second meeting between these two teams this season. They first met on Oct.13, Toronto winning that game 4-3. Per Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Fleury and Gustavsson are supposed to start for their respective teams.
The Penguins will continue their h...
Head over to www.thecheckingline.com tonight for my live blog as the Islanders will host the Washington Capitals in Kyle Okposo's season debut!
Don't miss it!!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
First off, while I love broadcasting legend Bob Cole, Mike Emrick of NBC and Devils radio is the best in the business at the moment. I love the creativity and dark tones Emrick brings to the games, while his sidekicks, Eddy Olczyk and Pierre Mcguire are always amusing and insightful. I say this as I enjoy taking in the NBC game of the week: Pens V. Caps! Sure to be a b...
It’s plain and simple. The Carolina Hurricanes have to make the play-offs this year. And, the good news is …they are knocking on the door.
So, with the trade deadline fast approaching, it is not surprising to hear that Jim Rutherford, the Canes GM, is busy trying to make some moves. Reports suggest the Canes were among three teams that had a real shot at Ottawa’s...
[img:left]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200905/shero1_500.jpg[/img]
Ray Shero assumed the General Manager role of the Penguins on May 25, 2006. Fast-forward almost five years later and you'll find that Shero hasn't really changed his way of doing things. One of his greatest traits would have to be the identification of talent by him and his scouts. This knack fo...
The NHL Trade Deadline is exactly one week away, and already there have been some major moves. The Pittsburgh Penguins became a lot stronger today with the acquisitions of forward James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. But, what does this add for the Pens? Well, at 23, Neal is a strong power forward at the left wing position (a pretty thin scoring spot with Pascal Dupuis...
TheRollingPuck writes...
Wish Upon a Shooting Star: Penguins trade for Neal
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Ray Shero finally joined the trade deadline party by doing business with the Dallas Stars. News surfaced amongst various twitters yesterday that the Penguins and Stars were in talks regarding a possible deal. By late afternoon the deal had been confirmed. The trade is as follows....
To Pittsburgh:
[b]LW James Neal[/b]
[b]D Matt Niskanen[/b]
To Dallas:
[b]D ...
Head over to www.thecheckingline.com tonight for a live blog from the Nassau Coliseum press box as the New York Islanders host the Washington Capitals tonight at 7 PM!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
As the 4-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers was the most disappointing win of the season, last night's fall to the Washington Capitals 5-4 in a shootout was definitely the most satisfying loss this year for the Philadelphia Flyers.
This entire week, with games against Washington, Pittsburgh, and Boston, is pivotal for playoff placement, and we will all see just how...
According to sportclubstats the Kings chance of making the playoffs is at 96.1%. Calgary is 5 pts behind them while Dallas is now 6. Only 7 games remain - 2 against the Ducks, 1 in van, ed, and sj, then phx and stars at home. but then this happened...
http://video.kings.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=729&id=105080
This is brutal. Your #1 goal scorer (who only has ...
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...
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
This may be the busiest week of the year for General Manager Ray Shero. He still has a lot to do before Christmas in July begins this Friday. One thing that we just found out a few hours ago is that Shero did not offer winger Tyler Kennedy a Qualifying Offer, which will make him an unrestricted free agent this Friday. I am happy with this move, or lack thereof, because ...
The drum roll will have to wait, well, because we are all still waiting. Jaromir Jagr has had travel problems and the decision will have to wait until tomorrow. There is all kinds of speculation running rampant about what happened to Jagr. Some are saying he missed his flight. Some are saying there were turtles on the runway which caused his flight to be delayed. No o...
Jagr Watch is officially out of hand if you ask me. I do not have anything against Jaromir Jagr for taking time to make what he feels is the best career move. I do have a problem with all of the false news stories. As of right now, it seems as if Jaromir has not given any indication of which team he would like to play for next year. He wants to make the perfect decisio...
Well I think we have to lead off one last time talking about Jaromir Jagr. He signed a 1 year deal for $3.3 million with the rival Philadelphia Flyers. At first, I was very upset. I am 20 years old and I played hockey my entire life. Jaromir Jagr was my childhood idle and I wanted nothing more than to watch him play in a Penguins' jersey one last time. I wanted the Pe...
The 2011 unrestricted free agency period appears that it will be remembered as the year of inflated contracts and a poor man's rendition of Lebron James's 'The Decision' of last summer. However, despite Florida's aggressive spending, Brad Richard's antics, and Jagr's mullet, the summer of 2011 had, in my estimation, some incredible bargains and steals that could wind up pa...
Based on our team now, here would be our opening lines:
Neal-Crosby-Dupuis
Kunitz-Malkin-Sullivan
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Adams-Letestu-Asham
Letang-Oprik
Martin-Michalek
Niskanen-Lovejoy
Fleury
Johnson
The lines might be different but these are in essence our guys heading in. There are a few things that strike me when i look at our team.
1. Our forwards a...
Wherever and however you are reading this today, thank you for making the Gray Area part of your day. This is the first ever blog written on the Hockey Buzz website. My goal is to reach more hockey fans around the world through this site. I think you will find I write very upfront about what I think about the teams around the league and grade my favorites the harshest of ...
As it sits, the salary cap for the 2011-2012 season is set at $64.3 million dollars. The only way they could get the salary cap that high is to raise the salary cap floor. The salary cap floor is set at $48.3 million. Look, I am all for the salary cap. I think it makes the league more fair in a way that no team can "pay for championships." I do not like how some teams...
What if there was never an 87 in black and gold? How would that team shape up? What if the Ducks won the lottery and chose Sidney Crosby? Can you imagine Sid with a Ducks' sweater on his back? What would the Penguins look like today?
The Penguins would obviously be a very different team. They would not be nearly as good but to be honest, but they would still be a g...
Not sure if some of you realize this but Buffalo and Washington are over the NHL's cap limit.
Buffalo is over the cap by $3,595,357. Already an exorbitant number, it will more than likely go up since they still have yet to sign defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani. Gragnani made $500,000 last season so you could expect some sort of raise. This would put Buffalo above $4 milli...
Taking a look back into last year and the seasons before we have seen some night and day goaltenders, but im taking a close look into team build and how the goaltender has progressed over thier careers. Here is my list ...
[b][u]1. Tim Thomas - Boston Bruins - $5 million cap hit - 37 years old[/u][/b]
08-09 he posted great numbers while splitting duties with Manny Fer...
bamdoucet writes...
Predictions for 2011-2012 Standings ! Playoffs ! Trophy's !
Posted Tuesday | Comments 43
Might as well be a month ahead of everyone's blogs saying whose gonna finish where and whatnot...not like anyone cares, but this is for my own sake and something official when a team makes the playoffs that no one even considered, i might be the one who told u so and have it officially out there, but anyways, i say 50% of what im about to write will come true! if not, i wi...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 5 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Carolina Hurricanes Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 13 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Los Angeles Kings Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
Pittsburgh area native Brandon Saad will be playing in his 3rd straight Hawks preseason game tonight against Washington at the UC and Andrew Brunette also makes his debut as a Hawk tonight.
Chicago's number one netminder, Corey Crawford, will take his place between the pipes for the Hawks tonight for the first time this preseason.
Click here to read more of my Haw...
The question that many Carolina Hurricanes' fans are asking as we look ahead to the upcoming 2011-2012 season is, “Did the Canes strengthen themselves sufficiently with the summer moves to claw back into the post-season, after missing by a single point last year?”
No question the moves were encouraging. The Canes headed into free agency with a number of key players...
...The Tomas Vokoun signing in Washington appears now to be about as much like the Ilya Bryzgalov signing in Philadelphia as their two salaries are for 2011...which is to say "not much". Initially people compared the two with the idea being that both clubs were obtaining "top" netminders to make them legitimate cup contenders. Washington seemed to get the better deal becau...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Too Early To Assess Bolts; Renovated Forum Ready To Shine
Posted Friday | Comments 0
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning sit below the .500 mark for the first time under Guy Boucher’s tenure as head coach of the hockey club. The team has allowed at least four goals against in the past three contests, the end result being one point of a possible six. This after starting the season with a convincing 5-1 victory over a ...
I just wanted to comment on what Brooks Laich had to say about the NHL's new rules about player protection. Brooks just wants to play the game. He's tired of people telling him what he has to do in certain situations for the betterment of the players.
In my opinion he couldn't be more right. Secondly I applaud him for going on record during such a tumultuous time. T...
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...
Brian Rolston said he would play better if used on the top two lines; in his first game on the second unit, Rolston scored his first goal of the season and played on the most succesful line against the Washington Capitals last night. Rob McGowan reports.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/time-brian-rolston-revival
Like TCL's Islanders Fac...
The Washington Capitals should trade Mike Green this season, if he gets healthy enough to string together a few games. Yes, Mike Green is one of the best offensive defenseman ever, I am in complete support of his abilities, my problem is that he is injury prone and the Capitals can spend their money better elsewhere.
I would have never made this argument last year but w...
The struggling Washington Capitals have fired Bruce Boudreau, replacing him with London Knights coach Dale Hunter. Hunter joins the Capitals after a successful run with the London Knights of the OHL.
The 51-year-old Hunter becomes the 15th coach in Capitals' history.
He is slated to make his debut behind the bench Tuesday when the Capitals host the St. Louis Blues a...
The tale of two different teams showed over the last weekend. Nobody showed up in Columbus per usual in that building, but Saturday the Sabres/Amerks were responsible for getting Boudreau fired after a 5-1 beat down. With 9 regulars out of the line-up the kids came to play and took it to the underachieving and uninspired Washington Capitals. Kassian got his first NHL go...
rockthered24 writes...
Boudreau done in capital: Do we blame Ovechkin?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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 ...
Amazing, last night Buffalo comes out with a great effort against the Maple Leafs. Buffalo almost looked like a team that could make the playoffs last night. Tonight, is not the case, and Pittsburgh is doing to Buffalo what I said would happen if Buffalo continued to play soft, weak, pathetic hockey.
I’m going to break down Buffalo’s defense and offense, and in ton...
[img] http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/377538_10150453288332293_500697292_8764872_728421700_n.jpg[/img]
WJC
It's official Canada gets its rematch against Russia, but this time its not for gold. After coming through the first round of the tournament Canada won every weighted game that they played along the way. Where does this leave us? We received a bu...
So the bench boss went on record with the media by saying that the performance of Eric Fehr has to be better. Noel pulled no punches in his interview and put his point across as a matter-of-factly as one possibly could.
I suppose the ball is now in Fehr's court and many Jets fans are waiting to see what the big forward will do after being singled out in such a manner.
...
Trade rumors are the dominant discussion in rumor boards, especially on HockeyBuzz. It's always an entertaining topic, but it makes more sense for some teams over others. Frankly, good teams potentially trading away players doesn't make sense to me.
This is why I'm wondering why the Penguins are looking to make trades. I'm going to assume that the rumors I've read ar...
Trade rumors are the dominant discussion in rumor boards, especially on HockeyBuzz. It's always an entertaining topic, but it makes more sense for some teams over others. Frankly, good teams potentially trading away players doesn't make sense to me.
This is why I'm wondering why the Penguins are looking to make trades. I'm going to assume that the rumors I've read ar...
Trade rumors are the dominant discussion in rumor boards, especially on HockeyBuzz. It's always an entertaining topic, but it makes more sense for some teams over others. Frankly, good teams potentially trading away players doesn't make sense to me.
This is why I'm wondering why the Penguins are looking to make trades. I'm going to assume that the rumors I've read ar...
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...
The Penguins lost their 6th game in a row last night, this time at the hands of the Washington Capitals by a score of 1-0.
It was a physical game filled with lots of hits:
79 to the body, according to the official stats
several punches landed between Craig Adams and Matt Hendricks
a few pucks off of goal posts
one puck that managed to hit the back of either net
...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Uninspired Bolts Head to Washington Looking for Change
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning are in DC tonight to take on the Washington Capitals. Despite not being the powerhouse group that haunted the league only a few short years ago, the Washington Capitals boast some great offensive weapons that shouldn’t have any problem feasting on weak defense and spotty goaltending. As Ian Esplen, the Canucks blogger here at Hockeybuzz, always says, “r...
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 ...
Steve Yzerman, the worst GM in the league? I don’t think so, Barry. Unfortunately, you are way off base here. In just a short amount of time with the Lightning, Yzerman has done much more than make a few roster changes; he has created a culture. It’s the culture and aura that followed him around in Detroit and with Hockey Canada. The Tampa Bay Lightning franchise ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Frustration Mounts as Malkin and Pens Defeat Bolts
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Once again the alarm clock failed to wake the Tampa Bay Lightning until it was too late. The Bolts found themselves down 2-0 fairly early in the game. It was then that the team woke up. Frustration, disappointment and fight finally made appearances for this group. We saw a team that was pissed off with losing, a team that wanted to win. However, we also saw a team tha...
I came home from work tonight and expected to watch a decent hockey game. To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for the Sabres tonight. I personally think the Bruins have the best chance at the Cup this season. Don’t get me wrong, I want Buffalo to win every game during the season. And I'm always in one of my many jersey's come game time. But, I’m also a realist, an...
After two demoralizing losses for the Tampa Bay Lightning, nobody is going to fault the odd fan or two for falling off the bandwagon here. In all likelihood, the Lightning will be sellers by the February 27th with their playoff dreams shattered, but, my name is Mr. Optimism and positivity is my game. The Bolts aren’t out of this race quite yet. They have games in hand...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Defeat Sabres in Tight Tilt + Penguins Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Only in the NHL is it possible to be one of the best teams over a ten game stretch and not make up any ground. That’s exactly what’s happening to the Tampa Bay Lightning right now. 7-1-2 in their last ten, the Bolts have been playing some inspired hockey. Whether it’s players fighting for jobs, looking to get traded to a contender or just simply fighting for a pla...
hipcheck_goalie writes...
NHL trade deadline will resemble NBA trade deadline
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As hockey fans of your favorite team, we all suggest trading the bad contracts away (Paul Martin, any takers) for players that have expiring contracts or even better yet, entry level contracts. The days of this happening are going to be as rare as a Gomez or Parros goal. GM's will not sacrifice their teams future because fans are too knowledgeable and gate revenue is way m...
hipcheck_goalie writes...
NHL trade deadline will resemble NBA trade deadline
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As hockey fans of your favorite team, we all suggest trading the bad contracts away (Paul Martin, any takers) for players that have expiring contracts or even better yet, entry level contracts. The days of this happening are going to be as rare as a Gomez or Parros goal. GM's will not sacrifice their teams future because fans are too knowledgeable and gate revenue is way m...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Quick Lightning Update - Are the playoffs in reach?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Sometimes, with a non-playoff team, you sit, you watch and you wonder how on earth it isn’t more competitive on a night-to-night basis? That’s exactly what happened with the Bolts tonight. With the parity in the National Hockey League, talent doesn’t necessarily mean everything. In today’s game, it’s all about work ethic and effort. In my opinion, the Bolts w...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Down Caps + The Competition + Trade Deadline
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s tough to argue with results. As right now, the Lightning have narrowed the gap between themselves and the playoffs to a mere six points. There was a time at which the gap was around ten points and Bolts fans would take heat for saying that we still had a chance this year. Now, the Bolts are proving all the critics wrong.....
[b]Read the entire blog over at my...
If someone had walked up to me and my fiancé as we walked into First Niagara Center Sunday and said that Buffalo was going to win, I wouldn’t have believed them. I was pleasantly surprised, and pumped as time expired, and Buffalo had disposed of the Penguins.
I was very pleased with the effort today from the Sabres. This was the balanced scoring attack that Buffalo ...
So after losing against the Islanders in what most considered a must win game, the Jets have posted a road win against the Wild and two straight home wins against the Bruins and Avs.
In all three of those wins they have recorded at least four goals per game. Yes, you heard me right, four goals per game.
An outpouring of offense such as this is reason to celebrate in...
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...
With a weekend of travel behind me, it’s time to take a look at the weekend and give a re-cap. Obviously there were two big games this weekend and thankfully the Bolts managed to pull out a win on Sunday. The Lightning are still “in” the playoff race but things are certainly getting a little more tense. Steve Yzerman has stated that he doesn’t believe he’ll be...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Capitals Break Hearts by Defeating Bolts in Overtime
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Welcome to the National Hockey League, Dustin Tokarski. It was a big night for everyone on the ice tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Washington Capitals. With two points up for grabs in the ever-tight Eastern Conference playoff race, the Lightning needed a good performance. Trailing the Capitals by two points heading into the tilt, the Lightning had a great...
No I’m not talking about tonights game. Another solid effort tonight from the Sabres. It’s good to see that they aren’t laying over and dying and are playing like they want to make it to the playoffs.
I’m glad that Hodgson is starting to find his way in Buffalo. 2 great goals from him tonight. Very impressive to see him starting to play to his potential. Miller...
Buffalo has finally done it. They are finally in a position that a lot of us would like to see them in. They’re in that spot that I have been anxious about them getting into. With 5 games left in the season, Buffalo is now in charge.
As of right now, Buffalo is in complete control over whether they make the playoffs. Buffalo and Washington each have 5 games left. Buf...
When the Penguins face the Sabres tonight (3/30/2012), there's a lot on the line. And due to a couple of stinkers against the Islanders, the Penguins have more at stake in this game than some may realize.
For the Sabres, a win keeps them in the 8th playoff spot in the East (at least) and moves them 2 points ahead of the Capitals with both teams having 4 games remaining...
Tuesday night, playoff fever had hit Buffalo. Buffalo didn’t just beat the Capitals, they ran them over with a 5-1 win. Buffalo was in sole possession of 8th place, 2 points up on the Caps, with 5 games left for both teams. Buffalo was in control, and just had to keep playing solid hockey to get into the playoffs.
The Caps won on Thursday, making it clear that Buffal...
It is with a heavy heart that I must regrettably turn in my Pittsburgh Penguins' fan card. Despite being a fan since 1984 where I have been able to watch such wonderful moments in franchise history as Lemieux's 5 goals 5 ways against the Devils on 12/31/88, back-to-back Stanley Cups in 91 & 92, Mario Lemieux's victory over cancer, and the drafting of a nucleus of tale...
Holy cow. I mean, who saw this happening after the 1st period?? What a game and what a motivation booster for the Sabres going into the final 2 games.
After the first period, down 3-0. I had Buffalo pegged for going down, but then after 2 quick ones for the Sabres, I started to think that they had another chance. Then, Buffalo went to sleep, Leaf’s capitalized again,...
I’m still sticking to the fact that Buffalo didn’t really want to make it this year. Look at the effort tonight, didn’t really strike you as a team that was playing desperate hockey, did it?
I waited to write this until the end of the Capitals game. It’s done, it’s over. The playoff race goes to Florida and Washington. Buffalo can’t catch either team now. Th...
Now that my team has been eliminated from the playoffs (as predicted) I can look at the playoffs objectively. Here's my take on the quarterfinal match ups in this years NHL playoffs.
I'm writing on this site, click on the link below to read the whole article.
http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1103
A couple days ago, I read Darren Dreger's comments in an interview he gave on Sportsradio 93-7 about the potentiality of trading Evgeni Malkin rather than Jordan Staal during the offseason. Understanding that a new CBA being negotiated could change this development for Penguins GM Ray Shero, this is an interesting and [or] disturbing thought for a few reasons.
Before I ...
mochoson writes...
Crowded Creases; Several Young Goalies Likely on the Move
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It is often said that the most important position in sports is that of the goal-tender. While not every sport has a goal-tending position, you’d be hard pressed to find a player, coach, or member of management in sport’s like hockey and soccer that would disagree with the above. In the NHL, General Managers looking to build their team from the ground-up will agree that...
Phenom writes...
Phenom's Phunny Photos #2 - The (High) Definition of Karma
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hey HockeyBuzzards,
I'm back with the second instalment of Phenom's Phunny Photos, my humble attempt to embrace the lighter side of the sport we love amidst all the bantering and heated discussions leading up to the Draft and free agency.
In January of this year, Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas made headlines when he decided to decline an invitation by U.S. Preside...
Right winger Nail Yakupov is the consensus number one pick at this year draft. With Edmonton already possessing some big time offense, a star RW (Eberle), and a fairly small top six, they could very well trade down to round out their roster. I have created 3 different deals where the Oilers trade the 1st overall pick.
1) Yakupov and Oliver Roy (G) dealt to Ottawa for M...
[b]The Mike Ribeiro trade is a strange situation. Not because it was a surprise or because it was a bad trade for either team.[/b]
It's a strange sitaution simply for the reasons that it had to happen. Normally a team makes a trade because they think they can make their team better through it. Whether that means immediately or down the road during a rebuild. The Dalla...
After announcing Chandler Stephenson Friday night in Pittsburgh, the Capitals waited 81 picks before George McPhee took the podium again.
This gave Washington ample time to deliberate who would complement their draft class best. Instead of following the hype of the “best defensive draft ever,” the Capitals were one of four teams to not draft a defensemen by the t...
“We want the cup” rained down on the Madison Square Garden ice for the final ten minutes of game seven of the Eastern Conference semi finals.
Roman Hamrlik would steal Henrik Lundqvist’s shut out, but while eager fans were hanging on the edge of their section trying not to fall from anticipation, Dennis Wideman was parked on the bench.
Playing a season-low 15:1...
You guys are hilarious. The page I was banned on had two posters calling each other idiots and retards, but I got banned for saying lol @ Flames.
lol @ you.
You guys are hilarious. The page I was banned on had two posters calling each other idiots and retards, but I got banned for saying lol @ Flames.
lol @ you.
As I write this, Ryan Suter has yet to make an announcement as to where he'll play next season. But earlier tonight, Josh Yohe, Pens beat writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweeted:
"I can confirm that the Penguins and Ryan Suter's agent, Neil Sheehy, had a conversation today. So far, apparently no offer was made."
This is disturbing to me. How in th...
After a busy off-season last summer, the Washington Capitals have had a relatively quiet summer in 2012. With the strong possibility of losing Alexander Semin to free agency, many fans were expecting GM George McPhee to make a big more or two and sign some high-profile free agents to address glaring needs. I'm sure Jack Hillen and Joey Crabb are good guys, but they are cer...
So here goes....
I am [b]NOT[/b] an NHL Insider. I don't have any inside sources or unparalleled accesses. If I do post about breaking news or rumors, I guarantee it will be second-hand information.
Here you will [b]NOT[/b] find trade and free agent rumors that you've not heard before, exclusive interviews with NHL Pros and Executives, or behind the scenes photos...
Although, admittedly, my favorite memories of the Pittsburgh Penguins have come while the team was winning, in retrospect, I (unlike most of city of the Pittsburgh) actually enjoyed the Pre-Sidney Crosby "Dark Years". I can say I enjoyed them now, although at the time the future of the team was in serious jeopardy, but without these down years, the Pens wouldn't have been ...
Who are the greatest Penguins blue-liners of all time? You'd probably say Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy, or Randy Carlyle. Maybe more recent players make your list like Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik or Rob Scuderi. But what about D!ck Tarnstrom? What if I told you that Tarnstrom accomplished something that none of the previously mentioned players ever did? In 2003-04, D!ck Tar...
According to NHL.com writer Dan Rosen, the Pittsburgh Penguins are one of six teams that Rick Nash has added to his approved trade list along with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers. In a recent article, Rosen handicapped these six potential destinations for the All-Star winger, highlighting what pieces could mo...
Eric Mellin writes...
Washington Capitals: All Quiet On The Eastern Front
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Washington Capitals have been rather quiet in the last few weeks of this summer. They shot out of the cannon on Draft Day by acquiring centerman Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars for winger/prospect Cody Eakin. Unlike last summer when General Manager George McPhee (GMGM) went on a spree with goaltender Tomas Vokoun, wingers Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward, centerman Je...
Eric Mellin writes...
Alex Semin May or May Not Rock You Like A Hurricane
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The mystery surrounding Alex Semin's future in the NHL finally came to end when he signed a one year, $7M contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. There was much speculation that Semin was going to sign with either Pittsburg or Detroit, but neither team wanted to offer Semin a muli-year contract, which is something he sought, or anything over $5M. The Hurricanes jumped on th...
Eric Mellin writes...
NHL Quick Hits: Ovechkin Bald? The Summit Series and more.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
(This is from my blog at www.ihjjr.com)
Quick Hits
Ovechkin made an appearance today at Kettler Ice Plex with Backstrom, Orlov, Johansson, Ribeiro and a few other players to take part in some on ice practice. Ovie showed up with a shaved head, citing that he did in homage for his 700 or so 'brothers' who are about to make war with the NHL and its owners. He sent Twitte...
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 much as I hated to see it, the last NHL lockout made sense to me. The gap between haves and the have-nots was growing at a ridiculous rate, and truth be told, I was glad to see the NHL take action before it got too far out of control like it has in Major League Baseball. The results of that lockout speak for themselves. Parity has returned to the league and ultimately...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Now, That's More Like It! Champs Take Down Conference Rival
Posted Saturday | Comments 6
Kings Recap:
1/26 @ Phoenix
As I write this, the Kings are closing in on their first victory this season as defending champs...could not think of a better place than Phoenix, who are still ticked off at Dustin Brown and the Kings for ousting them in the Conference Finals.
Thursday night was just a bad night. The Kings looked awful on the power play, not generating ...
Again, Buffalo finds themselves going up against a team who hasn’t managed to win this season. While they are without Thomas Vanek today, keep in mind that’s not an excuse. They lost the last 2 games with him in the lineup.
I like what I see offensively from this team. I really do. However, that’s only when they use their speed, and when they make smart decisions...
Through seven games so far, the Kings have played far from the level it had been during the Stanley Cup run. There is too much talent for this club to be where it is now. I understand all of the accolades; the team is still hung over, they are not 100% with weary legs playing until mid-June, they have a target on their back and everyone's gunning for them...etc, etc!
Pe...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Leafs and Kings Get Job Done on Road; Comments
Posted Wednesday | Comments 5
[b]Toronto Still Work in Progress, LA Fights Back. [/b]
[i]2/5
Kings 4 @ Blue Jackets 2; Maple Leafs 3 @ Capitals 2[/i]
It was quite a bit of fun going back and forth between the Leafs and Kings games, both playing at the same time tonight in eastern time zone. It was also exciting to see both teams hang onto 3-2 leads late, then equally satisfying to see both teams...
The Flyers just pulled off probably the biggest win of the season against the Islanders today. I think I speak for most Flyers fans when I say it's about time they got a win, especially in blowout fashion. The Flyers needed goals, and badly. Up until today, the boys were having trouble scoring more than one goal per game. The Flyers have definitely been lacking scoring...
The Plight of this team
This season has been nothing but horribly sad for us fans in "Hockey Heaven". Last night as I sat screaming in the Verizon Center next to fellow Sabres fans in the D.C. area...it hit me. This team is horrible. From top to bottom. Watching a team that was behind us in the standings, who also played the day before, dance around us in our own zon...
royalgardens writes...
More on Toronto's Leadership; Kings Take 1st of 2 vs. PHX
Posted Tuesday | Comments 2
[i][b]Late Night Update: Kings 4, Phoenix Coyotes 0[/b][/i]
What a great save by former King Jason LaBarbera on a three-on-one chance on Justin Williams...
Jonathan Quick got the start and seemed to have returned to championship form. We got to see some "vintage Quick" tonight, as the Kings were in total control from beginning to finish.
Now, a bit more difficult...
I know that there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the Sabres right now. Personally, I’m a little miffed by this. However, I can understand why Sabres fans are very excited with the upcoming games. There’s thoughts of adding to the Sabres win streak with their next 3 opponents. They may even hit the season high win streak of 4 games! Sabres fans are starting to get excite...
royalgardens writes...
Defending Champs Knock off Hawks at UC; Leafs Battle Boston
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
[b]March 25[/b]
[b][i]A Tale of Two Teams, and Two Captains[/i][/b]
Before I depart my southwestern Chicago suburb home for bright and sunny Orlando, Florida, I will post one more blog before I head out for Spring Break away from my fun-loving 8th graders!
[i][b]Kings 5 @ Chicago Blackhawks 4[/b][/i]
Tonight, the Kings had no choice but to come out hitting hard...
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, "...
I really do not want to watch baseball. The Toronto Blue Jays are a complete disaster, trading for a bunch of has-beens and old men and those who have a history of injuries and being undependable. Plus, a dead ass manager who has already failed miserably with the same organization cannot help matters either.
My real baseball team I have followed all my life as my first...
[b]May 6th[/b]
If the defending champion Kings are going to turn around and take this quarterfinal series against the St. Louis Blues as originally expected, then some big guns need to step things up a bit.
Through the first three games, the Kings have scored a grand total of three goals, and one of them has been by a defenseman. One goal a game is not going to get t...
royalgardens writes...
Kings-Sharks; Shame on you Officials, Doug Wilson!
Posted Sunday | Comments 1
May 19
The Battle of California.
Round Two.
Defending champion Los Angeles Kings vs. perennial power house San Jose Sharks.
Three games into this epic series, none of the above are the main headlines. Instead, it is the officials who are throwing a money wrench into what should be a great series between two strong teams who have hated each other since the early...
My friend once told me:
"The Penguins dive more than any other team in the NHL. Worse, they seem to get those calls! What is going on!?"
I always thought he was crazy. But then, I started watching the game objectively for myself. Here's what I found.
The Penguins, are diving. Left, right, center. Game 4 was almost completely decided by the refs. Here is m...
-[b]For[/b] the last year I've been reading comment after comment regarding what the oilers need to do to improve and take the next step. "We need to get tougher" "Top 6 forward, #1 Dman and 2 bottom 6 gritty vets with size" "Were not going to be able to this and that because we wont move our younger core players".
-[b]For [/b]me, going into next...
-[b]For[/b] the last year I've been reading comment after comment regarding what the oilers need to do to improve and take the next step. "We need to get tougher" "Top 6 forward, #1 Dman and 2 bottom 6 gritty vets with size" "Were not going to be able to this and that because we wont move our younger core players".
-[b]For [/b]me, going into next...
As Tuuka Rask caught a point shot at the buzzer from Jarome Iginla and the Boston Bruins officially swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals last night; the hockey world immediately began to ask the question "What went wrong?" Fans, media, and experts have pointed to things such as lack of production from star players, goaltending instability, and...
Anyone who has paid significant attention to the Pittsburgh Penguins since their most recent Cup win knows full well that there are several reasons that Head Coach Dan Bylsma ('HCDB') should be behind a different bench next season.
Bylsma lucked into a Cup win in 2009 following an entire 2 months of experience as an NHL head coach. When a harsh, strict disciplinarian (M...
When the Capitals lost in the first round to the New York Rangers in 7 games in the first round, the Capitals knew they had work to do in the Draft. Their biggest need is a Defensemen. Their power play was ranked 4th in the NHL last year. Also, they signed Braden Holtby to a two year extension during the season, so they are good in those areas.
With the 23rd overall pi...
Mason Raymond should not be overlooked when talking about the slim free agent pool left and the forward position. Look for Raymond to be signed almost immediately following the signings of Grabo, Brunner, Morrow. Raymond is rumoured to be considered a backup plan/2nd option for a depth forward behing the previously mentioned forwards. ...
Losing my post v-card, here we go...
We all know Grabovski had some choice words for the Leafs organization and staff, but considering how he was used by Carlyle, can you really blame him? We all know players in his situation are thinking it, but it actually takes balls to say it! You have to commemorate him for holding it all in during the season and showing up every ...
The new hockey season is upon us with only 37 days away from puck drop. The Capitals will find themselves in a new division with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. Safe to say, this division will be one of the better divisions in the league with teams like Col...
During the preseason, the NHL has tried to make the game more safe for the players. The NHL is currently testing [b]hybrid-icing[/b], and have cracked down on [b]taking helmets off before a fight[/b]. But is the NHL really doing enough to make the game more safe?
When it comes to it, it is basically a crapshoot. It seems like no one can predict what the NHL wi...
The Chicago Blackhawks host the Washington Capitals in the opening night of NHL action between two of the NHL's top franchises. Who will come out on top? Find out in the highlights of today's featured game of the National Hockey League on EA Sports NHL 14 - play-by-play calling by Eric Munter.
[url]http://youtu.be/8HOY4pfwoJY[/url]
RyanHolmerB writes...
Calgary Flames vs. Columbus Blue Jackets preview + RECAP
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[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...
Catch the highlights of the Florida Panthers as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 11, 2013. Who will come out on top? Find out in today's featured game of the National Hockey League on EA Sports NHL 14 - play-by-play calling by Eric Munter.
[url]http://youtu.be/Cb-c_q7yC6I[/url]
tylercastro writes...
PIT vs. CHI Stadium Series Tickets Sold Out after One Day
Posted Friday | Comments 2
We all know the top dominating team's of each conference of today's NHL. The Pittsburgh Penguins of the east, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks of the west. As of today the Penguins are 2nd in the Eastern Conference (21-10-1 43 points), under the Boston Bruins with 43 points, and the Blackhawks are 23-6-5, 51 points, and 1st in the Western Conferenc...
The Pittsburgh Penguins showoff their new jersey for the game that will be played on March 1st of the new year against the Chicago Blackhawks. The jersey will an away white, like normal, with strops on the mid-sleeve and bottom of the sweater. A tweet that I read earlier in the day compared the jersey to a familiar rivals, Boston Bruins jersey. It made it a whole lot more ...
royalgardens writes...
Bozak Helps Leafs Return to Form; Stunned in Music City
Posted Monday | Comments 11
[b]December 29[/b]
[u][i]Jonathan Bernier and Tyler Bozak Lead Maple Leafs to Victory[/i][/u]
Perhaps I was a little too tough on Jonathan Bernier in my last blog. Toronto fans have been looking for a strong, young goaltender to lead the team back as a playoff fixture. I thought James Reimer did that last season, and was poised to do it again this season. Maybe that ...
[b]January 12[/b]
Jimmy Howard just proved why he deserves to be a member of the United States Olympic team.
Despite a tough year for him, mainly due to inconsistencies of play of the guys in front of him and injuries to several Red Wings players, Howard still remains an elite goaltender in the NHL and nearly single handedly defeated Chicago in the second round of t...
[b]Game Day Preview: 2/1/14 - 4PM EST
FLYERS (26-23-6) at KINGS (30-20-6)[/b]
[img]http://imageshack.com/a/img836/4536/rfic.jpg[/img]
The Flyers continue their three-game California road trip looking to improve on the start, losing 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. The Flyers will look to improve their power play. They lead the NHL with most goals against w...
The longest week of many of our lives is upon us: the NHL trade deadline week. I've been checking twitter constantly, this site among many others, feverishly waiting for the first deal to go down.
I think many of us will be disappointed, particularly with the Penguins at the deadline.
The Penguins' ability to make a deal at the deadline has been crippled as a result...
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...
As I was listening to the new and improved Hockeybuzzcast and hearing the sparkling reviews and praise for the Columbus Blue Jackets especially from Josh Rimer. I knew I had to check this series out.
Now, even though the Blue Jackets couldn't put together a full 60 minute effort and come out on top in this game, I was thoroughly impressed. And for a lot of reasons I ...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."rnrn"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."rnrn"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" rnrnThese, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Pe...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."
"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."
"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?"
These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new ...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."
"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."
"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?"
These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new ...
http://nhlpenguins.sportsblog.com/posts/665899/penguins_realistic_free_agency_idea.html
http://nhlpenguins.sportsblog.com/posts/665899/penguins_realistic_free_agency_idea.html
I’m unbelievably high on what Barry Trotz can do for this team so let me start off by clearing that up. Two young men who are in the lineup for tonight’s season opener are going to reap the rewards of having a veteran coach, who for one of the first times in his career actually has a talent filled lineup and a chance to do damage with it.
Surrounded by a mix of ta...
AarifDeen writes...
Ovechkin scores late, Capitals beat the Avs by one goal
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[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...
When I first heard that the Pittsburgh Penguins had acquired Steve Downie I was excited because he is a guy who can play in a bottom 6 role and even help put some pucks in the net. I still think he can put pucks in the net, however I am getting tired of him playing in the penalty box. He has a league high 78 PIMs which is not helping the Penguins at all. His selfish pen...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Fluttering Again; Big Night for Bernier in TO
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Another regular season, another Kings team, simply sliding their way through yet another 82 game schedule, hoping for the best and hoping for a chance to play further into spring.
I have seen enough of this group to draw the conclusion that they are constant underachievers in the regular season, but perhaps not overachievers when it comes to the second season of the NH...
Do the Kings want to play? Right now, they once again look like a team that really makes you wonder just how in God's green earth did THIS team win the Cup? A question I have asked quite a bit over the last couple of years despite the amazing success of this team come playoff time.
Just tuned into the game after getting back from seeing the new release "Unbroken", which...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs lose in Washington; Roy unhappy with penalty call
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[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...
HarrisonHamm writes...
What should the Penguins do about the power play?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In a 2-1 loss to Columbus Thursday night, Pittsburgh continued to struggle on the power play. They failed to score again in the defeat, going 0-2 with the man-advantage. They now have gone 21 opportunities without a goal, and it is becoming a concern for the Pens.
Despite having the star power to excel on the power play, Pittsburgh has been unable to do that recently...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Three Penguins that need to improve their production
Posted Friday | Comments 0
1. Chris Kunitz: The winger has been a mainstay as a top-6 forward for years, and has produced greatly for the Penguins in that span. But Kunitz hasn't scored a goal in nine games, and that needs to change. If he can get in front of the net more frequently, then his production will go up noticeably. He is an important veteran piece for Pittsburgh heading into the stretch r...
HarrisonHamm writes...
3 places the Penguins need to improve at the trade deadline
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Two-way defenseman: Since the loss of young offensive defenseman Olli Maata for the season, the Pens have been looking for somebody that can fill the need of a two-way defenseman. With Paul Martin likely to leave in free-agency this summer, Pittsburgh needs a replacement. A two-way defenseman would also shore up the blue line on the struggling power play. A D-man that ca...
The Penguins got a huge win Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues, one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. Pittsburgh won 4-2 on two goals from forward Blake Comeau, who, along with all other Pens forwards, was playing with a different line. Comeau played with Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz on the second line, and they were clearly the most productive lin...
The Penguins came up with a huge non-conference win against St. Louis Saturday. The top reason for the convincing victory was some line shuffling by coach Mike Johnston. Pittsburgh needed a boost on offense after failing to win in four straight games despite stellar performances from goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. They got the boost with the reformed lines.
On line one, ...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins score three in the third, dismantle Florida 5-1
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The turnaround is on for Pittsburgh. After failing to win four straight games, the Pens won both games of a weekend back-to-back against one of the best teams in the NHL , the Blues, and a team ferociously fighting for a playoff spot, the Panthers.
The Pens defeated Florida at home Sunday night, led by another stellar performance by goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and two...
Young fourth-line forward Zach Sill gets a lot of criticism. Why? Because he isn’t a goal scorer. Instead, he is a tough, forechecking, winger that plays well along the boards and can kill penalties. So he isn’t a scorer. Don’t the Penguins have enough of those already? Let Zach Sill be who he is, not the entertaining, stat-filling player that every hockey fan wishes...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins acquire Winnik from Leafs for Sill, picks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Penguins have made their first real trade since the Goc deal back in January as we approach the March trade deadline. The Pens acquired Maple Leafs forward Daniel Winnik for Zach Sill and a couple draft picks.
The picks are a 2015 fourth-rounder and a 2016 second-rounder.
Winnik, who isn't known as an offensive star, is an effective forechecker, is versatile, and...
The Penguins got a solid victory against bitter rival Washington Wednesday night. They avoided being swept by the Capitals in their always-competitive season series. Chris Kunitz knocked home a Blake Comeau rebound with 13 minutes remaining in the third period to give the Pens their decisive fourth goal.
That score gave Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead. With about four minutes to...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Should the Penguins scratch Steve Downie or Craig Adams?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Penguins have an extra forward, so they need a regular forward to be a healthy scratch. There are two players that are possibly candidates to become a regular healthy scratch: Steve Downie and Craig Adams. So which one should they use more often? Both players are solid players, with different pros and cons. It is a very difficult decision for coach Mike Johnston.
W...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Malkin continues hot streak, leads Penguins past Blue Jacket
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Evgeni Malkin scored three points for the third consecutive game, and the Penguins defeated the Blue Jackets at home on Sunday. The score was 5-3, and Malkin scored two of the goals and added an assist to lead Pittsburgh to their fourth straight win after a loss in Columbus on Feb. 19th. rnrnThe Pens’ power-play put up three goals in the second period alone to take contr...
At the recent NHL trade deadline, the Penguins made two trades, both involving defenseman. The first trade they made was dealing Robert Bortuzzo and a draft pick to the Blues for defenseman Ian Cole. I can understand trading Bortuzzo, as the Penguins are wealthy in defensive prospects and don’t have a clear place for him. But the other trade they made, Simon Depres to An...
The Penguins were defeated in Colorado Wednesday night by a score of 3-1. The Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and two assists to lead the Avs to a win at the Pepsi Center.
Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 28 saves, including 12 in the third period, to lead his team to a victory against Pittsburgh, who had won four straight heading into a west coast r...
New Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy made his 2015 Pittsburgh debut in his former city of Anaheim. Lovejoy and the Pens got the win over the streaking Ducks, who had won seven of eight games.
Patric Hornqvist scored two goals in the second period and Sidney Crosby got his elusive 21st goal (although it was an empty-netter) to lead the Penguins past the Ducks in the sec...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Fleury earns shutout as the Penguins win in OT over LA
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Marc-Andre Fleury, who was off in Anaheim on Friday, played possibly his best game of the season Saturday night in Los Angeles. He made 31 saves and kept the game from being a blowout, as the Penguins only managed 18 shots on Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. Although many of those 18 shots were solid chances, it was a season-low in shots for the Penguins.
"I didn't feel lik...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Struggles against Sharks continue as Pens lose in SO
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
San Jose does not seem to be the Penguins favorite place. They lost their 12th straight game there Monday night, 2-1 in a shootout. They haven’t won there since 1997.
Tommy Wingels scored in the eighth round of the shootout and Antti Niemi stopped Steve Downie to give the Sharks the win. Niemi played amazingly, saving 39 of 40 shots in regulation and stopping seven of...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Pens blow 4-0 but score twice in third to beat Oilers 6-4
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It was a rocky road, but the Penguins would pull off a victory. After the Penguins scored three in the first period and another one a minute into the second, Edmonton, helped by the replacement of goaltender Ben Scrivens with Richard Bachman, roared back in the third period with four straight to knot the game up. The Pens would score twice in 66 seconds to take a 6-4 lead,...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins shut out by Boston after losing Crosby, Malkin
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This game was the exact opposite of the Penguins’ previous matchup. After winning a high-scoring 6-4 affair against the Oilers, they were shut out by goalie Tuuka Rask and the Boston Bruins, 2-0.
One of the main reasons for Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles was the loss of two of the NHL’s top five scoring leaders. Sidney Crosby, after looking perfectly fine in wa...
A day after both the Penguins and the Red Wings were handed disappointing losses, it was just the Penguins that had that happen to them again. Detroit creamed the Penguins by a score of 5-1 in a game in which tempers flared and the teams were on edge for most of the contest.
For the Penguins, they should have done better than they did against the Bruins Saturday afterno...
No luck of the Irish for the Penguins Tuesday night. They lost their third straight game against the New Jersey Devils, who are third-to-last in the Metropolitan Division. Not only did they lose, but they were shut out by the lowly Devils on St. Patrick’s day. 2-0 was the final thanks to an empty-netter with 48 seconds left in the game. Another tough game for the Penguin...
Another game, another loss for the Penguins. They dropped their fourth straight game in Dallas Thursday night by a score of 2-1.
Stars captain Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist, Kari Lehtonen stopped 31 of 32 shots to lead Dallas to a win over dropping Pittsburgh, who is now tied with the Washington Capitals for third in the Metropolitan Division.
Rookie Brett Ri...
It wasn’t exactly how the coach drew it up, but the Penguins managed to earn a 3-1 victory over the Coyotes. They came back form a 1-0 deficit with two goals in the second period, from Brandon Sutter and Daniel Winnik. The Sutter goal may be one of the weirdest the Penguins have scored this season.
It occurred on a Penguins power-play. After defenseman Ian Cole rattle...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Steen scores OT winner as Blues beat Penguins 3-2
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Despite the solid play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and the Penguins’ much better play in this game than in other recent games, the Pens failed to pull off a victory at home against the Blues. They had a 2-0 lead at 8:58 of the second period, but two former Pens negated that advantage.
After Steve Downie’s goal made it 2-0 midway through the second period, Blues ...
The Penguins, playing terrible of late, failed to defeat the lowly Hurricanes, who previously had six goals in their last seven games. Carolina won by a score of 5-2.
Carolina star center Eric Staal had a goal and two assists and was named first star of the game and goaltender Cam Ward made 27 saves as Carolina, currently in the cellar of the Metropolitan Division, defe...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins earn an important victory against the Coyotes 3-2
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Crosby scores 300th goal, but Penguins fall to Flyers 4-1
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Maybe the Penguins should stop playing the Flyers in Pittsburgh, because they can’t seem to beat them. Philadelphia is now 13-2-1, 11-1-1 in the regular season, against Pittsburgh at Consol Energy Center.
Brayden Schenn scored twice to lead the Flyers to a 4-1 win Wednesday night. Philadelphia, with a record of 31-29-17, have already been eliminated from the postseas...
Reddevil45 writes...
NY Rangers against Washington Capitals: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In New York the Washington Capitals will stay. This time it is against the Rangers. The two goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby have been two of the best goaltenders in the playoffs this season. Lundqvist has a Sv% of .939 and a GAA of 1.53. Holtby has a Sv% of .943 and a GAA of 1.63. Lundqvist conceded more than one goal in one game in a 4-3 loss to the Penguin...
It’s no secret that the penguins are a position to capitalise on the ‘big four’: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury. At least not with some of the current crop they continue to renew and obtain every year.
Mike Johnson was unable to prove his worth this season. His coaching ability is not in question, neither is his team management. Hi...
BALUCHA writes...
What If Draft Selections... Washington Capitals Edition
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Over the last 15 years, the Washington Capitals have amassed 21 first-round draft picks. Count ‘em, 21. Most of which are still with the team, others traded for other picks and considerations.
They could have made some better moves, but it goes to show first round picks success is a numbers game. The more you have, the better chances you have of landing a star. De...
1. Valeri Nichushkin: Forward / RW
Nichushkin is going to be a force for the Dallas Stars this upcoming season. He is a power forward with the offensive skills of an elite play maker. He is not going to be on many people's radar seeing as he only played 8 games this past season. In his rookie campaign in 2013-14, he put up 34 points in 79 games. He also managed to m...
In this short article, I will discuss the top centerman with regards to two way play. Modern day NHL is much more focused on a two way game, rather than just offensive statistics. Advanced statistics have shown us the importance of players who can contribute at both ends of the ice. These stats are especially important for centerman, as they have so much responsibility ...
It is no secret that having an elite level defenseman has endless benefits. Modern day hockey involves a 5 player attack more than ever before. Having a smart, skilled player who can jump into the rush opens up a lot more options for the team. The position has evolved significantly, and offensive D-men are much more prevalent. However, in this article we will be focusi...
Trade:
Pens get Bonino, a 2nd and Clendening
Canucks get Sutter and a 3rd
Wow, immediately looks like a great deal for the Pens. After checking out the salary implications here this trade makes some sense. Sutter was once a top pick (11th) whereas Bonino was a 6th rounder. Sutter just had his 2nd 20-goal season, has never even hit 20-assists or 40-points, and has more...
In this article I will outline the top three teams' in the Eastern Conference entering the 2015-16 season. There's some moves still to be made, but I believe that the majority of the blockbuster deals are completed.
5. New York Islanders: ( 47-28-7 : 101 Points)
The Islanders finished the 2014-15 season with a first round elimination at the hands of the Washington...
Joey Joining Fray
Apparently, Ryan Johansen is expected to return to the lineup on Friday in the Verizon Center. Johansen was out for both of the Jackets victories this season. Joey was supposedly ill and flew back to Columbus last week with a trainer. It was also reported by Aaron Portzline that Johansen was hospitalized this summer for an irregular heart rate. Hopef...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 11- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Friday | Comments 3
The final game of the road trip brings Columbus Blue Jackets to the nation's capital where they play the Washington Capitals in the Verizon Center.
Tonight, like last game, may come down to a battle of goaltenders- Sergei Bobrovsky against Braden Holtby. Holtby broke out last year with Barry Trotz, and played 61 games last year, coming very (very) close to the Vezn...
Back-to-back loses hit the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals by a final score 2-1. Last night, they lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3-2.
In both games, the Jackets didn't score first, and had to claw back in the game to make it close.
In D.C., summer acquisitions Justin Willams and T.J. Oshie scor...
Back-to-back loses hit the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals by a final score 2-1. Last night, they lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3-2.
In both games, the Jackets didn't score first, and had to claw back in the game to make it close.
In D.C., summer acquisitions Justin Willams and T.J. Oshie scor...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have successfully conquered a back-to-back stint against two different organizations,
Improving their record to 6-12-0.
On Friday night, the Jackets defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins by a final score of 2-1 in regulation. For the Pens, fiesty winger Patric Hornqvist scored their only goal in the final minute of the game. For the Jackets, B...
What good hockey for Columbus the past couple of days. The Jackets played three games in four nights, and in three different cities, and went 2 for 3 during the stretch. Here is what happened.
On Wednseday, the Jackets were in Newark battling the New Jersey Devils, and won 2-1. The Devils' goal came from Adam Henrique, and the only assist was from Mike Cammalieri. ...
What good hockey for Columbus the past couple of days. The Jackets played three games in four nights, and in three different cities, and went 2 for 3 during the stretch. Here is what happened.
On Wednseday, the Jackets were in Newark battling the New Jersey Devils, and won 2-1. The Devils' goal came from Adam Henrique, and the only assist was from Mike Cammalieri. ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 36- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Monday | Comments 1
In Pittsburgh, two struggling teams are on the ice tonight. The injury stricken Pens battle the inconsistent Columbus Blue Jackets. The last time these teams played, Dubinsky sustained a suspension by cross-checking Sidney Crosby. Tonight, there is no Crosby, Fleury, and Letang for Pitt; however, the Pens hired Mike Sullivan and acquired Trevor Daley from Chicago for R...
On Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the Washington Capitals by a final score of 5-4 overtime shootout.
The Caps got goals from Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson, TJ Oshie, and Jason Chimera. In the shootout, Oshie scored a beauty on Anton Forsberg. Other players with points include Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Niskanen, Tom Wilson, and Karl Alzner. Brayd...
Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3 in the return of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Washington got goals from Andre Burkavosky, Nick Backstrom (2), Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johanson, and Jason Chimera. Other players with points include Evgney Kuznetsov (4), Matt Niskanen (2), Justin Williams (2), and TJ Oshie. Braden Holtb...
Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3 in the return of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Washington got goals from Andre Burkavosky, Nick Backstrom (2), Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johanson, and Jason Chimera. Other players with points include Evgney Kuznetsov (4), Matt Niskanen (2), Justin Williams (2), and TJ Oshie. Braden Holtb...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 68- Columbus Blue Jackets v Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Friday | Comments 1
Rivalry night has arrived for Columbus fans when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins come to Ohio's state capital in a fight for their playoff lives as the Wings and Flyers are collecting points.
There is drama headed into this game on both sides. Earlier this week, former Blue Jacket and current Penguin Tom Sesito called out Brandon Dubinsky because of ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 68- Mr. Popper's Penguins Even Series
Posted Sunday | Comments 3
The Pittsburgh Penguins' comeback second period helped them defeat the home Columbus Blue Jackets and a healthy Columbus netminder by a final score of 3-2 in regulation.
The Penguins scored their three goals starting from late in the first period until early in the second. At 14:23, Kris Letang scored a power play goal for his career high 13th goal of the season; Evgeni...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 76- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Monday | Comments 1
Columbus travels to the nation's capital to take on the league's best team- the Washington Capitals. One more win will earn the Capitals the President's Trophy for a team that has already clinched top spot in the East.
It has been a while since these two clubs have played, and the Capitals have made several changes to their team. The Caps acquired Mike Weber from the B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 76- Washington Wins Winningest Trophy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
In the nation's capital, the Capitals defeated the Blue Jackets by a final score of 4-1 to win the President's Trophy.
The Captials scored most of their goals late, but did pot one early on. At 16:30 into the first period, Justin Williams scored his 22nd of the season; John Carlson had the lone assist. In the third period, they scored 3 goals in 14 minutes. At 3:46, T...
Round One
Eastern Conference
Washington Capitals v. Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning v. Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers v. Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Islanders v. Florida Panthers
Western Conference
Dallas Stars v. Minnesota Wild
St. Louis Blues v. Chicago Blackhawks
Anaheim Ducks v. Nashville Predators
Los Angeles Kings v. San Jos...
Moves happen every year with players. New teams appear in the playoffs each year as well. This article will list which playoff team has a former Blue Jacket for all you fans to keep track of at home.
Anaheim: Corey Tropp
Chicago: Tim Jackman, Artem Anisimov
Dallas:
Detroit:
Florida Panthers: Derek MacKenzie
Los Angeles: Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik
Min...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Round Two Predictions and More
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will draw to a close on Wednesday night, the same time the second round of the playoffs commences.
On Wednesday, the round one matchup (game 7) is between the Pacific Division winning Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the first wild card team Nashville Predators. The series has been a sea saw battle as these teams are on the sa...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Management Changes; Conference Finals
Posted Wednesday | Comments 4
Welcome to my NHL Playoff Thoughts blog, the second round edition. Thus far, there has been plenty of changes in management, and we have our Conference Final matchups.
As for the management changes, there have been changes of guard in six teams- Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Ottawa, Anaheim, and Calgary.
The Coyotes made a gutsy move in promoting assistant general m...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Management Changes; Conference Finals
Posted Tuesday | Comments 3
Welcome to my NHL Playoff Thoughts blog, the second round edition. Thus far, there has been plenty of changes in management, and we have our Conference Final matchups.
As for the management changes, there have been changes of guard in six teams- Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Ottawa, Anaheim, and Calgary.
The Coyotes made a gutsy move in promoting assistant general m...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Thoughts: Pittsburgh v. San Jose
Posted Tuesday | Comments 3
There was 30, and now there is 2. After the finish of the Conference Finals last night, the Stanley Cup Finals will be contested between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks.
The Penguins have been riding a hot streak since the hiring of coach Mike Sullivan. General Jim Rutherford has made gutsy moves by adding Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, Carl Hagelin, Trevor ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Pittsburgh Wins Stanley Cup
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
The Pittsburgh Penguins have done it. For the first time in seven years and the fourth time in 50 years, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. The series was 4 games to 2.
The San Jose Sharks made it farther they have ever gone in their franchise's 25 year century, to their first ever Stanley Cup Final appearance.
The Penguins and Sharks had successful seasons to say t...
During free agency, the headlines are always dominated by the big name signings. Milan Lucic heading to Edmonton, Kyle Okposo going to the Sabres, Andrew Ladd signing with the Islanders. And while these types of signings usually have a big impact on the teams that they sign with, the smaller, low-key signings can be just as important. While Brett Connolly is no Lucic or Ok...
After one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history, the Washington Capitals have a chance to repeat that same performance this season. Unlike most contending teams, the Capitals were able to retain almost every important roster player, with the biggest lose being letting Jason Chimera leave via free agency. But even with Chimera on the Islanders’ roste...
Washington Capitals defender Karl Alzner is recovering from the sports hernia and groin injury he suffered from during the NHL playoffs this season. He got hurt during Game 6 in the second round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins but had slightly felt the injury for over a year.
"What happens typically, from my understanding, is you get some sort of instability in y...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Interested in Youth??? Or in a State of Unknown???
Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
Coming from Springfield, Massachusetts, the home of the former Blue Jackets affiliate, the Springfield Falcons.
According to multiple outlets, the Columbus Blue Jackets have expressed interest in the services of winger Jimmy Vessey, the highly sought after collegiate free agent. Vessey was a former draft pick of the Nashville Predators, and was flipped to the Buffalo S...
09/04/2016
Once in a while we will be fortunate enough to witness a goalkeeper such as Matt Murray arrive in the NHL at a very young age and make an incredible impact, circumstances can instantly create hockey heroes.
All players start to hit their stride at different points in their career; a good poolie watches closely to recognize indicators. I have been intere...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P5: Columbus Blue Jackets v. Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A thrilling Metropolitan Division matchup is coming to Columbus tonight where the Blue Jackets take on the defending Stanley Cup Champions- the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins' offseason was short and busy, but not with much activity. The Penguins lost defenseman Ben Lovejoy (NJ) and goalie Jeff Zatkoff (LA) to free agency; and traded winger Beau Bennett to the Devil...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P5: Columbus Blue Jackets v. Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Monday | Comments 4
A thrilling Metropolitan Division matchup is coming to Columbus tonight where the Blue Jackets take on the defending Stanley Cup Champions- the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins' offseason was short and busy, but not with much activity. The Penguins lost defenseman Ben Lovejoy (NJ) and goalie Jeff Zatkoff (LA) to free agency; and traded winger Beau Bennett to the Devil...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ P8: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
The preseason finale for the Columbus Blue Jackets is an afternoon matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the PPG Paints Arena.
Fresh off their appearance at the White House, the Penguins will see Sidney Crosby and Carl Haglein have their preseason debuts.
Both teams are using what they project to be their regular season lineups in this finale to get their best...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game N. 14- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Washington Capitals
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
The Blue Jackets are finally playing a divisional team, being the last year's President Trophy winners. The Washington Capitals play here tonight and in Pittsburgh tomorrow, so the pressure is on.
The Capitals had a quiet offseason, but made their roster younger and more skilled in contrast to a veteran and grittier team. They lost Jason Chimera; Mike Moore; Sean Colli...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 14- Comeback Columbus Costs Capitals Point
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets woke up late in the third period to defeat the Washington Capitals by the final score of 2-1 in overtime.
The Capitals opened the scoring in the midst of the second period off a sniping shot from the usual passer in Nicolas Backstrom. The Swedish forward wristed a shot underneath Bobrovsky's glove for a 1-0 lead for the Caps for his second goa...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 16- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Sunday | Comments 1
The start of a back to back for Columbus begins with an afternoon tilt in the nation's capital against the injury rattled Capitals. The contest begins at 12:30 pm.
The Jackets will look to continue their hot streak at home on the road, while the Capitals will look to find a way to win without some top players. In their most recent games against the Red Wings, they had ...
The Jackets maintain their composure to defeat the Capitals in the final minute of regulation, by the final score of 3-2.
In the first period, a Jack Johnson turnover to Nick Backstrom slips in between Sergei Bobrovsky's legs for a 1-0 Washington lead. The ice breaker was his fifth goal of the season.
In the second period, the Jackets even the score with a Nick Fol...
For more information; follow @NHLPenaltyBox {Twitter}
After beating the Calgary Flames on Monday night, the Isles had a tough back to back approaching. They would play the defending cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, then the following day, they would play the defending President's Trophy champs, the Washington Capitals. Fans knew that this determined the year, a win ...
Want some more?
Winning!!
Sticking with the times. Onto the serious stuff.
Hockey.
The Metropolitan Division is the best division in hockey. Personally, it's shocking, but is it expected?
Last season, the President Trophy winning Washington Capitals came from this division. The reigning Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins came from this division.
...
CBJ Update: February Fever
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy remainder of January since I last blogged. The last time I blogged was after a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. This blog will cover the games they won throughout the remainder of February; the All Star Game; and injury updates on the back front—as well as trade rumors.
CBJ Post Game No. 4...
CBJ Update: February Fever
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy remainder of January since I last blogged. The last time I blogged was after a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. This blog will cover the games they won throughout the remainder of February; the All Star Game; and injury updates on the back front—as well as trade rumors.
CBJ Post Game No. 4...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets v. New Jersey Devils
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets return to home ice tonight to combat the New Jersey Devils in their first meeting of the season. Isn’t it crazy that it comes with 60% of the season already in the books? The last time these teams met, Patrick Elias was still on the Devils. That’s how far back it has been for these two divisional squads.
Both teams are coming off back to ba...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets v. New Jersey Devils
Posted Saturday | Comments 12
The Columbus Blue Jackets return to home ice tonight to combat the New Jersey Devils in their first meeting of the season. Isn’t it crazy that it comes with 60% of the season already in the books? The last time these teams met, Patrick Elias was still on the Devils. That’s how far back it has been for these two divisional squads.
Both teams are coming off back to ba...
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their bye-week by not playing and relaxing, and watching the teams that are playing climb up the standings. The New York Rangers have now officially surpassed the Blue Jackets, placing them in the first place Wild Card spot. However, the Blue Jackets have two games in hand, and are only just one point behind. However, stats have shown la...
The theme of this post is one I’ll return to regularly -- a recap of current Sharks highlights . . . along with a lowlight or two.
So, let's jump to the former, with #1 -- Chris Tierney:
It has become evident over the past 20 games or so, that Tierney has developed and matured in poise and vision. He once clearly fit in that “bottom six forward” category (in th...
5-3 in the first round decent predictions. Best one is predicting the leafs to make a series with the caps but still ultimately lose.
Western
Preds Over Blues in 5
This was a toss up but the blues are not paying to their capabilities and the preds have decent forward and the BEST defense in all of the playoffs and a streaky goaltender.
Oilers Over Ducks in 6
I a...
The Minnesota Wild have traded forward, Tyler Graovac to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2018 5th round pick. To me, this is a good trade for both teams.
For Washington: they could use help on the lower lines, and have an extra guy come in and help them out if they are going to win the cup next year.
For Minnesota: The Wild don't really need Graovac, who wa...
AarifDeen writes...
MacKinnon deserve the Hart Trophy for his consistency
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Hart Trophy has been a hot topic around the NHL for the better part of this entire season. It seems like there’s a new name added to the list of potential nominees each week. While reporters everywhere have dug into all the reasons why certain players should win, I’ve decided to look at the consistency of these players throughout the year in regards to offensive pr...
[b]Lars Eller[/b] breaks through for the Washington Capitals as they defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 3-2, in double overtime.
Three of the five goals were scored in the second period. Washington opened the scoring with help from defenseman Matt Niskanen, his first of the series. Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin got the assists.
Five minutes later, ...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Caps Hoist Cup, Island of the Unknown, and Draft Talk
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 27
Caps Hoist Cup, Island of the Unknown, and Draft Talk
Debate 1 |The Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup
Debate 2 |New Management for the New York Islanders
Debate 3 |Will the NHL Draft be an active trade day
The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. How did they do it? Brad Bur...
The offseason is officially underway, and the Penguins are preparing for what figures to be a relatively routine Summer. Pittsburgh will enter the draft with the core of their squad under contract, and will no doubt be scouring the ranks of eligible prospects in hopes of adding impactful talent to a farm system relatively devoid of it. The Penguins will not have much cap r...
SeanyCanuck writes...
Caps win! Caps win! First blog for a fanatic Canuck fan.
Posted Monday | Comments 98
Hello all, my name is Sean Desjardins and I currently live in Fort St John, BC after moving from Vancouver three years ago. My favourite teams are the Canucks and the Lightning and I love aggressive, puck control, pinching teams like the Lightning and Nashville. I love hockey at all times of the season, but fully understand the draw of the playoffs as the effort and stak...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 16 1,260,162 Thank You’s to the NHL
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 16
1,260,162 Thank You’s to the NHL
Well the wildly overpaid goon for the Washington Capitals is back at it again, but this time the National Hockey League makes him pay for it. In the Capitals final preseason game, forward Tom Wilson landed a vicious head shot on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. The was needless and extremely danger...
The Instigator |Episode 19
Malkin Hit on Oshie | Overreaction?
When Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin drove his shoulder in to the head of Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie the hockey world went crazy. Half of the people were screaming for a suspension and half thought the match penalty was outrageous. It was an interesting play and call. Brad Burud brea...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Panic in Pittsburgh and Players Under the Radar
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 41 - Panic in Pittsburgh and Players Under the Radar
Brad Burud and Blake Friars talk Pittsburgh Penguins. Should there be panic in the "Steel City" or is all the panic premature. The Penguins find themselves in last place and the hockey world is so not used to seeing that. Then its time to breakdown all the players off to hot st...
The Instigator |Episode 20
Reaves Night of Revenge
Vegas Golden Knights tough guy Ryan Reaves got his revenge on Washington Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson. It came with a vicious blind sided hit. Was it revenge for beating them in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals or was it revenge for all of the dirty hits and players he has injured over the past few years. I am guessing th...