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Just got done watching the Predators pwn the Sharks, 5-2. The Sharks just didn't seem to be 100% in it after Dumont's short-handed goal and his subsequent 5-on-3 PP goal. Series is now tied 1-1, and Vokoun is playing much better. And I am now an advocate of extending Alex Radulov's contract by an extra 15 years or so. Now for the purpose of this blog. Free agents tha...
sstrang writes...

Looking forward

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Alright Flames fans, let's forget yesterday or even this whole series ever happened. Let's get down to business for next season. Here is the list of UFAs for the Flames: Tony Amonte Marcus Nilson Jeff Friesen Darren McCarty Byron Ritchie Wayne Primeau Roman Hamrlik Brad Stuart Brad Ference Jamie McLellan (G) Here is the list for the RFAs: Matthew Lo...
quacker912 writes...

Flyers Offseason.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Lets keep this as straight up as possible, the Flyers have work to do in the offseason. I'm no NHL analysis, but only a hardcore Philadelphia fan since I knew what sports were. With a disappointing season under the belt, it's one of the first times in my recent memory that I have been so excited about the offseason. Lets get started... [b]Current Situation[/b] [u]Fo...
It was a rough finish to the rangers seaosn. They blow a 1-0 lead with 7 seconds to go in game 5. Then they lose 5-4 on home ice in game 6. Although there are a lot of "What ifs..." in this series, Rangers should be happy with what they accomplished. They didn't look like they were even in the playoff mix in February. Bring in some young guns, add a fiesty Sean Avery, ...
Well, 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...
For those outside of Buffalo, just an interesting little story.... I called HSBC Arena yesterday. I was hoping to buy season tickets. The response I got: "We're all maxed out for next season. We can take your name down for the waiting list though." What? It's not like I waited til the last minute. Last year I ordered my tix in August and had no problem. You...
stevens8204 writes...

Devils Offseason.....

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/LeaferSutherland/devsbanner1.gif"[/img] [b]For every beginning there has to be an end (insert Alpha-Omega reference here). So with all the major players graded....its time to take a look into next year's crystal ball. What could next season have in store for the Devils...what may they or may they not do? Sure it is all s...
Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks. An outstanding organization and a tremendous hockey team. They deserved everything they got. And now our lives fall back to normalcy. No more puck. At least not on the ice. It's a terribly sad time of year. At least we have the NBA Finals starting tomorrow, right? Major League Baseball is in full swing. And then football s...
I want to say congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks franchise, Brian Burke, Randy Carlyle, the players, staff and fans on their first Stanley Cup championship. Your organization did a fantastic job and proved that "old time hockey" can still be used to hoist that battered old mug. It was awesome to hear the sheer excitement of the Ducks fans, both during and after the ga...
Eggshmeg writes...

Salary Cap Needs to Rise

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
June 30th is the date when we will find out what the new salary cap is for the 2007-2008 season. In my opinion, it needs to be high. Higher than expected. Some of the numbers being thrown around are 48, 49, and maybe even 50. Eklund stated recently that the cap is set to rise to 52, and I don't mind that. Players want more money (obviously), teams are stuck and are willing...
First off, let me start by looking at the numbers in terms of a salary cap hit for the 2007-08 season: ([i]all numbers rounded to two decimal places[/i]) SUNDIN- $5.50M TUCKER- $3.00M ANTROPOV- $1.95M STEEN- $0.95M KILGER- $0.87M STAJAN- $0.95M WELLWOOD- $0.95M PONIKAROVSKY- $1.58M POHL- $0.48M DEVERAUX- $0.55M ONDRUS- $0.50M WESTRUM- $0.48M NEWBURY- $0.4...
TheStig writes...

Leafs Plan of Action

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The announcement on Friday afternoon that the cap was going up to $50.2 Million was great news for leafs as they already have committed approximately $43 Million, which leaves $7-8 million to play with. if the cap had only come in around $48 Million mark before the NHLPA voted in favor of the 5% increase, they would've have only had about $5-6 Million, and wouldn't have be...
I've often been asking myself whether a hockey fan can be loyal to their team without renewing their season tickets. Half of me says to renew, while my better half says "no". Although I must give respect to the Coyotes for coming out and saying that we're in a rebuilding time, I just don't agree with it. As a business owner, I know that if I don't put out a product that...
This off season has been and interesting off season and a predictable one, Sutter never waits till the last second to get things done. Well for instance his top forwards had only one year left , what does he do does he leave that until the last minute no he does it a year a head of time. Iggy locked up for five years 35 mil not only does he get done early he does it s...
This off season has been an interesting off season and a predictable one, Sutter never waits till the last second to get things done. Well for instance his top forwards had only one year left , what does he do does he leave that until the last minute no he does it a year a head of time. Iggy locked up for five years 35 mil not only does he get done early he does it so...
At Monday’s press conference, the Islanders introduced new acquisitions Jon Sim, Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin. GM Garth Snow held the surprise of the day in his hands as he approached the podium, said a few words and handed Guerin his new # 13 Islanders jersey with the captain’s “C” sewn into place. So, the Isles have named the 11th captain in team...
Multiple league sources have informed the Sabres as the team chosen to represent the league in an "Ice Bowl" on the first day of 2008. The opponent, most likely,would be the Pittsburgh Penguins as it should. The combination of Sidney Crosby and Malkin copuled with facing an appointent who's fans will fill the Ralph in a matter of hours will be outstanding. The genius behin...
Through some extesive research I have found 4 games that are scheduled for the Buffalo Sabres this Septemeber. These dates & opponents are official but the schedule is not "OFFICAL" as of yet. I think they may have 1 or 2 more games to add. That is just my opinion though. The reason i say that is they start 4 days later than any other teams i have sound and end 8 days...
The season of 08 is looking great for the wings as of now.last year the wings came tied for first with buffalo{buf had more wins} in points and the only divisionmate who even contended with them was the predators.i mean, lets face it chicago, the hawks suck and the same goes for the bluejackets.the blues are really on the right track but at most they'll contend for a playo...
Today the Buffalo Sabres have offically announced they are playing a game @ "THE RALPH". But dont get all worked up just yet. This game is at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. on September 24th, vs The Minnesota Wild. The game is a homecoming of sorts for Drew Stafford. Drew played his college puck @ "THE RALPH" for the Fighting Sioux. Below is the OFFICIAL...
I can't delete my old blog from before the playoffs started. I've tried, and confirmed my request. But when I refresh my screen, or click on my profile again, there it is...staring me in the face like a bad tuna sandwich. AArgh Now who is ready for the season to start?
[b] [u] By: Jon Cunningham[/u] [/b] [i]Please note, all apostrophes show up as an 'a' with ^ above it. I didn't do it, sorry. [/i] [b] [u] [i]Hello All![/i] [/u] [/i] [/b] In this blog, I will examine all the NHL Teams major additions and subtractions during the off season, and examine if the team is better or worse because of it. Each team will have a rating of...
Top 25 d-men scoring leaders: 1.Sergei Gonchar PIT: 20 G 76 PTS 2.Nicklas Lidstrom DET: 12 G 74 PTS 3.Scott Niedermayer ANA: 13 G 73 PTS (should he decide not to retire) 4.Lubomir Vishnovsky LA: 21 G 71 PTS 5.Dan Boyle TB: 23 G 70 PTS 6.Chris Pronger ANA: 17 G 70 PTS 7.Tomas Kaberle TOR: 12 G 68 PTS 8.Ryan Whitney PIT: 19 G 67 PTS 9.Bryan McCabe TO...
Perhaps it's a little early to write a preview for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so I'll make sure to do another one a little closer to the season opener. I figured it might be nice to get some of you Leaf fans salivating in excitement for the season though. First of all, I should review the off-season so far for the Buds. The Leafs made several significant moves. The big...
sstrang writes...

Let The Flames Fly!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's August, the hottest part of the summer is over. The Stampede is here and gone and heck, even the most loyal CFL fan is getting tired of the Stampeders. What better way to spend an evening than talking about 2007-08 Flames Hockey. [b]The Good[/b] First off, and others may not agree, the best thing the Flames did off-season was hire Mike Keenan. Last year this ...
sirwin31 writes...

Three More Weeks

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Once again the hockey season looms in front of us, creating an air of anticipation and excitement. Every year at this time, players are finishing their individual training and preparing for their team's pre-season camp, while fans are left sitting on their hands waiting for the season to start. We pointlessly discuss unimportant topics of where JS Aubin will sign and whe...
habsdoc writes...

Re-thinking Ryder

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I know many Habs fans want to trade Ryder asap and I am not sure I'm unwilling to trade him for the right piece of the puzzle, but consider the following before we ship him off to become a star somewhere else. From the Habs official site: MONTREAL - The natural goal scorer. Feared by goaltenders, revered by GMs across the NHL, Michael Ryder has earned his stripes a...
Hello fellow-hockey fans, Well, we are coming up to September rather quickly, and just under a few weeks we will all witness the birth of another NHL season. I, honestly, don't know what to expect. There were a lot of off season moves that seemed to shift the pendulum in favor of different teams strength-wise. The examples are all around us. The Avalanche picking up...
[b]Up next, I looked at the Northwest Division (one of the toughest to pick) Minnesota Wild[/b] The Minnesota Wild had a good year last year, perhaps overachieving a little bit. Mainly they were able to take advantage of Edmonton when they were on their spiral down towards the basement of the Northwest Division. The Wild were 6 - 2 against Edmonton and 4 of the wins ...
TheStig writes...

2007-2008 Leafs Lineup

Posted Monday | Comments 0
There have been a number of discussions in the last few weeks regarding the line combinations and pairings the leafs will use in the upcoming season, so I figured I might as well toss my hat into the ring. [u][b]Goaltending[/b][/u] The best option is to use a 60/40 split between Toskala and Raycroft, Toskala has never played the 65-70 games a #1, but is still a v...
Leafer93 writes...

Amended Predictions

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I made some NHL predictions awhile back; however, I made some small changes. I think that Carolina is more likely to make the playoffs than Philadelphia, and that I underestimated Washington and Dallas slightly; thus, I've made some changes to my tentative predictions. These are my FINAL predictions for the year. Book them. EASTERN CONFERENCE: 1) New York Rangers (51-2...
Ahhhhhhhhh. That feeling of the first cup of coffee in the morning or that feeling after a long nap on the couch on the weekend without the noisy kids in your face or that feeling of getting your NHL hockey dosage. Tonight I got mine. Not to say that watching my boys play youth hockey is boring or doesn't get the juices flowing, but there is nothing like today's NHL. ...
I went to the first Ducks preseason game last night at the Honda Center. There were more people there than I expected and it was a fun crowd. The season tickets I bought into are pretty high up (though, there’s not really a bad seat at the Honda Center, which is great) so I was around a lot of real fans. I had a blast. This is my first time watching a preseason gam...
The NHL will open up NHL Center Ice Online FREE on Monday, and plans to show some teams pre season games live.. and FREE via the web. Most teams with their own video channel on their web site should have direct access to the center ice online channel during the preseason to catch preseason games for free starting Monday! Freeview Lasts until Oct 9th, so Have Fun! T...
I was fortunate enough to get my tix for the Pens' home opener against the Ducks on Oct. 6th before the game sold out. I was just wondering if any other teams around the league have sold out opening nights. On a side note, I heard the game where the Rangers will be retiring Brian Leetch's number isn't on sale yet. Anyone have word on what's up with that? Oh yeah, a...
sixtyone writes...

Back at it

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Well here we are again. Pre-season is under way for the league. It's a good time to be a hockey fan. For me, pre-season is always a lot of fun just to see who stands out and who doesn't. At this year's Leafs camp, we have a couple of those guys and some are starting to stand out already. The name that keeps popping up is Simon Gamache. It seems like he is turni...
Period 1 The first and only goal of the first period came from the most unlikely source; The thick hearty mustache of George Parros. A tip pass came right to his stick from Brad May and he buried it behind Curtis Sanford. Ryan Shannon was making his presence felt against his old team. He had a few quality shots and some timely passes to linemate Mason Raymond. He pla...
Minor league roster, circus-like uniforms and a plethora of penalties (again) aside, it was nice to see the Islanders back on the ice last night in North York, Ontario taking on the Atlanta Thrashers. Garnet Exelby's overtime goal ended hopes for a win but the Isles should be encouraged for a handful of reasons. Freddy Meyer scored a nifty goal, nearly going end-to-...
At the Blues FanFest on Saturday, they handed out coupons for the next night's pre-season opener, a 5:00 Sunday night game against the Atlanta Thrashers. With the coupon, Lower-bowl seats were only $20.00... upper-bowl seats were free. Great deal! Except.... What about the season-ticket holders, who are forced to pay upwards of $100 for the same ticket as part of t...
sixtyone writes...

And here we go...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
So tonight is the first pre season game for the Leafs against the Oilers. It should be a good game and a good test for a few players. Here is the line up that was posted by Alec Brownscombe on his blog [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=9452[/url] FORWARDS: Darcy Tucker - Kyle Wellwood - Alexei Ponikarovsky Jeremy Williams - Matt Stajan - Simon Gamache ...
Dugray writes...

The Sounds of Hockey

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Do you hear what I hear? Of course you do. The scratching skates against the ice, the thumping of bodies, the sharp thwack of the slapshot, the rippling of the mesh, the gasps and screams and howls of the fans, the booming voices of coaches screaming out instructions, and the goal horns, oh how could I forget you? Not since the Super Series have I heard you, and have I eve...
MJCULE writes...

RAV to be intact?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
today after the skate lindy ruff held a brief presser (http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=337685). in this news conference he stared that he intends on keeping one of the most exciting lines for the sabres last year(RAV) together. this article also states that the rest of the forwards will look like this opening night. Vanek...
Mitchellis#1 writes...

Canucks Douse Flames

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The preseason didn't hinder the heated rivalry between The Vancouver Canucks and The Calgary Flames. The tempo was turned up a notch at General Motors place. If you stepped onto the ice you knew you were going to be hit. The Canucks opened the game with a flurry of speed and hits. They managed to keep pace with Calgary's tenacity and even excede them. The...
Leafer93 writes...

Preseason Thoughts Thus Far...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Having just sat through 12 hours on campus, and 6 hours of class, I really don't think I can be all that eloquent right now; however, I will just summarize what I've seen from the Leafs in both yesterday's 3-2 OT loss to Edmonton, and tonight's 3-2 win over Phoenix. HOT: The Blake/Sundin/Antropov line. This line had a great showing tonight, and was solid on the PP. I wi...
Mitchellis#1 writes...

Canucks Over Oilers 5-4

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The rivalry between the Canucks and Oilers isn't a fierce one, but tonights game felt like a regular season one, except for some scrambly play. A big knock against the Canucks play tonight was stupid penalties. They took 6 in the first period alone. Henrik to Daniel. Thats a sentance Canucks fans are going to hear a lot of this coming campaign. We heard it a lot tonigh...
Tonight, the preseason begins for the New York Rangers as they face off against their first opponent since falling to Buffalo in the postseason. The Rangers return bigger, better and stronger than last year, having added top centers Chris Drury and Scott Gomez as well as introducing a young group of Rangers hopefuls, led by defenseman Marc Staal. The upcoming season looks ...
sirwin31 writes...

Preseason Translation

Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the struggles of the Calgary Flames during their first three preseason games, I wondered if this was a sign of things to come as opponents would say, or simply false results caused by a lack of a full veteran roster, as many Flames fans would like to believe. Do preseason results translate to regular season success? In th 2006-'07 season, the Eastern Conference pr...
Watching the Flyers/Rangers game today, there were a couple of things that stood out to me: 1: Sami Kapanen looked good tonight. If he continues to play the way he did tonight he could be one of those 3rd line guys for the Flyers that makes the difference in the post season. 2: The Rangers power play looked terrible. 0-7 tonight, I'm hoping that they have yet to find...
I watched Detroit and Tampa Bay today. Here are my notes from the game: - I never got to watch much of the Lecavalier/St. Louis show last year but hopefully that will change this year with my purchase of NHL Center Ice. It is the end of the 2nd and Marty already has 2 beauty goals. Vinny didn't play but the telecast made up for it by showing all of his 52 goals last yea...
The Sharks travel to Calgary tonight to take on the Flames. San Jose will be looking to keep the Flames offense watered down and their defense on their toes. Coach Mike Keenan and the flames are still searching for their first preseason victory and will be matched up against a tough San Jose roster. Nabokov will get the start in goal as will Kiprusoff. This game will be a ...
Everyone does them and for my own sheer amusement (and to see my name on a website....) here goes: Western Conference 1. San Jose 2. Detroit 3. Vancouver 4. Anaheim 5. Calgary 6. Colorado 7. Minnesota 8. St. Louis 9. Nashville 10. Dallas 11. Los Angeles 12. Edmonton 13. Chicago 14. Columbus 15. Phoenix (1) San Jose vs. (8) St. Louis - San Jose in 4 ...
BuffaloMat writes...

Let there be light!

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Someone turned off the lights instead of just setting them to dim. Did someone get fired today? This is on Yahoo, I thought it was a little funny, so I thought I would share this. Also check out my other blog that I posted earlier about a certain rookie! http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=30462&post_id=2673 A lighting mixup delayed the start of t...
mage23 writes...

[2007-09-29] Tonight's Lines

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Following the lines from the last two practices, for the most part... Marleau Thornton Chechoo Clowe Pavelski Bernier Michalek Roenick Setoguchi Rissmiller Goc Grier McLaren Ehrhoff Vlasic Murray Davison Carle Nabokov Patzold For Calgary: Tanguay Conroy Iginla Nilsson Smith Huselius Moss Primeau Yelle Godard Boyd Peters Aucion Regehr Phaneuf Sari...
bcbenzel writes...

And So It Begins...

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The season is upon us! From the looks of things, it's going to be one helluva season. At this point, all of the speculation, all of the predictions, everything that has been talked about means absolutely nothing. The Ducks and Kings have kicked the season off in London and, despite all of the scheduling problems that it caused, it was extremely successful. The fans r...
Eastern Conference: 1. Pittsburgh Penguins: Last years youngest team added veteran help in Petr Sykora and Daryl Sydor to an already talented core. With Sidney Crosby up front and Marc-Andre Fleury in net, the Pens should build on last season. 2. Buffalo Sabres: Yes, the leaders are gone, but the students learned enough to carry the load. Derek Roy looks ready for an...
xmyth writes...

Unsubstantiated Season Preview

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I have no facts. I have no stats. I have no research, quotes, contacts. All I have is my opinion, but, as most of you know (begrudgingly), that is worth a fair bit. Did you come here for an in-depth analysis of teams, perhaps hoping for some outside speculation about your home team? If so, leave now. It will spare you disappointment beyond the shame you must feel ...
Tav writes...

Reasons to be Thankful

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Remembrance Day just passed up here in Canada and with American Thanksgiving on the way, it made me start thinking of reasons why I am thankful at this time of year, some of which I'd like to share with you all below. *I am sooooooo thankful of the people who have answered our country's call, both in the past and now, who and continue to defend the lifestyle we lead and...
We are at mid-season and the team thus far has performed well. The expectations for this team were through the roof at the start of the season, picked by most sports publications to win the cup. If you compare the performance up to this point with the early predictions for the team, you will see they are a little below where they planned to be. However the team continues t...
This is a in depth look at what Flyers are signed, which are free agents, who should be back, who should not and who might be trade bait. First a quick look and synopsis of who is signed and under contract for next season-and who have a realistic shot at NHL service with the Flyers in 2008-09. Forwards: Danny Briere, Simon Gagne, Scott Hartnell, Mike Knuble, Sami Ka...
Well, if there was any doubt on the fate of the Sabres - I called this weeks ago -, they proved tonight why they don't deserve to be one of the 8 Eastern Conference teams left standing for the 2008 NHL postseason. But beware of the spin! In the coming days and weeks, these are the things you'll be hearing from Sabres management, head coach Lindy Ruff, and general manag...
VENGEANCE [i]{has to wait for}[/i] NOW! This year the Flyers went through a lot. They started came out hot and went on a 6-1 tear, and from there on the team was very inconsistent. Injuries to [b]Simon Gagne[/b], [b]Mike Richards[/b], [b]Joffrey Lupul[/b], [b]Scottie Upshall[/b], and [b]RJ Umberger[/b] cost this team some scoring punch, and coupled with the teams inco...
Yet another UFA day is rapidly approaching, now just a measley week away. As usual, hockey fans across North America are gaining excitement as this day approaches and the calendar is about to flip July. And from a personal point of view, I couldn't be more excited - as usual - to see what my beloved team, the Buffalo Sabres, will do. A year of disappointment, only...
Hello to all during a summer in which the news has been filled about rising fuel costs, job losses, flooding, a declining home market, forest fires, and a war that still will not end. But in these times, there has been plenty of wonderful and fantastic news to all who are either die-hard fans or slight fans of the San Jose Sharks. The moves Doug Wilson has made have ...
mightyquinn writes...

Leafs: Had good G.F

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As the slow summer weeks pass, every day I hear fans, talk show host, and reporter’s talk about how "It's time to write off the Leafs", "They have no offence", "Team is full of 3rd and 4th liners". To a certain degree I would have to suck up my pride and agree, well I did until I started to think and research how they ranked last year. You would be surprised some of th...
The new schedule is out and you can view it on the sharks website. But I thought it might be nice to point out a few select dates and why they might be of interest to Sharks fans. On October 17th, Eastern Conference powerhouse Philly visits. Sid the Kid (sorry, Captain Kid) and the mighty Pens visit the tank on Tuesday, October 28th in a Halloween preview. After all, ...
While it is not yet the end of July, it's hard not to think about the upcoming hockey season, especially given the current state of the Devils and everything that has happened since last season's disappointing playoff loss. It seems as though the Devils have addressed their most pressing needs, and in just two months time, we finally will get to see how the seeds planted t...
[b]Re-signed Chuck Kobasew[/b] The Bruins re-signed Kobasew to a new 3-year deal with a 2.3 cap hit. I'm probably not the only one who believes that Chucky would have made a huge difference in our 7-game quarterfinal war against the Habs. He potted 22 goals in 73 games during the regular season on a team that was usually referred to as offensively handicapped. Despite ...
In the world of sports, the playoffs are often referred to as the "second season." Hockey fans know that the current season never really ends until the puck is dropped for the first game of the next one. In this sense, one can look at the off-season as the "third season," which has been less exciting than the previous summer for the Anaheim Ducks (having won the greatest...
thejerseydevil writes...

2008-09 Predictions

Posted Friday | Comments 0
That’s right folks, it’s my favorite part of the summer…the part where you still have some time left before normal life resumes, yet hockey season is so close you can almost taste it. (In case you were wondering, it tastes like Cracker Jack.) And so, it is time for my 2008-09 predictions. I assure you that I purposely wrote and published this blog before so much as g...
Folks. I'm a little peeved. For the last couple of weeks (and I may be selling this one short), the Hockey Buzz Chat Room is not working as it should. In order to see another person's remark, you need to hit the "refresh button" each time. As a season ticket holder, part of what I pay for is the use of this room. Often times I can catch some of my favorite people there...
predjoe writes...

Back In The US of A!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Nashville - When his plane touched down in Nashville a tired and weary PredJoe looked around as if to be expecting a welcome committee. There was none there. No signs. No banners. Nothing to welcome him home after months in Russia trying to live his dream as a hockey blogger. "It was something I had to try or I would regret it the rest of my life," said an unshaven Pred...
Ok, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict the regular season standings before the season actually starts (particulalrly the teams who'll actually make the playoffs). Here we go! EAST: 1) Pittsburgh* 2) Montreal* 3) Washington* 4) NY Rangers 5) New Jersey 6) Philadelphia 7) Ottawa 8) Tampa Bay ----- 9) Boston 10) Buffalo 11) Carolina 12) Toronto ...
[u]Depth Chart[/u] C Tim Connolly Derek Roy Paul Gaustad Adam Mair Jochen Hecht Nathan Gerbe Marek Zagrapan LW Thomas Vanek Daniel Paille Patrick Kaleta Clarke MacArthur Philippe Gogulla RW Drew Stafford Jason Pominville Ales Kotalik Maxim Afinogenov Andrew Peters Mark Mancari D Jaroslav Spacek Toni Lydman Henrik Tallinder Craig Rivet Andre...
normryder writes...

Nashville, Good Enough?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
First things first. The Nashville Predators have proven they have a good GM a good Coach and a good Hockey Team. They do a good job at the draft table, have a good AHL affiliate and have a good building to play in. So good. But is good,good enough for a team struggling to meet even minimum attendance goals and still has not managed to compete in the local media and local b...
Jsaquella writes...

The Little Brown Building

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://philadelphia.about.com/library/gallery/lincoln39.JPG[/img] The Spectrum. The little brown building at the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia. The home of the legendary Broad Street Bullies. The structure that infected NHLers with the Philly Flu. The place where a blue collar town came to love the ultimate blue collar sport. [...
It has arrived. After months of psychiatric help and forcing myself to watch football, I can finally go back to destroying my social life and concentrating on hockey. The Leafs are back in action and ready to make their pre-season debut. Many questions will begin to unfold and day-by-day the Leafs' final roster will take its form. The Leafs lace 'em up against their...
sirwin31 writes...

Flames First Pre-Season Game

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
(After a 5 month absence from posting) I went to the game tonight against the Panthers, and these were my thoughts on some individual performances... [u]The Good:[/u] [b]Iginla: [/b] -Looked in mid season form -Scored a beauty off a Boyd feed -Just hope he stays healthy and plays a full season *knock on wood* [b]Boyd: [/b] -Made a nice play on ...
Pucked writes...

What's up with Friesen?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Looks like Friesen has been held out of the last two games. As a long time season ticket holder and fan, would love to see Freeze back in teal, but coudl this hold out be a bad sign? Or is it just working the other prospects? Seems liek he has held his own when he played. Anyone have any insight? Please post here. Thanks. - Pucked
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. ...
MarleauMan writes...

Freeze.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hello again! So McLovin is being very vague about Jeff Friesens status. Saying "he didn't hurt his chances last night" What exactly does that mean? Our new coach seems to be a little less willing to give the media information about the status of certain players. One would think that with fr...
I do this every year, just for fun. The so-called hockey experts have their say, and I figure why not have mine? I'm a huge hockey fan, I've been following the league since a youngster - my earliest memories the 93-94 season and the infamous 7-game series between the NY Rangers and Vancouver. So here I go. [b]Regular Season Predictions[/b] [b][i]Western Conference[/b...
With the 2008 pre-season almost drawing to a close, it's the time of year when every fan is filled with hope and optimism about their teams chances to look competitive or maybe do well or even take home the cup. Leaf fans get to predict that they will have a defense this year; Islander fans get to hope they have someone who scores at least 50 points; Shark fans get to bel...
Eastern Conference: 1. Philadelphia- Their offense is arguably the best depth wise in the league, and they have some yound defensman that could really step up and do a good enough job to win the conference. And I think that Biron will do a good enough job as well. 2. Montreal- Fast, skilled, young, but I thinnk they will lose the conference by something as little ...
[b]FLAMES SEASON PREVIEW[/b] Someone asked me how I thought the Flames would do this year. That is hard to predict, because there are so many factors involved this season. The main problem I have with the Flames is the same old problem - not enough scoring. We have several forwards, but in all honesty, we have just too many third and fourth liners. I feel the Flames hav...
Preseason has concluded for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After 9 games of juggling line-ups and testing their young guns, the Leafs have finished with a 2-6-1 record. However, this blog does not have the objective to bash the Leafs and bring the fan base to a heaving sigh. Instead, let's take a different approach. Let's go into the season with our heads high. Let's go into the...
I was so excited for the start of this hockey season. Why exactly I cannot say. Season opening the last few years ever since the lockout has been an event I've barely noticed. Tonight, however, a mild ankle sprain kept me out of the lineup for my rec floor hockey game, which was ok, because the temptation of the raising of Detroit's Stanley Cup banner, the Wings-Leafs g...
I always enjoy playing out big Sabres games just before they take place on my PS2...sort of "predicting" if you will. I set the rosters up so that they match the Game Day rosters, and I go at it. Historically, I'd say I pick the winning team about 75% of the time whenever I do this, so it's pretty accurate. In fact, I've done playoff games in the past in which I get the...
So, on to the Hurricanes, who have posted themselves a 3-2-1 record to kick off the season. A respectable record, having only played two home games thus far, but the team has seemed to regress as the season goes on, as opposed to getting better. Obviously I can't recap every game for you here, so I will give you some +/- ratings for players on the season.... +'s B...
airtsabes writes...

Sabres New Season recap:

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
2-1-0 4pts After the first loss of the season the team bounced back rather well with 2 wins against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh on the road. Vanek, Roy, and Kotalik are tied for the team lead with 2G each. Roy, Stafford, Mair, and Gaustad each have 2A. Roy leads the team with 4P. Stafford leads the team in +- with a +4, meanwhile upcoming star Gerbe has a +3 after m...
I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but next offseason is going to be interesting. With the CAP not expected to move much next year and potentially could go down the following year, GMs have to be carful with their money [b][u]Forwards[/u][/b] Next year we have Briere, Richards, Gagne, Carter, Lupul, Hartnell, Metropolit, Asham, and Cote signed to 1-way contracts. ...
As most Blues fans will tell you, the reason to watch the Blues isn't because they're going to win or make the playoffs. The excitement is watching the young talent on this team and salivating over the potential. Thank God for that shred of hope, because watching the Blues right now is maddening. [b]The Good.[/b] (In no particular order) The emergence of David Backes ...
This will serve as my technical midseason review, even though the Flames passed that mark two games ago. I'm splitting this post into two parts: first, a general review of the season so far, examining defense and offense, and then I will discuss if anything can - or needs - to be done to improve the team via trades. Now that we're approaching the heat of trade rumour seaso...
This year's standings have probably seen a lot of activity in terms of teams moving up and down in their conferences and divisions. Despite the active movement, there are also enormous barriers between certain seedings that give certain teams very comfortable cushions. I think this year's playoffs will be just as unique as the season has been so far. One could say these ar...
BryanM writes...

Change coming San Jose

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After embarassing themselves yet again in post-season play the question on the table now is what do you change in San Jose. Here are my answers: [i]1.) Trade Evgeni Nabokov[/i] Sharks fans will hate me for saying this, and I agree with their love for Nabby. The problem is he just doesn't steal games in the playoffs. In game five he allowed the Ducks back into the gam...
After one of the most disappointing endings in the playoffs in recent history for the New Jersey Devils, fans may have something or someone to look forward to. The Devils’ website had headlines thanking the fans for the enormous support that was shown this regular season and especially in the playoffs. One thing is for sure though, if the Devils make a big move on the f...
All is quiet in the world of the Devils right now. Fans and players alike have one eye on next season while the other looks back at the year that was with a disgruntled groan of frustration. There has been a distinctly empty stretch since the team cleaned out their lockers, not that this is unexpected. So while Devils fans watch their lesser sports and wait for some news, ...
In the midst of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, perhaps it's a little early to discuss the possibility of the Toronto Maple Leafs splurging in this year's Unrestricted Free Agent crop by acquiring Mike Komisarek. But hey, four consecutive years of missing the post-season will do that, and speculation is always fun, so let's discuss! Komisarek has been a serviceable defen...
Watching the Stanley Cup Finals now, I can't help but think how it should be us. We should be watching the Devils battle the Red Wings right now, and we very well might be had the team not decided to sit back as if they still had the likes of Stevens and Daneyko to save the day. But now that the offseason is unfortunately upon us, I'd like to try placing myself in the GM's...
amerk626 writes...

Devils Off-Season Questions

Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the playoffs drawing to an end, a lot of questions surround the New Jersey Devils as the beginning of the off-season nears. The major questions being asked by fans, bloggers, and analysts are mainly routine questions that come up every year, but there are a few that stand out more than others, whose outcomes can affect this Devils team in different ways. [b]What is...
amerk626 writes...

Make or Break!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This is a pivotal off season for the New Jersey Devils. After another "red bull" season, the Devil's weaknesses were exposed greatly after the trade deadline and in the playoffs. This, along with the need to hire a head coach, handling the upcoming draft, and his annual free agent situation puts a lot on Lou's plate. This off season may be the most important one for the De...
jzs_18 writes...

The Oil in the off season

Posted Monday | Comments 0
just going to share a few thoughts on issues the oilers are facing this off season. new coaches: i like the hiring of quinn and renney is an underrated hire as well. it will be interesting to see how they handle the current roster and what they decide to do with it. a couple questions as to what they will do with a guy like penner, do they give him another chance or get...
amerk626 writes...

Offense or Defense?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
July 1st is less than a week away and the NHL Entry Draft is hours away. Rumors seem abundant for 29 other teams in the NHL, while what little news regarding the Devils is scarce and broad. Is this another instance of the Devils living up to their reputation of confidentiality or Lou sitting on his you know what picking his fingernails? I digress. We all know who the...
trueblue98 writes...

a REALISTIC offseason plan

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hey everybody, i've been on hockeybuzz for a while but rarely post. But after reading EVERYWHERE about all these "offseason plans" that people are coming up with its just ridiculous. Lets get real. We have no money to spend. The odds of trading Drury, Gomez, Redden and/or Rozsival are very slim to say the least. The only realistic one that could be moved may be Rozsival. D...
KPE18 writes...

NEW Offseason Game Plan

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With Brashear and Gaborik signed to contracts, as it stands today, the Rangers have about $13.7 million of cap space to work with. This is what should happen with that money if we want to be Stanley Cup contenders. -Sign the RFA's. This is a reasonable amount for each RFA. Zherdev-2 years $3.25million per yr. Higgins-4 years $2 million per yr. Korpikoski-1 year $...
This is my first blog and I live and breathe flyers hockey so cut me some slack. haha After a disappointing first round exit at the hands of the pens, that saw the flyers get beat defensively and in goaltending, their main goal coming into the offseason was to improve the goaltending and blue line. Like many flyers' fans i was awestruck, angry, and about to start a lynch m...
I hate to be the bearer of bad news to Habs fans out there. Especially on the heels of such an emotional 24-hours in which we lost our inspirational captain, and our flame of offensive passion. It seems like just yesterday that I, for the first time in my short life, felt like I was in the presence of a true Stanley Cup Contender going into a season. Compared to the excite...
So let's put all this Heatley drama aside for a second and look ahead to the upcoming season. Am I being too optimistic or do Sens fans have a lot to look forward to? Let's start with the [b]coaching[/b]. The last few years have been turbulent in terms of coaching for Sens fans. Cory Clouston is a young, new coach who seems to want to bring a whole new identity to this...
Alright guys, bear with me here, this is my first time blogging so I may make some mistakes here and there, but I figured, hey, why not start out with a topic that I love? That topic being the Nashville Predators. Now, moving on to the specific topic itself: In my honest opinion, I believe the Predators have positioned themselves quite well so far this offseason. ...
andydrmm writes...

09-10 Schedule

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
All fans anticipated the release of the 2009-2010 season schedule. Again, the Buffalo Sabres have an intriguing schedule ahead of them. Numerous exciting match-ups lay ahead in the upcoming months. There are a few clutch points in this season that will make or break Buffalo's season. The months of December and March contain the most games for Buffalo. This will test Bu...
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...
KPE18 writes...

Trade Proposals

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Here are 3 deals that will help out the Rangers..... 1. Rangers get: Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg Blackhawks get: Michal Rozsival, Nikolai Zherdev, Brodie Dupont 2. Rangers get: Matt Stajan, Ian White MapleLeafs get: Nikolai Zherdev, Dan Girardi, 2nd round pick The last one is a three way 3. Rangers get: Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettenen Senators get:...
To this point in the summer, the New Jersey Devils have laid out their plans and executed. The gameplan this summer is youth movement, and save for the Cory Murphy signing, that is exactly what's happened. The signing of Murphy gives the Devils 8 defensemen who could potentially play with the big club this season, and that's ignoring the fact that a strong training camp fr...
Would anyone have expected the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to be perennial elites of the league when the expansion franchise was granted in 1993? Their uniforms were atrocious. Their lineup was laughable. They owed their existence to a campy Disney movie. Hardly the makings of a champion franchise. Even the Kariya-Rucchin-Selanne line, easily among the best forw...
andydrmm writes...

Is this a playoff team?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I recently read the article about the Sabres building the team they have to be competitive. The pieces are there, according the Darcy Regier. There is a comfort level of the roster. I don't deny that the team has talent. It's there. However, for the past two seasons, the team has missed the playoffs with these players. Could a piece be missing? There is the ability to d...
With the departure of Jaroslav Spacek, Max Afinogenov, Teppo Numminen, Al Kotalik, and most likely Dominic Moore and Andrew Peters, and the addition of Mike Grier, Cody McCormick, and Steve Montador, the Sabres will surely have a "new" look this coming season. The past 2 seasons have left us fans asking "Where is the grit?", and finally Darcy has addressed the issue....
So The Hockey News website is doing a ranking of where they think all 30 teams will finish this season, from last to first, and in the 8th spot overall – in the East – they have chosen the Montreal Canadiens. [url]http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/27434-The-Hockey-News-200910-NHL-regular-season-predictions-No-8.html[/url] Looking at this prediction, I’d h...
I've been quiet this offseason because I've decided to keep myself busy playing hockey outside rather than comment on free agent signings, especially since the Penguins haven't made any really big moves. However the news of Patrick Marleau being ousted as the captain going into training camp, with not successor named, has given me cause to post again. I fully support...
KPE18 writes...

FULL 2009-10 NHL Predictions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
East 1-Washington- Ovechkin, Semin, Backstom, Green, Poti..... Amazing 5... Nuff Said 2-Pittsburgh- Stanley Cup Champs, with two franchise players who easily break 100 pts. 3-Boston- Savard, Bergeron, and others will all score 20 goals, and their all-star defense will lift them to home ice advantage. 4-NY Rangers- Gaborik is coming off surgery and will be healt...
With the 2010 NHL training camps only a few weeks away, I think that Habs fans are excited about the upcoming season but with all the changes over the summer, left feeling a little lost too. The question is, why? Why was this summer's upheaval so traumatic? Why do we feel like we are floating in the wind waiting for the breeze to deposit us somewhere? I'll tell you why...
With training camp only a few days away and the Habs rookie camp already underway, there is no doubt that hockey is in the air....and I'm lovin' it! Given that the 2010 season is almost upon us, it got me thinking about the new-look Habs and what their chances of success are, this season. While I'm not brave enough to make a prediction, I think that I can say that I am c...
A-Mar writes...

Quick NHL Season Players Preview

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Anaheim -MVP: Ryan Getzlaf -Key New Face: Saku Koivu -Sleeper: Andrew Ebbett -Super Sleeper: Luca Sbisa Atlanta -MVP: Ilya Kovalchuk -Key New Face: Nik Antropov -Sleeper: Anssi Salmela -Super Sleeper: Jason Krog Boston -MVP: Zdeno Chara -Key New Face: Marco Sturm (back from injury) -Sleeper: Matt Hunwick -Super Sleeper: Vladimir Sobotka Buf...
So, continuing in my 5 part series on what will (or won't) make the Habs successful this season, I want to start off by replying to one of the comments from my last post. In my previous post, I had said that I define the Habs' success as finishing anywhere between 4th and 8th, in the East. The poster, 'flamminghead', wondered why not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd? Well, the answer i...
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not win a lot of games this season, but the opposition won’t be leaving the rinks with a full set of teeth. A team that Brian Burke envisioned as truculent, belligerent and pugnacious hit the ice last night in a no holds barred match-up. There were five fights by the end of the game; the Leafs winning three of them. Surprisingly, pugilist C...
Back again, and in the home stretch with part 4 of 5, in this series. Training camp is in full effect and the new look Habs hit the ice tonight against Florida, in Montreal. Gomez asks Lapierre if he thinks it will be a sold out tonight. Hehe.....good one Scott. In a few short hours, you will experience, 1st hand, what it feels like to be a home boy in the larges...
Canadiens' lineup Forwards Mike Cammalleri - Scott Gomez - Andrei Kostitsyn Guillaume Latendresse – Maxim Lapierre – Matt D’Agostini Gregory Stewart – Mikael Johansson – Brock Trotter Mathieu Darche – David Desharnais – Ryan White Defensemen Andrei Markov – Josh Gorges Jaroslav Spacek – Ryan O’Byrne André Benoit – P.K. Subban Goaltend...
Ryman writes...

Sharks Vs Canucks 9/18/09

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I just got home from this game and have to say I didn't really like the first 1 1/2 periods at all. With the game being 5 to 0 at this point really made me want to pack my stuff and head back home and play EA NHL 10. Thomas Greiss did not look good tonight. With 11 shots there were 5 goals and most of these goals looked very stoppable. After a few more shots at Greiss A...
BryanM writes...

Survival of the Fittest

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Okay, I'm obviously not some great hockey expert writing about all the little nuances of the game I love. But I do know that finely-tuned athletic machines should not be getting hurt so easily in training camp. Today I wake up to find Adam Burrish's name added to the list of players who will not make the season opener and I am forced to ask, what is going on here? Okay,...
This is part 5 of 5 in this series, and I just want to thank everyone for the feedback and emails! The support and feedback, whether negative or positive, is always appreciated! So without further ado.... [b]Carey Price[/b] When Carey Price was drafted, 5th overall, in the 2005 NHL entry draft, a lot of people were unsure as to why the Habs grabbed this kid. As go...
Here are ten predictions for the 2009-10 season. I asked "Big Country" Shawn Lavigne of Hockey This Morning on XM 204, and here are his picks, along with mine: 1 - Aside from Wayne Gretzky, the first head coach to be fired this season: Shawn Lavigne - Lindy Ruff Me - Peter DeBoer It's not that Deboer is necessarily doing anything wrong. He got the Panthers within...
andydrmm writes...

Time for Hockey!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
That time is here. Face off is almost 48 hours away between the Habs and the Sabres. What awaits for the loyal fans of Buffalo this season? After looking through what happened in the off-season, I feel that Buffalo is yet again, not prepared or ready for the season to start. Looking at the final roster, I don't feel this team is any better than the team last year. There...
landsharkhockey writes...

Warroom Predictions

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I was on the Warroom on XM 204 yesterday to chat with them about NHL predictions for the upcoming season. 3 simple questions were asked. Here are their picks, along with mine: 1.  Which team will win the 2009-10 Stanley Cup? 2.  Which player will win the 2009-10 Hart Trophy? 3.  Give us one wacky and/or out-on-a limb prediction. Peter Berce - Sharks, Joe Thorn...
It's been a while since I've written anything on here. It's really been more of a change in lifestyle than a lack of things to say. Since the hockey season started, I've become a part-time student with a full-time job instead of the other way around. As such, my days begin at 7:55 AM as opposed to 2 PM. I'll write when I have time, which is not that often, but I have some ...
The Habs 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, on Monday, marked the official mid-point of their season. Having now played 41 games and with ALMOST the entire team healthy, I thought it was a good time to review the 1st half of the season. I have provided an overall review, a look at special teams and grades for each player CURRENTLY on the roster broken down by position. Final...
After a dissappointing finish in the first round, it is apparent that the culture of our team needs a bit of a shake. I think we have a very skilled team, but there are quite a few changes that need to be made. Mostly we need more players that will be more accountable and play a leadership role. We have a team of boys but we need a team of men. In making this blog,...
After a dissappointing finish in the first round, it is apparent that the culture of our team needs a bit of a shake. I think we have a very skilled team, but there are quite a few changes that need to be made. Mostly we need more players that will be more accountable and play a leadership role. We have a team of boys but we need a team of men. In making this blog, I t...
nyr30 writes...

the long road ahead

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
with the playoffs coming near to the end the off-season will begin.the rangers have many decisions to make this year.1.resign prospal?2.bring back the whole 4th line?attempt to move r&r?bring back zherdev?..knowing sather he will do none of these and instead sign or trade for vets that have a yr or 2 left in them...also do you sign sergei gonchar or let him slip away ...
6/24/10 - This time of the season is the most exciting to me. It’s where champions are built. Darcy Regeir always says that he will build his team in the off-season. Darcy Regeir’s time to make a move is NOW. We have some key ingredients, including an all-world goalie, a number 1 defenseman, and a 40 goal scoring winger. We have some very important third and four...
By Eric Marin Their chemistry produced one of the greatest goals in Devils history, and Patrik Elias hopes Jason Arnott’s second tour in New Jersey proves just as sweet. It was Elias who set up Arnott’s winning tally in double overtime of Game 6 to clinch the Stanley Cup versus Dallas in 2000. Together, they were two-thirds of the famed “A Line” with Petr...
Hi all, I am new to the blogging world so bear with me! I have been a huge leafs fan all my life, but that will not cloud my judgement on how I think they will perform this year (well ok maybe a little bit ;). Obviously I would love it,as would any other Leaf fan, for them to end the dreadful stanley cup drought, or even their post-lockout playoff drought, but lets be ho...
alexgoal writes...

INTRODUCING...

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I'm starting a new weekly bolg. I will be writing about the NHL in general and sometimes, more specifically, the Habs. The post post-season saw the trade of playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the Blues for Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. Eller, who should be the third line center this year, has good playmaking ability and isn't afraid to play in rough spots. Schultz is probably a ...
Cecil09 writes...

Top 50 Players in the NHL

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well its getting close to training camp time in the NHL, and that means it time for some preaseason predictions and rankings. I'll be putting my conference and award predictions up soon and here is my ranking of the top 60 players in the NHL. 1. Sidney Crosby - No brainer here. 2. Alex Ovechkin - Doesn't quite have the championship pedigree to reach Crosby, defenseman ...
Tonight is the first of three pre-season match-ups for the "Battle of Ontario", and perhaps for the first time since the pre-lockout era, the games could live up to that title. Leafs fans will be happy to know that almost all of their new additions will make their way on the ice tonight. Only recently signed free agent forward Clarke MacArthur will sit out tonight's gam...
I know I'm probably the only one thinking about this right now, being 3 weeks removed from the trade deadline, and another three weeks from the start of the playoffs, but it's just been something I've been kicking around lately, especially given the opinions of the some of the other folks I've heard lately. The Red Wings stood still at the trade deadline, as is their M....
check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/ Now that the Islanders are officially out of the playoff race it is time to start looking towards next season and see what improvements need to be made to become a contender next year. First let me say, I think this season was a huge success. Sounds crazy, I'll explain. As last season concluded, myself and many other fans...
Ok here we go…….. When I look at the Sabs I see potential for a great, great team. One like Boston has now. We have the parts of a team that are the most difficult to obtain (goaltending, a number one d-man, depth forwards who can add scoring, coaching, and sniping wingers). The main thing we need is centers (duh). So here is what I would try and do today, this ...
I didn't spend yesterday night watching my team get swept. I've said this continuously since the Bruins scored their 5th goal. That Flyers team was not my team. My team played the Chicago Blackhawks in the Finals last year; My team was tearing into the the entire league in January; and then they stopped playing. Just fell off the face of the earth. Frankly, I've been l...
Please read this blog http://hempstevensloves.com/the-new-boys-of-summer-why-the-nhl-should-begin-in-august/ Thank you The O.Fitz P.S. Have a Nice Day :)
joelsteeves writes...

Leafs - Do or Die?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This summer will be a key time as the Toronto Maple Leafs strive to break a drought that has seen them absent from the past six consecutive post seasons. The farm has been rejuvenated with the likes of Greg McKegg, Jesse Blacker, Jake Gardiner and Joe Colborne joining top prospect Nazem Kadri. However, the Leafs remain without a number one play making center and are still ...
Newman writes...

Karlsson re-signs.

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Calgary Tower is back! Well it never really left, but you know what I mean. Karlsson re-signed with the Flames for another two years today. Read more here: http://www.thesportsroundup.com/ Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
The 2011 free agent class was the weakest group of ufa's that I have seen in a very long time but none the less moves were made and their were still winners and losers which I will give you all my opinion on the moves that all 30 teams made thus far including moves made before the draft. As always comments good and bad are welcomed as I do want your opinion of how you all...
With hockey enthusiasts left to count the days until the puck drops again, I believe it would be a good time to share my predictions as to what will unfold between now and next April. Enjoy. Eastern Conference: 1. Washington Capitals 2. Pittsburgh Penguins 3. Boston Bruins 4. New York Rangers 5. Tampa Bay Lightning 6. Buffalo Sabres 7. Montreal Canadiens 8. Phil...
Hey everyone! The start of the season is almost here I am very much looking forward to being able to share my thoughts throughout the season. A little bit about me: My name is Anthony, I am 23 years old and I live in Dallas, TX. I am originally from the Bay Area and will be moving back there at some point in the future. I have been a Sharks fan since I can remember and lov...
The Flyers have improved to 2-1-1 in their first four games of the post season. As I've reported in my previous blog, the Flyers would re-evaluate on Saturday and they did just that. At 3:01 PM the Flyers have cut 17 Players. Goalie Johan Backlund was a notable name. Backlund has struggled since his surgery and hasn't been the same when the Flyers signed him as "The g...
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me. Coaching situation Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
Bros, Many Torontonians find themselves qualified to do the job of Brian Burke. Toronto and the surrounding GTA is infected by a plague of arm-chair GM's who believe themselves to be educated and well versed on the inner-workings of the National Hockey Leaue. I happen to be one of these "arm-chair GM's" yet wish to bring a more level headed perspective to the situation....
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me. Coaching situation Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me. Coaching situation Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
JamieS writes...

The Leafs Off-season

Posted Saturday | Comments 2
Brian Burke sure has his fair share of work to do this coming off-season. Now currently owning the longest drought without a cup AND the only team that hasn't made the playoffs since the Lockout, fans are starting to get upset. Ownership doesn't have a problem, just as long as they keep selling tickets, and I think that gives Burke some leeway when it comes to this season....
For many seasons, the Flyers have always opted for the "quick fix" mentality. Signing a big name free agent, trading away draft picks and young prospects for more established players often on the back end of their career, and relying on high salaried players to get the job done. This strategy has come close to paying off several times. Trading away a huge chunk of the futu...
AarifDeen writes...

Offseason Review: Part 1 of 6

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] We are now currently just a few days into the most horrifying month of the year for the entire hockey world. Seriously now, August definitely is the worst time to be a hockey fan. Free agency has die...
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] LINK TO PART ONE: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13838&user_id=131735[/url] Today is day two of a six-day series that will look at the job done by the 30 GM’s around the league. Fr...
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] LINK TO PART ONE: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13838&user_id=131735[/url] LINK TO PART TWO: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=131735&post_id=13858[/url] [b...
AarifDeen writes...

Offseason Review: Part 4 of 6

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[u]I apologize for the late submission of part 4. I've been having trouble on this website getting this uploaded. Finally got it to work. Thanks for reading![/u] [b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind. [/b] [b]15. Los Angeles: [/b] Lad...
The NHL and NHLPA have reached a point of potentially experiencing a second NHL lockout in less than a decade. There are significant losers if this does happen, and very limited winners as well. So, why has it not been resolved? That's for both parties to figure out, but it seems the difference in desires for the new CBA will continue to hinder the possibility o...
The ideology that Canadian players are responsible for the success of any given team is common. Farm-born Saskatchewan kids can elevate their game and play clutch hockey when it really matters. But do local boys offer any discernable advantage over American or European players to a teams success? That's what this blog is going to be about. I'm going to find out. To star...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds. Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far. First off they s...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds. Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far. First off they s...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds. Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far. First off they s...
So I got married 18 days ago, and ventured off on my honeymoon. I left knowing that the risk of a lockout was coming up. For 10 days, I didn’t look for much information, mainly due to the fact that I was sitting in the middle of the Caribbean without cell phone signal. Plus, I didn’t want to pay the money for wi-fi on the boat. When I got back to Fort Lauderdale, and h...
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] Something that was already a given, has further been proven now with the latest updates of the CBA negotiations. In case you haven’t heard the news yet (which obviously means you’ve probably b...
[b]This is a question that every columnist or blogger in the hockey hemisphere is going to be asking its readers. How will the abreviated hockey season affect their team?[/b] Naturally the true answer is, "Nobody knows". But like with any bit of news in any major sport, journalists are going to be paid to ask these theoreticals and try their best to give an edjucated ...
"[i]Guess who just got back today? Those wild eyes boys that had been away. Haven't changed, haven't much to say. But man I still think them cats are crazy[/i]"-Thin Lizzy [i]The Boys Are Back In Town[/i], the obligatory song that will be played in every arena across the NHL at some point during opening warmups on Opening Day. Not that anyone is complaining because all ...
Imagine you are the crew chief of an Indy Car team, and you were just informed that this year’s Indianapolis 500 has been rescheduled as the “Indy 275”. That’s pretty much the challenge that has been put in front of NHL GMs, coaches, and players. With a 48 game schedule, this season will have a unique character. A hot streak will give that much more of an advantage...
andydrmm writes...

Don't Forget The Fans...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I could do the overdone “Yay, lockout’s over!!” blog, but I won’t. There’s a few reasons, but those will be revealed more as time progresses towards the start of the season. However, I’m more concerned with how the NHL handles the next few days as teams head to camps. First, is the development of a schedule. We’ve lost enough games, and people have paid d...
I wont believe that Derek Roy isn't a Sabre anymore until I see it Sunday 1/20/13 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Sabres didn't make any moves for a true NHL caliber number 1 center, but I do like the moves that they made in the off-season (a very long off-season.) Buffalo Sabres traded Derek Roy for tough guy Steve Ott and dman Adam Pardy. They also acquired enf...
Im quite amazed and highly enjoying the higher than expected level of competitiveness from the players this early in the season.Heck didn't Betts ( Bettman) suggest that the quality of product might suffer or diminish because of a shortened season? I say not in fact I'm ready to shorten the season next year to 67 games. Yes and I'll tell you why. Playoff bonus money. That'...
As we're getting ready for what should be a very exciting and eventful offseason, this season should see a lot of goalie movement. I will list off all the Goalies of importance (aka not backups) who i think will be moved, or sign somewhere else Buffalo: Miller (trade) Calgary: Kipper (retire) Chicago: Emery (UFA) LAK: Bernier (RFA) Minny: Backstrom (UFA) NYI: Nabak...
Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac, Stefan Matteau, Steve Bernier, Ryan Carter, Krys Barch and Stephen Gionta. These seven are the only non-free agent forwards on Jersey's roster (Henrique, Josefson and Loktionov are restricted). On top of that, their defensive core is a jumbled mess. Fayne, Tallinder, Larsson, Volchenkov and Harrold were switched in and out of the lineup all...
Justin1987 writes...

Leafs Free Agency So Far

Posted Monday | Comments 0
After being one of the more active teams come the free agency frenzy, the leafs have settled down into a quieter role. Looking at what they accomplished so far, its hard to argue that the leafs have not become a more attractive team then they once were just a few short months ago. The leafs brought in a tough, scoring winger in [b]David Clarkson[/b] into their top 6....
Justin1987 writes...

Leafs Free Agency So Far

Posted Monday | Comments 0
After being one of the more active teams come the free agency frenzy, the leafs have settled down into a quieter role. Looking at what they accomplished so far, its hard to argue that the leafs have not become a more attractive team then they once were just a few short months ago. The leafs brought in a tough, scoring winger in [b]David Clarkson[/b] into their top 6....
Justin1987 writes...

Leafs Free Agency So Far

Posted Monday | Comments 0
After being one of the more active teams come the free agency frenzy, the leafs have settled down into a quieter role. Looking at what they accomplished so far, its hard to argue that the leafs have not become a more attractive team then they once were just a few short months ago. The leafs brought in a tough, scoring winger in [b]David Clarkson[/b] into their top 6....
Justin1987 writes...

Leafs Free Agency So Far

Posted Monday | Comments 0
After being one of the more active teams come the free agency frenzy, the leafs have settled down into a quieter role. Looking at what they accomplished so far, its hard to argue that the leafs have not become a more attractive team then they once were just a few short months ago. The leafs brought in a tough, scoring winger in [b]David Clarkson[/b] into their top 6....
FLYERSROCK! writes...

Oilers Offseason to date

Posted Friday | Comments 0
While I may be a Flyers fan, the Oilers will always be my 2nd favorite team, and they have been since the day I was born. I've decided to mix it up and write a blog for a different team. Today I will sum up the Oilers offseason to date. That includes everything from the Draft, Free Agent signings, re-signings, trades, and management changes. [b][u]Management Changes [...
Creating a blog like this will bring obvious controversy, agreements and disagreements. I know that. However, the Oilers are without a captain for the 13/14 season, so why not blog about it? The Oilers could always go the 3 assistant captains route, however, i feel that with all the young players the Oilers have, they will put a C on one of their younger players sweaters. ...
Time for my 3rd blog on the Oilers in the past 3 days! In this feature I will be guessing how many points I think the Oilers players will get during the upcoming 2013/2014 NHL season. I believe some players are due for a breakout season, or atleast a bounceback season. Of course, roster spots could still change. I will be doing the top 9 Forwards, top 5 Defense, and the...
I decided to write a little something to keep my fellow oiler posters entertained while they find a new oiler blogger. If you do like it, I may write another. If you don't like it, then I'm never showing my face here again. Let’s start with the big move of the summer. LW Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson(MPS) and a 2nd round pick in 2014 to St. Louis for LW David Perron. I m...
Due to this being a great idea and most popular demand by Oiler fans, today's blog will focus on how the Oilers can improve their bottom 6 FW. When you look at the Oilers bottom 6 you currently have these 7 players... 3rd line: Smyth-Gordon-Hemsky 4th line: Jones-Lander-Joensuu/Brown To me that isn't a terrible bottom 6, but you definitely have a very weird and ...
With golf season winding down and training camps on the horizon, the Colorado Avalanche set to begin the 2014 season rejuvenated. The additions to the front office have already broken with tradition, extending both Matt Duchene and Gabriel "Call me Gabe" Landeskog. With both Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy at the helm, fans can expect a bit more transparency, or at the very leas...
The Leafs begin their quest for redemption this season as the club opens their 2013-14 preseason schedule tonight in London against the Philadelphia Flyers. After their horrendous game seven collapse at the hands of Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins this past spring, the Leafs re-tooled and brought a new found edge to the team that was sorely lacking in some instan...
BiggE writes...

Upcoming NHL Season predicitions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Here are one man's picks for where every team will finish this season. It goes without saying that most will be end up being wrong! If there's one thing I've learned in 40+ years as an NHL fan, its that every season is pretty much unpredictable! *teams will make the playoffs! Metropolitan (BTW, I still think that's a stupid name for a division!) 1. Pittsburgh*: Th...
At 7:00 PM EST the Devils will greet the Isles in their future home at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn. For the Devils, this is a very important game: 1.) Today, Schneider has a chance to claim the starting role. Although it will always be said that Brodeur is the #1 goalie, if Schneider displays anything like his game against the Rangers, Brodeur will have to step off. ...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
You hear it all the time, "Who cares! It's preseason, the games mean nothing!". Tell that to the members of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres. The game itself was rather tame for the first two periods last night, but all hell broke lose in the third period after a fight between Leaf tough-guy hopeful Jamie DeVane, and Sabres winger Corey Tropp. The fight ...
In preparation for the 2013-14 season, I thought I'd give you an overview of the team I expect to see. Jagr-Henrique-Ryder Elias-Zajac-Brunner Clowe-Loktionov-Zubrus Barch-Bernier-Carter Zidlicky-Volchenkov Greene-Harrold Larsson-Salvador A few notes: -Although the top two lines will probably be shuffled around on the regular basis, I'd like to see Jagr and Henrique...
The Ducks enter the half way point of the season with a record of 28-8-5, and their 61 points tie them with Chicago for the top spot in the entire NHL (with Chicago winning tonight, they now sit 2nd overall, but at the 41 game mark, the 2 teams were tied in points). The Ducks currently hold a 5 point lead in the Pacific Division over the Sharks, and the Kings are 2 points ...
The oilers have missed the post season for eight years straight and macT is going to be very busy this summer if he doesn't want the same fate at the end of next season. So I am going to predict some of the trades and signings he is going to make this offseason and ask what I would like to see him do. First of- draft Leon draisaitl he could slide right in to the 2c role...
Hello there folk been a while since I wrote a blog and on a rainy Sunday seems like a great idea to me.rnrnI've read countless articles suggesting the Edmonton Oilers trade for the 1st overall pick to get Ekblad. Personally unless the trade is extremely one sided in favor of the Oilers (which it will never be) trading for 1st overall is a waste of resources as well as a st...
With an unfortunate elimination in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a bright future ahead of them, and have much to build on. Looking back at the playoffs, it was no surprise that with a young, inexperiences team, the Lightning would have a tough opponent in the Montreal Canadiens. Although I did believe that the Lightning could...
[u]SORRY ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THIS BLOG PARAGRAPHS WERE BEING A REAL PAIN[/u] [b]I[/b] have read multiple blogs, with outrageous ideas about what Edmonton should do during this off season and all I have to say to that is this isn't a Video game, this is a business and you can’t go get whatever you want whenever you want. With that being said let’s look at what the Oile...
[u]SORRY ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THIS BLOG PARAGRAPHS WERE BEING A REAL PAIN[/u] [b]I[/b] have read multiple blogs, with outrageous ideas about what Edmonton should do during this off season and all I have to say to that is this isn't a Video game, this is a business and you can’t go get whatever you want whenever you want. With that being said let’s look at what the Oile...
BHTD9 writes...

Imagine the leafs did this

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Okay so this I believe is my first blog and how this has come about is I was talking with a buddy of mine about the Leafs and what they should do this off-season (as I'm sure the majority of leafs fans are). So we were talking about trades and the recent rumours about O'Rielly, the 1st overall, and everything in between. Then we got talking about a series of trades that ...
To say that this has been an uneventful offseason ALREADY for the Flyers is far from the truth. June 23rd strikes again, and I think this year, it was highly unexpected. I couldn't believe my eyes when I was at work on Monday at Noon, and I saw a Twitter notification flash on my phone, and just like that, the first major surprise in the Hextall era! Hartnell to the Blue Ja...
I wanted to start this on draft day, but that wasn't in the cards, so I'll take it from free agency on out. I'm going to start with a quick overview of each contracted guy on the roster (and a few on the Phantoms) which will include chances he makes the regular season roster. Then I'll head into moves we could, should and have to make. And then finally, what the roster cou...
I have been thinking about the upcoming NHL Season and I think I have a pretty good grasp on every teams attempted identity change. In the next few days I will write a preview on every NHL team and then try my best to predict the league standings around the NHL Trade Deadliine in early March. So lets get right into it: [b]Anaheim Ducks[/b] The Ducks finished #1 in th...
The New Jersey Devils have their goalie of the future. This off-season they committed to Massachusetts-native Cory Schneider when they inked him to long-term contract. This decision came after Schneider poster sensational numbers playing around half of the team's games last year. Now, with Martin Brodeur gone and Schneider looking to fill the void, one question remains ...
In a bit of a pattern developing in the preseason, the Blues didn't start playing at the drop of the puck and couldn't fully recover. They came out flat and allowed the first four goals to Columbus and came up a short at the end. On the first goal, the puck almost gets out of the Blues zone but gets held at the line and Oshie's back side pressure on Nick Foligno isn't ...
The Blues came out strong in the first period, outplaying and outshooting the Hurricanes fourteen to six in the first period with little to show for it. Even with their strong play, they were unable to get a puck past stingy netminder Cam Ward. They were however rewarded at the end of the period with Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes drawing penalties, allowing them to...
MyBoyStepan writes...

Another Mountain To Climb

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
A successful season feels like a long and slow build, like climbing a mountain. It starts with a training camp and a preseason, allowing the team to become acclimated to the new conditions that accompany each new year. The arduous trek of the regular season begins, with 82 games over the course of twice as many days. Teams and players slip up along the way, losing games, g...
Being "game ready" is more than just being physically fit to play hockey. It's about more than just having honed your body, stick-handling, passing and shooting skills. It also consists of being in the right mindset to play the game of hockey to one's best ability, and being motivated to continue to build upon the foundation that a player has already set for himself. You h...
The Calgary Flames, clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2009 after beating the defending champions the LA Kings 3-1 last night. They clinched the playoff spot with one game to go in the season. For most of the final part of the season they battled with the Kings and the Winnipeg Jets for 3rd in the Pacific and the final wild card spot. This has been one of the...
Its no surprise to anyone that the Leafs roster will look significantly different come the start of next season, I thought it would be fun to throw my couch potato GM’ing out there for others to read about. Not all of these would work together but all would be improvement for both teams. New York Islanders: Target: Griffin Reinhart + Josh Ho-Sang + Nikolai Kulemin ...
This entire blog will be split into three: Forward, Defense and Goaltending. This blog will be about Edmonton's forwards. In this blog I will be keeping track of Edmonton's cap salary remaining. Without signing anyone this yet, Edmonton is at 18 million remaining. Last season Edmonton had one of worst centre depth. This season it looks like they may have on of the b...
So I'm putting on my thinking fans hat here.... But it looks like the B's still need some work to define a better team going into next season. I'm going to breakdown several reasons why and some scenario's I think could help the cause. 1. Defence is still a mess: Given that they signed Irwin I'm hopeing this doesn't close the door on getting some talent like Cody ...
The following is a breakdown of potential Bruins trade bait and some thoughts for why this could be. Let's assume right off the bat the the bruins don't move either of their 1st round picks for the next draft. 1. Chris Kelly: He adds some leadership value to a 4th line group, he's pretty good on defensive zone faceoffs and plays well on the PK. 3M cap hit seems to mu...
I am a Canucks fan and I look at their current roster and I can't help but think someone's gotta go. Forwards Daniel Henrik Vrbata Burrows Higgins Bonino Vey Horvat Hansen Dorsett Prust Kenins Baertschi (though still unsigned assumed he's a lock for the team) Thats 13 one-way contracts at forward and team management saying they want to give Virtanen a ...
The 2014-2015 season gave Habs fans a lot to think about, after the Regular Season success and a unwanted, but half expected early exit from the Playoffs.rnrnThis article will cover the play of Carey Price and how NHL Fans view the All Star. The most common question revolves on the success of the Habs laying strictly on the Goaltender. If that is the case, the play of P...
freelancer writes...

Good Things Come In Twos

Posted Monday | Comments 0
And we're back! Enough talk of hypotheticals, possible point productions, and potential line combinations. We finally have some real hockey to see and discuss, happy times are here again! As we've discussed many times over the last few months, everything feels different about this team and training camp has been no different. The pace has appeared quicker, the coach, more ...
Hockey is back and everything seems right again. In my opinion, preseason is one of the best times of the year. Seeing the prospects (and potential future of an organization) vying for a spot alongside guys in new sweaters and returning faces has always given me a fresh outlook and optimism for the upcoming season. Coming into this year, I have the same optimism I hav...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Going Forward

Posted Sunday | Comments 1
The Oilers finished second last this season but how far off are they? There has never been a team like the Oilers in the history of the NHL. A team with incredibly talented forwards made up of some amazingly talented but very young players. Most have spent their NHL careers trying to use to new coaches and expectations each year. Combine this with many other factors an...
archromat writes...

New proposed point system

Posted Monday | Comments 0
So Boston, a team with 42 wins, doesn't make the playoffs while other teams with 41 wins do because they've made the most of the consolation point. Especially disgusting among those three teams is Minnesota, with a meager 38 wins on the season. Let's just change the point system... no 3 -2 -1, no 2 - 1. Wins are worth 1 point. Shootout losses and OT losses = 0 poin...
Work and illness have put me down the past couple of days but it did not slow down the Blue Jackets. The Jackets managed back to back wins, including a domination and a come back. First, the Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres in First Niagara Center by a final score of 4-1. Buffalo's lone goal came in the early stages of the second period. Sam Reinhart scored his ...
To continue the last CBJ Progression article I did, this one continues the discussion of goal scoring in Columbus. During the 2015-2016 season, the Jackets had two 30 goal scorers in Brandon Saad (31) and Boone Jenner (30). Also, they had two guys score over 20 goals, being the first team to have four players get to 20 goals. Cam Atkinson and Scott Hartnell were th...
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...
This is my first ever blog, and I welcome any feedback! This is my opinion on what the leafs 2016/2017 line up will look like as of today. So because this lineup is done as if the season started today it does not include any potential trades that could happen in the offseason. By the way I would like to note that giving Jonathan Bernier one more season as the starting ...
This is blog number 2. I got a few good comments so I decided to write again. Like before I welcome your comments and feedback. When the leafs won the NHL draft lottery I went crazy, so crazy that I accidentally woke up my roommate. ( Whoops ) But really, what guy in his early 20s is asleep at like 8pm on a Saturday. This draft has the ability to give the leafs the...
thejonathans writes...

Las Vegas

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
What would you name the Las Vegas team? i like the idea of the Las Vegas ... really, i have no idea, but does anyone else have any idea of what the name would be? there is some pretty good possibilities. i'm not a big fan of the hawks or (k)nights idea, as is the something(k)nights or somethinghawks. not actually the word something, but something before knights/nights or h...
With training camps officially opening up all across the league, and with the World Cup of Hockey in the semifinals, this creates an interesting scenario in Columbus. With the USA and North America guys in question of coming straight into camp or taking a couple days off, this gives the youth movement in Columbus more time to impress, besides the Traverse City Tourname...
With training camps officially opening up all across the league, and with the World Cup of Hockey in the semifinals, this creates an interesting scenario in Columbus. With the USA and North America guys in question of coming straight into camp or taking a couple days off, this gives the youth movement in Columbus more time to impress, besides the Traverse City Tourname...
In the span of 24 hours, there have been plenty of cuts. On Wednesday September 28, the Jackets cut the seven players, and announced the injuries to two of the team's top prospects- 1. Vitaily Abramov --> QMJHL 2. Sam Ruopp --> WHL 3. Kole Sherwood --> OHL 4. Calvin Thurkauf --> WHL 5. Francis Beauvillier --> UFA 6. Jeremy Brouder --> UFA 7. Stephen Gibson -->...
In the span of 24 hours, there have been plenty of cuts. On Wednesday September 28, the Jackets cut the seven players, and announced the injuries to two of the team's top prospects- 1. Vitaily Abramov --> QMJHL 2. Sam Ruopp --> WHL 3. Kole Sherwood --> OHL 4. Calvin Thurkauf --> WHL 5. Francis Beauvillier --> UFA 6. Jeremy Brouder --> UFA 7. Stephen Gibson -->...
Every year Scott Cullen of TSN breaks down each NHL team. The successes and failures of the season, contributions of individual players, and then lastly creates a mock roster for what the team could look like going into the next season. In the spirit of being lighthearted I've decided to take a look at what he has suggested... and promptly rip it to shreds. Here are ...
Mannix writes...

Wild Offseason Needs

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Wild are at a crossroad. The changes made last off season resulted in the best regular season the team has had in their 17 year existence, but the quick exit from the playoffs at the hands of an "inferior" St Louis Blues team has left all of Minnesota wanting more. For the last couple of years, Chuck Fletcher's goal has been to increase the scoring of the team and la...
freelancer writes...

The Optimism Blog

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Over the past couple weeks a divide has been formed between fans on the comment section at Hockeybuzz. On one side you have fans that are celebrating the successes of last season and believe that the team is trending upwards, and on the other side you have those who believe the team has overestimated certain things which is going to result in a drop off. I find myself in t...
While the off-season felt much shorter this season (funny how playoffs will do that) it still lasted too long. We are still a few weeks from the home opener but it's starting to feel like hockey has returned. For the Edmonton Oilers, last year has set a new bar; this is a playoff team. Less time will be spent in training camp on giving prospects and younger players opportu...
Tonight the Oilers played the Flames in Edmonton and at the same time we had the Oilers playing the Flames in Calgary. I debated on which game I wanted to zero in on and in the end I chose the Edmonton home game to see Strome with McDavid as well as to watch Jesse Puljujarvi. Here are the good and bad things from the game. Everything I am about to say should be preceded by...
freelancer writes...

NHL Says No To Slashers

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The biggest story to come out of the preseason so far has nothing to do with any specific player, injury, or prospect but instead has come from the league itself. In the games played thus there has been a comical increase in the amount of penalties called; specifically slashing and faceoff violations. Let's use the Oilers home game against the Flames on Monday night as...
The Jets had 6 of their top 8 scorers playing last night. The Oilers had 2. The Jets were playing their top goalie while the Oilers played their backup. On paper it should have been a bloodbath and the first period certainly reflected that. However some PP opportunities and stellar goaltending saw the Oil finish on top. [b]Final Score 4-1 Edmonton[/b] [b]GOOD THINGS[...
For NHL standards, 32-year-old Carl Soderberg is a grizzled old veteran waiting to be replaced by a young up-and-coming star. It also doesn’t help his case that he plays for a team that has preached developing younger players at the NHL level. The Colorado Avalanche are the youngest team in the NHL with an average age of 25. Soderberg is one of just two regulars on the t...
This year's playoff hunt has now hit boiling point. In both conferences, x teams are vying for x - 1 spots, so two teams are going to lose their respective games of musical chairs. I think what irritates me about this scenario is that both of these teams that fail to make the playoffs will quite likely end up with a higher than true 500 stat (that is 41+ wins) and es...
The NHL season starts in 23 days and it's a long way until April so here is my Playoff Prediction for the 2018-2019 Season. Metropolitan: 1. Capitals 2. Penguins 3. Devils Atlantic: 1. P-Lightning 2. Maple Leafs 3. Bruins Wild card 1: Panthers Wild Card 2: Flyers p* Presidents Trophy Winner No playoffs for the Blue Jackets? Well, the distraction of Art...
drop_da_mitts writes...

Flames China Trip

Posted Tuesday | Comments 91
With the Flames first preseason game in China less than a week away the long wait for the new season is almost over. It is a season that has many fans of the team optimistic about a playoff berth and maybe more. The new look squad will be competing this weekend against the highly regarded Boston Bruins. Although this matchup will feature watered down preseason squads it wi...
BiggE writes...

18-19 Predictions

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First off, lets rejoice, it's finally hockey time again!! - Here is one man's pick for the final 18-19 NHL standings (*wildcards): EAST Atlantic 1. Tampa 116 2. Toronto 113 3. Boston 105 4. Florida* 96 5. Buffalo 86 6. Ottawa 80 7. Montreal 78 8. Detroit 72 Metro 1. Pittsburgh 105 2. Philadelphia 101 3. Washington 100 4. Columbus* 97 5. Carolina 89 6...
Zak MacMillan writes...

P1: CBJ v. BUF

Posted Tuesday | Comments 2
Tonight is the first contest of the preseason for the Blue Jackets, and tonight they take on the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is coming into this season as a younger and stronger team. They made a lot of moves throughout the offseason. They dealt center Ryan O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues in a blockbuster deal for wingers Patrik Berglund; Vladimir Sobotaka; center Tage Thompso...
Been a while, [expletive removed for reasons]! In honour of the latest bout of disappointment the Oilers chose to throw at us, I figured now would be a great time to review my targets from last offseason and quantify whether I'm more or less disappointing than my favourite team! First, we ought to set the bar: by how many criteria did the Oilers disappoint? [b]1.)[...
The Detroit Red Wings posted their projected lines on their website. They are as follows: Hirose-Rasmussen-Svechnikov Elson-Pearson-Puempel Terry-Turgeon-FordrnGlendening-DeLaRose-Ehn Nemeth-Hronek Cholowski-Bowey Hicketts-Mcllrath What to watch for (personally) - injuries. Svechnikov needs a reclamation year. Rasmussen as well. Pearson has a decent shot. Look for h...
It has been a short while friends, so let us recap on the pre-season that was, the first couple of games of the regular season, and previewing tonight's upcoming matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at the Nationwide Arena, back at home. Let's look in the rearview before we do the preview. Pre-Season: Final Cuts; Dubi Disappearance The roster dwindled down to two ...
The regular season kicks off tonight for the Columbus Blue Jackets where they do battle with the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee with a empty crowd. This is the how the season will go for the most part. Empty. Fanless. Temporarily. Talk is that may change in Tennessee. Tune into Fox Sports Ohio or Fox Sports TN for game feed and covera...
TheMananimal writes...

A Dark Horse

Posted Sunday | Comments 110
Since the Leafs season ended in disappointment in a round one loss to the Montreal Canadiens, it has left many fans and management wondering and questioning what can be done to improve this roster? With the cap constraints as a result of the flat-cap, and the star forwards of this team, it will be interesting to see how the Leafs tackle on signing free agents of the team o...

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