Tag Search Results for "Chi"
Well last night I talked about how Versus was leaving me in the dark by showing the Canucks game (a move that paid off well) instead of the Wild game, but really that decision isn't Versus problem, it's the NHL's. This time of the year there is four games every night, it's definetly the most exciting time of the season. The NHL should take advantage of that by showing off ...
The Chicago Blackhawks had the NHL's fifth-worst record and only an 8% shot at drawing the 1st pick in the draft. I guess it was their lucky day. After grabbing Jonathan Toews last years draft, the Hawks get ready for a possible franchise changing decision in 2007.
Unlike some past drafts many would argue that there is not a clear cut #1 pick this season. Many are tout...
Hey pens fans,
As, promised here is the team report card. I'll start with a player by player break-down.
Sidney Crosby
Regular Season 120 points (36+84) Playoffs 5 points (3+2)
Sid played in 79 regular season games. He was +10. This season was truly a breakout season for number 87. He played marvelously and we couldn't have asked for more. Sid had goals that amazed a...
(Believe it or not, this is written as cautious optimism and is not meant as a rant. Read on.)
Toews is not going to turn this team around and make them a playoff team. Toews is not going to make all of the disgruntled fans return. Toews is not going to make Chicago media realize that there is a sport called hockey. Toews is not going to save Chicago Blackhawks Hock...
Hey pens fans,
That's right it is back to rumors. So, here's what I have heard. Tom Poti is again being mentioned as a good possibility of coming to Pittsburgh, but we've all heard that one before. Gary Roberts seems to be split between the Pens and the Leafs. I am unsure how this will turn out. Craig Rivet is a longhot, in my opinion, but he is rumored to be a possible P...
Hey pens fans,
Here are a few fast rumors.
Gary Roberts may be a Pen next season, but it is more likely he will be in Toronto.
Mark Recchi is going to be a Pen. He is not signed, but I am almost certain he will be.
Robert Lang - yeah, that name is a blast from the Pen's past - He may be coming back to the Pens, but it is not the stronggest rumor I have hear...
As we approach the draft, several teams are looking to free up cap room to either make a bigger trade, or sign a big name free agent (and if you've checked out our top 35 list, there are a lot of tem). With this activity, the rumours are starting to swirl.
The Leafs would love to move one of their two high-priced defenseman. Freeing up the 5+ million that both Kubina an...
Hey pens fans,
Mark Recchi will most likely return to the Pens this coming season. I cannot see him leaving, though he has drawn outside interest.
Gary Roberts has drawn heavy interest from Toronto and he will either be a Leaf or with the Pens and I am not sure how this will go.
Tom Poti is drawing lots of interest from all around and the Pens threw their name in...
Hey pens fans,
Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi have been resigned. I will after draft info througout the weekend.
[url]htp://penshockey.blogspot.com[/url]
For fans of the 1977 film Slap Shot, you will recall the Chief's last opponent, the Syracuse Bulldogs. The Bulldogs management filled the team with some of the most infamous goons in hockey history; sociopathic players who had been suspended from various professional leagues for injuring opposing players. With the Duck's signing of Todd Bertuzzi, I think Brian Burke is de...
Patrick Cwiklinski writes...
Schneider Signs, Isbister, Ritchie Join Canucks
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Cory Schneider has officially signed his first NHL contract with the Vancouver Canucks after spending the last two seasons with Boston College and breaking a record for most shutouts in a single season with eight. Schneider will most likely play as a starter for the Manitoba Moose and may very well see some ice time in Vancouver. However, it has been said this could be a m...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
HockeyBuzz Q & A w/ Sabres Hometown Prospect Tim Kennedy
Posted Friday | Comments 0
A HockeyBuzz Q & A with Sabres Prospect & Hometown Hero Tim Kennedy.
INTRO
SC07: Tim do you have a couple minutes?
TK: Sure whats up.
SC07: I wanted to ask you a few questions for HockeyBuzz.
TK: Thats fine.
THE PLAYER
SC07: Who is your favorite player?
TK: Vincent Lecavalier
SC07: Do you pattern your game after him?
TK: Yep
SC07: Whe...
Sather sends Matt Cullen back to Carolina for what looks like spare parts. Is this simply a salary dump to get better control of the cap and leave Sather some flexibility during the season or a precursor of another move?
The players coming back are:
Andrew Hutchinson D - 27 years old and played 41 games last year for the Canes. Great a possible 7th D-man on a team th...
As a fan, and with all fans, we tend to look at our respective teams with rose coloured glasses (yes "colour" is spelled that way up here) so I have tried to limit my expectations of the Calgary Flames and objectivley look at the mid summer squad as it is.
The major aquistions of the off season are:
Iron Mike behind the bench- my thoughts on this guy before he landed ...
FLAMESTR writes...
Sutter and Keenan Dream or Night Mare? How about Playfair?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I thought I would write a blog on a suggestion from a fellow Poster Flame Head
I hope I got his name right which was the relationship of Sutter and Keenan.
First of all I have been told that Sutter Learned his coaching ability from Mr. Keenan. Which mean there was a history between the two gentlemen and they have mutual respect, also Sutter knows how Keenan coache...
Before I start, let me just say that last night I was so starved for hockey, I [img:right]http://nhldraftnet.aol.com/NHLDraftNet/file.php?ID=237[/img]watched The Mighty Ducks Two. For all of you movie buffs out there, its definitely not better the second time around. Emilio Estevez's struggle with fame and sponsorships was not a gripping tale. You're coaching pee wee hocke...
Well what a day it was today, I worked nearly 12 hours between two food industry jobs and brought in well over $100 in tips, yeehaw! However, the glory of the day was when I saw a gigantic young man walk into Domino's. I looked at him and thought 'wow, he's really big.' I looked at the pizza that said 'John' on it and said, "Are you John?" he said "Yes." I said "John Scott...
I want to make a comment about all the Mark Bell talk this week. Every media person I've read this week has had nothing nice to say about the troubled winger, and even less to say about John Ferguson Jr. We all know I'm a leaf fan, so I may have bias towards them, but in no way do I agree with any of what is being said about Bell. The Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons wrote a...
mob_slapman writes...
Economic Impact sports facilities (arenas, stadiums)
Posted Saturday | Comments 2
Much is being made of Nashvilles support levels for the Predators coming from various levels of government. Some might be suggesting that Nashvillians don't truly support their team if they don't want to see tax dollars spent on it. Of course, it should be remembered that CANADIANS didn't want to see their tax dollars going to fund hockey teams either. In this blog I ...
[img:left]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20060210/leafs_78377.jpg[/img]I thought it was important for somebody here to give Ed Belfour kudos on his wonderful career. Reports are saying that Belfour is likely to sign a contract with Leksand of the Swedish Elite League ending Belfours 18 year National Hockey League career, for the time being at least.
Belfour a nati...
For some inexplicable reason, the Blues are considering changing the song they play after the Blues score. Thankfully, they’ve let the fans decide between a new song and the old one, so PLEASE VOTE FOR THE OLD SONG!!! Here's the link. If you're really adamant, you can return to the Blues home page, find the link on the page, and vote again.
http://blues.nhl.com/team/a...
For some inexplicable reason, the Blues are considering changing the song they play after the Blues score. Thankfully, they’ve let the fans decide between a new song and the old one, so PLEASE VOTE FOR THE OLD SONG!!! Here's the link. If you're really adamant, you can return to the Blues home page, find the link on the page, and vote again.
http://blues.nhl.com/team/a...
[b]MIKE KEENAN
THE GOOD, THE OKAY, THE UGLY
THE LIFE OF A COACH[/b]
The life of a coach can be good, okay, and even ugly. It's no different for the new coach of the Calgary Flames, Mike Keenan.
The Stats were found at two sites http://en.w...
The season opener approaches, and the Sharks announce a total of 8 players being re-assigned to Worcester (AHL) this week.
None of these roster reductions really surprised me, they're just talented players who need more time to develop and mature before skating in the "Big Show". However there are two rookies who are making their mark this pre-season, Torrey Mitchell a...
mage23 writes...
[2007-09-26] Sharks use Powerplay/Shootout to down Canucks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Unlike the game less than a week ago in San Jose, tonight's matchup between the Sharks and Canucks did not feature the fisticuffs and ejections that played a role in the earlier matchup. The excellent goaltending of Roberto Luongo, however, was once again on display for all to see as Luongo went head to head with Sharks youngster Thomas Greiss.
While Luongo was perfect...
As you may have already read on Sharks.nhl.com, Devin Setoguchi and Torrey Mitchell were both called into Ron Wilson's office before Saturday night's game "to have a talk about numbers." Mitchell told Sharks.nhl.com, "For a second, I thought it wasn't good news and we were being sent down."
Instead, the two were given the choice of what number they want to wear for the...
Hey pens fans,
On a positive not, I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to MArio Lemieux.
Now, onto the game...
Tonight, the Pens lost their season opener 4-1. The Pens' lone goal came in the third period. It was scored by Mark Recchi and assisted by Gonchar and Malkin. Fleury was in goal to start the game, but after letting in 4 goals on 26 shots in the first ...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Canadiens at the Mellon Arena. They lost to Montreal 3-2. During the game, there were times where the Pens looked magnificant and there were times when they could not complete a pass if their lives depended on it. It was an up and down night. Unfortunetly, the Pens did not pull this one out on top.
The Pens' goals were...
When a team wins the Stanley Cup, each player and all the personnel for the team get to spend one day with the coveted cup. That's right, 24 hours. One of the keepers and caretakers of the Cup, Mike Bolt, says that each player has it "24 hours, and not one minute less". And why would you give it up before you had to? I mean, it's the freakin' Stanley Cup - the most coveted...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Caps on the road. They came out victorious 2-1. Both of the Pens' goals came in the second period. Staal scored assisted by Recchi and Orpik and then Whitney (PP) assisted by Crosby and Malone. Comgratulations to Ryan Whitney on his 100th point tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal stopping 30 of 31 shots. The Pens had 2...
Hey pens fans,
Well, the Pens played the Leafs tonight and lost 5-2 to end their streak. Crosby scored in the first period, assisted by Malkin and Recchi to make it 1-0. In the third period, Gonchar scored and was assisted by Crosby and Malkin to make it 5-2 Leafs. Fleury stopped 22 of 27 shots.
This season the Pens have been very hot and cold. Sometimes, it seems ...
I have had enough of this talk that somehow Patrice Bergeron is to blame for the Randy Jones hit. This is a case of media members trying to make themselves part of the story. See Don Cherry and his idiotic comments http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hnic/coachscorner/2007/10/never_put_your_head_down_in_th.html. Bob Mckenzie writes that the prevailing opinion outside of Boston...
With Nashville and Chicago both looking for 3 straight wins Sunday evening at the United Center, one could only foresee a battle within the Central Division.
Even though Chris Mason of the Nashville Predators has received his fair share of disbelief from the fans, he certainly showed his talent tonight against a young Chicago Blackhawks team. Mason finally snapped his ...
Wins in six out of their last eight games.
Points in seven of their last eight.
Yes it is time to recognize that the Predators are back. Last nights 4-3 shootout win is proof of that. Sure the Preds gave up a two goal lead but they were able to come away with two points. Following the game their was frustration in the locker room over the fact that they let the Blue ...
[b]The NHL did a great thing[/b] by putting a large chunk of divisional games so early in the season this year. It really gets the rivalries going and gives each team a great opportunity to see what they are competing against in their division. For a long time I was wondering why they NHL didn’t do more of this...to me it seemed so easy a solution to add meaning to th...
All right all you fantasy hockey junkies out there this blog is for you. This is the 1st in a once a week blog I am going to start putting out, to help make your picks, and especially for those of you in larger pools, to pick up some sleepers that most people would overlook, and for those of you in HBSL this will help when your trying to make that last pick to fit under th...
Lightningtaz24 writes...
Predators Economic Impact on Downtown Nashville
Posted Tuesday | Comments 3
Let's examine the attendance issue of the Predators and the Economic Impact they have on downtown Nashville. Here are the stats. (Taken from ESPN)
(Past 7 seasons, All attendance not just paid attendance, Titans and Preds)
Titans GP Total Attendance
69,143 5 345,715 (thru 5 home games this season)
69,143 8 553,144
69,149 8 553,192
68,901 8 551,208
68,809 8 550,472...
[img:right]http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6527/recchi81099zv1.jpg[/img]Could there be a homecoming for Penguins winger Mark Recchi?
Recchi, who won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with Carolina, is rumoured to have seeked a trade from Pens GM Ray Shero after being a healthy scratch for more than once so far this season.
Who would want the 39 year old winger and $1.75M sala...
There once was a time when a struggling team could be counted on to make a trade in an attempt to change it's fate. There was a time when teams would swap key players in an attempt to shake up their roster and kick-start them onto the path of success.
That time is gone.
With the end of the lockout fans were promised more player movement along with more parity in the...
Dear Darcy,
PICK UP MARK RECCHI! If you need inspiration, just look at Ilya Bryzgalov. He gets picked up by Phoenix and ends up winning 4 straight!
From,
Sabres fans
The Sharks look like they are in good mood today. A good bad mood that is. San Jose is just on an absolute terror to hit every Dallas player that even comes near the puck, and do not even think about taking a run at one of their star players, you will pay. Craig Rivet stood up for his team and just pummeled Ott in the first, earlier I wrote he got tossed, I miss understood...
Heading into tonight's game against the Blackhawks, the Sharks have put in a string of poor efforts. On a homestand that is very important in the middle of the season, the Sharks shave stubmled out of the gates. Hopefully tonight they can put it all together tonight and put in a good 60 minute effort. There have been many things missing from the Sharks' game so far on this...
Daniel Cleary was a first round pick in 1997 by the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks would only see 41 games from Cleary before bailing on him in a worthless trade to the Oilers. The Oilers didn’t benefit much from Cleary either as he played four seasons with the Oilers producing 35 points on season but otherwise wasn’t affective. Cleary would play one more season for a W...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens have once again recalled Tyler Kennedy from the Baby Pens. He will be here for his third stint this season. He missed a few weeks with mono and then returned to the ice in the AHL last week. He has 2 goals in his last 3 games for the Baby Pens.
Rumors
Count the Pens out, when it comes to Boyle. It is not likely and I don't think he would ...
Late last night my wife looked at me and asked what was on my mind. A small smile appeared on my face and quietly I said “the torch has been passed”. “What was that?” she asked not being able to hear me. “Nothing” I said, I had decided to keep it to myself, at least until this morning.
I’m Canadian, and like most 40 year old Canadian males there are few...
other trade rumors I found for today...
Canucks are a big-time player in trade talks for the likes of Brad Richards, Olli Jokinen, but don't like richards salary or minus 25 on the year.
Tanguay, rumored to be headed to Montreal for Michael Ryder, Tanguay also has a no-trade clause and it's been recently reported that he would be willing to accept a trade to Montreal...
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
As usual thanks for reading.
Happy Saturday Morning
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Enjoy as usual
Go Flyers
The Flames made a couple of transactions on the draft weekend that tell me that Sutter is beginning to retool the squad. First of all they traded Alex Tanguay along with their 5th rounder to the Montreal Canadians for first round pick this year and the 2nd next year.
Minutes later, they acquired LA Kings forward Michael Cammalleri and a 2nd rounder in the Conroy acqu...
While listening to HTM on XM radio this morning on my way to work, Ron Rimmer made mention that people were complaining about the Winter Classic. Didn't hear why but it made me think. If this is going to be an every year event, what can be done to spice it up.
First thing I thought was make it an Original 6 matchup every year. We have Det v Chi this year so why not Rang...
EDIT:Sorry about the wierd symbols and punctuation in this blog, I dont know why its doing this and I'm unsure how to fix it
It has to be a very slow news day for the NHL today. The top story this morning is Jesse Winchester practicing on the top-line with Heatley and Spezza.
I’m sure I’m not alone in Sens Nation wondering why this is big news, every year we go ...
[b]Blackhawks Goalie Graveyard?[/b]
Did Khabibulin fall victim to the same fate as Brian Boucher?
I started getting into hockey a couple of years ago when Boucher, playing for the Hawks, went 1-10-3. He ended up getting waived by the Blackhawks that year and played minimal games for the Blue Jackets.
Boucher holds the distinction for the longest consecutive st...
Well we are nearing the end of the first month of action and lots of stories are emerging. Starting with my Sens---
As reported on TSN today, Gerbers days are numbered under Hartsburg. Auld will get the start friday against the struggling Ducks and if he turns in a performance similiar to his first against Pittsburg, then we as Sens will have beyond a Goalie contreversy...
The Tampa bay Lightning have fired Barry Melrose because of a bunch of overpaid, whining, pretty boys who didn't like being called out for making EXTREME amounts of money and being LAZY.
This is a sad day for hockey. Melrose demanded his players skate hard every shift. He stated that they are an incredibly talented team, but that gets you nothing if you don't work har...
Sorry if someone wrote about this already i just learned about it today.
We all knew Claude Lemieux wanted to comeback and play pro hockey again. I didn't think he could play in the NHL again, he is just too old and hasn't played in the NHL in so long. Now i read he is playing hockey for the sharks now. Maybe not the sharks most players would want to play for since it's i...
Ninety percent of my fellow red-and-black bleeders, I think, would agree with that. Still, there's this bizarre contingent growing in ChiTown that insists on acting like Paris Hilton on a date to Old Country Buffet. They kept lobbying for home games on TV, now they want more games on WGN and the blackout lifted on Centre Ice. For years, they pined for the return of Pat ...
[b]Streaking Juniors Score Six[/b]
[b]Montreal. Sunday, December 14, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors won their 3rd straight game on Sunday afternoon, beating the Chicoutimi Saguenéens by a score of 6-4 and improving their record on the road to 6-8-1.
Montreal fell behind 3-0 early into the second period before battling back with 5 unanswered goals. The Juniors...
First off I have to say that I am a die hard Maple Leaf fan, please don't hold that against me. More so I am a fan of the game, I can watch any game at anytime and find it enjoyable. So for those who are like me, if you could buy 1 crested jersey NOT from your favorite team who would it be and why? Which do you have already? Please do not include National team jerseys.
...
CAPMESS11 writes...
Fritsche ON WAIVERS, ISLANDERS? ROZSIVAL FOR PRONGER NEXT
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the lack of flexibility in the lineup and the Rangers strong need to carry a 7th D-man, Dan Fritsche was placed on waivers. I'm almost positive that a team will claim him and his salary of 875 k isn't a back breaker. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the Island as Mike Sillinger is done for the year. Dan would get tons of ice time and can play both wing and ...
First of all, I would like to say that I'm not happy at all with the effort and the way the Flyers played tonight. It was as craptastic of an effort that you could ever see from the Flyers. It was a bad, bad game for the Flyers as Chris Mason made 36 saves for his third shutout of the season to help the Blues beat the Flyers 4-0 tonight. Even though the Flyers had 36 shots...
Lindy Ruff took over the head coaching job in Buffalo in July 1997. Since then Buffalo has only made it to the finals once, and everyone knows how that one ended (cough cough...no goal...cough cough).
During that same time period, there have been 137 coaching changes in the NHL. That's 11.42 changes per year, or about one-third of all NHL teams.
Darcy Regier has als...
Will the real Carey Price please stand up please stand up. What a mess right now, that being said I fully believe he will turn it around.
We get hot wings and Cajun wings Wednesday after hockey, I don’t like the cajun wings, I just don’t.
The Niedermayers are first cousins with Jason Strudwick.
Glen Metropolit has played on 20 different teams in 14 years he’...
Richie18 writes...
Four goal second period lifts Flyers past reeling Rangers
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Going into this game, I don't think anyone expected this to be a game where the Flyers just dominate the Rangers in every aspect of this game. However, the Flyers did just that and they dominated the Rangers today in a 5-2 win at MSG. If you watched this game, you saw a Flyers team that just jumped on the Rangers and outplayed them today. The Rangers were terrible in every...
Richie18 writes...
Marty Biron's gaffe is difference in 5-4 Flyers loss
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As wild and crazy as this game was today, the Flyers had a chance to win this game. Down 3-1, the Flyers battled back to tie the game at 4, but late in the third period, a costly mistake ended up hurting the Flyers. Marty Biron went out of the net, way out of the net for that matter, and misplayed the puck. Sidney Crosby was there to get the puck and score the game winning...
[b]Western Conference:
San Jose Sharks (1) vs Anaheim Ducks (8)
Preseason odds: Sharks 10/1 Ducks 12/1
Last 10: Bruins 5-4-1, Ducks 7-2-1
Season Series: Sharks win 4-2-0
Overview:[/b]
Perennial cup hopefuls San Jose enter the playoffs with their franchise first Presidents trophy. Anaheim, cup winners just two seasons ago, were talking in terms of team gutting prior...
MichaelBernard writes...
Versus doesn't show National Anthem in Chicago?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Versus dropped the ball last night missing the National Anthem in Chicago. They interview Sharp before the game and he says he can't wait for the anthem, then they don't show it. Get with it Versus. I mean, its no Wayne Messmer from '91 All Star Game, (see below) but still, they should have showed it.
MB
Wayne Messmer = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpxVE_kQXg
This NHL post-season must be a dream come true for Gary Bettman. His marketing team hasn't had to do any real work to sell these playoffs; they've sold themselves. Look at the excitement of the first round where we watched Boston against Montreal in an original six rivalry match, Pittsburgh against their hated rival Philadelphia, San Jose and archrival Anaheim in the first...
After an exciting second round of playoff action that saw three series go the distance and pitted the league’s top young stars - Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby - against each other. Many thought there would be a let-down after the excitement of the Conference Semifinals, but the four teams that advanced have offered enough storylines to at least keep us mildly inte...
Aside from figuring out what free agents he wants to try to sign and re-sign, how to handle the upcoming draft, and what direction to steer this seemingly broken Devils team towards, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello may be faced with another problem if head coach Brent Sutter decides to step down from his post and part ways with the Devils.
I think the hiring of Brent Sutter w...
Ray Emery. Say that name since Comcast Sportsnet's Tim Panaccio broke the news that it's almost a done deal that Sugar Ray is headed to the Flyers and Flyers fans have recoiled like Dracula from garlic. There have even been people who say the thought of Emery in Orange and Black makes them sick.
I am stupefied at this reaction. The Flyers have a history of rolling the ...
Ray Emery. Say that name since Comcast Sportsnet's Tim Panaccio broke the news that it's almost a done deal that Sugar Ray is headed to the Flyers and Flyers fans have recoiled like Dracula from garlic. There have even been people who say the thought of Emery in Orange and Black makes them sick.
I am stupefied at this reaction. The Flyers have a history of rolling the ...
Although I did enjoy watching the Blackhawks have a great run this year, especially considering I am a huge fan of Patrick Kane, I was still keeping a close eye on the RFA situation that has been playing out over the past several days in hopes that it could benefit the Islanders. I am sure many of you have been doing the same as well. Yes, call me selfish all you want for ...
A few years ago Darcy Regier faced some important decisions when addressing his pending unrestricted free agents. The first test was Drury and Briere then a season later it was Brian Campbell. The final test came when he matched the Edmonton Oilers offer sheet for Vanek.
Looking at back at all the scenerio's Darcy paid the one guy that was worth the money he signed ...
Hockey is a business, you hear it all the time and it is true at least at the professional level.
As team President, John McDonough is directly responsible to Rocky Wirtz. He oversees the administrative side of the Hawks. Wirtz is the Chairman of the Board, the man with the money as it were. Wirtz delegates the responsibility of running the organization to McD and becau...
Rumor has it, The Vancouver Canucks are in trade talks with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Newly appointed GM Bowman is looking to make a few changes, and free up some highly needed cap space.
Speculating what might be sent in return for these two,
To Hawks,
Cory Schneider
Rick Rypien
1st round pick 2010
To Canucks,
Barker
Byfuglien
Why the canucks would do ...
I'm sure many of you would agree with me? Dale Tallon took the Hawks from one of the worst teams in the league, to one of the best. He completely re-built the Hawks the professional way, and deserves full credit for it. However, the only thing he got was a stab in the back. I understand that John McDonough believes Bowman is the man for the job, but statistics don't lie, t...
Rumors persist that Burke has offers for other Dmen not named Kaberle coming in.
It would seem wise to retain Kaberle at his cap hit and given the lackluster offensive abilities of Toronto's truculent defense. The key is to turn a 4-10 defenceman with other parts into a "top 6" forward
Given Chicago's cap situation and the recent firing of Tallon regarding that cap ...
Greetings fellow Hawks Fans! I apologize for the length of this blog in advance as it is directed mainly towards fans who may not know what's been going on with the cap situation. Feel free to read or not to read. And that wasn't a question.
I write to you this morning to express my shared excitement for one awesome hockey club out of the windy city. Not only should fan...
It feels good to talk about how well run the Redwings are as an organization. You'll find no shortage of praise for Ken Holland or Brian Burke and the like. It's much more fun to rip apart the organizations that just don't seem to get it. So in the spirit of being cruel (summer is tough on a hockey fanatic), here are the Top 5 Worst run NHL franchises.
#5 - NY Ranger...
If the last 10 years are any indication, we should expect a few coaching changes over the upcoming season. There were 11 coaching changes so far since the calendar turned to 2009. That means over 1/3 of the teams have a new guy behind the bench. So, is there anyone left to fire? Also consider, there are only 2 coaches left in the league who have been in place for more ...
The rumors are back. We had previous rumors from Ek on Tanguay and Frolov and neither of those came to fruition. No real concrete deal is being speculated here as to what the Preds would give up.
Jeff Marek from CBC Sports was just on the TEAM 1040. He hinted that Brad Boyes could very well be a Penguin by the end of the year and more importantly that Phil Kessel will ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Edmonton? Chicago? Who else would want Sergei Kostitsyn?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Let me start by saying, "I called it!" re: the Sergei Kostitsyn situation. Hooray. Nice for me. Ok, enough patting myself on the back...
After being demoted to the AHL but a) refusing to report to the Bulldogs and b) requesting to be traded, it appears that Sergei 'lil-punk' Kostitsyn's time in Montreal is over. I can't say that I am sad about it but definitely disap...
WarHero writes...
Andrei Kostitsyn: Can a 3rd period benching really help?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I never mentioned this last night but during the 3rd period of the game last night Andrei Kostitsyn didn't play one freaking shift!
Fans to Jacques: WTF are you doing? Trying to ruin the kid?
If Habs management think that benching a player who actually has the ability to score a clutch goal is the right way to motivate him then they better start re-thinking their gam...
Ugh. This was the closest Montreal has come so far, in this young season, to playing a full 60 minutes. However, sadly, they decided to take the 2nd period off and as a result ended up losing the game. Yes, both Colorado goals were lucky bounces, butt hey resulted from work. They simply out-worked Montreal in the 2nd and were rewarded with two lucky goals. Here are a ...
The Preds continue to struggle scoring losing 3 to 1 in Nashville to the Blackhawks. The Preds only could muster 2 shots in the third period and a total of 13 for the game. On the other side they gave up 30 shots. This team is just simply struggling and going down fast. I kept on hearing this team is getting scoring chances, they are, but the problem is this team doesn...
The Predators had a really good team game with Erat (scratched) and Arnott (injured) not playing. Solid goaltending by Rinne stopping all 22 shots he faced. He virtually gave zero rebounds. He was a human vacuum. The Preds defensively were very sound. Good job of back checking by the forwards and good job by the dman to shut down Kane. Especially Weber who laid the...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Is there something rotten in the state of Habland?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sorry about that weak Shakespeare referrence, but it was my attempt at cleverness. Guess it didn't work out too well, eh? Much like Kyle Chipchura's career with Montreal didn't work out too well.
Nice segue! Heh. But I digress...
Kyle Chipchura - selected 18th overall in the 1st round of the 2004 NHL draft - was picked by Montreal as much for his tangible as his inta...
Backup goaltender Patrick Lalime was on top of his game as he led the Sabres to a 2-1 win over Brian "Soupy" Campbell and the Blackhawks
Buffalo (17-9-2) vs. Chicago (19-7-3)
Chicago enters the night 5-0-1 against Eastern Conference opponents this season. Friday marked only the second time in seven years the Blackhawks have visited Buffalo. It was also the first time...
Toronto is currently in 13th in the East. They are only 2 points back of 8th place Montreal with a game in hand. While there are teams between the Leafs and 8th with games in hand as well, this is an undeniable turnaround for the franchise this season. Makes one wonder if they are a playoff team. I'm sticking with my preseason prediction that the team will finish 7th in th...
We are seeing a tremendous year of hockey. Tight standings, fun play and a division/conference that is up for grabs. Currently we have three teams that are in a fight for the western conference lead with 47 points apiece, L.A., Chicago, and San Jose. However, Chicago has earned those 47 in just 33 games. Nashville stands alone at 45 points, but stands to move up if they...
It's been a pretty good year so far for job security in the NHL ranks compared to recent history, but nothing lasts forever. Last season, 1/3 of the teams changed coaches. This year, (not counting Gretzky "stepping down"), only one coach has been fired so far, and the results of that move haven't been spectacular. So, it remains to be seen how many more dominoes will fa...
As Antti Niemi turned aside all shooters to take an overtime victory over Dallas, dominoes began to fall. Those dominoes included the trade of Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen to those same Stars. So what's next? Quite possibly the removal of long time Stars netminder Marty Turco or last years Vezina winner Tim Thomas, and the Blackhawks may be the ones listening. The fact i...
A few random thoughts are rattling around my head this Monday morning, as I bask in the everlasting glow of the 2010 Olympics and await tonight's Habs tilt versus the Bruins.
For me, the 2010 Olympic ice hockey tournament was some of the best hockey I have seen in my life.
Exciting, fast-paced competition with shots, hits, incredible passes, highlight reel goals and ...
So I spent about 4 hours today (seriously) obsessing over the playoffs and clinching scenarios, etc. and thought it would be an even worse waste of time if I didn't post a summary of my conclusions.
Here's the dealio, Sabres are at 88 points with 11 games left and can possibly achieve 110 points with a clean sweep of the rest of the season.
Ottawa, 81 points, 9 games ...
There are some UFA's that are available this summer that would make a fan salivate at the thought of seeing their name on the back of your favorite jersey like the Kovulchucks of the world. Having said that I always like seeing who is RFA, even better yet who is RFA on a team that is cap tight?
The first thing you have to do is identify the cap tight teams for next year...
No matter what happens tomorrow night in Boston or Wednesday night in Buffalo, the Boston Bruins front office has work to do. You see, whether the Bruins win this series or not is kind of irrelevant. This team might have what it takes to get past these Sabres but probably not Sid the Kid and Pittsburgh, and certainly not Ovie's Capitals. At least not in 2010. But armed wit...
[b]PREDICTION: SAN JOSE IN 6[/b]
[i]Offense[/i]: This series should be an explosive one offensively. Both teams have a slaughterhouse full of ammo. The fact is, San Jose has Thornton-Marleau-Heatley, but Pavelski leads the team in scoring. The fact that they are getting secondary scoring is huge. Meanwhile, Toews leads the NHL in playoff scoring, as expected. But c...
The Chicago Blackhawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks are a team two games away from winning the Stanley Cup. I don’t think it is a big surprise that they are in this position. They were supposed to do that. Many pundits picked them to hoist the cup this year after showing a promising and educational jaunt through the playoffs last year. And if they capture the Cup, then thi...
Perhaps the most anti-climatic goal in playoff overtime history, but it still counts. The Chicago Blackhawks had an unbelievable ride to the top this past season and they deserved to win the Stanley Cup.
Just a few days later, it's already time to start looking ahead to next season. The NHL draft is only a couple of weeks away, as well as the award ceremony. On June 22n...
[img]http://www.itsallaboutlappy.com/2008_09pics/blackhawks10_5.jpg[/img]
The Edmonton Oilers mad a solid depth move last night by acquiring Centre Colin Fraser from the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick, 151 Overall. Fraser, who played junior hockey with Brent Sutter’s Red Deer Rebels, was the Hawks’ fourth-line centre much of this past s...
The offseason in sports is normally a bittersweet time for us fans. A lot of energy is expended looking at rumor websites, watching highlights, and contemplating the needs of their beloved team for an upcoming season. If your team happens to have won a championship (as the Chicago Blackhawks did this year) an offseason may be filled with higher highs than a fan could hav...
The Hawks kept one of their best up and coming Defenseman today as they matched the San Jose Sharks offer sheet to Niklas Hjalmarsson, a 4 year, $14 million contract. Some say they overpaid to keep the 23 year old but he has the potential to be better. The problem is that of the cap hit this will cause on the Blackhawks and what happens with contract talks with Antii Nie...
With rumors surrounding the Chicago organization is ready to sign Marty Turco to a 1 yr 1.5 mil contract if they decide they can't/won't afford to keep Antti Niemi, all Hawks fans will be watching this situation closely over the next 24 hours. Niemi was awarded a 1 yr, 2.75 mil contract in arbitration and with the Hawks tight cap situation, more moves will likely be in ord...
Today another piece of the puzzle that formed the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks has left the nest. Today, Blackhawks GM, Stan Bowman, decided to use his right to walk away from awarding the 1 year, $2.75million contract set by an arbitrator to Antti Niemi.
On the flipside, the Blackhawks have also come to terms with ex-Dallas Star goalie, Marty Turco. T...
TheRat14 writes...
Fantasy Hockey Enthusiasts - The FHL Wants You! 4 Openings
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Update: And then there were four. Twenty-six filled and four franchises left so it's not too late to grab one for the upcoming season. See details below:
Welcome to the Federal Hockey League. The FHL has been setup to provide a simulation for lovers of the greatest sport on earth, ice hockey. The league homepage can be found here: www.greytowergames.com
You as the ge...
I will be having a live blog for tonight's sabres and blackhawks game.
Feel free to stop by at any time.
Here is the link:
[url]http://www.coveritlive.com/index.php?option=com_altcaster&task=playaltcast&altcast_code=5bcd86f3f8[/url]
It’s not very often that a building containing 18,000 people will almost go silent for a few minutes, but the injury to Jason Pominville made that happen at HSBC Arena on Monday.
Thankfully, Pominville is in much better condition than what many expected after watching him lay in a crumpled heap on the ice after Nicklas Hjalmarsson’s hit from behind. Pominville was a...
Maybe Davis Payne should bring Mariano Rivera in to lecture the Blues on how to finish goals and games.
After scoring two in the first four minutes, the Blues couldn't find the net the rest of the game and let 2 points slip away in a 3-2 shootout loss to Dallas.
But they had plenty of chances.
Patrik Berglund hit the crossbar on a beautiful move during a power-p...
Tonight's loss to the Hawks must really sting for the Blues.
They played tight defense and shut down the champs for about 54 minutes and Jaroslav Halak was showing exactly why the Blues gave up a former first-round pick for him.
But naturally the Blackhawks stormed back and won it in overtime. The second straight game the Blues have lost in OT after leading 2-0.
...
Hockeygirl101 writes...
Ryane Clowe Leads The Sharks To An OT Victory Over The Hawks
Posted Sunday | Comments 7417
Ryane Clowe led the Sharks to victory in a rare low scoring affair Saturday night against the Blackhawks in San Jose. The Sharks showed some character in this one, battling through the last two periods after giving up a soft goal to the Hawks late in the first.
The first period contained the only two regulation goals, the first coming at 9:16 by Ryane Clowe for the Shar...
With the move of Skill, Jessiman, and Pacan to Florida for Frolik and Salak the hawks look to be in a bit better shape. With the addition of Frolik Sharp can go back to his natural position at the wing and Frolik will take over as our second line center. One issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of production from Marian Hossa.
He looks tentative during game ...
It took until March for everything to feel quasi-stable in my hockey universe, but I can’t complain. As of today, the Blackhawks sit in fourth place in the embattled Western Conference, and despite the logjam, one would be hard-pressed to argue against their chances of making it to the dance. They are playing great hockey right now and showing glimpses of that four-li...
Let’s start by saying that I really enjoy watching the Red Wings and Blackhawks square up. It seems that there’s a different kind of energy between the two that is brought out only when these Original Six foes square off, even from Playoff hockey. I’m not saying it’s better, it’s [i]different[/i]. It’s one of a kind. Couple that with Nick Lidstrom’s signa...
This is interesting new territory for me, personally. I’ve never before come out of a Blackhawks playoff series loss with any feeling of accomplishment. Usually, there is just emptiness, angst and the early symptoms of summertime boredom, which is certain to be in full throw in mid-July.
All of those feelings are certainly present. However this morning, and even la...
Brent Burns and his Zoo will be moving from the snowy confines of Minnesota to the sandy paradise of California but he will be leaving the Wild with a kings ransom of picks and players for his services.
First off I absolutely love this trade. Chuck Fletcher took a highly skilled, albeit erratic player in Brent Burns on an expiring contract and turned him into a Top 6 fo...
I’ve read some blog posts recently and the replies them that seem to indicate a strong feeling that the Flames have no prospects, that other teams have youth on their side and seem to imply that the Flames are destined to be a last place team. There are a couple things to look at here, are the Flames really that old? Do they really have no prospects?
Of the players si...
The Devils are yet to hire a coach.
Most fans and experts say (including Eklund) Michael Therrien will become the coach.
But Ken Hitchcock former Flyer coach is a HIGH possibility as well.
NOW PARISE....
Parise, the Devils organization, and the fans all together would love to avoid arbitration.
I think Parise and the Devils will avoid it and will come up w...
After 20 Years of announcing...Mike "Doc" Emrick has decided to step down from his position of the Devils' Play By Play announcer.
What does this lead to?
Who will be the guy to replace him? Steve Cangilosi? Matt Loughlin?
We still have former goalie Glenn "Chico" Resch.
But what does the future have in store?
Good Bye Doc.
We will miss you!
So if anyone was wondering what Chicago is getting in Dan Carcillo, he did not hesitate to let people know in his press conference. While some thought it was funny, some it made nervous and others thought “this is the kind of guy they need,” it certainly got the attention of hockey fans around the league.
Forget the fact that he had no idea that Raffi Torres and ...
I'm new here...JUST registered.
I've always had this thought...not sure if it's new or not, and I have no idea how a person would go about getting an idea like this to the league, but....
I always felt that a player who just won the Stanley Cup should be recognized for it for the whole year. I know they all get rings, but I mean [u]on the ice[/u].
So...let's take ...
Here we go! Tell me your thoughts and why. Please try to be an adult this blog isnt meant to hurt anyone its purely for fun.
[u][b]Western Conference[/b][/u]
1. Van
2. LA
3. Chi
4. SJ
5. STL
6. Det
7. Nsh
8. Col
9. Clb
10. Min
11. Ana
12. Cgy
13. Dal
14. Edm
15. Phx
[u][b]Eastern Conference[/b][/u]
1. TB
2. Buf
3. Pit
4. NYR
5. Was
6. Bos...
The dust is starting to settle. The pain of another baffling 'shot-yourselves-in-the-foot' playoff ouster is starting to subside. We're not even to training camp yet, but we've had a chance to reflect on a season that was disappointing in result but promising to build on. If you feel like you've had that thought before about the Sharks, you aren't alone. But reflecting on ...
Before the anxiety and paranoia sets in that the Hawks season is officially doomed, please let's try to be a little more rational about analyzing tonight's loss by the Hawks at the hands of the Pens, 4-1.
Yes, there were some unfortunate plays here and there, especially on the defensive side of things, but let's remember that this is still the preseason. Guys like McLea...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 14 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Minnesota Wild Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b...
Pittsburgh area native Brandon Saad will be playing in his 3rd straight Hawks preseason game tonight against Washington at the UC and Andrew Brunette also makes his debut as a Hawk tonight.
Chicago's number one netminder, Corey Crawford, will take his place between the pipes for the Hawks tonight for the first time this preseason.
Click here to read more of my Haw...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks-Capitals Recap; Hawks Preseason Gameday @ Red Wings
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Friday night's Hawks' victory over the Washington Capitals provided a thrilling show for nearly 20,000 Chicagoans at the UC. Hawks received goals from Viktor Stalberg (2) and the gamewinner from youngster Brandon Saad (plus 1 assist). Jonathan Toews finished the game with two assists.
Hawks matchup against Red Wings at The Joe with a slightly different roster makeup tha...
The recent hubub surrounding Blackhawks' star right winger, Patrick Kane, has nothing to do with indulging in the fruits of Chicago's night life, nor does it concern Kane's encounters with any Buffalo cab drivers. This Patrick Kane tale mostly has to do with the recent Hawks experiment of placing him at Center ice.
Click here for my piece on Kane's potential move to C...
I'm going to take a more straightfoward and simplistic approach to my reaction from last night's Hawks' victory over a mostly AHL roster of Red Wings players. Ultimately, because Chicago came away with a win, there were obvious positives. The biggest questions from last night surround Patrick Kane's effectiveness at Center and the defensive breakdowns that led to three Red...
Last year, the Chicago Blackhawks lost a grind-it-out battle against the Colorado Avalanche in OT from Paul Stastny's game winning goal in their season opener in Colorado. This year, the Blackhawks hope to avoid a similar fate tonight when they face off against Mike RiBeiro and the Dallas Stars.
Highlights from last year's Blackhawks Season Opener:
http://www.youtub...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Thoughts - Top Prospect Saad Returned to OHL Team
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks sent arguably their top organizational prospect in Brandon Saad (sorry Kyle Beach) back to his OHL team, the Saginaw Spirit. Though Saad registered no points in his two games with the Blackhawks in the early regular season, he did play well during the preseason against several division rivals, which included getting time on a line wit...
The Hawks are well on their way towards being a great regular season team provided they can pick up a few of the missing pieces before reaching the mid-season mark. Patrick Kane continues to be an offensive force with 6 pts in 4 games playing at Center, winning 56.5% of his faceoffs, and he has not hurt his team defensively.
Corey Crawford has also played well thus f...
After the completion of a home and home with surprising Western Conference foe, Colorado, the Blackhawks came away with 3 out of 4 possible points. Hawks are now a commendable 4-1-2 on the season, good for 5th in the West. Chicago also boasts a goal differential of +6, which is tied for 2nd in the West, as well.
Make no mistake, Blackhawks should come poised to jump rig...
Blackhawks fans will remember one thing from last game against the Anaheim Ducks:
That Patrick Kane Spin-O-Rama pass.
The Chicago Blackhawks came away with a 3-2 SO victory over the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center on Tuesday night. After going down 1-0 and then 2-1, it was amazing to see the Hawks battle back to tie the game and keep themselves in the battle for...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Thoughts - Hawks Special Teams Remain Rather Ordinary
Posted Monday | Comments 0
When your team only manages 2 goals from its bottom six forwards against a conference rival with the second best power play in the NHL, you're generally not giving yourself a good chance to win.
The Blackhawks did just that (and then some) in "aiding" the Vancouver Canucks to a dominating 6-2 win over Chicago Sunday night at the United Center. Yuck.
Click here to r...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Three games into November, the Tampa Bay Lightning have managed to secure four of a possible six points, capped off by a thrilling come from behind shootout victory in Florida. Although the Bolts surrendered three points to division rivals Carolina and Florida, the focus at this point in the season is on gathering points, r...
Last night's 5-1 Blackhawks' victory over rival Vancouver was the perfect example of how a successful powerplay can seriously steal the momentum for your team. The Blackhawks did a great job of exposing the Canucks lack of offensive depth last night at Rogers Arena.
Click here for my thoughts on last night's Blackhawks victory over Vancouver -
http://thecheckingli...
So I was watching the Pittsburgh game last night and just got onto thinking of what Dan Bylsma was able to accomplish over the past year and a half, while missing his top 2 players (Crosby and Malkin) for a significant portion of time. It got me thinking how much I would love to have a guy like this running the Leaf’s bench and then it got me thinking even more. Currentl...
Captain Serious, a.k.a. Jonathan Toews, gets paid the big bucks for many reasons. He scores goals, he sets up plays, he digs out the puck in corners in order to set up said plays and he shuts down some of the most lethal opposing offensive threats in the NHL.
Of course, you already knew that.
Good players in the NHL can provide offense for their teams throughout th...
Still think Chicago should make that bid for Bobby Ryan?
Right.
Be sure to check out TCL's newest Blackhawks' writer Maggie Avila's game recap from last night here -
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/maggie-avila/chicago-blackhawks/chicago-blackhawks-home-sick-or-sick-home
Here's a brief goal analysis of last night's joke of a 60 minute effort by your Chicago ...
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to rebound tonight from their previous 4-1 trouncing by the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes when they get ready to face the struggling New York Islanders at the United Center. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Corey Crawford, who is expected to get the start tonight, has somewhat unfortunate statistics i...
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue their winning ways tonight when they matchup with the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks are coming off of an exciting 5-4 shootout win against the struggling New York Islanders last night and look to build on that success.
This will be the second matchup of the season for these two teams, with the Blues ta...
This story is becoming more and more familiar.
Despite rallying to erase a 3-0 deficit to tie the game late in the second period, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to finish off a hard-working Phoenix Coyotes club in the shootout, losing 4-3.
Both Oliver Ekman-Larsson and former Blackhawk Radim Vrbata scored for Phoenix in the shootout, while red-hot Blackhawks ...
Last night was one of the few games of late this season when Blackhawks' team captain Jonathan Toews was not responsible for carrying his team on his shoulder in an effort to come away with two points.
Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa both had a goal and 2 assists a piece en route to a 3-2 overtime win for Chicago over the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum.
Ray...
The magical mits of Patrick Kane provided the insurance tally to Jonathan Toews' game winning shoot out goal in capturing two points for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Minnesota Wild last night.
Kane put on a clinic with his dazzling puck dance, sending Niklas Backstrom into a spiral of confusion, as he put away the game winning goal to give Chicago the 4-3 victor...
The Chicago Blackhawks get set to square off for the third time this season against their distant neighbors from the west coast when they host the Anaheim Ducks tonight at the United Center.
The last meeting between the Blackhawks and the Ducks saw Hawks' captain Jonathan Toews carry his team to a rallying 6-5 win with his 5 point effort. Anaheim will look to avoid the ...
Having taken points from each of their last seven games, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue that success against a recently surging Calgary Flames club tonight at the United Center.
The Chicago Blackhawks come into this game with an impressive 20-8-4 overall record and 8-1-1 in their last ten games. The Calgary Flames, however, hold a mediocre 14-14-4 overall ...
It appears that the Chicago Blackhawks defensive issues are no longer much of an issue at all.
The Chicago Blackhawks used a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center to maintain first place in the NHL with 50 points.
Red-hot Viktor Stalberg scored two goals, Dave Bolland and Marian Hossa posted two points apiece and the Blackhawks won their sec...
It was the kind of game Blackhawks fans knew they could win if Chicago could just break through with a goal before the start of the third period.
Didn't happen.
Jonathan Quick stopped all 38 shots by the Blackhawks and Trent Hunter and Jarret Stoll scored a dirty goal each en route to their 2-0 victory over Chicago last night. Los Angeles won their second straight an...
It's hard to believe that halfway through the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings are just now meeting for the first of six times tonight when the Hawks host the Wings at the United Center.
Over the last ten games, statistically speaking, the Blackhawks and Red Wings share virtually identical stats all around. Both teams have played very well of...
Semyon Varlamov stopped all 25 Chicago Blackhawks shots he faced en route to Colorado Avalanche's dominating 4-0 victory last night.
Simply put, the Blackhawks were out-skated at almost all parts of the ice and Corey Crawford was no where near as sharp as his opponent, Varlamov, was at the United Center last night.
The Blackhawks did have some decent scoring chances ...
The Chicago Blackhawks just got a little too cautious at the end of the game last night against the Detroit Red Wings leading 2-1 with less than five minutes to play in the third period.
In only their second season matchup against division rival, Detroit, the Blackhawks were looking to break out of a 3 game slump that started on January 2nd, 2012, only to extend it with...
And that, folks, is how good teams battle through adversity.
Despite missing star scoring winger, Patrick Sharp, to injury, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild last night with a determined 5-2 victory at the United Center. With the win, Chicago moves back into first place with 57 points in their division.
The Blackhawks overcame this adversity with sub...
One might say that things are "pretty even" between the Chicago Blackhawks and their division neighbors, the Detroit Red Wings.
They're so even, in fact, that the Blackhawks only hold a slight edge over the Motor City by two points in the standings and Detroit has one game in hand.
The two teams will meet for the third time this season in Detroit tomorrow at 11:30 AM...
RickDixon writes...
The Jets are like my wife's new curio cabinet....I'm serious
Posted Monday | Comments 1
I can hear what you are thinking right now. "What the hell is this guy talking about ?!!"
Let me explain.
During the summer my wife and I purchased a curio cabinet that was at a yard sale. She had always wanted a curio cabinet and so when she saw how nice it was she just had to have it.
Thing is, it was chalk full of knick-knacks and bawbles that the owner sai...
The Chicago Blackhawks face one of two possibilities tomorrow night when they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres at the United Center-
Either they recognize and capitalize on the recently unfortunate play of the Buffalo Sabres...
Or, they shrug off the Sabres as any kind of real challenge, come out flat and succumb to the dreaded "trap game" against their unfamiliar ...
[b][i]
If you missed the previous sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up:
[url=http://bit.ly/zd1ldc] Part 1 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/z6opJG] Part 2 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/AedyZf] Part 3 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/zpmgaQ] Part 5 [/url] [/b][/i]
************************************************************
So, you want to be a contende...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Can't Solve Schneider, Lose 3-2 in OT to Canucks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It was one of those teeth-grinding, frustrating type of overtime losses. The kind of loss that creeps into your subconscious just as you wake up the following morning, not just as a player, but as a fan.
The Chicago Blackhawks played well enough to decisively come away with two points against their heated rivals, the Vancouver Canucks. However, one major road-block stoo...
For the Chicago Blackhawks, it gets to a point when the same old excuses become more than tiresome cliches:
"The *insert excuse here* just didn't get it done tonight."
Despite Chicago maintaining a 2-2 tie heading into the third period, David Jones had a three point night and Paul Stastny put up two assists as Colorado skated away with a 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.
...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Still Looking to Right Sinking Ship in Phoenix
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It seems like eons since the Chicago Blackhawks have won a game, particularly on the road. They will hope to add a much needed two points to their total in the standings tonight when they're hosted by the Phoenix Coyotes.
After last night's defeat to the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks are now winless in their last seven games. A slump such as this comes at possibly the...
The Chicago Blackhawks will face one of the biggest tests of the final third of the regular season when they visit the best team in the Eastern Conference at Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers.
This will be the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The last time the clubs faced each other, the Rangers finished off the Hawks 3-2 at the Gard...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Look to Maintain Dominance Over Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The dreaded nine-game losing streak endured by a severely frustrated Chicago Blackhawks team came to an end on Thursday night with a victory over the best team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers.
Chicago now prepares to avoid a similar fate tomorrow afternoon when they are hosted by the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. This will be the fifth of six meetings bet...
The Chicago Blackhawks have rebounded nicely after losing nine straight games, some of those to division opponents, and added a solid team effort against their rivals to the south by defeating the Blues 3-1 at the United Center.
There was no magical formula consumed by the Hawks a la "Space Jam" to bring about this recent successful play - pretty simply, the Blackhawks'...
On a night when three of their division rivals played a game, the Chicago Blackhawks were the only team in their division that ended the evening without a point.
Steve Ott, Michael Ryder and Loui Eriksson each tallied for the Dallas Stars, as they downed the Blackhawks 3-1 at the United Center tonight.
Chicago started off slow in the first period, allowing Dallas t...
The Blackhawks four game winning streak came to an end on Thursday night when they provided the Dallas Stars with an opportunity to rally late in the third period and skated away with a much needed two points by both teams.
Chicago looks to regroup and get back on the winning track when they travel to Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon to face a recently offensively-impr...
By adding Johnny Oduya to the Blackhawks' roster, Stan Bowman increased the defensive depth of this team. That's exactly what he said he wanted to do heading into the trade deadline. While I personally don't think that Oduya was number 1, or even number 2, on the Hawks' list of desirable defensemen, it is an improvement to what they previously had on the NHL roster. Howeve...
At a point in time when points matter most in the standings, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to match the work ethic and effort in a 5-1 loss to their division rivals, the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center tonight.
The Blackhawks didn't do themselves any favors by allowing the Blues to skate circles around them for sixty minutes and leaving their goaltender, R...
They've made the call that everyone has been waiting for. The start of a new era? Tough to say but it should be fun. Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/flames-call-sven-baertschi
Newman
It's difficult to remember that it's understandable for a team to lose an important game against a significant divisional opponent at this point in the regular season, as everyone is vying for playoff position and overall points in the standings.
What might be more disconcerting is who the loss are coming against. The Blackhawks previous dismantling at the hand of the ...
After putting in a grind-it-out effort against one of the league's top teams to down the New York Rangers 4-3 on Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to build off said effort when they host the Los Angeles Kings tonight at the United Center.
It's hard to believe that the Blackhawks have only scored two goals in three games against LA this year, and not since ...
Matt Stajan provided the heroics for the Flames 4:20 into overtime to give them a 3-2 win over the visiting Sharks. It was the team's fourth win in a row, there longest winning streak since December. Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/ragin-stajan-flames-sink-sharks-ot
Newman
The Chicago Blackhawks did just about everything necessary tonight to pad their sixth place playoff spot lead with another two points, while narrowing the gap between themselves and their division rivals, the Nashville Predators, who sit just two points ahead in the Western Conference race.
The Blackhawks played a consistent and focused hockey game en route to their 5-...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Look for Fourth Straight Win Against Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After winning three games in a row led by strong goaltending by netminder Corey Crawford, the Chicago Blackhawks look to capture their fourth straight victory when they travel to Columbus and attempt to maintain their dominance over a lowly Blue Jackets team.
This will be the Chicago Blackhawks' sixth meeting with the Blue Jackets this season, with Chicago capturing th...
It appears as though the Chicago Blackhawks are peaking at just the right time.
Chicago's 2-1 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on Andrew Shaw's game-winning goal tonight marked their fifth win in a row, improving their record to 8-1-1 in their last ten games.
With the victory, the Blackhawks are now tied in points with Nashville for fifth place in the Western ...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Inch Closer to Playoff Spot with Win Over Blues
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Blackhawks made another important stride towards claiming a playoff spot tonight with their 4-3 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues at the United Center.
Bryan Bickell, Andrew Brunette and Patrick Sharp scored in regulation and Dave Bolland's shootout tally provided the game winner for Chicago over their division rivals. Corey Crawford made 20 saves for the Black...
The 2014 Olympics in Sochi will be a new turning point for Canadian professional hockey. A changing of the guards if you will. The team which represented Canada in Vancouver, while praised as one of the best Canadian national teams ever brought together for one event, was old. The captain of that team, Scott Niedermeyer, is gone, and other player's who played serious minut...
Devils scored a fluky one against the LA Kings to tie up game 1 in the 2nd period of the Stanley Cup Finals, and now it's in intermission and i've got an itchin' to write a blog.
On HockeyBuzz's homepage I came across another blogger's article on Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and while i disagreed with my fellow blogger, s/he ...
Well, I have not posted an article/blog on this site for a while, and am returning. I figured why not return by answering a short question/answer forum.
I asked people via twitter to send in some questions, and I will answer here.
@ChrisBowenYYC asks: "What do you think the make up of the blue line will be come opening night"
- Well its tough to tell right now. Jay ...
mcefalu writes...
Bowman, Hawks Look to Move On After Parise/Suter Rejection
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Despite receiving the cold shoulder from top NHL free agents forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, like several other rejected general managers, is optimistic he can continue to improve the Chicago Blackhawks in other ways.
Although this summer's pool of free agent talent is somewhat shallow by typical standards, there are still quit...
I'm an American. I like to consider myself more liberal than most of my countrymen. But, I also recognize that there are going to be people that disagree with me about my social and political beliefs. I just want to go on record and say that I believe this is a good thing. We need contention in society, or else nothing can be addressed and improved or fixed.
Along those...
RobFlyers#1 writes...
Ranking Hockey Canada's Best (Part 2) Defence and Goalies
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This is the second part of my rankings for Canada's best hockey players by position. I posted earlier my rankings for Canada's top 32 forwards and now it's time to rank the defense and the goalies going into the 2014 olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Canada has great depth on the blueline and in my opinion a changing of the guard so to speak. With Neidermayer retired and Chri...
Probally one person will not read this as I don't know where it goes or what the deal with this blog thing is regardless it is even a chance to vent in my own way and for my own benefit. I didn't read the article and don't plan on it but someone posted a blog about so I think I got the gist of it. It ranks the maple leafs as the worst franchise in sports or something along...
Probally one person will not read this as I don't know where it goes or what the deal with this blog thing is regardless it is even a chance to vent in my own way and for my own benefit. I didn't read the article and don't plan on it but someone posted a blog about so I think I got the gist of it. It ranks the maple leafs as the worst franchise in sports or something along...
Probally one person will not read this as I don't know where it goes or what the deal with this blog thing is regardless it is even a chance to vent in my own way and for my own benefit. I didn't read the article and don't plan on it but someone posted a blog about so I think I got the gist of it. It ranks the maple leafs as the worst franchise in sports or something along...
Probally one person will not read this as I don't know where it goes or what the deal with this blog thing is regardless it is even a chance to vent in my own way and for my own benefit. I didn't read the article and don't plan on it but someone posted a blog about so I think I got the gist of it. It ranks the maple leafs as the worst franchise in sports or something along...
I don't know Evander Kane. I don't pretend to. I have never met the man. That of course has not kept me from forming an opinion of the young forward during his brief stint as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. This opinion I have formed has come from watching him play a full season on the ice, as well as witnessing his antics on Twitter and hearing rumours (some unfounded,...
I will not try to calculate cap or anything, this is for fun, and what I believe could potentially be an ultimate team. I will pick 4 lines, 3 sets of d, and two goalies. The point is to create a team not of superstars but together will play as a team.rnrn1st UnitrnJames Van Riemsdyke - Sidney Crosby - Steven StamkosrnrnThis unit will have JVR is front of the net, and Cros...
MintEdition writes...
The first and second tier of real franchise players - Cream
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]I am[/b] one who looks from the outside when I follow the NHL circus from the other side of the Atlantic sea. To be more precise I try to watch as much as I can even thou the games start in the middle of the night when you live in Sweden and have a full time job.
One concept that is a bit fascinating are the idea of a team or a franchise having one of their own so ca...
flamesfan1981 writes...
2014 Olympics: My Canadian Men's Ice Hockey Roster
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981
While watching Hockey Night In Canada last weekend on CBC, the broadcast mentioned that the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia are exactly 10 months away. The first thought that popped into my head and most likely any Canadian hockey fan, was memories of the 2010 Olympics in which Sidney Crosby took a feed from Jarome Iginla in OT of th...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Why the Flames need to draft Nathan MacKinnon!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Follow me on twitter: @flamesfan1981
For the past two decades the Calgary Flames franchise has attempted to fill their to center positions with low cost or washed up bandaid solutions that simply weren't the answer. To put this into better perspective, the Flames top 2 scoring Centerman since the 1996 season have been Robert Reichel (354 points in 425 games) and Craig ...
Now that the leafs have handed out the massive contract to Clarkson and resigned center Tyler Bozak the leafs roster looks to be pretty near set in stone. Barring any major trades or changes on the blue line, the leafs have yet again been led on the path of size and "truculence" (in the words of former gm Brian Burke) as opposed to speed and skill.
As pointed out earli...
With the NHL and IOC (supposedly) close to an agreement to include the world's best players to play in Sochi on February, there will be much debate on who will be representing their respective countries on the world's biggest stage. In this series of blogs, I will tell you who I would have on my team if I was choosing and why. Just like most championship teams, I'll s...
Five members of the 2013-14 Avalanche squad received an invitation to their country’s Olympic camp earlier today. Matt Duchene will be the sole representative for the Avs at the Team Canada camp, joining 24 other highly skilled forwards. I hate to be writing this but Duchene’s chances to have a spot on a Center position seem slim, with the likes of Crosby, Stamkos, Ber...
With the NHL finally agreeing to send their players to Sochi, I began thinking of the potential roster Canada could put forth. It is crazy to think that while most of the defending gold medalists could be back, the 2010 Olympic team did not have current superstars like Stamkos, Tavares and Giroux. The firepower on this upcoming team will be extraordinary.
One big change...
I thought I would go through the lines I would use for the major Olympic teams in the upcoming Olympics in Sochi. I figured I would start with the team I am rooting for so let’s get into this.
My team USA
Zach Parise Derek Stephan Patrick Kane
I’ll start with the two easy guys and they both happen to be some of my favorite players. Zach Parise is one of the ...
The Bruins lost a forward from every line this summer. During the salary cap era, teams are going to require immediate results from players. The Bruins may understand this better than any team in the league. They have let players walk into free agency, and dealt underachieving players for assets that will help the team in the long run. The most recent of these dealing, b...
As the name suggests...
Nash - Crosby - Stamkos
Sharp - Toews - Giroux
E. Staal - Getzlaf - Perry
Richards - Bergeron - Carter
Tavares
Pietrangelo - Weber
Seabrook - Keith
Doughty - Subban
Alzner - Letang
Crawford - Price - Luongo (I say Crawford because he knows how to win on good teams and winning on good teams vs winning on bad teams is very different)
...
Team USA has chosen to bring 48 players to orientation camp, which is basically a meet and great golf tournament.
Of those 48 players that were selected for camp, only 25 will be chosen to make the trip to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Olympics. 20 of those players will dress for each game, leaving five in the pressbox. Here’s my roster for Team USA in Sochi, based on th...
Team Canada enters the Olympics like they enter any International tournament, the favorites to win.
After winning a nail-biting Gold Medal in 2010 on home ice, the Canadians will bring a younger roster to Sochi in hopes of a repeat. There are probably around three forward lines and two defense lines worth of players that are going and are really non-negotiable. The fina...
I grew up in rural Canada by playing hockey against our bitter rivals from the big city an hour away. Well, to us it was a big city, 3 times the size of our town though still only a little over 20,000 people lived there. Like I said, it was rural. The nearest NHL team were the Boston Bruins about 1100km, the Montreal Canadiens were about 10 kilometres further west. The pro...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Off The Ice: Olympics, SF Bulls, Young Stars Classic
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Ek posted a poll about NHL participation beyond Sochi, so I thought I'd have a few thoughts on the topic.
The reason the NHL players go to the Olympics is because they want to. They want to represent their countries in their sport on the biggest international sports event in the world.
The only thing holding up Olympic participation in any year has been the owners an...
I believe that is the mainstream media debate we are participating in, is it not? Should we send a team of absolute all-stars (we could probably send two teams) or should we try to assemble a roster of players who enjoy great chemistry with each other whilst playing in the NHL. Well let's do both and see how it turns out, shall we?
All-Star Team Canada
Goalies:
Ro...
kelholtz writes...
All-Star Team Canada Or All-Chemisty Team Canada Part 2
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So my previous blog tackled the idea of sending a team of all-stars to Sochi to compete for gold. Today we're gonna look at the possibility of a Team Canada built upon player Chemistry. So let's do this!
Goalies:
Corey Crawford
Braden Holtby
Carey Pricern
Bear with me here. Crawford-Keith-Seabrook, a Stanley Cup Trifecta. Holtby-Green-Alzner, Capital punishment....
Finally the NHL season is here.
While there only being three games tonight, it's enough to have all hockey fans excited for the new season to begin. Teams and management have worked hard to adjust to the new cap and prepare their teams for a full regular season grind.
Toronto and Montreal kick off the night with the first puck drop and couldn't be more of a classic...
tylercastro writes...
Three Straight Games with 6+ Goals for Blackhawks
Posted Thursday | Comments 1
The Chicago Blackhawks come off their third win in a row against the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night at the United Center in Chicago. A 7-2 win caps off 3 games in four nights, outscoring opponents 19-6. Antti Raanta has taken over for Corey Crawford and has let in 2 goals in each of his starts/reliefs. Raanta has stopped 64 of 70 total shots in three games. The two Pa...
tylercastro writes...
PIT vs. CHI Stadium Series Tickets Sold Out after One Day
Posted Friday | Comments 2
We all know the top dominating team's of each conference of today's NHL. The Pittsburgh Penguins of the east, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks of the west. As of today the Penguins are 2nd in the Eastern Conference (21-10-1 43 points), under the Boston Bruins with 43 points, and the Blackhawks are 23-6-5, 51 points, and 1st in the Western Conferenc...
The Pittsburgh Penguins showoff their new jersey for the game that will be played on March 1st of the new year against the Chicago Blackhawks. The jersey will an away white, like normal, with strops on the mid-sleeve and bottom of the sweater. A tweet that I read earlier in the day compared the jersey to a familiar rivals, Boston Bruins jersey. It made it a whole lot more ...
tylercastro writes...
Chicago Blackhawks on the Other Side TOR 7 vs. CHI 3
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
For three straight games the Chicago Blackhawks scores 6+ goals in a game. The game against the Toronto Maple Leafs had a different story line to it. This match up was also about answering. The Maple Leafs answered the Blackhawk's goal 2 out of their 3. The first time Patrick Kane's second period goal was answered by Nikolai Kulemin 1:21 later. Next it was Phil Kessel answ...
tylercastro writes...
Back to the W's; Raanta, Toews give Kings a Setback
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks do what they do best and don't let a bad games get any further than the night it was played. After the 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Hawks come out with 3 first period goals against the Los Angeles Kings, which no team had scored any first period goals against the LA in 18 games! Where does that come from? But anyone knows if any team had ...
A lot of people are picking their Canadian Olympic hockey team, so I thought I would give my input. rn First I will start with the forward lines;rn 1st Line: Tavares-Crosby-Stamkos (If he is healthy by Sochi) rn2nd Line: Getzlaf-Toews-Perry rn3rd Line: Couture-Thornton-Giroux rn4th Line: Sharp-Bergeron-Duchene rnExtras: ...
Everyone always says Canada could ice two hockey teams so I'm going to choose the other guys. The ones people are leaving off their teams. So first let's go over the locks for the real team canada.
Goalies Lunogo and Price. Crawford?
Defence Weber, Doughty, Keith, Pietranglo, Vasic?, Bowmeester?, Seabrook?, Subban ?
Forwards Crosby, Toews, Bergeron, Getzlaf, Perry, S...
In light of the recent NHL hiatus I, like many hockey fans, have turned my attention towards the Winter Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. Similar to the food for thought being offered by legions of armchair GM’s around the world of hockey, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions of how this prestigious tournament will play itself out....
In light of the recent NHL hiatus I, like many hockey fans, have turned my attention towards the Winter Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. Similar to the food for thought being offered by legions of armchair GM’s around the world of hockey, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions of how this prestigious tournament will play itself out....
7 Ducks returned from Sochi, 5 of them with medals. But all 7 had successful tournaments, in fact, one could argue that the 2 who didn't medal had just as good a tournament, if not better, than the 5 who did. I'll start with the non-medal winners, and then work my way from Bronze to Gold. I will also give a quick injury update at the end (players got healthy over the break...
The 2013-14 Flyers season began almost as abysmal as any in their long history. An 0-3 start lead to Peter Laviolette being shown the door. Players were complaining about lack of system knowledge due to a poor training camp, Ed Snider stated it was the worst run camp in his time as Owner and Fans could clearly see a team that did not prepare itself well for the regular sea...
[img]http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/YJBErx8hGR4/0.jpg[/img]rnrnrnThe hit by Chicago's Brent Seabrook on St. Louis captain David Backes in game 2 was a clean hit that resulted in a game misconduct, and three game suspension for Seabrook. rnrnBackes was coming around the boards from behind the net. He touched the puck, but flew by leaving it in the corner to be picked up by Chicago...
It has been a busy couple of months for Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, since he took control of hockey operations from Jim Rutherford. First order of business for Ronnie was to dismiss the coaching staff after the abysmal performance last year. Not much debate needed there. Kirk Muller, et al, never really got it done ...
By Erik Caron
By now it is well documented that GM Peter Chiarelli and the Bruins are living in cap hell and aren’t going to find an easy way out. Sure there are other teams who are having cap struggles of their own but no one seems to be feeling it quite like Peter Chiarelli and company. After signing Matt Bartkowski and Jordan Caron to new one year deals this past w...
My good friend BHTD9 came to me with the idea of coming up with some predictions for next season today and I have to say I was intrigued. To be fair, I'm not as solid on my western conference material. Guaranteed there'll be a few disagreements here. That said, lets give it a shot then.
Last Years Standings
Colorado - 112
St. Louis - 111
Chicago - 107
Minnesota - ...
so with all the recent speculation about a big trade coming from Chicago I decided to think about what the hawks should get for sharp. [b]patrick sharp $5,900,000 this year [/b] sharp is my pick to move because he has the highest cap hit and would bring Chicago the most the places I think he'd end up are Montreal, Nashville, Columbus, or Arizona, now its worth mentioning...
After coming within a bounce of a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Finals to face a team they'd have likely beaten, the Blackhawks have to have high hopes for this season. General Manager Stan Bowman stuck to his usual status quo during this past offseason, avoiding any huge personnel moves. Bowman either has a difficult job, as it's difficult to make big moves wi...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avalanche has hit rock bottom. After blowing a late lead last night in Calgary, Colorado had nothing going for them tonight. The Jets stormed out to score early an often en route to a 6-2 victory over the Avs. Bryan Little led the way with a hat-trick and they also received goals from Chris Thorburn, And...
Former NHL defenseman was found dead at his Mississuaga home this morning. Montador played in the NHL last for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12 season but also had stints with the Flames, Panthers, Ducks, Bruins, Sabres and Zagreb Medvescak (KHL). In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Montador recorded 33 goals, 131 points and 807 penalty minutes in 571 games. In the 2011-12 seas...
As I write this. the Boston Bruins are clinging to a playoff spot as we enter the stretch to the post season. Whether or not the Bruins make the playoffs or not, the team faces a lot of questions after the curtain falls on the 2014-15 NHL season:
1.WHO WILL BE AT THE HELM?-
Peter Chiarelli and Claude Julien find themselves in the line of fire after what can be deemed a...
Reddevil45 writes...
Nashville Preds against Chicago Blackhawks:Series Prediction
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The first Western Conference series will be between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators. The Predators will have home ice in the series but looked shaky towards the end of the season. The Blackhawks will get a boost to their ever strong offense with Patrick Kane (64P, 61GP) back from injury. Both teams ended the season with only four wins in their last ten g...
Cam Neely addressed the media yesterday from TD Garden. Just a mere few hours of delivering the news that longtime General Manager, Peter Chiarelli, had been fired from the Boston Bruins.
The main topic of the press conference was the future of Claude Julien. Claude has been the head coach in Boston since 2007, and this season was the first time the Bruins had misse...
Well it's been quite the week in Oil Country. Exactly one week ago, morale was about as low as it's ever been at the end of a season. The Oilers finished 28th overall, and while in previous years fans had been dissapointed, the draft was still a chance to look optimistically at the future. This year, even though this draft has been called one of the deepest drafts of the l...
[i]Bare with me on this blog. It was written quickly as it has been a long time since HB's actual Oilers Blogger has said anything. A week before the Oilers make 5 picks early in the draft and the best rumors are found on TSN and their website sucks. Like it or not, someone had to say something at all about the club as this is truly a momentous time for the Oilers club t...
Oilers latest GM came with a lot of hype. Oilers Brass have changed everything from the President to the scouting staff. However the GM is the first one to show his stuff and he really was not amazing during the draft. Seems like the scouting staff did their job in terms of the 2 late picks he made but he mortgaged they Oilers future for magic beans.
The Oilers trade...
There has been an argument, who's voice has grown louder as we approach the beginning of the season, and that is if Chiarelli has done better than MacTavish. McDavid hype is still alive and well but drafting the 18 year old wunderkid was a task that a 6 year old could have accomplished.
To properly compare these two men, let's jump back to the end of the 2012-2013 seas...
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...
Since the start of the 2015-2016 regular season, there have been talks around the league that Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards could be on the hot seat or fired from his position. Richards was hired by Columbus in 2012, and helped lead the Jackets into the playoffs for only the second time in the club's history. He also coached the same team that won their fi...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 6- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks
Posted Saturday | Comments 32
Quick Notes
1. Its the first time these teams will face each other since the blockbuster trade this summer. It is the first time the Blackhawks will face Brandon Saad in a Blue Jackets uniform, and the first time the Jackets will face Artem Anisimov in a Hawks uniform.
2. Same Lineup, Different Goalie- After last night's loss and since it is two games in two nights, ...
The debut for Brandon Saad at United Center did not end up good for the Blue Jackets. The final score of the game was 4-1, bringing the Blue Jackets to their worst start in franchise history. The Jackets are now the only winless team in the league.
For the winning team, the Chicago Blackhawks scored 4 goals in the final 40 minutes of the game. Patrick Kane, Marian Hoss...
With rumors swirling in Columbus as result of a possible shakeup, John Tortorella and Guy Boucher have been mentioned as possible replacements for current head coach Todd Richards.
It is just really wrong for there to be so much blame on Richards since there are a couple reasons why his squad may not be off to the greatest start. He has had slow starts to the season wi...
Zak MacMillan writes...
My Reactions to Trades- Deadline and Before (Longest Blog Pd
Posted Monday | Comments 1
SubTitle: My Longest Blog Ever
What is better than seeing and hearing about trades at the trade deadline? Reacting to the trades from the deadline. This blog is my thoughts on the trades that happened prior to and the day of the NHL Trade Deadline.
__________________________________________________________________
[b]During the Week[/b]
_____________________________...
Originally I started writing this blog about how the Oilers were once again involved in a trade deadline where they only unloaded players but Chiarelli ruined that by actually adding things to improve the team.
I digress...
By now you all should know what deals went down so here is the Oiler's current roster.
Hall-Draisaitl-Kassian
Pouliot-McDavid-Eberle
Maroon-...
DutchSenators writes...
The Hawks winning the Stanley cup again? Not a bad thing!
Posted Thursday | Comments 1
The trade deadline has passed and the Blackhawks have made some solid moves over the last few weeks. They acquired a legitimate 1LW in Andrew Ladd, solidified their bottom six with Weise and Fleischmann, and swapped Scuderi for Ehrhoff. With these additions the Chicago Blackhawks are set to win another Stanley Cup and become a true dynasty team.
Hitting and fighting is ...
With ten games remaining, this year can once again be summarized for Oiler fans as a disappointment. While injuries have played a huge factor in the teams current position it cannot be denied that consistency and defensive woes have also played a huge roll. Now that we are a couple weeks past the trade deadline I thought now would be as good a time as any to look back on e...
If one was to look at McLellan's list of areas his team needs to improve...well it would be a very long list. However, it's probably fairly safe to say that near the top of that list would be the PP.
One of the things that excited many people when it was announced that McLellan would be the Oilers next coach was what he could do for the PP. While in San Jose McLellan's ...
freelancer writes...
Turning the 16-17 Oilers into the 10-11 Bruins (Forwards)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
From Day 1, Chiarelli has had one consistent message regarding his vision of what he expects from his Oilers. Bigger. More physical. Tougher to play against. It doesn't take a genius (after all I'm the one writing this) to gather that Chiarelli wants to emulate how he built the Boston Bruins. As I sit here, recovering from an Easter dinner hangover I thought it'd be a fun ...
Round One
Eastern Conference
Washington Capitals v. Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning v. Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers v. Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Islanders v. Florida Panthers
Western Conference
Dallas Stars v. Minnesota Wild
St. Louis Blues v. Chicago Blackhawks
Anaheim Ducks v. Nashville Predators
Los Angeles Kings v. San Jos...
Playoffs have begun! While I would love to be able to sit here and talk about the Oilers playing in the playoffs, controversial offside calls, and all that fun, instead I get over-analyze the 2015-2016 Oilers roster and try and figure out who will and won't be back. Way more fun, right?
Over the next couple weeks I'm going to go through the Oilers roster, and look at th...
Moves happen every year with players. New teams appear in the playoffs each year as well. This article will list which playoff team has a former Blue Jacket for all you fans to keep track of at home.
Anaheim: Corey Tropp
Chicago: Tim Jackman, Artem Anisimov
Dallas:
Detroit:
Florida Panthers: Derek MacKenzie
Los Angeles: Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik
Min...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Blue Jackets' Associate Coach Craig Hartsburg Retires
Posted Friday | Comments 64
The associate coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets has retired to spend time with his family. Hartsburg, 52, has enjoyed three seasons in Columbus, including a postseason appearance. Hartsburg coached three games this year when John Tortorella was out with broken ribs, going 2-0-1.
With his retirement, this means Tortorella can go out and get a guy he likes, unless he p...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Progression- The Curious Case of John Tortorella
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Even though this may become my most controversial blog to date, my Blue Jackets progression article today discusses the upside that head coach John Tortorella has for this young club.
Tortorella is a proven winner. He is the winningest American hockey coach with 480 wins. He has won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 with guys including Brad Richards, M...
Hamonic. To many it was a done deal. When people discussed what the Oilers were going to do with their defense this summer; Hamonic was already penciled in.
Let me start by saying until I hear it from Hamonic's mouth that he doesn't want to be traded, I'm assuming this is all a ploy by Snow to try and increase the asking price.
Moving on.
It's only been a month si...
Just announced... the Chicago Blackhawks have traded forwards Bryan Bickell and Tuevo Terevainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2nd round pick in the 2016 draft and a 3rd pick in the 2017 draft. The Hawks have freed up a ton of cap space by making this move. What could it mean? Well, it could mean that the Hawks can for sure bring back fan favorite Andrew Shaw. Also, the...
'Twas the night before Draftmas and through the NHL,
Was a group of GM's that were stuck in cap hell;
The scouts prepared all their draft pick selections,
A steal in round 6? Cue the erections;
The fans were crowded around phones and computers,
Hoping to hear their team has acquired a new shooter;
And Oiler fans everywhere were getting the sense,
That this might b...
The draft has come and gone. As usual there was plenty of speculation beforehand. Twitter exploded in the days leading up to the draft that the Oilers were pursuing Subban. Shattenkirk's agent stated he expected his client to be gone by the weekend. Once again there was plenty of hype, and once again the Oilers left the draft without a top defenseman.
Having said that, ...
While most speculated that the Edmonton Oilers would be in on defenseman Jason Demers and left wing Milan Lucic, today we received confirmation that the two were in town meeting with the organization. Meeting and signing are two very different things and there are other teams also courting these guys (Lucic was just in Vancouver). The Oilers do have a bit of an advantage i...
I'll tell you, and I won't be very popular with this one but I might actually have an idea of what GMs are thinking while a lot of people are stuck in the "stats la-la land" that focuses mostly on a genuinely useless stat (shots on goal).
It's funny that you want a society to get smarter in an abstract sense, but they sink into abstracts (shots on goal) while veering aw...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL: Predicting Standings- Who Makes and Misses Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Pacific Division
1. Anahiem Ducks
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Arizona Coyotes
5. Calgary Flames
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Nashville Predators
4. St. Louis Blues (X)
5. Minnesota Wild (X)
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL: Predicting Standings- Who Makes and Misses Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 1
Pacific Division
1. Anahiem Ducks
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Arizona Coyotes
5. Calgary Flames
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Nashville Predators
4. St. Louis Blues (X)
5. Minnesota Wild (X)
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 3- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
After five days away from game competition, the Blue Jackets return to the United Center to take on the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks last year were an experienced team that picked up players at the deadline, and because of the cap, had to change up their roster. The Hawks let Andrew Ladd (NYI); Dale Weise (PHI); Matt Fraser (EU); and Drew MacIntyre (EU). They als...
urbandrew writes...
STOP COMPARING THE LEAFS TO THE BLACKHAWKS… try the PATRIOTS
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ya I said it. We’re going to be a DYNASTY. Sure the Hawks had a few cups in a handful of years but in my life I’ve only witnessed two dynasties; The New England Patriots and Tiger Woods.
People love to compare Toews and Kane to Matthews and Marner and why not? All were drafted high, the centers are both known to play a strong defensive game, and the wingers are both...
Late on Tuesday, the Oilers made a trade that sent Brandon Davidson to the Canadiens in exchange for David Desharnais. From a managerial outlook I understand the trade. Brandon Davidson was almost certainly going to be lost to Vegas in the expansion draft and the team knew it. Desharnais is a couple seasons removed from his last productive season but Chiarelli and the Oile...
Hall Fan writes...
Oilers Post Deadline: The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Lets end this on a good note and save the good. So the trade deadline for the Oilers overall. We did little. We added a center which is good. Some might say a winger is what we need as we do have Letestu, Nuge, Hendricks (technically), Lander, Samuelson (some were hoping he was the number 4 guy as Letestu has been playing really good and could be argued as a third line...
I apologize for the unoriginal title and format of the blog but there really is two levels of bad to the Oiler's situation.
The Good
The Oilers did better than we all expected them to do. The proved that they could win without a solid blue line (especially in game six). It saw great season's from a bunch of players and confidence that very well might make the caree...
Over the past few weeks I have started and stopped writing this blog several times. I wanted to write about how all the woes the Edmonton Oilers are currently facing should not only have been expected, but were avoidable. Admittedly, the reason I held off was because I did not want to jump the gun and was hoping this team would prove me wrong.
That doesn't seem to be th...
After the abyssal beginning to the season, the Oilers have begun to scratch their way out of the hole. The team is 5-4-1 in their last 10 games as well as grabbed 5 of a possible 8 points on their recent Eastern road trip. With Tuesday's 8-2 smack-down of expansion team underdogs, The Golden Knights, some people may believe this team is ready to turn the corner.
Quick F...
It was only a couple short weeks ago I wrote a blog detailing how Edmonton could still make a playoff push. Unfortunetly the team decided to take a personal vendetta against me and decided to discredit me by scoring only 3 goals in their last 5 games.
Stick a fork in it people, the Oilers season is officially done.
There is going to be lots of talk about how things w...
Travis Yost wrote a very revealing article a couple days ago. The link to it can be found here:
[url]https://www.tsn.ca/oilers-hampered-by-weakness-on-the-wing-1.963104[/url]
Here is the short and skinny; the Oilers wingers are really really bad. I know most people don't think an article needed to be written to know that but Yost delves much further. Looking at G/60 (g...
Been busy the last couple of weeks but I will start blogging with a bit more regularity for those who care. Here is a small piece to keep you occupied.
Last night the Oilers paid homage to the 1984-1985 Edmonton Oilers... in case anyone had forgottten in the last 20 minutes that they were a really good hockey team. It's the mantra this team follows religiously; Reward t...
I was listening to Oilers Now on 630 Ched on Tuesday. Normally a great show but this one was brutul. They were talking about how some fans want to see heads roll after a season like this. Bob Nicholson was on the NHL Network saying how this season is part of their building process. To be honest, I question anyone that keeps Chiarelli at this point but Bob is untouchabl...
Seems to be a popular title around the web. It seems rather obvious but many people go near the correct answer. It is three steps much easier said than done. I will go hardest to easiest.
1. Dump the players Chiarelli has signed as UFA's
2. Grab key UFA's
3. Dump Chiarelli (McLellan should go to if they want a cup but he can get them to the playoffs)
The first o...
Oooooooh boy it's going to be a long summer.
A few days ago Chiarelli had his media avail. I thought Todd McLellan did an admirable job. He took responsibility for his actions, spent time defending some decisions while apologizing for others, and overall gave an idea of what he expects of the team moving forward.
Everything that Chiarelli didn't do.
[b]Bye Bye Tod...
Well the news we have been expecting for the past couple weeks was finally made official today as the Oilers announce Glen Gulutzan, Trent Yawney, and Manny Viveiros as assistant coaches with Todd McLellan.
A couple quick notes from the press conference.
- McLellan has said that the special teams will be worked on collectively. However he expects Gulutzan and Viveiro...
At some point during the regular season I started wondering what the Oilers strategy is going forward. During the last three seasons I think everyone would agree that the goal was win now. Mcdavid and Draisaitl on entry level contracts was a recipe for opportunity. Chiarelli made several moves and whether you agree with all of them or not he made the effort and fell short,...
MaximumBone writes...
Oilers at the Entry Draft: Later Round Draft Targets
Posted Friday | Comments 3
To conclude my draft series, the following is list of a number of players I'd be pushing for the Oilers to pick. Last year's version of this list included names like Henri Jokiharju (CHI), Kole Lind (VAN), Kirill Maksimov (EDM) and Benjamin Jones (VGK).
[b][u]2nd round targets:[/u][/b]
Aside from my aforementioned targets in Hillis and Olofsson, a few other names I...
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...
The Instigator |Episode 21
Winter Classic Rerun: Same Teams Every Year
The Winter Classic is set to play on New Years Day. A great tribute to how hockey began, outside, but…why in the world do we have to watch the same teams each year. This years matchup is the Chicago Blackhawks versus the Boston Bruins at historic Notre Dame Stadium. Sounds epic right, not so muc...
This is a team breakdown for what strategy I'd take as every team.
I'm going to skip over the Devils and the Rangers at 1 and 2 since it's fairly obvious the Devils will take Hughes and the Rangers Kakko. I'm also going no farther than 16 because after that, the possibilities are endless and these combine interviews and scouts could have come up with anything.
Chi...
[img]https://jetsnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/10/usatsi_10319841.jpg[/img]
The Winnipeg Jets are a relatively talented hockey team. Their top six forwards have as much finishing talent as any team in the NHL with Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Kyle Connor. They have the dominant pairing of Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry who can virtually shut...
Blackhawks beat the Flames (who were channeling their inner Detroit Red Wing), into the Ice with EASE, by a score of 8-4. The entire game the Flames just couldn’t gain any ground. Every time the Flames looked as though they were starting to get back into, a defensive lapse would occur, they would leave someone all alone in front of the net, and would trail AGAIN. This wh...
Hershey, PA – January 26, 2021—
Franchise Blockbuster Deal Between Columbus, Winnipeg
Over the weekend, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Winnipeg Jets have completed a deal involving three former first round draft picks in a four-piece deal. On the 23rd of January 2021, the Blue Jackets have traded center ice-man Pierre-Luc Dubois with a 2022 third-round draft pic...
The Boston Bruins have canned Bruce Cassidy, which comes as a major shock to the fanbase as a whole. Cassidy took over midway through the 2016-17 season when Claude Julien was fired for a losing record of 26-23-6, Cassidy turned that team into 18-8-1 in his 27 games that season. Eventually, the Bruins would fall to the Senators in game 6 of the first round in the Stanley C...