Tag Search Results for "LA"
The last time that the New York Islanders clinched the playoffs on THE last day of the season, it didn't come without a price. Going back to March 31, 1990; the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins were all vying for the fourth and final playoff position in the Patrick Division. The Islanders were playing the Flyers and the Penguins were playi...
Everyone knows that the Buffalo Sabres are 1st seed. Everyone knows that the Buffalo Sabres won the Presidents Trophy. Everyone knows that every Buffalo fan says "This is our year!". I am pretty sure the upstart New York Islanders will have something to say about that.
Coming in 8th seed with a thrilling shootout win over the New Jersey Devils, the Isles rode 3rd str...
Saturday, April 7, 2007
For a sports fan this time of year is like Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and a birthday all wrapped into one. With the start of the baseball season, March Madness, and the Masters, Tivo’s and VCR’s (for those still living in the Stone Age) aren’t being given very many nights off. But out of all of this quality television is there any...
This season, Calgary fans have seen two teams. The Flames at home and the Lames on the road. For some reason Calgary sometimes comes out flat in a game, and considering the look of their roster, it is unacceptable. The Flames are completely capable of pulling off an upset against The Detroit Red Wings, barring an appearance by the much dreaded Lames. Their last 4 performan...
Forget 2004. The teams are radically different in makeup, coaching, style, what have you. The rules are different. The on ice focus is different. This is 2007.
I didn't have an intro blog. I don't believe in well written accounts, supported by facts and sources. I have my opinion, and I give it straight forward and fast.
We are younger. We are faster. We are ...
Sixteen teams are about to explore uncharted territory. Whatever’s behind them doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is the treasure ahead – somewhere, to be found. No one has any idea what it will take to get there. Some think they might, but there’s no way of knowing the exact path, knowing what's ahead.
It all starts tonight. The 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs....
The Montreal Canadiens are one of those teams in the league that has a serious image problem. Nobody on there roster sticks out as the leader of the pack. All of their current players are at best mediocore players. Koivu is exponentially overated, Kovalev has lost his scoring touch, and Samsonov...Oh yeah he was a complete flop. This team needs a serious makeover in ev...
My name is David Reddekopp, and I'm a Habs fan. But even more than that, I'm a hockey fan, so while I will talk about my team, I won't always. One thing I can guarantee you though, I am very opinionated and will make my point whether you agree with it or not.
Well, with the introductions out of the way, I'll start my initial blog post with an overview of the first rou...
As a last minute decision I put together a playoff pool together. I invited a solid amount of hockey fanatics to the draft and ended up with enough for a good time. The draft was a very good time as it lasted over an hour and was pretty much solid hockey talk. The contrast in opinions, the intense loyalties, the fake loyalties and indecision were all omnipresent to the par...
In a week, you will choke down wings, drink lots of beer, and scream at your television sets. In a week, you will throw your Wii controllers aside, and watch small animals grow from the faces of your hockey heroes and heels. In a week, the season travails will wash away to a giant magnifying glass and pressure-cooker called the [b]NHL Playoffs[/b].
Our blood will boil, ...
On the eve of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Calgary Flames there are many questions to answer. Can Kipper put this team on his back and take down the mighty Wings in Round 1? Can Jarome Iginla be the superstar he is and light it up against a talented Red Wings Team? Can Calgary outmuscle and outscore the #1 Seed in the West? Can Alex Tanguay be the complim...
As much of a disappointing result the end of the Canes season was, I can honestly say I cannot wait to watch the playoffs and not be as emotionally drained as I was last year...I think the entire post season last year took a couple of years off my life!
Now who would a Canes fan pull for in this years post season?
In the East
Sabres - Not a chance....from the pers...
Yes the playoffs are here! And like every other Canadian I am ready for some good ol' time hockey. I've already plastic wrapped the tv to keep it protected from the spit and anything else that might be projected at the tv in anger (note to self...it will not be protected from blunt objects, keep Best Buy flyer close by just in case.) I think there are some very exciting...
Welcome fellow hockey/bruins fans. Here I will be posting my thoughts and wishes for the Bruins organization, the NHL and my thoughts on Fantasy Hockey.
I will try to update this a few times a week.
First thought, THE PLAYOFFS start tonight!
Series I am looking forward to most is San Jose vs. Nashville. This could turn out to one great series. I still think the...
What a season for the Buffalo Sabres and fans. They have taken home the President Trophy as the top team in the National Hockey League throughout the regular season. They finished with 53 wins and 113 points.
They will be playing the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday night puck drops at 7:08pm. This should be an interesting series. Ted N...
I was flipping through the Center Ice channels on Dish Network last night, and didn't find any of the games scheduled for tonight. It appears as though the only games are on Versus. There is a reason I have two TVs in the living room. I wanted to watch both early games and both late games. It's like running to the tree Christmas morning only to find that Santa took a d...
Appeared originally on PredNation.com:
To say that all eyes will be on Nashville in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs wouldn't be an understatement. Games 3 through 7 will be nationally broadcast on the Versus network, marking the first time in team history that consecutive games will be on national TV.
Contrast that schedule with the Anaheim/Minnesota seri...
I try to steer clear of playoff predictions, because anybody who loves this sport knows that you can never accurately assume what's going to happen in a hockey game. Yet, somehow I am magically drawn to articles discussing all facets of the upcoming postseason, as the thirst for playoff excitement that brews in my stomach every April is too much to ignore.
So of course...
Well folks, it finally has arrived! The playoffs are here and I couldn't be more excited. A great slate of games tonight with what will probably be one of the most exciting series being Ottawa V. Pittsburgh. So much speed and talent on the ice between both teams and two young upcoming goaltenders. Ray Emery has a lot to make up for from last year's run when he laid a f...
Friday, April, 6, 2007
Over the past month it has seemed as if the individuals from the NHL office who form the yearly schedule must contain psychic abilities. With one of the greatest play off races the game has ever seen, the league has shown an eyrie ability to place all the teams involved in the race against one another coming down the stretch. Still, throughout m...
Throughout the season, the Sabres haven’t done had much to criticize. One characteristic about their play that has popped up from time to time is that at times they tend to play too cute.
It hasn’t been uncommon to see “the extra pass” from Vanek… after you just saw “the extra pass” from Roy. They are just not a team who likes to pepper the opposing goa...
I realize that today is Christmas and the moment we wait for all year long...BUT... thanks to Eklund's insane love for hockey and, especially, his desire to include and reward the true fans of the game, I must first use this great new platform to honor the ALL-TIME GOAL SCORING AMERICAN! Stay tuned for more about the Stars playoff run...there is nothing better than gettin...
Yeah, I know, not a very original title, but it's the truth. It all begins tonight, the illustrious challenge for hockey's greatest prize. Enough babble. Onto the games tonight.
I'm a fan, yes, duh, of the Canucks, but sports would never be the same if there was not some fantasy or predictive element. Besides cheering for your team, how many times have you said to y...
Hey all,
I know this has been done to death by everyone who knows just the slightest bit about hockey, but thought I'd get my picks on the record!
[b][u]Eastern Conference[/u][/b]
[u]#1 Buffalo Sabres vs. #8 New York Islanders[/u]
Buffalo should make short work of the Islanders. The Isles showed great grit and determination in making the playoffs but they did it b...
With hockey fever raging through Buffalo unchecked, that can mean only one thing. We are one day from game one. Sabre players have said they are not looking beyond the Islanders and have laid very classy praise on Ted Nolan and his boys from the Island. Are the Islanders equally prepared?
[img:left]http://msn.foxsports.com/id/6198854_36_2.jpg[/img]We have not heard m...
Ditch the razor and hide the shaving cream its playoff time! The time of year when your stomach turns to knots at every odd man rush.
As many players in the Sabres room have said, this is the "Real Season." That is the attitude they have had since dropping Game 7 of the 2006 ECF with a battered blue line.
From training camp to this past Sunday it's been all about ...
Lanny's Moustache writes...
Time to look like an idiot. Here's my fearless hockey picks.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
WEST
[b]Detroit vs Calgary - Calgary in 6[/b]
I think Detroit is too soft to compete with Calgary if they forecheck hard all series. The older D for the Wings will get banged up early, and Hasek will look for a way out after losing 2 of the first 3 games. I would also take Calgary's Superstar players over Detroit's in a tough series. The one problem Calgary may have is...
RayChamps2001 writes...
'Tis the Season to be Jolly: NHL Playoff Season
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]The following can be found at [url]http://www.nhlnow.com[/url][/b] (with pictures).
[img:right]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/upload/2007/03/questforthecup_325x235.jpg[/img]
It's been a long break, but NHLNow.com is back for the most exciting season of the year: NHL Playoff Season. The battle for Lord Stanley's Cup is on, and with the depth in this year's playoffs, it see...
I'm writing this blog entry on my laptop from the Library at SFU Surrey Campus, having just completed a painfully easy Criminology exam.
I have two tickets to Game 1 of the playoffs tonight, thanks to [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqSMftSKnIg]my entry[/url] in the Ultimate Canucks Search contest. The game is scheduled to start at 7pm, with a tribute to the 82 cup ...
Every week I do a radio show here at Michigan Tech University talking sports with my partner Kevin. The show runs from noon-2pm on 91.9 WMTU FM. This week is obviously our playoff special for the NHL. Talk on the Eastern Conference was heated and exciting with ultimately similar results, and the Western Conference is next up. Below are the results, and if you're interested...
With the Oilers being out of playoff contention for sometime now, I've been debating who to root for in the playoffs. I thought I'd cheer for the Islanders with Smytty, my favourite player of all time,on the roster. Maybe the Sabres with them being a local team.
Islanders? With my favourite player of all time now on the roster. Sorry, not you Bergy. They beat out th...
Since the Canes aren't defending the Cup this spring, it's easy for me to make predictions. I think Buffalo and Ottawa are the two best teams in the East, and I hope there's at least one upset (probably the Rangers over the Thrash) that will allow the Sabres and Sens to meet in the East final. I think that would be a great series, and I think Buffalo will win it. So I'm go...
With the Oilers being out of playoff contention for sometime now, I've been debating who to root for in the playoffs. I thought I'd cheer for the Islanders with Smytty, my favourite player of all time,on the roster. Maybe the Sabres with them being a local team.
Islanders? With my favourite player of all time now on the roster. Sorry, not you Bergy. They beat out the ...
SeanSens writes...
10 players with something to prove in the playoffs...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
1) [b]Ray Emery[/b] - Wants to prove to teammates, organization and rest of league he can be a bonafide #1 goalie.
2) [b]Joe Thornton[/b] - Can he lead his team? Can he be the leader Boston wanted him to be? Thornton wants to be the man to carry his team.
3) [b]Wade Dubielewicz[/b] - Call me crazy, but he has a lot to prove. Career minor leaguer with a chance to pu...
This morning I took my son Douglas to wal-mart to go shopping and he asked for a flames sweater now this normally its a automatic no but for some reason I decided to do it the main reason why I am writing about this is because of his reaction . He acted like I bought him the Stanley Cup, he mademe realize that life is to short sometimes. We can learn a lot by watching...
In today’s watered-down version of the National Hockey League, it can be easy to forget that in 1966-67, there were only six teams fighting for the chance to raise the Stanley Cup to the rafters. In fact, there were only 28 teams in all of professional hockey, including the American, Western, and Central leagues. That means two full teams of NHL players today would have ...
Though I didn't watch the last game of the season against the Avalanche, I noticed that McCarty was in the line-up. Ever since this guy's been injured, most Flames fans have been glad that he's stayed out of the line-up for as long as he has. Perhaps for the regular season, I felt this way as well, but come playoff time, this guy could be the difference maker that no one...
It's been a while since I could sit down and enjoy a nice Canuck playoff game. It's not the same when you're team isn't in the big show. And I'm finding it very difficult to stay focused on my work as I'm anxious to get home to watch the game on the tube.
I suppose I'll watch the Pittsburgh / Ottawa game first. To be honest I'm routing for Crosby. Don't care too much f...
For the first time in years... For the first time ever, the Wachovia center will be without the thrill and rush that is Flyers playoff hockey. It truly is a sad spring in the Philadelphia area. If anything it makes me appreciate just how good we've been for the past 12+ years. The one thing that makes me excited for next fall is not the core of young guys, or the solidifi...
For your reading pleasure:
Western Conference
Detroit over Calgary in 6
Anaheim over Minnesota in 6
Vancouver over Dallas in 5
San Jose over Nashville in 6
Eastern Conference
Buffalo over Islanders in 5 (should go with a sweep...but will throw the Island a bone)
New Jersey over Tampa Bay in 6
Rangers over Atlanta in 5
Ottawa over Pittsburgh in 7
Take t...
In honor of the Flyers 40th Season in the NHL, I decided to research into when Flyers Teams went from a good team to a bad team. The result might surprised you but there is only a four year span from not been in the playoffs and returning to the playoffs. The last time the Flyers missed the playoffs was from 1989-1990 season to 1993-1994 season, in which was the last time ...
Thursday evening at 8pm in front of a packed HSBC Arena the Buffalo Sabres will begin the 1st round of Stanley Cup Playoff action against the #8 seed New York Islanders.
Many storylines come to mind when it comes to this series. From Rick Dipietro's mysterious head injury to the well awaited Jack Adams award winning battle between Nolan and Ruff, as the Replacement look...
Who the hell Anointed the Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup winners? yeah i picked them in first round but come on Buffalo, stop already!
It amazes how every publication and website has buffalo winning cup and people in Buffalo already going to arena to pick out their spot for indoor parade pep rally. Gee, one year every publication picked flyers win the cup and the got sweep...
Earlier today I was casually reading the lastest edition of the Heralds Hockey section, when I came across something quite intriguing. all The headliner sports writers in the prediction section, including the ones in Calgary picked Detroit in 6 and one lady from Edmonton had them in 7.
To me this is really shocking, im fine with the Flames just sneaking into...
The new champions are going to be the Minnesota Wild.
There's a reason the Wild is the most underrated team in the playoffs. Gaborik got injured. Have you seen their records with Gaborik in the lineup? They simply don't lose.
They also have the best defensive minded coach in the NHL, if not the best coach period. Any goalie that plays for them just... makes the sa...
[img:left]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/48/Flames_1980-1995.gif/150px-Flames_1980-1995.gif[/img]It's not every year you get to see a thrilling 1st vs. 8th series in the Western conference. The majority of the time the 1st place teams tends to take it without feeling any affects of displeasure. But last year, the presidents trophy winner (Detroit) was ups...
Time to add my two cents into the play-off fray. I love the play-offs, and the addition of play-off pools has only heightened my enthusiasm for this time of year. (I have 7 play-off pools)
I've spent the last few days being bombarded by "experts" picking play-off winners and analyzing every facet of every match up. Its a toss up whether a team is better off with all...
It is widely publicized how evenly the Stars and Canucks match up. Excellent defense, not-so-much offense, and top-notch goalies! The series may very well go seven games with multiple overtimes in each. There will be some late nights in Dallas and extremely late nights in Vancouver...at least for us Texans! It is my opinion that in order for the Stars to win this serie...
What is it about this game that gives us all that warm, fuzzy my-favorite-player-just-scored-the-game-winner feeling? Or that cold, dark please-oh-please-let-us-come-back feeling? Really, that feeling you only get from hockey.
Like most of the hockey fans I know, I love this game. I mean love it. We sit around talking about stats, and the state of the game. Or whet...
While neither of these guys will score a goal this post season (yes I know it’s possible but highly improbable) they can, without a doubt, determine how far their teams go.
San Jose will start the series with Evgeni Nabakov between the pipes. The former Calder Trophy winner is one of the top back stops in the NHL and can be a huge difference maker in games.
TSN.CA ...
I was at my first Wachovia Center Flyers games this weekend. What a great venue for hockey! Even though the Flyers were out of it, the fans were relativley high spirited. The Saturday game against the Islanders was a stinker for 55 minutes, but Finnegan's Wake took my mind off of it. Sunday against the Sabres was more fun. The fans and the game were very entertaining....
A complete one-sided game from start to finish for the Ottawa Senators. Game #1 of the Eastern conference quarterfinals was a brutal one to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the sens came out storming, defeating them by a score of 6-3. The Sens outshot them 37-26 and the Penguins' best period was there worst.
One point I have to throw in there was that there were WAY, and i me...
HI everyone and welcome to my blog.
I sometimes have brilliant things to say and sometimes I just muddle on through.
Right now I am suffering through hockey hell; my Flyers not being in the playoffs.
I have moved onto my secondary and tertiary teams the Preds and the Flames.
I am just glad to have Center ice and be able to watch playoff hockey.
I hope...
With the playoffs underway, I would love to hear some of your guy's predictions.
Here are mine:
[b]Buffalo Sabers vs. New York islanders[/b]
I feel the Islanders will pull it out, mainly because of Dubielewicz, but it's hard to go against the Sabers. Sorry Buffalo fans but I got to go with the Islanders.
New York in 7
[b]New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning...
As a Canadian I was able to watch Sens-Pens and Preds-Sharks early tonight. I have to say I was very disappointed to see that the referees went back to last fall's calls. I agree that clutching and grabbing needs to go in the game, but a majority of the calls made in those two games tonight were absolutely ridiculous. Tootoo's hit in the first period was not a penalty, Cro...
Hey, this is my first blog. I made these predictions for all of the playoff rounds so I thought I would share them with you. Note that these were made before the games tonight.
[u][b]Eastern Conference Quarterfinals[/b][/u]
[b]1. Buffalo (4-2)[/b] vs. 8. NYI
[b]2. New Jersey (4-1)[/b] vs. 7. Tampa Bay
3. Atlanta vs. [b]6. NYR (4-2)[/b]
4. Ottawa vs. [b]5. Pittsbur...
Unbelievable. Jaw dropping. What else can I say?
This is my first blog ; there will be plenty of time to complain later, to get angry, bite, stir some s***, ask questions, but not tonight. There's a magic feeling each year to Day 1 of the Playoffs, and there are games that do nothing else but confirm this magic.
As many were ready for Episode 1 of the "He saved the N...
[b]Pit 3 @ Ott 6[/b] - The score flattered the Penguins, as the Pens were flat for all but maybe the last five minutes of the game. Crosby and Fleury looked jittery, Malkin wa kinda invisible, and there really weren't too many other players that played well for Pittsburgh. Only Jordan Staal, Mark Eaton, and Rob Scuderi stood out for me as positive contributors here. If ...
During the intermission between the 3rd and 4th overtimes, the clock struck 3 a.m. on the East Coast, and very promptly VERSUS left its Canucks-Stars coverage and flipped on some infomercial about pilates...... [b]are you kidding me?!??[/b] I know you have to pay the bills, but that is absolutely RIDICULOUS! There should be outrage from the hockey community over this and...
So, just got home from the 4OT thriller at the garage tonight, WHAT A GAME. I mean, they stopped selling beer after the 2nd intermission, so I wound up paying $4 bucks for Sprite, but that's all good. Go Canucks Go... and chants of TTTUUURRCCOOO filled the evening excitement as I basically lost my voice and drank ice cubes for 2 OT's. Skytrain was reasonable on the way ...
This is how I see this game and theseries breakdown!
Special teams throw out what we have done for the year vs everyone else lets go head to head!
Sabres PP 6 of 23
Isles PP 3 of 19
Buffalo also has added 2 Shorties into the mix! Advantage Buffalo!
Breaking down the Centers:
Drury--- Yashin...
I'm laughing at myself as I type that title. How can I put a Shakespeare quote at the top of my hockey blog!!! It's not as if I quote him on a daily basis...or EVER...or that his world and the hockey world have much in common (hell, I had to look up the spelling of his name make sure it was correct!).
But it really is the only question that the Penguins need to answer r...
It all starts at 5:00MST tonight for Flames fans - the dreaded Red Wings are our first round opponent and some fans couldn't be happier.
Sure we beat them in 6 games in 2004 and sure the Oilers beat them last year...but the difference between those 2 Red Wing teams and this one is one man: Dominik Hasek.
I think the Red Wings have more confidence this year than othe...
This is it Sabres' fans. We have been waiting for this since we watched the Hurricanes raising the Cup last year. I think the team has been waiting for this since THEY watched the Hurricane's raise [i]THEIR[/i] Cup last year.
In my second blog, I wanted to just take a brief look at the series.
I think every publication has already made the world aware that Buffalo ...
It’s okay…it really is. I woke up today disappointed but not despondent. These Preds showed a ton of heart last night in coming back and forcing overtime against the Sharks.
Some things I observed last night:
[b]Evgeni Nabakov is really good[/b]:Sure I knew he was a top goalie but everyone on that team owes him a beer, protein shake or something. He stood on his ...
Wish I could have been at the game to cheer the nucks but I live in Calgary and my best option was CBC HD.
The game seemed tilted Dallas' way for most of the game but the Canucks have a way to score away from the flow and if you're not watching you could miss a great goal. This was the case last night. Lots of scoring and the goalies came into the game late.
Luong...
Can you believe how the Canuck/Star game ended? How many games that go into 3+ overtimes end on a nice goal? I mean really.....Hank is not a very likely hero as he barely scores any goals...but a nice looking goal? Same with the Shark victory over the Preds, great goal in overtime....not common but I am glad it happened.
Lets hope day 2 will be as good!
psycomkl writes...
Buffalo Sabres vs. Wade Dubielewicz: David vs. Goliath?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
No. Buffalo is not David. The President's Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres take the ice at the HSBC Arena against the "projected longshot" New York Islanders tonight at 8pm. The Islanders know that tonight marks the start of their season.
3rd string goaltender Wade Dubielewicz gets the nod from coach Ted Nolan to face this powerpacked Sabre squad for game 1. Is he worr...
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 ...
What do you do when you've invested 4 hours in a game, its 1:30am and a full workday looms 6 hours away?
There is nothing better than a Stanley Cup playoff game going into multiple overtimes. There is nothing worse than that alarm clock going off anything less than 4 hours after finally falling asleep. Vancouver and Dallas kicked of what I love most about the playoff...
I was doing great watching the games downstairs (On the nice TV). Although the Pens vs. Sens early match up wasn't what I thought it would be, the later games really were starting to heat up. I was riveted by the Sharks vs. Preds game late in the 3rd period. I was thrilled when my old buddy J.P. Dumont tied the game to send to overtime. WOW! Funny, because it almost s...
Even though the Preds are off tonight I will still be watching Versus and the scoreboard from around the league. Here are my PREDictions for tonight’s match ups.
[b]Calgary at Detroit[/b]: As much as I want to predict an upset here I think the Wings will come out on top tonight. I see a low scoring affair…2-1 or 3-2 Wings. (Detroit wins the series)
[b]NY Islander...
Tonight starts the quest for the Cup
Lord Stanley will come to it's rightful place in BUFFALO, NY
Thomas Vanek will score 2 goals
Other scores: Connolly, Drury, Briere
Tonight starts the Journey that will be finished when Buffalo Wins the Stanely Cup right here in BUFFALO,
Join Sabres fans during the game at [b]www.sabreschat.com/chat.shtml [/b]to talk a...
Well, Game 1 is finally here! The past several days have inched by as I've waited for the playoffs to start. It should be a good game. I think the Islanders will really work hard and battle. The Sabres have waited for this all season, so they better be ready. I expect them to play like they were at the start of the season and during the playoffs last year. At times t...
Tampa's going to SPOOK the devils tonight. 4-2 probably.
NYR vs. ATL will be as exciting as the build up was for PIT vs. OTT. Then look what happened, the upper seed played like the upper seed. Kovi and crew, do yer thang!
Buffalo -- Score lots, rack up d'em points, my pool entries are count'in on it. Just another day at the office for Vanek and co.
And then t...
I'm sorry but to say the Islanders have a good chance of winning tonight, especially being in Buffalo, is completely wrong. Dubielewicz will be nervous and the team it self cannot even come close to matching the Sabres offense. Sabres got the first 2 games besides that the Isles stand a better chance, but not much, of winning at home. Good luck tonight Islanders cause you'...
although it was an awesome night of playoff hockey besides Hartnell's dirty hit and im still waiting for an thought from a real nashville fan instead of the kool-aid drinkers. There is too many 5 on 3's that are determing these games too early. The Sens v Pens game was a prime example. Stop calling these phantom calls like the "Abusive language - bench" against Sens.
10. Don Whittman and his terrible commentary. Bring back Cuthbert, for the love of all that is hockey.
9. The Flames didn't even look like they were that concerned they were being manhandled.
8. As per above, someone did mention to the Flames that they playoffs have started, right?
7. Too many penalties. Way too many. So undisciplined.
6. Simply speaking, th...
As expected, game 1 was another 1-goal game...only this time, quite amazingly, there were nine total goals! I was preparing to get some snacks ready for the 5th overtime when Vancouver finally ended it. The longest playoff game in Canucks history, the second longest playoff game in Stars history, and the sixth longest playoff game in NHL history had finally come to an en...
Sabres are up 2-1 after 2 periods. The Sabres are playing pretty well, but they aren't capitalizing on some chances that they usually would. Roy's giveaway was terrible and led to the Isles only goal so far. If the Sabres can score on the PP at the start of the 3rd, they should be in good shape. Should be a good 3rd period!
Perhaps it's because I'm getting older, but it seems to me the Playoffs get better and better each year. Yet, in the United States... hockey is invisible. It's a scourge on our nation that must be eradicated.
Thankfully, I have a plan.
We all have those friends that are huge sports fans, but that don't follow hockey. These poor souls are the targets. This Saturda...
So time ticked down as I tore the hair out of my head, and somehow the Rangers eeked out a win in Atlanta.
After playing well the first two periods, the Rangers lost their edge and the Thrashers dominated the third period. Still, throughout the entire game whenever the Blueshirts would extend their lead, it was only a matter of time before they let Atlanta get the goal b...
What a game..... 4-1 score. close to the 5-1 prediction
This was a solid strong performance by the Sabres. Nothing more and nothing less.
Brian "I can score in the playoffs" Campbell brings home two goals and 1 assist.
then you have
Chris "I will lead you to the promise land" Drury who played one hell of a game and had 2 goals
and in goal
Ryan "It's Mi...
It's Thursday night and the East Coast games are done. Everyone in New York State, where all four teams are miraculously in the playoffs, are done. Tonight, everyone except the Isles won. Hold on. I just included the Devils as a team from New York. Does this count? I say yes. I lived in New York in the mid-90's and was a Devil's fan. There were people like me. Sure, the ar...
Well, we saw those dreaded lames. the F-ing lames at that.
They played the game like it was a recreation league game and they just couldnt wait to go out and grab a beer after. The Flames now really have something to prove sunday as they put forth the worst effort by a team so far this season. I dont think ive ever turned a playoff game off within the first five minutes....
The only thing the Islanders did good tonight was save the embarassment. The score (4-1) was a lot better then I thought it would be and still the Sabres crushed them. Dubielewicz was the only player on New York actually keeping his team in the game. The Sabres outshot them, out hit them, out scored them, and simply out played them. It was a well deserved and expected win ...
Well, the playoffs are still young, but there are still some interesting storylines that have started to develop.
[b]Senators and Penguins game 1:[/b]
This was not the game that anybody expected. Many people thought that the Sens would take this one, but not in the way that they did. The thrashing that was handed out on Wednesday should not be any indication of how...
I've been waiting for this game since the Sabres dropped Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the RBC Center in North Carolina last summer.
Little did I know I would BE at this game.
I gambled a bit and bought my first ever Mini Pack last August, with the assumption that the Sabres would be back and have another great season. More than anything, it was good for...
Coming off an outstanding performance Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and added an assist as the Wings doused the Flames 4 - 1. People in the media have really written Datsyuk off, but he is out to prove these naysayers wrong. Some belived that Ken Holland made a huge mistake signing the playoff underachiever to a multi-year multi-million dollar deal. However, the game tonight sh...
I was listening to XM-204 tonight on my way home from work and the ice cap boys got me thinking about first round upsets. I think its safe to say after watching tonight game it looks like Calgary isn't going to be the team to knock off a top seed in this year Stanley Cup playoffs.
Detroit as of late has been known for their early exits. Last season the Edmonton Oilers...
[b]Canucks vs. Dallas -- [/b]I was there in Game 1. Dallas pressed hard, Luongo saved the day, but the Canucks did take some bad penalties and looked out of sorts at times. Game 1 jitters? Considering we've played 2 games already now, no more jitters left. The latter OT periods definitely favoured the Canucks. I don't think Dallas can play any better. The Canucks sur...
...Outhustled, Outskated! Get the picture? This pretty much sums up game one in Detroit. The Wings pretty much won every battle. They worked harder, fought for pucks, made crisp passes and capitalized on scoring opportunities. Kipper played his butt off, but that simply wasn't enough on this night. For most of the game, the Flames couldn't muster up a decent shot and...
Watching the Sabres vs. Islanders game last night I made an observation about the Islanders that I wanted to share. I don't get to see them play too often, so I'm making this assessment based only on one game (maybe not a fair thing to do).
Anyway, the Islanders have a lot of talented players, but too few of them are actually good players. Under the heading of [i]Tale...
nickgregory writes...
The Playoffs continued (does CGY know they started?)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
God I love playoff hockey. Right before the playoffs started, my wife gave birth to our first child, a baby daughter named Abby (actually went into labor at the Canes vs. Caps game…I am guessing Abby was a bit annoyed at Johnny Grahame for letting in 3 goals on 6 shots, and wanted to give him a piece of her mind)…well, those that have kids know that the sleep is spora...
Local reports in the Buffalo News seem to suggest that the NY Islanders may not have been prepared for Game 1. See Tim Graham's article in the Buffalo News at [url]http://www.buffalonews.com/111/story/52798.html[/url].
To quote the article, "[i]Signs of slapdash postseason preparations were troubling. Star winger Jason Blake peeked at the Sabres morning skate and asked...
I did full-game recaps in the past, so how about bringing it back out for the playoffs?
[b]Notable Statistics:[/b] [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=270412002]Box Score[/url]
Powerplay: Buffalo 2/6, New York 0/3
Giveaways: Buffalo 7, New York 14
Shots: Buffalo 11-11-13 (35), New York 1-9-11 (21)
[b]J's opinion:[/b]
1. [u]Rockin' the HSBC pre-gam...
What a battle on Wednesday. That one will go down in history as one to remember. It may have put us back on course. There were periods down the stretch of the regular season that the Canucks started getting lazy. This last game was a great start.
Can we now, after losing potentially three players, keep the battle going and build on the successes of game #1? I certainly...
After reading Garth's blog, the Islanders certainly have a problem on their hands. Ricky D, who you'd have to think when healthy, is far and away the better of the two if not a straight up world class goalie. Dubielewicz is a young, upstart guy with a lot of potential: I really like this kid, he's not afraid of anything and challenges the shooter very aggressively. But nev...
I can't believe no one has commented on this yet. After the huge game 7 disappointment, the Chris Pronger kick to the collective groins of Oilers fans, ticket price increase, injury ravaged, non-puck moving D man of a season, Joffre Lupul single handedly gets the Calgary Flames into the playoffs. I know I'm a little late in posting this, but last nights utter snoozfest aga...
Before yesterday's atrocity, Marty Brodeur had played in 153 NHL playoff games. Out of those 153 games, he had 89 victories, and 21 shutouts. Over that time, he had a 1.88 goals against average.
We on the other hand, had Holmqvist, Denis, and Ramo. Before the game began, they had combined for all of 0 NHL playoff games, 0 wins, and 0.00 save percentage.
Very c...
You get an incident like a knee-on-knee hit from Hartnell to Cheechoo and you can figure out very quickly where somebody stands. So Hartnell is headed to jail in San Jose and Cheechoo is getting an Oscar in Nashville.
I don’t have any idea why people are so convinced that the sun rises and sets over their home teams. “Real” hockey fans know that there is ebb and...
what has this guy ever accomplished in the nhl besides to end careers of other players?
this guy is everything wrong with hockey. nashville is playing dirty hockey and dont be surprise if san jose decides to go dirty as the series goes back to the shark tank
psycomkl writes...
Return Of The Rick - Is It Just What The Doctor Ordered?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Rick Dipietro, Islanders first overall draft pick, Islanders number one goaltender, and generally all around good guy. Islander Nation was all smiles when it was announced that Dipietro has been cleared to play. That smile, although splitting their faces from ear to ear, was tinged with a little bit of worry.
Dipietro suffered 2 concussions within a week of each other...
(I hate to start the blog with this but c'mon...this is freaking hilarious...Turco was named the #3 star in the building and Henrik #2...LOL!!! What a joke!)
Marty Turco had 35 saves to preserve his 1st career playoff shutout, and the Dallas Stars played a full 60 minutes to win game two, 2-0, and steal the home ice advantage! The series shifts to Dallas for game 3, e...
They always say that rivalries are born and forged in the fiery pits of the playoffs. With the Sharks and the Predators, this is certainly the case.
These two teams, who had no reason to really care one way or the other about each up until last season, are in the midst of forming one of the great new rivalries of the "New NHL." Meeting each other in the 4-5 seed matchup...
I believe that some of us, as Sabre's fans, have been spoiled by the most exciting team in hockey and, quite possibly, all of sports. I actually heard some disgruntled people calling into the local radio sports-talk shows complaining about last night's Sabre's convincing 4-1 victory over the Long Islanders in game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarter finals. Apparently, the...
degroat writes...
St Louis hockey fans getting left in the dark by NBC, KSDK
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
For those of you outside of St. Louis, KSDK, the NBC affliate in St. Louis, has been the top news station in the market for decades. This past summer, they purchased the network TV rights to televise St Louis Cardinals games... and hockey fans (along with golf and tennis fans) are getting collectively screwed over in the process.
Four times during the playoffs NBC's te...
Philadelphia Flyers are my team. They have been my team my entire life and will continue to be the team I love with the most passion.
Any sports days at work where they allow you to wear sports apparel I come in sporting something Flyers. Even this year which was such a long year for Flyers fans I proudly wore my orange and black.
I do have other teams I love as I...
DarkHockeyArmy writes...
Stars Dominating Series, Get A Split To Show For It
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
While it didn't take over 6 hours to find a victor on Friday night, the game was much the same as the 7 period marathon witnessed on Wednesday- a Stars team out-skating, out-muscling, and out-playing the Canucks. Only this time, Loungo and some freak bounces weren't there to save Vancouver. Loungo still made some excellent saves. He just made 2 less than his team ...
Here are how the options stand. (1) DP stands on his head, steals a game for the Isles, and Ted Nolan comes out a hero. (2) DP stands on his head, but Sabres still overpower the Isles as a team, and it's a huge risk with little reward. (3) DP comes out rusty, Sabres run over the Isles, and it's a huge risk with NO reward. (4) DP gets hurt (long- or short- term) and Ted ...
When I finally became a Hurricanes fan about 6 years ago, I never would have thought that this team would be where it is today. I never would have thought that they would become part of the community. I never would have thought that hockey would even become a sport played by the locals at any level. And I certainly never would have thought that they would ever win a Stan...
First off, let me say that at the beginning of the season, I said that the Islanders would make the postseason, largely on the coaching of Ted Nolan. What can I say? I love the guy. He coaches a great style of hockey. He put together my favourite Sabres line of all-time in Ray, May and Barnaby the "dog line".
Now, I have to question what Nolan, and Garth Snow are thi...
The Rangers pulled out a win today in a tightly contested game, beating the Atlanta Thrashers 2-1.
I felt the Rangers had the better of the play for the whole game tonight. The first Sean Avery goal was a fluke, but well deserved by Avery, who was easily the best player of the game. He had more shots than anyone else on the team, assisted on Shanahan's game-winner, and ...
FLAMESTR writes...
PUBLIC APOLOGY PLEASE ANY HOCKEY PLAYERS PLEASE READ
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I have heard it said that players need to give the fans proper respect, while this is true but what comes to mind is a double edge sword, meaning don't the players deserve the same respect. Now don't get me wrong the fans have a right to call how it is if a player makes a mistake call him on it. But what his nationality or I Q or his up bringing have anything to do w...
What a game so far.
The Islanders have turned up the heat
But just when you thought they would turn it up higher.....
HERE COME THE SABRES
Sabres score late to come within one goal of the Islanders
remember [url]sabreschat.com/chat.shtml [/url]
I guess we're supposed to feel bad for Mike Ribeiro.
After all, according to him in a piece featured in the Montreal Gazette earlier this year, he "was treated unfairly in Montreal." Not only that, he feels that there must have been some sort of conspiracy afoot in the off-season when he was traded to the Dallas Stars as "[the Canadiens] just wanted to get rid of me, a...
Why is it that everyone is underestimating the Canucks. All the media people keep on saying that the Dallas Stars have outworked the Canucks and have deserved to win both games well if they had they would have beta Roberto Loungo but they did not. Why is it that the media people say Lopungo is the only reason vancouver is in it. I mean is a goalie not part of the team. Als...
I was a very young kid when the Flyers were winning their Stanley Cups as the Broad Street Bullies. I do remember the team, but was not as versed in the sport. They were still my Flyers, but, as much as I love those teams, when I think back on my youth, I recall more fondly the mid 1980's Flyers teams.
By 1980, the last finals run of the original Bullies teams was on. B...
[b]By D. Smith[/b]:
Remember a couple months ago, way back in the pre-Forsberg dark ages, when media outlets all over North America were calling for the Predators to leave Music City? Supposedly our chronic attendance problems were dooming our franchise, and simply put, our fan support was "lukewarm". We didn't deserve this team. We didn't appreciate the great product t...
As the Canucks wake up in Texas, getting ready for Game 3, I'm sure there's a few itchy chins in the Dallas area. Nobody's really sure how the playoff beard tradition got started, although [i]Wikipedia [/i]suggests it may have began with the New York Islanders.
Hockey players and fans are a superstitious lot. Personally, I'm fascinated by hockey ritual and have a few of...
Enough with the Handringing Rangers' Fans.
Believe it or not guys we are winning 2 games to None, not the other way around. From what I've been hearing from my fellow Rangers fans over the past few days you'd think that the Thrashers ran the Blueshirts out of Atlanta. The reality is our team played the same game they have been playing over the past few months and the re...
Here's the predictions I made on my own blog. Just thought I'd share with you guys.
Well folks, it's that time of year again. Time for the 2007 playoffs. This years match ups are quite interesting and should provide some exciting hockey. Despite the amazing race in the east, the west has to have the tightest match ups. So seeing as I think I'm a know it all of hockey, a...
I guess Rick Dipietro was exactly what the doctor ordered after all. Coming off a 3 week hiatus, Dipietro backstopped the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Presidents Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres Saturday night.
The entire team looked electrified by the return of Dipietro from the drop of the puck. The Islanders shook off game 1's timid attitude and explod...
That's right... Lidstrom sucks defensively! If anyone else is currently watching the Flames-Wings game, you just saw Primeau skate around Lidstrom with ease to set up a highlight reel play, only to be stoned by Hasek...
Now we all know that Lidstrom is one of, if not the best defenceman in the league, but the point of this is to point out that every defenceman ends up o...
Here's another blog about the Canucks and their dwindling chances to get past the Stars.
I am an optimist and I feel there have been some good things that came from the last couple of games. I watched both games and for the most part haven't written the Canucks off. I like our offense in game 1 and felt our defense and goaltending came around near the end. As much as I...
I thought the "NEW NHL" is supposed to bring offensive explosion to the NHL but someone forgot to tell the Minnesota Wild.
I looked at the roster of the Minnesota Wild and i found their is great offensive gifted players on that team including names like Demitra, Parrish, Carney, Gaborik and White. These players can score over thirty goals in a season but they are handc...
The heart of this city, the passionate Flames fan, is breaking right now. You can feel the rupture resonating down the red mile, through every basement and every bar, and you can see it in every face.
Kipper is playing beyond human, as we're so accustomed to... yet it is not enough. The forwards are not creating chances, are not forechecking hard, and look as though t...
I predicted a Flames win in 7. Well, for that to happen, there needs to be drastic improvement from, oh, about 18 Flames right now...
Kiprusoff is the only reason either of the games appeared close. This reminds me of that series between Winnipeg and Detroit in 1996 when Nik Khabibulin almost stole the series for the Jets. But as in that series, Detroit has simply be...
ForeverFlyer16 writes...
It's About Time Ron Hextall is Given His Due In Flyerland.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I watched the Flyers 40th Anniversary DVD to see Ron Hextall's emotions, and have in me feelings rekindled that I had over the entire period that he was with the Flyers... That exuberance that he displayed epitomized what being a Flyer actually means... He, along with Bob Clarke, acted with the raw emotion that I would like to see in every Flyer, every game, every year.
...
first it was Scott Hartnell then it was Alexander Radulov and now it's Colby Armstrong.
Suspend Colby Armstrong for the rest of the series to send the message that the dirty plays wont be accpted in the NHL.
the blows to the head have to stop
NHL isnt do crap until someone is left Paralyzed on the ice......
Yes the refs were horrible but the pens were as well. I really don't have any idea where Gonchar was in this game. I can honestly say that 3 of the goals may have been his fault. He stood around all night. Also he couldn't keep the puck in the zone on the power play the worst pen all night. Malkin couldn't win a faceoff for his life. Recchi just seems like the game is pass...
As a young kid, at any sport, you're taught to always give 110%. You are told to leave everything out on the playing field. It seems that a certain player has forgotten that all season. He has forgotten that he plays for the best team in the Western Conference, and he is looking out of place. I am talking about Robert Lang.
Today, I laughed at him. Sometime during ...
Hey pens fans,
Well, the game started off good with Pens scoring under a minute into the game. Roberts scored and was assisted by Crosby and Armstrong. The Senators came back and scored 4 goals. Late in the third Crosby scored and was assisted by Malkin and Recchi to make it 4-2. Fleury was in goal stopping 21 of 25 shots. Tonight, the Pens were just not with it. They pla...
Yes, I know this is a hockey site and that the title borders on sacrilege. But, stick with me here and you'll understand.
Reason #1: When your team is eliminated from playoff contention, a little piece of you dies. For me being a Hawks fan, that happened sometime in December.
Reason #2: Speaking of the Hawks, watching the games showcases just how far they are fro...
Yestarday when I got the phone call I was extatic. I got in my car and drove six hours back to Anoka to see the family before tonight's game. All day today I lived the pregame hopes and dreams. I imagined how the win would happen tonight, how the pregame festivities would go, how awesome it would be to celebrate.
I did not however imagine the Wild wiffing on at least a ...
[b]By D. Smith:[/b]
Sure I'm a member of the Nashville Loyal Legion, but it doesn't take an expert (which I'm far from) to realize that the Preds/Sharks series has had all the makings of a classic playoff series.
Fights. League reviews. Suspensions. Bad blood. Double overtime. Coaches exchanging words. You name it.
Should we really be surprised? Two 51 game winn...
I have been a fan of sports for a long time, and I have seen my share of bandwagon fans…but outside the current day red sox (they couldn’t get a guy without a boston accent to admit they were a fan until they won…now some chucklehead in Indiana is proclaiming himself a lifelong fan, yet cant remember a manager prior to Francona), nothing touches the current day Sabre...
So here we are with another Saturday loss. (Don't worry, I'm not panicking over a 3-2 loss anytime soon...) One thing I've noticed over the season was the lack of real grit or passion when playing on Saturdays. I went back through all of the games and the Sabres were a disappointing 10-13-3 when playing on Saturdays (including the loss to NYI)
I'm not a superstitious...
Is it just me or does this seem like it should be game 6 of this series!? Man the first two games have taken allot out of me as a fan I can only imagine what the players must be feeling.
The war of words continues between Ron Whiner and Barry Trotz. Whiner says he thinks that the suspension to Radulov should have been longer (whoa…what a shock!). Trotz is sticking to ...
Dude, wake up, you should ask D-S for some help, or volunteer to leave? Who knows... whatever you're doing, not doing, it's not working.
I mean, it must suck, though for you at the same time, no one wanted you to fail, it's just... your team isn't playing to its potential.
I'm not even a Flames fan, but it's kind of funny...
Dudes on thehockeynews.com figure the...
On a number of fronts...
1. Will Regehr be able to play tomorrow night? it was obvisious that he is currently our best defensmen. With Phanuef a close 2nd.
2. Will McCarty be the answer? If that what the team needs, I hope so! sure he will play sub 10mins, but will the locker room presence be what they need?
3. Has anyone else seen enough of Hale/Warrener in the ...
So, I’m a born and raised Edmontonian that moved to Calgary 10 years ago to work in the oil patch. Living in the heart of the enemy‘s city hasn’t been easy, but for the most part the Oiler & Eskimo’s have done as well or better than their Red Rivals…. That is up until this year.
My defending grey cup champion Eskimos ended a consecutive playoff streak th...
So I'm busy AGAIN tonight, and this would mean missing TWO broadcasts in a row, which I don't think I can handle. Does anyone know if a radio station in New York City plays it? Normally, I listen to all the game on internet radio so I can hear Rick Jeanneret's broadcast. If RJ's play-by-play is unavailable, what is the radio station that has the Islanders' broadcast? I...
When will the Stars learn to push back in this series? As soon as there is any momentum change against them, Canucks score a goal. When you dominate 50 minutes of a 60 minute game, show enough heart to not lose it in 10 minutes.
Turco should be blame-free so far for this series. He has done his part to win it. He stole the end of game 2, and was well on his way to d...
I didn't author this but I thought some you might enjoy it.
Hockey players...
will do anything just to be able to tell his teammates
a great story in the dressing room. Live the dream until they are 35
then realize they never made it. Ladies love us, guys want to be us, we
are the soul of the universe. You lace up the skates, put on the
gloves, strap on the...
Now with the Pens in a desperate situation it will be up to Michel Therrien. He has been outstanding leeding his troops all year long, but it is the real time. Right now he needs to do a major shake up in the lines and whos getting scratched and whos not. If i were Michel Therrien i would seriously think about playing Joel Kwiatkowski over a guy like Josef Melichar or Rob ...
Here we are, game three of a series some Sabre fans were calling an easy sweep. With the Islanders 3-2 win on Saturday, the brooms are back in the closet and the game moves to the Island.
Led by Rick Dipietro and a suddenly re-energized roster, the Islanders know that the battle has only begun. Buffalo is known for exploding after a loss and the Islanders need to be r...
I'm going to try something different and if people like it maybe I'll do it again in the future. Live updates to tonight's Sabres game...highlighting key plays and my thoughts as the game is going on. I would love to hear feedback, so please leave comments. Enjoy...
[b]10:14 p.m. EST:[/b] And that's it! Not the prettiest ending, but the Sabres hold on. The Isles po...
This edition of [b]In The Net[/b] hockey blog focuses on the Really, Really, Bad; the Really, Really, Good; Shame Shame; Good For You!(nice prices on eBay); Hockey In The Strangest Places; Mother's Day Giveaway. Sponsored by [url]www.SportsGiftNets.com[/url] - [i]In life it really is the little things.. here, they all add up to a great gift for the sports fan![/i]
Than...
My sources are telling me that early indications point to Sutter firing Playfair.
Details to come.
The Sabres put forth a much better effort in Game 3, resulting in a 3-2 win and the lead in the series. Finally, the Sabres forwards scored all 3 goals, including goals from Briere and Vanek. Zubrus currently leads the team in points, with 4 (all assists). He was great again tonight, providing good offense and defense along with a strong physical game. Both of the goal...
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...
That distinction belongs to the 2006-2007 Nashville Predators. Of course, there have been teams over the years that have been much worse away from home, but this is different. We were actually led to believe that this was a team built for a serious Stanley Cup run.
No way.
The Preds were 23-15-3 on the road this year. Sure, it doesn't seem too bad at first glance, bu...
The Islanders played their best game of the year last nite. Miro Satan says "We've never played any better. We were flying." It appeard to be that the Isles were trying to play Buffalo's game in the 1st and 2nd. They had speedy forwards and their forecheck was phenomenal. Teddy Nolan is putting together a good game plan. "Captain Canada" was a horse, he was all over ...
One of the things that I always look for in the NHL playoffs is how teams play with the expectations leveled on them. Do the top point getters continue with the style of play that got them into the position they are in, or do they grip their sticks a bit tighter, when they get down a goal? Do the teams that snuck their way in, who may consider themselves to be playing wi...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Yashin to Iles - Worst trade in the history of the NHL!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For all the mistakes former Isles General Manager Mike Milbury made during his tenure — where do we begin? — trading for Yashin is the biggest blunder in franchise history.
New York gave up top-ticket defenseman Zdeno Chara and a first-round pick that ended up being Jason Spezza.
And on top of that... he turned around and signed him to a 10 year $90 million co...
Beasts. Everywhere. It's a good thing I have my trusty guide with me. We step out of our vehicle and onto the dilapidated lot in Uniondale, Long Island. Nassau Coliseum stands like some archaic ruin, except the ancient Roman and Greek ruins are far better managed. My guide carries our hidden snacks and drinks in her deep-pocketed coat. The rain bleats down like the hammer ...
Game 3, in Calgary, down 2 - 0, does it get any bigger than this? No. It's that simple. The Flames must come out with enerygy tonight. Forcheck hard, win battles, be physical and most importantly get the first goal. Tonight, I'm afraid, is do or die. Win this game and we have a series. Lose, and start thinking about the summer and next year!
43 and 51 SOG in th...
Anytime your team loses I think the first reaction is to look at your team and find fault. While I will do that in a post later today I think I first need to give credit to the Sharks for a well played game.
[b]What They Did:[/b]
[b]Played Physical[/b] - The Sharks played the physical game I expected but they did not take the penalties that I thought would come with ...
0 for 6. Nope, that wasn't the Predators' power play line from Monday night. They wish they'd gotten six power plays.
No, this stat line is far more telling of the Nashville Predators' struggles in the playoffs. The Preds have yet to win a road playoff game. Ever.
Of course, all hyperbole aside, the Preds have only been in three postseasons, but the fact of the matte...
I don't think Red Wings fans could have hoped for a better way to start this series. They have dominated the entire 120 mins of this series so far. They have been the more skilled, but maybe more importantly, the more PHYSICAL team. They are initiating the hits, taking it to the Flames, and making a statement that this years Red Wings team is a PHYSICAL hockey team. Th...
So by this point I think it's safe to say it would be 2-1 for one team rather than 3-0. But why is it that score? Games 1 and 3 were as close as they get and game 2 was all about the Stars. The Canucks won game 3 because of 2 defensive breakdowns not because of anything they really did. On the first goal Turco was telling his d-man to reverse the puck behind the net a...
It is unknown if Burtuzzi will play in tonight's game...but if he does who sits. It would be hard to sit Filipula, who would have been the obvious choice had this been Game 1. But Fillipula had scored 2 goals and his line had played extremely well with Franzen and Hudler attacking and crashing the net. Hudler is another option, but he is playing on both that line and h...
I've had the pleasure of being a Wild fan since the begining, and I've seen this team go through a lot. The team started as any new team does as the joke of the league, they've now turned it around to being a good team. However in this year's playoffs they've taken a step back in a lot of people minds not being able to get a win against Anaheim. Tonight will start the come...
mojoworld writes...
Where are we at? + some good playoff lines (unders!) tonight
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Van-Dal: 2-1 Van leads. Good under bet opportunities here for handicappers after game 1. Still say Vancouver will just get it done and win out from here.
Ana-Min: 3-0 Ducks. Wow, really didn't see this coming and I'm not sure why I don't respect the Ducks team play more. In any case, now it's just a matter of if the Wild can make themselves look respectable. Off-season,...
anicecoldrink writes...
Why Playoff Hockey Is Like You and Your Girlfriend
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
One second you're in love, the next you wish you never met.
One week, 4 different possible outcomes.
Some one is always on the powerplay.
Inversely, some one is always killing off a penalty.
No matter how many saves you make, you let one slip through and it's automatically your fault.
Some one is bound to get hurt.
At the end of a hard fought battle, ther...
With the senators in control of this series this is a very important game. If the pens lose today they will be down 3-1 and have no chance to comeback. It is a desperate situation for the pens. It worrys me that during the moring skate the pens looked so relaxed. Maybe it is a tactic that Therrien is using so the pens do not have to think about the pressure they face. The ...
Although the Sabres don't play tonight, there are still 5 games that should be very interesting.
[b]Atlanta/NYR[/b] - [i]Rangers lead series 2-0[/i]
Atlanta must win this game to have any chance. They already gave up both of their home games to start the series. It Atlanta can play well on the road for the next 2 games, they could have a shot at winning. However, I ...
Eggshmeg writes...
The Best the NHL has to Offer, for Non-Hockey Watchers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This blog is for those of you who don't follow hockey all that much but have decided to watch some playoff hockey and you want to know the best games that are out there to watch this round. I'm gonna give you my suggestions of games to watch from the east and west, whichever side you're on. The games I post will be the most intriguing ones I think are out there out there. ...
I love read thoughtless articles from writers across the country that know NOTHING about hockey. they try so so hard to write an article or talk hockey and they cant. let's look at a couple of examples. After Todd Fedrouk,"Fridge" know by Flyers Fans, was smoke in a clean fight by Orr, Gary Bettman made appreence on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia sports news show 'Daily Ne...
There isn't much you can say after winning your first playoff game at home in 10 years by a score of 7-0. The denizens of MSG came ready to cheer on their blueshirts, it does help coming in up 2-0 in the series vs. 0-2 without Jagr like last year, and they weren't dissappointed.
32 seconds into the game Nylander scores his first of 3 on the night and the party was just ...
Keys to Game 3:
Forecheck.
Play physical.
First to loose pucks.
Win the battles.
Discipline.
Composure.
Period 1:
There's the effort. That's how we really play. Had a few solid chances. Unlucky to not put any in. Iggy looks better. Conny is flying. Kipper looks solid again. Even Stuart is impressing. Warrener is a machine. 4minute penalty killed with ...
The passion. The toughness. The win.
This was Flames hockey. This was the grit we saw in '04. This is what we expected.
We were forechecking. We were winning the battles. We were making short passes and skating. We can beat the Wings. 1 down, 3 to go.
After watching the Penguins/Senators game tonight one thing was evident. The Penguins had learned what it would take to compete at the level of the Senators, but it wasn't enough as they fell short once again. The Penguins dominated the play for most of the game, and deserved a better fate than a 2-1 loss at home, but that is what played out. This loss is a backbreaker ...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Pens or Sens Will Have Nothing Left for Round Two
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I wrote yesterday about how the Sabres need to ratchet up the “physical” play if they expect to make a serious run to the cup. After watching game 4 of the Pens & Sens… maybe the Sabres plan will work out just fine if they meet one of these teams in the ECF.
To put it simply and succinctly, these teams are absolutely KILLING each other. I have to believe that ...
With the win on Tuesday night the New York Rangers are in a position to sweep the Atlanta Thrashers right out of the playoffs.
A Big game from the number 1 line helped put a beating on the Atlanta team who, unlike in the first 2 games, came up flat footed. In game 1 the Thrashers came out fired up. Looking to hit everything in their path. Crashing and banging in an att...
Just looked at the morning paper and to my surprise the Rangers did beat the Thrashers 7-0 last night to take a 3 games to none lead in their opening round series. It had seemed so perfect that I thought I must've dreamt it.
That was one of the most complete wins this team has had in a long time, that it ended a 10 year home playoff win drought only made it that much sw...
Game 4 between the Sabres and Islanders is tonight at 7:30 in New York.
Buffalo currently leads the series 2-1 and could take both away games along with a commanding lead with a win tonight. Games 2 and 3 were very close games, though I thought the Sabres were much better in Game 3 than in 2. If the Sabres come out to play from the start, I don't think they'll have any ...
Vancouver edged another victory away from Dallas. The series is extremely close and yet on paper now it seems different. What is it that's putting the Nucks in the win column? The obvious answer is Luongo. Turco has been good too don't get me wrong. This series has been all about the goaltending and Luongo has been outshining Turco. Could the Canucks be playing this well w...
10 Reasons the Sabres will win tonight
1 – Sabres skate like the wind, Witt and co. is just too dam slow
2 – Islanders have nothing left after giving max efforts in games 2 and 3
3 - Roy, Afinigenov, Vanek line will dominate
4 – Miller is better than Dipeitro
5 – Mike Schopp says so... and Bulldog agreed (imagine that?)
6 - Chris Drury is a hockey god and t...
Now the Penguins are down 3-1 to the Senators. Yea it seems impossible but who knows. This penguins team has done so many unexpected things all year why not. This team wasn't even supposed to make the playoffs but they proved everyone wrong. The Pens may be able to catch the Sens relaxing a bit during game 5. If so look out. If the Pens would manage a way to prevail in gam...
In 2004, a young man (well, if you count 26 as young) got to live a dream of a lifetime and go to a Stanley Cup Finals Game. That young man was me, and being from Newfoundland where the closest NHL team is Boston (it could be Toronto, but I can't stand the Leafs) I never even got close to a pre-season game in my first 25 years of life.
That year, I experienced the grea...
6:44
just got off the train and walked one block to the bus station and now I'm heading to the Coliseum. by the time we got to Hempstead, not many people on the train still remained -- most being SABRES FANS, which was amusing, to say the least. on the bus right now, several more. we are packing the arena!
7:07
just got into the arena ... testing it out AND I HAVE ...
When it's been 10 years since you've won a playoff series you know your fan base is starved and that hunger was fed tonight as the Rangers finished off the Thrashers 4-2 at Madison Square Garden.
The World's Most Famous Arena was buzzing with excitement as the blueshirts looked to finish off their first playoff sweep since that year most dear to all Ranger fans 1994. Th...
The Sabres won Game 4 by a score of 4-2. However, when it was 3-2 Sabres, the Isles put the puck in the net. The refs ruled no goal on the ice and Toronto also ruled no goal. However, was this the right call? I am a Sabres fan, so I want to believe it was the correct call. But there have been too many occasions where the Sabres have been screwed by bad calls for me no...
Tonight Ranger fans got to see something that hasn't happened in the Garden in ages...a playoff sweep and a date in the second round of the playoffs. It was our first playoff series win in 10 years....and boy did it feel good. The atmosphere at the Garden the past 2 games was sensational and the Rangers fed off of it and played near perfect hockey both games.
What can...
It may be the first reaction of any sports team that is looking for a championship to axe all of the leadership of a consistently underachieving team, and everyone knows that isn't fair. The problem for Dallas is that the front office is the problem, not the coaching staff. With all of the injuries the team sustained this year its a miracle that the team stayed competitive...
Well, goal or no goal, it doesnt matter. The Islanders drop 2 straight at home and trail Buffalo 3-1 headed to friday at the HSBC. Was it a goal? Was Miller pushed in by an Islander? It doesnt matter, does it? They are not going to start up the game again or "make it up" to the Isles in game 5. The Isles lost because they didnt bury their early chances.
Hey, remem...
(Trade Day Mishaps)
After last night, the Atlanta Thrashers management team have to be sitting there and wondering; what just happened? After giving up a big part of their future in Glen Metropolit, two first rounder’s (2007,2008), a second rounder (2007) and a third rounder (2008) for Keith Tkachuck, it’s a wonder GM’s chose to give up so much and fail at the gam...
These calls NEVER go Buffalo’s way… EVER!
Vanek’s goal – Common sense tells you it was clearly a goal… however I was fully expecting that to be disallowed.
The Afinegenov powerplay – Max somehow drew 6minutes in penalties with a hard play to the net that we see over and over again. Again, I live in Buffalo, I expected co-incidentals at best.
Game 4 N...
Okay, I just want to make a few things clear. I have now attended three Sabres games in three different arenas: HSBC Arena, Madison Sq Garden, and Nassau Coliseum. Of course, the crowd at HSBC is unbeatable when you're rooting on the home team, so I'll leave that aside. As for the MSG crowd, they were more than friendly and I struck up a good conversation with the guy n...
My evening started typically enough. Stuck in unmoving traffic to get over to JFK. My future brother-in-law was coming in for the game tonight...taking off from work as a chef in a very highly respected restaurant in Florida. I look up, half expecting to see bats, but instead the sky is thickly overcast in the gray fog which has enveloped Long Island since hockey came to t...
The sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers has been completed. New York Rangers move on to the second round and the Garden Faithful can rejoice..... For now.
The Rangers played an Atlanta team who didn't seem nearly as prepared as they should of been. Don't get me wrong. Rangers played a great series. They moved the puck well, they forechecked, they backchecked, [i][b]they shot...
...it appears that the puck was indeed across the goal line before Miller got pushed into the net. From all I'm hearing this morning, it appears the league got this one wrong and the goal should have counted. A camera angle from in front of the net shows the puck across the goal line between Miller's pads.
That being said, there's nothing that can be done about that n...
Trotz looked beaten, saying "We're going to have a mourning period for about an hour, and then we'll look forward to the next game."
What? Is this the kind of response you expect from the guy who is supposed to shape the way his team feels and reacts to a loss like this? I don't think so.
The Preds have not played well these past two games of the series and in doing...
To read Part I:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=567&post_id=557
[i]We last left our hero, yours truly, with his trusty guide, her brother (the former Islander fan trumpet player) watching Game 4 of the Islander/Sabres series. A man donned in a Ranger jersey has sat in the seats, and bad vibes are back in the Coliseum.[/i]
"Leave it all on the ice"
...
The Pens have played better in the last game but are still down 3-1. They are looking for a way to get momentum. Well couldn't it be a huge momentum builder if the pens could pull off a dramatic win in overtime. This type of win could shift all the momentum in a penguins favor and bring the series back to the igloo. I know it may sound far fetched but i believe in the pens...
Tonight Game 4 of the Flames-Red Wings series goes at 7:30MST (9:30EST for the majority of readers on here) and to say something that is obvious - Calgary needs the win. Not only do the need the win, they need to get it in convincing fashion.
Sure they beat the Red Wings 3-2 on Tuesday night but many of the glaring errors the Flames made in Games 1 & 2 are still around...
Enough crying about how mean the Isles fans are, you would be pissed if you got screwed out of two games too. However, let's look at those two games. For one, Vanek's goal was not CONCLUSIVELY across the goal line. I know it was, you know it was in. However any camera angle did not show it to be conclusive, it was assumptive. Which it does not say in the rule book. Flash b...
With all of the playoffs going on, its tough being a Avalanche fan. Something is missing from the current post season... The 2007 version of the Colorado Avalanche came within 1 point of the playoffs. Putting new meaning into the old adage that every game counts. Blown leads, poor defensive play all played a part in the Avalanche missing the 'real' hockey season. Credit sh...
It was the night of nights. Everyone in town knew that we had to play better, regardless of our victory on Tuesday. The swing game was live or die. No way we could crawl out of a hole going back to the Joe. It was tonight or bust.
We've played consecutively better every game, and believe it or not, I think we still need to get better. Kipper is inhuman. I think he...
mwiles19 writes...
Dissapointing End, But Still Happy With Overall Result
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The 2006-2007 NHL season came to an abrupt end for the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, as they were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators. The same Senators team, in name only, who the Penguins recently beat three straight times in the regular season. The reason I say in name only, is because the Senators picked it up a notch for the playoffs and simply dominated this young Pen...
My heart constantly pounds like a drum. My fists are sore from being clenched, and sweat occasionally drips from my brow. My playoff beard is itching like hell and my facepaint is all over my Flames Jersey... I couldnt ask for a better time. For the rabid hockey fans, playoffs are considered a religious event and we put players/teams in the spotlight and on a pedestal. It ...
For those of us STARS faithful that fill the American Airlines Center each home game, that movie clip is engrained in our minds! Numerous times this year, Dallas has been behind the 8-ball...and numerous times this year, they have answered the call. Tonight was no different...Marty Turco was absolutely brilliant, and they found a way to finally solve Luongo. Now, there ...
Before I even get started, I just want to make clear that, even as a Sabre's fan, I feel the Isles got the shaft on wednesday night. Not once, either, but twice; of course, the obvious shaft was the "no-goal" call that, from what I saw immediately, should have been a goal. In all honesty, when they went to the phone, I was sure the referee's call was going to be reversed. ...
Playoff elimination seems so final. Your team is done...there will be no Stanley Cup parade down main street this year.
It's a fact of life for 8 teams after round 1. Then 4 more in round 2. Then 2...then 1...
Yeah, in this crazy cup chase only ONE team gets to raise the hardware at the end of the road...and the other 15 playoff teams get to think about "what might h...
Avenged Sevenfold blasts through my apartment, good thing the other half of my life isnt home. I am a bit more optimistic about tonights game, but believe me. . .I dont expect a win.
Instead of chewing on old soup about refereeing and no-goals/goals/beer bottles/etc, I am going to recap on what has come of our rag-tag group of boys out on Long Island this season.
[b...
For the past couple of weeks I have been enjoying the spectacle known as the NHL playoffs. As a Blues fan and only 24 years old, last year was the first time I have ever watched the post season without my team. The second time around has been a little easier since I know bright things are on the horizon. While our ownership has the people of St. Louis happy, the same can n...
Islander Sean Hill has been suspended for 20 games for violating the league's Performance Enhancing Substance Abuse policy.
Hill will not dress for the balance of the playoffs.
Over the course of the past several days, I have heard several comment made on the radio and in general conversation that the Canucks got the lucky bounce, or the Stars got the lucky bounce etc. I myself have made the mistake, surely the Stars got a lucky bounce in Game 5 when the puck slid eerily close the their gapping net while Turco was on the bench and the Canucks had...
This is the song that never ends.
It goes on and on my friends.
Someone started singing it not knowing what it was,
and they'll continue singing it forever just because,
This song can best describe the Canucks Dallas series. Just when you think you have got a hold of what is happening then suddenly something else happends and suddenly something else pops out and i...
I think the Sharks' intensity level was just higher. San Jose was the better team and it showed. San Jose is deeper than ever before, and they are definitely a team to be feared in these playoffs.
Where Nashville lost this series, however, was with the penalties. San Jose's power play was lousy, but the penalties to Nashville just killed their momentum. Thats one th...
[i]O Calgary Flames who skate in the Dome,
Hallowed be the ice upon which you play.
Your power rankings will climb
As your points do over time, at Sportsnet as well on TSN.
Give us this day our special teams skill.
And forgive us our tresspasses as we check those who try to do us ill.
Lead us not to the penalty box and deliver us from unreviewed goals,
For thine are...
Though I am a believer in only the one, true, God...thank-you hockey gods (and San Jose Sharks)!!! How fitting that Thugville's third major (non-fighting) penalty and countless game misconduct cost them the game and series! It could not have been more perfect. If you can blame the lack of hockey enthusiasm on any players, it would certainly include the thugs of the game...
And we should give thanks for that. The Flames came out today and played a SOLID first period. If we had played that way the whole game, we would have won. However, we stopped skating after the first period. Not only that, we kept giving the puck away, both in our own zone and at the offesive blueline. How can you expect to win when you do that? How can you even expec...
I hate the wings, but the way the Flames are acting is an embarassment to the league.
[b]WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE PART 3[b]
When I started watching the game I began to slip and began to get stressed so my wife told me to go for a walk and forget the game. So I put on my coat and went for a walk, while I was walking our beautiful streets of Calgary , I over heard some body swear when Detroit scored there second goal I was walking in a back all...
The Flames have done themselves no favors as they now head into game 6 on Sunday down a game and on the brink of elimination. The Flames started off game 5 fairly well and even outshot the Red Wings for most of the first period. But, it was a second period special teams disaster that marked the beginning of the end for Calgary. Dan Cleary roofed a penalty shot during a Fla...
The Dallas STARS played their best post-season game in several years, beating Vancouver 2-0, and forcing game 7 Monday night! From a fan's point-of-view, it was the most awesome game I have been to in quite some time. The capacity crowd was rowdy the entire night, and the team played like a contender. Marty Turco finished with 21 saves for his second shutout in a row, a...
Hockey players have an annual tradition where they grow out their beards when the playoffs roll around. No one is quite sure when the "playoff beard" first sprouted roots, but it's as entrenched in the game of hockey as sudden death overtimes and the two pad stack.
Certain diehard fans take their admiration of their favorite players to the next level by mimicking their ...
The second round is set and the Rangers will be facing off with the Buffalo Sabres starting this week. I don't know if either matchup was more beneficial for the Rangers as they had a losing record against both of their potential 2nd round opponents this year.
They were 1-3 against Ottawa and a sterling 0-4 against the Sabres.
To look on the bright side they haven't ...
nephew23 writes...
"It was something I'd do in the regular season – any time."
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
That quote comes from another obvious thug, Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows. It was his response to the fierce slash he made on the back of Dallas Stars forward Brendan Morrow's knee, in the final minutes of game 6. The slash caused a twinge in a nerve and caused Morrow to limp off the ice and miss the rest of the game. I'm just curious why Burrows would be so op...
seriously, people need to take a very,very deep breath about the McLennan slash. come on, real hockey fans will tell this used to happen all the time. I remember Ron Hextall jabbing the forward infront for position to see where the puck. Hextall did slash players and faced the consequences. He would a) face the player (thats call players policing themselves or b) get a fin...
It always hurts a little (or sometimes a lot depending on your “closeness” to a team) to see your hockey club lose. During the regular season you can soothe the pain by thinking ahead to the next game, but the playoffs hold a certain finality to them. What I mean is, once you have lost 4 games, that is all she wrote for that season, it is over, done, finis...
And with that, the Detroit Red Wings have eliminated the Calgary Flames from contention.
As much as I was pulling for the Flames, the Wings deserved to win this series. Kiprusoff was the only guy on Calgary's roster who was showing up to play every game.
A major surprise was the play of Johan Franzen in this series. I barely knew who he was prior to this series, and...
Well, as hard as this is for me, a Flames fan to say, the better team won. Calgary played this game with grit and heart, but so did the Detroit Red Wings. Half of the problem coming into this series was the fact that many flames fans, among others, had it burned in their minds that #8 seeded Calgary could easily beat the #1 seeded Detroit, as the Red Wings have struggled t...
The Flames were eliminated, and the frustrating thing is, this was a very winnable series.
The stats will tell you that Detroit nearly doubled the Flames' shot total. That is misleading. Sure, the Flames did play that badly, but they have the offensive talent and the toughness to compete with Detroit. Kiprusoff held up his end. Did anyone else?
The lack of cohe...
Hey, I'm a Flames fan (you may have already guessed that tho).
I'm a fan of the team that has been lambasted and generally scourged by almost every media outlet for the past 24hrs and frankly I'm tired of it.
Perhaps this is the part where you gasp in surprise that I could even think to disagree that they deserved all this heaping on being done by the media but you k...
While I might be a Leaf fan, I'm first and foremost a hockey fan and believe the Senators have the game to win the Cup. After watching the first round they simply look like past teams, with similar chemistry and depth, that have won the Cup. More specifically though:
Leadership
The leader is finally being a leader. After years of justifiably being the fan’s whip...
The Wings win in 6 games.
Before everyone gets on my case about this blog, remember one thing - I'm a fan and I'm going to tell it how I saw it. You may disagree but this is what I saw. The reasons we lost this series:
1. Detroit was the better team. Forechecking, passing, defensive play - they played all 6 games the same and lost 2 by one goal which were winnable...
This Thursday marks the beginning of yet another battle of 100+ point regular season teams. New Jersey finished with 107 and Ottawa with 105, with the season series going the way of the Devils 3-1. Despite holding a 3-1 edge is the regular season series, there’s no doubting who the stronger of the two teams down the stretch was, it’s the Senators. That being said, this...
Eklund has his airline ticket to Nashville for the Sharks and Preds game seven but the problem is there won't be a game seven.
For the second year in a row the Preds were handed a 4 games to 1 series loss at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. Seriously...if I see anything teal right now I might just hurl!
This was a physical series (some might even say dirty...but l...
Flamestr
Dougstr who wins the west
Dougstr
SJ Sharks The best forwards in the west Joe Thorton and Johnathon Cheechoo
and Patrick Marleau . Good players and they can score
Flamestr
So Dougstr who do the Sharks play against ?
Buff
Three of the best forward in the NHL Daniel Brieere and Maxim Afinogenov
and Jason Pominville. Because...
Alright Flames fans, let's forget yesterday or even this whole series ever happened. Let's get down to business for next season.
Here is the list of UFAs for the Flames:
Tony Amonte
Marcus Nilson
Jeff Friesen
Darren McCarty
Byron Ritchie
Wayne Primeau
Roman Hamrlik
Brad Stuart
Brad Ference
Jamie McLellan (G)
Here is the list for the RFAs:
Matthew Lo...
[b]By D. Smith:[/b]
Well, hindsight is always 20/20, but I believe the deal was worth making. Also, you have to remember that injuries played a role that no one saw coming. Bringing in Forsberg was supposed to secure three incredibly talented lines in Nashville. (in no order) the 3 centers were supposed to be Forsberg, Arnott, and Legwand. The 6 surrounding wings were...
It has been said thousands of times...there is nothing like a game 7...win and advance, lose and go home! The Dallas Stars are one win away from pulling off the near impossible. They have finally won in overtime...they have finally won at home...and they have finally figured out how to solve Roberto Luongo. Though Marty Turco has the edge in stats, including THREE shuto...
When the Islanders acquired both Michael Peca and Alexei Yashin on consecutive days surrounding the 2001 entry draft, it signaled the dawning of a new era for the franchise. Despite paying the high price of Zdeno Chara and the draft pick that would eventually be used to select Jason Spezza (as well as throw-in Bill Muckalt) in return for Yashin, initial reactions were posi...
I thought game 7's in the stanley cup playoffs were decided by the players? that third period was an embrassment to nhl. call after call was hooking or holding.
my god, even the Dave Strader was confused if There was a pentaly when Turco was pulled at the end of the game
BTW, Trevor Linden did a nice job on the hook(which was a pentaly) before scoring the game winni...
[b]East
#1 Sabres vs. #7 Rangers[/b]
I hate the sabres with a passion. i hate rangers with a passion. this is the series of picking between two evils. So i will go with a upset. Rangers are playing awesome hockey and Sabres had hiccups with Fishy Sticks.
[b]UPSET: Rangers in 7[/b]
[b]#3 Debbies v #4 Sens[/b]
This series might come down to goalies but i think...
[b]1 Buf vs 8 NYI - Buf in 5[/b] - Bang on, but I expected a better effort out of the Sabres. They'll be in tough against the white-hot Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers. DiPietro came back sooner than I thought and played well enough to keep the Islanders in the games, but could only win the one.
[b]2 NJ vs 7 TB - NJ in 6[/b] - Bang on again. Holmqvist played very we...
As great as Marty Turco was for most of the opening round series against the Vancouver Canucks-and he was, make no mistake-he still won't shed that label of choke artist.
From this corner, he shouldn't.
Turco was mostly stellar, but the definition of choke means falling short in the key spot, which he did last night. Vancouver's second goal, the game winner, was a we...
Well, we're a few days out from the sad loss in 2OT to the Wings and the pain of that night has certainly dulled which is nice. It helps to still be able to go to games as our Jr team, the Calgary Hitmen, are playing in the Conference finals right now - beyond most expectations of the team this year (unlike the Flames).
My wish list for the Flames now that we're in the ...
Well the players may like the break to help them recharge the batteries, but I sure am chomping on the bit.
I guess when your team beats expectations and sweeps the opening round series the excitement level goes up. I sure can't wait for tomorrow night, I wish they were dropping the puck as I type.
I'm looking forward to a good series and pretty much disregard how th...
nephew23 writes...
I Couldn't Agree More...But I'm So Happy A Canadian Said It!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Did I say happy?...I meant ecstatic, elated, over-joyed! I really hate to make excuses, or have to include the officiating in any writing...so thank-you so much, Mr. Gallagher, for your article...it is 100%, spot on! In fact, I used the phrase "phantom call" seconds after the penalty, as well as in a comment to my new best friend's blog ([i]What a friggin joke[/i]--Flyer...
I delayed posting a blog after our overtime defeat because it would be ridden with grief and emotional outbursts. Tears are not rare when it comes to me and my beloved Flames. Needless to say I am struggling to find my way again, as I commit so much to the team and their journey.
However, this blog is for looking forward. I would love to be in Sutter's position right...
Well, the job's open. Who wants it? There are a slew of potentials, even a few that have been vocal (Craig Patrick, Bob Clarke). Ownership will begin the interview process within the week, and hopefully now that some teams have been eliminated, the search can be narrowed. Dave Taylor from LA and Craig Button, formerly of Calgary, are rumored to be the front-runners, and th...
Due to your constant comment about our defence killing us, I thought I would actually have a look at some stats to see if the is validity to your tirades about our blueliners:
Vancouver
Name Pts. TOI +/- Pims
Bieksa 0 24 -1 16
Krajeck 0 15 -1 6
Mitchell 1 ...
Well, folks, about 11 1/2 hours until the puck drops to begin game one of the Sabres/Rangers Eastern Conference semi-finals and for two days, already, the poop is being flung with the tenacity of the inhabitants of the primate house at the Buffalo zoo. Sean Avery began the shit slinging with some comments about how his pre-series ritual has included visualizing various (o...
sstrang writes...
Another 2nd Round Prediction Blog...with Chimpanzees
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Okay, I know everyone is tired of predicitions but hey, it's my blog!! And if you don't get the blog title, listen to "Everything to Everyone" by the Barenaked Ladies and you'll get it!
[b]Buffalo vs. New York Rangers[/b]
Buffalo in 6 - they are in playoff mode and I think Miller will be the better goalie.
[b]New Jersey vs. Ottawa[/b]
Ottawa in 6 - They believ...
A blog isn't journalism. However, if you're a professional commenting on an issue in your area of expertise then you should be held to a higher standard, even in a blog. Jim Kelley fails in this respect in his Sportsnet.ca blog "The Dope on Suspensions",
(http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/jim_kelley/2007/04/23/the_dope_on_suspensions/#comments ). I wish he was just being ...
Sorry for the length of this post but on the eve of the New York Rangers first second round playoff game in a decade, as a Blueshirts fan I can’t help but be excited, and the current success has got me thinking. It’s been a long time since we had a team we could be proud of. But this year’s team has overcome adversity and achieved that respect. Although only time wil...
Without question, the biggest issue surrounding the New York Islanders this off-season will be the efforts to re-sign Ryan Smyth. The Isles, as usual, have many other outstanding issues to resolve before the 2007-08 campaign, including the possible buyout of captain Alexei Yashin, re-signing leading scorer Jason Blake, and whether or not to bring back two suspended players...
[b]1 Buf vs 6 NYR[/b] - The Rangers have a fair bit of talent up front, and a slight goaltending edge, but the Sabres are simply too deep everywhere else. Sabres in 6.
[b]2 NJ vs 4 Ott[/b] - Yeah, I know it's Marty Brodeur, but the Sens will not be denied this year...at least not here. If Emery comes close to matching Brodeur, the Sens win. Ottawa in 6.
[b]1 Det v...
Rangers look so disinterested tonight... Anyways, they don't have enough defensemen to contain the Sabres. I think only the Senators can match. I hope the Rangers win a few games, that way more Sabres players can get more points for my pool :)
Dear Santa Clause (aka: Mr. Hicks and Mr. Armstong),
As this sport very much relates to a holiday – the regular season being New Year’s through Thanksgiving and the playoffs being Christmas – here is my Christmas wish list for the off-season (in essay form!).
The Dallas Stars have now compiled three straight first-round exits after solid, promising regular-seas...
Well after a few days of reflection, I can hopefully put what happened in some sort of perspective now.
I gotta tell you though.. it's been a tough year with a lot more ups and downs than expected.
So. where are we heading? Who's most likely to stay or go? Let's start with the players.
Iggy says he wants to stay in Calgary.. He also says he has more...
The No Walk Rangers had much to say before game one of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, but very little to say after it. The Sabres won the opening game handily, 5-2, with two goals from Tomas Vanek, one each by Ales Kotalik, Jason Pominville, & Drew Stafford, and another solid performance by Ryan Miller. The Rangers were clearly outplayed in every facet of the game; f...
This season has seen nearly every team develop their unsung hero(es). It's time again to evaluate who means the most to their team. I've always felt that the Hart should encompass the regular season AND the playoffs, but the Conn Smythe isn't disappearing anytime soon. So, let's look at the candidates:
[b]1. Roberto Luongo, G, Vancouver[/b]
It's a safe bet to say that ...
It's one game, talk to me after game 2. The first game of a series is the least indicative of what is going to happen in the series and only becomes important if the result of game 2 is the same.
Believe it or not no one is going to give the boys from upstate the Stanley Cup based on winning the opening game of the second round. So enough of the coronating the Sabres an...
> Congratulations to [url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8449545&service=page]Scott Mellanby[/url] on a very good career. Mellanby [url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2007/04/23/mellanby-retirement.html?ref=rss]announced his retirement[/url] after 21 seasons in the NHL. He finishes with 364 goals and 476 assists for 840 regular sea...
Desptie the first round being over, not much has been solved in terms of a front runner to walk out of the West. Detroit, San Jose, and anheim all have a legit shot at making it to the Cup finals. Vancouve ris on the outside looking in.
San Jose has been extremely impressive though. Their young players have come through with big goals. The power play wasn't even rea...
Hey guys . . .
[b]Believe it or not[/b] nobody from Toronto is going to come to the HSBC wearing white gloves and carrying the Stanley Cup just because you won the 1st game of the series 5-2.
[b]Believe it or not[/b] the Rangers didn't expect your team to roll over like dogs and aren't demoralized from one loss.
[b]Believe it or not[/b] they actually intend on showin...
After Mr. Sutter met with Media on his state of the Franchise Speech the Media walked away just as confused if not more. He refused to comment on the future of Coach Playfair or on the Contracts of Iggy and Kipper does that mean kipper and iggy are traded and Playfiar fired? Heck no it means that Sutter is not going half cocked and firing Playfair and jumping to any co...
Bill Meltzer had an interesting post today regarding the debate over whether or not the NHL should switch to shootouts in the playoffs:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=7179
I stand with Mr. Meltzer on this, and just want to add a thought I had. The people who are looking for a change in playoff format are clearly not hockey fans, or they would know how rid...
Has Ryan Miller finally come of age as a bonafide post-season goaltender? It's sure starting to look that way after these last two games against the Rangers. I'm certainly not one to count ANYONE'S chickens before they've hatched but, even though the last two Sabre victories were, no doubt, "team wins", Miller is the main reason that the 'bres have come out on top of their...
I get the sense that some of you think the Cup is already in your possession. Believe it or not it's still early in this series and extremely early in the run to the Cup.
Would I rather that the Rangers were up 2-0 coming back to MSG, you bet I would. Would I rather that the Rangers were able to a win a game in HSBC, especially Game 2 in which they out played the Sa...
Despite the media and all the nay sayers Vancouver pulled even with the Ducks and made the series look a lot more even than what it appeared after game 1.
Game 1 was tough to watch. My first thoughts were "These aren't the Canucks!". Somebody dressed the LA Kings instead. I'm glad they got that all straightened up. And now having the series return to Vancouver to win t...
I know I said I was not going talk about the officiating any longer, BUT...my dearest friend and fellow North American, Luongo07, continues to call me out and accuse me of not researching. (well, at least most of that last sentence is true!) So, as I set out to get the full scoop on the officiating in the Stars/Canucks series, I realized it was a much bigger issue than j...
This is no way a blog meant to bash Nashville fans, because quite honestly, they have more to cheer about than we do in Columbus. But, the lack of hockey knowledge by these people who shell out hundreds to see a playoff game is baffling. Last night, I was watching a tape of Game 5 between San Jose and Nashville. Patrick Marleau's second goal of the game gives the Sharks th...
I could probably write a pretty long blog about how the Rachunek goal was a goal, kicking motion my ass. I could write lettter and verse on how the refs seemed to miss so many calls on the Sabres and none on the Rangers.
Well I could write that blog, but I won't. I will just say [b]Hell Of A Game[/b].
That is what playoff hockey is all about. Same pit in my stomach...
I wished NBC cut into the Rangers-Sabres game to show that Barbaro. that game was god awful. from the miss goal and on top of that the miss hooking call on that play. to phantoms calls
Today was an embrassment for NHL. I cant believe two referees on the ice can't make the correct call on ice.
I never saw a game inwhich the calls were slided to the Gaybres. Sabres are...
The Rangers win. Yes I know, I know. I was jumping for joy too.
However the road is far from over. The impressive showing they brought on against Buffalo was great. They played their game. They came on tough and really left everything out on the ice and in so were rewarded by a great Rozsival shot to finally end the game in the 2nd OT.
This game had everything. Hits,...
nickgregory writes...
The life of a new father, and random hockey thoughts....
Posted Monday | Comments 0
No matter what anyone tells you, you can never fully be prepared for taking care of an infant. My daughter is now 5 ½ weeks old, and as a result, I am sleep deprived, nerves are ragged and I feel like I could snap at any moment, but the good news is I am watching a ton of hockey (while flipping between the damn Yankees proving that they should have bought some pitching i...
Since the flyers are out of the playoffs and i love to look at stats after games and after brilliant jobs by the refs in yesterday's games i decided to look at one stat that should be alarming. THe Amount of Pentalies called in a playoff game
[b]27 Power Plays called in Two Playoff Games[/b]
The refs are carrying out buttman's message by continue to call the phantom ...
If you aren't yet familiar with Columbus Blue Jackets right winger Nikolai Zherdev, just take these two words as a hint: Alexei Kovalev. Same game, different body. If Zherdev could speak a word of English other than "puck" or "good", we might be talking about some of his comments in the media. But deep inside of the hearts of all Jackets fans, we know "Z" is one confused g...
When the puck drops a little past 7 pm tonight at Madison Square Garden the boys in blue will be looking to hold serve and send the series back to Buffalo all square at 2 games apiece.
The first win against 6 losses this season against the Sabres should give a little boost in the confidence of the Rangers. They have played well the past 2 games, playing the style tha...
[img:right]http://www.click2host.us/003/roberto_luongo706208.jpg[/img]The NHL announced its nominees for their annual year-end awards, Roberto Luongo was nominated for three awards and Alain Vigneault was nominated for coach of the year.
Luongo were among the nominees for the Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player to his team), Lester B. Pearson Award (most outstand...
Here we go off to Buffalo all tied up 2 games apiece. Don't think many Sabres fans thought we'd be looking at a best 2 out of 3 series after game 1.
I'm sure we'll hear lots about how it was a goal, what a difference a few days make. Happen to be listening to Briere being interviewed, I guess he doesn't read the Sabre bloggers on myhockeybuzz, because he thought th...
Boy, i cant argue with the NO-Goal Call against buffalo. that was a goal. this is a disgrace for NHL on so many levels that i cant explain.
NHL needs to replace those overhead camera with HD cameras.
BTW, Lindy Ruff should be embrassed for himself foR that tirade after the game instead of doing infront of the media and make ass of himself he shouyld done infront of...
First of all, I'd like to thank the Vancouver Canucks for lending their tv announcers to CBC Sports for game 4! What an incredible gesture towards the people of Canada, and specifically Canucks' fans! I'm so thankful American fans, specifically Ducks fans, got to hear those announcers cheer for their team the entire game...and overtime hasn't even begun yet! I cannot wa...
Since I am from Buffalo and now live in Illinois, you would think I would enjoy the Spring time heat that has finally found its way to the Midwest, but I am feeling the heat due to this playoff season and I am not enjoying it. I am feeling so stressed during these Sabres games, it is incredible. What other Sabres fans feel this? I haven't felt like this in the playoffs unt...
I'm with Briere on the Rachunek no-goal from game 3(if you heard his post game comments, you know what i mean); it shoulda counted. I understand why it was called no-goal but i didn't agree with it. Yeah, the call tonight was crap, too, but it should never have come to that. When an offensive threat like the 'bres are giving up 2 goals a game, the series should be over by ...
When the Ottawa Senators take the ice tonight, not only can they put their opponents up against the wall, but take once step closer to silencing the critics. It is well known how the media and fans (both loyal and of other teams) feel about the Senators, but this is the chance they’ve been waiting for since 2003. In 2003, the last time the Ottawa Senators made it to the ...
Over the last few years, we've seen a lot of two-headed monsters in the nets of NHL teams. We've seen Roloson and Fernandez, Miller and Biron, Giguere and Bryz, Nabokov and Toskala, Vokoun and Mason, and the list goes on...
Roloson and Fernandez were the first to split, and just a few months ago the Miller/Biron monster was broken apart. This summer, it appears we'll ...
Talk about bad calls, when it is assumed Thomas Vanek snuck one around Rick DiPietro it was called a goal, although the video was inconclusive.
Sabres fans: WELCOME TO PLAYING THE RANGERS!
The Sabres are apparently more important than the Isles, and the Rangers are more improtant than the Sabres.
The goal that Briere scored, or "was inconclusive" looked pretty da...
Jon Jordan writes...
You Break My Heart, Dad ... But That's OK (I Guess)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I love my family.
I love my friends.
I love hockey.
Sometimes numbers two and three on this list are in a good, old-fashioned tie. (Sorry, amigos, but you have hefty competition come playoff time. It's not your fault and, honestly, you don't stand much of a chance.)
Hockey and family, for me, have always had a tight connection. I fell in love with the Islanders la...
Who would've thought that the New York Rangers would hold the high flying Buffalo Sabres to 2 goals over 8 periods of hockey at Madison Square Garden to even their Eastern Conference semifinal at 2 games apiece.
The Sabres were the highest scoring team in the NHL averaging 3.75 goals/game over the course of the regular season. What many don't realize is the Rangers w...
Okay I normally don't pay much attention to what my Government does but this is nonsense come on Shane Doan had done nothing but represent his Country. It was proven that Shane Doan did not say the slur. It also happened two years ago Please lets email our MLA's and tell them on how we feel about waisting time and money, this has to be stopped Government has to know ...
I just got done reading Damien Cox's piece on ESPN.com , and it made me think. Why can't people just enjoy the playoffs and hockey in general? Everywhere you look, you can find someone complaining about the lack of goals being scored in the playoffs, but what's wrong with a hard fought 2-1 game? Of course goals are going to be at a premium in the post-season because wit...
A few thoughts before I move on to bigger and better issues! And yes, I fully expect the bitterness to flow from Luongo07 and Mojoworld!
(1) Roberto Luongo was absolutely brilliant throughout the playoffs...he is a monster. Without question, he is deserving of the MVP award. He played on his head last night but, as has been the case, could not score and could not ...
[b][i]"Anticipation, it's makin' me wait...it's keepin' me wa-a-a-a-aiting"[/i][/b]
[b][i]"The waiting is the hardest part"[/i][/b]
T minus 2 hours 'til the puck drops and I can't wait, heck I was getting antsy at 9 am this morning. Truth be told I was getting antsy for this game 2 days ago.
I hope that the Rangers are as antsy to get this one started as I am, ...
Here is the phone number for Vs. to get them to the hockey games in HD!
1-877-VERSUS-ON
1-203-407-3613
With every passing year, the Blue Jackets miss the playoffs and I'm forced to shift my focus as a fan. Maybe I'm alone saying this, but I would much rather watch a playoff game with two random teams than watch a regular-season game featuring my own. The passion of each team fighting for the ultimate goal lights a fire in everyone, including myself. This year, I'm especiall...
Yep that sure did hurt.
last night blog was a blog of frustration and being pissed off at the sport i love. plus i had little too much too drink last night in celebatation of cinco de mayo, which explains about everything for last night. Sorry if i oftened anyone.
For now on, im only blogging on the finals, Flyers and Ripping gary bettman to help make a change in this league and I’ll release...
Power forwards...huge, hulking, “whittle-guy” killers that can skate...a goalie’s worst nightmare...and supposedly, the ghost of Christmas past. The new rules adopted my “My NHL” practically sent them to their graves. At the very least, the new rules assured a long, penalty-plagued transition. Many of the typical power forwards became a liability to their team...
The Medicine Hat Tigers even the WHL Championship final with a 3 - 2 win on Saturday night. The win was rather crucial as the series reverts to the 2-3-2 format is was important that the Tigers had at least a split at home before heading to the west coast for three. The Giants now look to close out the series at home with three games at home and the home ice crowd on their...
Originally my blog was going to be on a different topic altogether, and I'll get back to that topic in the very near future. For now, however, we have to turn our attention to the Ducks vs. Wild series.
But the Wild are already out, you say.
You're right.
You won't find one Wild fan anywhere homer enough to say we're still in it. Nor will you find one that can s...
It is probably too soon to write how it feels after watching my Rangers team go down 5-4 today, but I don't think time will change my opinion of this team.
All I can say is that I'm proud of the 2006-2007 New York Rangers. This team never gave up, not when most counted them out during the regular season and not today down 2 goals to the Sabres.
Jaromir Jagr showe...
Alright, Sharks. The time has come to put Saturday's dull performance behind you and dig deep to keep the dream alive. It's times like these that the hockey world sees leaders emerge in the face of adversity and put their team on their back. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau - this means you. Joe, let's awake from the dream that told you to seek out the miracle play and put th...
Hey pens fans,
Sorry this took so long to post, but life has been hellish, as of late.
Colby Armstrong
He had 34 points this season, which included 12 goals. Colby had a strong season. He played well and is really coming into his own, as a player. I think he will only improve, as time progresses.
Grade: B+
Erik Christensen
This season he had 33 points. He pla...
Well another disappointing result for the Sharks. When will I be able to get on board with this team and really consider them a contender? This coming from a Habs fan with obviously no vested interest in this years Stanley Cup Playoffs, for obvious reasons. The Sharks seemingly had the goods to make an extended run, solid defense, good goaltending, #2 PP unit and a number...
Everyone is ripping me for the negative tone about "New NHL" but i want to let the number finally to back up my arugment themselves. these are attendence figures from games this season that are based on number of tickets distributed, not people attending. THe Actual attendance is lower.
Btw the number ever lie......
Mar-6 2007 Col @ Bos - 11,707
F...
In years watching hockey this might be the best final four teams left in the NHL playoffs in YEARS.
So lets start out West
[b]#1 Detriot Red Wings v #3 Anaheim Ducks[/b]
Detriot has been playing great hockey and beat a physical Calgary team and a bottom feeder team in san jose. The ducks beat up on wild and kim johnsson's head. They also had a great series against...
The announcement came down from the IIHF today that an NHL team, the winner of the European Champions Cup and at least one other European club will participate in tournament. The big question is, which NHL team?
The AP quoted Rick Nash as expressing concern over additional toll taken on the body after an already long season.
That said, it wouldn't make much sense fo...
As promised...
[b]1 Buf vs 4 Ott[/b] - Total toss-up. If either team wins, I am not surprised. Buffalo has the speed edge, and they're a bit more spread out in terms of offense. Ottawa has slightly better defensive depth, and their top line has been beastly in these playoffs. Goaltending, imo, is a wash. But I feel the Sens have played better in these playoffs, and...
I thought that I would let people know what the Flames Players are like and why it means so much to me when some get traded .
The year after the lockout the flames had their preseason camp at the Don Hartman arena instead of the Dome. My son and I decided that we would go down to watch them play, and to get some autographs. There is a lot of stories that I could t...
There's almost 36hrs now till the puck drops on the Conference Finals so it's time for some thoughts on life in the off-season for this Flames fan....
[u]Thought #1[/u]
It was very disappointing to see the end of the Rangers - they were the last dark horse left in the playoffs and while I didn't really expect them to make it past the Sabres, I just really miss there be...
Coming into work this morning I was greeted with warm sunshine, a cool breeze, and the comfort of knowing the Sabres are still playing hockey. All should be right with the world, but hanging in the back of my head is a cloud of doubt. The knowledge that this could be the last couple games I watch, the fear that Ottawa will be too much for us, that again we will come so c...
Lets keep this as straight up as possible, the Flyers have work to do in the offseason. I'm no NHL analysis, but only a hardcore Philadelphia fan since I knew what sports were. With a disappointing season under the belt, it's one of the first times in my recent memory that I have been so excited about the offseason.
Lets get started...
[b]Current Situation[/b]
[u]Fo...
Following terrible showing in game three the Vancouver Giants bounced back in game four of the WHL Championship series. The league championship is now guaranteed to return to 'the hat' for game six as the Giants are just about to clean up the finishing touches on what appears to be a 4 - 0 victory. The game remained tied heading into the third period as the two teams conti...
It was a rough finish to the rangers seaosn. They blow a 1-0 lead with 7 seconds to go in game 5. Then they lose 5-4 on home ice in game 6. Although there are a lot of "What ifs..." in this series, Rangers should be happy with what they accomplished. They didn't look like they were even in the playoff mix in February.
Bring in some young guns, add a fiesty Sean Avery, ...
This article im about to share proves part of my therory this league is a)this league is in trouble, b) Bettman still doesnt get it and c) proves that causal fan still doesnt care about NHL
Can’t Follow The NHL
http://media.www.thetowerlight.com/media/storage/paper957/news/2007/05/10/Sports/Heatin.It.Up.Without.Espn.Nhl.Playoffs.Become.Distant.Afterthought-2898728.sh...
[img]http://bp1.blogger.com/_oCmYyKF1nYg/RkMyBFMs7FI/AAAAAAAAAKo/2W51rn2Cv0A/s400/detsan.jpg[/img]
[b]
WINGS WIN!! WINGS WIN!![/b]
Game 5 and 6 showed what a champion is supposed to look like.. The Wings never looked liked they were going to lose while the Sharks looked scared.. Really, I can't even say the Sharks looked desperate. That would require SJS to have a pulse...
The canucks have been out of the playoffs, and for a while, but the team itself took a dramatic transformation. Sure, you can look at the block buster deal of the summer, with Roberto Luongo becoming a hero over a course of after one game, but there is more to the team. Alain Vigneault is up for the Jack adams trophy, and personally i think he is very deserving of this awa...
i love it on VS coverage that they say that buffalo fans invented the idea of having fans partying outside while during game.
Well they are wrong.
If you buy this dvd
http://www.amazon.com/NHL-History-Philadelphia-Flyers/dp/B000M7XR7Y/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4451391-1782410?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1178840045&sr=8-1
and any flyers fan will tell you that the flyers fans wer...
Originally sent to Ek for the My Blog bit and since I wanted to share -
---
Why I am a diehard hockey fan:
1974, Flyers, Stanley Cup, Bobby Clarke. I was 4. The Flyers were in the Stanley Cup Finals. The moment came, that moment that every sports fan lives for, that moment that seals a lifelong fate, that moment that takes your breath away and stays with you f...
WILL THE BUFFALO SABRES AND THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS PLEASE REPORT TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS...THE BUFFALO SABRES AND THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS....THANK YOU
That's what I heard over the HSBC p.a. tonight following an embarassing showing (or lack thereof) by the Sabres in game 1 of the ECF. Bottom line is, if their power play continues to b...
Going to my car Thursday morning I was greeted with the cold, wet blanket that can be Buffalo spring. My initial thoughts were concern about how this was going to affect the ice. I knew it was going to warm up, but would the humidity lift, and if it didn’t were the Sabres going to have problems dealing with slow, choppy ice. No matter I thought, game time was twelve h...
With the Lewiston Maineiacs completion of a four game sweep in the QMJHL Championship series, the attention of the CHL falls squarely on the WHL and OHL finals.
The Sudbury Wolves and Plymouth Whalers face off this evening in game five of the OHL Championship series. The game is just underway and the visiting Wolves scored 1:51 into the first period of play. Plymouth f...
Gee, Lindy Ruff is a brilliant coach after all......
Canada wins another world hockey championship. Big surprise AND big deal! Why is this tournament played every year during the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Does anybody who follows the NHL care about this tournament right now while the battle for arguably the greatest trophy in sports is taking place, especially if your team is still in it? I'm still trying to figure out the poin...
I love youtube. it has everything you want as a hockey fight fan. i want to share my top #10 fights on you tube
#10 Cam Neely TKOs Lindy Ruff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDt8pgmsfV0&mode=related&search=
your're not a hockey fan if you dont like cam neely
There is a choking situation in Buffalo....
[img]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h307/jimmywhite81/choking_1.jpg[/img]
Wow! Did the Ducks know what time the game started? I realize it is a seven game series, but they responded to the first period like it was a regular season game? There was very little real pressure throughout the game and it looked to me like they could care less to be there...just like their fans! Their one shining moment was the hit on Holmstrom. I hate the fact th...
One thing I'm not seeing in the Conference Finals series is the geniuine hatred between the teams involved. Its not a requirement for a well-played and entertaining series, but it sure would make watching these games a bit more bearable. Every year there seems to be a series or two that is just a venemous battle between two teams, leaving most of the participants with scar...
I study hard for my test on human reproduction. Golly, how ironic. It is only too bad that the Hurricanes are not reproducing last year's victory in the playoffs. I am sure that Rod Brind'Amour shares my sentiment.
This next summer is going to be extremely boring. We wont have Cup parties, award ceremonies, photogs and other things that come with championships. Thank God ...
The last three games you picked Buffalo and you saw the results. Our city has a curse as it is, your picking jinx doesn't help.
All kidding aside, the Sabres really are in a huge hole.
Let's hope the 3-0 gives them a HUGE wake up call.
Here's to the team showing up tonight....here's to Miller doing his stuff again...here's for lots of shots and some goals (dare I...
(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...
Fellow fans,
We have waited too long for the NHL to promote its own game. Instead 4 friends got together to show the best of hockey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDSY5-y2BRs
please let us know what you think.
t2MA
That is more like it...much better effort all-around! Both game 4's were two of the most fun and frenetic battles of the playoffs...great to watch! I did not want to go back and count...but aside from missing on the Senators wrapping up their series in game 4, I was spot on every other call I made!
It took Buffalo all of nine seconds to [b]find the net[/b]. [b]Chri...
Every hockey web site, message board, forum, or mailing list at this point in the off-season has one Ryan Smyth rumor or another almost daily, so placing faith in any one rumor at this point is just about as sure-footed a strategy as throwing darts at a map of NHL cities. Personally, I've remained optimistic about the Islanders chances of bringing Smytty back, despite much...
[img]http://www2.ottawasenators.com/_static/webUpload/265/228_1.jpg[/img]
Growing up as a child in Ottawa, ON and playing minor hockey for years, the one constant thing that remained the same throughout my childhood was the fact Saturday Night was Hockey Night In Canada. A lot has changed since then, which brings me to my point for writing this article.
With NFL, NB...
You have a third period full of questionable penatlies that won't be called in real hockey game and their Network dumps their sorry asses for horse race.
it goes to show how popular NHL is really is and how screwed up this league is.
flyershockey81 writes...
Congrats to Sens...News for my Fellow Flyers Fans
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Congrats to Sens. You deserved to Win. You destory and expose the sissies the buffalo sabres are made of. This series proved that old style hockey still regins in the sport i Love. Someone needs to Bettman that phyiscal play is still apart of hockey......
[b]For my Fellow flyers fans let the debate begin.......[/b]
[img]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h307/jimmywhi...
After reading the passinate blog that TIm Panccio wrote about the hack job by NBC. Maybe TIm and other NHL writers start addressing the real problem in this league..
Gary Bettman
There is only two writers who openly goes after Bettman on his mistakes and that guy is Larry Brooks of New York Post and then Toronto Sun NHL Writer Al Strachan.
Al Strachan knew fr...
This will be a very short post as I am just testing this out. The better team was victorious as much as it hurts to say that but the Sabres will be good for years to come. If you want to read more than go to www.buffalosportstampede.com
From Neil Best from Newsday:
"In an interview with WFAN, commissioner Gary Bettman said the broad audience was worth the risk of overtime, but he left open the possibility of rethinking the Saturday afternoon strategy next year."
"Why not at least move the game to, say, MSNBC, which is in about 20 million fewer homes than NBC but 20 million more than Versus? [b]Becau...
I actually don't have a problem with NBC bailing on the hockey coverage on the weekend. It was a business decision plain and simple. Hockey gets a 1.3 rating and the Preakness gets 6.3. I would have made the decision to switch as well. Maybe not right away given post time was over an hour away but at some point.
What I am upset about is how Bettman rolled over and just ...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Sabres Payroll a Tight Fit For Drury OR Briere in 2007/08
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We Buffalo Fans are doing alot of "back of napkin" figuring on the Sabres contracts and salary cap next year but not many are considering the actual dollars they spend compared to their budget. Get out your abucus and follow along.
According to [url]http://www.nhlnumbers.com/buf.html[/url]the Sabres spent $45.43 million (actual dollars) on their players salries last y...
[b]1 Buf vs 4 Ott - Ott in 7[/b] - Didn't take as long as I expected, as the Sabres bowed out in five. I called the goaltending a wash...maybe I said that cuz I was cheering for the Sens. Miller is the better goalie, but not by as much as a lot of people are still thinking. However, Miller was inconsistent in the first two rounds. Of course, in this series, he was the ...
teddye03 writes...
Step1 Is Admitting You Have A Problem (My Blog From The Med)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Mykonos, Greece. One of the largest party towns in Europe, a beautiful place, and here I am sitting in a tiny cabin room on the ship, sitting here sipping a rye and coke after our late seating dinner in the dining room writing about hockey. I’m no expert, but I think I’ve become what some people could call a hockey addict. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying this Medit...
this was proved by sports blog Sports Media Watch
http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/
this tv rating going back to 1995. add this to bettman brilliant work as the Commish. did anyone notice the differnece one final game between two top market teams in 1997 vs. rest of the games of the following years?
[b]1995[/b]
3.2: New Jersey at Detroit, Game 1 (Saturday, Jun...
Mike Rathje. there is a name i havent heard for awhile in flyerland. In all seriousness, i know Mike is trying the hardest he can to come back and play for the orange and black but i think it's time for flyers to buy him out or he has to retire.
I met Rathje once, he is a great guy and a great heart for the game but it's decsion time for him......
Well, we have come to the last 7 games of the 2006-2007 NHL Year. Two teams are on the edge of the top of Mountain.
From the east we have Ottawa Senators and from the west we have Anaheim Ducks.
Both teams defy what Gary Bettman wants the NHL to be a passive, Euro league.
Lets recap how both teams got to the finals
[b]Ottawa Senators[/b]
In the first round, ...
As i am coming home from the jersey shore from the memorial hoilday on monday, i will start to watch the final 7 games of the the 2006-2007 NHL Season.
I finally give NHL credit for something....
i'll give them credit for scheduling the first game of stanley cup finals on memorial day night. the reason i will give them credit for scheduling the first game against b...
What an incredible start to the Stanley Cup Finals! Game 1 had everything but overtime...numerous gigantic hits, acrobatic saves, some pretty goals, and some not so pretty goals. Though there were way too many suspect penalty calls, this game never lacked intensity. It was back and forth most of the game...even during the power plays. Like every other team the Ducks ha...
"Mad" Mike Milbury is no longer an ISLANDER. MM has stepped down from his position today, and will only be an advisor to Wang's Chineese Hockey Project. But he no longer has reign over anything Islanders Related! Did you hear that, Pierre McGuire? MM is Gone.. we don't wanna hear of any more of his draft picks or trades!
-----------------------------------------
The ...
I'm just listening to Chuck Swirsky on the Fan590, and I hear about this pledge that Toronto's Mayor David Miller, Vancouver's Mayor Sam Sullivan, and Calgary's Mayor Dave Bronconnier, is creating to make Leaf fans, Canucks fans, and Flames fans root for the Senators during this Stanley Cup Finals.
This is absolutely ridiculous! If your a fan of the Leafs you are NOT ro...
My record third blog of the day. I'm sure some folks are getting tired of me, but c'est la vie, as my girlfriend would say.
Manny Fernandez has made it public knowledge that he wants out of Minnesota. Manny said in the Pioneer Press that he wants out of the organization to be with "more supportive team-mates and coaches." I, for one, would've never expected that environ...
My son and I were at a park day the other day and he was playing road hockey in which he scored many goals and killed us and wore me to a frazzle. Now I am writing this blog about how much I am out of shape I am writing because of what took place at the game. One of the younger boys was playing to who had his stick up to high and my son (dougstr) was trying to teach hi...
I'd like to be the first to welcome you all to the REAL Stanley Cup playoffs...they went old-school tonight! From the opening draw to Alfredsson's final hit at the buzzer, bodies were flying...they might as well have been bumper cars! Monster hits were being laid out with the intent to hurt. The game was frenetic and raucous...it easily was as good as game 1...only they...
Well I am going to start off by introducing myself to the hockey world. I am JDawg and a huge hockey fan, and if there is something that I thrive on it is this time of year. Today I want to talk a little bit about the oilers, now just after reading eklunds blog i understand that there might be some big moves made this year for KL, now as much as I at times dont agree with ...
Obviously the Spezza- heatley- Alfie trio has been amazing in the playoffs for the sens this season, and to blame one line for playoff failure seems a bit weak. This line has carried the sens throughout the playoffs, and it is up for the rest of the team to step it up. Comrie 2 goals. Schaefer 1 goal. Fisher 4 goals. Of the second line, fisher has been the bright spot, whe...
teddye03 writes...
A hockey junky gets his fix (The price is not right)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Thanks to free wireless internet in my hotel, combined with large quantities of caffeine, I get to do something I have not had the pleasure of doing in three weeks, watch a hockey game. After the depressing event of departing my cruise ship early this morning, the beautiful sights of Barcelona, Spain, combined with the opportunity to view a live stream and chat with my fri...
i wonder if that was buffalo or any usa team in the same exact situation would they called it a goal? dont nhl offical know how easy to revoke a usa passport
if the league is going to be consistant in handing out suspendsion in regarding to blows to head, why wasn't Chris Neil suspended for his head shot in third?
Maybe because Ottawa is a team from Canada or maybe this done to by the league that desperatly needs as much prime time exposure as possible to gain any attraction it can, and is going to do anything it has to to g...
"It's a joke. It's a joke. It's been going on the whole series and the whole playoffs, that's a joke. Not one of those calls whether it was against Anaheim or against Ottawa was a penalty....they were bad calls and it's ridiculous at this point of the season that you have referees making these kind of bad calls....missing dives, making calls that aren't even penalties...Ra...
I cannot believe I even have to say this...but I've just lost all respect for Daniel Alfredsson. In case you think I've always disliked him, simply refer back to almost every playoff blog to see how I've talked about him. What in the world was he thinking? He went completely off the reservation. The shot at Scott Niedermayer was crazy enough...but then he goes and punc...
Game 3, had less than 1 million viewers, with it peaking at a .08 Rating In the Final 30 mins of the game, with only 3 % of TV Viewers watching this game.
[i]Last year's game 3 got a 1.7 Rating. Down big time for a Saturday full of repeats or movies.[/i]
Game 4 on the otherhand had a jump up to a 2.1 Rating (2.3 Million Viewers), with only 4 % of people watching TV...
And, in the end, after making us sweat it out for a couple of months, they got it right!
Alexei Yashin’s tumultuous tenure as captain of the New York Islanders has finally come to an end. Whatever sales pitch Ted Nolan and Garth Snow threw at Charles Wang worked, though it must have been a tough decision for the Islanders owner. Regardless, as I have written in previo...
Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks. An outstanding organization and a tremendous hockey team. They deserved everything they got.
And now our lives fall back to normalcy. No more puck. At least not on the ice.
It's a terribly sad time of year. At least we have the NBA Finals starting tomorrow, right? Major League Baseball is in full swing. And then football s...
I was just watching the Tonight Show and Jay was doing his stand up bit at the beginning and he made a really asinine comment. He said that there was a research study that was done that showed that people ate more while watching interesting television shows. He said that NBC's new slogan should be "watch more and take off the pounds" and he directly followed that up by sar...
Well it ended exactly as I predicted in July of last year. On July 4th I was in Las Vegas with my wife on a vacation. Due to a glitch in the reservation system on Vegas.com for the Flamingo, me and about 4 other guys got 9 rooms total for exactly $0.23.... That's 23 cents American. Yes, technology is cool. The Flamingo cancelled our reservations, but then reinstated our ro...
The NHL and NBC can not like this.. The Ratings from game 4 to game 5 went DOWN. A 2.1 for Game 4 went down to a mere 1.8 for the final game is not good for either the NHL or NBC.. The ratings are obviosuly down big time from last years Cup Finals..
nephew23 writes...
Congratulations Anaheim Ducks! Stars Re-Sign Stu Barnes
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What a series! Easily the best final round in several years...filled with tons of hitting, scoring, saves, and old-school hockey! The Ducks were deserving of the Cup and did not hesitate when they had the opportunity to wrap it up. It was quite an impressive performance and a helluva way to claim the prize...especially in front of the home crowd. Giggy, Selanne, the Ni...
Leave it to my fellow Habs fans to find a dilemma or crisis at any point of the season. If its not some crisis involving Russians, it [i]has[/i] to be something involving goaltenders...
Much to my delight, I watched Game #5 of the Calder Cup Finals last night. It was the Hershey Bears vs. our very own Hamilton Bulldogs. Much fuss was made about Carey Price being poised ...
First blog on here, but have been following HockeyBuzz/Eklund's site since almost day one. I admit though, that I do not follow MyHockeyBuzz, so I hope I'm not stepping on the toes of other writers with these points.
I've been following hockey since I can remember (possibly even while in the womb), and I love it for millions of reasons. I love the sport side of it, th...
So the Cup has been skated, the ice has been taken up, and the Zamboni's put in storage. In most respects, this is a sad time for me. I love the game, and wish it would go on year-round. But there is an up-side to the off-season.
There is a distinct list of overused hockey cliches that incite bleeding from my aural canals and cause migraines that ache with the intens...
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...
Loyal Readers,
Welcome to my first blog on the Hockey Buzz site. It is that time of year. Sometimes I think it is as much fun as the season. Our beloved Oil have a lot of holes to fill, no untouchables, loads of draft picks and room under the Salary Cap. That is an equation for an exciting off season.
The biggest hole in my opinion is defensemen. The new NHL you n...
They are both returning for 07-08. Details not known at this time, but they have agreed to new deals with the Sabres. This per WGRZ-Channel 2 in Buffalo, broadcasted during this evening's 5 p.m. news.
WGR-550 is also reporting that Ruff has signed this evening.
The focus of the Sabres can now move STRICTLY to free agency.
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Buffalo has not had a captain as heartfelt as Chris Drury since Pat LaFontaine played here. Any interview you watch, you'll hear "us", "team", "we". Also, it's been a long time since I've heard a professional athlete in Buffalo speak about the city in the way Drury has in his time here. Drury said it's great to see those basketball nets vacant, and all the kids playing str...
Current Maple Leafs salary structure as counted against cap as of June 13/07
Bryan McCabe 5.75 million
Mats Sundin 5.50 million
Pavel Kubina 5.00 million
Tomas Kaberle 4.25 million
Darcy Tucker 3.00 million
Alex Ponikarovsky 2.105 million
Hal Gill 2.075 million
Nik Antropov 2.05 million
Andrew Raycroft 2.00 million
Alex Steen 900,690
Cha...
As reported on tsn.ca, it appears Mike Keenan could be back in the NHL - as the head coach of the Calgary Flames.
I'm in shock and disbelief. If this is a rumour then TSN got burnt bad but if it's true, God help Kipper!
Dallas Stars goaltender Mike Smith was named to the 2006-07 NHL All-Rookie Team, it was announced on Thursday evening from the NHL Awards Ceremony in Toronto. Voting was conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the conclusion of the regular season.
Smith, 25, appeared in 23 games with the Stars, posting a 12-5-2 record with a 2.23 goals-against-avera...
cfposi writes...
Samsonov: Don't let the door hit you on the way out...
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Another reason why I think Bob Gainey is the best GM in the league! Instead of buying out Samsonov (cap hit of 1.175 over the next 2 years), we have now traded this dissapointment to Chicago in return for Cullimore and Salmelainen (Total Cap hit of 2.65M this year). To make things better, the habs will buyout Cullimore (cap hit of 612,000 over the next 2 years). This is gr...
June 30th is the date when we will find out what the new salary cap is for the 2007-2008 season. In my opinion, it needs to be high. Higher than expected. Some of the numbers being thrown around are 48, 49, and maybe even 50. Eklund stated recently that the cap is set to rise to 52, and I don't mind that. Players want more money (obviously), teams are stuck and are willing...
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...
...but Paul Holmgren has just shown how bad of a GM he is. He has drastically overpaid for Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell.
Hartnell, 24, has a great deal of potential, and when he was drafted was pegged to be a captain some day. But in the last two years that has faded away, and he's had numerous head-on collisions with the coaching staff, and most of the locker room ...
It seems that the Predators-Flyers deal, much like the one at the deadline, has opened up the flood gates. Eklund has stated in his blog that the phones are ringing off the hook. Today and the subsequent two days will be quite exciting for many fans. Expect the unexpected unless it involves Bryan Berard.
--------------------------------
And now for the second batch of FA...
I know most of us Sabre fans are upset with the possibilities of losing both Drury and Briere, but I think we will see something happen on the Briere front before Friday.
As for the draft and Drury, this is what I'd like to see if it becomes clear the Drury is not coming back (this probably won't happen, but it's fun to speculate).
1) Trade Kalinin and a forward (Kot...
Someone please tell me if this can be done. There has to be a way to manipulate the cap. So many times there are contracts given with escalating salaries through out the term of the contract, my question is, can there be declining contracts? The reason I ask is because if there is, what is stopping a GM from signing a player, or players to very long Dipietro like deals, an...
I wrote earlier in my first blog about how the ratings etc. are not always what they appear, especially considering the total lack of any traditional/large US markets in the Stanley Cup Finals over the past four years compared to the other three major team sports.
I also mentioned, however, that certain things are just getting messed up by the NHL. Hence my surprise las...
[b]Washington[/b]: Ovechkin, who may very well play GM again in Columbus this year (:lol: ), is in agreement with the management staff that 07/08 should be the year the team returns to it’s mid-90s Poile-era form, or at least make a conscious effort. With Backstrom coming in, the Caps will look to acquire just a bit more depth up the middle. Expect them to get into the ...
BlueBloodPat writes...
Toskala ready for the competition, but is Razor?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the acquisition of Vesa Toskala, The Leafs are poised to enter next season with a battle for the number one spot in goal, just like last year, only this time its serious. I mean, how many people actually thought that Aubin had a shot at being the number one goaltender? Sure he played good at the end of the 05/06 season, but there was no pressure on him. He was back...
The Leafs left this weekends NHL Draft with a few extra pieces then when they arrived, an impressive move by Fergusen picking up Toskala to shore up the Leafs goaltending and adding gritty winger Bell from the Sharks and still drafting Oshawa Generals winger Dale Mitchell a 40+ goal scorer this past season in the third round equals a great weekend in Leafland. The situatio...
With the recent aquisitions or Toskala and Bell, some people in leafland are still somehow on the offensiven and why? JFJ gave a clear indication that the one spot he intended to upgrade in his club was the the goaltending, and he did so in a reasonable fashion.
This draft was looked at by many as a weak draft year, so why not lose a first round pick in order to recieve...
(A Near Flawless Prognostication Through Slightly Orange-and-Blue Colored Glasses)
So, here we are, less than a week to go before this year’s free agent frenzy. We’ll start to find out who’s going where on Sunday, if not sooner. For the New York Islanders and their fans, it’s hard to start throwing any new names out there at this point, what with very little res...
The Dallas Stars qualified a total of seven players before the deadline today: Mike Ribeiro, Joel Lundqvist, Jussi Jokinen, Antti Miettinen, Junior Lessard, Vadim Khomitski, and Marius Holtet. Ribeiro and Lundqvist will play major roles on the team next season...as will Jokinen, if he is not traded. Miettinen will almost certainly be part of a trade, and the others will...
Every year different NHL teams try to make an off season move that will change the shape of their franchise for the better, but sometimes we see the general managers of these respected teams hitting their heads over a desk asking "Why?". I've made a list of five players who, this season, didn't come as advertised and instead get paid for having a big name and nothing else....
Here we go again:
11) Carolina----Brandon Sutter
May have the best all-around game in the draft, but I still think this is a little high for him consideringCherepanov was still on the board. Needs to fill out a lot and still develop a little more grit. Yes he's a Sutter, but he isn't as Sutter-y as others. Has good character to fall back on if his skills don't make him a...
Luongo07 writes...
Clarke Poached Nonis...Can We Expect More This Off-Season?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
During "Crazy-Time" last summer Flyers GM Bob Clarke approached Ryan Kesler and made an absurd off to the underachieving restricted free agent. The offer was for a one year deal at $1.9 million dollars, to a player that had far from met any expectations and seemingly could not put the puck in the Pacific Ocean if he were standing on Honolulu Island.
Don't get me wrong, ...
Today I thought I would talk about the differences I noticed between last year’s power play and the one that faltered for much of the time this season. As I mentioned yesterday, this years Sabres team boasted a highly skilled roster which ought to have made goal scoring on the PP a common occurrence. As we all witnessed, that was not the case. Why not?
In 2005 the Sa...
Jsaquella writes...
OK Homer, Might Be Time To Get Away From The Big Money Table
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Sunday at noon, the NHL will start an orgy of money tossing. Clubs from New York to Edmonton will be looking to add that big name to sell extra tickets, find that last piece to a hopeful Stanley Cup puzzle or simply upset their fan base, like in the case of Toronto's John Ferguson Jr.
That brings me to my point. Paul Holmgren, GM of the Flyers has already added two key ...
I actually thought of this the night of the draft's 1st round, but couldnt think of anywhere to put it.
Although i'm sure you all remember the details, the Leafs traded a conditional 1st round, a 2nd round and a 09 fourth round to the Sharks for Toskala and Bell. The sharks then traded our 13th pick to st. louis, and opted to select a defenseman (Petrecki) 28th overall w...
The NHL announced that the Salary Cap will be $50.3 million this upcoming season. And before we get into the rest of this blog, I say (Sarcasm On) 'good job NHL' for releasing the Salary Cap figure approximately 48 hours before the UFA period begins on July 1st, what a way to provide the teams enough time to determine who they can fit or not fit under the cap! (Sarcasm O...
Sure we don't have an owner (that's a minor detail right?) but the Preds have money to burn in the free agent market. With the NHL announcing the new salary cap numbers yesterday the Preds, like it or not, will find themselves being buyers just to reach the 34.3 million dollar minimum.
At this point the Preds sit with 14 players under contract for a total cap hit ...
I'm a Atlanta Thrashers fan, let's get that out in the open.
But I am very curious to see if they will change their ways at all. I watched the Thrashers ever since they drafted number 17 - Ilya Kovalchuk - and now, I watch because I love the team. Kovy's still my favourite player, but I've come to love this team.
What do we have? We've got offense. Marian Hossa, Il...
Predictions on where some of the biggest free agents will land.
Nylander- Sadly, Nylander will leave the best situation of his career for more money, and will be overpaid by Philadelphia after the rest have passed the flyers by. Their disastrous last season will certainly scare away consistent winners like Gomez and Drury.
Gomez- Reigning conn smythe champ and f...
The announcement on Friday afternoon that the cap was going up to $50.2 Million was great news for leafs as they already have committed approximately $43 Million, which leaves $7-8 million to play with. if the cap had only come in around $48 Million mark before the NHLPA voted in favor of the 5% increase, they would've have only had about $5-6 Million, and wouldn't have be...
Briere to Philadelphia
Wow, remember when these guys were big and scary? Now they're young, fast and iffy (especially between the pipes). But if all goes well Briere will be a great centerpiece for the new look Flyers, and if not, it'll be a long 8 years.
Drury and Gomez to the Rangers
Made the pre-cap Rangers splash with less flash, and more leadership. Sather ...
TheHabsFan writes...
Why the Montreal Canadiens can't compete for UFAs...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
During the TSN broadcast, the panelists said it. During the singings, the players said it. When Rivet and Recchi left, they said it. It's no secret, yet everyone seems to miss it.
The problem is not taxes! The problem is not language! The problem is certainly NOT money!
THE PROBLEM IS THE DAMN MEDIA! Players do not want to come here and get their lives ruined by a bu...
The day started off very slowly and at 1:48 Bob Mackenzie broke the huge signing of Todd White to the Thrashers, not the start everyone expected but that was one of the few reasonable signings made. I guess everyone decided to go jump into their time machine and go back to July 2002 when big deals were being handed out left right and center, and I am afraid thats where we ...
Well we have entered into a new UFA season and the Dallas GM Doug Armstrong is doing nothing in the way of improving his team. While we see the big guns move cities its really hard to swallow that Armstrong says he doesnt think we need any additional players just tweaking of the ones we have. That statement has been uttered over and over the past few yrs by Armstrong. I gu...
For the first time in a while, Avalanche fans can be happy about a move made by the team's front office. There is an excitement around this team now that hasn't been here since the Avs star-crossed acquisition of both Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya before the 2003-2004 season in an attempt to make a determined run for the cup. But we all know how that ended up. Train wre...
todays press conference in buffalo was nothing more than when in every election year when politicians go around from city to city expressing the common sense to the "potential voters". today the same thing took place in buffalo, ny when Sabres President Larry Quinn and General Manager Darcy Regier held a press conference today. instead of talking to voters they were talk...
camp writes...
What are the expectations for the Rangers 2007-2008 season?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Last years run in the playoffs was cut short by a heart-stopping, gut-wrenching goal by co-captain Chris Drury of the Buffalo Sabres with 7.7 seconds left in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi's. Scott Gomez was part of the New Jersey Devils team that swept the Rangers two seasons ago in the first round of the playoffs. Now they're both with us. With multiple Stanley Cu...
HyeDray writes...
Hello...Hello....Hello....anybody alive on Long Island?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Not only do we lose our own top free agents, but apparently we will not be signing any. Can anyone at Hockeybuzz or anywhere else please explain to the 5 remaining Islander fans what the plan is going to be?
Are they going to go with youth and try to build through the next 3 drafts a la Pittsburgh?
Are they going to get a bunch of reclamation projects for Ted Nolan w...
On Trade Deadline Day 2007, the Islanders made a bold statement to their fans and the rest of the league that the organization would no longer settle for mediocrity. Trading former first-round picks Robert Nilsson and Ryan O'Marra, along with their 2007 first-round pick for Ryan Smyth was a loud and clear message that the fans would no longer be asked to look to the never ...
Before the salary cap was instituted, you could always count on one thing in the NHL: The Colorado Avalanche were going to make the playoffs and be cup contenders. Every year GM Pierre Lacroix put a playoff team on the ice and every year they would deliver. At the end of the 05-06 season, Lacroix stepped down and handed things over to Francois Giguere. Things started rocky...
OK we screwed up not keeping Drury and anyone who could check left the Year Before, Grier, Mckee.
So out of whats left of FA pool I will try and salvage a little of our dignity.
1. Sign Shanahan or Selanne. We need people to buy up these new Jerseys and two of the top sellers just left town. SHANAHAN BACK WITH RANGERS
...
[b]The Toronto Maple Leafs are likely headed back to the playoffs.[/b]
As a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I do not like to see them miss the playoffs, I do however, like to see some form of direction, the good news with the salary cap rising to 50.3 million is that the Leafs now have the ability to speed through the "Let's get younger phase" which wasn't working ...
As I sit here, at 4:30 in the morning, not being able to sleep due to numerous reasons, I search my feelings on what has happened over the last 40 hours. "Marketplace, marketplace, marketplace"... I hear it over and over in my head. It's like a bad dream. I have tried, without much success, to look on the positive side of things when it comes to the Sabres situation. As I ...
Regardless of what you think about Sutter, one can't help but somewhat admire his vagueness in managing the Flames. Almost every trade or signing comes without warning or anticipation, and he never makes trades for the sake of doing so. I have no idea how he keeps the media out of his office.
With that in mind, as excited I was for the UFA season this year after reading...
As I sit here, at 4:30 in the morning, not being able to sleep due to numerous reasons, I search my feelings on what has happened over the last 40 hours. "Marketplace, marketplace, marketplace"... I hear it over and over in my head. It's like a bad dream. I have tried, without much success, to look on the positive side of things when it comes to the Sabres situation. As I ...
The Blues have brought many good players into there system. The thing is they all where old. Kariya is bringing them in the right direction. They still won't be a playoff contender, they need alot more, but they will be better.
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...
I've often been asking myself whether a hockey fan can be loyal to their team without renewing their season tickets. Half of me says to renew, while my better half says "no". Although I must give respect to the Coyotes for coming out and saying that we're in a rebuilding time, I just don't agree with it. As a business owner, I know that if I don't put out a product that...
It could very well be that this is the last year for the big swede at the helm of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sundin signed a 1 year term allowing him to decide on his own terms (and not handicap the Leafs) how he leaves the game, in what could likely be his last year in the NHL, it seems the Leafs are going to at least attempt to get him that big silver cup before he ride...
Great article on Hockeybuzz by Daniel Tolensky that shows exactly why the cap is broken and how the new NHL favours the big markets teams even more now than before.
Over the last three years of the Briere deal, his actual salary will be $12M while his cap number will be $19.5M. Over the last two it is $5M versus $13M.
So move along to the 5th or 6th year of that deal...
Lord knows all of the Islander fans that remain—the dozen or so that have been up the last several nights—are upset, angry, frustrated. Not a single tier one or tier two free agent has signed, and the Islanders have little hope of starting little more then a n AHL level team come October.
So maybe this is the Real Plan A?
I have posted on many blogs that if this ...
***This article is featured at newyorkislanders.com as the debut article for the innovative NYI Blog Box!!! See it there at [url]http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=328634&page=NewsPage&service=page[/url] !!!***
All of us throughout Islander nation have been holding our collective breath waiting for a monumental signing since the opening of “Free Agency Frenzy...
July 5th Free Agent Signings:
Tom Kostapoulos: Montreal Canadiens 2 years 900 Thousand per year
Ruslan Fedotenko: New York Islanders 1 year 2.9 Million per year
Grant Stevenson: Calgary Flames 1 year deal
Are the Capitals done signing free agents or trading to get help with their current roster?
I believe M. McPhee is done with the big stuff and will only round-up his lineup for opening night.
Here's a look at our lineup:
Goalies
Olaf Kolzig
Brent Johnson
Frederic Cassivi
We can assume there will be no change in net as Kolzig is still our #1 and no prospect a...
After a sophomore slump, a few trade deadline rumors and looking arbitration in the eyes, the Colorado Avalanche re-signed Marek Svatos to a one year deal.
Obviously Francois Giguere and the Avs are hoping that Svatos can return to his rookie form where he finished tied on the team and 3rd among rookies in goals with 32. He also notched 9 game winning, tying the rookie...
So who's the winner so far in the Free Agent summer grab? Is it Philadelphia with the leading free agent scorer Briere? The Rangers and their two-headed coup, or the Avalanche with heart and soul warrior Ryan Smyth. Well, I'm gonna go with the less flashy Thrashers and their retention of underrated (until now) center Slava Kozlov. They are one of the very few teams to re...
What is this city coming to? Have we been reduced to acting like the fans of a certain hockey team in Southern Ontario?
Mr. Gainey, Bobby "G", or my personal favourite, "Teflon Bob" has been, and continues to be criticized heavily from both the English and French media since the draft. The man who once sported a head of dirty blonde curls is probably wondering if Theo ...
With the Predators choosing not to resign many of there "skilled" or "special teams" players, the Predators powerplay will have a different look this upcoming season. My question is, who will be the players to fill in on the PP? The most likely choice on defense is Hamhuis who has shown offensive ability in the past or maybe the rookie Koistinen. The foward position is a d...
What is this city coming to? Have we been reduced to acting like the fans of a certain hockey team in Southern Ontario?
Mr. Gainey, Bobby "G", or my personal favourite, "Teflon Bob" has been, and continues to be criticized heavily from both the English and French media since the draft. The man who once sported a head of dirty blonde curls is probably wondering if Theo c...
[b][u]BUFFALO:CONTENDER OR NOT?[/b][/u]
July 7th, 12:44 AM:
Last season, the Buffalo Sabres, made it to the Eastern Conference final, they faced there newest rival the Ottawa Senators. Will it happen again? By the looks of things..No. The Buffalo Sabres so far in this free agency have basically acquired no one, while losing there two best players IMO, Daniel Briere a...
brownelvis writes...
Why this UFA Period Proves that the Lockout Was Worthwhile .
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Dan Tolensky wrote an interesting Blog wondering if July 1st, 2007 was the day that we wondered if the Lockout was a waste of time. I usually love what you're writing because he don't miss much. This time I think that he has. I say, however, that the NHL convinced the NHLPA that they would play for funny money that may, or may not, be worth an actual US Greenback ... for t...
With the additions of
Briere, Uphsall, Lupul, Hartnell, Timonen, Smith, Kukkonen, Coburn, Biron
since last season, have the Flyers put themselves back into the playoffs?
[b]Gagne-Briere-Knuble[/b]
With the additions of a dynamic player like Briere to take the place of Forsberg, does the Flyers first line have chemisty problems? or does Briere step in and fill...
[b]Le Affaire Du Vanek[/b]
As we all know, Thomas Vanek signed a seven year, $50 million offer sheet from the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, which was matched in about 13 second by the Buffalo Sabres.
The surprise is not the offer sheet, the player, or even the amount, really. The surprise is the team making the offer and the reaction it elicited from the Sabres front o...
As many of you are aware, earlier in the summer, the New York Islanders announced plans for the "NYI Blog Box," a consistent feature on newyorkislanders.com, where a select group of Islander fans become actual "correspondents" for the team. The Blog Box itself will be similar to the press box only in that members will be issued credentials for post-game interviews, etc. Ot...
a new coach, a new goalie, a new enforcer, same old Bruins?
Will Claude Julien taking over as Head Coach for The Bruins help turn things around? Julien wants the Bruins to be harder to play against, meaning more defensive minded and more physical, gritty in all areas, finishing checks, hard on the forecheck, driving to the net, basically in your face hockey. Last year t...
Links
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157600720204954/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3OyB4VZPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opC6wKLcoVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMnv7rm-Ws
There is no video from the first session due to battery conservation.
10 am Group
45= RJ anderson, 58= Oskar Bartulis, 61=Josh Beaulieu, 51= Freddie Cabana...
Well, on Friday last week, I was roaming around hockeybuzz noticing that nothing was going on, and I silently wished for some action. Boy, was that a mistake. Next thing I know, I see "Selanne to Philly (e4)" and I curse Ek. I wanted good rumours, not bad. I mean come on Ek, can't you weed them out. I immediately went to the comments and posted a comment that implied that ...
The naming of Bill Guerin as captain of the Islanders today is great news to hear as an Islander fan. Not only does this give the isles a scrappy vet that will be a scoring prescence, but also a natural leader who will stick up for his teammates. It seems apparent that this team is finally heading in the right direction in the years since the Yashin, Osgood, and Peca days....
As most Islanders' fans knew, Snow gambled the Isles future on Ryan Smyth. Not only at the deadline giving up two former 1st rounders along with a future one, but after the season ended with the 8 Year, $40 Million Contract Smyth was reportedly offered. Putting all his eggs in one basket, Snow battled until Ryan signed the dotted line with Colorado missing out on a few key...
With the past few weeks the NHL has seen some outragious signings. There have been questions about how healthy is the NHL and is the new CBA working? We will know the answer about the CBA next year if the salary cap stays around the same and the teams that spent alot of money with long term contracts(Flyers, Avalanche) will not have the cap space to spend next year. Explai...
[u][b]By: Jon Cunningham[/b][/u]
The signing of Goaltender Scott Clemmensen by the Leafs has raised a lot of questions. He has reportedly been signed to a 1-Year deal worth 1-Million, the Contract also is reported to be a two-way contract, meaning Clemmensen can be sent down to the Marlies and only a small fraction his contract will count against the cap.
Well, this...
Bill Torrey had a difficult job in 1972. He was the General Manager of the expansion New York Islanders, graced with the blessings of several excellent draft years to come. But the difficult part had to be the other 16 GMs burning his ears with trade offers for his early draft choices.
Torrey was smart. He held on to his picks despite the temptations to play "lets make ...
It wasn't long ago when this attachment was thrown my way:
[img]http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3008/nyi2008hr6.jpg[/img]
My reaction was... well... YUCK!
Before believing that Charles Wang had this baby lined up as the next jersey of the New York Islanders when the league-wide "tight fit" jerseys come into play next season I gave it some thought. The #79 right...
DanNOLA writes...
A new team, a new season...and, well, I just don't know.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is the first year since 1996 that I just flat out have no idea how the Islanders are going to do. Remember during the wonderful Colgate-and-Stan Fischler looking jersey era the teams that we had? I pretty much knew out of the gate that we were going to suck that year. And remember when we got our real jersey's back the teams that we had ('99-'01)? Man, I DEFINATEL...
Jon Jordan writes...
Guerin Named Captain, so What's Next for the Isles?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
At Monday’s press conference, the Islanders introduced new acquisitions Jon Sim, Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin. GM Garth Snow held the surprise of the day in his hands as he approached the podium, said a few words and handed Guerin his new # 13 Islanders jersey with the captain’s “C” sewn into place. So, the Isles have named the 11th captain in team...
I have always looked at this time of the year with mixed emotions. While it is exciting as a hockey fan to see teams retool, rebuild, or reinvent themselves, it is also a time of frustration, anger, and sadness.
I am frustrated that my Blackhawks may still suck for yet another season because the ownership is cheaper than my little Italian Grandfather. And that is damned...
for his agent to say that he will not go a penny under his worth on the open market is a crock and simply a very stingy and selfish approach to getting his client back in the good graces of the nhl (teams and fans).
if yashin was smart, he would take a 1 million dollar contract and go play for a contender with big name players like the avalanche or mighty ducks. he cou...
Now with some more updates I'll come again with some more FA signings.
Hannan (COL)-Scott Hannan is one of the most underrated defensemen in the National HOckey League. He is a great two-way blueliner and high marks to the Avs for signing this guy.
Grade:A+
Smyth (COL)-This one is interesting. "Captain Canada" becomes "Captain Colorado" and gives Joe Sakic a linemate th...
Now with some more updates I'll come again with some more FA signings.
Hannan (COL)-Scott Hannan is one of the most underrated defensemen in the National HOckey League. He is a great two-way blueliner and high marks to the Avs for signing this guy.
Grade:A+
Smyth (COL)-This one is interesting. "Captain Canada" becomes "Captain Colorado" and gives Joe Sakic a linemate th...
[img]http://www.blazingconcepts.com/img/syd/kinghenrik.jpg[/img]
As I sat in my bedroom in the nude, watching reruns of Miami Vice on TV land and eating some cold pizza my red emergency Dr. Teeth phone rang. I reached over my pile of feathered boas, empty condom wrappers, ruffies and paternity suits I picked up the receiver and belched into it. A loud voice boomed in m...
Every year, one of the days that I look forward to more than any other, is that sweet summer day when the NHL releases its schedule. In a way, for me, my personal fall, winter, and early spring are being scheduled "for me" right before my very eyes. But in what I should now come to expect, every year, this "holiday" turns into a nightmare.
This year, the Islan...
Last season the defense of the Minnesota Wild was the best in the league allowing a league-low 184 goals against, seven less than the nearest team (Detroit). So what could the league's best defense do this off-season? Well the first thing they did do was sign their worst defenseman (Martin Skoula) to a two year deal, giving us two more years of a weak link. Then they add m...
As a fan of the Colorado Avalanche since they moved to Denver, it's easy to know why I hold a special place for Peter Forsberg. How can I forgot Forsberg missing the entire 01-02 season only to return and become arguably the best player in the playoffs? Then there's the magic that Forsberg captured along with Milan Hejduk in the 02-03 where he won the Hart Trophy and helpe...
According to Sports Express, the Swedish sports daily. Forward Henrik Zetterberg wants to be a member of the Red Wings for the rest of his playing career.
I say Ken Holland get the deal done. Zetterberg is one of the best players in the NHL today and he is only going to get better. The future captain is everything you want in a player. A two-way player with great ...
Deke2194 writes...
The Good, the Bad, and the Smytty; The Ryan Smyth Debacle
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Ryan Smyth always wanted to play his entire career with the Oilers. And he thought it was something he was going to able to do. Now he had always taken the “hometown discount” to stay with the Oilers in the past, but wasn’t it time after 12 seasons that the Oilers finally showed him the kind of money that most other teams in the league would be willing to pay for h...
My apologizes to anyone I ever offended with offensive language. I have used offensive language with some posters, especially if annoyed by the post posted by the poster. But, even so, I always tried to keep it in a fun format. Although, I understand, any offensive language can always be taken the wrong way, and have been annoyed by it, myself, when others have directed...
March 15, 2002: The Atlanta Thrashers trade Ruslan Zainullin to the Calgary Flames for Marc Savard. In 182 games with the Thrashers, Savard went on to score 63 goals and 196 points. After the 2005-2006 season, Savard priced himself out of Atlanta, signing with the Boston Bruins for 4 years, at $5 million per season. Since that point, Thrashers GM Don Waddell has continuous...
I will begin with my opinion on the Leafs/Avs possible trade. Our dear friend, Mr. Eklund reports that the Colorado Avalanche might be asking too much in return for Hejduk. My opinion is that they are not asking enough! (Colaiacovo and Jay Harrison) Here are the players I would be asking to the Leafs if they really want him: Tomas Kaberle & Kyle Wellwood. Too much you wou...
Ok, lots of people seem to think this guy is less then he is... I'm gonna go through a quick analysis of my own... hopefully some of you will see this guy the way I do.
[b]Durability and Injury[/b]
Now... lots of ppl, who cheer for whatever team they cheer for seem to think this guy is easily injured. He isn't.
He has been injured twice, both have been freak injuries....
Ok this is my first blog, didn't know what I wanted to do, but the cap is something that grabs me, the way the different GMs try to handle it. So here goes, Below you will find your team, how many players they have signed to NHL contracts and their open space. I am filling this out with the assumption of 13 forwards and 7 dmen and 2 stoppers per roster. I have tried to s...
When I decided to come to Israel for the summer, I was looking up fun stuff to do around the country. Then I remembered [url=http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=2485] Bill Meltzer's blog from last year[/url] and subsequent [url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=278984]NHL.com article[/url]. Looking up those pages, I was connec...
Well, this is my first HB blog, so I hope it's a good one. I think with this blog I will have more than the real CBJ blogger, surprise surprise.
I can't follow Howson. I don't get why he isn't signing a Sutton or Tanabe for even one year. Then after this season ends, Foote and Fedorov's contracts are up and we can either sign Sutton or Tanabe for a longer contract, or l...
DriveForFive21 writes...
Isles ink Johnson and Campoli....Morris or Markov next??
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The islanders continued to make improvements this week by signing two young defensemen with alot of offensive potential. Aaron Johnson, a 24-year-old defenseman, was picked up on Thursday and i am very pleased with this signing. It gives the islanders something they really lacked last year, defensive depth. Think about it instead of our only backup plans being Allan Rourke...
Ok guys this is my first blog, so ill start out by saying i am an 17 year old islander season ticket holder of believe it or not 15 years. Ive been watching the islanders disappointments year in and year out and i really think we have a chance to start to turn things around if not this year in the years to come.
For the first time ever we finally seem to have a couple ...
Every GM would trade for Vinny Lecavalier...in a heartbeat...probably including Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe. But this blog isn't about Mr. Lecavalier and his sniping ways it's about Tampa Bay's other Vinny...as in Vaclav Prospal.
The Oilers desperately need some true top-6 talent and the Tampa Bay Lightning could use a little wiggle room from under the crushing weight...
ItsJacketsTime writes...
Scorers Draw Crowds, Goaltending Wins Championships
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hey guys.
Seeing as this is my first post I think I should introduce myself. My name is Matt and I'm 15 years old. I live in Cincinnati, OH and I'm mainly a Columbus Blue Jackets fan. I've been a hockey fan my entire life, when my parents raised me on the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and IHL. And ever since, I've been hooked. With that, let's blog.
The one thing the...
Well, it appears pretty simple to me. However, I'm not the General Manager.
The Leafs lack depth at right wing. Plain and simple.
It's time to bring in a top line right winger to complete the trifecta. Blake, Sundin and .............
Hejduk (4m) and Svatos (1.2m) are obviously being targeted by the Leafs management. After hearing Giguere today, commenting on possib...
In the new NHL and its all so glorious salary cap (which rises each year so far, and we are now back to pre-lockout salaries) comes new challenges for teams. That challenge being a huge one:
Keeping their players under contract and keeping under the cap.
Now the cap this year is around 53 million dollars, and I will assume most teams want some cushion room for trades...
Calgary Flames - C
Key Acquisitions:
Owen Nolan, Adrian Aucoin, Cory Sarich
Question Marks:
Offensive Production, Mike Keenan
One of the best defensive teams in the league got better and deeper on defense this off season. The additions of Cory Sarich and Adrian Aucoin make one of the best bluelines in the league better and solidifies the Flames as one of the ...
Sabresandcanucks writes...
Under the Radar...Players that could be steals!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With free agency coming to a halt and the remaining few big names being priced outside of Buffalo’s league I thought it is time to look at what’s available on the trade market for potential steals. I define a steal based on an earlier example in Sabres history. That trade being Chris Gratton for Daniel Briere. The Sabres found a kid who had tons of offensive upside bu...
After losing Souray, Bonk, Johnson, Aebisher, Niinimaa, and not being able to sign Briere or Smyth, Bob Gainey had some work to do. He filled some major holes by signing Hamrlik {although quite overpaid}, Smolinski, and Kostopoulos. Hamrlik solidifies the defense, and while he lacks Souray's scoring punch, he's not going to be an -28, meaning less goals against, less work ...
Hola guys.
Ice Melts at 32 F, or 0 C for those of you north of the border. And seeing as it got to 92 today, I should be thinking baseball. But with the Reds 40-55 and 13.5 games back, I'm just waiting for the next 78 days to pass, so that I can throw on that sweater and relax. Instead, I'm gonna take a stab at some Central Previews. I'll do another one in September, as...
For almost a week now it has been rumored that The Leafs and The Avs have been trying to make a trade with the biggest name in the deal being Milan Hejduk or Marek Svatos. In return the Avs would likely receive a young defensive and draft picks.
So when you step back and look at this trade, as an Avs fan, are you happy? Right now the Avs have Leopold (26), Liles (26), ...
With over two months till the season starts, and then 8 more until it ends, its impossible to try and guess the final standings. But, with over two months till the season starts, and nothing else to do, its fun. The following is my prediction, based on the current lineups and my opinions and thoughts about the game.
The atlantic division (in addition to being the one ...
With all the action in the Northeast (Edit - Atlantic), it's going to wind up being a very interesting year.
I suppose these would be some of the bigger questions on one's mind at the moment:
Will the Rangers actually benefit with Gomez and Drury?
Can the Flyers make a move up the ladder?
Will the Penguins be able to rally behind Fleury?
Has Guerin warranted...
Yo I'm TonyBazz. I've been watching hockey religiousally for almost 20 years now, and I'm a diehard Flyers fan. My earliest memory of the Flyers is the 87 Cup Finals where we played Edmonton and went seven games and Ron Hextall won the Conn Smythe trophy. I remember I had this little Gretzky doll and I was beating the crap out of it the whole series. I remember when we...
I do not dislike Russians. I do not think Russian players are inferior to Canadian players. In fact, I believe that Russian players are the most exciting players in the game-and look at the talent it has produced: Malkin, Ovechkin, Markov, etc. However, there are certain Russian players in this league that either think there better than everyone else, or there just lazy-ma...
I do not dislike Russians. I do not think Russian players are inferior to Canadian players. In fact, I believe that Russian players are the most exciting players in the game-and look at the talent it has produced: Malkin, Ovechkin, Markov, etc. However, there are certain Russian players in this league that either think there better than everyone else, or there just lazy-ma...
Recently the fighting debate has come back into the forefront. Derek Boogaard's actions of teaching children how to defend themselves on the ice has brought the debate back up to a boiling point, with no end in sight. I have a hard time with fighing because, as much as I love to watch a good fight, I can sympathize with those who feel that it has no part in the game.
...
I just got back from my first ever trip to Metulla, and it was an incredible experience! We'll get my personal stuff aside first: 7 years after first being teased with it, I finally got to skate in Israel! I've been a little homesick for the past couple of months, but no one could stop the giant 25 year old in the Team Canada jersey skating around the small rink with the h...
Since when does a 13 goal, 60 point season merit a player to get a 7 year contract, the first year of which will pay 10 million dollars? How about 18 million in salary going out to 2 centers who combined, barley have more points than 19 year old MVP, Sidney Crosby did? Scott Gomez and Chris Drury were both signed by the New York Rangers to a very large, and equivalently lo...
Jsaquella writes...
Welcome Back BOOOOOOOSH!!!!! Flyers sign Giroux, too.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
According to the team's website, the Phantoms have signed veteran goalie Brian Boucher to a contract. No terms were released.
“Brian is a good goalie who will add depth to the organization and solidify our goaltending situation,” said GM Paul Holmgren in making the announcement. Boucher is a decent insurance policy should Antero Niittymaki or Martin Biron falter or...
Some random thoughts as I get ready to hit the open road later this week:
[b]Was the lockout a waste of time? Did I miss a year of hockey for nothing?[/b] I am a Flyers fan and I will lay that out first. I love that they signed Danny Briere for a long time and for huge money - because that is what it took to seal the deal. That being said, I do wonder if that lost y...
In the ever changing economics of hockey, one thing has started to become very clear, some play for love and others play for money.
Clearly its easy to see both types of players in the NHL today, but in my opinion, its the ones that play for the money that have caused the biggest problem with salaries in today's NHL.
Let's look at a single statement that we hear ove...
I was a the flames Prospect Camp, here are my favorite Players
27 Andrei Taratukhin
Good Scorer, fast Skater, and good passer. I met him him at the Prospect camp, I liked him a lot really nice guy.
55 Adam Pardy
huge, big body in front, stops goals , great body Checker,
41 Dustin Boyd
Real Good scorer, also a fast skater plays the physical game....
red_avi9 writes...
08 should be a piece of cake for wings...until the playoffs.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The season of 08 is looking great for the wings as of now.last year the wings came tied for first with buffalo{buf had more wins} in points and the only divisionmate who even contended with them was the predators.i mean, lets face it chicago, the hawks suck and the same goes for the bluejackets.the blues are really on the right track but at most they'll contend for a playo...
As per Newsday:
[quote]"I managed to survive that long against long odds," he said. "It was an interesting time on Long Island." Of the ownership turmoil, he cracked, "We were leading the league in convicted felons."
That's the kind of funny, edgy line NBC is counting on from Milbury, who essentially will replace Brett Hull, another quote machine who left to work in ...
When Vanek was signed by Oilers, I immediately voiced my violent opinions to all Oiler fans i knew well. How on earth could they do this ? It drives the market up, forget that its within the 'rules' but it drives market up, PERIOD. These are the same Oiler fans that I have heard cry, and they cry a LOT, when all these years they have lost their players.
Yes, this...
Hello all...DJOilman here, reporting to you from the Capital of Alberta...Siberia... er...Edmonton. Of course, this weather makes it feel like Siberia.....what's it been, 32 degrees for about a month now. For those writers South of the border, that's 32 Celsius.....I'm sure many of you watch the weather channel and see the North American map showing Detroit at 90 degrees...
One afternoon, when I was 4 years old (1984), I was at the Ice Palace in West Edmonton Mall with my brother and parents. I don't remember what the event was or why I was there, but, the Edmonton Oilers were playing a charity shinny game with some guys wearing red jerseys to this day, I claim, that they were the flames. Not because I remember Lanny's moustache or even a fla...
For all the morons who keep saying the Rangers are in trouble with the salary cap, you are WRONG. Yes, the Rangers ARE over the cap now but they can easily get under by the deadline without moving any players that would play for the team. So please, read this short explanation and educate yourselves. This way you wont end up looking foolish and being annoying.
The New ...
I've heard plenty of voices over the past few weeks say that the salaries are spiralling out of control again and that the salary-cap really doesn't mean anything anymore. Obviously, this isn't entirely false inspite of what many fans of my Edmonton Oilers will tell you. Obviously as a whole this won't affect the salary cap as the cap is tied to league revenues. What thi...
What Mr. Lowe has done has ended the boys Club. Mr. Lowe has has served notice that all the RFA'S have more options than just to sit around and wait for their gm's to sign them which is not just a bad thing , It has made GM's more aware of the RFA'S which means General Managers have to do thier jobs. I am sorry but that is a nut shell. The main reason the Bur...
Leave your coat at the door, because Psycom is back with some recapping of this long summer out of Islander Country.
On a personal note, I have been hard at work this summer with college classes, work, and the woman who shares my life. I have been watching and waiting for a chance to say what I think about the state of the Islanders and hockey on Long Island. My chanc...
Mike Cammallari gets 6.7 over 2 years? Derek roy gets 8 over 2. 63 vs 80 pts per season. last year players were gettin truck loads of cash for there hard work and all of a sudden this year players get paid no where near what they were gettin paid last year. Danny Briere and Scott Gomez recieved 5 million and Briere did not even reach the 70 pt mark. Sure he had a pt a game...
(Cue dream music, Gary Thorne is seen in the broadcast booth at the Sommet Center in Nashville. He speaks)
Who would have thought that it would all come down to this here in Nashville tonight. A year ago fans in Nashville didn’t know whether they would even have a hockey team and here they are in the Stanley Cup Finals with a chance to win it all.
(Bill Clement s...
Top to bottom, the Calgary Flames look like one of the top teams in the league each of the last 2 seasons and including the one upcoming. However, these teams have failed to produce to the hefty standards of the entire city. Having sat in my seat in the 'dome to watch us lose back-to-back playoff series at home I can safely say I miss the grinders of 2004.
I'm not s...
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 ...
Well, there's only one wounded ego here. Mine. Yes, I have dragged myself back to my blog after a long absence. Coincidentally, my departure from my egomaniacal ranting coincides with the night my beloved Flames went out in the 6th game. God I was pissed off.
So what happened? Playfair happened, first of all. I know many of you are eager to shower me with praise f...
The best part about talking to oiler fans now is by far and away the polite smile and nod you get to give them when they talk about their "new oilers".
I love how trading away the captain of a team that was floundering due to lack of heart for a young d who was extremely disappointing is hailed as a good move. I mean, why would they want Jason Smith's "heart and soul" af...
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...
Every year three of my good friends and I take a road trip north to Edmonton for the sole purpose of ruining oiler fan's evenings, and hopefully gloating about a win. So far we have had pretty good luck in terms of our win loss ratio but it does beg an interesting question. Which is a better venue?
The Saddledome although old was renovated back before the olympics in orde...
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...
Taking a look at the current roster, one would think the Islanders can't be done shaping the team for the 2007-08 season. The additions that have been made thus far have been significant, surely, but have a glance at the depth chart (or the way I project it anyway) with me and tell me you don't see a little room for improvement.
For the purposes of this blog, let's simp...
First, an amendment to part 1 on the forwards. From all that I can gather, Sean Bergenheim inked a 1-way contract with the Isles and, thus, will more than likely be with the team post-training camp. (Thanks to psycomkl for the tip.) This is not necessarily a bad thing as, like I said in part 1, I like what Bergy brought to the table before he took his ball and sailed overs...
A month from the start of training camp all of the articles on who fits with who on what line are starting to come up. As opposed to previous years Calgary is in a dilema with center...they have too many! Langkow seems to be the obvious fit with Iginla and Tanguay, that line at times last year gave flames fans something they hadn't seen in years, tick-tac-toe passing plays...
I love Rhett Warrener. He battles every night. He loves Calgary. But the bottom line is; if a team wants to compete in the West, he can't be a top 6 defenseman.
Warrener will hit you hard and often, he'll rough you up against the boards every chance he gets. The problem is, he can't skate, can't pass and can't shoot. It used to work for us because if he got in trou...
We are roughly 4 weeks away from the start of training camp and the beginning of the 2007/2008 National Hockey League season. I want to take a look at the teams who finished 9-15 in the Eastern Conference standings for the 06/07 season. Are any of these teams ready to make a playoff run? Lets find out...
#9) Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs finished wit...
3 yrs:
Salary Breakdown: 2.5 , 3, 3.5
9 mill total.
Andy adds a little bit of everything both on offense and defense and we really like what he brings to the table,” said Islanders head coach Ted Nolan. “We talk about heart, grit and character and Andy Sutton has a ton of it all. He’s a big guy who plays big and isn’t afraid to do the dirty work. He fills ...
or, Can "playing the system" work out? I'm curious, what do people think about this?
Over this off-season, for example, the rangers spent nearly 20 mil per year on Drury and Gomez alone. Noone can deny that these are premier players, and these additions have caused talk of the rangers being the powerhouse of the atlantic division. The islanders, on the other hand, se...
PART 5 IS OUT, OFFENSE #5. VIEW IT ON HTTP://MY.HOCKEYBUZZ.COM/TAG.PHP?TAG=RAGS2RICHES
AND COMING TO THE HOMEPAGE SOON!
Im sorry that it took so long to get this installment out. Ive been very busy for the past few days and havent had a chance to write. Moving on, we are up to part 4 of the series and as always, dont hesitate to comment on my writing. Ive just learned ho...
After watching Scott Niedermayer Choose the Ducks as the location he wanted to play, although he received phopne calls from several N.H.L. superstars trying to lure him in, the obvious reason was his brother. Growing up, taking turns shooting on net with each other acting as goalie, with each shot being the game 7 O.T. winner for the Stanley Cup, you had to think that the ...
I will preface all of this with the fact that this is my first attempt at a blog and also that while yes I am college student my grammar is terrible. But since training camp is about a month away and trade rumors are becoming few and far between, I have decided to give my analysis and predictions of each division over the next few weeks to be capped off with my playoff pre...
IslandDynasty writes...
Islanders Will Make the Playoffs Come Next March...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I think they will.With the offseason coming to a close in a couple of weeks,you can almost get a grip on which teams are going places,and which teams arent.But what teams look like on paper does [b]not[/b] mean theyre going to preform that way.Perfect example is this past season's Islanders.Were thought to be the worst team in the league going into the season,thought by th...
The $64,000 question for Anaheim fans since Lord Stanleys Cup was ferried around the Honda Center ice by the victorious Ducks back in the first week of June has been whether or not Teemu and Scotty would be back to defend their championship. (Although maybe we should bump it up to $128,000, because it really is two separate questions.)
Scotty is one of the most accompl...
[i]With all of the big new contracts signed this year, there are a lot of players with big shoes to fill. There are a lot of players with a new responsibility to be "the guy" for their respective clubs. There are a lot of players that need to step it up this season and show why they were worth the big bucks that their teams threw at them.
So which players are actually...
When I look at the Flames' first month in the schedule I at first think it's a touch one until I start looking at the months following it and realize they're all tough.
The season starts out on Oct. 4 against the Flyers and their newest additions, I'd be very surprised if the Brier/Gagne line isn't extremely pumped for that game. This was the worst team Philly fans have ...
hockeyisgd writes...
Top 5 teams I'm excited about for the 2007-08 season
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hope everyone had a good weekend. Today I want to tell you 5 teams I'm excited to see this upcomming season.
5. St. Louis Blues
After two dismal seasons, the Blues are going to attempt to turn it around this season. After making key additions, I believe the Blues will be headed on the right path this season. GM John Davidson has done a spectacular job of building this ...
Alright, in these hot, humid, brutal non-hockey days of August I thought it would be a good idea to post my predictions on our players stats for the upcoming season. I'd like to know what you guys think our players will get in stats. I guess this counts as my first blog, kind of.
[b]*NOTE*:[/b] I'm just going to predict everyone plays 82 games just to make it easier.......
This is my first Blog so bear with me. I feel that it is important to talk about the one flame player who I believe is maybe a diamond in the rough. Matthew Lombardi, I believe is a player or two away from Iggy numbers. This off season I thought Sutter might address the Lombo situation, and bring in some young talent to play with Lombardi. But what I can see is that he did...
[i]With all of the big new contracts signed this year, there are a lot of players with big shoes to fill. There are a lot of players with a new responsibility to be "the guy" for their respective clubs. There are a lot of players that need to step it up this season and show why they were worth the big bucks that their teams threw at them.
So which players are actually...
Today on the Hockey Hall of Fame's website the Stanley Cup Journal was updated with a story on Teemu Selanne and his day with the Cup. Well more precisely Teemu's 48 hours with the cup.
Kevin Shea, author of the journal made sure to touch on the issue that every Ducks fan and hockey fans around the world wants to know. Will Teemu hang up the skates or will he come ...
I can't delete my old blog from before the playoffs started. I've tried, and confirmed my request. But when I refresh my screen, or click on my profile again, there it is...staring me in the face like a bad tuna sandwich.
AArgh
Now who is ready for the season to start?
In a galaxy far far......oh the hell with that. Everyone knows the Leafs haven't won a cup in 40 years but did you know that only 15 other teams since 1967 have won the cup in that 40 year period? Yep thats right only 15 different teams have won the cup in a 40 year period.
The New York Rangers went 54 years before winning it in 94. The Detroit Red Wings endured 42 ...
[img:left]http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/allan_muir/11/07/GM.meetings/tx.forsberg.jpg[/img]I still remember vividly the 02/03 season. The Colorado Avalanche we're still in a dynasty with the likes of Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Milan Hedjuk, Alex Tanguay and Patrick Roy. Forsberg led the league in scoring with a 106 point campaign (29G, 77A), and a league leading +52. F...
I was in the store the other day browsing around through video games. I saw on the shelf a bunch of "preorder now" signs for all of the upcoming EA Sports games. Then I saw it, NHL 2008. No different than any other NHL game since 2000, but still...updated rosters! Hurray!
Oh yes, and need I forget. Eric Staal on the cover??! Come on now.
Here's the deal: I'm a ...
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...
I don't know how those boxes got there.Sorry.
With just a couple of weeks left until training camp starts I thought I would write what I think the standings in the Western Conference would be if the teams would be if they were to use the players they had right now.
1.Anaheim Ducks
Additions: Shane Hnidy, Todd Bertuzzi, Mathieu Schneider, Dan Lacouture
Losses: Dus...
I am and will forever be a Maple Leafs fan, i know that the team hasnt brought Stanley home in a long time, hell i wasnt even born and 15 other teams have won the cup since 67 so it could be worse but that doesnt change the fact that i am a fan and will continue to be, friendships have been formed thanks to Leaf fans uniting, memories established and moments shared as we a...
mob_slapman writes...
Economic Impact sports facilities (arenas, stadiums)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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 ...
In my last blog I mentioned the dream job that I had growing up in my home town of Toronto. I sold ice cream bars in the house the Conn Smythe built.
It was rare that I would get a chance to work the golds, this was a usually a position held for the more senior people, but on a few occasions I ended up here. On one such occasion the section of golds I worked was right...
A lot has been happening in the hockey world over the past few weeks. Many signings that will set the direction of clubs for some time as long contracts seem to be the off season flavor.
The Islanders have been making waves by signing Guerin, Fedetenko, Sim, Comrie, Sutton, and Vasicek. This is a major overhaul for a club that squeezed into the show last year and is lo...
A lot has been happening in the hockey world over the past few weeks. Many signings that will set the direction of clubs for some time as long contracts seem to be the off season flavor.
The Islanders have been making waves by signing Guerin, Fedetenko, Sim, Comrie, Sutton, and Vasicek. This is a major overhaul for a club that squeezed into the show last year and is lo...
In the past, the Eastern Conference's most feared division was the Northeast division, which consisted of the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, The Toronto Maple Leafs, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Boston Bruins.
However, due to an eventful free agency, the division of [b]Devils, Penguins, NY Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers[/b] are going to be extremely tough to beat....
Although I don't doubt a single division is capable of locking down 5 of the 8 playoff slots, I tend to think even if so it wouldn't be the Atlantic. Last year, all but the Flyers made a show in the playoffs. The Devs and Pens each finished well up in the standings, while the Rangers and Islanders just slipped in towards the last week of the season.
The hardest part...
saneopinion writes...
Flame assests to trade and my take on eklund's trade rumors
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Prior to training camp it seems that the Flames are set in terms of what they have and need to the point where there is an abundance of players and depth that could be acquired from them with out any real damage to the line up.
It's obvious the flames are stocking up at center, as I previously wrote how do you find spaces for Langkow, Conroy, Lombardi, Yelle with Taratuki...
Nolanitis writes...
2007-08 NY Islanders: A year to prove the hockey world wrong
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I have been on various blog websites and no matter which one I read there seems to be one similarity, write-off the Islanders. This blog will explore why other fans in the NHL (even some Isles fans) are doing so prematurely.
Gone from the team this year are the following players: Yashin (buyout), Blake (FA), Smyth (FA), Kozlov (FA), Poti (FA), Robataille ...
[b]THE CALGARY FLAMES GET IT[/b]
I thought I would write another blog on what is really important in life. Most of these players understand what is really important for the NHL. You see the players understand that no how many records they break, or how many goals they score, it doesn’t matter if there are no fans to watch them! I am going to share some stories that sh...
Perhaps it's a little early to write a preview for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so I'll make sure to do another one a little closer to the season opener. I figured it might be nice to get some of you Leaf fans salivating in excitement for the season though.
First of all, I should review the off-season so far for the Buds.
The Leafs made several significant moves. The big...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Wang Enterprise : Projection Of The New York Islanders
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Alrighty, brotha's and sista's. With the Leafs, Habs, Sabres, Bruins and now Sens done in the projection departement, I thought I'd turn my attention to the Islanders. An orginization which has been the peak of many hockey jokes, kind of the like the Spanish News Team but IMO wrongfully so. They fought the odds last season and shut the door on my lovely Leafs and the clima...
-Alex Tanguay
-Kristian Huselius
-Anders Eriksson
-Matthew Lombardi
All these players fall onto the same criteria as each other, Soft Players. Players that have splendid talents in other aspects of the game but wont be known for hitting, checking, and outworking the opponent. They also fall under another label; players one would never expect to remain on the hard w...
It's August, the hottest part of the summer is over. The Stampede is here and gone and heck, even the most loyal CFL fan is getting tired of the Stampeders. What better way to spend an evening than talking about 2007-08 Flames Hockey.
[b]The Good[/b]
First off, and others may not agree, the best thing the Flames did off-season was hire Mike Keenan. Last year this ...
I'm just going to list the top players from each team and compare, at the end if any oiler fan can tell me on that they can be certain the Oilers are a better team let me know.
top centers:
Sykora 53 points..oops sorry guys couldn't pay him enough to play there either should I move on to Nylander?? EEERRRR my bad, let me start over.
Top Centers:
Horcoff- 16 g 35a 5...
We got a taste of the 8 game series last year, no matter what division your team is in. I know that every time we played the Devils, Flyers, Islanders and Pittsburgh, everything about the game was intense; the fans, the players.. just the overall mood in the games.
This off season, there have been many significant changes to the teams in our division.. Let's start off w...
[img:left]http://images.sportsnetwork.com/hockey/nhl/allsport/toronto/lindros_eric2.jpg[/img]The key question is truly, can all 6 ft 4 240 pound Eric Lindros still be the deciding factor in sixty-minutes like he was from 92 to 99. Lindros collected a considerable amount of attention, rightfully so. In the 95/96 season he collected 115 points (47G, 68A), the year previous h...
BuffaloMat writes...
How many Sabres fans think Quinn should leave town?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This has been a fun debate for the past few months. I know a lot of people say things out of anger but really don't mean what they say. So, what do you really mean? Let's find out how many people support Quinn for the actions he has done this past off season with the Sabres.
I could show a lot of facts that might sway someone's decision a certain way, but that's not ri...
OK I will bite on this a little bit.
First to a couple of the other Oilers posters who replied on sanes blog:
1. Tanguay was a good acquisition, especially since the Flames gave up a D-man who played what 10 games last year. I think he played more with Iginla down the stretch and was effective.
2. Second Kipper won't be going somewhere to market himself, the spo...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Fire Burns : Projection Of The Calgary Flames
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Howdy my hockeybuzz fella's! I'm here to bring you another projection of another team, by the name of the Calgary Flames. A team which holds a tiny particle of my heart next to the other particle which is the Buffalo Sabres and the core, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flames have done some decent moves this off-season: They've added Adrian Aucoin, Anders Eriksson, Owen Nolan...
So here you are Harrah's is ready to make the push. With a CSI mastermind loving the game can it be that far fetched that we will have the NHL in Vegas? VIP suites at ice level.... a 300 million ice making machine and slots on the bench.
Rest assured hockey in Vegas will change the way the rest of the NHL showcases itself.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/bas...
For all you Flame fans, I'm here to break the news that the emerging offensive Flame defenseman is off to hone his skills in Russia. According to a very close source to the situation, the Flames are opting to go with a veteran line-up and a run for the cup. Giordano a RFA, was offered a two way deal to stay with the Flames for half of the $800,000 he will receive in Russia...
I love hockey for it's crazy and totally unpredictable nature, anyone who's played sports select here in Canada (there's legalized betting here) and tried to bet 12 games in the N.H.L. on any given night knows what I mean. Try and guess four and if you do you'll impress me! Heading into any game are hundreds of intagibles, from injuries to sickness, to back to back games t...
Yin and yang, up and down, good and bad, a GM's job is full of contrast. A GM needs to manage winning now without losing in the future. For Philadelphia's Paul Holmgren this is no different. Last year with our beloved Flyers finishing last in the NHL Homer was tasked with getting the Flyers back on track fast without hurting the future of the franchise. Did he do it? ...
[b]PLAYERS YOU LOVE TO HATE[/b]
This blog is part one of two. The idea came from steal_your_faceoff who will be known here as syf. Each of the friends below has suggested two names of players we love to hate; as usual I will leave my two cents worth at the end.
[b]SYF[/b]
SYF's first pick was Darius Kasparaitis, for that famed hipcheck (legal...yes) on Eric L...
It is the management's responsibility to the owners and to the fans you pay the tickets to keep salary to a minimum, it is the player's agents responsibility to get as much for their clients as possible. If we are to look at the Giordano signing in Russia for a minute and get past the initial shock of it we know a few things, that the flames were offering around just over ...
Once again the hockey season looms in front of us, creating an air of anticipation and excitement. Every year at this time, players are finishing their individual training and preparing for their team's pre-season camp, while fans are left sitting on their hands waiting for the season to start. We pointlessly discuss unimportant topics of where JS Aubin will sign and whe...
The success of the Leafs in 2007-08 could be influenced by their new players. There are three notable new faces in particular- forwards Jason Blake and Mark Bell, and goaltender Vesa Toskala. But how good or bad will they be? What influence will they hold over the team? Time to look at the pros and cons of Toronto's offseason pickups.
[b][u]VESA TOSKALA[/u][/b]
[img]ht...
If there is one thing this off-season has taught me is that teams, even with a salary cap, won't be afraid to throw big money around to get what they need. That being said the next off-season should be interesting for the New York Rangers. Unless he's signed to an extension at some point this year, Henrik Lundqvist will be a free agent next summer and how embarrassing will...
I have found a bunch of pictures of about 1/2 of teams new look Jerseys wil or might look like for the upcoming season.
Here are the links to the jerseys. Some look official and some are concepts. Some are nice and some are garbage. Cast your votes for best & worst.
[b]UPDATE(s)[/b] Leafs & Nucks
[b]Leafs Jersey Video[/b]
[url]http://www.cbc.ca/sports/player/index.ht...
steve from chicago writes...
A Captainless Organization searches for a Captain
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Who will wear the "C" in Chicago this season?
It will probably be Havlat but can anyone name a team, a franchise, so lacking of captian material?
I've always liked the team that had the classic born in Canada captain like Dirk Graham, Terry Ruskowski or Tom Lysiak. Those guys knew what it took.
Who on the Hawks today can be counted on to say what needs to be sai...
Next, I looked at the Central Division
[b]Columbus Blue Jackets[/b]
Could this be the year the Columbus Blue Jackets make the playoffs... NO. However they will be better. Mainly because the Columbus Blue Jackets fired Doug MacLean and heired Scott Howson. Also the team got immediately better last year when they heired Ken Hitchcock. The Blue Jackets are stacked with ...
Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman, Jerome Iginla, and Mats Sundin just to name a few. What do these players all have in common? They are and have been the face of their franchise for years. Are they a dying breed?
With Yzerman retired, do the Wings have a player who represents them as well? Well maybe Lidstrom, and you can name a few others with Datsyuk or Zetterburg, but it’s...
I know many Habs fans want to trade Ryder asap and I am not sure I'm unwilling to trade him for the right piece of the puzzle, but consider the following before we ship him off to become a star somewhere else.
From the Habs official site:
MONTREAL - The natural goal scorer. Feared by goaltenders, revered by GMs across the NHL, Michael Ryder has earned his stripes a...
Jussi Jokinen signs a 2yr deal worth $3.675mil! I myself think this is to high for someone is one sided. Dont get me wrong he is a gifted scorer and you can tell by watching him in the shootouts and the goals he scores. His 2-way game is what is hurting him and if he can improve that then there is no reason he can become a top player in the NHL. However i think the $1.8 wo...
[b]Up next, I looked at the Northwest Division (one of the toughest to pick)
Minnesota Wild[/b]
The Minnesota Wild had a good year last year, perhaps overachieving a little bit. Mainly they were able to take advantage of Edmonton when they were on their spiral down towards the basement of the Northwest Division. The Wild were 6 - 2 against Edmonton and 4 of the wins ...
steve from chicago writes...
The league's best player is not a Blackhawk
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I heard the guys on XM talking about fantasy picks and top 5 best player lists and I was waiting for somebody to mention the obvious.
Chris Pronger is the best player in the league right now.
Our number obsessed world might not catch it because lots of the things that win games don't show up on the score sheet.
It's no coincidence that St. Louis imploded after he ...
I don't know about all of you but I personally am itching for NHL hockey action.
Flyers rookies open camp 9/8, a week from today. That doesn't sound long but right now it feels like an eternity.
I am so anxious to see what this retooled team will look like on the ice. On Paper it looks awesome, but how long will it take it all to gel and run smoothly like a well oi...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 2: Pat LaFontaine
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.classicbuffalo.com/images/LaFontaine.jpg[/img]
If the video doesn't show up click this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZL4BCePwA
EDIT: The video doesn't seem to be working. It's a wonderful video, check it out.
This tribute video sums up anyone can say about Pat LaFontaine. However I am going to still say words about him ...
First off, let me say that I am a huge Teemu Selanne fan. I was bummed when the Ducks let him go the first time, and have immensely enjoyed watching his resurgence this second time around. More so than his stats, I have been a fan of his because of the way he played on the ice, and handled himself off of it. As far as I know, he has handled himself with class and integr...
It appears Calgary Flames highly touted prospect Andrei Taratukhin has signed a 3 year deal to play in Russia following Mark Giordano's lead. Former Flame Jamie Lundmark is also in Russia for next season. If this is true, it's a huge blow to the Flames as Taratukhin's likely next step was to make the roster for the upcoming season.
Taratukhin is still under his entry-l...
[img:right]http://www.thelavinagency.com/images/bios/iginla.jpg[/img]Since the Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2004, the Calgary Flames have had high expectations since. The organization has struggled during the playoffs since their appearance in 2004, they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in 2006, then the Detroit Red Wings in 2007, both in the first round respectively. Calgary ...
Taratukhin has now signed a three year deal in russia and another bright prospect for the flames is heading to Russia. Why would he bother coming to the states and play a year only to opt out and head back again?? This has happened to two flames prospects but rest assured it will be the beggining of more if a transfer deal with Russia isn't signed.
The Flames' new head c...
For those of you who took the risk of adding Teemu Selanne to your hockey pools, you must be wondering, will he retire? Or will he come back for more with the Anahiem Ducks?
According to some websites, he has been encouraged to keep playing in the nhl from some old friends. I think Eklund mentioned that Philadelphia was interested in him.
Personally, i don't see why he ...
Well with training camp set to open in less then 2 weeks, its a great time to get into hockey mode and and break down what the Leafs might look like for there opening night matchup against the Senators.
[b][u]Goaltending[/u][/b]
This position looks all settled pertaining any trades with Toskala and Raycroft heading into the opening season 1-2, Clemmensen is the curre...
There have been a number of discussions in the last few weeks regarding the line combinations and pairings the leafs will use in the upcoming season, so I figured I might as well toss my hat into the ring.
[u][b]Goaltending[/b][/u]
The best option is to use a 60/40 split between Toskala and Raycroft, Toskala has never played the 65-70 games a #1, but is still a v...
In todays NHL, it is sometimes questionable if players are being greatley overpaid. I surely hope I'm not alone in beliving that any player is worth the money they are making. For example, Tomas Vanek's salary incresed by an astonishing 1061%, from $942,400 to a vastly inflated $10,000,000.
This seasons top paid players will be- D.Briere($10 mil.)
...
In todays NHL, it is sometimes questionable if players are being greatley overpaid. I surely hope I'm not alone in beliving that any player is worth the money they are making. For example, Tomas Vanek's salary incresed by an astonishing 1061%, from $942,400 to a vastly inflated $10,000,000.
This seasons top paid players will be- D.Briere($10 mil.)
...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Special Teams and the Death of Summer
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The days are getting shorter, the school buses are freshly cleaned of last year's spitballs and awaiting a new crop of young troublemakers...umm...students, and another Flyers season is but mere weeks away. The near miraculous transformation from worst in the league to potential playoff spot is almost complete. The depth and breadth of the changes that occurred at the en...
This is another classic example of John Ferguson Jr.'s incompetence as a GM, trading a 1st & 2nd round pick in 2007, and a 4th round pick in 2009 for Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell. This trade was dumb from day 1, first off this was the year the leafs finally had a chance to land a decent forward could've snagged Cherepanov or Esposito or many others that were still aroun...
clipper writes...
I'll have a Goaltending upgrade with a side of drunk driving
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Let's recap JFJ's thought process as the 2006/07 season ended. It may have gone something like this. "We were 8th in scoring last year with over 3 goals per game on average. However, we were 25th in goals against with over 3 goals per game on average. Our goaltender have a save percentage under .900 and a GAA greater than 3. We have 4 top calibre defenseman and a plet...
They're the same. Anyone suprised?
Look good.
steve from chicago writes...
Who is on the Hot Seat in Chicago? Dale Tallon and it's Hot.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Have you looked a the scheudule for the first 10 games? Detroit twice, Colorado, Dalas, San Jose, Minnesota etc. It isn't until game 10 that the the Hawks get to face their equal in Columbus and Columbus has handled them the past couple of season's.
Have you thought about the fact that there isn't a forward line returning from last season? There isn't even a pair of for...
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 dem...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Billboards/Bumper Stickers for the 2007-08 Flyers season
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[i][b]*warning - Please check any kneejerk reactions at the door - this is all in good humor*[/b][/i]
I was thinking about the very clever way the Dallas Stars used billboards/bumper stickers to get a new and funny message across to their current and potential fans. I thought it something that the Flyers might want to take to heart and show the fans that they are excit...
The Hockey News had an interesting article on Mike Keenan and his new head coaching responsibility here in Calgary:
[url]http://www.thehockeynews.com/en/news/news.asp?idNews=25617[/url]
In addition, the Flames Prospect Camp is set to open tomorrow with some fitness testing. The players have been split into two squads and will practice over the weekend with scrimma...
Well the fantasy pools are soon or already up and running and I am letting Hockeybuzz bloggers pick my 2nd round guy! This is a very close knit pool with very knowledgeable hockey guys...
This is a straight forward pool, a point is a point, goalies get 2 for a win, 1 for an ot loss and 3 for a shutout (a shutout win is 5 added together).
Franchise players already selec...
This will end up on the main site, also, but I was tired of looking at my old blog from 6 months ago on this page. So here's a new one...
The new face of hockey lies under the current face of what you may be used to. The new face is not on Versus,, or even TSN. It is certainly not going to be between the few people who tune into NBC this season where we will watch Pie...
I'd like to start by stating that this blog is not an outlash towards the media, especially the members of this site who are part of the media, but rather a commentary on how everyone can focus on the wrong issues.
In the lifeless lull of the hockey world during the month of September, everyone finds themselves bored, but excited for the upcoming season. Most of the exc...
Glenn Hall use to miss training camp to paint his barn. I like his excuse better.
Only 4 players have ever had more then 150 points in a season…….Gretzky Mario Yzerman and ?????? answer later in this blog.
I really really like The Plain White Ts good music check it out.
The Yankees were on the other night and my 3 year old Emma says Daddy they wear the same w...
Side note I felt that the vertical strip on the socks make the Flyers look like imperial storm troopers. HEre look and compare.
The storm Troopers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lil_munki/1352823284/?addedcomment=1#comment72157601938696529
Rookie camp photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157601938292851/
VIDEO!!!! (warning it takes time for youtube t...
saneopinion writes...
headline: Archeoligists dig up Oiler Stanley Cup banner...
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It seems when I present an argument or a retort to the Flames vs. Oilers question I am met with one response over and over again, it goes like this.
" yeah...well you ONLY have ONE Stanley Cup banner...".
Yeah, I guess it is true the Flames have ONLY one banner to hang and I won't get into a pissing competition about president banners and conference banners because real...
Heart.
When you hear the word, perhaps, the first thing you think of is that organ beating inside your chest.
You also might think of that hard rocking, but IMO god-awful, girl band comprised of the sisters - Ann and Nancy Wilson. Sorry, not a big Barracude fan.
When I think of the word "heart," I immediately think of it in relation to organized sports. Not ...
Much more well contected people than me are reporting possibilities of the Flames bringing in some defensive help in the form of Markov and Sopel. Bruce Dowbiggin ponders this rumor in the Calgary Herald, having said that it seems whenever he ponders something it comes true.
If my opinion was worth anything (and it's not) I'd kind of prefer Sopel, Markov is a better play...
I tend to be pessimistic but hopeful. I can see the Flyers getting off to another bad start but not being non competitive like they were last year. The team made a lot of moves after February, some I like, some I like less, some seem to come with question marks.
[b]The Forwards:[/b]
I wanted them to sign Drury but they ended up with Briere so I was a little disappointe...
I haven't had the chance to write a blog for quite sometime, due to class restrictions and working on my papers. Although I took tonight to draft my fantasy team. I had the second overall pick and just missed out on Sidney Crosby, and I decided to take Mr. Joe Thornton. Below is my team I drafted, and would like if you all would rate my team :)
Joe Thornton - C - San Jo...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 4: Clint Malarchuk
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Clint Malarchuk was a candid goaltender that when he spoke the quote stuck with him and they were funny. The Chuk as most of my friends called him when we were growing up was always fun to watch when Darren Puppa wasn't in the net. Of course Darren was always our favorite because we made fun of his last name but when the Chuk would get onto the ice we would make just a...
saneopinion writes...
The more I hear the more I like about Keenan's style.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
For the first time in a very long time Flames fans were treated to something wonderful, something that they hadn't seen since the early 90's, something every other team hopes to have every year... scoring.
Sutter had made a trade for Tanguay (another steal of a trade from the Zen master) and in addition Huselius had blossomed into his potential giving them two very skill...
The Flames' first scrimmage showed lines that I think will possibly what ends up bering the norm. Keenan is known for his willingness to experiment in his line combos should the chemistry fail but these could very well be the standard lines throughout the year:
Tanguay- Langkow- Iginla
Huselius- Lombardi- Nolan
Primeau- Conroy- Moss
Nilson- Yelle- Godard (this spot c...
[b]ROOKIES[/b]
Steven Boyd played like a monster by far the best skater was great today
Tim Ramholt best day in camp played the best defenisively he has was 10 times better today than the rookie camp Tim showed up today
Leeland Irving Played very well today didn't look rusty at all did a better job controlling his rebounds
Matt Keetly Matt was a super star m...
Last year the Philadelphia Flyer's were the worst team in the NHL. They went through some major shake ups from the front office to who was on the ice. After a drubbing at the hands of the Buffalo Saber's, Bobby Clarke said he was to burnt out to run the team. When Clarke found the door it did not hit him on the way out, it hit Ken Hitchcock who got fired the same day Clark...
I thought I would put a small blog up for camp day 2
Aucoin got his legs back
also his shot wow some really good shots back
Craig Conroy was very good, he is a lot faster than I thought
Lombo was with tangs and Iggy, they looked very good lombo was actually faster this year if that an really happen
Langkow with Nolan and juice and Juice left the camp ...
Ever see the movie The Number 23? If you haven't it's about a guy that's obsessed with the number 23. After watching/reading anything I could get my hands on about the Leafs upcoming season I noticed the number [b]13[/b] coming up a lot. Check it out:
The Leafs opened training camp on Thursday, September [b]13[/b]th. That day they unveiled their new Reebok Jerseys ([b]...
9/16/07 Flyers camp
The links of course....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157602046504581/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuxUNcM1gc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHcp_xthv6M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMw6QsG07w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf22qswElo8
First I want to thank Hockey buzz’s own Steal your face off, the young man w...
I have always wondered about this, but have never asked. Why do the Avs have a foot on the shoulders of their jerseys? Don't think I'm some novice to hockey, I quess I just missed the memo on that one.
It is time for the second edition in my series of blogs about the new NHL jerseys. For those who still have not seen the new jerseys:
http://www.fartfignewton.com/rbk_edge/
And for those who missed Part 1 of this series:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
This time I am turning my critical eye towards the Northwest division.
[b]C...
Minor league roster, circus-like uniforms and a plethora of penalties (again) aside, it was nice to see the Islanders back on the ice last night in North York, Ontario taking on the Atlanta Thrashers.
Garnet Exelby's overtime goal ended hopes for a win but the Isles should be encouraged for a handful of reasons.
Freddy Meyer scored a nifty goal, nearly going end-to-...
Do you hear what I hear? Of course you do. The scratching skates against the ice, the thumping of bodies, the sharp thwack of the slapshot, the rippling of the mesh, the gasps and screams and howls of the fans, the booming voices of coaches screaming out instructions, and the goal horns, oh how could I forget you? Not since the Super Series have I heard you, and have I eve...
Wed Sept 19, 2007
Vancouver Canucks (0-1) vs. Calgary Flames (0-1-1)
7:00 pm - General Motors Place - Vancouver, BC.
Feeling The Burn
The Vancouver Canucks take to the ice this evening, facing off against Mike Keenan and the Calgary Flames. Not only are the Canucks facing the Flames but there are several Canuck regulars that are feeling the burn.
Brenda...
As reported from CalgaryFlames.com
This list not to surprising except that means Krys Kolanos must of been offered a contract also pretty much mean that Adam Pardy is being considered on this team of the Flames.
Gord Baldwin (D)
Kris Chucko (RW)
Brad Cole (D)
Cam Cunning (LW)
Ryan Donally (LW)
Matt Keetley (G)
Krys Kolanos (C)
Kevin Lalande (G)
Tomi...
The preseason didn't hinder the heated rivalry between The
Vancouver Canucks and The Calgary Flames. The tempo was
turned up a notch at General Motors place. If you stepped
onto the ice you knew you were going to be hit.
The Canucks opened the game with a flurry of speed and hits.
They managed to keep pace with Calgary's tenacity and even
excede them. The...
[u][b]Typical Outing[/b][/u]
Tonight's match-up had all the ingredients for a mid-season affair between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. Take out the fact that Jarome Iginla was in the Flames line-up and several Canuck veterans were enjoying the game from above, tonights game had the typical Vancouver-Calgary atomosphere.
Eric Godard layed out Matt Cooke as...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
Moncton's motto reads: [b]Resurgo[/b], which I can assure you that it is not a Harry Potter spell. It is latin for [i]I rise again[/i]. And in 'Hub City', who hasn’t had a NHL game in over 30 years, NHL hockey is rising again - as it did when [b]Ted Nolan[/b], current coach of the Islanders, took the Mo...
Jon Jordan writes...
You Break My Heart, Dad (But That's Okay ... I Guess)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
([b][i]NOTE:[/i][/b] This is a retread of an old post, resurrected (and re-edited) for the launch of the [i][b]NYI Blog Box[/b][/i], which you can find here [url]http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/[/url]. Enjoy!
I love my family.
I love my friends.
I love hockey.
Sometimes numbers two and three on this list are in a good, old-fashioned tie. (Sorry, amigos, but you h...
David Legwand is looking to improve on last years career highs in goals and points.
Last night on the eve of Nashville’s first pre-season home game I had a dream that the Preds raised the Stanley Cup at the Sommet Center in front of a packed house for the first time in Preds history. I remember the dream so vividly because it was almost like every time that cup was ...
Every end of August brings the excitement of the opening days of NHL camps everywhere. The smell of the freshly zamed ice, the first cut made in the ice by the powerful skates of NHL players. But, when camp opens everyone makes predictions. Now I understand they are just predictions but come on people, are they really necessary?
Predictions for the new season start afte...
saneopinion writes...
Prospects might not think they are playing for a spot.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For the teams who's record is a winning one during the pre-season this time of year signals what is to come for the rest of the year and for those who have a losing record the pre-season is just try outs and doesn't mean anything. The truth is a bit of both.
It's hard to look at a flames squad that hasn't put in two solid vetrem lines in the pre season and say, "hey, this...
Acccording to latest Flame press release at calgaryflames .com
QUAD CITY (AHL):
Eric Nystrom (LW)
I am not sure this is to surpising but Eric Nystom was one of 6 players that got sent down today. I am really surprised that he has not made the team as of yet but I wonder how much longer he has .
Brett Palin (D)
Sold dman still needs time to progreess but he ...
Wondering why we don't give the one-eyed-bandit a chance to boost our PP? I'm down with McGillis, or maybe Berard doesn't want to come up here or is asking too much... anyways... just a thought...
It is time for the third edition in my series of blogs about the new NHL jerseys. For those who still have not seen the all new jerseys:
http://www.fartfignewton.com/rbk_edge/
For those who missed Parts 1 and 2:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2499
Next up is the Atlanta Divisi...
[b]Tonights Exhibition[/b]
Some quick words on how to watch tonight's game vs. Montreal. Evidently, due to 'broadband limitations' at the Bell Centre, Montreal, it cannot be seen live. Sacre le bleu! Are they kidding? Sadly they are not.
So, you can check Islanders TV on Friday for pre-game analysis. But can only see the game on Saturday to view the complete game an...
With the struggles of the Calgary Flames during their first three preseason games, I wondered if this was a sign of things to come as opponents would say, or simply false results caused by a lack of a full veteran roster, as many Flames fans would like to believe.
Do preseason results translate to regular season success? In th 2006-'07 season, the Eastern Conference pr...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Last Night's Game in Montreal, Plus Defensive Assessment
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Last night Montreal beat the Isles in OT.
[b]Jeff Tambellini[/b] had a good game, obviously been jumpstarted by some comments by Ted Nolan. Nolan recently picked him out saying basically he is expecting more from him consistently. Tambs had a goal and had been all over the ice. [b]Jon Sim[/b] has been plugging away like he has the last few games.
[b]Sean Bergenheim[...
[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...
Just a little warning... if you're on board with Keenan and Sarich and Nolan and the new faces of the Flames you may want to stop reading right now.
Pre-season hockey is a chance for us to look at the questions our teams face heading into the season. We get a chance to share our usually high and lofty expectations for our own teams.
When I look at the Flames this ye...
Now that the Isles are back at home, several have been sent to Bridgeport. Thus, those player's presence on the waiver wire, as many have noticed. No reports have come in that anyone was grabbed by another team thus far.
Still on the Islander's roster: Jeff Tambellini, Aaron Johnson, Jeremy Colliton, Blake Comeau, Darryl Bootland, Kip Brennan (reported on waiver wire, b...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Pucks, fists and teeth fly at the first NYI/NYR game
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It was in the air.
The Rangers had a stinker versus the Flyers over the weekend. The Isles were now back home, facing their nemesis from the big city. And, of course, it was the preseason. No points on the line. Players playing for spots, or just to fit in with the rest of their team.
So, as the game started, it was not surprising to see Andy Sutton give Ryan Callaha...
CaptShark writes...
Sharks look to keep Calgary winless, 5 more players cut
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Sharks travel to Calgary tonight to take on the Flames. San Jose will be looking to keep the Flames offense watered down and their defense on their toes. Coach Mike Keenan and the flames are still searching for their first preseason victory and will be matched up against a tough San Jose roster. Nabokov will get the start in goal as will Kiprusoff. This game will be a ...
Perhaps my Islander pal B.D. Gallof will chime in on this issue, but as I simultaneously watched both the Red Wings/Lightning and Rangers/Islanders games last night, I had a passing thought that made more than a little sense (I know ... crazy ... but it does happen sometimes!)
Having lost Dan Boyle for at least the first month of the regular season and in dire need of s...
So an article in the Calgary Herald this morning states Kipper wants Iginla type money (let the opposing fans in the NW speak now). I've talked about this before, but with the pay structure of the rest of the team, this is currently not an option.
Based on the site, [url]http://www.nhlnumbers.com/cgy.html[/url], the Flames have 11 current roster players signed to cont...
DoctorTeeth writes...
Preseason Blues, why can't I watch my team on TV?!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
An open letter I sent to the Madison Square Garden Channel and to the NY Rangers
9/25/07
Dear to Whom it may concern,
I'd really like to know why last night's and now tonight's game are not being televised. I mean really, is it that important you guys show the 1978 Harlem Wizards vs. the cast of Fantasy Island on Al Trautwig's "the Vault"?
I know I'm itching...
[b]YOU BE THE GM 2
THE FUTURE FREE AGENTS: TO SIGN OR NOT TO SIGN
[/b]
Today's blog is on Calgary's Unrestricted Free Agents - well actually, the top three possible unrestricted free agents after this season. The question is: To sign or not to sign? You make the call.
Stats thanks to NHLPA.com
[b]
Mikka Kiprusoff[/b]
Mikka's stats from last year were: 74 game...
Just in case people forgot who Steve Downie is. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Fidlin/2005/10/31/1286377-sun.html
Interesting to see that the guy doesn't even make it to the regular season before he fully establishes himself as a gutless player at the NHL level. Very dissapointing to see rookies potentially destroying the career of the veteran players in the hop...
Took in the FLyers-Sens game last night. *YAWN* pre-season hockey is less than desirable. Even the kids trying to earn roster spots did themselves no favours last night.
Nycholat fit in on the Sens blueline without any problem, he is clearly ready for a roster spot. I would say it comes at the expense of Schubert. I cannot imagine any sens fans complaining about tha...
Here's an oldie but goodie to share with you, originally written Aug 21st.
For the newest expert criticism, see my newest team blog which takes on ESPN and E.J. Hradek: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=9654
[b]The Experts?[/b]
So you are at your local magazine shop, or perhaps you are perusing your usual sports website...and suddenly you see a Hockey fo...
Two youngsters trying to make the Sharks NHL roster suffered setbacks in a shootout loss to the Calgary Flames Tuesday.
In the first period, forward Tomas Plihal was hit along the boards by Flame David Hale. While the severity of the injury of the injury to Plihal's shoulder was not immediately known, he did not return to the game. More to come as it's known, but it's...
Since the issue seems to have overtaken all else in the hockey world in terms of importance and exposure, I figure the Downie hit is as good of a play as any to spark my first commentary on hockeybuzz.
First off, due to some frustrating technical problems with the NHL Center Ice Online package, I was unable to see the hit live, but I did listen to the audio feed from th...
Welcome to my first blog...ever. After reading the comments from so many disgruntled Leafs fans, and watching the Leafs pre-season games as of late I felt I had to start my own blog so I could throw my own 2 cents into the mix. My message to leafs nation: Calm down.
Every move the Leafs make is scrutinized over and over again by the fans, and the media. Folks, this is p...
One has to wonder who paid the most attention to the Anaheim/Ottawa finals - where despite the Senators finally being able to put it together to dispatch a myriad of good to excellent teams, they got run over by a meaner and tougher team who simply shut them down. It was clear on paper and it was even clearer as the games went on.
So now you have to wonder how much GM G...
sstrang writes...
Another myhockeybuzz predictons blog no one will read...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Everyone does them and for my own sheer amusement (and to see my name on a website....) here goes:
Western Conference
1. San Jose
2. Detroit
3. Vancouver
4. Anaheim
5. Calgary
6. Colorado
7. Minnesota
8. St. Louis
9. Nashville
10. Dallas
11. Los Angeles
12. Edmonton
13. Chicago
14. Columbus
15. Phoenix
(1) San Jose vs. (8) St. Louis - San Jose in 4
...
Today blog is on another blog questions. So I force some of my friends to pick
What is your favorite hockey memory while growing up?
ZenSisyphus
Well, this is going to go down as the most common "best" memory, but I have to say the Miracle has to be it. I grew up in Colorado, and at the time our NHL team wasn't televised very frequently (maybe not at all), and ou...
Jon Jordan writes...
Isles/Rangers, Round 2: Live on NHL Center Ice Online!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Round one on Monday night featured 10 fights, including the goaltenders squaring off, 6 ejections and 9 goals ... and, oh yeah, it also went to overtime!
Round two happens live tonight on NHL Center Ice Online through Islanders TV!
We're talking Islanders/Rangers, folks and, yes it is still the preseason but if Monday's contest is any indication, this one should be a...
In the past week we have had a front row seat to see how the current review committee, and Colin Cambell, determine player suspensions. We all saw the hit, the coaches responses, player responses, media input, public outcry, etc, etc etc. Its a long, and flawed, system that in the end determines a punishment which is usually met with and equal amount of approval and displ...
Mark Smith is a Flame.
A signing by Darryl Sutter. Keenan had no decision on the matter. Mark smith a versatile role player who can fill on the top lines. His departure from the Sharks was due to the fact that he would not get much playing time in a team as deep in forwards as San Jose. Mark Smith tried out also with the Ranger who offered him a two way contract.
...
Following the lines from the last two practices, for the most part...
Marleau Thornton Chechoo
Clowe Pavelski Bernier
Michalek Roenick Setoguchi
Rissmiller Goc Grier
McLaren Ehrhoff
Vlasic Murray
Davison Carle
Nabokov
Patzold
For Calgary:
Tanguay Conroy Iginla
Nilsson Smith Huselius
Moss Primeau Yelle
Godard Boyd Peters
Aucion Regehr
Phaneuf Sari...
As promised I am following up my dark horse blog with my predictions blog. Very unique I know. No playoff predictions though, way too early for those. With that said, let’s start in the West.
[b]
[u]Western Conference[/u][/b]
[u]Pacific Division[/u]
1. [b]San Jose Sharks[/b]: Probably the deepest team in the league. Tons of offensive skill led by Joe Thornton, Pat...
Derek Roy must of been listening to some old school Smash Mouth over the off season because the 11 points in 4 games he played is insane. His +/- is sitting pretty at +8. Roy is working extremely hard on the ice and is showing to become a leader this year.
I am one to say when I am wrong because it happens and in these cases I am glad I have been wrong so far. ...
Rob Kerr was saying the same things last night; the preseason dousn't mean much, but you gotta be worried. Keenan openly admited the boys havent had much practice time, on some occasions they were NHL veterans getting beaten by minor leaguers.
One can use the excuse that it's just preseason, unfortunately now the bets are off. A record under .500... hell .700 is just u...
Good things to take away from last night's win:
1. Mike Comrie scored with a Bill Guerin assist. They just continue to produce on that first line. Ruslan Fedotenko is the unsung hero of this line, even when not on the stat chart, he does things that help his linemates pass and score.
2. Miroslav Satan scored two goals. We can talk about that 1st line all we want, but...
It's not just me is it?
When watching a game on Versus you can't help but notice that the two guys in the booth talk about everything but what's happeneing on the ice. Why? Are we spoiled by great play by play guys like Jeanerette and Cole? Are the VS guys not supposed to call the game? What gives?
The only folks I've spoken to who like the VS broadcast are Hurricans...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:JQoW24FMrCAdvM:http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_pictures/grail/large/HolyGrail005.jpg[/img]
[b]The National League East as portrayed by Monty Python:[/b]
MLB: Bring out yer dead.
The Mets: Here's one.
MLB: That'll be ninepence.
The Phillies: I'm not dead.
MLB: What?
The Mets: Nothing. There's your ninepence.
The Phillies: I'm...
I have to say, i am very anxious after watching the pre-season. The two maple leaf goalies that were supposed to push each other were not very good. Toskala did not even win a game in the pre-season. Now that is in the past, my question is, who will be starting in net against the Senators on Wednesday? Toskala was booed by the home crowd, so he may take that game off, howe...
By Tuesday Afternoon, the Isles are expected to FINALLY release the upcomign roster for the season. Reports coming out now still have Berard unsigned, but Berard has no plans to sign elsewhere, and is willing to wait for Snow and Nolan to sort out the mess of fowards..
The Clock is back on you Snowy.. you got Less than 12 Hours to decide!
[url]http://weblogs.newsday....
It's done. Of course, as I sit and wait for people to get back to me on who is on the ice in Syosset, the Islander's finally announce it:
[b]DEFENSE[/b] Berard waiting for trade to make room there is likely
They are carrying 8 for now
2 Aaron Johnson
8 Bruno Gervais
14 Chris Campoli
24 Radek Martinek
25 Andy Sutton
32 Brendan Witt
44 Freddy Meyer
47 Ma...
I have no facts. I have no stats. I have no research, quotes, contacts.
All I have is my opinion, but, as most of you know (begrudgingly), that is worth a fair bit.
Did you come here for an in-depth analysis of teams, perhaps hoping for some outside speculation about your home team? If so, leave now. It will spare you disappointment beyond the shame you must feel ...
First off, Go Leafs Go. I will be watching the game on TSN tonight with my 5 month old son, this will be the first NHL game he has ever seen and I am excited! He will likely not understand whats going on, but being a die-hard Leafs fan, I feel it is important he is exposed to the blue and white at an early age! I will remember this night forever as the first time my son an...
I starting thinking about the roster decisions yesterday as I waited with extreme curiosity to what [b]Ted Nolan's[/b] take on the decisions made would be. I, like many of you, did not understand why Hilbert was on the 2nd line. Or why the gaggle of dmen still stood as a gaggle of dmen on the NHL roster. And I began to see it from another angle:
[b]When a 2nd Line isn...
As a general rule, I am done with making predictions as they pertain to the world of sports. This offseason, I had a blog titled, "Ryan Smyth [b][i]WILL[/b][/i] Remain an Islander." I also predicted that the New York Mets would once again run away with the National League East Title. (Ugh.) On the demerits of these two statements alone, I should be permanently banned from ...
[b]Question 1:[/b]
[i]Is Berard on this team or what?[/i]
All signs are to YES. Bryan Berard has been working out with the team, and also on the ice leading the powerplay. So evidently a contract is being hashed out between his agent and the team.
[b]Question 2:[/b]
[i]Trade happening?[/i]
This is unclear right now, even with so many Isles dmen sitting around....
[b]Originally posted on [url]www.PredNation.com[/url][/b]
This article must begin with apologies on my part for the delays in posting this article. I’ve mentioned several times before that I’m not a journalist. A combination of my real job as a software engineer as well as a couple of rounds of illness has managed to really put a dent into my schedule.
The dela...
[b]THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN THE NHL: THE ALBERTA CIVIL WAR[/b]
This Blog is one of a series of blog suggestions from my friends at HockeyBuzz site
his name was drjsay. I would also love to thank Patrick Hoffman he did a real nice job on editiing my blog thanks again Pat.
[b]EDMONTON OILERS
MOST MEMEORABLE FORWARDS[/b]
I remember the four years that Wayne Gretz...
I walk to work with a kick to my step. Not that it's that great of a day. A foggy murk lays about the morning like a Yashin knee-injury. The air is humid. The city is its usual stale self. I walk outside MSG, home of our dreaded rivals. They won their first game, kicking off two lackluster periods where they were being booed by opening night fans. Chris Drury scored the ga...
Actually it wasn't that bad. However, had I wrote this blog last night when I was running around downtown Vancouver, inebriated and cursing Anders Eriksson aloud for the whole world to hear, I would have written a totally different story.
What cost us the game last night? Our defense. Plain and simple. Now, its early, I'll give us that. And aside from the first 15 min...
When you have Dion Phaneuf, Robin Regehr, Cory Sarich, Rhett Warrener or even Adrian Aucoin, why is Anders Eriksson on the ice with less than two minutes to go? The fact that Eriksson decided to pick up the pick and skate towards the mass group of players at the bench didn't worry me. I expected him to have his head up, see the large obstacle and quickly circle back into...
Statement made. That's the way I look at last night's 4-0 Predators win over the Colorado Avalanche. Statement made.
Yes I know that one game does not a season make but Colorado is a good team...a team everyone is predicting to make the playoffs. They are loaded with fire power and the off-season addition of Ryan Smyth gives this team yet another weapon. None the...
After the first two games of the season here are a few thoughts
The Leafs started the season with two games against the defending Eastern Conference champions and started 0-1-1. When you look at the record it's not really that impressive in fact it's kind of ugly. With that being said all I have to say is don't worry fellow Leaf fans it could be a lot worse. The Leaf...
First off, on my last blog, I lied. The Phoenix Coyotes are not just ready yet for a playoff run. After plenty of thought, I made my decisions. Before I go ranting on about how the season starts, let me publish here and now the season predictions I have going on:
Eastern Conference:
1) Ottawa
2) New York Rangers
3) Atlanta
4) Pittsburgh
5) Buffalo
6) Tampa Bay
...
B.D. Gallof writes...
View From The Blog Box: Isles Home Opener is a Win!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I am sitting in an empty blog box, watching them practice the opening to the Isles home opener. I am jawing with one of the staff, as they work out the kinks with the sequences that includes kid skaters who will be dragging an American flag across the ice.
As I sit here, I can see that Eklund, and now Newsday have already reported that Meyer has been put on waivers. An...
Did anyone see the Canucks and Calgary? Decent game - teams swapping dominance and then fighting it out. My player of the game is Aaron Miller apart from the whole almost-breaking-Luongo thing. He's the Willie Mitchell of '07-08 (but for cheap!).
Hughson said "This game [b]deserves[/b] another five minutes!" and luckily it worked out in Vancouver's favour. Teams in ...
Hey all, I'm back. Wow!!! what a couple of days for the Islanders as they sweep the home and home against Buffalo and shining brightly throughout are our new players, especially Mike Comrie. Comrie is really starting to shine and prove himself as player and I am sensing a breakout year for him due to his incredible skill play against Buffalo, not to mention 4 goals in 2 ga...
yes you can salvage something from the first two flames' games of the season. two good comebacks, 4 goals for langkow, brief periods of astonishment from kipper, but all in all.. we sucked.
at least the energy was there the second time around. moderately. as an aside, i actually would have found the games more exciting watching them on CBC than being 20 feet from the...
Oh, my Red Wings! The lines seem to be starting to come together, and things are starting to click a little......but......
Granted, last night's shootout loss at Chicago followed the loss of Franzen and some shuffling of lines, but the Wings have always shuffled lines and often just because they could. What the Wings haven't always done is scrambled in their own...
If you haven't gone on TSN's website yet, Toronto's Jason Blake has been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), an uncommon form of cancer. Blake is the second player in as many years to be diagnosed with cancer (the other being Masterton Trophy winner Phil Kessel). He announced the diagnosis today on the Leafs' website. Just as a side note, LEAFS STILL SUCK...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Columbus Day: Discover the Isles vs Washington at 2pm
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
While some celebrate Columbus Day, where he discovered the Americas in 1492. Well, he didn't really. The Vikings and even the Chinese actually might have found these lands long before. But, what is more important is that in 2007-2008 season, the NY Islanders found their first line and some offensive threa...
Did the departure of two good hockey players really make the Buffalo Sabres that much worse? After watching the Islanders sweep Buffalo this past weekend, folks are starting to wonder.
It is only two games, but that is more than enough for some fans to hit the panic button and start throwing the blame around.
The co-captains are gone. The defense is lousy. Miller ...
It was the biggest news of the NHL offseason - The Rangers went out and spent 87 million locking up both Chris Drury and Scott Gomez to long term deals this past Summer. The Rangers, who finished 6th last season in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year, immediately declared themselves as contenders to the rest of the NHL. Many experts have them picked at o...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
It was a strange sight to see my name on Sport Illustrated, yet there it was:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/richard_deitsch/10/08/islanders.bloggers/index.html
So, for those checking in to see what it is all about, here are some blogs worth reading that run the gamut from the [b]Island...
All Non-Toronto Maple Leaf fans....exit this page, All the blue and white loyals...read on.
Imagine, Mats Sundin's possible last year, the season where Mark Bell was sentenced to serve time in the slammer, a new goalie, new 40 goal scorer. What if all of this was capped off by a Stanley Cup? Honestly, 3 games in, this season has been already extra ordinary.
I...
[b]CALGARY FLAMES
MOST MEMEORABLE FORWARDS[/b]
My favorite Flame player is Hakan Loob. He was the first Swedish born player to score fifty goals in the NHL. He had speed to burn and quick a release on his wrist shot.
The second forward I would like to mention is Joe Nieuwendyk. He was the best rookie the Flames had, scoring fifty goals in his first year. Joe could...
I like most Toronto Maple Leaf fans, and hockey fans in general was shocked by the announcement that Toronto forward Jason Blake was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. I must say that the Leafs management did something right for once and handled this situation with the utmost class, offering Blake time off, whatever he wants. I have new found respect for Jason Bl...
It is far too early to tell if the Columbus Blue Jackets are as improved as they claim they are, but Friday night's 4-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks is definitely a stepping stone.
Last season, the Jackets were often guilty (okay, very often) of playing for 40 minutes, sometimes less. They came out with fantastic energy and played in-your-face for two periods, and once t...
[i]The Bloggerazzi Peeks Out From Beneath An Article About The Isles Blog Box[/i]
As soon as the Sports Illustrated article hit the wire, I waited for it. That invariable swipe by those in a malleable establishment to judge and pigeonhole the Islander Blog Box. It didn't take long. The bash was led by one who was at the very most top of the hockey blogging food chain....
It may only be one early season game, but it has the opportunity to be so much more - especially for the Islanders.
Sure, they had a doozy of a preseason game but (to borrow a phrase from Major League Baseball's All-Star Game) [i][b]this time, it counts[/b][/i]. (And far more than a mid-season exhibition baseball game, mind you!)
Both teams, really, have a lot riding...
The Atlanta Thrashers fan base is small. There it is; no arguments here. The team is second fiddle to several other teams in the Atlanta area including college football teams from Georgia and Georgia Tech, the Braves, and even the Falcons (still!). Hockey has yet to grab the sports fans in Atlanta like the True Blue fans wish it did. Atlanta sports fans wanted to jump on t...
The Sharks end their season opening 4 game road trip in Chicago tonight. San Jose is coming off an embarrassing loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. With a win tonight the Sharks can come home 2-1-1 and earning a point in 3 of the 4 road games. Not bad considering the team has looked like they have been going in and out of cruise control in all 3 games leading up to t...
The Flames play their third game and first of the season on the road tonight, against the powerful Detroit Red Wings. The Wings have gotten off to a 2-0-1 start and are better than the Flames in almost every statistical category thus far into the season. The Flames have won twice at the Joe Louis Arena in the past 6 attempts, last winning in December of 2005.
The F...
For anybody who was wondering (which quite possibly is nobody...haha) I never did write part 3 of Living up to the Big Bucks.
There are some interesting stories developing already in this young NHL season; The Avalanche led by sophomore Paul Stastny, the Edmonton Oilers starting 2-0 against two tough teams, the Defending Champion Ducks starting 1-3, and the Capitals sta...
mapleleaf92 writes...
The Maurice Gurantee already in danger not Toskala's Fault
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Leaf fans, on October 9th 2007, we have been disgraced 7-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes. So early in the season, the leafs defense has collapsed us, and Vesa Toskala.
You may all remember Maurice guaranteeing us a playoff series in Toronto. Last night's efforts made him look bad. It started on William's goal. He was wide open and was able to walk in about 4 feet before sna...
Due to the injury to Johann Franzen (out 3-4 weeks), Mike Babcock has changed up his lines, shortened his bench, and Matt Ellis is in the lineup in a 4th line role. The thing is, the line combinations other than Zetterberg/Holmstrom/Datsyuk seem to be set in quicksand, and even that line gets the "mixmaster" approach every now and again.
In tonight's 4-2 victory ov...
[b]HISTORY[/b]
Have you ever lost your girlfriend to your best friend? Have you ever had your legs waxed? Has you mom asked you “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” Has your boss or your wife told you to get up and go do something?
Think back so you can have an idea on how these two cities feel about each other. I remember in my teens and early twenties...
[i]"There are must win games in October."[/i] - Islander captain Bill Guerin.
Yesterday I briefly blogged on how last night's game vs. the Rangers was "statement time" for the Islanders. The 2-1 Isles victory may not have been domination, by any stretch, but the win over the heavily hyped, heavily favored (and heavily paid) rival Rangers was huge for the hard working cr...
The Flames don't show up in the month of October. Kiprusoff is always rusty. Iginla usually starts slow. The Flames just don't come out of the gate hard.
I am sick and tired of hearing about that. It is time to stop being okay with that and actually do something about it. All the players are saying the right things: We need to be better ... we can be better ... w...
Year after year the Toronto Maple Leafs make big off season changes in a hope end the 40 year Stanley Cup drought. This off season was no different. Trading the 1st round pick in last years NHL entry draft for goaltender Vesa Toskala & forward Mark Bell, and signing 40-goal man & unrestricted free agent to a 5-year/$20 Million contract. The Leafs management faile...
Anyone still looking for my cannon past the Bloggerazzi's bow: http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=567&post_id=2810
But, enough on that. Now onto Toronto:
Bury them.
Toronto, a team that should be a winner, in a city that is hockey-crazed. I remember my brother and I heading there and experiencing the Ottawa vs Toronto game, smashed at some bar, along w...
I have decided to start up my own little blog entry, similar to the players of the week. Except it will be the Hero and Zero, (although I may add a couple of sidekicks for the Hero if I feel it is necessary), pretty self explanatory I think so I will just get right into it for week one.
HERO:
[img:left]http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/1/12/230px-P...
First off, everything I said yesterday and earlier on in the year still applies ... I am still wildly optimistic about this team.
Losses happen.
Even 8-1's happen.
But this "post-Ranger game" thing ... it's gotta stop. And it's gotta stop [i][b]this season[/b][/i].
Why? Because when you muster up a solid game like last night's 2-1 win over your [i][b]hated[/b][...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/enemywithinisles.jpg[/img]
The Isles flew out from LI the other day on a high. A 3-1 record, their only loss outplaying, outshooting, but not out scoring Washington and Kolzig. Everyone was happy, everyone was chipper.
But then something happened on the way to Toronto. A transporter malfunction seemed to come into play, and the plan...
Just days after winning their first game of the season, the Devils headed back to the land of Sun and Fun. This time around, God's waiting room was less kind to the Devils. The Panthers earned their 1st. victory and goosegged the nomads from New Jersey.
Sutter become unhinged after Olesz potted his first on the season. Sutter felt that Stumpel did take down Oduya and...
The Flyers need to get their act together, Boulerice deserved 25 games and I hope he doesn’t play for the Flyers again.
Jim Basillie will end up buying the Preds, this will be good news for Canada and bad news for Kansas City, in the long run this will benefit the NHL, not sure if Bettman can figure that out.
I still can’t get over the Bills Cowboys game from Mon...
I'm gonna go on a long flames blog, so first off, I'd like to say that the Stars played wonderfully. Their transition from skilled offense to stifling defense yesterday is only more of a omen of how far they should go in the playoffs and how deep their team really is. IMO they're only a power left winger away from getting to at least the conference final. Its nice to see R...
Ryan Kennedy had an interesting article "Ice-Girl Dilemma" at the THN.com blog on 10/12/07. It was a surprise to me to learn that 17 NHL teams actually have so-called cheerleading groups. I guess too many women no longer think it demeaning to be hired simply for the purpose of having lecherous creeps oggle them as a prelude to exploiting them. We know this is true becaus...
Ducks versus Wild tonight at 5pm PST at the Honda Center. I'll be there early for warm ups. Just in case.
"Should be a good old fashioned grudge match, so come on down. Bring the kids. There are still plenty of seats available at the War Memorial."
During game 5 of the Ducks v. Wild playoffs last season, the pregame action was gnarly. First off, the Wild were ...
The 2007-2008 season is only four games old, but a disturbing trend has already settled in with the Blue Jackets.
After a solid team performance in the home opener against Anaheim, Columbus traveled to Minnesota the next night and played another good team game, albeit for 40 minutes.
During the third period of that game, the Jackets diverted from their game plan and...
Sun, 14 Oct 2007 8:44pm
I sit here writing this from my Blackberry, soaking down a brew and smoking a stogie on this brisk autumn eve.I feel a bit like the Isles in that I've had a tough weekend of work, actually hit with three huge deadlines at my job, just as we are understaffed. I won't bore you with the details, just that after giving close to 15 extra hours of my t...
I've seen the replay of the Weller Tootoo dust up about 15 times at least. Here's my opinion for what it's worth and I've been throwing it around since the Sutton hit and no one's paid me a dime.
The Tootoo hit was at least as bad as the Downie hit. Both hits were against a guy coming around the net and not paying attention but Downie stopped skating at the blue line, ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Who's Line is it Anyway? Guerin to 3rd line. Hunter to 1st.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img:left]http://boredplanet.com/img/whosline.jpg[/img]
Upon a 3-3 start, which isn't bad. But then again, if you hold the "not bad" mantra, than you are not buying into the Isles brass and player expectation to be a playoff team. So, 3-3 is, in lieu of that, not acceptable. Furthermore, some habits and tendencies have been seen and adjustments seem to be being made.
...
The answer is: Future considerations. The question: What was Larry Murphy traded away from the Leafs for?
And in my limited research, I can't find what those considerations were, except for two-thirds of Murphy's Detroit salary being paid by the Leafs. Basically, they paid to get rid of him.
Now, media seem to look back on the booing as just Toronto taking our their ...
aisforaaron83 writes...
10/17/2007 - looking forward to Columbus tonight.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
the lines at practive today were...
Hagman - Modano - Lehtinen
Morrow - Ribeiro - Eriksson
Lundqvist - Halpern - Miettinen
Jokinen - Barnes - Winchester
Fedoruk - Ott - Barch
Daley - Zubov
Norstrom - Robidas
Niskanen - Boucher
OK, so I hope this is not the exact example for what will be played in the game tonight....
I dont like Hagman with Mo and Lehts, ...
Stars eek out the win in the shootout. Smitty is perfect against the 6 shootout shooters he has faced. Jussi got the only shootout goal for dallas to put us on top. He looked like he was going to swing wide and try the dangle he is known for, but he saw that Norrena was expecting that and turned with the puck to slide it, more forcefully, in the puck-sized hole between the...
The Blues finally put the POWER back into the power play last night against the 'hawks. PP goals from Kariya and Walt on sweet feeds from Stempy and Boyes and we're back in business!
Prior to last night, the 'note had been scuffelling along at a 9.something % clip. 2 fer 20 something (research smesearch) and OH fer eleven since rook Erik Johnson scored the game winn...
So, I'm officially [i][b]loving[/b][/i] this whole Billy Guerin, Islander captain thing!
In the preseason, I made a sarcastic comment along the lines of, "[i]Hey, a captain willing to fight! How about that?[/i]" That wasn't so much a tip of the cap to Guerin as it was one more, "Piss off!" to Alexei Yashin (whose name I will now refuse to utter ever again in my blog. In...
The Isles came to Washington last night with a lot of questions, being put back to earth with a .500 record. However, some of those got answered last night with wild game that saw [b]Bill Guerin[/b] tear it up with 3 goals, and a stellar performance by [b]Rick DiPietro[/b] in goal.
By no means was this a one-sided affair. Before Guerin led them to closing the Capitals o...
Another blog in a series of blogs that focus on the game outside of scores and reviews, here's one that deals with band wagons and jumping ship...
There are purists out there (mostly Leaf and Hab fans) that believe you root for one team your whole life - win or lose, whiners or not - they are YOUR team. I do believe that once you are grown up enough to make a tough deci...
No Eriksson can't be bad. But at the beginning it looked similar to the Philly game. Down 2-0 primarily due to power plays for the Kings. The Flames had some pressure but couldn't build momentum in that first. They were getting out shot, it was not pretty.
The Conroy trip was an awful call. Fortunately they killed that one off. Aubin gave up a soft one to let the ...
The Good The Bad and the UGLY.
The Good
Randy Jones, seriously Randy you aren’t Bobby Orr.
Anze Kopitar, this kid is only 20 wow what a future he has
Marty Biron, the Flyers have a goalie making saves I’ve seen it all.
The Minnesota Wild, they look like a heck of a team so far
My hustle, I’m still back checking at 38, that’s pretty solid
Jason ...
I haven't had the opportunity to watch many Flames games this year while living in Vancouver, but of the games I have watched, this was Calgary's best game.
I slam Dwayne Roloson every chance I get. I feel he's the most overrated goaltender in the league. But he's played well in both of the last 2 games. If he continues to play well, it should allow the Oil to gain...
No, Im not an Islander fan. This is coming from a die-hard Rangers fan who knows an undeniable fact when he sees one.
The Rangers came off a brilliant second half and playoffs last season and looking poised to make a Cup run. [img:left]http://ordinaryleastsquare.typepad.com/blueshirtbulletin/images/jagrgroin.jpg [/img]In the offseason they added Drury and Gomez and los...
What made the person or persons who own the Philadelphia and New York franchises to name their teams the Flyers and Rangers respectively? What possesses you to call your team the Lightning or the Canadiens?
Let's start with the some original six teams, some that still might have some meaning.
[b]The Montreal Canadiens:[/b] Canadiens represented the nationality of th...
Today I decided I was feeling energetic enough to write 2 blogs.
With the Flames on a 7-game home stand and playing 6 games in 11 nights and playing pretty decent these days - I thought it was high time I found something that could keep my wife entertained each of those nights.
The first thought was to leave it in the capable hands of my 15-month old son. If anyone ...
and are outplayed by their lesser known mates, what should a coach do? During the last game the Ducks played against the Dallas Stars, there was one Duck who stood out against his other teammates - Drew Miller. The younger brother of Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, scored his 1st NHL goal the game before against the Nashville Preds and the excitement of that event clearly car...
Just when you were wondering: Why are the Isles carrying so many defensemen?
Just announced by the Isles:
[i]Islanders defenseman [b]Bryan Berard[/b] will be sidelined approximately 2-4 weeks with a groin injury suffered during the team's 4-3 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum.
Berard two goals and two assists for ...
First and foremost, this is my first blog and I will hopefully get the hang of this very shortly. I am a sophomore student at Connecticut College and I am a tremendous New York Islanders Fan. Although I attend college in Connecticut, I still have season tickets for the past 5 years (obviously excluding the lockout season), and I attend an average of 36 games at the ...
-As I stated in my last blog, I have some basic predictions for the output we can expect for some of our players this year. I obviously am making these predictions based on what I have seen thus far, and please feel free to leave your own predictions or comment on mine:
-[u]Forwards[/u]:
Comrie: 36 Goals, 35 Assists
Guerin: 27 Goals, 40 Assists
Fedotenko: 2...
Another fantastic Islander win Saturday night, this time in OT against the rival Devils, has Islander nation buzzing with excitement. Personally, I went to bed with a huge smile on my face after Bill Guerin's OT winner, just [i][b]completely [/b][/i]unable to wait for the next game!
This wasn't a back to back weekend, though, so no game Sunday ...
No Islanders to riv...
Well, as this long week of no Islander's hockey continues because of a terrible NHL schedule as usual, we can definitely take the time to think about our season thus far. Specifically the injuries to Jon Sim, Bryan Berard, and our offense and defense.
-[u]Jon Sim[/u]: I don't know about the rest of you, but this is definitely one of the most dissappo...
The Pens take on the Leafs for the second time this season tomorrow night in Pittsburgh. If the last time these two met up was any indication for the rest of the season's meetings, then I'd say we're in for another scoring frenzy.
Ten goals were scored between the two last game, as the Penguins rallied to win by the final of 6-4 after an empty netter from Maxime Talbot ...
Sometime over the course of this week, I lost it. I shouted from the window at work, as if I was the publishing version of Howard Beale:
[b]'I'm pissed off and I'm not going to take it anymore!'[/b]
Unfortunately, my only reaction was some homeless man cheering, yelling me to jump. Heathens in this town.
What in hell was the NHL thinking? Herr Bettman, I'm goin...
After a long day at work I climbed into my car and was welcomed by hall of fame play by play anouncer Peter Mahr, the Flames Vs. Wild game was just starting. I've been in a bad mood for two days at this point with the lack luster and lopsided defeat to the sharks still very fresh in my mind, I'm hoping against hope that the Flames can overcome the odds and beat the only un...
The FlyerFly writes...
10/25- Late Defensive Gaff Dooms Flyers To 5-2 Loss In Tampa
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Through the first 8 games of the season, Kimmo Timonen has been the solid defensive presence the Flyers hoped for when he was acquired just ahead of the opening of free agency. But it's safe to say that Timonen wishes he had this one game back. A late miscue in his own zone led to an errant pass attempt to Danny Briere and a turnover that eventually ended up in the Flyer...
-
An Eduoard Newsy Lalonde C55 1910-11 Imperial Tobacco hockey card, graded 3 out of 10, has sold for $100K tying the record for the most paid for a hockey card. In April 2007 the record was set by a C56 1911-12 Georges Vezina rookie card graded in mint condition.
You can read about the Vezina Card Sale at:
[url]http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/articles/vezina-rc-10...
I'm sitting here in Uniondale talking about life, liberty and blogging with my fellow blog-boxer in Kevin Rosenblatt, who has an excellent blog http://islandersoutsider.blogspot.com as the Islanders Outsider. We are commiserating on our career paths, which are a lot alike.
Word has come down on Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who was hit from behind by Randy Jones from Phil...
The two best teams in the Pacific Division in this early NHL season faced off against each other Monday night. The "struggling" San Jose Sharks were at Dallas facing Marty Turco and the Stars.
The Sharks have only gotten a win when playing Turco 5 times out of the previous 25 games before tonight. Coming off their two "worst" games of the season, many were expecting San...
Miikka Kiprusoff was born in Turko Finland in October of 1976. He was just rewarded, for his 31st birthday, with a $35 million dollar contract over the next 6 years. [img:right]http://nhlpa.com/Player_Pics/2873.jpg[/img]
That's quite a lot of money for a player who: hasn't played in 250 games yet, hasn't won more than 125 wins in the regular season, and hasn't won a S...
Just teasing...
He isn't known for his playmaking, but he had some great assists last night. That Shanny goal was purty.
He's also great on the PK, and he backchecks very well. He's the defensive positive of Ortmeyer, but he can actually stick handle.
He's had some bad luck offensively. He was robbed twice by Brodeur, and I think he was also open-net robbed agains...
Chris Mason will be back in goal tonight for the Predators as they face the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome. Tonight begins the first of a stretch of five road games for the Predators and all are against worthy opponents. No off nights here. The Western Canada swing is always a tough one for any team then they follow it up with stops in Chicago and Detroit before he...
"I find your lack of faith...disturbing"
- Darth Vader
I feel Gary Bettman's hand around my neck. Or perhaps, like Darth Vader, he's using the force to clamp my ability to breathe. Hockey has been just too few and far between. The schedule this season is just screwy and self-destructive to the game.
2006 11 games:
Oct 5, 2006 AWAY Coyotes
Oct 7, 2006 AWAY Shar...
The announcement had hardly finished leaving Darryl Sutter's lips, and the jury was already out on newly appointed Calgary Flames head coach "Iron" Mike Keenan, and to no real surprise. Keenan is the poster boy for a roller coaster career, with few other bench bosses experiencing the ups and downs quite like he did. This Flames fan, however, held his tongue. Any reasonable...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/greatpumpkin.jpg[/img]
[b]The Great Pumpkin, Gary Bettman[/b]
A Thumb-in-Mouth Commentary
B.D. Gallof
Dear Great Pumpkin,
I am looking forward to your arrival on Halloween night. I hope you will bring me lots of presents. For it is another season of hockey. Despite the NHL's pigeonhole into the depths of Comcast's outhou...
I knew it would come, of course ... eventually ... (and I'm not talking about the Islanders next game, though it does seem like, oh, I don't know, ABOUT SIX YEARS SINCE THEIR LAST ONE!) I digress ...
I knew that, inevitably, the first Isles/Lightning game of the year would arrive and that I may have to field all sorts of questions about my allegiance(s) once again. You ...
Great insight on it, it's going to be a great game to say the least. Expect guys like Nolan, Sarich, and Conroy to stand out tonight. They're the guys who can stick to a Red Wing like glue and keep the forecheck energized.
I attended the Nashville game a couple days ago and I wasn't satisfied with the play of both Nashville and the Flames. Both teams didnt bring any so...
For those who haven't noticed, NHL Network (SD and HD) has launched on DirecTV channel 215 and it is automatically available to anyone who purchases the NHL Center Ice Package through DirecTV.
If you do not have Center Ice, you can still receive the NHL Network with a subscription through the "Choice Xtra" package.
Hey pens fans,
Well, tonight the Pens lost to the Avalanche 3-2. Crosby had both goals and the Pens were up 2-0. The second period was a bit of a disaster for the Pens and the third period was scoreless. Crosby played a great game and I am not just saying that because he scored 2 goals. Sidney played like a man possessed on both ends of the ice. It was a strong game ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Sillinger's Night of 1000 Games: Isles Beat Tampa 4-0
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
So finally, here we are. A game. Tampa comes to town off a bad loss. Hmmm, don't they all come to town this way. Well, the Isles best be ready. Tampa comes in with defensive inconsistency and no top tier goalie. Even Holmquist is not playing. In goal is Marc Denis. But this will be far from a pushover. Ta...
The FlyerFly writes...
11/2 - Richards Provides Spark, Leads Flyers over Caps
Posted Friday | Comments 0
http://flyerflies.com/main/recaps/07-08/07-11-02.html
Before the opening of the regular season, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Stevens decided to give the alternate captain title to 3rd year center Mike Richards.
Stevens is certainly not regretting that decision early in the Flyers season.
Richards brought the Flyers out of a 1st period funk by winning a ...
Well...not quite the same verse (it would have to have been a shut out to do that) but it was close enough as Dan Ellis led the Preds to a 4-1 victory on the road tonight against the Edmonton Oilers. Once again Ellis made some huge saves at critical times...the toe save against Hemsky when the game was knotted at 1-1 was very big!
Great play tonight from Arnott and Legw...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/superarbour.jpg[/img]
Legends are hard to come by. Yes we hype the hell out of that flavor of the week/month/year. We heap accolades on them. Especially when a sport has been devoid of that and buzz for years. But they haven't accomplished even a dent to surface of what makes a legend. True legends are those we will talk about d...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens played the Isles on the Island. Malone had the Pens' first goal on the night. Tyler Kennedy's first goal that almost was not definetly stands out as a moment to remember. It also put the Pens up 2-0. The Islanders came back to make it 2-1. In the third Satan tied thae game at 2 for the Isles. Satan scores again to make it 3-2 Isles ...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Al Arbour Night: Magic Sweeps Long Island with Win 740!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Please read my Hockeybuzz blog:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=10812
In it you have images and words that try to capture the magic that was a special night for Islander fans.
- BD
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 ...
Wow....a .500 record has never looked so good. After a six game losing streak that had many Preds fans on suicide watch the Preds have turned their season around. Sparked by the great goaltending by Dan Ellis the Preds are in the midst of a 3 game winning streak and have won 5 of their last six. So, what has happened that has caused this turn around.
[b]Dan Ellis:[/b] T...
Funky vibes right from the start. First of all, a pitiful crowd for a NYI/NYR game. I see as many Ranger jerseys as Isles jerseys. Here is a prime example of why Isle fans need to show up for their team. Too many ticket were left available. Now, its not empty. Far from it. But NYI/NYR should be sell-outs, don't you think? Filled in a bit more now. Might be 60/40 Isles to R...
I did not have the privelege of catching the game, largely as a result of my van being pulled over for speeding on the way back from school. Nonetheless, the Rangers lost 3-2 after leading by a goal twice in the 3rd period. The Islanders got goals from Fedotenko and Satan to make it 3-2 after alternate scoring by Drury, Hunter, and Mara.
From looking at the stats, I hav...
Its a sad day for me! Even with all the people who dont like Lindros for what he did not wanting to play for the Nordiques. I over looked that aspect and respecting him as a player, person and somewhat of a childhood idol. I played hockey growning up in the late 80's and 90's in Los Angeles and Gretzky was about to be traded to the Kings. I choose to look up to Lindros sin...
It only seems fitting for the once labeled "The Next One" to have his retirement go unnoticed after all of the troubles Eric Lindros experienced in the NHL. As a Flyers fan, I believe that it's quite sad to see Eric go out this way--just last week I had scoped Youtube to find any tape on Lindros, back when he was with the Flyers, back when his future looked so bright.
...
Hawks Craze writes...
Hawks hand Jackets 1st division loss with 5-2 win
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks have been up and down so far this season, but Denis Savard took action after Sunday's loss against the Predators. Savard stated that the team "needed to change something up". As a Hawks fan, you should know what needed changing after Wednesday's win against Columbus.
Three separate Blackhawks defensemen put goals up on the board, none of which wer...
Right now as it stands the Flames are looking grim, bumping up against the cap with a little wiggle room and sitting at .500, this seems like a great time to make up some trade posibilities and use some facts as well.
Recently there was a rumor circulating that Kovalev was a target of the Calgary Flames for Tanguay, obviously based on the points Tangauy gets and the fac...
It is [i][b]extremely [/b][/i]rare, in these days of rapid player movement and free agency sweepstakes, for a professional athlete to admit that they made a mistake in signing with a new team. It's just about [i][b]nonexistent[/b][/i], actually. While Toronto winger Jason Blake may not have done exactly that in a recent article in the [i]Toronto Sun[/i], he came [i][b]awfu...
KGBflyers10 writes...
Big Win Against Pens; Flyers Face Devils In New Building
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Flyers win 3-1 in Pittsburgh last night. Good win for the Flyboys, who had dropped four of their last six games. I unfortunately was dead tired last night and missed most of the game, however I was fortunate enough to see them take a two goal lead on some very STRONG forechecking. The way the team played when I got the chance to see them last night was much like how they w...
Simply terrible. The Flyers entered the Prudential Center last night hoping things would be different now that the Devils were no longer playing in the Continental Airlines Arena. Yet, the woes were much the same as the Flyers were dropped by the Devils 4-1.
It wasn't much of a game after the first period. Flyers took the lead with Mike Knuble's deflection off Richards...
So far, the young season has provided many highlights for the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets, off to a franchise-record 8-4-2 start.
They have taken full-heartedly to Ken Hitchcock's structured mentality, and using their speed and forecheck to pressure opponents into turnovers. Vintage Ken Hitchcock hockey.
With a team as young as the Jackets, it is plausible to wond...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRCmReg2Ms4
Ok all I think the Flyers made a mistake in not including Mike Richards as one of the Flyers for the All Star game. The folks they picked absolutely should also be there but I think Mike should have been named to the ballot as well.
I am campaigning to get Mike Voted in. Please watch and remember to Vote next week Mike Ric...
I have a report to type up too but here are pics from tonight's game and today's practice. I haven't updated the practice pics yet but take a look. Right now I am off to bed Flyers have practice tomorrow I plan to attend.
Game
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603075918863/
Practice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603067689185/
...
Big win against the Pens for the Flyers. After a lackluster performance against the Devils, the Flyers came out and took a 3-0 lead--shutting down [b]Malkin[/b] and [b]Crosby[/b] for most of the game until Malkin got a nifty pass from [b]Ryan Whitney[/b], which beat Biron badly. Although the Penguins had two power play goals, they were only 2 for 6 and were shut down prett...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/returnoftheking.jpg[/img]
http://new.wavlist.com/movies/093/aod-hailking.wav
Garth Snow hemmed and hawed when he had to figure out a solution to his horde of defensemen at the start of this season. Bryan Berard sat for days waiting as the season started, and all he could do is practice on his own dollar as the Isles looked f...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_PHI_161.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Penguins-1.jpg[/img]
[u][b]Peco Perfect[/b][/u]
[u][b]PECO[/b][/u]
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:kcwzRy_DHguSQM:http://www.handhonline.com/images/PecoEnergy.jpg[/img]
For those of you not familiar with the Delaware Valley of Penn...
As a Chicago Blackhawk fan, I can tell you the excitement and anticipation I've experienced all day long, but I don't want to ramble on and on and on. Not only was Detroit on the schedule for today, Chicago fans experienced a change up if you will.
Rocky Wirtz announced that 7 Blackhawks games would be broadcasted through CSN. The first of course, was televised today w...
Every time Al MacInnis appears on the jumbotron in St. Louis, the crowd cheers. Al MacInnis is a class act, and his Hall of Fame status has been bringing back great memories. Because of my age, most of my memories come from his time in St. Louis, so feel free to add any more in the comments. Here I go:
-His Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe in Calgary. I've only really seen t...
So here we go another year... and another year at that in the shadows of the other various NHL teams. Picked my many so called experts to come in 30th place in the league. Some even went as far as saying "ok 29th at best." But yet another year of the Islanders battling not only for just a playoff spot, but this year it seems the division or home ice advantage in the fir...
This for me is a long time coming. I have been an Islanders fan for as long as I can remember. I was born one day after they last won the cup. My dad says my first game I attended was at the age of one where he caught a puck, i guess i looked like good luck. Well, for the last 24 years I have pretty much nothing but sorrow in my hockey world...that is until Garth Snow ...
[b]Pain[/b]
The Merriam-Webster's dictionary describes the word as follows:
[i]noun[/i]: acute mental or emotional distress or suffering.
We all know the feeling of missing the nail and hitting your thumb with a hammer. We all know the feeling of stepping on a child's toy with an armful of groceries and ending up looking at the ceiling with a swollen ankle. Ya ...
In the summer of 2005, the Gallof boys took a roadtrip to the city of brotherly love. I have been to Philly several times, almost going to college there, but neither of my siblings had ever been there. As we walked the streets on a July 4th weekend, cigars clasped on our maws, looking for a bar with Magic Hat #9 on tap, some local Philadelphian blue-collar man looked at ou...
Yesterday the Islanders found themselves in unfamiliar territory. They were on the road and actually played a game for the second time in a week. All scheduling jokes aside, the team wearing the white sweaters seemed like a very different team that became very used to wearing those home navy blues.
At home in those close battles with division rivals you saw the Isles ...
Scottie Upshall plugged in two goals, and Marty Biron stopped 24 shots as the Flyers roughed up the New York Islanders in more than one way. The Flyers remain undefeated at home this year going 6-0.
Once again the Flyers look fantastic in their transition game. I really haven't seen a bad transition game so far this year, maybe with the exception of the Devils game.
...
Jon Jordan writes...
If He Said It, Sean Avery Deserves Everything He Gets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Howard Berger, you have my utmost support.
Wade Belak, you do too.
If Sean Avery did, in fact, make comments directed at Jason Blake regarding his battle with cancer, bigger questions still remain.
(For the record, I have no reason to believe that he didn't make these comments, considering the source(s) on two levels ... one, it came from Mr. Berger, whose reput...
Sean Avery is a decent hockey player. He can score and pass and skate but his main purpose is to agitate. Nobody can deny that he does that well. Nobody can deny that he helped the Rangers turn around a dismal season last year. Nobody can deny that he disrupted the Thrashers in the playoffs and that it is quite remarkable that he drew diciplined Ilya Kovalchuk into a fight...
[b]A FEW OBSERVATIONS OF MINE
[/b]
I would like to try to figure out why players do not have respect for each other. What exactly goes into a player’s mind when he hits another player from behind? Let me explain something to the hockey player - if you see a hockey number from the back, do not hit him. Then there these stupid head hits. Please explain to me why we m...
The San Jose Sharks are coming off one of their most complete performances of the season. You can almost feel the team beginning to change, turn things around if you will, since JR reached 500. Playing 3 games against the Coyotes in the last week has not been a bad thing either.
The Sharks head to Dallas tonight. The Stars are coming off losses to Phoenix and Los Angel...
Ok, so the Rangers are playing the Devils this evening and I'm pretty amped about it. I haven't been in the Tri-State area for that long but I'm really liking the whole 'Metro Ice Challenge' the Rangers, Devils and Islanders have going on, especially the charity portion of the competition. Apparently the team with the most points and wins is awarded $50,000 to donate to th...
To all Leaf fans around the world, dont you just hate seeing our beloved Maple Leafs lose especially in a tight affair to our hated rivals Les Canadiens. I know i do, i like most Leaf fans would love to see the Leafs go 82-0 in a season but nothing could be further from the truth, though the Leafs do try and try but continue to give away all the points that they can. The L...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Sam Rosen Reports: Blake Says Avery Is Innocent
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
During tonight's broadcast of the Rangers-Devils game, Ranger's analyst Sam Rosen said that he spoke to Jason Blake. Blake told him that he did not hear Avery make those comments. Assuming that Sam Rosen isnt lying and Blake isnt deaf, this means the Avery did not make a "cancer" remark to Blake.
Now the blame shifts to whoever created this rumor. It is a terrible thing...
Hockey fans like to think tradition is important in our sport. While other sports such as basketball and football cater to the flavor of the day, hockey is built on decades of tradition.
We have our own terminologies, many of which have come under assault in recent years. The traditional hockey term of dressing rooms has been replaced by the unoriginal term locker rooms...
[b]The Predators continue their run[/b] against Central division foes as the Chicago Blackhawks come calling tonight. These rejuvenated Hawks are not the same team that has been a cellar dweller for many years. This is a team with young and exciting talent (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews), veteran leadership (Robert Lang and Martin LaPointe) and a solid coach in Dennis Sa...
Howdy Pens Fans! It will be a big night for our men (and boys) in Black and Vegas Gold tonight, as the Islanders come to the Igloo looking to bounce back from a tough 3-2 loss to the Flyers on Monday night.
Tonight marks the first game this season for highly touted defenseman Kris Letang, who was recalled from the baby penguins and he should see some considerable PP...
So a little more than 5 weeks into the NHL season,the Islanders are already proving the so-called 'experts' wrong.Expected to finish dead last once again,we are nearly in 1st place in the Atlantic Division,and have 3-4 games in hand.Last night,I was watching Sportscenter.And then comes the NHL round up on the night,with their 'expert' Barry (Lose the F**king Mullet) Melros...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Islanders 3-2 at the Mellon Arena. Gonchar and Sykora had the first two goals and Georges Laraque got the game winner. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal and was playing like the Fleury we remembered, that had recently seemed like a distant memory. He needed a good game and he got it. This should do wonders for his confidence. ...
[b][i]Fortitude:[/b] mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously.[/i]
[b]That is exactly what the Preds showed last night[/b]. After a solid first period that found the Preds leading 1-0, the Preds were out played by the Blackhawks in the second. While some may say that this was a horribly played period by the Preds ...
For the past year I have been floating this idea around my group of friends regarding an addition or modification to the structure of the salary cap.
I believe I have an idea that will be both beneficial towards the players and their respective teams, while not altering the “competitive balance” amongst NHL teams. This will also award teams for developing and retai...
If you are a die-hard fan of the storied Toronto Maple Leafs, you have felt many years of disappointment. Every September there is hope that this will be the year "we" will end the 40-year Stanley Cup drought. All signs indicate that this Stanley Cup famine will reach at least 41 years.
As a fan of the blue and white I have to say that the salary-cap system is terribl...
Yesterday the seasons seemed to change here in Pittsburgh straight from summer to winter, and this morning around Pittsburgh we saw our first snow on the ground. So with this change it also should be said that the Penguins showed a new face last night in defeating the Isles.
As I wrote yesterday, I felt that the game versus the Isles would show a different Penguins tea...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Central Division Is The Most Competitive in NHL Right Now
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
This fact is proven with the Blackhawks beating the Red Wings for yet a fourth time already this season, keep in mind the Wings only have five regulation losses, with the other coming against another central division team, the Blues.
The Central Division is home to the best team in the Western Conference, the Red Wings, and no other division currently has every single t...
red_avi9 writes...
osgood or hasek? duhhh!...that is until the playoffs start.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
hasek-the wings payed him a salary for what he did last year not taking into account that hes no chelios and hes 42.hes finished ,maybe a couple games left in him.
OZZIE-the man who should be starting on a regular basis is 9-1 and the 2nd best gaa average in the league{not counting sundays 5-4 win against cbj}.OZZIE is a great goalie SO START HIM.
if they both start ...
[b]COLORADO AVALANCHE:
A NATURAL DISASTER
IF YOU HAVE TO PLAY THEM[/b]
My National Team tour leads me to one of the most offensive teams in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Av's most potent weapon is obviously the offense, with way too many players to mention who can put the puck in the net. This team has talent good enough to match up with any team in the...
Sorry it's been a while. I was on deadline in my glorious job in the world of publishing last week, and then, went away for the weekend.
Check out my newest Battle NY: Sibling Rivalry 2, which is a debate with my Ranger fan brother:
http://islanders.hockeybuzz.com/index.php?post_id=11195
Now, let's get to business . . .
So here we are, upon a Monday night dreary...
The Isles put together another defensive gem to beat the Rangers in MSG last night, giving Rick DiPietro 100th win, and fittingly versus his nearest competitor, Henrik Lundquist.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/100wins.jpg[/img]
"Isles Beat Rangers at MSG". A simple title to a simple win. Not easy. But, somehow automatic for a team that in the last several years, ...
The more i continue to watch the play of this New York Islanders team, the more respect I earn for Mr. Snow and the Islanders front office.
Who would think that Josef Vasicek (the last islander pick up in the offseason) would not only be leading the Islanders in goals scored with 8, but also be leading the NHL in shooting % with 33. Again Teddy Nolan is proving to be a ...
So says Islander defenseman Radek Martinek.
This was Martinek's response to how he was told to react to Sean Avery's constant yapping, as he experienced last night in the Islanders 2-1 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps it's something even I should take into consideration.
Martinek has long been a favorite of mine. In fact, I'd call him one of the...
Living in Ottawa, it was natural I would become a Senators' fan after years of cheering for Steve Yzerman and the Wings... Heck, finally I could rant and rave about a team in my own backyard! I could randomly run into players from the NHL on nearly a weekly basis (gotta know the right clubs)...
But, a few years back the team took a huge step in the wrong direction for...
Jsaquella writes...
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly-Flyers deals thru the years
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is a David Letterman-esque list of the best and worst trades in Flyers history-at least in my opinion. I hope you enjoy and have some ideas of your own.
Many, many, many thanks to living hockey encyclopedia Bruce "Scoop" Cooper, who provided a lot of the details on these trades.
[b]The Best[/b]
10. [i]Traded Serge Bernier, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Lesuk to the ...
Save for the drubbing against the Hurricanes, DiPietro has kepted his head in the game, and most importantly his butt in the net.
Tonight is sure to bring on a heart stopping match up of the east's most prolific Power Play Team(MON 11-6-3 25pts) and the Team(NYI 11-6-0 22pts) with the 2nd best penalty killing in the east. Lets examine some numbers for the game.
So ...
So here we are, upon a Thanksgiving, with many fans talking turkey about the dreaded post-Ranger malaise, which we now might need an inoculation for instead of the usual Flu shot. You know the drill. Where the Isles come off a big win with a hazy dull outing the very next game.
Now, despite the denials, there will always be a letdown after a big game, but this was the t...
It had to happen. After all, there were articles on how the Isles were better than predicted. Lots of revisionist pieces from the same usual suspects who slopped down the usual naive vitriol about the Isles at the start of the season. Lots of opened eyes. Lots of kudos. And then they lost two in a row after big wins versus NJ and NYR.
So the panic monkeys all pushed the...
Tonight's game at the Igloo vs. the Atlanta Thrashers will be a true test to see whether the Pens are ready to turn the corner and start heading up the Eastern Conference ladder, up where many hockey pundits predicted they'd be this year.
The Thanksgiving Night victory in Ottawa vs. the high octane Senators was a huge one for the Pens. Another loss, which looked pretty...
What a difference a game makes.
Two nights after Marc-Andre Fleury was yanked after allowing two arguably soft goals in the first period in Ottawa, Penguins coach Michel Therrien came right back with Fleury back at home tonight vs. the Atlanta Thrashers. Fleury did not repeat his poor performance tonight, in fact he made 28 saves in a 5-0 Penguins shutout. The defense...
This blog has been a long time coming. But after reading the ek columns last night regarding the leafs and whether they should clean house or not... then hearing the Flames may be involved if only an e1, doesn't matter, I have to get this off my chest.
I love Darcy Tucker. He's from Alberta, Castor or Byemoor I believe. Anyway, he is a fighter. He's gritty, he can sc...
Don't let anyone ever tell you that hockey is just a physical game. It might be a game of snap decisions on the fly in such a fast-paced flow, but any professional player who has found success has mastered or at least, faced, the mental aspects of competition.
None could tell you a better tale of this process than [b]Andy Hilbert[/b] who hit so many posts, despite his t...
Ok, so I'm pretty obsessed with this challenge so I took it upon myself to post the current standings. The next game isn't far off so it's definitely going to heat up when my friends and I get together to watch it. One of my college friends almost got in a fist fight with some dude at the bar because the Devils are doing so poorly, Metro Ice Challenge-wise.
My New York...
Here’s a note to all local NY media. DO NOT,DO NOT ,DO NOT, mix the Rangers with the Knicks in the same conversation. With all the turmoil going on surrounding Madison Square Garden, writers and broadcasters are quick to make broad statements lumping them together. I’m not quick to burn Charles Dolan at the stake either. Sure he’s like a glorified fan buying up as ma...
Ottawa rolls onto LI, with a giant mist of doubt for Isles fans.
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/themist.jpg[/img]
It rolls in like a blanket, covering Long Island from shopping mall to shopping mall. It unfurls itself right to Nassau Coliseum, laying right onto the ice. It is doubt and expectation as one of the top teams in the league comes to town.
When...
Jon Jordan writes...
Slaying the Ottawa Monster Would Take the Isles a Long Way
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
12-8-1
25 points
3rd in the Atlantic Division
3 points behind 1st place Philadelphia
7th in the Conference
Should the New York Islanders be happy with this start to the season? [i][b]Absolutely[/b][/i]! Factor in the reality that no team in the entire National Hockey League has played fewer games than the Isles (21) at this point and you'd have to consider t...
I spoke earlier of the kind of statement the Islanders could have made tonight by beating the Ottawa Senators. Well, they got the 'W' alright, mustering one hell of a collective effort all night long and pulling out a 3-2 shootout victory. But, in the end, the strongest statement of the evening was made by Mr. Rick DiPietro.
So what if Andrej Meszaros scored a couple of...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Live Blog . . . Without a Net as the Isles Beat Ott S.O.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
***[b]RETRACTION TO THE NYI/OTT LIVE BLOG LAST NIGHT:[/b]***
Bergie not the one on crutches as I walked down into the lockerroom area. Your moronic and tired Isles blogger mistook Aaron Johnson.
Anyone who missed my leadup on what this game means and all the doom and gloomers who felt the Isles were going to get torched: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user...
I was very impressed and excited for the Blues beating a tough Buffalo team on the road. They have played well at home but they were under .500 on the road and this was a big road win and a comeback win at that.
Being down 2-0, the Blues could have packed it in, but this team has such confidence and fight in them that they rallied with three goals of their own before Bu...
Any game against the hated Rangers always carries a little extra [i]umph [/i]for the Islanders but tonight's contest at The Garden has more weight than at first glance and could make a [i][b]huge [/b][/i]difference for the Isles as they continue to move up the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings.
The Islanders, fresh off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Ea...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Rangers Beat Isles, Ricky Needs to Sit, and Stitchgate!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Isles are still amidst a complete powerplay outage. However, luckily, they had nary a chance as they let the NYR practice theirs instead. A tired and out-of-sorts team came to MSG, and got called for a lot of infractions, and somehow didn't get called for a few others, as they struggled against a Ranger team determined to stem the tide.
Ranger coach, Tom Renney, tol...
The sound is very quiet, but it is there. As he pulls his purple and orange jersey over his head, surely Denis Gauthier curses the salary cap and Gary Bettman while his face is shrouded in the fabric of the Phantom. How could he not? The 31 year old Gauthier, a veteran of 489 NHL games under his belt, is riding the buses of the AHL because his $2.1M contract didn’t fi...
B.D. Gallof writes...
When Bloggers Trailblaze Themselves Into A Mistake
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I've written quite a few things about the meaning and differences of bloggers to journalists. I have written about the meaning of the Isles Blog Box program, and even had to hammer back at those who used their lofty perches to criticize something before it even had much time, besides one game or two, to establish itself. Well, today is a new tale to tell about the life of ...
So we are a quarter of the way through the season and I thought I would offer up my analysis of the Preds on a player by player basis. Hockey is a team sport but when you analyze a team, it helps if you can have some individual stats to compare with. So here it goes.
Forwards:
Martin Erat -Currently leads the team with 24 points and is well on his way to passing his...
To read my latest on bloggers, including my own trials and travails, check it out:
[url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=11499[/url]
So here we are. Isles vs the Thrashers. Looks like Dubie starts against a returning Lehtonen. It looks like a better crowd than the shameful fan support for the Ottawa game.
CJ Papa reminds us how poor the Isles PP has bee...
First of all, I would like to shortly introduce myself. My name is Jeff Potulny, I go by the alias of "Ovech8" on the internet, and this is my first ever blog on Hockeybuzz.com. I am a very frequent poster on the Message Board "chat.mapleleafs.com" which is owned by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, and I am a semi-poster of "HFBoards.com".
___________________________...
That's what the boxscore should read in the paper tomorrow after that nightmare witnessed nationwide in Canada on HNIC. Jarome Iginla looked like the best hockey player in the league tonight. Every time he stepped on the ice, the Flames nearly scored. So much that Flame hater Craig Simpson even brought it up. Then you know it must be obvious.
However, with all that ...
[b]CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS
BEST YOUNG GUNS IN THE LEAGUE[/b]
The next team on my league tour is the Black Hawks of Chicago. When I watch this team all I do is smile it is nice to see a team finally grow into a team. The Black Hawks fans deserve this and now its time for these fans to have fun. The Black Hawks time is now simply because they have the players to win and w...
Jaromir Jagr is.. happy.. and that's a great thing for the Rangers. It was evident that he missed Nylander up until Straka got back.
Last year, it was Straka - Nylander - Jagr on our first line. A year prior to that, it was Rucinsky (Straka later in the season) - Nylander - Jagr. Both of these lines had great chemistry, but I think that Straka had a bigger impact than N...
From The Back Row writes...
Why You Should Stop Worrying...and Love the Hawks
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I'm both surprised and disappointed to hear the doom-and-gloom scenarios scuttling through the cyber-community of Blackhawks hockey after their no-show in St. Louis Saturday night. Have expectations really grown that exponentially in the past 2 months? Yes, it was a divisional match-up, yes, second place was on the line, yes, the Hawks were the only team not to show up e...
It's frustrating. Two periods into a matchup with the Bruins and I can't take it anymore. Just put the puck in the net already!!
This offensive struggle has the Isles on the verge of losing [i]3 out of their last 4 [/i]and continue to slip in the standings.
This day last season the Isles were 14-9-3 (31 Points in 26 games). Viktor Kozlov netted 4 as the Isles beat th...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on Gretzky's Coyotes at the Mellon Arena and were victorious. Yes, we won 3-1. Talbot had the first goal and was assisted by the former coyote Laraque. The Pens' second goal was a power play goal by Letang. He was assisted by Crosby and Malkin. The Pens thrid goal was by Kennedy and he was assisted by Staal and Roberts. Fleury w...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Panic on the Streets of Uniondale as Isles Fall to Bruins
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Boston extends the Isles stumbling. Fans boo their team in the Coliseum. People seem to getting a bit panicked.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/bostonpops.jpg[/img]
Suddenly there is panic on the streets! After all, the Isles have lost 3 in a row. The first time this season, amidst a power outage on offense and the powerplay. The holiday crowds, who were reeled i...
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...
Matt Cullen and the Carolina Hurricanes came into Madison Square Garden last night and throughly spanked my New York Rangers. Still riding atop at Atlantic Eastern Conference standings, the Rangers are still doing well despite the temporary setback.
What really interests me, though, is how everything ends up with the [i]HUMMER 'Metro Ice Challenge'[/i]. Currently the Is...
Nyi28nhl writes...
The problem isn't only adding... but subtracting as well
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Many Islanders fans are calling for a blockbuster trade where the Isles would land themselves a top line scorer (such as Martin St. Louis, Patrick Marleau, etc.). Not that I would say know to getting a guy like St. Louis, but there is another dilemma that comes up.
[b]Who gets demoted?[/b]
[b]Mike Comrie[/b] and [b]Josef Vasicek[/b] are our #1 and #2 centers. Despite...
Once again Babcock mixed up the lines, putting the youngsters Filppula and Hudler up with Datsyuk against the Habs, and magic happened.....who does this guy think he is?? Scotty Bowman?? After a short stretch of not-so-stellar performances, and a couple of injuries to key checking-line players, Mike Babcock was basically forced to shuffle the forward lines around to get ...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/getsmartisles.jpg[/img]
The Isles came out to Atlanta with some pop to their step. Yet, it all turned around quickly when giveaways on the powerplay led to two shorthanded goals. Looking at a 3-1 Atlanta lead, instead of laying down to die, they tied it up. Yes, they lost the shootout, but got a point back instead of nothing due to bungli...
Don't look for me - [i]I'll be hiding[/i].
Another interesting night for yours truly coming up, as I'll attend my first Isles/Lightning game since taking over the Lightning team blogger position for hockeybuzz.com. (I'll be safely tucked away in a luxury suite, borrowing one of Ek's disguises, hiding my face for a plethora of reasons. I'm a pseudo-professional, people. ...
I'm not going to write a summary of what happened; Shaune did a really nice job of that on the main page, and there is no need to recap it. That being said I would like to share some pictures and thoughts.
[img]http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v152/52/107/602212162/n602212162_501919_2213.jpg[/img]
I was disappointed to see Fleury leave the game as I ...
I was sitting back watching the Blackhawks last night and decided to do my daily statistical update for my own personal knowledge. For the first time this year I decided to look and see who is leading this years rookie class in the NHL and low and behold Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are standing above all other rookies in points this year thus far.
I'm sure ...
The Maple Leafs have quieted the media and the naysayers for now, by going on a 4 game winning streak which they hope to carry on with tonight but does this mean that the team should not make a deal if there is one out there that can strengthen the club? According to Eck the Leafs are shopping Kaberle around a very bad move if you ask me but the team does need to improve t...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
There is no amount of tweaking and humor that will seem to carry across what I thought was a defining moment to the Islander season last night. Last night's game versus the Florida Panthers was a very important barometer to the Isles fortunes. After a slide, and then a game against the Thrashers they shou...
JARRET STOLL IS HAVING ANOTHER TOUGH YEAR IN
OIL COUNTRY AND I HAVE COMPILED A FEW REASONS THAT
EDMONTON COULD DEAL HIM SOONER THAN LATER.
REASON #1 CONTRACT
STOLL IS A RESTRICTED FREE AGENT AT THE END OF
THE SEASON. THE OILERS NEED TO SPEND THEIR MONEY ON
PLAYERS SUCH AS PITKANEN AND GILBERT WHICH ARE TWO
YOUNG UP AND COMING D-MEN WHO ALONG...
In the wake of recent discussions regarding fighting in the NHL, I feel I have to voice my opinion on to why it is so important in this league. The action of throwing down the fist cuffs and landing some hay makers on another human beings' face is certainly violent and dangerous, but not to that degree in hockey. This sport has lain its foundation on selling an up-pace, ag...
So here we are two weeks removed from the 5-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes the Leafs have won 5 of 6 and currently sit in a four way tie for 6th in the conference. Not bad when every Leaf fan wanted the team dismantled from top to bottom and it looked as though the team had finally reached rock bottom. Now let me just say that yes I was one of those that felt that wa...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Isles Pick Themselves Off the Floor on Saturday Night
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So just when you think it might get worse, the Isles pull one out. Sure, it doesn't mean all is well. But it does show there is some signs of life from the waterslide lately. On Saturday night, Bill Guerin scored. Andy Hilbert scored. And Mike Sillinger, fresh of chewing Campoli's ear off, scored.
It reminds one, at least I have to speak for myself here, that despite s...
Now, I know that everybody is aware of problems with the current schedule and that the NHL has taken steps to try and rectify it. However with the Flames current road trip, I was curious about why the league would schedule them to have two separate road trips out to the East coast.
The Flames have to travel for a 6 games in 11 nights swing, including three of the five...
Norrena is scheduled to start in net against the Avalanche tomorrow Wednesday December 12th 2007. Norrena hasn't started a game in 11 straight days. Pascal Leclaire is taking a breather while letting Fredrik Norrena takes another crack and starting in net since facing the Flames and winning the game. Let's see if Norrena can pick up where he left off as he allows Lecl...
More at http://pensburgh.blogspot.com
I'd be more accurate doing a fight recap than a game recap.
The Flyers destroyed the Penguins tonight by the score of 8-2. Both Joffrey Lupul and R.J Umberger were in competition with one another to see who could get the most points. Each got a hat trick on the night for the first time since 1985 that the Flyers have had two ha...
As I watched the game tonight, I finally got to see the real Kipper, and Vokoun was just as good. The two shared the spotlight with save after save. Kipper made 34 saves out of 35 shots. Meanwhile, Vokoun made 32 saves out of 33 for the Panthers in net.
The best period for the Panthers was the second period they pretty much took it to the Flames. They fired 13 shot...
The Isles return to Buffalo tonight, back to where this season started. Where two teams passed one another from last season's playoffs. Sure, there are only 3 points between the two teams thus far, and the Isles have been Jekyll and Mr. Hyde oft-times. But Buffalo's struggle in lieu of what a strong team they were last year is sobering for all.
Buffalo's step back can ...
Hey pens fans,
Tuesday night, the Pens took on the Flyers in Philly. The Pens went down 2-0 early in the first period. The Pens answered back with two Power Play goals by Whitney and Sykora to end the period. The Flyers scored 3 goals in each of the final two periods to make the final score 8-2 Philly. Sabourin started in goal and stopped 20 of 25 shots before being r...
I feel as if the Rangers are gonna take the charity money that's up for grabs (for the HUMMER Metro Ice Challenge taking place between the Devils, Rangers and Islanders) due to their recent play. Currently they're trailing the Islanders by just two points but I think with the upcoming games scheduled, that'll completely change. Additionally, they beat the Devils 1-0 in Ove...
Alright, we all know that Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has the potential to be an all-star. We also know that he is not having the best year. Now comes word that he will be on the sidelines approximately 6-8 weeks with an ankle sprain.
So, the question that will be asked again is this: Is it time to try to trade one of our goalies to Pittsburgh? And if so, for whom...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers score 8 vs Pens, Laraque-What will Campbell do? WWCD
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Holy Schnieky![/b]
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/logos/75/phi.gif[/img][img]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/logos/75/pit.gif[/img]
[b]Wow[/b]...words can hardly begin to describe what happened at the Bank Building.
Coming into last night's tilt, the Flyers were a dreadfully inconsistent team searching for some home-ice answers; while the Penguins were the team on a ...
It's too bad the United Center was only at 60% capacity Wednesday evening, because the Chicago Blackhawks finally snapped a four game losing streak when they beat the L.A. Kings 6-3 on home ice.
Many Blackhawks fans believed this game was a "must win" simply because of the competition not only in the Central Division, but the Western Conference as a whole. Fall behind t...
[b]What used to be known as 'The Joe Sakic' show[/b] comes to town tonight as the Colorado Avalanche come to the Sommet Center to finish off the Preds four game home stand. Sakic is nursing a groin injury and will be out of action here in Nashville but that doesn't mean that this team is without firepower. Paul Stasney is picking right up where his 78 point rookie camp...
After 29 games this season, the New York Islanders are just a game above .500, the sheer definition of mediocrity.
What's that sound you hear coming from Uniondale, you ask? That collective groan that echoes throughout Islander Nation?
It's the big, fat, "[i]Uggggggghhhhhh[/i]!" of being a fan of a perpetually mediocre hockey team. It's what we've come to expect fro...
We are not going to rehash last night's game. Most of us saw it. Otherwise, you read about it. Some articles were less harsh, while the Isles broadcast was plenty harsh. But, that all aside . . .
What I'd like to talk about is Nolan's demeanor after this loss, and the steam coming out his ears.
"We just need more and have to have a better effort."
- Ted Nolan
Ted...
I thought Charles Wang was crazy? I thought this would never happen again? I thought this was "bad" for the sport?
Apologies, anyone?
I'll wait ...
[email protected]
The Islanders came out last night like it was October. I saw hits. I saw chaos. I saw hard-work. I saw effort. And from it, things happened. Comrie worked the puck, causing a ruckus. Bill Guerin sat at the doorstep with his stick on the ice, at the ready. Bergie was pinballing and driving the Yotes nuts. Trent Hunter was hitting like he wanted to start quoting Ezekiel 25:1...
While yes the Kings clearly have goaltending issues that need solving that may not be the big issue. The big issue takes place in front of LaBarbera, Aubin, or one of those rookies who just got called up from Manchester. They onloy have three guys who can score!!!! Kopitar, Cammy, and Brown can put pucks in the net and then no one else comes close except O'Sullivan who c...
A little blogging piece about yours truly for your Saturday afternoon.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/iamblogger.jpg[/img]
My mother always told me that there would be days like these. Then again, she also told me to wear clean underwear, clean my room, finish my vegetables, remove the cat from the oven, and PLEASE don't run around the house with a live hand gre...
You know, the (1-goal) win over Phoenix did [i][b]NOTHING [/b][/i]for me, in terms of being impressed with this team right now. Tonight's debacle took things a step further ...
A few points from tonight's horrendous effort:
1) Chris Simon [i][b]has [/b][/i]to go.
That was as bush league a move as I've seen in a long, long time. I gave him the benefit of the doubt ...
The Jackets traveled to Beantown last night to face the Bruins in what might be a very silent ride back to Columbus for the Jackets. To get shutout in any sport at
any level is always discouraging to say the least. Many of the Jackets weren't as
down as many teams would be, instead they were thinking positive as this was a
learning experience from a great defense th...
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=3hKeVb_G-PI[/url]
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=IzUPO3fadkc[/url]
I had missed this play, having had to head down to section 201 to join my fellow Blog Boxers. I had watched the game from seats in section 302, slapped inbetween the second-coming of Rosanne Barr, complete with Lee Press-On nails, and an updated version of Thelma and Lou...
Recently there has been much talk surrounding these two young, very talented players and probably for good reason. Liles is coming off of a superb year in which he was scoring with the "big boys" of the defensive world but is off to a rather slow start this season, while Svatty obviously had a disappointing year in comparison to his rookie campaign, but has started to pick...
[b]NASHVILLE -- ARE THEY GOOD ENOUGH?[/b]
The next team on my NHL tour is the Nashville Predators, a team that started out slow and has recently picked up. Why have they picked it up? Well I like their speed. They have a terrific coach, and a terrific young defense. The preds also have some very talented vets, and you get a very good mix of vets with young players.
...
Hawks Craze writes...
Overall look at the Blackhawks, after 3-1 loss to Florida
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It was an exciting weekend for fans throughout the NHL, but Chicago die-hards are feeling mixed emotions. Not only have we dropped 6 out of 7 games in December, our record doesn't appear to be improving. That is of course unless immediate changes are put into place by Head Coach Denis Savard.
Of course, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have stolen the spotlight in their ...
It's clear that the Rangers are having problems with their defense. After four or more goals in the past four games, King looks tired ( wrist & flu). Most goalies in the NHL strive to be the #1 keeper,while others are content to be the # 2. Those that are happy playing the backup role need to be real artists. They need to stay sharp,play locker room good guy,and step ...
This just in, thanks to an Islanders official statement and Newsday.com:
Isles owner Charles Wang:
"[i]The actions of Chris Simon on Saturday do not reflect what the New York Islanders stand for. They were reckless, potentially dangerous and against out team concept of grit, character, and heart. The Islanders are going to provide some time for Chris away from the te...
It's clear that the Rangers are having problems with their defense. After four or more goals in the past four games, King looks tired ( wrist & flu). Most goalies in the NHL strive to be the #1 keeper,while others are content to be the # 2. Those that are happy playing the backup role need to be real artists. They need to stay sharp,play locker room good guy,and step ...
Now living in L.A. and reading the spordaic L.A. Times Column on the Kings has taught me one thing I already knew, everyone wants Jason back. I pose you this question, why? Yes he was robbed of AHL MVP last year and yes he is the best goalie we have short of forcing a strike in the juniors ending their season early and getting Bernier back. But without we fell to the l...
Chris Simon and Jarko Rutu are very common names to those who follow hockey, both are well known for being "tough guys", and who have crossed the line on numerous occasions. Chris Simon has been suspended a total of seven times (assuming he gets suspended for this latest incident) in his 15-year career.
1) 1997 - Chris Simon, while a member of the Washington Capitals w...
My friends can testify to the fact that, prior to the 2007 Free Agency period, I was almost SCREAMING for Colorado to get two guys: Ryan Smyth & Scott Hannan. Why you might ask?
Ryan Smyth is an obvious choice, if for no other reason than his leadership ability - something our team sorely needs due to all the new guys coming in (Svatos, Hensick, Wolski, etc). He also p...
Things are looking up right now in Duckland. The team won last night in San Jose, Ryan Getzlaf is emerging as a leader, Corey Perry surpassed his career high in goals, Bobby Ryan scored again, Scott Niedermayer has returned from his semi-retirement and there are even rumors that Teemu Selanne is skating again in preparation for his return to the Ducks.
While most Duc...
So I had just won the stanley cup with my Capitals team (god I love those jerseys), and I had signed all the free agents I needed. I realized that my farm team was pretty dry with good prospects, so I went into free agency one last time to look for some good ones that had slipped through the cracks. JACKPOT.
What I discovered were a few undrafted players hailing from Ca...
Somewhere, amid my day, I forgot to upkeep my petulant and crabby laptop. It's been screaming for a drive cleaning. So live blogging is out tonight as my laptop stutters like a 1970's Volkswagen.
Instead, we can chat about all the craziness that has gone on. Between the 30 games earned by Chris Simon to now word...confirmed by the Isles...that their blue chipper, Kyle ...
The Islanders continue to prove that, no matter how hard you may be working and no matter how many of the "little things" you're doing right, if you don't score goals, you just won't win.
I'm as frustrated as anyone when it comes to this team right now, mostly because of the inept offense. When you watch a hockey game, particularly one in which [i][b]your [/b][/i]team i...
bcallaway writes...
Teemu Selanne to St. Louis? Could it happen?????????
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's not out of realm of possibility. Andy Strickland was on a local radio station last night and basically summed it up this way:
Everyone knows already that Teemu is working out every day. He talks to Paul Karyia every day and if there is anyone that could sell Teemu on the idea of coming to the Blues it's his best friend.
Not to mention the chemistry that Selanne...
[b]Pathetic. [/b]That's the best way to describe the effort put forth by the Preds in a 5-2 loss against the Blackhawks.
It all started last night with lackadaisical goaltending from Chris Mason who gave up two goals on two shots before being pulled. Dan Ellis could do no better giving Chicago their third goal on only their fourth shot. I knew then it was going to be a...
Things are looking up right now in Duckland. The team has won the last two games while earning 5 out of 6 points over the last three. Ryan Getzlaf is emerging as a leader, Corey Perry is becoming the sniper, Scott Niedermayer has returned from his semi-retirement and there are even rumors that Teemu Selanne is skating again in preparation for his return to the Ducks.
W...
The Calgary Flames have just finished their most productive road trip in team history. Much has been said about the play of Jarome Iginla who is cementing himself as a top 5 player in the world, (in my opinion, the best and most valuable/marketable player in the NHL due to his play ON the ice and his commitment to the team and community OFF the ice)... and also Huselius a...
This past weekend, I was enjoying a snow filled, hockey inspired trip to the city that breathes... Montreal. Myself and three of my friends, one being a Habs fan, were all attending our first game live. What better place then the Bell Centre for a classic match with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens? The game is just oozing with intensity and pre-game gitters....
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Bruins 5-4 in a shootout. The Pens blew a big league to force the ot and shoot out, where Christensen and Letang scored for the win. Malkin had 2 goals. Laraque took on Chara twice in the game. Sidney Crosby had the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. This was also his first NHL fight vs Andrew Ference. The Pens are back in the Burgh...
[b]Well with the trade freeze in effect until the 27th obviously nothing will happen physically-though I'm sure there is a lot of banter between GM's right now.
Colorado's identity has changed a lot in recent years - powerhouse that could beat you anyway they wanted to coping with the loss of star players to an almost-rebuilding team with a lot of young talent. Since th...
Later today, I'll be taping a guest spot on The Hockey Ticket with Noah Borer on mvn.com. Noah had Steven Hindle, hockeybuzz's Capitals blogger, on a recent episode and his show is really beginning to take off.
We'll be discussing all things Islanders, as well as my thoughts on the Tampa Bay Lightning (as hockeybuzz's official Lightning blogger.) I hope to avoid spendin...
Hey all!
I just completed a guest spot with Noah Borer for The Hockey Ticket on mvn.com.
We talked Lightning and Islanders hockey, as well as some general NHL issues during what turned out to be - in my humble opinion, of course - an outstanding conversation!
Some of the things we covered:
Chris Simon
Colin Campbell's slip-up
The Isles goal scoring woes
Kyle...
[b]WHAT MAKES THE BLUES TICK?[/b]
The next team on my 30 team tour is the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are a terrific team to watch, and they are well coached. I really feel that the Blues have one of the best coaches in the league in Andy Murray. Murray has system in place, and more important, the players have bought into it . The Blues have the talent, but what make...
[b]WHAT MAKES THE BLUES TICK?[/b]
The next team on my 30 team tour is the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are a terrific team to watch, and they are well coached. I really feel that the Blues have one of the best coaches in the league in Andy Murray. Murray has system in place, and more important, the players have bought into it . The Blues have the talent, but what make...
Bater_91 writes...
Merry Christmas to all! My 2008 Atlanta Thrasher WishList
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Couldn't believe it a Thrasher Jersey for Christmas... what a wonderful gift! You see in Canada you can't find that much Thrashers stuff at local stores, NHL.com or Ebay.com are really the one way to get something like this. One of my Christmas wishes fullfilled, then I got to thinking there are so many wishes that I would love for my Thrashers in 2008, why not make a li...
[img:left]http://cdn.nhl.com/islanders/images/upload/2007/12/balke_jason_n1.jpg[/img]
Every so often, at the mention Jason Blake, an Isles fan will spout off on how selfish he was with the puck. How he was a lockerroom cancer. How he was this. How he was that. What I will always recall of Blake, despite perhaps a mixed-bag of attributes, is that he was a 4th liner who m...
All is well and looking up in Blackhawk Nation. Or is it?
Certainly, the ascension of Rocky Wirtz, the hiring of John McDonough and the better than expected performances of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Sharp have given new life to this long-dormant (some would say 'decaying') franchise. And it's relatively safe to predict the next 15 years...
[b]I guess I'm not alone[/b] in my feeling today of not wanting to blog about last nights 5-2 loss at the hands of the Blackhawks. I checked out the HB home page and absent were the updates from Paul and Brandon...I guess they don't feel like blogging about last night either.
[b]Who can blame them really?[/b] There was little good in last nights game. Dan Ellis proved ...
BuffaloMat writes...
Leclaire says "No No" to the Thrashers 2-0 Jackets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Nash sat out with a sore throat closing his air passage making it hard to breath. Nash missing the game didn't seem to make the Jackets lose a beat at all. They have been one of the most unluckiest bunch in the league this year with an ever growing injury bug creeping back and forth between the ranks of the Jackets locker room. Nash is also to miss the predators game ...
Bater_91 writes...
Thrashers lose 5-3, Should All-Star Fan Voting be Ended?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Atlanta just finished playing there 2nd stinker of a game in a row, other than Kari Lehtonen and the immortal Ilya Kovalchuk the whole team is just bad right now, I don't know if Hossa is hurt or Ek has hurt his feeling as he hasn't had a trade rumour about Hoss in a while. Either way Hossa is not playing like the Hossa I know and used to love. As I live in Canada I don'...
saneopinion writes...
if a tree with a flames logo falls in the forest...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Does Mcgeough try to screw it??
Someone at sometime has to stand up, against the ridicule suffered by opponents and say, "Mick "blind Mcgoo" Mcgeough has to be let go. Too many times has this very patial referee made a games outcome in favour of a team not from from Alberta.
You know when the game starts and some one who you never met before says, "Uh-oh "Mcgoo" is...
Finally after 11 consectuive games dating back to November 2003 the Panthers get a win in Atlanta beating the Thrashers 5-3. Once again a solid performance by Tomas Vokoun leading the way with key saves when they were needed. It was also nice however to see Nathan Horton get on the scoreboard with 2 goals. Hopefully this will spark him going forward and get him out of t...
Was it when Bob Pulford sent Ed Belfour out of town for Ulf Dahlen, Michal Sykora and Chris Terreri?
Or when Pulford "unloaded" Jeremy Roenick on Phoenix for Alex Zhamnov, Mike Mills (not the bass player from R.E.M.) and a draft pick who turned into the immortal Ty Jones?
Or was it just one (or all) of the many re-emergences of Pulford from the shadows of the Blackha...
During the 90's, Scotty Bowman, Barry Smith and the rest of the Detroit Red Wings were the nemeses of a crumbling Blackhawk organization.
Some 15 years later, it can be argued the Scotty Bowman, himself, is a small part of the Blackhawks' rebirth.
How so? Well, a few years back the Blackhawks hired Bowman's son, Stan, to their front office. A graduate of Notre Dame...
Happy Holidays to everyone, I hope yours are great!
The Sharks dominated the Predators last night and have played great hockey in extending their road win streak. I wish they would do the same thing at home and this team would be number one in the league. Maybe having the team in a hotel in San Jose would actually work for them! Whatever is working, the Sharks have been...
Hey pens fans,
Last night, the Pens took on the Sabres in an Ice Bowl preview and emerged with the win. The Pens were up one to nothing with the goal by Armstrong. At the end of the game Crosby worked for the puc and brought it into the zone to setup Malin for the empty-netter. Ty Conklin played a solid game to earn the shutout.
Winter Classic
I will be there to ...
I am calling you all out. All of you who came out strong at Sean Avery after the Blake incident in Toronto. You said that Avery was an immature and wothless player and that he "deserves everything he gets." You may have said that he did something bad IF he did it. You may have said that he did do it. You may have wanted him dead or severely injured. But you all came out an...
[b]RED WINGS
A FORCE, AS ALWAYS[/b]
The Red Wings probably have the best Dman in the League, and two of the best forwards in the league. They are Stanley Cup Contenders. They are the toast of the west. Why? Simple, they are that good; they have a solid defense, and adequate goal-tending which looks better because of their defense. Simply put, this team has no wea...
Kudos to the young L.A. Kings. They came in to a sold out United Center last night with the worst record in the NHL, and earned two hard points against a hot team.
That said, last night provided a sobering reminder to Blackhawk fans; this is still a work in progress.
This morning, the Hawks sit in 9th place in the Western conference with 41 points. They are about to ...
So, lets all take a moment to review the trials and tribulations of what 2007 has meant to us as Isle fans. Well, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. The Nolan era has put us in the playoff picture, but it is still fuzzy to see how that Polaroid will develop. It certainly got more in focus when the likes of Alexei Yashin hit the bricks. It also was more in focus when ...
take a look at the standings, if the playoffs were to start today the atalantic would have all 5 of its teams in the playoffs and it doesnt look like that will change. With only 3 points seperating the 5 teams, the division race will come down to april 6 with the devils vs. rangers and the penguins vs. flyers. this is going to be a race to remember.
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/penguins/images/upload/2007/12/wc2008_wide.gif[/img]
It ended with Sidney Crosby as the sixth shooter to fumble the puck toward the goalie through the bad ice, slush and snow that was the rink at Ralph Wilson Stadium. It was history, or so said the NHL, as the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first outdoor game in the U.S. It ...
My vote is either Montreal, Detroit, or Toronto.
It has been suggested in other media that Montreal would be a great tie-in to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary. Great idea to highlight Original Six in any form.
Another floater has been to tie the Winter Classic to the All-Star Game. I like that idea even better if the All-Star Game is held in a norther...
Add Jonathan Toews name to the Blackhawks sick bay, out probably from 2-4 weeks with a knee sprain (early diagnosis) suffered early in last night's 9-2 humiliation at the hands of the resurgent L.A. Kings. He joins Marty Havlat, Jason Williams, Brent Sopel, Jim Wisniewski and Dave Bolland. Sopel, Havlat and Williams should all be back within the next 10 days; but the cloc...
7:30 AM : Get up from an easy going night of not drinking too much. I get my four layers of clothes on, check to make sure I have everything I need and run out the door to our meeting place for our limo.
8:30 AM : Arrive at my waiting destination, we start to celebrate with a few glasses of Champaign and Orange Juice which is also commonly known as a Mimosa. After ...
Twas the night before my short vacation to Los Angles and the second day of this new year. So I've decided to come up with a list of New Years Resolutions I believe our New York Islanders should have for the year 2008. If you have more ideas than what I came up with.. please leave a comment on this blog or drop me an email at [email protected]
1. [b]STAY HEALTHY[/b...
2007 had its share of ups and downs for the Islanders and their fans. From being a team picked to finish dead last, to clinching a playoff berth in the last game of the year, and the anointment of a new captain, there were some great moments this year. Without further ado, here are my Islander awards for 2007:(I'm going by the calendar year 2007. Late 2006 does not count.)...
Going into X-MAS, the Avalanche had a 21-13-2 record, good for 44 points. They were riding a three game winning streak, and playing very strong hockey despite numerous injuries. Most importantly, Peter Budaj was finally playing well, after Joel Quenneville finally decided it would be a good idea not to play José Théodore who couldn't stop a beach ball if his life were at...
[b]A belated Happy New Year to everyone! Ok, the Avs have now lost 4 in a row. That being said, December was a great month for us, despite the injuries to key players. It's fairly obvious what the biggest struggle is for the Avs right now. No I'm not referring to goaltending at the moment, or our defense...it is our power play.
Last year's PP was amazing, 21.1% with 79 ...
The Winter Classic or Ice Bowl, as it was called here in Buffalo, will be one event I will remember forever. It was something anyone who has the chance to go see should not miss! The NHL really scored with the game in Buffalo. I had a great time and this is how it went all day.
I met up with a swimming teammate of mine at around 8:30am in our favorite tailgating spot fo...
The Winter Classic or Ice Bowl, as it was called here in Buffalo, will be one event I will remember forever. It was something anyone who has the chance to go see should not miss! The NHL really scored with the game in Buffalo. I had a great time and this is how it went all day.
I met up with a swimming teammate of mine at around 8:30am in our favorite tailgating spot fo...
I feel for the Panthers. I just left 80 degree weather for over a week and come back to this weather. That foul wind this morning made me want to turn around and go home. Florida comes into this freezing stretch with a third loss in a row, last one coming from NJ last night. The Isles are looking for their six win in seven games. Wade Dubielewicz performed admirably and on...
Let me introduce myself. I'm Stuart, aged 27 and currently living in Coventry, England. I've been following hockey over here for about nine or ten years now, since going to university and having a team in the city. Started following the Coventry Blaze when I moved here a few years back, and have been a season ticket holder since the inception of the Elite League in 2003. ...
[b]Headline: Ryan Smyth out eight weeks with ankle injury
[url]http://thehockeynews.com/articles/12381-Colorado-Avalanche-star-winger-Ryan-Smyth-out-eight-weeks-with-ankle-injury.html[/url]
The question must be raised now, with our mounting injuries to our key players (Joe, Ryan, Tyler, etc, etc), is it time to push the panic button (or the Staples 'Easy Button') to ma...
Let's set the scene. Coventry Blaze are the most successful club in UK ice hockey since the start of the EIHL in 2003. They are the reigning League Champions [url=http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=37614&post_id=3760](Read here for why it's so important to win the League!)[/url] and also hold the Challenge Cup. They have won the League twice, the Challenge Cup ...
Jassen Cullimore ripped a slapshot from the top of the left circle that blew past Rick DiPietro for the Panthers OT victory Thursday night! Cullimore aquired in late October to help provide some veteran leadership on defense has been playing extremely well of late and is one of the few Panthers players with a plus rating.
The former Lightning and Blackhawk defenseman ha...
As a follow-up to my blog on the dwindling number of former [b]Winnipeg Jets[/b] still playing in the NHL, here's the breakdown of the one-time [b]Quebec Nordiques[/b]:
[u][b]Players[/b][/u]
[b]Adam Foote[/b]-CBS
[b]Martin Gelinas[/b]-NSH
[b]Jon Klemm[/b]-LA
[b]Aaron Miller[/b]-VAN
[b]Owen Nolan[/b]-CGY
[b]Martin Rucinsky[/b]-STL
[b]Joe Sakic[/b]-COL (the only re...
Isles and Ricky lose to the Panthers in OT. But what becomes a bigger story is the pads the NHL confiscated from DP after the 1st period. DiPietro could face a 2 game suspension. But is it really such a big deal?
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/rickydipietropadsofdoom.jpg[/img]
[b]NHL Rule 11.8: a goalkeeper who plays with equipment that has not been inspected and ...
Watching Adam Burish throw himself in front of yet annother 90+ MPH slapshot last night, go to war again for a teammate when he pummeled Keith Ballard, recalling that he organized the Hawks home victory salute to the fans . . . just seeing his enthusiasm and energy . . . I ask you, how do you spell captain?
B-U-R-I-S-H.
Sure, he's just holding the job for Toews unti...
Last night the Blue Jackets played their 41st of 82 games, and are now officially halfway through the season. With a record of 19-16-6, 44 points, the jackets are on pace for at least 80-90 points, which may be good enough for a low playoff spot in the Western Conference. Let's reflect back on this up and down season.
A great start
The Jackets got off to a great start ...
Anticipating tomorrow night's game against the Red Wings at the United Center, I'm reminded of the final lines from the epic 1995 film, Braveheart:
"Patriots of Scotland, starving and outnumbered, charged the fields of Bannockburn. They fought like warrior poets. They fought like scotsmen . . . and won their freedom."
I'm officially setting aside my cynicism and real...
Ugh. That really wasn't worth £13 of my money, and more importantly, 3 hours of my time. But it is hockey, so I can't really complain too much. And Coventry won, which is always pleasing.
[b]Coventry Blaze 2 - 1 Sheffield Steelers - British Knockout Cup 1/4 final 1st Leg[/b]
Pretty much uneventful, although it started with a bang with Sheffield's Randy Dagenais clea...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Hola Hockey Amigos - Viva Los Flyers de Mai Tai Mohito
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_airplane3animated-1.gif[/img]
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_800px-Flag_of_Puerto_Ricosvg.jpg[/img]
Just returned to the States from 6 lovely days in San Juan, PR.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1686.jpg[/img]
My wife, Kids and I decided that, after two weeks of f...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Isles Head To Edmonton, Nolan on Nilsson, Okposo to Bridge
Posted Monday | Comments 0
If anyone still was not over the love-affair with Nilsson, who went to EDM as part of the Ryan Smyth trade, one should read Nolan's latest quotes on the subject to prove what has been written about many times here and elsewhere:
Nolan was not a Nilsson fan, and that made him expendable.
Nolan told it plainly to Robert Tychkowski, of the Edmonton Sun:
[i]"Nilsson ...
As a continuation of my Braveheart theme vis a vis the Hawks' tilt with Detroit last night, the title is my way of saying: right metaphor, wrong battle. Like the Scots at Falkirk (not Bannockburn), the Hawks fought valiantly, but were outnumbered, and in the end succumbed to a superior foe.
Hats off to the Wings. They came out fast and focused and put the Hawks in an im...
Steve Downie may have avoided a suspension for his sucker punch on Toronto's Jason Blake on Saturday night, but all eyes will continue to be on him each time he laces up the skates for some time to come. His antics in the infantile stages of his NHL career may just be the tip of the iceberg. If he keeps it up, his run as a pro may end up being over almost before it even tr...
hckyplayazt16 writes...
Isles + Kings = Cup and recap from Isles Road Trip so far
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Just got home from my recent trip to Los Angeles. I spent a few days there, but i kept myself busy to say the least with major highlights being 2 kings games, a lakers game and a stop at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Kings shockingly sold out 19000+ both games I attended which really shocked me since they are at the bottom on the NHL. What shocked me more was the fac...
Just announced on the Dallas Stars broadcast tonight..... Mike Ribeiro is going to be a dallas stars for a good while! He signed a 5 year 25 million dollar deal today!
Ribeiro is having a career year and is on pace for 80+ points.
Personally, I am very happy with the move. It is a very good deal for both sides!
Turco just annihilated Gaborik on a breakaway!
mo...
In my last review of how relocated teams' history is vanishing, I'm reviewing the remaining [b]Minnesota North Stars[/b].
The North Stars are different than the former WHA franchises I've previously profiled, in that they had the longest history in the NHL before moving. As such, you'll see that there are few remaining players, but a larger Next Generation. Also, they'r...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Serious Questions Need to be Asked as Isles Tank at Oilers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Islanders came into 2008 by nipping a slide at that was from the end of November until mid-December. They came out of Colorado OT loss being railed on for not having their head in the game by the coach and captain. So, if this was still the Isles stepping up, you would have thought that the team would be raring to go at it versus Edmonton. Right?
Instead, they got l...
Here we go:
[b]Calder:[/b] Patrick Kane (Chi)
[b]Adams:[/b] Wayne Gretzky (Phx)
[b]Selke:[/b] Pavel Datsyuk (Det)
[b]Norris:[/b] Nicklas Lidstrom (Det)
[b]Vezina:[/b] Roberto Luongo (Van)
[b]Hart:[/b] Jarome Iginla (Cgy)
[b]Byng:[/b] Daniel Alfredsson (Ott)
Kane: In my eyes, better than Toews overall
Gretzky: Finally showing his true coaching colours, rage an...
It has been rumored for a while that Jaromir Jagr could be on the move from the Rangers. According to sources Pittsburgh was looking into #68 coming back to ride shotgun along Sid. This season JAGGS has looked dynamic at times and far more often, lost at others. One can sense that this is how fires started in Cap city with the foward coming to Broadway for Anson Carter. Ca...
The upcoming Islanders home game on January 19th against the Philadelphia Flyers could turn out to be a very important night in team history. (And, no, not just because I'll be making the trip up for my first home game of the year either!) The Islanders are promoting this evening as "Town of Hempstead Night" and Kate Murray, the Presiding Supervisor of the town of Hempstea...
When the trade deadline does loom and a GM announces we are a seller or a buyer this brings up players you will soon be RFA's of UFA's who I call Rent-a-Players. So when you look at the Kings roster there are few players anyone wants, but then there are a couple who may complete a team in search of the Cup. However, how much money would you fork over for a old Ferrari y...
There were really two events last night at the Bell Centre: the classy tribute to the Canadiens-Blackhawks rivalry, and the game between the two clubs.
Have to say I had a few goosebumps seeing a lot of the old greats, and honestly the Habs have been my second favorite team for decades. I was never a great, or a very good, hockey player. But as good as I was, part of it...
Unlike the likely telegraphed tear from Hillary Clinton just a few days ago, designed to appeal to the New Hampshire woman voter, the Isles show of vulnerability last night in the first period was NOT the same thing. There was no "plan". No play of the media. Just an absolute flat rollout as one man somehow kept them in the game.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/DP.jpg[...
Jsaquella writes...
Bob Clarke: Neanderthal or Respectful of "The Code"
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Bob Clarke recently had a few choice comments about the latest Steve Downie tempest in a teapot and, of course controversy followed.
Clarke said that he "loved" when Downie punched Leafs forward Jason Blake in the face earlier this week, because Blake ran his mouth about Downie when he was suspended for his hit on Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in the preseason.
"Blake was a...
As the Hawks' losing string reached seven last night, it's my hope that expectations within Blackhawk Nation are getting a bit more realistic.
Yes, there have been moments where this team has been 100% healthy that it's looked like a playoff team. And though the injuries have been ridiculous and crippling of late, they haven't been throughout the season. And injuries d...
When you're the Manchester Phoenix, that's who. Last night in the Altrincham Ice Dome, the Phoenix beat Hull Stingrays 3-2 in the second leg of the British Knockout Cup. The result of the first leg was 5-3 to Hull Stingrays, so Manchester needed to win by 3 clear goals to progress to the final.
And they were 3 goals ahead up until 56.57 when Nikolai Ladygin scored for H...
John Jaeckel writes...
Hawks trade aging Swedish d-man for future superstar
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Not really.
Well, maybe.
Yes, yesterday, Dale Tallon continued his stockpiling of draft picks in exchange for the Hawks' wretched refuse, picking up a 7th round pick from Florida for Magnus Johansson.
Last night I watched tape of the Hawks' AHL farm team, the Western Division leading Rockford Ice Hogs, playing the Lake Erie Monsters. The Hogs' talent has basicall...
[b]The next 3 games for Colorado should prove very interesting: Car on Sat, Fla on Sun, and TB on Tues. Not only are all 4 teams, including Col, slumping (or are just down-right awful right now) but I believe Col has the potential to make a trade with any of these three teams.
From Col's end there are few untouchables and the names going remain Liles, Svatos, one of ou...
[b]Special teams[/b]
Last night, we were 0-6 or 0-7 on the Power Play.
In this new NHL, that I will refer to as zero contact figure skating, special teams are key. Look at Philly and Montreal, their PP wins them games.
The Rangers have had so much trouble scoring 5 on 5, so we cannot really rely on goals from that, but the man advantage (and in cases of the 2 man ...
Let me begin this post by stating that I am both a Penguins fan, as well as a hockey fan. I think there are a lot of great young players in the league today.
With that, it is interesting that the media and hockey people are using the great starts of players like Lecavalier, Kovalchuk and Iginla as a reason to say they are disappointed in Crosby this year, and that he i...
-The MLSE Board is meeting in the wake of a 5-2 loss by the Leafs, with the agenda looking like change. General Manager John Ferguson jr and Head Coach Paul Maurice may both be dumped. It's staggering to see the Leafs playing so poorly.
I have to agree with the multitude of Leaf fans that have started calling for the napalm and dynamite. The Leafs have ability and can ...
Lots to talk about in the wake of last night's 5-2 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Wild, and not much of it good.
Before I dive in to the vitriol, allow me to offer my season-long caveat: this team is on an upward trend long-term, in spite of its recent poor play. Probably about one third of the current roster is composed of guys who should be playing in the AHL, whi...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/glasshalfislanders.jpg[/img]
So, if you've sat and thought about this team this season, have you come to the same conclusion I have drawn? When asked: Is the glass half empty? Is the glass half full? My answer is:
"The glass is half Islanders"
Which is my witticism for neither. Both. Or that giant question mark that slams into our h...
Which is exactly what is required at this point in time. Two games played, two games won, 4 points gained. Coventry had a double header (what you North Americans would call a home and home series, never made sense to me that one but there you go) against 9th placed Hull Stingrays. Being brutally honest, anything less than two wins would've been severely disappointing.
...
Evidently, Cam Barker got his wake up call prior to last night's 3-2 shootout win over Nashville. He skated hard, hit people and looked like a totally different player than he did in his sleepwalk versus Minnesota the other night.
The Hawks are still underproducing in key areas, most notably the power play, but played well enough to beat the Predators. The tradewinds ar...
[b]Freddy Meyer[/b], god of thunder, strode across the ice, his eyes seeing opportunity. Jason Spezza, of soft hands and softer body, was about to gain the puck from Wade Redden. Meyer crashed into him with a mighty howl that careened off the Ottawa seats and turned cheering Canadian mouths into what resembled Cheerios. Spezza hit the ice, and it was like he and the Senato...
Jon Jordan writes...
Now That Was a Hockey Game! / Support the Lighthouse!!!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
From Freddy Meyer's [i]Witt-esque[/i] crunch on Jason Spezza to Rick DiPietro's near-miss empty netter, that was as complete a hockey game as the Islanders have played all season.
Of course, Ottawa fans and Islander haters alike will protest that the Sens were coming off a highly emotional contest against the Detroit Red Wings the night before and that they were without...
Just thought I'd round up today's top stories;
Scotty Bowman came out today and said that he has no plans on leaving Detroit to join the dysfunctional Maple Leafs should they shake up the front office. As we all know, Bowman appeared in an interview on Hockey Night in Canada this past Saturday where he spilled the beans about MLSE. He said that the MLSE board of direc...
Catfan912 writes...
Colorado sinks Panthers', Trying To Claw Up The Standings
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With a frustrating shootout loss against the Colorado Avalanche, that only adds another game to the loss category, and only further frustrates the team. The Panthers were recently accused of not trying hard enough to win their games, because as we all know, although they have raw talent, they can't just win games with a mediocre effort. They gave it their all against ...
Let me first start by saying that this is my first blog, so if it sucks I apologize. I am a die hard Flyers fan, and am thrilled at the prospect of Peter Forsberg signing with the Flyers. Even at 70% I love watching Forsberg at work, and the excitement that I get personally from watching him step on the ice just about every other night is why I am excited about the possi...
Hey guys. Sorry it has been awhile as I have been very busy with some school work, regular work and my own hockey games. Since I have last blogged there has been a lot of good and bad that has been going around the Islander organization.
First from the recent road trip. A bit of a rough start with the OT loss in Colorado and the blowout in Edm, but the Islanders real...
My "sources" tell me Tarnstrom is close to being dealt to the Hawks (A5) =D
[quote]"I am Cody McLeod of the Clan McLeod. I was born in 1984 in the village of Binscarth on the plains of Manitoba. And I am immortal."[/quote]
Hmm, the new guy on Colorado Avalanche's roster this past month seems a tad intense.
I wonder if there are any good stories on this undrafted winger? The stats speak of quite the berserker in the minors.
[IMG]http://i9.ti...
[b]Since I started blogging, I have been suggesting ideas to help the Avs solve their close-to-woes this season (and next). Well, the beat goes on with a "what about this?" idea.
First, as much as I hate it, trade Liles to CAR for Commodore + pick. It would have to be a trade and sign for both teams but I put Commodore in the $2.5-3.0 range for next year (given recent m...
As I write this, John Ferguson Jr. is still the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as far as I know anyways. Of course it is completely possible that Ferguson was fired long ago and MLSE has asked him to hold the position while they search for an interim GM. This would explain why there has practically been no roster changes during this catastrophic slump, w...
We are begining to see the signs that Nicklas Kronwall is becoming the player we all hoped he'd be. He has posted 11 pts in the past 13 games. Playing very well in the defensive zone and getting second unit powerplay time. Looks like Kenny Holland got it right again. Keep it up Nick!
I've been looking over Eklunds rumor page and it lists the Redwings as a team that could trade for Hossa. Although, I would love to see this happen. What would it cost the wings? Atlanta would want a Player with some talent. As a big time Wingnut, I would be afraid of losing some of the young talent the Redwings have. Players like Valtteri Filppula, Juri Hudler and N...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Drop Fourth Straight, Inconsistency Continues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Flames dropped their fourth in a row tonight, losing to Nashville 3-0. For the second straight game in a row, the team was outright hard to watch, as the best scoring chance the Flames got all night was a clanger in the first period by Dion. The only good part of the game was seeing Calgary product Curtis McElhinney play a fine third period in what will likely be his l...
In [url=http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=37614&post_id=3791]an earlier posting[/url], I eluded to the fact that poor officiating in the UK wasn't all the fault of the men in stripes, but in fact was mostly due to the system in which they work in. In this short (well, as short as I ever get) piece, I am going to try and explain why.
Referees over here do th...
[i]"Control, control. You must learn control!"[/i]
- Yoda
Coach Ted Nolan said words to this effect. As did words come from some players. Keep focused. Don't come home and then come out flat. Be consistent. Be ready. Obviously, they all know what this team sometimes does. Add to this, ,most road-traveled teams tend to come home and stink up the joint. And for the 11,0...
Last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs should say something about this team.
It needs a change.
While I'm sure there will be plenty to jump to the Cane's side on this, suggesting they are only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender, and as much as I love to believe that, they're not.
It says something about the team when Sergei Samsonov is t...
Last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs should say something about this team.
It needs a change.
While I'm sure there will be plenty to jump to the Cane's side on this, suggesting they are only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender, and as much as I love to believe that, they're not.
It says something about the team when Sergei Samsonov is t...
Well, last night I said tonight’s game was almost a must win game. You get two solid efforts at home versus two central division rivals, and have one game remaining at home (Canucks) before the all-star break. Tonight was a key win, Pazzy played good as usual. Russell is finding his form, and Methot has looked solid since he played with us last year.
Brassard’s pla...
Lost in the recent gush of love and goodwill for new Hawks owner Rocky Wirtz and team president John McDonough is an undeniable, hard fact:
If the Blackhawks fail to win a Stanley Cup in the next five years, a lot of people are going to be very disappointed.
With the Bulls stuck below .500 and baby-sitting Joakim Noah, the Blackhawk franchise has the opportunity to d...
Kelekin writes...
2008-09 Off-Season: Calgary Flames (An Early Look Ahead)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It'll be an interesting off-season for the Flames this year.
To look ahead, this will be a make or break off-season in regards to whether or not the team will be able to compete in the two or three years thereafter.
Currently there is 40 million locked up towards next year's salaries, with about 10 million to spare. The question remains, what will we be able to do wi...
[b]APOLOGY TO THE CALGARY FLAMES FANS[/b]
I noticed as a fan blogger now I have never really laid up on my bashing of the flames. Well that is plain wrong how can I really seriously consider myself a fan of the league if all I do is bash the home team I live in.
Well that is ending today I want to make sure that I am a fan of the NHL which includes well the ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Beat Wild - With Habs Assistant GM Watching.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames snapped their four-game losing streak with an important 3-2 shootout win over the division-leading Wild. With the win, Calgary is now one point back of the Wild in the Northwest. Truth be told, they should and would be ahead of Minnesota if it weren't for a quick whistle late in the second that wiped out a Kristian Huselius goal. I don't usually criticize refs f...
[i]"Come inside, the shows about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured youll get your moneys worth
The greatest show in heaven, hell or earth.
Youve got to see the show, its a dynamo.
Youve got to see the show, its rock and roll . . ."[/i]
- Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
The Isles went to NJ, and if you watched the pre-game show, you would hav...
Haven't been on here much in the past month what with Christmas and work but I just wanted to comment on a couple of things. I'm not going to discuss the Flames up and downs, simply some of the players performances and thoughts. Pictures however are from ESPN.com.
- Warrener has been a healthy scratch the last two games. Is he worse than Eriksson or Hale? I know Keenan...
Before we get to the game, an update on Ryane Clowe. He skated (yesterday, I believe) for 25 minutes by himself, but Ron Wilson said that he won't be ready until March.
"He won't be ready until March at the earliest," Ron Wilson told Emmons. "He's got to build up his strength. We're not going to risk him. Obviously, we could use him, but we've been getting by without hi...
The topic of how to best allot points for wins/losses/etc. in the NHL continues to be discussed.
I fully put my support behind the idea put forth by the Random Thinker himself, renowned HockeyBuzzard [b]jsaquella[/b]. ([i]the fact he's also my good friend and brother-in-law has little, if anything to do with it. In fact, it probably made me [u]less[/u] likely to listen)...
[b]So it's bad enough Colorado is without Joe and Ryan...now more bad news: Stazz is out for 2-3 weeks after appendix surgery.
There are two ways to react here:
1) Q and the coaching staff ask the players to step up to the plate and get 'em fired up *coughHejdukLilescough*. Hensick has been called up, according to Chopper. This guy is going to be really good someday...
For a league that struggles to market to the mythical casual fans without upsetting the die-hard fans, the Winter Classic could not have been more perfect for the NHL.
A cold, blustery day with light to moderate snow in Buffalo provided the perfect backdrop for Pittsburgh's entertaining 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, but the game was about far more than the score....
I don't like making posts about games I never went to, but I feel this one should be an exception. I'm going to go through the game sheet so you can get an idea of the twists and turns of this game.
[b]1st Period[/b]
2.30 Blaze score on the powerplay - Huppe from Weaver and Cloutier. They now lead 3-1 on aggregate
2.34 Jeremy Cornish and new two-way signing for Coven...
Hey hockey fans across the US and Canada. Earlier in the week the Isles continued their own version of the pursuit of perfection against the New Jersey Devils. Unlike in their sub par performance against the Habs, the Isles came out to play, immediately stopping a Devils attack. The Isles drew two quick penalties on the same shift and turned that into Bill Guerin's hig...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Call to Arms! Lighthouse Project and more on a big weekend
Posted Friday | Comments 0
For anyone who follows sports or goes to concert on Long Island, they have suffered. It’s not that Nassau Coliseum is a bad place. Just an arcane relic to another time and place. We can sit in its cold embrace and shiver, and then tell people, well its a piece of old time history. But let's be real. It's time for something new. When Charles Wang took over the Isles, he s...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Stomp Kings; Potential Dilemma: Tanguay AND Huselius?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Flames stomped LA 6-1 tonight. The Flames were able to get away with Jarome Iginla not getting any points tonight, as Daymond Langkow got a hat trick and Matt Lombardi got a goal and assist. With the win and Minnesota's loss to Anaheim, the Flames now lead the Northwest by one point. However, Flames fans shouldn't get used to it, as Calgary doesn't play again until Tue...
Like Frankenstein's Monster, I was nearly driven off the chicagoblackhawks.com message boards the other day by an angry mob of villagers wielding pitchforks, for daring to say that the Hawks had no chance of making the playoffs.
"This is a fan board. Why are you here?" One poster reasoned.
I am a fan. But I am also a journalist, and therefore I need to make objective...
So much has been made about Calgary's cap "troubles" coming up next year, so let's actually break it down and see what contracts, and what roster spots are up for grabs next season.
Contracts in place, assuming no trades happen before the 08/09 season, not including potential extensions:
???? - ???? - Iginla (7.0)
Tanguay (5.250) - Lombardi (1.817) - ????
Moss (.5...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Live: Flyers Comeback 5-3. Nolan Not Happy with Effort
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[i]"No time for love, Dr. Jones"
- Short Round, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom[/i]
What's more important that Hilary beating back Obama in Nevada. Or Romney taking another for the Republicans. It is that I make my return to the Isles Blog Box to kick off 2008. Ok, not that stupendous. But, throw me a bone here.
I met Jon Jordan, our Tampa Bay blogger and fe...
Yes, we just lost 4-2 to Toronto, but I'm not speaking on emotion.
I'm speaking as someone who has watched this team closely all year long, their trials, triumphs, and tribulations.
This team is close of being a playoff team, but it's just not there at the moment. [b]It's one or two players short.[/b]
Look at the Sabres' recent losses to Atlanta and the Rangers, w...
In every season where we have to reflect on what’s transpired, and what must happen going forward. Here we go.
This team misses Ron Hainsey, and they dearly miss Sergei Fedorov’s composure. There was a glaring inability to move the puck against Colorado, who really could have taken the night off and won the game.
A lack of consistency from the back end on out is ...
Well, again not too much to say about last nights game, I said earlier that if the Sens put the same effort on the ice as they did against Tampa, they would get spanked, and they did, 6-1 to a very good, very hot Philly team. Dont be fooled by the shot count in the game, the Sens outshot the Flyers, but this game wasnt even close, all the shots were perimater shots and no ...
That was the story for Coventry on Sunday. After deservedly going one down at the end of the first period, they rallied to score seven goals in the second to ease past thier rivals, Cardiff Devils.
Cardiff are short-benched at the moment, missing their starting NM so were always going to struggle.. but it was the superior creativity and finishing of Coventry in the 2nd...
1,168 miles.
That's the distance from my front door to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The last two times I'd made this trek, the home team had been shut out - once in a disappointing season opener, the other in a horrendous showing that turned out to be Butch Goring's last stand as Islander coach. On Saturday night, Richard Park made sure that wouldn't happen...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNGaMeCjnqo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603765387115/
Hi everyone sorry this is so late. I was with friends who have people visiting from Finland and I felt it more important to be social.
I got to the game last night early. I wanted to say hi to all my friend going into the Phantoms. I did not go to the Pha...
(All, I am no longer HB28, but my real name. Nice to meet you)
I just got done responding on Al Cimaglia's blog with regard to Denis Savard's system.
Make no mistake, Savard-Bashers. He has a system. He has a vision. And it's working.
As a Hawk fan, it's very easy to be cynical about any member of the front office or staff who comes from within the ranks. For year...
What has gotten into Johan Holmqvist as of late? Back to back shutouts against the high-powered Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators? On the road?
Maybe one can credit the addition of Kari Ramo into the equation. No longer can Holmer expect mediocrity in the form of Marc Denis to be competing for his job. Kari is young, hungry and wants it, something that Denis had n...
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...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_2000yard.jpg[/img]
Tom Lea, a gifted artist and World War II correspondent for [i]Life Magazine[/i], painted a picture that is famous not only for its stark portrayal of battlefield stress on an American Marine during the battle for the island of Peleliu in 1944, but also as a foreshadowing of what we know today as ...
[b]Well tonight's game certainly had its share of ups and downs for both teams. I thought Colorado came out with a lot of speed and energy to start the game, flying up the wings and making smart passes. Then came a disheartening goal by Weber who let one rip from the point on the PP. Shortly thereafter, the Preds continued to press and wound up hitting 2 posts (if i'm not ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
The Phaneuf Questions; Flames Learning To Win Without Iggy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I'm sure I wasn't the only Flames fan who almost had a heart attack when they logged on to Hockeybuzz to find a Phaneuf trade rumor on the front page. I probably take Eklund's rumors more seriously than most should. I'm still pale skinned and shivering with the possibility. However, the idea of Phaneuf being traded is both more and less possible than some might think.
T...
One thing that struck me during the first period of last night's Hawks-Sharks tilt, is that whether or not Al Cimaglia, myself or anyone else thinks the Hawks are a playoff team, the Hawks themselves think they are a playoff team. That matters. And that is a credit to the youthful exuberance of the players, along with Denis Savard and his staff.
The Hawks came out flyin...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Isles Finally Beat Carolina 6-3 and Some Defensive Talk
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Two bitter defeats and the news on Campoli had to be on their mind. This team was facing a challenge. Nolan added to this by resting [b]Rick DiPietro[/b] (more on that later). So with Dubie in goal, the Isles went to Carolina in the daunting task to notch a win against a team that beat them twice. Once was a blowout, the second a come from behind win that whitened Isle fan...
Hey guys. I just thought that I would bring up a real interesting topic, that may or may not be a major factor in the up coming weeks. It's as simple as this and it's called the Dion Sweepstakes. Quite frankly I feel that maybe this could be above and beyond what Calgary fans want, trading away the Top young D-man in the Leaque. I wonder what we could get in return, surly ...
[img:left]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20061107/DionPhaneuf_43250.jpg[/img]
The idea that Darryl Sutter, the GM of the Calgary Flames and one of the most intelligent, well-rounded and respected GM's in the entire National Hockey League trading away All-Star and possible future Norris Trophy winning defense man Dion Phaneuf is one of the most preposterous rumor...
Every coach uses their favorite phrase: "We need to compete for sixty minutes." It is so often overused that it becomes overlooked. You hear the coachspeak and instinctively turn the other cheek. I'm guilty of it, thank god for a digital recorder.
The Blue Jackets celebrated their long-awaited return to Dallas (turns on sarcasm detector) on Tuesday night, looking for an...
In a previous blog, I stated that playing San Jose was a better measure of the Hawks' playoff-worthiness than the Hawks' previous four opponents.
And in some ways, so is Columbus, who the Hawks face off against tonight at the U.C.
With San Jose, it was more a question of: if the Hawks win, then yes, they should be considered a serious playoff contender. But if they ...
[b]Well I didn't get to see the whole game as the Leafs game was taking air-priority on the *cough "channel" cough* I was watching. When i picked up the game finally it was 1-0 and suddenly a blast from Rolston made it 2-0. Colorado has been alright at digging themselves out of a hole this season (remember, Flames fans?) but leaving yourself this wide open against the Wild...
Finishing with 3 wins and 2 losses. Could have been two wins, with three losses. Or four wins and one loss. But, we finished 3-2. Winning two in a row, and both could have just as easily been losses.
Ugly games.. you gotta win them. Unless you don’t wanna make the playoffs. If you don’t wanna make the playoffs, lose the ugly games, I don’t care. The Jackets are ma...
[i]"Charlie, here comes the deuce. And when you speak of me, speak well. "
- Crash Davis, Bull Durham[/i]
We should have known what was coming. After all, Boston had an embarrassing and bitter defeat at the hand of the Montreal Canadians the game before. Meanwhile, their goalie, Tim Thomas was tapped to be an all star and to join Isles goalie Rick DiPietro when Marti...
I kind of stole this idea from THN but heres a list of changes that I would make if I had one day to do anything and everything to the NHL. Let me know what you think and any other ideas that you would like to see.
[b]1. Florida Panthers move to Winnipeg [/b]
I don't know how this team manages to survive in Florida. They haven't made the playoffs since 2000-01. They h...
OK, maybe not in the best taste as far as a headline. But it is time to "clear the air" on a range of subjects and misperceptions surrounding the Blackhawks.
[b]"Tallon should be fired. He isn't acquiring the players we need to compete."[/b]
FACT: There are roughly 25 teams in both conferences "in the hunt" for playoff spots right now. Most of them, by the way, are m...
I have been looking forward to doing this blog on the Sharks. Mark Freitas and Ryan Garner are very good friends from Hockey Buzz. I hope you don’t compare my blogs to those two awesome bloggers because it will make me look too bad!
The Sharks are a very puzzling team. I truly believe this team has all the talent to take it to the next level. The Sharks have the tal...
Conceptions around the NHL world differ on a newly implemented system – the NHL salary cap. It is a system that guarantees hope, even if it is an illusion to some, for less-talented teams that befall the lower class of the league.
The point of this experiment was too create a more competitive and intense league. So the NHL decided to bring in a system that rewards a p...
I thought I had seen it all when it came to people making biased comments regarding the actions of Philadelphia Flyer, Steve Downie, but Mr. Gage, it seems, has raised the bar when it comes to prejudice against the notorious rookie. In his recent Blog [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=102[/url] , Gage concludes that Downie actually went so far as to fak...
Second half of the season starts on Tuesday, and I like the fact that it's so close in the standings. It's ultimately good for the sport to have as many teams as possibly vying for a playoff spot right now and makes up to certain hockey excitement that people only could see in the playoffs.
Another thing that makes more games more exciting to watch is because of the am...
The Sabres HAVE to use this weekend off as a method to cleanse thier system of the first half of the season. If they get their act together quickly, they can climb right back in the playoff hunt.
After losing 12 of their last 14 games, they can climb to the 8 spot by THIS FRIDAY if they take care of their own business (at Tampa, florida and Atlanta) and things break ri...
Thank you, Bill Guerin ...
I've been yapping all year long (for years, actually) about how just getting into the playoffs should [i][b]never [/b][/i]be [i][b]any [/b][/i]team's goal. Ties may be gone in the NHL, but mediocrity is also about as satisfying as kissing your sister, so the analogy remains. While I [i][b]am [/b][/i]grateful to have the Islanders qualifying fo...
Here we are, post All Star game, staring at the last 32 games this season. The games that will make us or break us. It will answer the question, are we playoff contenders or pretenders.
Of course, we start this chain of games off with another visit by one of the top teams in the NHL, the Ottawa Senators. The Senators came into the All Star break halting a 3 game skid wi...
Hello All, I havent posted anything a little over a week, I decided I didnt want to get going about the Sens last week and really, theres not much to say about the All-Star weekend, it is what it is!!! Im also going to stay away from the Ray Emery saga, all I will say is this kid has to get his crap together, act like an adult rather than a spoiled little kid, and frankly ...
So, you want to be a playoff team? This has been the Isles wish since back over the summer, when Ryan Smyth evaded their extended grasp, and they were forced to change their free agent direction. It is why the Isles will likely not sell off pieces, making all efforts to achieve a spot and a chance at glory.
So, you want to be a playoff team? They've made strides with th...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Get Character Win v. SJ; PHANEUF RE-SIGNING IMMINENT
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames won an important character game against San Jose tonight, 5-4. Not only did they beat the league's best road team at home, they also beat the second-ranked Sharks for the second straight game. Jarome Iginla remained goalless for the eighth straight game, so the Flames remedied this with a hat trick from...Owen Nolan! It was what you might call Trade Bait Night f...
First, let me start by saying that Alex Tanguay is one of my favourite players - he always has been.
Alex Tanguay is a great NHL hockey player. Before this year, he was a Power Play specialist, had a great shot, great passer and never complained (and still never complains). When the deal was heard that Tanguay was traded to Calgary for Leopold, Calgary was ecstatic.
...
[b]The road ahead for the Blue Jackets doesn't get much easier[/b]. Following what could have been this year's most disappointing loss (at home to Phoenix), the Jackets pack their bags and head down to Darth Vader's lair. True, the Blue Jackets ended their 12-game losing streak to the Predators in Nationwide Arena on January 12, but playing in Nashville has been an entirel...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603832119151/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-RDO4-r3m8
Shout out to everyone I saw tonight; Theresa, Brooke, Karen, Rad and of course the old friends I ran into by chance.
Thank you again to Kristin! It was a bad game but it was still fun hanging out.
Ok Flyers faithful I am to blame for tonight's loss. I had ...
I did some calculating last night.
By my count, the Islanders have now been in rebuilding mode for 15 consecutive years. Since the 1992-93 season, they haven't made it out of the first round of the playoffs. With 2001-02 now nothing more than a minor blip on the radar screen, in terms of regular season success, the Isles have remained stagnant for almost 5,500 calendar ...
Survivors on a deserted island.
No hope of rescue.
For the next 30 games, they will be tested beyond their limits.
For the Islanders are . . .
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/lostisles.jpg[/img]
Each player joined this club with hopes of success, but also leaving behind perhaps their troubled past of unfulfilled potentials. They gave themselves to a ...
[b]The AVS begin February with a 2-0 loss to Detroit in Motown. What more can be said? A lot.
The first period was a tough one...Colorado gets 3 shots on net but played a good portion of the period in the box, including a 5-3 on which bombs were dropping from Lidstrom and Rafalski (among others). What really struck me in this period was our poor passing. Whether it was...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Risk And Reward: Evaluating Potential Top Line Centers
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Flames' need, or at least want, for a top line center to play with Jarome Iginla seems to have expanded beyond the realms of fans playing armchair GM. During the second intermission of the Flames-Sharks game on Wednesday, TSN's Darren Dreger reported that, with the issue of re-signing Dion Phaneuf now all but officially out of the way, Darryl Sutter is shopping for suc...
It's definitely seemed quiet in Blackhawk Nation of late.
After Wednesday's pathetic 6-3 loss to an even more-injured (than the Hawks) Avalanche club, the Blackhawks have settled in Silicon Valley for tonight's tilt against the Sharks and another two day rest following that.
But some things have changed. The scathing remarks from Denis Savard have become quite positi...
In last night's 3-2 shootout loss to San Jose, Denis Savard made a real head-scratcher of a decision, sending out Cam Barker as the Hawks' shooter on a do or die try in the shootout.
If he made it, the Hawks' stayed alive for another round; if he didn't, they lost. And he was sent out ahead of Tuomo Ruutu, Martin St. Pierre and Yanic Perreault.
He didn't make it. An...
Brock was the next big thing. A huge specimen of a man who was NCAA Wrestling champ and best in the country. He, right after college, signed a big money deal with none other than Vince McMahon's World Wresting Entertainment. He was developed, cultivated, and went up the ranks with a huge push right to the top. Brock was champ. He was physically imposing. He was a hilarious...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Put Up Pitiful Performance; Drilled By Oilers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Cold on the heels of their close 2-1 home loss to the Stars on Saturday, the Flames got crushed 5-0 in Edmonton tonight, souring CuJo's first start with the Flames. Let me tell you, I didn't watch much of the third period (because Prison Break was on, and also the Flames were down 3-0 after two) but I can tell you that this was the absolute worst I have seen the Flames pla...
Wow after the pounding the Flames took at the hands of the Oilers, this makes me wonder if the cup dream is dissapearing in Calgary. I know it is only one game, but there is a trend when the flames face teams that out match them with speed. It seems to me that the Flames d man really struggle, stopping guys with speed. I think that Sutter should address this problem. I loo...
First things first, I love Huselius, and I think that he is infinitely talented, but I feel that the Flames are going to have to cut him loose for the benefit of the club. Surely the return would be great for Huselius, someone who many claim was robbed of an All-Star game spot, and he could be an impact player for a team that would barely sneak their way into a playoff spo...
Dear Mr Peter Forsberg,
Let me first introduce myself. I am the nice lady who smiles and loves to take pictures at Flyers practices and games. I am a Flyers die hard but don't hold that against me.
Mr Forsberg, the reason I am writing this letter today is that I would like you to remove Philadelphia from the list of teams that you are considering signing with in t...
[b]The Blue Jackets suffered yet another humiliating defeat tonight.[/b] This time, it was the red-hot Washington Capitals who rallied from 2-0 and late 3-2 deficits to win in overtime, 4-3.
Alex Ovechkin scored the overtime winner at 2:28, and added the Caps' first goal of the night. Backup Brent Johnson shook off a rough start and carried the Capitals into overtime, m...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Come Back From 3 Down, Get Huge Win Over 'Yotes
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In one of the best and most entertaining games of the year, the Flames came back from a 3-0 deficit at the start of the third period to beat the Coyotes 4-3 in the shootout. Jarome Iginla finally snapped his 10-game goalless streak in dramatic fashion, first wiring home an amazing shot from the left circle over Ilya Bryzgalov's shoulder with just 9 seconds left to tie the ...
[i]"It's tough. I'm not going to lie . . . Now is a time when we'll see what sort of character is on this team. We'd like everybody healthy and going, but that's not the case. We have to buckle down and right the ship."
- Ted Nolan[/i]
[i]"There are plenty of teams with guys hurt . . . We have to find ways to win. We can't focus who's hurt. We have to focus on who's h...
Hey pens fans,
There are plenty of rumors flying around out there, with the deadline approaching. Here is the run down of the Penguin ones.
Hossa: Atlanta is lookinig to move him before they lose him to free agency. They want to make the playoffs and they have some slots to fill in the roster. I think Hossa will move. I would say the Penguins are one of the more ...
Swede writes...
Bruins Playoff Push: The Last 10 Games and Trade Deadline
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I know I am looking ahead, but the next 20 games will go by quickly and then we (as fans) will be looking at the last 10 games to see if Boston can clinch a playoff spot. Lets be honest, it won't happen before this because the race to the playoffs all year has been tighter than (insert joke here).
Here are the last ten games Boston plays, all but 2 against division riva...
Currently the New York Islander's sit in the 13th slot of the Eastern Conference. Fortunately for them, they are only five points out considering how deep they are in the standings..but this only adds to the frustration and confusion of what the Islander's should do.
If you ask me...(and I know that no one has so far, but I'm going to give my two cents anyway), the Isla...
Following Tuesday's night's loss to the defending Stanley Cup Champs, the news got worse for the Islanders as Miroslav Satan has been declared a no-go for tonight's game against the surging Pens. Despite being without Sid the Kid, the Penguins sit in third place in the Atlantic, just a win behind the top-seeded Devils and a point behind the second place Flyers. With Mike S...
Can anyone recall exactly why the NHL decided to shut 'er down for a season? I think it had something to do with salaries spiraling out of control, attendance in lots of markets were down and owners were losing buckets of money.
Fast forward to today.
As of Feb. 7, 2008, only 11 of the 30 teams are averaging at (or above) arena capacity this season. 10 teams are av...
The Buffalo Sabres have one of the best young forwards crops in the league. They are a enigma as to why they don’t have more points in the standings. Their defense is led by super star Mr. Campbell. The goaltending is solid; that will have to continue to improve to help this team make the playoffs.
The Sabres' strengths are their age, speed, and strength. Their for...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Can't Break Down Bulin Wall, Lose 3-1 To Blackhawks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames lost 3-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, as Nikolai Khabibulin continued his dominance of Calgary with his 19th career win over the Flames. The Flames outshot Chicago 12-6 in the third period, but were unable to tie the game despite several close chances. With the loss, the Flames miss out on an opportunity to take the Northwest divisional lead, as Mi...
With last night's 3-1 victory over Calgary, one streak ends, and another is probably beginning.
Other than a rash of injuries to key players and the emergence of Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews, that's been the story of the Hawks' season thus far: back-to-back-to-back winning and losing streaks of 4-6 games. Those are the hallmarks of a very young team, and a .500 team, bot...
Hockey has always been a very intimate sport. The players humble, the fans knowledgeable, the media low-key. In a way, I almost like that not as many people watch the NHL as other sports, because when I do come across those who are a fan - they know they're stuff. Hockey fans know their sport. In baseball, basketball, and football there are many more casual fans of the gam...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Down Oil 4-1 On Eve Of Five Game Road Trip
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames rebounded from a relatively lackluster performance against Chicago on Thursday to defeat Edmonton 4-1 at the 'Dome tonight. Owen Nolan continued his strong play, leading the way with two goals. Dion Phaneuf also scored for the Flames, with Jarome Iginla adding an empty netter. The Flames are currently in seventh place, remaining two points back of Minnes...
I had to rub my eyes when I read Tim Sassone's column at 1:30 this morning. Was it a dream? Was I hallucinating? Had I had one too many glasses of Barolo earlier in the evening?
The Blackhawks are serious contenders to sign Peter Forsberg.
Checking elsewhere, I read more. Yes, the Hawks have made a strong, multi-year offer for the 34 year-old, oft-injured superstar c...
[i]"I got up feeling so down
I got off being sold out
I've kept the movie rolling
But the story's getting old now
I just looked in the mirror
Things aren't looking so good"
[/i]
Here we are . . .
[b]
Feeling Minnesota[/b]
You can almost hear Chris Cornell's throaty growl as you stare at the TV screen or read your morning paper about last night's game. Once ...
Before I go on any further, I just read the article on TSN about Richard Zednik's most unfortunate accident in tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres. When horrible mishpas like this occur in any sporting event, one cannot find themselves caring about the outcome of any hockey game. Hopefully Zednik will be out of the hospital very soon and have a fast recovery without ...
mojoworld writes...
Trade this, trade that -- The Canucks won't be trading much.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
THN has some interesting trade suggestions for the hockey world to see, but at the end of the day, I think they're still long shots. The Nagy trade suggestion for a draft pick is pretty useless. We don't have much to give up right now and it really wouldn't profit us to try and make incremental improvements right now to the team by risking more draft picks.
The Sundin...
Mats Sundin the all time Leaf scoring leader is rumoured to be willing to waive his no trade clause for certain teams in a bid to help the Leafs future, i being a Leaf fan would love to see the Big Swede return in the summer, since at this time we do not have anyone who can replace Sundin's point production, Sundin will most likely be traded along with a current roster pla...
The Habs may very well be the most improved team this season. They are the best passing team in the NHL. Their forwards are among the most talented in the League. They have the speed to match their skill in the offensive zone. Their power play is simply awesome, one of the best teams in the League. The Habs have the defense who will and have pitched in for the offense...
It is very clear to me that change is needed in Calgary, in order to win a Stanley Cup. Change in Goal, no. but the rest of the team has struggled with consistency. i think we need to address the fact that we only have one true goal scorer in Iginla, the rest are hit and miss. This defence core has struggled in consistency with Sarich looking more like he is playing shinny...
So here we are on a gray, dreary, snowy eve. Or as they call it in Buffalo and Toronto . . . [b]Tuesday[/b].
[i]"One game at a time"
- Ted Nolan[/i]
Ted is being interviewed for a pregame where he is talking about the good things in the last two games. And no matter the doom and gloom, they have played far better the last two. The pressure is on tonight. The colise...
For the first time in the New Year, the Islander's have [b][u][i]FINALLY[/i][/u][/b] won a home game. And despite all the talk of trading for the future and forgetting this season...I gotta say this win did feel good. And you know the Isles were feeling it too, watching Park celebrate after the final buzzer as if he had just scored his first NHL goal.
It is pretty depre...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Kiprusoff, Phaneuf, Iginla Beat Sharks 4-3 In OT
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames opened their big five game Pacific roadtrip with a dramatic 4-3 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks. Jarome Iginla scored the winner with 25 seconds left on the clock, one-timing a nice pass from Phaneuf from the left circle. This came after Phaneuf had sent the game to overtime with 49 seconds to go with a wrister from the blueline that found the back...
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...
[i]"I missed being around the guys and the team," said Simon after practice. "I'm ready to get back out there and help the team. I've learned from my mistakes. I'm going to try and be the best I can be when I come back. What happened in the past is always going to be there, but I look to now and getting ready for tomorrow."[/i]
Luckily when he says tomorrow he means it ...
The Dallas Stars are #2 in the NHL. They have two of the top scorers in the Western Conference playing on their #1 line, one of the best defenders the game has known, the greatest American player, and an elite goalie. Why does no one care about them? I realize Dallas is a football town. I also realize that the Mavericks and Rangers will always get more coverage than the St...