Tag Search Results for "MIN"
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...
Right now it is snowing outside, despite the Global Warming Monster that is stomping unchecked across the country. This snow I take as a sign, some good juju, as it were, for the Minnesota Wild.
This season, the Wild overcame adversity. Their star, Marian Gaborik, was down for what seemed an eternity with a fragile groin. Again. Pretty much every key player was out ...
[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...
If the Wild take anything from this offseason, it should be a lesson from the Ottawa Senators. The lesson is simple: Stay the Course. After yet another disappointing offseason, the Sens could have gone out and tried to makeover their team. Instead, they stayed the course, having confidence in the star players and role players that they had to get them back to where they...
Here's a list of my top picks for the Wild to pursue this offseason.
Forwards:
[b]1) Jason Blake[/b]
A few things stand out in my mind when I look at Jason Blake. First, obviously, that he was a 40 goal scorer last season with the Islanders and led them in points with 69, but also that he played at a +1 for them over all 82 games. Blake is a ferocious forechecke...
Life after death……or in Buffalo’s case, life after Drury and Briere, is it time for fans to prepare for what seems now to be our inevitable fate?
Like an Atheist afraid of death Buffalo Sabres fans must now seriously ponder what the world will look like if the two captains leave. As was reported on TSN.ca earlier today Briere looks to be gone. Combine the fact th...
Well sabres fans it's confirmed Teppo Numminen has resigned with the Sabres
[url]http://wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=2491[/url]
According to nhlpa.com Sabres vetern Defenceman Teppo Numminen has a 2.6 million Dollar salary for 07-08.
Here is a link for the sabres team page on nhlpa.com:
[url]http://nhlpa.com/WebStats/PlayerSearchV2.asp?OIDTeam=9508[/url]
...
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...
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...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
St. Louis Blues Prospect Camp: Bright Future
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I have been all around the Blues prospect camp this week and I have been impressed with the amazing talent and skill that is being shown out there by some of the Blues brightest young stars. Some we will see sooner than others, but the future of St. Louis Blues hockey is going to be amazing. Here are some of the players that were quite impressive: (in no particular order)
...
This is my first blog. Last week I spent 3 days over at the Flyers practice rink to watch some of their mini camp. I just needed a hockey fix in mid July and this was perfect. I spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday over there. Wednesday and Thursday were all drills and your typical hockey practice. Friday was a scrimmage between the two groups. New Flyers asst coach...
Slasher98 writes...
Forecaster: TOP 25 d-men scoring leaders for 2007-08
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Top 25 d-men scoring leaders:
1.Sergei Gonchar PIT: 20 G 76 PTS
2.Nicklas Lidstrom DET: 12 G 74 PTS
3.Scott Niedermayer ANA: 13 G 73 PTS (should he decide not to retire)
4.Lubomir Vishnovsky LA: 21 G 71 PTS
5.Dan Boyle TB: 23 G 70 PTS
6.Chris Pronger ANA: 17 G 70 PTS
7.Tomas Kaberle TOR: 12 G 68 PTS
8.Ryan Whitney PIT: 19 G 67 PTS
9.Bryan McCabe TO...
When you think of the word Captain for the sabres, you think without a doubt the likes of Chris Drury and Danny Briere from last year. When you think for this coming season who will be the captain you are left wondering who would be the best to fit the role. Would there be another co-captain duo this year as there was last year? My guess would be as good as yours. However,...
Slasher98 writes...
What UFA should the Caps sign to reach league minimum?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Capitals will have to spend more to get past the $34.3 million salary-cap floor by the start of the season. Interesting veteran forwards such as Anson Carter, Mike Johnson, Ville Nieminen, Jeff O'Neill, Jan Bulis or Jason Allison could all give depth to the Caps' top-12 forward group.
The best option would be [b]Mike Johnson[/b], who's a good 2-way player who can s...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
4 Sleepers, 4 Busts for your Fantasy Hockey Draft
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's about that time for Fantasy Hockey drafts and I have a few ideas on sleepers and busts for the upcoming season. A bunch of us Hockeybuzzers got together and created a yahoo league and had the draft last night. It was good fun and if you'd like to take a peak inside the draft results, have a look-see at the link below.
-[url]http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hoc...
This is a two part post, first my I explain why the Wild take the 07-08 Stanley Cup Championship. The second I will highlight my first game day mock game, for this I will be playing against the opponent scheduled (today the Hawks) in a hopeful (or today, not so hopeful) representation of todays game.
Over the last few years the Wild have taken a good approach to signing ...
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...
C J. Spacek
A J. Pominville
A A. Kotalik or J. Hecht
Spacek has turned into a complete player. he asked for more playing time and when lindy ruff gave it to him he responded by being the best defencemen on the team. he has had big hits and big goals in my opinion there is no one else that deserves this honor more then him.
Pominville has been on fire. hes scored 15...
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...
With the 2007/2008 NHL season reaching the halfway mark it dawned on me that 14/28 players (according to nhlnumbers.com) are UFA's or RFA's. Seeing as this team seems to be having consistency problems it may not be such a bad thing to start fresh with some new players and get rid of some of the older ones. With that being said, here are who I think the Wild should try to k...
AlexanderScharf writes...
What The Rangers Are Missing: 2. Determination
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]Determination:[/b] [i]Firmness of purpose; resolve.[/i]
There is a famous saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way." If you decide to accomplish something and commit yourself to acheiving success you will reach your goal, however lofty. Conversly, if you do not commit yourself to work hard you will not achieve. Hard work is usually the recipe for success. When th...
Minnesotan hockey fans have the Boogeyman, Derek Boogaard, but there is another boogeyman that haunts their dreams: Norm Green.
The man that cut Minnesotan's claim to be the most savvy, passionate, Canadian-like hockey fans in America down a peg or two by moving the North Stars/Stars to Dallas (where they ultimately won the Cup that had eluded Minnesotans for so many ye...
Ok, so every Oilers fan on the planet thinks that Schremp should get a shot in the big league. We've all seen his ridiculous shootout goals on youtube, and anyone who's never had a lobotomy can see that this guy has some major offensive talent.
So why hasn't this kid made it to the big time and scored 25 goals by now? Well, the fact of the matter is, is that the only st...
There was a time, not so long ago, when the Minnesota Wild were very protective of their team, when they did all they could behind the scenes to see to it that their brand was untarnished. The last thing anyone in the offices on Washington Street wanted was a player, a design, an advert, or a product that would form a negative opinion of the franchise, especially one that...
Since the inception of the shootout after the lockout, the playoff races have never been more competitive and the parity in the league since the lockout has never been higher.
At this point in time in the season, with only about 15 games per team remaining, it's safe to say that there are 22 teams remaining with a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. And if the Edmon...
Alright we are getting down to crunch time. With seven games left in the season this is how it's looking.
Calgary - 3
Colorado - 2
Edmonton -1
Minnesota - 1
I know I have cursed the schedule earlier this year, for those many back-to-back-to-back games or the 5 days off stretches, but this could be the best way to finish the season. Everything is in our hand...
WGR and WKBW are reporting that Teppo Numminen's suspension has been lifted and he could play as early as Thursday. I say, as a fan, I want to see him back and playing. Especially with the current injuries, the Sabres could use some veteran presence (and a right-handed d-man) on the blue line. Teppo gives a team just that. I am not saying that this will give us a smoot...
Let me preface this blog entry by saying my true feelings: PURE BITTERNESS. Since the schedule was released I made time for this weekend. I made an opening of a weekend to watch the Wild in their first round playoff match. The six hour drive to St. Paul wasn't too much, especially top stop my desire. However, a monstrous snow storm, unseen to the month of April has hit Min...
Today the NHL announced its finalists for the Lady Byng Award. And to be honest I was first shocked to see Pominville's name listed as a finalist. But then I realized that it isn't that far fetched for Jason to be nominated. Do you ever see 29 complain? He is a true professional on the ice. He lets his skill and hard work tell his story. I think he has a legitimate shot a...
I did a bit of number crunching last evening. The Flyers face an interesting cap situation following day one of the NHL draft. Here's how things stand and what could happen next.
Cap hit currently stands at: $50,792,000
Players accounted for: Briere, Richards, Gagne, Hartnell, Knuble, Lupul, Upshall, Giroux, Downie, Timonen, Hatcher, Rathje, Coburn, Parent, Kukkonen,...
The Flyers picked up young NHL D man, Steve Eminger in a draft day trade with Washington.
[img]http://dcpages.com/gallery/d/33188-4/16_copy.jpg[/img]
The Flyers paid a significant price in giving over a first rounder, the 27th overall pick, to the Caps for the 24 year old, but they did also get a 3rd round pick from them as well.
Though originally drafted a...
The Flyers have signed recently acquired defenseman Steve Eminger to a one-year contract. At first I was skeptical about the Flyers trading the 27th pick for a sturggling defenseman and a 3rd round pick. After a few days of thinking it over, it seems like a good deal. Eminger might just need a change of scenery same as Coburn did. This deal is a bold move on Homer's part. ...
How good of an NHL player will he be? Who knows but I'm sick and tired of people looking looking at www.hockeysfuture.com or www.russianprospects.com to find scouting reports that are 3 years old thinking that thats all the player could offer. I believe a year a go Anton Stralman was listed as i believe a 6.0 B or C which is a bottom pairing being the ceiling of his potent...
Wix'sLovinTheWild writes...
Unofficial Minnesota Wild Forwad Break - Down
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Minnesota Wild, well they've got depth but one thing that's going through my head is "do we have enough to repeat as division champs?" I mean the Wild didn't change anything to make this team better or worse but some of their division foes have and that's what might hurt us. So do we have a chance? Definitely. Are we going to win the Cup with the forwards we currently ...
Sure, Jason Pominville is no Eric Staal, but the timing of this 7-year extension for one of the NHL's brightest young stars could not have been worse for the Blue and Gold faithful.
7 years, $57.75 million is a lot of dough. That's $8.25 per season. You might say that this deal is the opposite of a hometown discount. I like Eric Staal, but I think that's a bit steep,...
sbkbghockey writes...
Three factors for the organization of low minor leagues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I began thinking of this topic after seeing a topic on a hockey forum the other day. In the past few seasons the hockey world has seen the emergence of low level (self proclaimed A leagues). Many criticize theses leagues as nothing more than hyped up beer leagues, but in fact the level of play isn't that bad. Many players have college background, some of the top ACHA DI l...
Update, 3:30 p.m. EST: The entry I had posted here before is meaningless now! Pommer signs a 5-year extension this afternoon, reportedly between $5 and $6 mill per season. Thoughts? I think it's a great deal and I'm ecstatic to hear the news! No more distractions going into Camp. Let's get the season started, Sabres fans!
Sabres fans on pins and needles...Just wait...
After initially deciding not to in the early summer, Flames assistant coach Wayne Fleming has left the team to take the head coaching job in Omsk of the Continental Hockey League.
Surprising news, especially this close to training camp. This is a move that adversely affects the Flames, and puts even more pressure on Mike Keenan and his staff.
With Fleming gone, the...
It's Sunday morning and you spent all of last night basking in drink after drink. You were the life of the party, from what you remember anyway, and even that's a blur - almost seems like a lifetime ago. You're still gaining your senses this morning and you have a horrible feeling in the gut of your stomach. You don't want to do a THING today.
Now you know what the S...
Ron Guillet writes...
A Look At The Leafs' Line-up Tonight (Hockey's Back, Baby!)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It has arrived. After months of psychiatric help and forcing myself to watch football, I can finally go back to destroying my social life and concentrating on hockey.
The Leafs are back in action and ready to make their pre-season debut. Many questions will begin to unfold and day-by-day the Leafs' final roster will take its form.
The Leafs lace 'em up against their...
The season is approaching and preseason hockey continues to serve as an indicator for what is to come from the many new faces that compromise the '08-09 Leafs.
Going into the season, many questions are circulating around the struggling franchise. While expectations are low, getting embarrassed is not in the blueprint. The team could surprise, but the nucleus must take a...
[b]Eagles Overwhelm Allen and Juniors[/b]
[b]Montreal. Saturday, October 17, 2008[/b]. Less than 24 hours after hanging onto an emotional 3-2 victory over the Huskies from Rouyn-Noranda, the Montreal Juniors faced the QMJHL’s 2nd best team(to date), the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The Juniors entered the second of their back to back weekend games with the best r...
Hearing "The Washington Capitals” and “Alexander” in the same sentence, has for the last few seasons conjured up “the Great 8” Ovechkin for hockey fans. This year, however, a new Alexander has finally arrived in downtown DC. Yes, that’s right, Alexander Semin, #28, is finally producing the way all the scouts thought he could, and he is getting...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
Boudreau and the boys head into Thursday's game coming off a loss, Tuesday, to the Calgary Flames. The Caps are 3-2-1, tied for first in the Southeast Division with Carolina (7 pts.), heading into Thursday's game against Gretzky and the Coyotes. The Capitals desperately need to right the ship, to avoid losing three in a row for the fir...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two point...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Buffalo Sabres showed the Washington Capitals on Saturday night that speed kills. The Capitals came out flat and got absolutely blown away, 5-0. Apparently, after the game coach Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals was as mad as he has ever been, since taking over the reigns last November.
The Capitals looked flat from the start. Thomas Van...
polastem writes...
Grabovski, Young Guns - More Than Leafs Bargained For
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Drafted in the 5th round by the Canadiens in 2004, dealt for a 2nd round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft and 5th round selection Greg Pateryn in 2008. Have the Leafs made the biggest impact trade of the season?
It was a bit of a slow start in the point production for the 24 year old rookie, but after not putting up a point in his first 7 games, Grabovski has found himself ...
They've paid all the bills, and they've given some key personnel hefty raises, but at the one-quarter mark of 2008-2009, it's not paying dividends for the Buffalo Sabres.
It has to be highly disconcerting for Tom Golisano, Darcy Regier, and Co. to witness this promising young core underperform. They have to be scratching their heads, and as the Sabres' losing streak ha...
The Capitals head to Minnesota tonight, a place they have not won at since 1993, to face a tough Wild team. The Caps are 11-6-3 and lead the Southeast with 25 points, while the Wild are 11-6-1 with 23 points. The game is an 8pm start on Versus. The Caps head to Minnesota coming off loses at LA and San Jose, while the Wild have also lost two straight.
For yet another gam...
Connie has his best game of the year. Bourque scores twice, Glencross gets three points - one goal and 2 assists, and Connie bags three assists. The three of them worked like a fine tuned machine, seemingly knowing where each other was constantly.
The Flames were basically all over them the whole game. I loved their legs. When this team skates, they are extreamly danger...
Calgary enters Minnesota after a very strong showing in St.Louis on Tuesday night. A very nice confidence booster for Mathew Lombardi with 3 points on the night and Mike Cammalleri knocking in a goal and an assist. Jarome Iginla with his career stats vs the Blues only got better knocking in 2 goals and assisting on 2 , for a 4 point night. Strong showing from Corey Sarich ...
Last night a loud exhale could be heard across the Penguin Nation.
Finally, the Pens played a game with purpose and determination...and won.
There is hope that these guys can right the ship in time for the playoffs afterall.
The Penguins adopted a more conservative approach to last night's game, using a variation on the neutral zone trap...it really amounts to a 1...
With the tedium of the All Star break thankfully behind us for another year, two counting the Olympics, we can now get back to the business of meaningful hockey with all the gusto that is associated with the regular season run in. Heading into the NHL’s maligned showcase weekend, one of this decade’s most memorable mid season pile ups was materializing in the Western C...
As I conclude my work day, I thought I'd kill off the last little with some random thoughts on various goings on in the NHL over the last few days.
Kovalev signing in Ottawa:
I think that might mean Heatley is going to be moved. Kovy's cap hit is going to make it almost impossible to stay under the cap unless they do. Too much money for Kovalev too.
Beauchemin signs...
Last year, the Islanders led the National Hockey League with more than 500 man games lost to injury. That is a pretty obscene number, taking into consideration the fact that these human beings are professional athletes, and they should be physically prepared for a grueling 82-game season. I will not begin to point fingers at the Islanders strength and conditioning staff, a...
I was reading a post on the Wild Message Boards titled Why don't the Wild have any good fan blogs? and I thought to myself: Why don't I create one? I'm a die-hard Wild fan and have been ever since the State of Hockey was blessed with the return of an NHL franchise. I remember back in the summer of 1997 sitting out on Lake Mille Lacs with my family. fishing and listening to...
Per Julie Robenhymer, live from Traverse City, Mich, the Wild prospects have defeated the Dallas Stars prospects 2-1 in a shootout. Apparently, Falk and Schmidt were involved in a couple of good fights. Another win for the good guys. Way to go Wild prospects!
Again I don't think that I need to rehash the last preseason game. I am glad that the regular season starts tonight for the league and tomorrow for the Flyers.
Here are my pics including Coburn's fight. Poor Coby
Syvret
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3970782166/in/set-72157622493273780/
Carter
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3970017143/in/set-72...
Good road game by the Predators. Got timely scoring and good goal tending (except for that 2 minute blip in the 2nd period). Heck the Preds even got another powerplay goal and a shorty. The Preds finished this 5 game road trip with a 2-2-1 record.
Game Notables:
Smithson (A+) - When your fourth line grinder gets the game winning, short handed goal you deserve an ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Lift The Puck! Isles Lose to Caps In 11-Round Shootout
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Islanders managed to get a quick 3-1 lead after being scored on within the first eight seconds of the first period against the Washington Capitals tonight. However, the score was eventually 4-3 Caps by the end of the second period. The Isles were granted two late powerplays, the latter resulting in the game tying goal that got the Isles that point that they would have ...
Everybody is quick to jump all over Gainey for the habs misfortunes. I for one, am guilty of this homerness.
Lets take a look at what he has done:
2003 (the beginning of the Kovalev era), Bob Gainey takes over the GM position from Andre Savard.
Bob Gainey acquires Alexai Kovalev for Josef Balej and a 2nd round pick at the trade deadline.
I don't have to retell ...
Sabres Take First Place In Eastern Conference
Buffalo (29-11-6) at Phoenix (28-16-5)
With the New Jersey Devils loss, Buffalo had a chance to take over first place in the Eastern Conference. Phoenix and Buffalo met once earlier this season back in the beginning of the season, with the Sabres winning 2-1. The Sabres come in with 7-0-1 record against the Western Confe...
[b]If he didn’t[/b] have it before, Josh Harding should have your respect now.
As if being man enough to don a mask with pink ribbons on it two years ago to promote cancer awareness in the wake of his sister’s diagnosis of breast cancer didn’t earn your kudos, or the fact he took it in stride when his equipment burned in the team truck fire in Ottawa (his new mask...
Ok, so 1 3/4 of a season has past us by and The Maple Leafs still have not named a captain. The current circumstances that the teams three alternates find themselves in, have almost eliminated the chances of the "C" being stitch on their jerseys.
Thomas Kaberle season has been good statistically. He went into the Olympic break with 46 points and sits third in the l...
This isn't going to be a super long blog...at least it's not intended to be, if it turns out that way then I apologize.
Tonight's game against the New Jersey Devils was an interesting one. Yet again Toronto opened the scoring. The Leafs had a lot of trouble doing that throughout the season, but since the deadline it's been all but a guarantee that they'll notch the firs...
In a search for a number one center, the Calgary Flames might be staring the solution in the face everyday.
Backlund? No, maybe one day though.
Langkow? Too inconsistent and small.
Stajan...hahaha no.
How about Jarome Iginla? Instead of finding someone to play with the most prolific scorer on the team why not find a winger for him! Think it's crazy? Hear me out...
Dunny777 writes...
Kulemin's contract stinginess implying something greater?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Just behind Kaberle trade rumours, the most prominent issue being discussed in Leaf nation right now is how contract talks are proceeding between the buds and Kulemin. As we are all too painfully aware, the two sides are not seeing eye to eye at the moment. Many sources report that Kulemin is asking for money in the $3 million per year range while Burke is imagining someth...
In my best Bones McCoy voice: Damn it... I'm a blogger not a journalist!!
What does this mean? It means that A: journalists will not bear my foul stench or even acknowledge my existence and B: I am not even as accountable as them for vetting things. This is basically awesome.
I get to write about my favorite team and make up crazy trades ideas and get smacked down b...
The Sabres have not fared well against the Stars over the past decade or so, and it began to show during a game in Dallas a couple of seasons ago. Buffalo made a trip to Dallas to take on the Stars in mid January and started off with some struggles.
Buffalo’s problems began when Drew Stafford took two straight penalties, both of which resulted in a goal for the Stars....
February 13th, 2009 was a lot more than just a game between the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks. A plane crash in Clarence Center left the entire city of Buffalo devastated. The National Hockey League questioned whether or not the game should be played.
A few of the Sabres had family and friends that lived in the area, and many people knew some of the victims that di...
The Washington Capitals were far and away the best regular season team last year. The Caps scored 36 more goals than any other team in the league, with a home record of 30-5-6, winning the Eastern conference by over 15 points. In a conference that was considered “weak”, a team with those credentials should have, and was considered a favourite, to go very deep into the ...
Well another hockey season is upon us and all the hopes and dreams of any fan of any team are all equal. Having said that I am one of them but I do see some teams tanking it big time with the changes they made and other teams making big gains.
The following are the teams about to fall into the bottom of the Eastern conference;
1. Montreal who was a Cinderella story ...
Last night I got to watch my first hockey game on TV for this season. I was excited.
I watched Sabres vs Sens @ the Hockeyville, in Dundas, Ontario. The Sabres came on strong. Even when on the PK. The newly signed grey beard Rob Niedermayer scored about halfway throught the first, while on the penalty kill. Nieds put on great offensive pressure, and ended up stripping ...
Frazier writes...
My Two Cents: Underrated Rookie of 09-10, and Rookie Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The 2009-2010 season wasn't a very good year for rookies. No star breakouts.
Being a Buffalo fan, I love Tyler Myers. And I believe he did deserve to be the rookie of the year. However, I think that someone that could really have given him a run for his money is (*Cough* Tyler Ennis *Cough*) the NY Islanders' own John Tavares.
Let me break this down into why he's an...
Trans4md Thundrcat writes...
Beauchemin vs Finger, Beauchemin Ain't All That
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr346/HumanEraser2/fingervsbeauchemin.jpg?t=1286235955[/img]
click to enlarge and zoom
this is so simple that it can be found on nhl.com.
finger hardly played last year, but i'll use it as a comparison anyways.
as you can see finger played in 39 games and beauchemin played in all 82.
[b]Finger[/b]
in just 39 games hav...
It’s not very often that a building containing 18,000 people will almost go silent for a few minutes, but the injury to Jason Pominville made that happen at HSBC Arena on Monday.
Thankfully, Pominville is in much better condition than what many expected after watching him lay in a crumpled heap on the ice after Nicklas Hjalmarsson’s hit from behind. Pominville was a...
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to host the Florida Panthers at the ACC, and are looking to erase a three game losing streak. While the team has lacked an ability to score after their first two games, Phil Kessel and Clarke MacArthur continue to be the team's offensive powers with little to no help around them. This has sparked line-up changes from head coach Ron...
This is Burke's team, this is Burke's mess. Brian Burke had a hand in acquiring every player on our roster except Kaberle, Schenn, Gunarsson, and Kulemin.
When Brian Burke was brought on board as the Maple Leafs' GM, he had an aura about him. He was big and boisterous, he was confident and charismatic. He was our savior that was to lead us out of the JFJ years. Whateve...
tml1967 writes...
The Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs Defensemen of All Time
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The boys in blue and white continue to falter as they look headed to another missed post season unless they somehow can turn it around. A new year is upon us once again and I though it would better to have my first blog of 2011 take a look at some better moments and memories in Leafs history, so hear goes Leafs Nation as we take a stab at the Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs d...
Despite an off season overhaul and the appointment of Dion Phaneuf as the 18th captain in club history, the Maple Leafs have yet to turn around a sinking ship and prove that they can in fact become playoff contenders.
An early season winning streak that saw the Leafs record a 4-0 record out of the gate created false hope for Leaf fans and team management that the team w...
As President Obama was finishing up adressing the nation, the Buffalo Sabres were putting the finishing touches on the Ottawa Senators. the 3-2 win in Kanata Tuesday night put the Sabres at 51 points, 4 behind eighth place Atlanta. We have reached the All-Star break, which marks the half way point of the season for most of us. Buffalo can easily catch Atlanta, who has p...
LeafsFanInOTT writes...
Overlooked? 2011 NHL Entry Draft Preview: Shane Prince
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the 2011 NHL Draft nears, hockey fans salivate at the thought of tomorrow’s stars donning their team’s jersey.
Obviously, the big names are out there for everyone, even the casual hockey fan, to see.
Ryan Nugent Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog, Adam Larsson, the names that have been talked about from day one of this season.
There are guys such as Jonathan ...
Brent Burns and his Zoo will be moving from the snowy confines of Minnesota to the sandy paradise of California but he will be leaving the Wild with a kings ransom of picks and players for his services.
First off I absolutely love this trade. Chuck Fletcher took a highly skilled, albeit erratic player in Brent Burns on an expiring contract and turned him into a Top 6 fo...
Is a team about ownership or the fans? This question on if the Jets will honour the jersey numbers retired before them is perplexing in my mind.
If the team came back as The Winnipeg Storm or the Winnipeg Mosquitos (trust me they are terrifying) then I could see why they wouldn’t honour the old Jets. Winnipeg people loved their Jets so much any other name would have b...
Although I would not declare myself a regular blogger to the sport of hockey, I felt I should take advantage of what seemed to be a slight monopoly on the discussion of the Winnipeg Jets.
First of all I grew up as a Leafs fan and only have vauge rememberence of the old Jets cruising around in the NHL. But like many other Leaf fans being as disgruntled as we have become...
Calgary and Buffalo, Buffalo and Calgary just another match made in heaven. Whether trading for Drury or just recently trading for Regher these two teams have come to accommodate each either. Whether it is a mutual hatred for Edmonton or long lost sister cities they getter done. Now it is rumored that they are not finished. What could they be up too?
Everyone in Buff...
tml1967 writes...
30 Insane Predictions for the Maple Leafs upcoming season
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The 2011/12 Maple Leafs season is two days away against our arch rivals the Montreal Canadiens, the Buds will be looking to make the post season for the first time since the lockout. The club is one of only two clubs to have failed to do so (Florida Panthers the other) and will be looking to charge into the post season. Can the club score enough goals? Will the penalty kil...
gerbstomped writes...
Pommer Now the Mayor of the Population and Other Thoughts
Posted Friday | Comments 0
So Lindy has pulled the proverbial wool over our eyes and gave the C to Jason Pomminville. While most of us expected Thomas Vanek to assume the role, I am shocked to see the reaction to this appointment. I have heard several people have a jumping-off-the-bridge mentality saying that, "Once again, the Sabres dropped the ball." I couldn't have felt any more opposite. But bef...
So the Capitals have put together a good solid team, more depth then I have ever seen before, however is it just me or does coach Bruce have no idea of how to put lines together? I don't understand why he is trying to change everything up, I mean the third line has better players on it then the second line. Semin, Johansson, and Eakin in the last game........ Why is Brouwe...
Last night in Pegulaville City Hall the FN Center the night started with an emotional induction of Dale Hawerchuk and RJ into the Sabres Hall of Fame. The Sabres however didn't come out motivated and resulted in the worst possible start for Miller with a qucik 2-0 Jets lead. I give Lindy credit for sticking with Ryan and not oulling out the quick hook. Buffalo pulled ou...
[i] Author's note: Hit the "Discuss" link to comment on any individual topic in a regular Hockeybuzz forum [/i]
The Rangers have not lost a game since recalling Sean Avery from the Connecticut Whale on October 31. Contrast the 4-0 record with him in the lineup against the 5-3-3 record with him off the ice, and it looks pretty good for the agitator. This continues a long...
So here we are AGAIN. The trade possibility talk about the Flames top players. I want to be as clear as possible so everyone knows my stance in regards to the top guys everyone talks about.
Iginla- Iginla is the last chance this club has for a massive return, Dion’s trade was a blown opportunity, Iginla has to be traded for something. Management has said he won’t be...
With Ek reporting that these 4 teams may make a pitch for Bobby Ryan. I figured it would be fun to try and make up their offers, and guess at who would win.
[b]Columbus:[/b]
There are obvious reasons why Columbus would be interested in the three-time 30 goal scorer, and it is to get this team that Howson assembled out of the basement. Of course, it is goaltending th...
Bobby Ryan seems to be heading everywhere and nowhere, as the Ducks are in desperate need of a puck moving defenseman and flexibility with the cap. Some of the teams mentioned most often are Toronto, Philadephia and columbus, none of whom really seem to have quite the pieces in place to pull off a deal. Burke in Toronto seems like a good trade partner, he drafted Ryan and ...
Eklund has been heralding a possible move of Alexander Semin the last few days with the Detroit Red Wings being one of the top contenders. A few thoughts…
Semin hasn’t been in his top form since 2009-2010 where he posted 28 goals and 26 assists. He’s been decent enough this season, with 5 and 5. I haven’t been paying too close attention to the Capitals but ob...
Sabres42 writes...
An Early Look at The Potential Trade Deadline Movers
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's December 1st and all the Bobby Ryan chatter over the last few days I couldn't help but notice the NHL Deadline is less than 3 months away. Another intriguing factor of this year's deadline is all the potential stars that could be on the move. Parise, Ryan, Iginla, Luongo, Nash, Carter, Weber, Suter, Hemsky, Alfredsson, Spezza, Stastny, Lecavalier, Semin, Bouwmeester...
The Minnesota Wild have done better through 27 games than any hockey analyst or writer ever predicted. The Wild currently sit at the top of the NHL, boasting a record of 17-7-3, equaling out to 37 points. Everyone knows the Stanley Cup is not won in October or November, but for this franchise this is truly something remarkable. The Wild have not made the Playoffs in the la...
Last night the Wild defeated the Sharks 2-1. The goals were scored by Koivu and Bouchard for the Wild, Joe Pavelski for the Sharks. The win makes it the third 5 game win streak for the Wild this year, and extends their lead over the Blackhawks and Penguins as first overall in the NHL to 3 points. But that is not what the story was last night. The story last night was the N...
The Minnesota Wild have done better through 28 games than any hockey analyst or writer ever predicted. The Wild currently sit at the top of the NHL, boasting a record of 17-7-3, equaling out to 37 points. Everyone knows the Stanley Cup is not won in October or November, but for this franchise this is truly something remarkable. The Wild have not made the Playoffs in the la...
Well, Matthew Barry posted two blogs tonight. The first was removed and then there was a second one where he announced his retirement from this website. That one has also been auspiciously removed. What's going on here? If they need a new Kings blogger...here I am.
If Matthew Berry did quit, then I hope Terry Murray takes good advice and follows him out the door. A...
What a week it was for the Minnesota Wild. This past week the team played four games in seven days, all on the road, and all of them on the West Coast. Apparently the boys just love themselves that warm weather, because the Wild came back home with four wins. The Wild downed the Ducks, Sharks, Kings and Coyotes, and have a chance to sweep their road trip this Tuesday as th...
Hey everyone,
As it turns out I will be linking only from here. You can see an excerpt from my blog below and the link adjoing it. I encourage to follow @tsrnewman and @sanehockey for updates on this site.
I have written on the hockeybuzz website for many years now and have been asked repeatedly to change to other sites but have declined mostly or in one case I acce...
The magical mits of Patrick Kane provided the insurance tally to Jonathan Toews' game winning shoot out goal in capturing two points for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Minnesota Wild last night.
Kane put on a clinic with his dazzling puck dance, sending Niklas Backstrom into a spiral of confusion, as he put away the game winning goal to give Chicago the 4-3 victor...
Many positives can be taken from Minnesota's rise to the top of the league. Among those is the emergence of rookie blueliner Marco Scandella. Scandella is playing his first full season as a member of the Wild after spending time between the Wild and Houston (AHL) in the previous season.
The Montreal native was selected by the Wild in the second round (55th overall) of ...
Last week the Wild won 4 out of 4 road games, playing some of the best hockey they have played all year. What a difference a week can make. The Wild played three games this week, including a road/home back to back against the high octane Jets in Winnipeg and then the streaking Blackhawks back in St. Paul. The week ended on Saturday when the Islanders came to town to play t...
The Minnesota Wild are in the midst of their worst slump of the season. They have lost their last seven games, and have only scored nine goals in said games. The word I’m seeing thrown around the internet the most is “Regression,” and it is usually followed by some nasty words, some smack talk, and some praise for the Canucks. The Wild have seen their lead in the Wes...
And that, folks, is how good teams battle through adversity.
Despite missing star scoring winger, Patrick Sharp, to injury, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild last night with a determined 5-2 victory at the United Center. With the win, Chicago moves back into first place with 57 points in their division.
The Blackhawks overcame this adversity with sub...
The first half of the season is officially in the books for the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are currently 22-17-7 through 46 games of this season. Had I been told before the season started that the Wild were going to have 51 points and be 1 point out of 8th in the Western Conference with 51 points heading toward the All-Star break, I would have been satisfied. And though it m...
As everyone knows by now, Buffalo finally won a game on the road on Tuesday, squeaking out of New Jersey with a 2-1 shoot out victory.
This game may have just cost Buffalo getting back into the playoff race this season.
This win, as nice as it was to see Buffalo have more points than their opponent when it’s all said and done, gave management the excuse not to do ...
[b][i] If you missed the other sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up:
[url=http://bit.ly/zd1ldc] Part 1 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/AedyZf] Part 3 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/yI5u6B] Part 4 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/zpmgaQ] Part 5 [/url] [/b][/i]
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So, you want to be a contender? We...
Ever wanted to know how to become an NHL Agent? Do you need to be a lawyer? What education do you really need? Well, NHL agent Ritch Winter answers all those questions and more in his latest post
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/02/ritch-responds-becoming-agent.html
Everyone who watches hockey loves Saturday night hockey, there is just something special about it. What could be better than Saturday night hockey, with the potential of a record being broken. This Saturday night was no different, and Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres reached a milestone in his career with the Sabres. In a 4-3 Shootout win over the New York Islanders, Mill...
A Wild Week 1/29/12-2/4/12
The Wild finished up this week going 1-1-1, holding on to 8th place in the Western Conference by 2 points over Dallas. This week we saw the Wild lose a heartbreaker to the Nashville Predators, defeat the Colorado Avalanche due to a Nicklas Backstrom shutout, and drop a shootout to the Dallas Stars. On Tuesday the Wild will finish up their 3 ga...
I read a brief "what if" that suggested Jeff Carter might get traded for Alex Semin.
There are virtually NO RUMORS to support this particular trade...at least that I have seen or heard.
All that we know for sure is that both players have been mentioned as available.
I thought about this for about 2 minutes and realized this is the no-brainer trade that HAS to be m...
Wild Musings 2/9/2012- Judgment Day
Tonight the Wild were handed a 5-2 loss by the Northwest leading Vancouver Canucks. The game started off very promising, as Dany Heatley scored his 18th goal of the season 13 seconds into the game. Unfortunately that was about it for the Wild offense. The Canucks dominated the next 30 minutes of the game, scoring 4 unanswered goals. ...
The Sabres put together a little hot streak after the All-Star break. However, the past 2 games, they have gone right back to where they were before.
Can Buffalo make the playoffs? Yes. Is it a long shot? It doesn’t have to be, but the way Buffalo is playing, [b]yes[/b].
Which now begs the question, what should Buffalo do over the next two weeks with the trade de...
Wanna hear about the day Glen Sather punched Ritch Winter and why Ritch deserved it? Come to the Agents of Change to find out.
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/02/ritch-responds-day-glen-sather-punched.html
This game can be summed up as a game that Buffalo should have won. Don’t look at the stats, don’t look at the standings... Buffalo should have won this game. Montreal is struggling this season, and is right next to Buffalo (well they were) at the bottom of the East.
Again, I don’t care about whether Myers played in his 200th game, and got his 100th point with a g...
After I wrote my blog this morning, I realized that I had just scrapped the surface as to what is bugging Buffalo fans. So, let’s talk about this realistically.
I think everyone knows that Buffalo can make the playoffs. However, will this team go anywhere? Sure, Buffalo has beaten the Bruins and Penguins pretty badly recently. But in a best of 7 series? I don’t thi...
"Look for the Devils to do something this trade deadline."
Take on a four million dollar contract next season for a player who's worth about one million, given he's an awesome -6, scored zero goals, and racked up a whole 14 assists. Any defenseman can put up fourteen assists in the NHL, all they have to do is ice the puck out of the zone.
Those are about the same nu...
I think that the most entertaining part of tonight’s game against the Bruins, was watching Boston miss the empty net a few times in the past 2 minutes. Poor play and questionable decisions, and Buffalo has now dropped 2 of their last 3.
Buffalo made the mistake of playing the wrong goalies, in the wrong games. Carolina is the game that Enroth should have started in....
Quick hit here on my end...
I spent tonight in Rochester watching the Amerks, and plan on having an update on them by the end of the weekend. I'm also going to do a recap of tomorrow nights game against the Wild on Sunday.
That being said, tomorrow night, I will be in Buffalo hopefully watching Buffalo squeeze into 8th place (and maybe even tie Ottawa with points)....
I have been chomping at the bit now for about two and a half years and finally did something about it today. I was at one point in my life a paid hockey writer. Not paid very much mind you, but monthly deposits were being sent to my Paypal account. I had the glorious task of being a staff writer for Hockey's Future. My main beat was the Minnesota Wild. Think about that for...
As Christmas in July approaches for hockey fans, we anxiously await news of our favorite team signing that player who can turn the franchise around and take our team to the Promise Land. This summer, there are a couple players in an otherwise weak free agent class that can be that player for an NHL team. Here is my list of the Top 20 free agents and the destination I feel ...
With Nicklas Lidstrom off to a retirement home and the Red Wings looking to "rebuild", this off-season could be a big one for Red Wings fans. The Red Wings have a good core group of players and have a lot of cap room to sign some intriguing free agents. Here is what Ken Holland should do, in my opinion:
-Re-sign Justin Abdelkader: three years, $5.4 million ($1.8 mil AAV...
TheJerseyDevil1 writes...
Why the Avalanche Need to Make a Strong Push for Semin
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hello all,
As it finally turns to open season for UFA hunting, despite the array of recent signings, Colorado still sits with a roster of just 16. So where does Sherman go from here?
The Av's have 8 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed as of July 1st. There are still a couple notable RFA's who should reach deals like Erik Johnson and Jamie McGinn. With some ...
I am not trying to lend credence to any unverified rumors, but in anticipation of working a double shift tomorrow with no access to any hockey news, I wanted to put my thoughts on these “reports” out there.
[b]Parise/Suter[/b]
I would be ecstatic if both were signed. If I had to pick one: Suter. I haven’t found a single intelli...
[img]http://dildeepsingh.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/backlund.jpg[/img]
As it was just announced several minutes ago that Mikael Backlund has signed a 1 year 1-way contract with the Flames with a Cap hit of $725,000. This is even less then Roman Horak, T.J Brodie and Derek Smith will make this year.
Backlund is nothing but upside at the age of 23, despite his injury...
mcefalu writes...
Bowman, Hawks Look to Move On After Parise/Suter Rejection
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Despite receiving the cold shoulder from top NHL free agents forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, like several other rejected general managers, is optimistic he can continue to improve the Chicago Blackhawks in other ways.
Although this summer's pool of free agent talent is somewhat shallow by typical standards, there are still quit...
PensSkinny writes...
Exploring the Possibility of a Semin/Penguins Marriage
Posted Friday | Comments 0
By now, I'm sure that you all have heard that Zach Parise & Ryan Suter chose the Minnesota Wild. And to further complicate things for the Pens, they allowed Steve "Sully" Sullivan to walk away, and sign a one year deal in Phoenix. This certainly leaves Ray Shero in quite the predicament, as he needs to find a top-6 winger to play alongside Sidney Crosby.
A lo...
I’ve been thinking about this past season for the Sabres. Namely how and why things went wrong (if someone says injuries, I’m going to scream). I do really like the new players that Buffalo has brought in, and I’m anxious as to what will happen next. But my question is, will it matter?
I like the additions so far, and I get the feeling that there’s more in the w...
So it's come to this, folks. We've missed out on the Suter/Parise sweepstakes. We lost Wideman to Calgary (though with the contract, this should be considered a relief), Garrison to Vancouver, and Carle to the greatest man to ever lace up as a member of the Winged Wheel. Ken Holland, it would seem, is running out of options. However, the man is a wizard, and I present this...
First time blogger, enjoy! Follow me on Twitter @PHI_Flyers
Everyone under the sun knows that the Flyers have been one giant "swing and a miss" so far this offseason. We let Jagr go (I don't think he is worth the money he is making in Dallas, so good riddance) We let Carle walk to a big signing in Tampa Bay (I know most Flyer fans really hated Carle, but there would be...
Eric Mellin writes...
Alex Semin May or May Not Rock You Like A Hurricane
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The mystery surrounding Alex Semin's future in the NHL finally came to end when he signed a one year, $7M contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. There was much speculation that Semin was going to sign with either Pittsburg or Detroit, but neither team wanted to offer Semin a muli-year contract, which is something he sought, or anything over $5M. The Hurricanes jumped on th...
I finally found out that the Sabres minipacks were going on sale right before my wedding. Just one more thing to stress about the week I lose my freedom (kidding!!!).
Traditionally, My fiancé (soon to be wife) and I go in on a minipack with my parents. While we would like to get season tickets, it’s tough not living in Buffalo. However, we’re always watching the ga...
I normally write a lot more. I just have been having a real difficult time coming up with topics right now due to there not being NHL games. A lot of the topics that I’m ready to dive into, I’d rather write about during the season. Plus, there’s real examples there to use, instead of just going back to the past.
It’s tough to write when there’s a lockout goin...
Well, I’ve waited until the day before the season starts. I’ve thought about this a lot this week, and I’m sure my wife is tired of listening to me, but alas, the time is here. Sabres season preview time for 2013.
I’ve got one thought before I look at this season, that needs to be highlighted before I get started. Everyone already knows it, but still;
This s...
I started my day off in Rochester at Blue Cross Arena to take in a Martin Luther King day matinee. The Amerks took on the Hamilton Bulldogs and while it wasn’t perfect, they walked away with a 6-3 win.
While the game was entertaining, most of the highlights were in the first period. On the first shot of the game by Kevin Sundher, the Amerks had a 1-0 lead only 13 sec...
As I was driving home from work tonight, getting into the mood for Sabres hockey, Enemies by Shinedown came on the radio. As I’m singing along in the car, I come across the lyric “You’re taking all that you please, you want more, but you’ll get nothing from me.” As much as I’d love for this to be the song the Sabres come out of the locker room to, there’s one...
I was amazed at Buffalo’s win on Thursday night against the Bruins. I would have written sooner, but I was about ready to fall asleep after I watched it, so I went to sleep. I won’t focus on that game, lets just leave it at that Buffalo beat the Bruins, and picked up 2 much needed points.
What I’d rather do is take a look at the use of Grigorenko and Brennan in B...
Yesterday’s game... Wow, what can I say about that game in Montreal for the Sabres?
Nothing good. It was an abomination, and too be completely honest, this was a long time coming. How can I say this? Easily.
I’ve been watching the Sabres play this lazy style of defense for a long time. When Galchenyuk waltzed between all 5 Sabres on the ice, slid a pass to Eller...
I’m seeing the debate rage on amongst Buffalonians as to what the problem seems to be with the Sabres. Currently, they’re in the bottom 5 of the entire NHL, and 14th place in the Eastern Conference. However, most people are mystified as to what the problem is. The number 1 question;
[b]Is this on the players or the coaches?[/b]
I’ll admit, and I’m sure if you...
At 6-6-2, the Minnesota Wild have started the abbreviated season with another mediocre start despite the hype regarding their off season acquisitions.
The issue for the Wild this season has been their lack of offensive output. At first all their offense was coming primarily from the 1st line. The Parise-Koivu-Heatley combination combined for 21 points in their first 5 ...
The Phoenix Coyotes are a team that have earned the label as a low scoring trap team by many people’s standards. However, there is more than what meets the eye when it comes to the Coyotes.
Looking at the standings right now before they take on the Wild, they sit 9th with 21 points. What is surprising to some though may be that they have 54 goals for and 51 against ...
Tonight, the Phoenix Coyotes played against the Minnesota Wild and fell short of trying to tie up the game late on. With a final score of 4-3 for the Wild.
The first period, the possession and play was dictated by the Coyotes. However, the Wild scored 2 goals on 4 shots to give them a 2-0 lead going into the second period. The first goal was a defensive breakdown by th...
I’ve been asked a lot what moves I would make if I were GM for the Sabres. So, I’m finally putting this blog together after much thought. I’m basing my philosophy on one of my favorite movies, [i]Miracle[/i]. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s the Hollywood version of the 1980 Miracle On Ice.
About 10 minutes into the film, you see tryouts for the 198...
First, my disclaimer, I have been a Sabres fan since as long as I can remember. My first phrase as a child, as far as I've been told, was "I wanna watch hockeysabres" Yes as one word. I do live in Maryland now as I had to sadly move from Buffalo to pursue my career.
The Sabres efforts have been lackadaisical as of late. Everyone from as high up as Pomminville all the w...
I realize this may sound a little bit like andydrmm's recent blog which I had not read until I wrote this:
The Trade Deadline approaches!
[img]http://www.nickmendola.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Darcy_Regier_325x183.jpg[/img]
Let's look at this glass half full. The young kids, or "585 line", are tearing it up. Brian Flynn has 3 points in just 3 games! Foligno has f...
I'm starting to wonder... how good could this team be if they had a PP that could score goals? They've gone from a team that couldn't score a 5 on 5 goal to save their lives to a team that can't seem to find any way to score with an extra skater or even two extra skaters. They've now scored 4 or more goals in 4 of their last 8 games and scored a season high 5 last night ...
Now that I have your attention... It’s only in my dreams that this were real headline. Several moves were made today by the Buffalo Sabres, and it’s just simply mind numbing the way that these things went down. I would have written this sooner, but I decided that I needed to watch a good hockey game tonight. So my wife and I went to the Rochester Amerks game.
Discla...
Well the Wild offense seems to finally be figuring things out and not a moment too soon. They've scored 4 or more goals now in 5 of their last 9 with again a new season high of 6 goals yesterday afternoon against the Avalanche. They'll need to keep turning up the offensive heat in the coming weeks as the schedule starts to get a lot deeper against teams that are categori...
The Plight of this team
This season has been nothing but horribly sad for us fans in "Hockey Heaven". Last night as I sat screaming in the Verizon Center next to fellow Sabres fans in the D.C. area...it hit me. This team is horrible. From top to bottom. Watching a team that was behind us in the standings, who also played the day before, dance around us in our own zon...
Not looking for an answer here. So don’t try to give me one (“Too late”, says my wife as I proof read it to her. She answered “no” for those of you who were curious.). I’ll admit that it’s very tempting to get caught up in the rush of the past 2 Sabres games. Winning in Montreal and then beating Toronto in what may have been the best game Buffalo’s played t...
Last night, my wife and I were out to dinner after a day of errands, and we began discussing the Buffalo Sabres and the trade deadline. Over dinner, I laid out a revamp for the Buffalo Sabres. Long story short, Buffalo has a terrific opportunity in front of them right now.
And Darcy Regier at the helm to get it… [b]Yeah right[/b], won’t happen.
Regier is the indi...
I’m currently sitting at my desk in my office, thinking over the Buffalo Sabres trade deadline moves this year (will fine tune this once I get home, it’s a work in progress). At the end of the day, Jason Pominville is headed to Minnesota. Buffalo receives 2 young prospects as well as Minnesota’s first round draft pick in 2013 and their second round pick in 2014.
...
Alright so definitely an interesting trade deadline day in Buffalo.
Moving Pomminville, Regher, and Leopold was a great idea without a doubt. Am I completely happy with the return on those players? Not yet. I know that getting two prospects and a first rounder and a second rounder for Pomminville seems great. The problem is do we trust Darcy and this administration ...
Snowmanonfire writes...
The Nucks are at the cap ceiling no room for U/RFAs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Next Season poses some difficult choices to be made in Nuck land and I blame Gillis for this monumental blunder. In the cap world he signed Luongo to that albatross of a contract that he tries to say is equatable or an asset, in what parallel universe?
Not only will they have to just let Luongo go they may have to take a bad contract back with fewer years but they will ...
Those of you who have read my blogs for quite sometime know that I’m not a fan of Darcy Regier, and I haven’t been for quite some time. There’s a lot of talk about his future in Buffalo, especially as the Sabres will once again miss out on the playoffs. 2013 has seen Lindy Ruff leave the Buffalo Sabres organization, and it’s time for Darcy to leave too.
Let’s...
Erik Haula is coming off a great stint with the University of Minnesota. The Finnesotan finished off his collegiate career with 124 points in 114 games. After the Gophers were eliminated from the Frozen Four, Haula joined up with the then Houston Aeros for 11 games. In five regular season games he tallied 2 points; he continued in the playoffs by notching a goal and an ass...
In Minnesota being a sports fan and supporting the local franchise requires a healthy dose of skepticism. Each year no matter the sport, there exists grandiose offseason expectations of the personnel decision makers tasked with adding players to existing rosters. On July 4th, 2012 in what has been described as the most important free agent signings in Wild history, both Za...
It’s tough being a Sabres fan these days. There’s not a lot of hope or optimism surrounding the team. The Sabres website did a great job the other day playing up the NHL.com article on Rick Jeanneret’s infamous “May Day” call. I started thinking about some of my favorite memories watching the Buffalo Sabres.
Now I have to emphasize this, these are 2 of my fav...
Catch the highlights of the MINNESOTA WILD as they host the DALLAS STARS on October 12, 2013. Who will come out on top? Find out in today's featured game of the National Hockey League on EA Sports NHL 14 - play-by-play calling by Eric Munter.
[url]http://youtu.be/7dD0qr6H2do[/url]
The Minnesota Wild took a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night, a night marked by Zach Parise’s first game against his former team. Last year’s lockout shortened season witnessed no interconference play prior to the Stanley Cup finals, so this was the first contest between the teams in nearly two years.rnrnParise had a strong game, firing three shots...
royalgardens writes...
Testing the Leaf's Mettle: Time to Put Up or Shut Up!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]November 30th[/b]
Thank God in heaven that this is the last game for the Leafs in Buffalo (and also thank God that the Kings don't have to play another one there also!).
More importantly, is that the Maple Leaf struggles continue.
It is understandable that with so many guys in and out and back in and out of the lineup recently can cause some problems as far as...
The case of Nikolai Kulemin is an interesting one. It may be hard to believe but Kulemin is actually the longest serving member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Drafted in the 2nd round, 44th overall, in the 2006 draft, Nikolai Kulemin has been one of the few examples of a home grown talent. Granted, he's not actually from Toronto but rather from Magnitogorsk, Russia, but you g...
The case of Nikolai Kulemin is an interesting one. It may be hard to believe but Kulemin is actually the longest serving member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Drafted in the 2nd round, 44th overall, in the 2006 draft, Nikolai Kulemin has been one of the few examples of a home grown talent. Granted, he's not actually from Toronto but rather from Magnitogorsk, Russia, but you g...
Hello Hockey Buzz community! I would just like to take this first post heading into the Olympic break to introduce myself to the fans, devoted readers, and hockey enthusiasts.
A quick hockey bio; my favorite player ever is a left wing from Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, Guillaume Latendresse, I am a lifelong fan of the Minnesota Wild and like most devoted fans, was a fan bef...
Long time Hurricanes writer, Luke DeCock says it's time to blow up the Canes. Ok, I get his reasoning. The Canes have been on the play-off fringe for years and, despite their higher investment level this year, nothing has changed. The fact is, they are just not good enough and haven't been for years. Might be time to look at the front office. Jim Rutherford is a brilliant ...
cove48 writes...
Minnesota's Playoff Push: Why it will work... This year.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Good evening Wild fans. I would like to re-introduce myself to the hockeybuzz community, given I have been extremely busy of late and am here to make my second blog of my tenure here.
The Lowdown:
The last two contests the Wild have played in have given them extreme confidence. If you have only seen the results of these two games, you might think otherwise. Thanks t...
Wild Fans, and NHL fans!
Stay tuned, I will be posting a pregame with thoughts about the Wild and their recent struggles and successes before the 9:00 p.m. central time start!
Go Wild!
Wild Fans!
It is game night in the city of Angels, and the Wild need to have a game like the had in the third period against the Coyotes on Friday. This game is key for the Wild to win to keep a comfortable lead on the Coyotes and Stars in the Western Conference Wild Card race.
A story for the ages.
The Wild can't seem to catch a break this year, which is Goalten...
Senate_Speaker writes...
Why Matt Cooke Deserves To Be Suspended Indefinitely
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the hockey world awaits the fate of Matt Cooke for his knee-on-knee hit on Colorado's Tyson Barrie, it is perhaps worth taking a minute to think about the legacy that Cooke's career has shaped over the past decade or so. Upon doing so, one may discern certain obvious patterns - the object of this post. Think for a minute about what that word 'pattern' really means, for ...
[img]http://www.montrealgazette.com/cms/binary/9633478.jpg[/img]rnrnrnThomas Vanek is a shooting star on the move. rnrnVanek played for three different NHL teams in the 2013-2014 season: The Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, and Montreal Canadians. Vanek's combined effort for the three teams in 78 games played was 27 goals and 41 assists for a total of 68 points. In te...
This is a precursor blog and will include my team I have assembled in the last 4 years. I will break down some of the rules each roster allows and will give you a deeper look into how in depth these leagues can get at a certain level.
First off, I will start at the roster and cap management. On the Major roster you are allowed 25 players that can accumulate points (head...
It’s easy to write-off the Carolina Hurricanes already this season. Winless thus far, the Hurricanes head west for a critical western swing. Just what they need to put the final nail in the coffin, right? It has been a tough start to the season for the Canes, battling a raft of injuries to top players, decimating an already talent-light roster. And, trade rumors have b...
The NHL has seen quite a few teams leave one city, relocate to another, and then years later, witness the former city land a new team. There are rumors, following the newest Rogers/NHL television broadcast deal, that an expansion franchise may be coming. Some think this could mean a new team in Quebec. Others think that there could be a second team in Toronto. If so, ...
There's been a lot of buy-outs leading up to July 1. The Canes buying out Semin, Wings buying out Weiss, Sabres buying out Hodgson and much more.
Could the Leafs take advantage of these buyouts?
Yes, and they should.
They should do what they did with Winnik and Santorelli. Sign players to a short-term deal and flip them for picks and prospects at the deadline to ...
To see more like this go to my website [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?cat=2/[/url]!
This is one of the first of many players I'll be recommending as potentially very good picks that will often be available in later rounds of fantasy hockey drafts this season. I usually play in leagues that count shots, hits, PIM, PPP and the usual G, A, sometimes +/- and blocks too.
Here'...
I'll be the first to tell you that I didn't necessarily go out and buy a Semin jersey when Marc Bergevin gave him a 1 year deal with Le Bleu Blanc et Rouge. Actually, I probably have the worst luck when buying Habs jerseys/T-shirts. After I purchase them, the player of choice for my new gear typically gets traded, sign elsewhere, or bought out (Prust, Komisarek, Laraque). ...
Dan a lifelong hockey guy having followed the game in depth since he was a kid growing up just across the river from Philadelphia in the 1970s. He has coached the game from Mites to Varsity levels spending numerous quality hours in the rinks of North America. His experiences with players, coaches, and executives from all levels of this great game have shaped him to becom...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 8- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Minnesotsa Wild
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tonight is the first game of four in a road trip for the Columbus, and it is also the debut of new head coach John Tortorella. Columbus plays the Minnesota Wild, the same team they traded Jordan Leopold to in a friendly deal that benefited everyone, and the same team that stole Mike Reilly from us. The Wild are pretty much the same team, besides Reilly.
The Jackets are...
The road trip starts the same way the Jackets left Nationwide Arena- losing. The Jackets lost to the Minnesota Wild by a final score of 3-2 in John Tortorella's Blue Jackets debut.
Minnesota Wild only had 23 shots in the entire game, but had more goals than the opposition.For the Wild, Zach Parise, Nino Niederreiter, and (my player to watch) Thomas Vanek scored. Deva...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 41- Minnesota Wild v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
What a wild one in store tonight for the Blue Jackets as they host the Minnesota Wild at Nationwide Arena. The Wild last played Sunday in Sunrise, and falling victim to the red hot Florida Panthers. The Jackets last played Saturday, upsetting the Meto leading Capitals.
The Wild's leading point scorer is their assist leader and number one center- Mikko Koivu (32 poi...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 41- Wild End, Add to the Losses
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets winning streak ends at two at home in a 4-2 defeat to the Minnesota Wild.
The Wild got a hat trick from Zach Parise and an empty-netter from Mikael Granlund. The only other player with points last night was Ryan Suter. Devan Dubynk made 29 saves on 31 shots against for a 0.935 save percentage (93.5%).
The Blue Jackets got goals from Cam Atkinso...
Zak MacMillan writes...
My Reactions to Trades- Deadline and Before (Longest Blog Pd
Posted Monday | Comments 0
SubTitle: My Longest Blog Ever
What is better than seeing and hearing about trades at the trade deadline? Reacting to the trades from the deadline. This blog is my thoughts on the trades that happened prior to and the day of the NHL Trade Deadline.
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[b]During the Week[/b]
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Round One
Eastern Conference
Washington Capitals v. Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning v. Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers v. Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Islanders v. Florida Panthers
Western Conference
Dallas Stars v. Minnesota Wild
St. Louis Blues v. Chicago Blackhawks
Anaheim Ducks v. Nashville Predators
Los Angeles Kings v. San Jos...
Moves happen every year with players. New teams appear in the playoffs each year as well. This article will list which playoff team has a former Blue Jacket for all you fans to keep track of at home.
Anaheim: Corey Tropp
Chicago: Tim Jackman, Artem Anisimov
Dallas:
Detroit:
Florida Panthers: Derek MacKenzie
Los Angeles: Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik
Min...
Last night the Minnesota Wild announced that they have hired Bruce Boudreau as there new head coach. Boudreau went 409-192-80 (.659) in 9 seasons as the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals. Boudreau contact with Minnesota is 4yrs just under 3 million a year.
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Management Changes; Conference Finals
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Welcome to my NHL Playoff Thoughts blog, the second round edition. Thus far, there has been plenty of changes in management, and we have our Conference Final matchups.
As for the management changes, there have been changes of guard in six teams- Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Ottawa, Anaheim, and Calgary.
The Coyotes made a gutsy move in promoting assistant general m...
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their success of a bye week with back to back wins against the two New York teams.
CBJ Post-Game No. 59—Shutout Blowout
The Columbus Blue Jackets shut out the New York Islanders by the final score of 7-0.
The Jackets got three goals in the first period. Jack Johnson opened the scoring
with his third goal of the season. David...
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their success of a bye week with back to back wins against the two New York teams.
CBJ Post-Game No. 59—Shutout Blowout
The Columbus Blue Jackets shut out the New York Islanders by the final score of 7-0.
The Jackets got three goals in the first period. Jack Johnson opened the scoring
with his third goal of the season. David...
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their success of a bye week with back to back wins against the two New York teams.
CBJ Post-Game No. 59—Shutout Blowout
The Columbus Blue Jackets shut out the New York Islanders by the final score of 7-0.
The Jackets got three goals in the first period. Jack Johnson opened the scoring
with his third goal of the season. David...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Update: Canadiens and Trades! And PreGame v. Wild
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Post-Game No. 61—So Close, But There’s A Price to Pay
The Columbus Blue Jackets sustained an overtime defeat by the hands of the Montreal Canadiens by the final score of 1-0 in overtime.
Last night was the debut for newly acquisition for defenseman Jordie Benn, who they got from the Dallas Stars in a trade for defenseman Greg Pateryn and a 2017 4th round draf...
CBJ Post-Game No. 62—Wild Shutout
The Columbus Blue Jackets got the one important goal to shutout the Minnesota Wild by the final score of 1-0 in regulation.
The lone goal came from Brandon Saad, who scored his 19th goal of the season. Nick Foligno had the lone assist.
This game was the debuts for Lauri Korpikoski and Kyle Quiency in Blue Jackets uniforms. Korpi...
The Wild are at a crossroad. The changes made last off season resulted in the best regular season the team has had in their 17 year existence, but the quick exit from the playoffs at the hands of an "inferior" St Louis Blues team has left all of Minnesota wanting more. For the last couple of years, Chuck Fletcher's goal has been to increase the scoring of the team and la...
October 15,2018
Written by: Zak MacMillan
The Tampa Bay Lightning routed the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 8-2!
AH! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??? Is it the end? Call for a shakeup! Deal the rentals! No no, stay calm. It's just one game against one of the top teams. First, let's go over the results, then analyze.
Starting in the first, the past came back to...
It's a boring slog to watch but finally there is a mind shift with the pick ups the Maple Leafs have made. They're notable enough to have me make this blog. They're not flashy or huge and they may not be perfect but the additions of Jimmy Vesey, Joey Anderson, and Travis Boyd is a big shift. I say that because the fact the words "inconsistent" or "needs to shoot more" or "...
I have been thinking a lot about the likely inevitable trade of Jack Eichel (Jack) out of Buffalo. So having invested that time, This was initially written last week and posted only on Facebook (with a couple different versions) but I felt like telling someone whom might care about the proposed deal that I came up with after investing so much time coming up with it. Why no...
DelcoDave writes...
Gambler’s Guide Minnesota Wild @ Philadelphia Flyers 3/3/22
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Minnesota Wild @ Philadelphia Flyers
After giving us a slight reprieve from all the losing streaks they’ve been on this year the Flyers got right back to their losing ways dropping the game against the Oilers 3-0. Minnesota is in the middle of their own four game losing streak as they head to Philly for a quick two game road trip. The Gambler’s Guide went a perfect 5 ...