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Steen writes...

The Habs Are Faceless

Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
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...
bradleyc4 writes...

A Look Ahead

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Missing the playoffs for the first time in years, the Flyers need to begin looking towards their future. They've already addressed this somewhat in-season by trading away veterans for younger players and draft picks. They've acquired their new #1 goaltender in Martin Biron, fiesty winger Scottie Upshall and three solid defensemen in Lasse Kukkonen, Braydon Coburn and Ryan ...
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 ...
I am a refugee from ESPN Fantasy Hockey Correspondent purgatory. For the first three years I wrote a column there, I had something like 110K page views. I got email from all around the planet. But since ESPN got rid of hockey, fantasy hockey is the ugly duckling of fantasy sports, and I'm lucky to get one email a month. So I figured I'd give MYHB a shot. I like Ecklund's w...
Homer writes...

Take Your Pick

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The best time of the year has arrived. PLAYOFF HOCKEY!! Every night for the next two months players will be diving in front of 90 mph slap shots, banging in the corner with people 50 pounds heavier than they are and scoring huge goals that they and their fans will not soon forget. Take a deep breathe, stock the fridge with some adult beverages and enjoy the ride. Pred...
I have been a hockey fan for much of 35 years and being born into the hub of hockey I think I can tell you alot about it! What we have seen from the Boston Bruins is NOT hockey. I understand owning, operating and producing a successful hockey team can all be different things. Yes it is a business. As much as we do not want to admit it. The bottom line is most owners t...
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...
nmhen writes...

Lucky Lunch - Take 1

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
We all know hockey players are superstitious. And goalies are especially goofy. I'm a goalie in beer league hockey, and I certainly have my own little rituals and stuff before and during games. As such, I will document my endeavor to find a game day lunch that brings a victory for the Wild that night during this playoff run. I recognize the responsibility I have in t...
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...
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...
reub77 writes...

Canucks Fever

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
kidaloisio writes...

An Empty Spring

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
curiousgeorge writes...

Predictions, Round 1

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
This is one of my blogs from early on during the year (on a different site obviously) about my thoughts on Raycroft. It received some very harsh feedback from Leafs fans. Now that I look back on it, it's interesting to look back at a few of the points I made. Here it is: Yes I know it is early in the season, and I do know that players are still getting their legs behin...
MapleLover writes...

Who's Next?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 6
One of the more debated issues this summer for Maple Leaf fans will be - who's gonna back up Andrew Raycroft? Would the Leafs want a goaltender who would make a strong push for the starter job like say one Patrick Lalime or would they want someone who would still want the starting job but wouldn't make as strong a push but would still be there to mentor young Raycroft like...
kehmesis writes...

A "Wild" prediction

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
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...
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 ...
Great news! [b]YourTeam Online[/b] joins the [b]Buzz[/b] just in time for the playoffs. We are excited to see hockeybuzz making a move into the social network space for hockey. We all need a place to brag about our favourite teams, heckle our opponents and celebrate our victories. MyHockeyBuzz does just that! [b]YourTeam Online Buzz [/b] doesn't plan on covering...
The members of the Toronto Maple Leafs will get together later next week to discuss certain issues, one of them forsurely being mentioned will be the future of Leaf GM John Ferguson. Don Cherry of HNIC's Coach's Corner figures Ferguson will finish off the remaining year on his contract and will likely not be fired. Do you agree with this or do you think JFJ should be fired...
C'est platte quand ton équipe préférée est pas dans les séries. Les canadiens gagneront jamais avec des cons comme Kovalev pis Samsonov dans l'équipe. Samsonov c'est sûr qu'il va partir, mais malheureusement Gainey a pas l'air de vouloir échanger Kovalev cet été, les canadiens ne seront pas tellement améliorés l'an prochain s'il garde Kovalev qui joue une game...
briere2112 writes...

Playoff Predictions

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
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...
Zholtok33 writes...

Game 1: Expected Result.

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
The Ducks and Wild performed to expectation in Game one of their matchup. Both teams played stingy defense, both teams had offensive control and quality opportunities, and the game ended with a digging goal and just a 1 goal differential. Niklas Backstrom is to be commended for his outstanding play. A couple pipes saved his game but he made huge saves when he was need...
After enduring two weak efforted playoff series by the Predators the last two seasons I’ve finally seen in person what “Playoff Hockey” really means. The Preds started the game with the same marginal at best, tired sloppy penalty filled effort that we have seen the last few weeks. Alexander Radulov’s first fist pumping slamming into the glass celebration after hi...
Alright, so a G N' R reference from the 80's isn't the most timely thing I could come up with, but it applies to the Blues right now. Blues fans, I beseach you- be patient. I know we want to see our last two first round picks in the Blue note ASAP, but we may have to wait for both. TJ Oshie (24th pick 2005) annnounced yesterday that he's returning to North Dakota fo...
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...
TheEdge writes...

Shorty - Canucks OT Victory

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Just something short, since i'm in the lab right now supposedly doing homework/research, but playoff hockey makes me much too excited to think about things like that right now. First off - Markus Naslund played his best game of the season so far. No question. I hope he can keep this up. Kevin Bieksa - 54+ minutes and 4 penalties. This guy is amazing. I expect a Norri...
"When you stick your elbow in his face and put knee on knee that's an intent to injure. That's why he got kicked out of the game," said San Jose Sharks Head Coach Ron Wilson after Wednesday nights game against Predators. Here’s the deal…I was at the game. I saw the hit. I knew when it happened that he was getting the 5 minute major. I did not know if a game misc...
TheEdge writes...

Quickie - Calgary v. Detroit

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Mick Mcgeough (sp?) is reffing tonight. Any Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton fans will know this guy all too well. I'm interested to know what you Flame fans think of him being given game 1 in a series that is so close it could be decided by refs calling bad penalties?
Luongo07 writes...

Win, Lose or Draw?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The fallout of last nights marathon is starting to be felt throughout the city. Yes, the Canucks finally ended the game in the fourth period of overtime and I am sure that everyone has a story about how they stayed awake for the entire thing or they couldn't handle it and went to bed, but how much did the game cost the Canucks. Behind all the rumors that the Stars were...
Kim Johnsson was brought to the Minnesota Wild to attempt to give us the offensive dynamic from the blueline that has never been there. The Wild shelled out $19M over 4 years for his services. This after he missed the majority of the previous season due to a string of injuries, though only a couple years after chipping in 13 goals and showing real promise in Philadelph...
nmhen writes...

Lucky Lunch - Take 2

Posted Friday | Comments 0
One man's search for culinary kismet continues after an initial failure. Game 1 Main dish: Some goody-two-shoes health food garbage. Result: Wild loss, 2-1 Game 2 Fajita burrito (chicken) Black beans guacamole/salsa and chips diet Pepsi
reub77 writes...

Battered Already!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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...
Zholtok33 writes...

Crazy Superstitions....

Posted Friday | Comments 1
What is it about hockey and superstitions? Why do grown men devolve into singleminded obsession when it comes to game day success? Do players honestly believe that how they dress, what they eat, who they talk to, or what they read prior to a game will bring them fortune and the glorious gates of Valhalla will open for them? Stephane Quintal never spoke to anyone aft...
Just got done watching the Predators pwn the Sharks, 5-2. The Sharks just didn't seem to be 100% in it after Dumont's short-handed goal and his subsequent 5-on-3 PP goal. Series is now tied 1-1, and Vokoun is playing much better. And I am now an advocate of extending Alex Radulov's contract by an extra 15 years or so. Now for the purpose of this blog. Free agents tha...
I have to hit the sack tonight since I have a TV gig in the morning, but just wanted to preview what I'll talk about tomorrow, which will probably be a LONG blog: 1. A Game Recap 2. Quotes from the locker room that I got 3. My thoughts on the "bad blood" in this series 4. Ron Wilson and his now famous, "I HAVE NO COMMENT" 5. Keys to Game 3 and what I expect..... ...
With the playoffs in full swing and some excellent hockey on Versus, the St. Louis Blues have rarely been on my mind. Don't get me wrong. The team put in a solid Blue's collar effort this season and finished one position better in the standings than I had expected. More importantly, they played entertaining hockey and eliminated the ability of couch-coaches to easily predi...
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...
HomeIceFan writes...

Booing Crosby Makes Us Cool

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
I caught Ian Mendes' blog on Sportsnet ([url]http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/ian_mendes/2007/04/13/deep_thoughts[/url]), and still wonder if he can actually address the question of why to boo Sidney Crosby. He can't seem to figure it out either. Or maybe he just can't seem to string multiple thoughts together coherently when it's not about the ultimate greatness that is the...
I have some rest and I am now ready to tell all about the game last night. I'm breaking this blog down into sections today that way if people just want to read quotes, they can do that. If you just want a recap, you'll get that. So here are the subcategories: 1. Game Recap 2. Quotes from the Preds locker room 3. Ron Wilson 4. The rivalry and its' bad blood 5. Ga...
pensfan17148 writes...

Game 2: Pens 4 Sens 3

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, The Pens win game 2 and tie the series at one all. The Pens definetly shook their jitters from game one and played a solid game. Fleury was very solid in net. Crosby and Staal bothed played well and did not disappoint. Colby Armstrong was flying today. He was all over the ice and this is one of his strongest performances. Overall, the team played a ve...
Another year has come to an end for the Montreal Canadiens, and dissapointingly the team was unable to make a second straight playoff appearance. Prior to Christmas, the Habs were on fire and had a shot at catching the dominant Buffalo Sabres atop the Northeast Division standings. But, with the team being hammered by the flu bug in late December, followed by a monstrous tw...
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...
What a performance by Fleury. In a game that the Penguins could have easily lost, Marc Andre was the difference. I think his play this afternoon speaks volumes about his maturity as a goaltender. While he may not be seasoned yet, he is definitely mature enough to backstop the Penguins throughout their playoff run. Don't get me wrong, a confident Thibault is good to have in...
nmhen writes...

Lucky Lunch - 3rd try

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Will one fan's search for caloric karma end in enlightenment, or a 3-0 series deficit? Game 1 Main course: Don't remember. Result: 2-1 loss Game 2 Main course: terrible tex-mex. Result: 3-2 loss Game 3 Subway Classic BMT (foot long) Meatball* (6 inch) Coca-Cola classic *In high school, I "played" soccer. Poorly. But my buddy and I had a "luck...
Reading the headlines of the local papers here in Vancouver would lead you to believe that the Canucks are on the verge of being eliminated from this years Stanley Cup race. To that I would have to say that I totally agree. Despite being tied at a game a piece, the Canucks have not played well in the first two games of this series. There were moments in game one that...
thehuds writes...

Playoff predictions.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
Today around Major League Baseball, African-American ball-players were wearing the #42 in honour of the great Jackie Robinson, known for being the first African-American baseball player to break the colour barrier. This got me thinking, should the NHL do the same for the first black hockey player, Willie O'Ree? O'Ree, in case you didn't know, broke into the league in 1958 ...
The Dallas Stars really took the game to the Canucks in the first two periods, and just as the Canucks started to come on the Dallas Stars were able to net a power play goal late in the second period. As I sat here during the second intermission I wondered to myself, can we do it? The Canucks were outplayed in the first and just as they started to come on in the seco...
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 ...
TheEdge writes...

Swede Victory

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Yes yes, another cliche term about how we have swedish players on our team. And yet, you may be confused. No swedes scored yesterday night, you might say! That's irrelevant. The line of Naslund, Sedin, and Sedin is unbelieveable. They're making Sydor and Zubov look like children. This isn't to say i'm particularly proud of the Canucks effort last night. As the playoffs con...
Is it just me or does it seem like this should be game 6 of this series!? Man the first two games have taken allot out of me as a fan and 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...
In a recent article entitled "How to Rebuild the Flyers", Hockeybuzz blogger Tim Panaccio give his breakdown on the Flyers offseason outlook. In the piece he says the following in regards to Flyers young defensman Joni Pitkanen: "They also desperately lack a No. 1 defenseman. [i][b]Joni Pitkanen should have been able to assume that role by now.[/b][/i] Yet his inabil...
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...
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...
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...
nmhen writes...

Lucky Lunch - Take 4

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hoping to help his team play with poise via palate pleasing panache, one fan's story. Game 1 Main course: who cares? Result: 2-1 loss Game 2 Main course: doesn't matter Result: 3-2 loss Game 3 Main course: Subway double dip Result: 2-1 loss Game 4 Main course: Italian cold cut hero from Samantha's Deli Prosciutto Salami Pepperoni lettuce (shredde...
[img:right]http://www.gramdesign.com/images/bloody.jpg[/img]There are 8 playoff series going on right now, 7 of which are absolutely nasty. Bone-jarring hits, constant scrums, facewashes, blood, concussions, headhunting (allegedly), elbows… you name it, we’ve seen it. EXCEPT in the Sabres/Islanders series. Granted, we did get some physical play last night but this s...
Three topics to touch on briefly. 1. I'm thoroughly excited for the Rangers-Thrashers game tonight. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers respond to being back at home. This is an extremly important game. A win will put the series at 3-0 and put New York in a comfortable position to move on. A loss and the Thrashers gain a huge amount of momentum and could ...
FLAMESTR writes...

Dougstr speaks Part 2

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Today Blog is on Dougstr opinion on what Don Cherry Said Flamestr Dougstr before we get into the questions how do you feel about Don Cherry himself Dougstr Don Cherry I like him a lot he usually funny with his clothes like in the Stanley Cup Playoffs I like his red wig and his dress robe with the Carolina Hurricanes on it. Mike Emery He is a real good...
During last summers long off-season the Vancouver Canucks GM Dave Nonis made two signing that may fans have questioned. The first was the signing of defenseman Willie Mitchell to a 4 yr./$3.5 million deal and the second was Trevor Linden to a 1 yr./$600,000 deal. Fans and media alike have questioned these moves all season long and in some instances the critics have made so...
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 ...
reub77 writes...

Like the odds now?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
Texhorns02 writes...

Tip and Army

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
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...
Manchester Monarchs 5- Worcester Sharks 2 Monarchs lead series 1-0 And so begins yet another attempt at escaping the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs for my local team. The AHL affiliate of the LA Kings has been a strong performer in the regular season each of it's six seasons of existance. However, when the playoffs roll around, the Verizon Wireless Aren...
nmhen writes...

Lucky Lunch - Take 4 redux

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Will consistency bring continued gastric glory or will a repeat sandwich usher in the off-season? Games 1-3 Main courses: DOESN'T MATTER Results: DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT Game 4 Main course: Italian cold cut sandwich, Doritos, Sprite Result: 5-1* win for the Wild Game 5 Had this one on stand-by since the final horn on Tuesday night. Italian cold ...
The Minnesota Wild have the most daunting of tasks ahead of them. We've all heard the constant droning on and on about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Islanders and their amazing comeback stories. Blah blah blah blah blah. Fact is, even though the Wild exploded for 5 goals in Game 4 (yeah, one was waved off on a bogus call on a rule that is no longer in exis...
predjoe writes...

Passion

Posted Friday | Comments 0
We all know tonight is do or die. Win or go home. Win or golf tomorrow. Win or pack up their lockers (and offices maybe if your Trotz) tomorrow. With their backs to the wall the Preds have to come out and take control of this game early. The crowd will be there (all 17,113 of them) and be waiting to explode with support for their boys. Just give us a reason early. A big...
So the Rangers decide to sign a few players to contract extentions. Not big news, yes I know. However with the sweep, it's left nothing for Rangers fans to disscuss about our own team. So I figured let's break the ice with a bit of a news round up. Rangers sign first round pick Sanguinetti to a pro-contract. Sanguinetti has mostly played in the OHL. This past season he ...
I am not going to apology for splitting hairs over the use of Nation when describing the fans of certain NHL teams or the co-opting of the term for profit. No, I won’t because I’m Canadian and we’ve been splitting nations and attempting to sew them back together, and to the larger fabric, since our inception. For those of you reading this in Canada I realize inv...
It's a shame, but I'm just not sure the Barry Trotz "no-neck" jokes will ever get old... [b]Switched at birth?[/b] [img:right]http://www.melindafan.net/gallery/albums/uploads/photoshoots/tvguide%20photoshoots/american%20idol%20top%2012%20tvguide%20photoshoot/AI12TVGuide_3.jpg[/img][img:left]http://images.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/_photos/2006-11-20-trotz.jpg[/img] ...
Sabres Fans… Join in for round 2 of the hometeamhockey.com playoff fantasy league. Below is a short description from the site's creator. I've participated for the past few "divisions" and really enjoy it. You should give it a try. [quote][i]Fantasy Hockey for the Home Town Fan. Why a fantasy league with just one team? My thinking is this: I like Fantasy sports, bu...
sstrang writes...

Looking forward

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Alright Flames fans, let's forget yesterday or even this whole series ever happened. Let's get down to business for next season. Here is the list of UFAs for the Flames: Tony Amonte Marcus Nilson Jeff Friesen Darren McCarty Byron Ritchie Wayne Primeau Roman Hamrlik Brad Stuart Brad Ference Jamie McLellan (G) Here is the list for the RFAs: Matthew Lo...
Luongo07 writes...

Game 7

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Desire. Heart. Determination. Focus. It all comes down to one game, erase everything that has happened between April 11 and April 22. All that matters is tonight. How bad do you want it? Let your actions speak. Game 7 has to be the most stressful game to watch, but not only watching the game is stressful, actually the entire day is stressful. So stressful for fans that...
Luongo07 writes...

Where on earth is Nephew23?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Where are you now buddy? It's a good thing that it's nice and sunny down there in Dallas so your boy's can go golfing. LMAO!
[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...
Tav writes...

Time Heals and Some Predictions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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 ...
What are your thoughts on this matchup? My recollection of the season series was that Vancity lost 3 and won 1. The one we won we played Sabourin. So maybe we should rest Luongo for the next round seeing Sabourin had the better record?? No way! I don't know why we won that one game, my guess is that it was during their injury problems. Pronger and S. Niedermayer both were ...
curiousgeorge writes...

Predictions Round 2

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Again for your reading pleasure.... Sabres over the Rangers in 6 Senators over Devils in 6 Sharks over Red Wings in 5 Canucks over Ducks in 6...maybe a homer pick but you have to follow the heart at times. Rangers will surprise some as they are much better than advertised. Sens will do great as they are crazy hungry for the first time ever. Sharks are a damn f...
[b]Eastern Conference[/b] [i]New York Rangers at Buffalo Sabres[/i] I’m a firm believer in the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres and have been since I realized how incredibly good they are. They have explosive offensive talent running thick through four lines or even six lines depending on how you look at it. The team is only bettered by a solid defensive core that actually doe...
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...
Sabres de Buffalo vs Rangers de New York Les Rangers ont été surprenant contre Atlanta, mais dans le fonds, si on regarde leurs récentes acquisitions - Brendan Shanahan durant l'été et Sean Avery 1 ou 2 semaines avant la date limite - c'est pas vraiment surprenant qu'il aient battus Atlanta, ces deux joueurs là ont apporté du coeur à cette équipe et le désir d...
Luongo07 writes...

Workboots, Respect and Fear

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Enough of the busy banter and wasted efforts on the Stars fan. The question of Monday nights game was, who will advance? The answer? Trevor Linden and Roberto Luongo answered it for everyone. Of course it was the Vancouver Canucks that were going to come through for their fans. Now, bring on the Ducks. No one in Vancouver is going to openly admit that the Canucks are t...
doaftheloaf writes...

Round 2 Pix

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[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...
Luongo07 writes...

Predictions Round 2

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As mentioned previously I hate making predictions, especially when it comes to the hometown Canucks. To begin I will review my first round selections: My predictions: Red Wings in 7 Ducks in 6 Stars or Canucks in 6 Predators in 6 Sabres in 4 Devils in 6 Penguins in 6 Rangers in 5 Reality: Red Wings in 6 Ducks in 5 Canucks in 7 Sharks in 5 Sabres...
I will not beg for time to pout... Tonight, after one days rest the Vancouver Canucks stepped on to the ice to face the dreaded Anahiem Ducks. Early on it looked like the Canucks had an early jump, Markus Naslund had a glorious opportunity, then Trevor Linden had a chance, and then Jeff Cowan scored the games first goal, but that was it for the visitors. The Ducks sh...
Yes, Caps fans, change is the offseason's buzzword. As the Caps' season was thankfully on its way to being put to rest, the slogan 'Change is Coming' was (for good reason) broadcasted for any fans still paying attention. So, what changes can Caps fans expect? [u][url=http://www.washingtoncaps.com/news/news.asp?story_id=4783]New uniforms[/url]:[/u] The Caps will unve...
Syntax writes...

Bruins re-sign Hannu Toivonen

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/2148/toivonen774025691982nj1.jpg[/img]The [url=http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=205636&hubname=nhl]Boston Bruins[/url] announced yesterday that the club has re-signed goaltender Hannu Toivonen to a one-year deal worth $532,000 US. This most likely is a sign-and-trade since there is no room in the Bruins organization for him....
The Rangers have NO chance. In addition to the Sabres being the overall superior team in every facet of the game, this series is a terrible match up for the Rangers. Sabres in 5 at most. Since I’m confident that round two is “in the bag” already… Let’s spend a little time looking forward to next season. Here’s how I think the line up will look on openi...
ladynic writes...

It is a hard time of year

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I love NHL playoff Hockey. The first round was fabulous. I have 2 games a night every night to watch at least. There were quite a few teams that I like playing. The 2nd round is not so easy of a thing. Less teams I enjoy. Less hockey. The other night both games were on at similar times. There was no 2nd game to stay up and watch. Plus it does get harder to...
Luongo07 writes...

Turco Dines...

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
An article from the Vancouver Sun this morning maybe of interest to some.... [quote]Secret tabled at Turco dinner Greg Douglas, Vancouver Sun Published: Saturday, April 28, 2007 SCENE & HEARD: It will be awhile before Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco has dinner again at Umberto Menghi's signature eatery, Il Giardino on Hornby Street. Not that Turco has anything ag...
reub77 writes...

Knew they had it in 'em

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...

Soccer On Ice?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
A “watershed moment” for pro hockey in the US? [b]Seriously?[/b] National hockey writers gushed about the Sabres/Rangers game 3 overtime game as a turning point to the TV fortunes of Hockey going forward. I couldn’t disagree more! That game was no more than a pitiful display of soccer on ice. Sure it was interesting because of the stakes…. but the product o...
[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...
Luongo07 writes...

Our House, Our Game

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Sunday afternoon the Canucks lost yet another home ice playoff game, dropping their record to a terrible 3 - 9 in their last 12 playoff games at GM Place., dating back to the 2003 Western Conference Semi-Final versus Minnesota. I think not. You would think that with the noise levels that are reached, the passion that is shown by the fans that the Canucks record at home wou...
To see the following story with pictures and better formatting check out [url]http://www.NHLNow.com[/url]! CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (outstanding rookie): Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh Penguins; Paul Stastny, Colorado Avalanche. NHL Jeff's Take: Malkin was amazing all season long. Yes, he started out on fire and slowed down a bit as the sea...
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 ...
predjoe writes...

Rob Niedermayer Wins It!!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Calm down Ducks fans...I didn’t get confused and not give Scott the credit for his game winning goal. I gave credit to Rob because it was his huge hit on Jannik Hansen that not only turned over the puck but caused Luongo to lose his focus for a brief moment...that’s all it took. Ducks win and advance to the WCF. "My brother got a big hit on their guy and the puck s...
gonucks writes...

Free Agent Huntin'

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After an embarrassing double-OT playoff elimination for the Vancouver Canucks fans are turning their attention to the free-agent pool. As a loyal Canucks fan I feel that our lack of offense needs to be taken care of. We have solid defense and amazing goaltending so we have built our game around that. I personally feel that we should trade away Mattias Ohlund. He is no long...
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...
from The Checking Line Thanks to a couple bad seasons and a little assistance from the lockout, it’s now been over 1,100 days since the St. Louis Blues have been part of a playoff series. So what are the chances of my beloved Note getting in the dance in 2008? Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that John Davidson and Co. have months to work their magic becaus...
The Sudbury Wolves evened the OHL league championship final with a convincing 7 - 3 victory over the Plymouth Whalers on Sunday evening. Andrew Self and Devin DiDiomete led the way for the Wolves with two tallies each while Matt Dias and Nick Foligno both tallied three assists. The four goal spread was rather strange considering the Whalers outshot the Wolves by a convinci...
pensfan17148 writes...

Team Report Card Part 2

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
ahbrown writes...

I'm torn.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
You've seen the scenario in many cartoons. The character is trying to make a decision and he has a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other, both offering advice on which way to go. That is me with the Western Conference Final. I am a massive Oiler fan and I just don't know what to do with the Anaheim Ducks. On one-hand, I hate the Ducks. Well not...
doaftheloaf writes...

Round 3 Pix

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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'll be frank: I'm surprised how many people are picking the Wings to beat the Ducks. No, I don't think the Ducks are invincible and no I don't think they are guaranteed to advance to the SCF, but you'd have to think they are favorites by a fair margin. Detroit doesn't have Kronwall or Schneider and I doubt that Lebda is at 100%. If the Ducks play physical enough with the ...
groome16 writes...

Beasts

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hockey is that entity that is misunderstood by so many. Is it a game? Is it a sport? Is it mayhem? It is all of those and more and this year it proved to be a beast. Many perennial favorites had great years as expected, some faltered and some just plain failed. Decade long traditional losers became winners overnight, literally in some cases. The losers, the lucky, th...
cjohnson202 writes...

No Surgery For Sundin

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sundin has met with doctors and Sweden, and he will not need surgery. He has a small tear in his labrum, but it will NOT require surgery to repair. When this story first broke I was sent two newspaper articles from Sweden, talking about how angry Sundin was with this. The belief around people I talked to is that one side of ownership (Tanenbaum) wanted Ferguson fired a...
nmhen writes...

Hyping the Hype

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Conference Finals are upon us! In the Eastern Conference we have the Very Goods against the Also Very Goods, with the Very Goods having home ice advantage. Both teams are mighty on offense, with the Very Goods in particular having great depth in the forward ranks. The Also Very Goods have a staunch blueline corps, and look to impart big misery on the marauding, ...
quacker912 writes...

Flyers Offseason.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Lets keep this as straight up as possible, the Flyers have work to do in the offseason. I'm no NHL analysis, but only a hardcore Philadelphia fan since I knew what sports were. With a disappointing season under the belt, it's one of the first times in my recent memory that I have been so excited about the offseason. Lets get started... [b]Current Situation[/b] [u]Fo...
The Lewiston Maineiacs on the strength of three staller goaltending performances are proving to be way too much for Val-dO'r in the QMJHL Championship series. Maineiacs goaltender, Jonathan Bernier was also named the CHL goaltender of the week for posting an 18 save shutout on Friday, followed by a 30 save performance on Saturday and a 26 save effort in game three last nig...
Luongo07 writes...

Giants Bounce Back...

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
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, ...
Luongo07 writes...

CANUCKS TAKE THREE

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The NHL awards are still a ways away, but the good people over at The Hockey News just couldn’t wait. Is this a preview of what’s to come when the NHL doles out their shiny metal? Maybe, maybe not. But a little recognition is always good thing. The Canucks took three of THN’s annual awards announced last week. Roberto Luongo edged Marty Brodeur for the...
First off, I was at the arena tonight...Another amazing atmosphere for sure. And not the prettiest hockey game in the world (turnovers, barage of penalties in the first two periods, plenty of hits, etc.), but certainly entertaining! Here's to much more to come between these two teams! Now..Credit goes to where credit is due. Congratulations to the Ottawa Senators on ...
Sabrefan44 writes...

Game 1

Posted Friday | Comments 1
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...
Well he SHOULD be! In the first OT, Alfredsson lept from his skates and pounded a defenseless Henrik Tallinder from behind. This one of the most egregious/dirty boarding incidents I have ever seen in my life and Alfredsson gets not even a deuce for his trouble. Tallinder nearly broke his neck. Alfredsson should have gotten a major and been tossed from the game. Take...
After the Parent trade, wasn't this guy supposed to be the Predators' top defensive prospect? Well, he sure hasn't shown it in the playoffs. In 19 playoff contests, Franson has just 3 goals an 4 assists to go wth a solid +8 rating. Those are pretty solid numbers for a defensman under normal circumstances. But these aren't normal circumstances. Franson had 17 goa...
Anne Hier writes...

O Say, Can You Sing?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Congratulations Sabres! What a thrill to hear the spectacular voice of [b]Ronan Tynan[/b] before the Sabres/Rangers game on April 27. We don't know if he has opened any games in this current series. If he has, we haven't heard it. Why not? Through the whole long season the team owners and broadcast cognoscenti have seen fit to torture us with countless other so-call...
hAbfAn33 writes...

Why in the Worlds?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
SmokingChicken writes...

Sweet Vindication

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Again, the Sabres' special teams are a collective no-show. Senators were in complete control of what little of the game I saw(about the last 15 minute). And, if you'll remember, I called this plus another win yesterday... ;-) And Thursday night the Buffalo Sabres and Stanley Cup will not be mentioned in the same sentence again until October. With 10:22 left in the fi...
What in the hell happened here? Three games totally dominated by Ottawa. No “ifs, ands or buts” about it. No excuses. A thorough beating. PERIOD. So… now I have to come up with a few reasons to make myself believe that the Sabres are on the verge of a monumental comeback. Here it goes. [b]They can replace Kalinin. [/b] I don’t think I’ve ever seen a s...
With the double elbows to the head from Pronger and Neidermayer on Tomas Holmstrom, there needs to be suspensions. Both of them should get at least a game. I know Pronger got away with out being called but the replay clearly shows both of those goons elbows up at the head. Yes it could be seriously detrimental to the Ducks playoffs hopes but that is just to bad, you pl...
predjoe writes...

Pronger Gone For Game Four

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
(to see a video of this hit go to www.predjoe.wordpress.com) Is there any reason that this kind of thing should happen? I think if you are a Pronger fan you can say that he is taller and Holmstrom had his head down a bit and Pronger just came in where he normally would. However, I think, if you look at the video carefully and without bias you will find this was, wit...
Luongo07 writes...

Say It Ain't So Burkie...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is a tough blog for me to write. During his tenure in Vancouver I had several opportunities to speak personally with Brian Burke either via letter, email or in person. In fact, in the hours leading up to his dismissal as General Manager/President of the Vancouver Canucks, I keying an email to the big irishman. As I pushed the 'Send' button, I received an 'undeliverabl...
This is perfect! The stage is set... the Sabres got 'em right where they want 'em! I can already feel the pressure mounting on the Sens for game 6! Keep the faith! Like I said before… the Sabres are on the verge of a monumental comeback! Are there any other teams you would expect to be in this scenario? Buffalo has been known for comebacks all year... Ottawa is known ...
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
Well, I haven't posted a Flyers off-season thoughts blog, yet, so I figured to combat my insomnia, I'd offer my two cents. Right now, in goal, things seem pretty much set. Martin Biron is the starter. I expect him to play as many as 60 games. Antero Niittymaki, coming off a brutal season, will be the back-up. Biron was a breath of fresh air, on and off the ice, after co...
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...
For those outside of Buffalo, just an interesting little story.... I called HSBC Arena yesterday. I was hoping to buy season tickets. The response I got: "We're all maxed out for next season. We can take your name down for the waiting list though." What? It's not like I waited til the last minute. Last year I ordered my tix in August and had no problem. You...
Anne Hier writes...

Whither goest thou, Preds?

Posted Thursday | Comments 2
The speculation that various Canadian venues in Ontario would be chosen if the Preds were to leave Music City doesn't ask the right question: [b]If the Preds were moved[/b] to Kitchener, Brantford, Hamilton, or even The Soo or Sudbury - [b]the real question is,what conference would they be in?[/b] Would they automatically become an Eastern Conference team with such a m...
doaftheloaf writes...

Duck Hunting

Posted Friday | Comments 0
This is how I think they stack up. [b]Goaltending[/b] - No doubt, Giguere is the more accomplished of the two, already with a Conn Smythe under his belt. He is as positionally sound as any goalie in the NHL. He is again proving to be his team's MVP on a team that boasts two Norris candidates. He is more than capable of stealing a game. An area of concern is that Gig...
Ottawa, pour être honnête, ils me surprennent cette année, je croyais qu'ils allaient se faire éliminer en 1ere ronde par les Pingouins. Daniel Alfredsson joue super bien cette année, mais on dirait que c'est seulement son trio (avec Heatley et Spezza) qui font de quoi, les 3 autres trios sont un peu silencieux. Il ya Antoine Vermette aussi qui fait des bonnes séries...
stevens8204 writes...

Devils Offseason.....

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/LeaferSutherland/devsbanner1.gif"[/img] [b]For every beginning there has to be an end (insert Alpha-Omega reference here). So with all the major players graded....its time to take a look into next year's crystal ball. What could next season have in store for the Devils...what may they or may they not do? Sure it is all s...
ahbrown writes...

Finals Predictions

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Game 1: Ottawa Game 2: Anaheim Game 3: Ottawa Game 4: Anaheim Game 5: Ottawa Game 6: Ottawa Series: Ottawa wins 4-2 Alfredsson wins Conn Smythe although Emery makes a huge push for the award with his play in the series.
[img]http://www.sportsnet.ca/images/daily/sat/emery_practice_cup_hor.jpg[/img] It’s been a long wait for both Senator and Duck fans, but it all begins tonight (May 28th, 2007). This battle should be a good one and the physical prowess of both teams will be shown early on. The epic face off has the Senators big 3 (Alfie-Spezza-Heatley) going up against two Norris Troph...
BluesFan44 writes...

What do we 'Deserve'?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The recent problems in Nashville have brought up the whole relocation mess again, and there's a recurring theme that I keep hearing: "[i]City A[/i] doesn't [b]deserve[/b] an NHL team. If anyone [b]deserves[/b] a team it's [i]City B[/i]" Deserve? Really??? I mean, we aren't talking about any Human Rights issues here. Nor are we talking about the basic needs ...
Well this is my first blog here so I thought that I would introduce myself. My name is Zac and I currently live in Vancouver. I grew up in the Toronto area for most of my life and I have followed the Leafs for as long as I can remember. The days of Wendle hitting and fighting everyone to watching Dougie work his magic behind the net. I've watched the highs and lows and...
Well, after a thrilling advertisement for the game of hockey that was Game One, we've come to this: a real crossroads, with Anaheim's old-fashioned physical play (honed by a lot of WHL talent like Getzlaf, Kunitz, the Niedermayers et al) going up against Ottawa's mostly-European speed and finesse (which is no slap against Selanne for the Ducks or Neil for the Sens). It's a...
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...
Flufflet writes...

Are You Superstitious?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I think we would agree that most players are at least a little superstitious and we can understand why they might be. But why are some fans superstitious? Do we really think that something we do can affect the outcome of games or the performance of players? Does wearing the same clothes or eating the same meal on game days affect your favourite team? Will something bad...
It seems everyone in Edmonton is drooling over Wade Redden. Behind Bouwmeester, he is definitely the player Oiler fans want to see manning the blueline in the Big E next year. Speculation is that because of Redden's contract and the Sens needing to resign younger stars that a Redden to Edmonton deal makes sense. We have the young cap friendly prospects and picks to do t...
[img:left]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/Zacobius/matshor_78503.jpg[/img]So it's all over the news. It looks like Sundin is a lock for a 2 year deal worth 10 to 11 million. I wouldn't really call this news as it has been speculated for a long time. There is seems to be a split amongst the Leafs Nation. I think most would agree that Mats has been amazing in his 1...
Yeah, yeah, Ottawa is behind to an American team, but the link below is the front page news (at least at C N N and E S P N). I guess that it is what's important! http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/31/spelling.bee.ap/index.html Only second Place! Anything but gold is a disgrace. We better form some committees to re-evaluate our national program. What’s CanSpell do...
SmokingChicken writes...

Latest Prospect News

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I've been fighting off frequent fits of boredom this afternoon, which will quickly be remedied when I depart for Reelfoot Lake in west Tennessee. I've never been there, but they say it's beautiful. Here's some of the latest signings and players you can expect to see in camps: Thrashers: Tobias Enström (D, SWE), Ondrej Pavelec (G, CZE- from QMJHL) Coyotes: Martin Ha...
Swiss League-A-Club [b]Ambri-Piotta [/b][b]signed [/b]yesterday former Bruins Stay-at-home-D-Man [b]Zdenek Kutlak [/b]to a one-year-contract. He's a gritty player with a decent shot and knows new czech Ambri-Coach [b]Jan Tlacil [/b]from czech extraliga-club [b]Ceske Budejovice[/b]. Ambri signed before [b]Toronto Marlies [/b]Topcenter [b]Erik Westrum[/b]. Kutlak will ear...
doaftheloaf writes...

It's A Joke

Posted Sunday | Comments 3
1 game for Pronger? Does the fact that he's a repeat offender play into this anywhere? I don't care if this is the Finals, that warrants more than one game, especially since Pronger is stupid enough not to learn from the Holmstrom incident. Also, the league says they suspended him because McAmmond was hurt on the play. That shouldn't matter at all. I wonder, if ...
For all the talk of Daniel Alfredsson's goal in game three, the issue of what a distinct kicking motion entails may be a moot point. After watching the replay dozens of times in super-slow motion on a top-quality HDTV, it appears the puck actually went in off Alfredsson's stick. Stationed to the left of Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Alfredsson directed t...
nephew23 writes...

What "A" Shame

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
Well, considering the Anaheim Ducks are now 2-0 in the 2007 playoffs without stud defenseman and Mensa candidate Chris Pronger, my guess is that we can officially scratch him off the short list of Conn Smythe trophy contenders. Pronger's hotly debated second suspension was weathered by the Ducks' remaining defensemen and especially goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who was...
rondothemidg writes...

The Captain and C-Neil

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Which player wins the Zinedine Zidane award for a meltdown during a championship game or series? The nominees are Chris Pronger, for his game 3 Dean McAmmond headhunting excursion, and Daniel Alfredsson, for his game 4 end-of-2nd period bazooka blast at Scott Neidermayer. As with Zidane in the World Cup final, these 2 incidents happened during tied games. Todd Marchant's ...
gamma82 writes...

I agree with Hull and Cherry

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I have to say that I did like the segment after the 2nd period during game 4 last night with Don Cherry visiting the NBC booth. As far as the opinion of both Cherry and Brett Hull I have to agree that the majority would like to see fighting as part of the NHL and I do agree that ratings wouldn't suffer, but would be better if it was more common to see a little sparring...
killacavs writes...

Alfie

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
WHy is there no talk about that bone-headed shot at Niedermayer at the end of the 2nd period. Captain Danny should have to sit game 5 after that classless attempt to injure the Duck's captain, a real captain. The NHL is just showing another example of how they continue to be a mediocre league and let this headhunting go on. Does the NBA allow players to throw the bask...
To many fans of Canadian teams, the closest thing to seeing their team in the final rounds of the playoffs is to follow their next crop of superstars in the AHL playoffs. For the Montreal Canadiens, there couldn't be a better indication of the future of the most storied franchise in hockey history than the play of their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. While many neve...
504Heater writes...

The Crows are Circling

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals resumes tonight in sunny California, but for Ottawa the it's not so much the Ducks they have to be worried about - it's the crows waiting for the dead to fall. Is it all doom and gloom if you're a Sens fan? Of course not, but getting this far and seeing your team out-matched in every possible area raises areas for concern. Out-matched ...
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...
lb33knight writes...

Screw Jay Leno!!!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Itlan writes...

What a season!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Pivot King writes...

Euro Captain? No Cup For You

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Obviously many great stories from this year's playoffs and the finals in particular. Ottawa finally made it to the big dance, but obviously couldn't get the job done when it mattered most. The Niedermayer's got their wish as did Chris Pronger. But one underlying story occurred to me as I was watching Niedermayer hoist the cup; no team with a European captain has ever won t...
IggyOnly writes...

NHL Expansion

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Short blog here, just felt like getting my opinion out there into the ether. It's a common viewpoint on NHL expansion but what can i say, when theres no hockey games/trade/rumors to read about I need to let it all out somehow! I think that in 4-5 years expansion will be more than likely. If this occurs, I would hate to see the NHL pick the wrong markets to expand into....
[img:left]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/Zacobius/nhl_blog/capt.jpg[/img] Well congrats to the Ducks. What a great playoff run and what a win in Game 5. After all those close games, it was great to see them in a blowout. After watching Cory Perry in London, it was great to see him get that goal (what a shot) and once again, no celebration looks better in sports t...
I want to say congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks franchise, Brian Burke, Randy Carlyle, the players, staff and fans on their first Stanley Cup championship. Your organization did a fantastic job and proved that "old time hockey" can still be used to hoist that battered old mug. It was awesome to hear the sheer excitement of the Ducks fans, both during and after the ga...
grosek18 writes...

Embrace, Do Not Disgrase

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Canadian hockey fans and other hockey fans of the more established teams from the North will ultimately will hear the following comments one way or another at a NHL arena, or anywhere else NHL hockey fans gather: "The Stanley Cup belongs in a [b]real[/b] hockeytown" "I cannot stand when these teams from the South and the West win. It's not right" Ask yourself thi...
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 ...
Flyskippy writes...

Beyond Hockey

Posted Friday | Comments 0
When my wife and I heard that Roger Neilson was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, we were saddened because we really enjoyed his spunk (and flashy ties). Like us, Roger was a born-again Christian and that shared faith was refreshing to see in a sport regarded as something less than holy amongst many of our peers. When we met Roger some months before, I was proud to have him...
Will all due reverence for Will Ferrell, truer words have never been spoken. Expansion? Seriously? Did I wake up yesterday in an alternate reality where Spock has a bad ass goatee and the NHL has 30 healthy teams? First off, who would pay $150M to get into the NHL? Even if you stand to possibly make money on franchise appreciation, what about the operating losses? Or...
"A wealth of riches" That is a quote from Darren Dreger of TSN. I wonder if Darren thinks it is possible to have too much money or too many friends? Difficult to think Boo-hoo for the poor Hab's Fans but the sudden attention to Carey Price and the desire to bring him up more quickly than originally anticipated creates a conundrum for the Habs and their faithful. The pro...
golteez writes...

Youth Movement

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I go onto hockey boards everywhere, from Canadiens.com, to Hockeysfuture.com (Montreal Canadiens, message board). On each of these sites, and many more their are always wants for big time players, through trades or free agency. Fans want Drury, Briere, Gomez.... These wants are un - realistic, except maybe Briere, but at 6 - 7 million, i don't want him. I've been proposiin...
The top name that keeps getting thrown around town as rumours swirl is Ryan Smyth heading to the Leafs, this seems to be the Leafs #1 target this off season with the backline all shored up pending Colaiacovo's signing which should be done shortly, what seems to escape many people's minds is that the Leafs are also looking to add some much needed grit to the lineup with the...
cfposi writes...

Yashin to Montreal???

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ok...I will admit, the prospect of a Samsonov - Yashin - Kovalev line sounds explosive...on paper. But do we really expect the Habs to make the same mistake 3 times in a row here? 05-06 Season: Kovalev signed to a 4 year deal worth 20.25 Million (Failure) 06-07 Season: Samsonov signed to a 2 year deal worth 7.05 Million (Failure) 07-08 Season: YASHIN?!?!?! Come on ...
Note to Preds fans: I don't necessarily want to see the Preds move to Hamilton because I think they have a very solid base of real fans who deserve a better fate, and because their rivalry with the Blues has been intense in the past few years. However, if they do move, there will be an imbalance in the league and it will probably lead to the addition to 2 new teams in...
According to an article on the AHL's Website, EA Sports' NHL08 will feature all 29 teams from the American Hockey League as fully playable for the first time in video gaming history. Let's just hope the AHL doesn't opt to expand next year and make the game worthless. ;) Still no word on Euro leagues, unfortunately. I was really disappointed that they cut them out of NHL...
Isles78 writes...

Chris Gratton Dealt to Tampa Bay

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Chris Gratton was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2nd round pick in 07, or 08(Florida's option) according to TSN. This deal gives the Lightning some much needed depth at center and clears 1.5 million of cap space for Florida which will further fuel rumors that they are going to make a pitch for a big name UFA.
The Anaheim Ducks changed hands for $80M two years ago. Balsille agrees to pay $220M+ less than 18 months later. Apparently NHL franchise prices are going up faster than Alberta real estate. Even if the general business community agrees that Balsille overpaid, this significantly drives up the price of an NHL franchise. As well, if the NHL does pursue expansion, suddenly...
When asked about his approach to signing #1 RFA Tomas Vanek, Darcy Regier held firm. “I don’t believe in operating out of fear,” said Regier. “Tomas is a Restricted Free Agent and will have a market value that we’ll go from there.” Interesting stance by Darcy but I can;’t say I’m surprised. It’s going to take a $4million plus offer to get Vanek ou...
What do the terms EASTERN, WESTERN, Atlantic, Northeast, Southeast, Central, Northwest and Pacific mean to you? Unless you are explaining the weather or refering to geographical locations, they don't mean anything to me. I don't recall the exact year the division and conference names were changed (somenone help me out on that one) but I do remember thinking "WHAT?!!!...
David Singleton writes...

The NHL at a Crossroads

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Originally posted at PredNation.com[/b] In 1997, the NHL awarded four new expansion franchises to begin play over the next several seasons. Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota, and Columbus were awarded franchises that first hit the ice in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2000 respectively. This expansion was on the heels of two franchises, Colorado and Phoenix, moving from Canadia...
I had this all ready to post on another message board, tried to post it, and found out the thread had been locked. RATS! So I'm posting it here. I'd been craving having something to blog about anyways. This is a little modified to make more sense for the blog. Nashville simply hasn't had enough time to become a viable market. But there's no reason it still could...
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...
ChicosBailBonds writes...

Off-season musings

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
So it's 90 degrees now, several of the local rinks have already switched to running inline or putting turf down for soccer/lax, and I'm blogging on a hockey site. Hopeless, right? Well, this summer I'm turning this blog into a sort of stream-of-consciousness on hockey, music, film and life. --Scott Niedermayer...if you retire on top, you'll be doing a good job, but it'l...
Eggshmeg writes...

Salary Cap Needs to Rise

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

Bye Bye Kimmo and Hartnell

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hartnell and Timonen are gone. The Preds have traded the rights of All-Star defenseman Kimmo Timonen and physical winger Scott Hartnell to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a first round pick. Well...all those in Nashville hoping the Kimmo would retire a Predator are a bit disappointed in this deal. For me I am bummed to see Scotty go. Word was that he was a ...
I think It's safe to say that Roberto Luongo is the single best thing that's happened to the Vancouver Canucks in a very long time, if not, ever. But what happens when the all-star goalie gets, dare I say, injured or gets tired of playing over seventy games a season, what then? Dany Sabourin had a mediocre start to the season but as he played a few more games he seemed mor...
Craig, if you will pardon me for being so informal, I felt the need to write to you once again. I haven’t written since November 4th, 2004. The league was in the midst of the lockout at that time, and I felt compelled to write to you regarding my support of the key role you were playing in obtaining a CBA for the league that would put all franchises on near-equal footi...
FlyerPhan7790 writes...

Let the fun begin

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's been something that I have been meaning to get to. That first blog post here on MyHockeyBuzz needed something special, a real kick in the pants to get things going. After yesterday's dramatic twist from Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, it looks like summer could be one of the most memorable ones in recent memory for the Flyers organization. Sure, the Flyers picked up Peter Fo...
In my analysis, yes it was. The Flyers want to be competitive as quickly as possible. Making this trade and signing these two guys, both of whom fill vital needs, sends a message that this team is going to do what it takes to ice a winner. Philadelphia is suddenly a much better team on paper, and still has $9mm or so in cap space and only one restricted free agent of an...
Yes folks the baron is back after a lenghty battle with kidney stones. Who knew a stone that was 5mm could kick the crap out of someone so badly. Anywho I digress...Lots has happened in the last month. I'm not going to rehash the cup final as that horse has been put to pasture. All I will say is congrats to both Anaheim and Ottawa for making it. The Sens came out o...
[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 ...
We've seen different franchises move before, mainly from Canadian markets to American, and it has gone quite smoothly. Why are we seeing so much talk about the Predators possible relocation to Hamilton? Did the other franchises that moved have to sell 14,000 tickets in advance? No. Then why does Mr. Balsillie have to do it? Yes I know there are many factors why people don'...
When the Sabres season ended, the speculation started. Would the Sabres sign Drury or Briere? How much money would they command? Questions, Questions, Questions! In the middle of the season we thought Drury might cash in on a $6mil/year long term contract. And with “leading scorer” statistics, Briere might get more. Now, as we close in on July 1, those sala...
During the lockout, NHL pundits often pointed to the NFL as having a salary cap system that works. The difference between the NFL and NHL is that NFL contracts are not guaranteed. If you sign an NFL player to a five year deal, and they stink in the first year, they can be cut. The NFL team is only on the hook for any guaranteed/bonus money that was already paid out. Th...
With rumors of a possible three way deal floating around that would see the Flyers deal away Joni Pitkanen and receive Raffi Torres, supposedly to clear up cap room to sign a UFA center like Scott Gomez or Daniel Briere to a massive free agent contract, I needed to blog and just get this much off my chest after a couple days of contemplation. I still am not a fan of get...
andean10 writes...

Silent In Colorado...For Now

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For the most part the hockey rumor mill has been void of much discussion about Colorado and their involvement in the free agent sweepstakes. There has been a little pen given to the possible signing of Drury, but as I said, not much. However, I think Colorado may surprise everyone with a few big moves. Let me offer a few reasons why they will be players and why top free ...
As promised a little bit earlier since I have time tonight to blog: 6) Edmonton Oilers----Sam Gagner Sam is a deft playmaker with excellent hands as well. His knack for finding the open man and his deft hockey sense made him the best option at #6 for the Edmonton Oilers. While the Oilers could have taken Alexei Cherepanov, Gagner isn't too far off in skill and could deve...
A few weeks ago (maybe even a few moths ago), Eklund floated a rumor out there about the possibility of Michael Peca returning to the Sabres. When I read it back then, I immediately dismissed it as nonsense (no offense Ek!). Now however, looking through the lens of the Sabres current situation (which doesn’t looks so rosy), Peca seems like a very good option for 3r...
hAbfAn33 writes...

Don't hold your breath Hab Fan

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Despite the chatter about what free agents the Habs have in their crosshairs, I'd like to interject and remind the fan base that historically (i.e. the last 5 years at least) the Canadiens have not been key players in free agency and until they do something to make me think otherwise, I'm not holding out hope that this is the year they acquire a big name to be the face of...
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, ...
leafsownsens writes...

A Move that Makes Cents

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As reported by RDS.Ca The Phoenix Coyotes have placed 28 year old Defenseman Nick Boynton on waivers. As everyone knows the Leafs currently have 8 Defenseman signed and would probably ask why i would even contemplate a move involving another defenseman, however this is a move that could not only maintain the competitiveness of the Leafs top 6, which can be argued as one...
Welcome to the 2007 NHL off-season. That would be the new NHL. The cap-era NHL. The fiscally responsible NHL. The $8-million per year for Scott Gomez NHL. This would be a good time to re-read the title of this blog. As they have before and as they always will, NHL general managers will bid all their pretty pennies on the top unrestricted free agents available t...
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...
After getting the announcement of the salary cap today and it going up a whopping 6 million dollars this has made things alot more interesting as teams scrabble around looking to see who they can get and who they can unload. The Leafs are in a very interesting position with around 9 million in cap room to use this offseason the interesting part of this whole time is that a...
TheStig writes...

Leafs Plan of Action

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The announcement on Friday afternoon that the cap was going up to $50.2 Million was great news for leafs as they already have committed approximately $43 Million, which leaves $7-8 million to play with. if the cap had only come in around $48 Million mark before the NHLPA voted in favor of the 5% increase, they would've have only had about $5-6 Million, and wouldn't have be...
What i've seen today, was the most disgusting thing i ever see in my life... and that day begin with Dan Brière with a 52 millions contract and first year 10 millions... 10 freaking million... Crosby will ask for 300 millions if Briere worth that, comon why we lose a season if they continue to give contract like this... 3.6 millions to Sarich... SARICH is probably a 6...
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...
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...
tylerm20 writes...

Slow start but smart moves

Posted Monday | Comments 0
July 1st in the NHL always gives you the feeling of Christmas, the oilers did there best to fill holes that are open and to improve the tea. The move to trade Jason Smith and Joffery Lupul for Geoff Sanderson and Jani Pitkanen was a great start. Sanderson will add some great veteran experience that is needed since Smith is gone, he will also be a dependable 3rd or 4th line...
Well somehow it seems fitting that a player named Jed Ortmeyer signed yesterday with the Nashville Predators (let the hayseed, hick and redneck jokes begin!). It's not like we weren't already the punching bag of the league but now we give them more fodder for jokes! I understand that not all signings can be the Chris Drury's, Scott Gomez's and Paul Kariya's but dee...
Luongo07 writes...

The Hardest Pill To Swallow

Posted Monday | Comments 0
With Vancouver Canucks seemingly press against the salary cap I am willing to give General Manager Dave Nonis some slack but in the same breathe when players of this ilk are sitting there with zero compensation (except $$$) why haven't we heard the slightest rumor of a player coming to Vancouver.Fact of the matter is that you can go over the cap in the off-season you just ...
JoeStar1 writes...

Media Destroys Montreal!!!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
My message is to the [b]MEDIA OF MONTREAL[/b]. [b][u]Enough is enough!!![/u][/b] I, and the fans of this great franchise have had it!!! I have said it for years that the media is who manages the team, not the organization. Year in and year out, we see the same trend building, worse and worse as the years go by. This time around, you will not blame Gainey or the rest o...
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...
tylerm20 writes...

Day 2 Hard to Swallow

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Today (Day 2) of free agency was suppose to be a day for Oiler fans to look forward to possible UFA signings. After a long day of almost all the Tier 2 UFA signed the oilers are left the same as Day 1. The day started off very strange with the deal that was suppose to be done in Nylander turning out to be nothing more then a lost deal with Nylander signing in Washington. ...
[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 ...
July 2nd Free Agent Signings: Ryan Smyth: Colorado Avalanche 5 years 6.3 Million per year Paul Kariya: St. Louis Blues 3 years 6 Million per year Darryl Sydor: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 years 2.5 Million per year Petr Sykora: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 year deal Sheldon Brookbank: Columbus Blue Jackets 1 years deal Tom Preissing: Los Angeles Kings 4 years 2.8 Mill...
The last two days have just been torturous as a San Jose Sharks fan. I woke up Sunday at 8am (pacific time) with a spring in my step and anticipation on my mind. After watching Vesa Toskala and everybody's favorite whipping boy in San Jose this season, Mark Bell, being shipped off to Toronto, all the talk was the Sharks were setting things up perfectly to sign Chris Drur...
begga79 writes...

It's here already!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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 ...
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 ...
millertime12 writes...

Drury= NYR

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Drury went to the Rangers for a few reasons. The Sabres foundation treats star players like garbage. In the press conference held on the second a member of the press asked if they where becoming the Pittsburgh Pirates. Regher (the GM for anyone who doesn't know) mumbled "It's a possobility." HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT! Have they all gone crazy. The second reason he left was bec...
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...
rickrandolph writes...

SUNDIN'S LAST HURRAH?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
Center Radek Bonk is now a Nashville Predator "For the most part our team is now set up,'' Predators General Manager David Poile said. "We'll still need to fill some depth, but in terms of our major league roster, we're in pretty good shape. This was what Poile said after the signing of Center Radek Bonk and Defensemen Greg de Vries yesterday to two year deals. Wh...
Just hours after signing Schneider, Isbister and Ritchie, the Vancouver Canucks are at it again, this time signing goalie Curtis Sanford to a one year, $600,000 contract. Sanford joins the Canucks after spending his last three seasons with the St. Louis Blues. The Ontario native finished last season with a 3.18 goals against and a .888 save percentage in 31 games. I thi...
tylerm20 writes...

Oilers Continue Chess Match

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Edmonton Oilers had a slow yet oddly some what busy day today. The Oilers signed Goaltender Mathieu Garon to a 2 year contract, and agreed to terms with Raffi Torres on a 3 Year $6.75 Contract. The signing of Garon spells the end of Markkanen as the Oilers backup, Garon brings some decent numbers with that will help the Oilers more then Markkanen was able to give Rolo...
predjoe writes...

We Need A Hero!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Can Jason Arnott be the hero the Nashville Community needs? While the fate of the Nashville Predators continues to twist in the wind of uncertainty one thing came to mind. We need a hero! Bonnie Tyler style… Where have all good men gone And where are all the gods? Where’s the street-wise Hercules To fight the rising odds? Goalie Chris Mason recently pur...
jarhead writes...

What about the enforcers?!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Look around the internet at different hockey sites and notice all the UFA mumbo jumbo. Sheldon Souray this... Chris Drury that... I'm a big fan of the enforcer types in hockey, so why not blog them? They deserve the attention, so here we go. The Boston Bruins wasted no time in pitching an offer to former Ducks winger Shawn Thornton. The 6'1 209 pounder from Oshawa, ...
Slasher98 writes...

Washington Capitals preview!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Just over a year ago around this time the Edmonton Oilers came just within one win of the biggest trophy in professional hockey. Three weeks later they were saying goodbye to superstar Chris Pronger, and a few other key players Michael Peca, Jaroslav Spacek, and Sergei Samsonov. So who replaced these players, because obviously you need to replace such key players...
This off season has been and interesting off season and a predictable one, Sutter never waits till the last second to get things done. Well for instance his top forwards had only one year left , what does he do does he leave that until the last minute no he does it a year a head of time. Iggy locked up for five years 35 mil not only does he get done early he does it s...
This off season has been an interesting off season and a predictable one, Sutter never waits till the last second to get things done. Well for instance his top forwards had only one year left , what does he do does he leave that until the last minute no he does it a year a head of time. Iggy locked up for five years 35 mil not only does he get done early he does it so...
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 ...
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...
It seems as though the Sabres franchise knew this was coming. Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe needs to bring in a marquee player, and Thomas Vanek was on his hit list. Buffalo GM Darcy Regier said no way, Vanek is staying in town, and we'll match any offer sheet you throw at him. Well, Lowe tried to call Regier's bluff, but Darcy wasn't bluffing. The 7-year, $50 million pi...
According to Toronto Star "sources" the Toronto Maple Leafs signed ex-Brodeur backup Scott Clemmensen to a two-way contract and is likely to be the Leafs third-string goalie and to back up Justin Pogge in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. Of course this stirs the pot with the Raycroft rumors, but personally I'm not impressed with letting Racine go as easily as they did...
This past year, the Edmonton Oilers have given their fans a new [i]rollercoaster[/i] ~ one that gets your emotions going. Last summer, blue line veteran Chris Pronger requested to be traded. He is now public enemy #1 in Alberta's capital. I don't see it that way. His wife was not happy up here so I'm pretty sure that put Pronger inbetween a rock and a hard ...
No offense to Brad Winchester...who will make a great addition to the Stars' roster...but this should be Doug Armstrong's last season as general manager in Dallas. I waited patiently and chose not to jump the gun after Sunday passed with not a single transaction. Then the days came and went until, FINALLY, today, the team announced the signing of 3 players. If you have ...
[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...
[b]Jason Smith : A Steal for the Flyers?[/b] July 7th 3:42 PM: Last week, the Philadelphia Flyers traded Joni Pitkanen, Who is a young defenseman who racked up 43 points last season, and Geoff Sanderson, Who is considerably one of the fastest players in the NHL, He racked up 29 points. The Flyers acquired Joffrey Lupul, Who most Edmonton fans believe was a very bad acq...
According to the Post-Dispatch, Andy Murray was said to already be playing with possible lines in his head. The lines went, "The Blues have a nice supply of forwards now, and the power play should be better. Murray is already tinkering with these line combinations, at least in his head: — Kariya, Tkachuk, Brad Boyes. — Martin Rucinsky, Weight, Jamal Mayers....
[b]What additional moves would you like to see the Flyers make?[/b] 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 Fl...
Sunday, January 11, 1976... in the height of the Cold War, and the midst of the battle for the supremacy of the Hockey World, the Soviet Army Team visited the Philadelphia Spectrum to take on the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Flyers in the final game of what was billed as 'Super Series 76'... They were undefeated, and their co-touring lesser talented team were only defeate...
Who knows who will be signed before July 1 2008 or how much money will be available… but below is my ranking of the “prime” players who are set to be free agents next year. By “prime” I mean players who will attract some big money… I left out most of the players over 30 as well. I also put together a list of next year’s restricted free agent crop…. Or a...
Jlebang writes...

Bieksa signs extention

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I like the guy, but a three year extention for $11.25 million for a guy who's played only 1 full season in the NHL. What the heck will Dion Phaneuf sign for when his time come 5 Million + a season! Tell me again, Why was there a lockout.
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...
For over the past few years, as my love for the game of hockey has grown, as has my knowledge of it, I have been blessed to be able to listen to a certain radio show every weekday afternoon. This show is hosted by two men who I will most likely never be privliged to meet and who I greatly admire. The show... Leafs lunch hosted by Jeff Marek and Bill Watters. Now eve...
Let me preface this by saying I don't mean any ill will towards people in Canada who actually love and research the league and its "goings-on", I'm speaking to "Generic Canada Fan": We understand that you don't like the Predators in Nashville. We understand you think you know the situation we have brewing down here. We understand you think no one else deserves your spor...
Larry Quinn made a great point in the press conference when asked whether or not the Sabres considered taking the four 1st round picks as compensation from the Oilers on the Tomas Vanek deal. [i]“In the 37 year history of the Sabres, there haven’t been 4 players picked in the first round better than Vanek.”[/i] I think that’s pretty accurate. The Sabres have ...
jjuhasz writes...

If I were Darcy Regier

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This goes without saying, but i'm going to say it anyway. WHY THE HELL DID YOU NOT SIGN CHRIS DRURY!!!! Unfortunately, the sabres dropped the ball on that one with their in-season negotiation blunder with captain clutch, but this is what I would do from here after the vanek signing moving forward. First, the sabres need a two-way gritty forward and mike comrie would hav...
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...
ceeds writes...

Rumors Rumors Rumors

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the signing of former LA Kings defencemen Aaron Miller on Monday, the Canucks are creating quite the rumor buzz around the league. With an NHL ready defensive core of 8 dmen, the canucks look to be unloading a defencemen to pick up some much needed scoring. Although some of the rumors out there are absolutely absurd, like one heard on the TEAM 1040 in Vancouver this...
BluesFan44 writes...

All Hail the Die-Hards!!!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[i]The following also appears at [url=http://www.checkingline.com]The Checking Line[/url].[/i] The past two free agent signing periods made Blues fans feel like the kids who got lumps of coal at Christmas time. But John Davidson and Larry Pleau put on their Blue Santa Claus suits, came down the Scottrade Center Chimney and delivered a shiny new Paul Kariya to Blues fan...
Multiple league sources have informed the Sabres as the team chosen to represent the league in an "Ice Bowl" on the first day of 2008. The opponent, most likely,would be the Pittsburgh Penguins as it should. The combination of Sidney Crosby and Malkin copuled with facing an appointent who's fans will fill the Ralph in a matter of hours will be outstanding. The genius behin...
jnamio writes...

Que Sera Sera

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
duxown writes...

The Real Free Agency

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sheldon Souray to New Jersey. This statement has been repeated more than a few times in the chat room and many of us rumour hounds smelled a signing. But it still hasn't happened. Why? Souray has more than likely been asking for an unreasonable contract. Sure he had 20 goals. Sure he's great on the powerplay. But defense wins championships. I personally couldn't see why...
There are many sports experts who compare the Leafs to the MLB's New York Yankees, the big-bad empire of riches, hell bent on winning without any consideration for monetary costs. Beloved by their legion of fans, and hated by all others. But there is one main difference between the Leafs and Yanks, and in reality between the MLB and the NHL, the Yankees can buy a contender...
smacklby writes...

My Apologies And My Flyers

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
After reading all of the Negative Blogs on the Sabres and All of the Press of the Former Captains Whom Will Remain Nameless. I figured I would write about something that could get the fans Smiling again. See We have a Terrific Team, Two players dont make a team and as far as Im concerned this team is headed in the right direction THE FUTURE. So thinking in the future....
BluemanGuruu writes...

Who goes???

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Blues are into a transitioning mood as we get ready for the 2007-08 season. So far the reports from development camp are more than positive. There are four or more players ready to play now. I'm thinking I like Perron playing in the AHL this year instead of Quebec. This is going to hopefully pressure vetrans to play hard or force them to be traded. Unfortunately s...
Below is a list of notable unrestricted free agent signings (sorted by team) from the 2005 & 2006 off seasons. It’s funny how crazy us fanatics get about signing free agents and how depressed we get if our teams (the Sabres in my case) seem to miss out on the talent bonanza. After a deeper look through this list, I’m pretty happy with the Sabres approach. W...
Liberation writes...

Paging Don Waddell!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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 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) ...
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...
In this my second blog in as many minutes, I will analyze every team and their free agency acquisitions. Starting with the Pacific Division: [b]Anaheim Ducks[/b] Major Additions [b]Todd Bertuzzi (2 yrs, $8 million)[/b] - I for one don't believe Bertuzzi deserves a 4 million dollar contract right now coming off back surgery and a season where he only played 15 game...
chiefdee writes...

ESPN Should be A Shamed

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Okay, I get the fact that ESPN does not see Hockey as a number one sport or number four for that matter. However, when the passing away of a Legend, such as the late John Ferguson Senior, should there not be some form of respect shown here? I think ESPN should be a shamed of themselves. There was not one mention on their Home page and his passing did not even enter into...
Continuing my analysis, here's the Northwest Division: [b]Calgary Flames[/b] Major Additions [b]Cory Sarich (5 yrs, $18 million)[/b] - Sarich is a good physical d-man, but he will not replace the offense of Hamrlik and Stuart. He is a Keenan type player. I think he is a little over payed for what he does. [b]Owen Nolan (1 yr, $1.75 million)[/b] - Nolan used to ...
The Predators announced today that they have resigned defensemen Greg Zanon and Kevin Klein as well as tough guy forward Darcy Hordichuk. While these are signings that will barely be a blip on the NHL radar for PReds fans these are huge! [b]Greg Zanon[/b] quickly became a fan and coach favorite with his unselfish playing style that saw him lead the team in blocked shot...
I'm back with my analysis! Here's the Central Division: [b]Chicago Blackhawks[/b] Major Additions [b]Jonathan Toews (3 yr, 875 K)[/b] - I know that Toews is not a free agency acquisition or trade, but I thought that I would mention him because he will be a major factor this year for the Hawks. He has already played with men and did pretty well. I would go as far a...
Shan316 writes...

Canucks Set For Now?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I frequent the Canucks' forums and I also frequent this site as I wait impatiently for the start of another season. Despite rumors of Yashin or Lindros or Elias coming here via free agency or trade, I am not convinced this is the time to make a big move. I don't know that Nonis is convinced either. The Stanley Cup takes practice to win for most teams. Tampa didn't wi...
rohllie72 writes...

The Hall of Fame

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I was in Toronto on Monday, mainly to visit the Hall. What a beautiful city, Toronto is, I would've gone up in the tower, but my family and I didn't want to fork over $22 bucks a piece to do something all three of us had already done, even though my parents did it 22 years ago...and I did 6. The Hall is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL building, inside and out, the archways in ...
Through some extesive research I have found 4 games that are scheduled for the Buffalo Sabres this Septemeber. These dates & opponents are official but the schedule is not "OFFICAL" as of yet. I think they may have 1 or 2 more games to add. That is just my opinion though. The reason i say that is they start 4 days later than any other teams i have sound and end 8 days...
gamma82 writes...

Matt We Hardly Knew Ya . . .

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Sather sends Matt Cullen back to Carolina for what looks like spare parts. Is this simply a salary dump to get better control of the cap and leave Sather some flexibility during the season or a precursor of another move? The players coming back are: Andrew Hutchinson D - 27 years old and played 41 games last year for the Canes. Great a possible 7th D-man on a team th...
falvai writes...

When will Gainey Learn

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After a season mostly remembered for controvery, you'd think the Habs would be a little weary to take on someone elses problems. Rumours they are interested in Nikolai Zherdev however, tell us that nothing has changed. The 06-07 season started with a lot of promise. The Canadiens were near the top of the league and stronger than they had been in years... until the pr...
Through some extesive research I have found 4 games that are scheduled for the Buffalo Sabres this Septemeber. These dates & opponents are official but the schedule is not "OFFICAL" as of yet. I think they may have 1 or 2 more games to add. That is just my opinion though. The reason i say that is they start 4 days later than any other teams i have sound and end 8 days...
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...
Well All Its #2 for the blogs we will now discuss why the Leafs actually need a Senior advisor! the Maple Leaf organization is one filled with Red tape, hurdles, obstacles and over protective micro manging higher managment. Richard Petty heads up one of the most successful brands in Canada. Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE). A brand which has its o...
LISTEN UP HOCKEY FANS... whatever the case of the financial this and financial that. i remember years ago hockey was 85% hockey talk, 10% 'whats a better hockey name, oggie ogalthorpe or darren puppa?, and about 5% hockey financials. everyone needs to take a step back. the sport is one that we all obviously know and love. 4pm on a tuesday rolls around and all the ...
Even though it's still early, and there's still quite a few moves that need to be made-or should I say will be made-here's a quick look at a few guys that I see as being on the spot in Philly, and a few who might be gone.... [b]On The Spot[/b] 5. Joffrey Lupul. Lupul is basically an offensive player. He doesn't play defense, isn't a great skater and doesn't use ...
Even though it's still early, and there's still quite a few moves that need to be made-or should I say will be made-here's a quick look at a few guys that I see as being on the spot in Philly, and a few who might be gone.... [b]On The Spot[/b] 5. Joffrey Lupul. Lupul is basically an offensive player. He doesn't play defense, isn't a great skater and doesn't use ...
Here is how I think the Leafs should break down their lines for next season. First off, we know three things for sure, based on what Paul Maurice has indicated: 1) Mats Sundin will be the first-line centre (okay, this one was obvious). 2) Jason Blake will begin the season on the first line. 3) Kyle Wellwood will be the second-line centre. Given that, I think the Le...
Please hear me out... This may just work: Break the AllStar Game up into a double header... from each coast. * Select an all star team from each conference from a pool of players that were not on the Conference winning team. * Select a city in each confernece -- possibly the conference championship city -- and have a game in each, in a double header format. * H...
detn8r writes...

"Screw Ottawa"

Posted Thursday | Comments 2
I thought I'd throw out some off-season humor. A few months ago, Alexi Ponikarovsky had a signing acorss the road from where I worked at the time (Newmarket, ON). Anyways, after I paid my some $17 (and change) for a Leafs flag and signature (the signature was more than the flag BTW) some bald guy made his rounds down the line with a sticky notepad asking what we wanted h...
FrankD writes...

Can controversy lead to ratings?

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
I was doing some searching online for hockey ratings compared to other sports. I remember a friend of mine saying that hockey ratings in the states beat out NBA ratings. And, in a somewhat vague reference to Begga79's blog, the desire to have hockey back is rising. Is it the networks that actually want it back? Or, is it the fans demanding it back? In my online sear...
m2kmike writes...

Us vs. Them

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
As I sit back and watch a replay of the 1994 Grey Cup game because the BC Lions game is blacked out, it reminds me of watching that game live and what it meant. For those that don't know or remember, the game was between the BC Lions and the Baltimore Colts, Stallions, CFLers whatever you want to call them. This was an American team in our CFL. This American team was comp...
bcbenzel writes...

A Proposition for Fighting

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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. ...
Yeah, I know your all thinking another leaf line blog, but its summer I need something to do. [b]Blake-Sundin-Tucker Bell-Wellwood-Steen Poni-Stajan-Antropov Kilger-Pohl-Williams Kaberle-Kubina McCabe-Coli White-Gill[/b] [u] [b]PP1[/u] Poni-Sundin-Antropov/tucker McCabe-Kaberle [u]PP2[/u] Blake-Wellwood-Steen Kubina-Coli/white[/b] PK is still an issue ...
jnamio writes...

We Signed Who??

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I think Coyotes fans, more than most, have spent these first few weeks of the Free Agent signing season looking at each other and saying, "Who?" We realize, naturally, that the Yotes are going to "get to the playoffs" on the cheap this year. Cheap and young. Why, they might even have to have Kool-Aid in the locker room for this bunch. And they certainly are going to hav...
I have a oil on wood painting of Maurice "Rocket" Richard that was painted back in the 1950's. I purchased it from his estate auction after he passed a few years ago and it has since hung proudly in my hockey shop overlooking about 5000 sq. ft. of hockey gear. I just had an older gentleman that came in to get his skates sharpened and noticed it hanging on the wall. He puff...
beliveau writes...

Congratulations Mr.Bettman

Posted Monday | Comments 0
There have been few occasions over the last decade or so where Gary Bettman was the envy of the other major sports league's commissioners. This is one of them. League revenues are surging, players are being paid well and there is parity like we've rarely seen before. But most importantly there are no Barry Bonds, Mike Vicks or Tim Donaghys. Mr.Bettman doesn...
A lot of people around the league are waiting with fainted breath as arbitration hearings begin this week. Among the big names up for arbitration are Sabres forward Derek Roy. Roy, coming off a 63 pt season last year, will assuredly get a nice raise from the 650,000 he made last season. But what are players like him really worth? Personally, I feel Roy is worth so...
I am lucky. I grew up loving hockey, and I've always been drawn primarily to the skill, the finesse of games. I get excited every time I see a 2-on-1 developing, watching a well-machined powerplay unit can be beautiful, and watching the amazing acrobatics and reflexes of the famous netminders is breathtaking. I'm too young to remember the true glory days of the Islander...
Yesterday kicked off the beginning of the 2007 Arbitration Hearings, with the Washington Capitals and Brooks Liach on the top of the list. A restricted free agent may file for arbitration if negotiations between the player and the team holding their rights reach a stalemate. This off-season 30 players filed for arbitration on July 5th, 11 of those cases have since negotiat...
Jbug writes...

For Love....or Money

Posted Tuesday | Comments 3
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...
bcbenzel writes...

Hockey Nationalism

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Thinking about the state of the NHL recently has brought to mind something that I find to be very curious; the state of the NHL's fans. It seems to me that there has been an increasing sense of "hockey nationalism" growing over the past few years. Before I go any further, I feel I should point out that there is a distinct difference between patriotism and nationalism. P...
nephew23 writes...

NHL Clean? Not So Fast.......

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
MLB -- Steroids -- Barry Bonds again named by Balco chemist NBA -- Gambling and dictating the outcome of games -- Tim Donaghy NFL -- Animal Cruelty -- Michael Vick NHL -- CLEAN AS A WHISTLE!.....maybe? The limelight on professional sports has shifted significantly these last few months from on-the-field to off it. Unfortunately, the incidents away from the [i]offic...
frootmig writes...

Engels Will Owe Me a Two-Four

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[i][b]Why Alfie Will Never Be Traded[/b][/i] A couple of days ago, while engaged in the usual friendly banter of the Hockeybuzz Chatroom, a certain blogger that covers Les Glorieux, came in and confidently proclaimed that Daniel Alfredsson would be traded from Ottawa if the Senators didn't have a successful year. Being the ardent Sens fan that I am, I felt obliged to ch...
So Derek Roy's arbitration hearing is set for tomorrow, July 27th. So far this summer, there hasn't been much positive PR coming from HSBC Arena. Locking up Vanek, although a major step, might be the only "positive" thus far. After the initial heartbreak of bad breakups with #48 and #23, I have rebounded to the point of somewhat buying into the "we're going to be allrigh...
jnamio writes...

Color Me Confused

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I am not one to pin too much hope on rumors, hockey or otherwise. I have learned, over the years, to expect the worst. When it doesn't happen, I can be pleasantly surprised. But now I'm just confused, and it's EK's fault. Every morning, I faithfully check the Rumor Chart. I check out all of the Ex-Coyotes, I check on the current Coyotes up for contract renewal. But f...
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...
[img:right]http://www.habsinsideout.com/061209%20habs%2005.jpg[/img] Well Sabres fans another trying time has come for us. Does Darcy step up and give Royzie his deserving multi year deal/ Or do they sit across from each other during the arb hearing and though what might have been? I believe in this case the Sabres have no choice to step up and protect the $50 million...
In the "Hockey Hearsay" section of sportsnet.ca Carol Alt attempted to defend her boy toy, Alexei Yashin, calling the bought out former Isles captain "misunderstood" "I think he needs to go where people understood him and where he's looked at like a god," Alt told the [i]Ottawa Citizen[/i]. "He wants to come back (to the NHL), but I just think he needs to clear his hea...
As many of you are probably well aware Derek Boogaard along with his brother Aaron have started the Derek and Aaron Boogaard Fighting Camp. A camp solely designed to, like the name would suggest teach players the basics of how to fight in hockey. Not surprisingly this camp has come under heavy criticism with people claiming that this promotes fighting and encourages young ...
As many of you are probably well aware Derek Boogaard along with his brother Aaron have started the Derek and Aaron Boogaard Fighting Camp. A camp solely designed to, like the name would suggest teach players the basics of how to fight in hockey. Not surprisingly this camp has come under heavy criticism with people claiming that this promotes fighting and encourages young ...
ThePhillyPhlyer writes...

A NEW ERA!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Philadelphia, PA. July 27, 2007 The puck drops in just over Two Months! Our Fly Guys begin a new season October 4th. ARE YOU READY? I AM! Last Season was a mess. From an opening night shut-out disaster against the in-state rival Penguins (4-0 in Pittsburgh) to a General Manager hanging it up to the firing of a Hall-of-Fame Caliber Coach to the injury woes to...
Derek Roy has become the most recent player to agree to a contract prior to his arbitration hearing. He and the Buffalo Sabres have agreed to a 6 year 24 million dollar contract as reported by Garth. He is one of many to avoid a scheduled arbitration hearing this summer as 17 of the 30 players who filed for arbitration have already reached agreements with their respective ...
Yeah, this doesn't have anything to do with hockey, but I did wear a Hockeybuzz hat to the theatre, so that will have to qualify. Not only that but BluesFan44 demands a review. After much personal anticipation-I have been a Simpsons junkie since the days of the Tracey Ullman Show shorts-I finally got to see a feature film dedicated to my favorite yellow folks and their ...
I just got home from the ceremonies inducting Brian Burke, Bret Hull, Dennis Kearns and Bob Hall into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame here in Penticton BC. It was an absolutely amazing ceremony mc'd as usual by former BCTV sportscaster Bernie Pascal. This is an annual event sells out every year and this year was no different. Anybody that is able to come to this event should as...
[b]Boston Bruins[/b] Major Additions [b]Peter Schaefer (trade with Ottawa)[/b] - Schaefer will make Boston better because he's a very good penalty killer and he can score at least 15-20 goals a season. The Bruins only had to give up a 2 goal (last season) guy in Sean Donovan. [b]Manny Fernandez (trade with Minnesota)[/b] - By acquiring Fernandez, Boston shored up ...
detn8r writes...

On Edmonton's offer to Penner

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I don’t understand how people make the argument that Lowe was trying to make “his” team better. How can any GM make a team better by over paying a player that isn’t worth the money, offering a long term contract with a lot of money tied up in one player. Most will say Penner is worth probably around the same as Ouellet, which turns out to be $1.25-million. That’s...
Its pouring cats and dogs up here in the catskill mountains so while I would normally spend my Sunday afternoon in the great outdoors, I am currently stuck in the cabin in my camp armed with only my brain and a Motorola Q. And so, I decided to write about the upcoming arbitration hearing of Sean Avery which will take place tomorrow. A quick review, Avery, a 27 year old...
predjoe writes...

All Is Quiet

Posted Monday | Comments 0
There was a time when MyHockeyBuzz and HockeyBuzz were littered with posts about the Preds from both Pred fans and those who hated the fact that a team was deep in Dixie. Where though, I ask, has it all gone? For fans of the franchise I think there is some fatigue for sure. For a couple of months now we have been living in this unknown, grasping any news that seemed ...
tml1967 writes...

Expansion Ideas for the NHL

Posted Monday | Comments 1
The NHL may be thinking of expanding again, and with the new rules in place it might just be a perfect time to expand and realign some teams in the league. I think if the NHL does expand by two teams the perfect two choices would be Winnipeg, Canada since they do have a great fanbase and support for hockey in the NHL, there stadium can hold 15,003 and there team was mov...
It’s official, Nathan Paetsch will be a Sabre for 3 more years at a reasonable one million per. He’s a nice 4th dman and I said (blogged) repeatedly that he should have been in the line up during last year’s playoffs. To me, this signals one thing. Dimitri Kalinin is done as a Sabre. And thank GOD for that! We’ve heard for WAY too long that this guy has ...
jnamio writes...

A Casual Glance

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I took a casual glance at the roster for the Phoenix Coyotes this morning. I realize, of course, that they still have quite a bit of money to spend to fill out that roster. But I also realize that they won't spend it. So this, my friends, this is the roster that we will be working with come October. In the "promising, up and coming, youth movement" category we have... ...
I know we've all heard about the Patrice Brisebois rumors but it has me wondering, why would Bob Gainey be looking to pay 700k of our remaining cap space to Patrice of all people. Check our current defesive line up: 1:Markov-Komisarek 2:Hamrlik-Streit(or Gorges) 3:Bouillon-Dandeneault The way I see it, we're better off with either of the two of our bottom three ...
DJOilman writes...

Postcards from Siberia

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
oilfan_79 writes...

Am I a true Oilers fan?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Through out the past season or two I have rolled with all the punches that have been thrown my way. If anyone has read any of my posts they can attest to me defending the city, the organization, and the players with every single stroke on the keyboard. This past season has been especially tough listening to what seems to be just about very single non-Oiler fan ripping on...
What was reported here first yesterday is now being reported by all the local and national media outlets…a letter of intent will be signed today between local investors and current Predators owner Craig Leipold. For those who don’t follow this as closely as some here is what it all means. The letter of intent means that the local group and Leipold will enter a per...
The Journal News reports that Rangers forward, Sean Avery, has been awarded a salary of 1.9 million for 1 year. Avery, who came to the Rangers at last seasons trade deadline from the LA Kings, helped to turn the Rangers season around. After acquiring him, the Rangers went 17-6-6, a tear that boosted the team into the the playoffs as the sixth seed. Avery scored 8 goals and...
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...
Since becoming a STH I have been in the chat prettttty much everyday and it never gets old! Whether the talk is about hockey or vacation, it is alot of fun! The people in the chat are great and very helpful to someone who is new to the site. I have had the season ticket for 3+ months now and have loved every minute of it! There is really a collection of great minds on ...
We are currently in the middle of the NHL off season. Instead of looking forward to Camp beginning like we all are. Lets take a moment or two and have some fun bringing back some great Hockey memories. What is the greatest Hockey game you have ever been to? Here is mine: Almost 4 months until my 14th Birthday on April 27th 1994. The Buffalo Sabres were in ...
Dear EIG, Thank you. But it’s time to say goodbye. As an Oilers fan and Edmonton resident, I am very thankful for what the Edmonton Investors Group (EIG) did to save the Oilers from a near certain relocation. I just don’t think I could bring myself to cheer for an NHL team called the Houston Oilers. That is kind of ironic since one of my favorite NFL teams is Ten...
retoocs writes...

ESPN interested in NHL

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
According to the Sports Business Journal, ESPN and the NHL have begun preliminary discussions that could see the NHL return to ESPN as soon as the 2008-09 season. Comcast owned Versus has exclusive rights to the NHL through 2011, but according to sources, would be willing to waive the clause if they could get something in return. Several weeks ago Eklund also reported t...
Now that John Davidson has confirmed that the Blues are sticking to the roster they already have, we can start breaking down the kind of team the Blues will have for the upcoming season. Let's start with the forwards: David Backes - big and strong, was a veteran at the development camp last month, has matured a great deal and shoulc score many goals if he just drives to t...
So everyone seems to be getting over the fact that Kevin Lowe has broken the “unwritten rule” regarding RFA’s and now it’s more of an issue about the dollar amount of the contract. Now I know that as sports fans we are all, especially the professional sports writers, experts in economics. At least it sure seems that way lately? With the salary cap we have a ceiling...
duckyjets writes...

Edmontons Prospects

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I dont know about you Oiler fans out there but I just can't waite to see Cogliano and Shremp play. I wonder how long it's going to take for them to make the team and see some NHL action. Cogliano reminds me of a young Kariya. The speed that he saktes with the puck is amazing. Shremp seems to me to have hands of gold this kid should be a welcome addition to the oilers in te...
Is it me or are Toronto and Montreal the two teams most known for recycling over the hill players resigning them when they are past their prime? Let me start by saying that from what I've been hearing, the Brisebois deal is a done deal. The only thing I can think of that could be good coming out of this deal is if now we somehow manage to get rid of Dandeneault or preferab...
Habs cap space inclusive of Ryder signing: 6.317 million. With Brisebois signed, they would still have roughly 5.6 million in space to use for a solid UFA. Dany Markov comes to mind. Possibly some really good forward. *** Patrice Brisebois apparently very close to a deal with the habs. Some might even call it a done deal. It is believed that Bob Gainey has offered Brise...
doormat247 writes...

The Death of Depth...

Posted Friday | Comments 6
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...
Nicholas writes...

New Uniforms

Posted Friday | Comments 16
Originally posted at http://myoilers.ca The news about new NHL team uniforms has been fairly slow so far this summer, there has only really been a handful of teams to unveil their new uniforms (Washington, Boston, Florida, Columbus, Los Angeles). I haven't heard much about the new Oilers uniforms other then some rampant speculation suggesting that they won't be changing...
ChaosCris writes...

Lowe Should Step Down

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Dustin Penner offer sheet is proof Kevin Lowe should step down from his post as General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers. As a GM you are supposed to [img:right]http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070803/capt.nyol56108030003.dustin_penner_nyol561.jpg[/img] improve your team while securing the future of the franchise. While Penner will only be 25 by the start of the seas...
So I was on NHL.com (http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/service=page&page=NHLPage&id=12880) today and noticed they had a link to all the milestones acheived this year such as 400,500 and 600 goal and 1500 points. So I watched all the goals and points on video and found a couple of interesting connections. Sundin Scores his 500th against Calgary. Sackin scores his 600th agai...
TheStig writes...

Burke vs Lowe

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Lowe was desperate for some help upfront and he found it in the form of a RFA, Dustin Penner. Who just happened to play for Anaheim, where Chris Pronger ended up last year after his wife complained about Edmonton, and while Mr. Pronger couldn't be a man and honor his contract he opted out. Kevin Lowe got snubbed in the UFA market, and needed to improve his team so he went ...
I re-edited this post because I thought it was a fun discussion!: I feel bad for Buffalo, because Lowe basically forced their team into overpaying for Vanek, though he did sign the offer sheet. But still, I think if a player signs an offer sheet, let him go. He obviously isn't willing to sacrifice for the sake of his own teams benefit.(Meaning, go into arbitration and...
Leafer93 writes...

Revised Leafs Lines

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After some retooling, here are my new ideas for the Leafs lines. FORWARDS: Blake-Sundin-Tucker Antropov-Wellwood-Poinkarovsky Bell-Stajan-Steen Kilger-Pohl-Deveraux SCRATCHES: Battaglia (interchangable with Deveraux) Belak (only used in the case the team needs a good old fashioned ass whomping....perhaps whenever Sean Avery is playing?) AHL CALLUPS: 1) Will...
Metman4040 writes...

"Arbitration is a Farce"

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
I'm one to welcome Naslund and Morrison back with open arms when their contracts are up. All i've been hearing in Canuckland these days is how Naslund isn't producing, how Morrison is invisible, and how Canucks fans cannot wait to get rid of their contracts. Well, i'm one to say: Don't get too ahead of yourself. Canucks fans seem to easily forget that Markus Naslund was...
J.Pitkanen writes...

It's The Team, Stupid.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The rejection of Daryl katz's offer to buy the Edmonton Oilers from the Edmonton Investors Group is being met with some absurd claims - namely, that spending to the cap is the way to win Lord Stanley. The facts from the new-CBA era do not support this myth: 2007 EC Champs – OTT - $43.630M EC Finalists – BUF - $39.991M WC Champs – ANA - $40.461M* WC Finalist...
saneopinion writes...

looking north makes me smile

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
saneopinion writes...

Dome vs. Rexall

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
hockeyisgd writes...

A word about Don Cherry

Posted Friday | Comments 1
Before this post, I have a brief announcement. In September, WILY Radio at Purdue University will be airing the second season of High Sticking with Mike and James. I run the soundboard and co-host this live, commercial-free, 90-minute hockey talk show. The day and time is TBD, but will be posted when I find out. The show can be heard at www.wilyradio.com, and there will be...
It's hot, over 100 degrees in Columbus. Free agency has since wound down from the July 1st frenzy and second-tier players are evaluating the market. As my days are consumed with rounds of golf, working and following the Blue Jackets' quest to complete their roster, I can't help but think of reasons why Scott Howson may have passed on Andy Sutton. Thrasher fans have ...
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...
I'm one to say no. Some Canucks fans seem to think that we need to give this team another face lift. Would a top 6 forward be nice? Yes, it would, if you want to get Naslund going again. Can we make the playoffs without a top 6? Absolutely. We showed last year that even with our scoring dilemma, we won our division. Why is that? Solid, solid defense, and an all star goa...
Per the Globe and Mail, this will be Bob Cole's last year calling games for HNIC and Harry Neale will see a reduced work load. I myself have mixed feeligns on this. Bob Cole still has one of the best voices from the booth in all of sports, but unfortunately his eye sight hasn't kept up. Harry Neal can still do it, but Cole really seems to bring him down. It really is...
Well what a day it was today, I worked nearly 12 hours between two food industry jobs and brought in well over $100 in tips, yeehaw! However, the glory of the day was when I saw a gigantic young man walk into Domino's. I looked at him and thought 'wow, he's really big.' I looked at the pizza that said 'John' on it and said, "Are you John?" he said "Yes." I said "John Scott...
I 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...
Today the Buffalo Sabres have offically announced they are playing a game @ "THE RALPH". But dont get all worked up just yet. This game is at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. on September 24th, vs The Minnesota Wild. The game is a homecoming of sorts for Drew Stafford. Drew played his college puck @ "THE RALPH" for the Fighting Sioux. Below is the OFFICIAL...
There are several reasons I believe why the Canucks won't have a blockbuster this year. 1. Cap Space.....yes the Canucks cap space is tight. According to nhlnumbers.com, the Canucks DO HAVE and ONLY 5.367 mil to play around with. Don't forget, in the site, they only has 20 players signed. You need about 22 to 23. So with 2-3 more players, we can assume they are small co...
The very first live professional hockey game I ever seen was between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. The year was 1994 and Wayne Gretzky was a King. Edmonton was leading the game 4-2 with 10 minutes in the third period. I believe it was Louie Debrusk had just been kicked out of the game following a fight/scrum. In the next 4 minutes the Kings came back, t...
[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...
Ok, so everybody else is writing a blog now, so I guess i'd better do one too so everyone knows how I feel about the upcoming season. I guess the best way to describe my feelings about the upcoming season is to say that I am cautiously optimistic. I am very happy about the additions that Homer made and despite what anyone says, I don't think he overpaid at all. He paid wha...
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?
I apologize for the title, just horrible.... but it's rather lame so I decided to stick with it. The following is a prediction blog involving the Habs roster next season... I recently did this in the Habs forum but I'm just editing it and posting it on MyHB now. Note: I'm just going to assume everyone plays 82 games to make it easier, but it obviously won't happen. Just...
In my previous blog we took a look at the Eastern Conference teams that finished 9-15 in the standings and missed the post season. Now lets switch gears and look at the teams who missed out on the 06/07 playoffs in the Western Conference and what they have done to improve and take a playoff spot away from a team that made it last year. #9) Colorado Avalanche Looking...
Let's take some time to take a look at the best prospects of the organization. A few of them have a good chance of making the team right out of training camp. The obvious one is [b]Nicklas Backstrom[/b] who is a very talented young Swede who was drafted 4th overall by the Caps in 2006. The 6'0'' 183 lb centerman should play on the second line with Alexander Semin and Vi...
[b] [u] By: Jon Cunningham[/u] [/b] [i]Please note, all apostrophes show up as an 'a' with ^ above it. I didn't do it, sorry. [/i] [b] [u] [i]Hello All![/i] [/u] [/i] [/b] In this blog, I will examine all the NHL Teams major additions and subtractions during the off season, and examine if the team is better or worse because of it. Each team will have a rating of...
[b]how did I get here?[/b] (Thank you David Byrne) Good question. But first we have to look at where we came from. How bad were the Flyers last year? Let's just say, that on many nights the Delta Dental Ice Girls would have scored shorthanded. I know many of you know these figures, but for those who do not, here are some of the lowlights: 22 wins. Only 10 win...
This blog has little to do with hockey but it has a bit to do with sports and life and our values. In the past few months a lot of things have happened within sports and ties to the real world that have me shaking my head. Let's take a few examples of our sports stars/personalities, Michael Vick, Tim Donaghy, Mark Bell, Barry Bonds, any cyclist. What's the common t...
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...
FrankD writes...

NHL 2008 from EA Sports

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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 ...
Leafer93 writes...

Northeast Division Preview

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm going to look at all six divisions, starting with the home of the Leafs, the Northeast Division. NORTHEAST DIVISION: Boston Bruins: The sad-sack Bruins have done little to improve their team from last season. The major upgrade was bringing in goalie Manny Fernandez from Minnesota; however, Fernandez may have inflated numbers due to time spent on the defensive-min...
cjohnson202 writes...

Stop Bashing Mark Bell

Posted Friday | Comments 10
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...
clarasax writes...

Hockey = Social Life

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Since it's the off-season, I feel like about a third of my social life has gone away. There are so many people we see only during hockey season, so many activities that are directly a result of Preds games. First there are our cellmates in Sections 303 and 304. They've been with us through wins, through losses, through that time Paul and I got to do an on-ice contest...
Okay...first let me say this is not a 'compare and contrast' article. The point of this post is not to bring up that people in Hamilton Ontario put down 14,000 deposits on tickets...the point here is to update you on the success we are having in a NON-TRADITIONAL hockey market...even with all that said I fully expect snide comments. The team finished Thursday with a tot...
Top 20 goalies in wins: 1. Henrik Lundqvist NYR: 45 wins 2. J-S Giguere ANA: 44 wins 3. Miikka Kiprusoff CGY: 42 wins 4. Martin Brodeur NJ: 40 wins 5. Roberto Luongo VAN: 39 wins 6. M-A Fleury PIT: 39 wins 7. Evgeny Nabokov SJ: 38 wins 8. Ryan Miller BUF: 37 wins 9. Martin Biron PHI: 37 wins 10. Ray Emery OTT: 36 wins 11. Marty Turco DAL: 3...
Alrighty, amigos. The following is my prediction for the 2008 NHL award winners. Some will be obvious, Mr.87, while some will be shocking... which is a good thing. [b]President's Trophy[/b]: New York Rangers [b]Prince of Wales[/b]: New York Rangers [b]Clarence S. Campbell[/b]: Detroit Red Wings [b]Art Ross Trophy[/b]: Sidney Crosby [b]Calder Memorial Trophy[...
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...
mapleleaf92 writes...

Toronto Maple Leafs 07-08

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I know there has been a million blogs about the maple leafs' next season, but heres another one. The leafs made some moves this offseason, both good and bad. Many people say that next season's team is probably going to finish around 7th or 8th spot in the conference, but they don't know that last season's squad was actually around 4th before injuries caused them to sink do...
Jsaquella writes...

Random Thoughts Hit The Road

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This evening, I find myself in Medford NJ. T-minus 10 hours until Van Halen tickets go on sale for Philadelphia. I will be going with fellow HockeyBuzzard Number23 and my brother. Look for us, we'll be the two fat guys standing next to the drunk guy in really good shape. -Rick Tocchet got two years probation, which is pretty much what first offenders in the state of New...
duckyjets writes...

What will the Oilers do next?

Posted Saturday | Comments 3
I have heard many rumors on this site that the Oilers are not done making a splash, and are still looking to make a block-buster trade to bring in a #1 Center to play along Hemsky and Penner if that happens to be the #1 Line. The rumor is that the Oilers are willing to trade some defence to obtain a little offence. When I look at the Oilers defencemen I dont see any top nh...
Paul Henderson scored the game winning goal in the final game of the Summit Series? I do, it was the day that hockey grabbed me by the shorts and is still taking me for a ride this day. I was born and bred in Toronto, and even though I was just growing into a leaf fan I wasn't quite there yet. On September 28th, 1972, my dad and I were waiting on the Long Branch platfor...
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 ...
BuffaloMat writes...

Fan Blog for all sports.

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This blog's story takes place last night at the Buffalo Bills pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons. As I arrived at the stadium with my friend Shell, I see a few Vick jerseys walking into the area and I start to think to myself that this can get ugly after people get more beer into them. As we get to our seats, we notice that there are 2 Vick wearing Jersey guys ...
With the Leafs, Habs and Sabres done for player predictions, I'd like to move now to the Bruins, a northeast rival. While the Bruins flipped a page in the history books for a new era last season, they found out it was all for not and they landed in last place in the northeast division and missed the playoffs for the second season in a row. The acquisition of Zdeno Chara pr...
AlexanderScharf writes...

Hockey = Passion

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I was talking to a few friends this afternoon about the upcoming hockey season. It was enjoyable discussion and while resting in my bed shortly after, I found myself thinking about the Rangers and even imagining different goals that could be scored. At some point I noticed that I had a familiar feeling in my stomach. For those of you who dont know what Im talking about, I...
Alrighty, compadre's, I've done the Leafs, Habs, Sabres and Bruins up to this point and now I'm going to the last team in the Northeast Division... The Ottawa freaking Senators. A team who I despise and loathe for several reasons, which includes Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Neil and Ray Emery ( not to mention Dominik Hasek played for them in 05-06) but let's get one thing clea...
CaptShark writes...

The Back-up Situation

Posted Monday | Comments 0
It is nearing September and San Jose still has no back-up for Nabokov. The likely candidates are Thomas Greiss and Dimitri Patzold. The goalie system in San Jose is one of the very best. This year however it seemed to me that the Sharks would sign a veteran back-up. With the loss of Vesa Toskala it seems Nabokov will take most of the load next season. A great end to the se...
A lot of talk has gone on about how the two cities who should get the expansion teams when they do actually come out with them is Las Vegas and Kansas City. I don't see how either of these cities really should get a team considering they are both considered low in the ratings pools for popular sports cities. Don't get me wrong I know KC loves their Royals and their Chiefs....
writes...

D-Day for Peca

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Quick update before I hit the sack: It has been reported that today, Peca will decide which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season. http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog The three teams involved now and their odds of them acquiring him IMO are: Rangers: 46% Leafs: 32% Jackets: 17% Other: 5% It should be an intersting day, Im go...
Leafer93 writes...

2007-08 Predictions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
EASTERN CONFERENCE: 1) New York Rangers (110) 2) Ottawa Senators (107) 3) Atlanta Thrashers (99) 4) Pittsburgh Penguins (108) 5) Buffalo Sabres (104) 6) New Jersey Devils (98) 7) Toronto Maple Leafs (95) 8) Philadelphia Flyers (93) ----------------------------------- 9) Carolina Hurricanes (92) 10) Montreal Canadiens (91) 11) Tampa Bay Lightning (86) 12) Flori...
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...
dagley writes...

Why I love Rick Nash!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
[img:left]http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/nash_rick050507.jpg[/img] [b][u]Overview[/b][/u] [b]Name:[/b] Rick Nash #61 [b]DOB:[/b] Jun 16, 1984 [b]Born:[/b] Brampton, Ont., Canada [b]HT:[/b] 6-4 [b]WT:[/b] 215 [b]Drafted:[/b] 1st overall in 2002 Columbus Blue Jackets [b]2006/2007 Season Totals:[/b] 75 GP | 27 G | 30 A | 57 PTS | -8 | 73 PIM | [b]Awar...
Is it possible that Trevor Linden is delaying this contract status to show to Vigneault that benching Linden for so many games last year was a mistake? If Canucks fans can remember, Linden was benched lots throughout the season, even after a 2 goal game, even after one of his best games of the season. When he was put with the Sedins, he had many chances, hit the post a ...
I have been sitting at the computer all day waiting for some news on Peca. According to his agent, Peca will reported decide today regarding which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season. If the Rangers, who many consider to be the front runner in the Peca sweeps, do not get back to Peca today he will walk away from the Rangers and sign elsewhere. http://webl...
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...
sstrang writes...

Let The Flames Fly!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's August, the hottest part of the summer is over. The Stampede is here and gone and heck, even the most loyal CFL fan is getting tired of the Stampeders. What better way to spend an evening than talking about 2007-08 Flames Hockey. [b]The Good[/b] First off, and others may not agree, the best thing the Flames did off-season was hire Mike Keenan. Last year this ...
Leafer93 writes...

Predictions Q&A

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Apparently My HB won't let me reply on my own blog, so I'll attempt to do that to as many comments as I can here. I always make the time to try and reply to anyone who stops by and asks what's going through my head. [b]1. What becomes of the Ducks if Selanne and Niedermayer retire?[/b] First of all, I should state, as it wasn't articulated well in this post, that I w...
dagley writes...

The Lindros Factor?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
[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...
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...
Building from the net out is something you'll hear from time to time from general managers trying to combine all the elements of their managing philosophy into a nice, easy to understand sentence that most hockey fans can understand. How I understand it is this: When you are looking to improve your team, start with the goaltender and move on out - as if this is an order of...
Leafer93 writes...

Mike Peca: A Preventable Loss

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
With news that Michael Peca will be heading to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the blame definitely lies on the shoulders of JFJ. In Peca, the Leafs have lost a top-notch penalty killer, one-time Selke winner, and a guy who can play a solid defensive game; in other words, he was the kind of player the Leafs desperately needed. In Matt Stajan and Alex Steen, the Leafs have...
FLAMESTR writes...

IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img:right][b]IF I COULD TURN BACK [/b][/img]TIME? Boy, if managers only knew! Every manager has made a bad transaction or trade. For this blog, I polled some of my friends to name the most memorable, horrible trades made by our beloved gm’s. I will be using their quotes with permission and of course putting my two cents worth at the end. Jbug That’s real...
FLAMESTR writes...

IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME?[/b] Boy, if managers only knew! Every manager has made a bad transaction or trade. For this blog, I polled some of my friends to name the most memorable, horrible trades made by our beloved gm’s. I will be using their quotes with permission and of course putting my two cents worth at the end. Jbug That’s really a no brainer. ...
Banger writes...

Las Vegas coming soon

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
The great [b]Sir Winston Churchill[/b] once wrote about Jeff Carter saying, he is "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Ok...so he was actually writing about Russia during his radio address in 1939; BUT, he [u]could[/u] have been writing about [b]Jeff Carter[/b]...couldn't he? This young man, of only 22 years old, was born on January 1, 1985 in London, On...
With this being my first blog entry at Hockeybuzz, I figured I'd start by doing a general outline of the Canucks in the offseason and the team at its current state. The team, even though they finished top of the Northwest Division (Typically considered the most balanced, if not hardest, division in the league. Though I'd have probably given hardest to Pacific), we...
If there is one team the Detroit Red Wings need to be looking out for in the rear view mirror, it’s the St. Louis Blues, and this year, the Blues are much closer than they appear. No, the Blues won’t contend for a Cup (at least not for a couple more years) but for the time being, they have a real shot at making life hard for the Red Wings in a very weak Central Divisi...
With the Vancouver Canucks making the Western Conference Final last season, under the guidance of newly acquired Roberto Luongo, is it unrealistic to expect a Stanley Cup appearence? Will Vancouver be the fourth canadian team to make the Stanley Cup Finals in the last four appearences? This Leafs fan thinks so. After missing the playoffs in 05-06 the Canucks found thems...
To escape from the high heat and high humidity in the Boston area yesterday, I decided what better then go see a live game. So I hop in my air conditioned car and drive 2 and a half hours north to Lewiston, Maine and watch the Lewiston Maineiacs play the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a QMJHL pre-season game. While being a pre-season game most of the drafted players were not ...
jammer21 writes...

Save the Blues song!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
For some inexplicable reason, the Blues are considering changing the song they play after the Blues score. Thankfully, they’ve let the fans decide between a new song and the old one, so PLEASE VOTE FOR THE OLD SONG!!! Here's the link. If you're really adamant, you can return to the Blues home page, find the link on the page, and vote again. http://blues.nhl.com/team/a...
jammer21 writes...

Save the Blues song!

Posted Monday | Comments 1
For some inexplicable reason, the Blues are considering changing the song they play after the Blues score. Thankfully, they’ve let the fans decide between a new song and the old one, so PLEASE VOTE FOR THE OLD SONG!!! Here's the link. If you're really adamant, you can return to the Blues home page, find the link on the page, and vote again. http://blues.nhl.com/team/a...
sirwin31 writes...

Three More Weeks

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Once again the hockey season looms in front of us, creating an air of anticipation and excitement. Every year at this time, players are finishing their individual training and preparing for their team's pre-season camp, while fans are left sitting on their hands waiting for the season to start. We pointlessly discuss unimportant topics of where JS Aubin will sign and whe...
Well, this week starting off with the rumors, there's a lot. Well the one rumor I'm hearing al lot is Jason Allison. I heard from my most reliable source that the Islanders will either sign him this week or invite him to training camp. I feel they are more likely to sign him then invite him. The reason for that is because Jason put up tremendous numbers in the 2005-06 seas...
Starting off with the rumors, there's a lot this week.The one rumor I'm hearing a lot is Jason Allison. I heard from my most reliable source that the Islanders will either sign him this week or invite him to training camp. I feel they are more likely to sign him then invite him. The reason for that is because Jason put up tremendous numbers in the 2005-06 season playing on...
Leafer93 writes...

The New Kids On The Block

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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 don't think goaltending has ever been this good in the NHL. Sure, there have been times when it has been better at the top end of the list, but the depth going into the 2007-08 season may be at an all-time high. These guys have the ability to carry their team on their back, and single-handedly steal hockey games on any given night. In the playoffs, they can be the single...
Leafer93 writes...

Video of the Day

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With little to discuss between now and the preseason, when hockey begins again, I thought I'd begin a feature called "Video of the Day", which features some great moments from the Leafs 2006-07 season. The first feature comes from a game against the Ottawa Senators on February 3rd, 2007. The Leafs and Sens, tied 2-2 after OT, go to a shootout. The Sens had been the hot...
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 ...
habsdoc writes...

Re-thinking Ryder

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I know many Habs fans want to trade Ryder asap and I am not sure I'm unwilling to trade him for the right piece of the puzzle, but consider the following before we ship him off to become a star somewhere else. From the Habs official site: MONTREAL - The natural goal scorer. Feared by goaltenders, revered by GMs across the NHL, Michael Ryder has earned his stripes a...
Alrighty my Hockey Buzz brotha's and sista's. With a nice handful of teams and their players predicted by moi, I thought I'd move to a team that I believe will be the powerhouse of the East... a team known as the New York Rangers. With a season under raps, the Rangers were eliminated by a mightier and badass'ier (yes, I make up words) team in the Sabres. But don't fret, th...
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...
Hello fellow-hockey fans, Well, we are coming up to September rather quickly, and just under a few weeks we will all witness the birth of another NHL season. I, honestly, don't know what to expect. There were a lot of off season moves that seemed to shift the pendulum in favor of different teams strength-wise. The examples are all around us. The Avalanche picking up...
Since the calender is fast approaching October, its time to sharpen our skates and make some NHL forecasts. We'll start with the Eastern standings. 1. Ottawa 52 24 6 110pts 2. Pittsburgh 52 25 5 109pts 3. Tampa Bay 46 32 4 96pts 4. Philadelphia 48 27 7 103pts 5. NY Rangers 48 28 6 102pts 6. Buffalo 47 28 7 101pts 7...
"Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends we're so glad you could attend come inside, come inside" Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP) wrote those lyrics in 1973 - I was 5 - and embedded themselves in our rock and roll consciousness with a 29 minute 37 second exclamation of 1970s progressive rock. Yeah...ok. You are likely saying, "What in the name of R...
[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 ...
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 ...
[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 ...
TheStig writes...

2007-2008 Leafs Lineup

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

Got Your Gear?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Preds fans, do you have your fan-wear for the upcoming season? Much of Pred Nation grabbed their gear during the Save the Predators rally, when the pro shop at the Sommet Center was having a crazy-go-nuts sale. However, if you missed that event, you still have time to grab shirts and jerseys from various places around town. I needed to replace the Vokoun t-shirt I wo...
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...
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...
rondothemidg writes...

Slap Shot Part 3?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
badassinfiniti writes...

Quietly Awaiting

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well it's hump day here in good ol' Richmond Virginia and about 95 degrees. The last thing anyone would be expecting to here from Virginia is a blog about hockey, so might as well be the first. I have been a Ranger fan for life and blue and red has always coursed through my veins. I have spent countless days this preseason searching for the latest free agent and trade rumo...
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...
bcbenzel writes...

Bold Predictions

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Now, I know what you're all thinking. Bold predictions? The guy's just going to take some blind stabs in the dark, then say "I told you so" when/if they happen. Well...You'd be about 90% right. I am going to take some blind stabs in the dark and I most likely will feel a sense of self-fulfillment if they happen. But this is much less about predicting the future (with ...
[img]http://www.sabresalumni.com/2001/playerpics/turgeon-draft.gif[/img] I was going to do Part 3 on Dale Hawerchuk but since it seems appropriate I thought I would do it on Mr.Pierre Turgeon. Turgeon's 91-92 career pretty much was a wash with the Sabres but ended strong with the Islanders since he was part of a trade for Pat LaFontaine........... and since I a...
idrawblood writes...

PRICE, IRVING AND POGGE

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Here is my take on the whole [b]Carey Price[/b] bandwagon. [b]Carey Price[/b] has talent no question about that. His play over the last 5 yrs in WHL & AHL hasnt been all that great. People say the goalie is only as good as the defense. I agree with that to a point...A goalie that is hyped up as much as he is should be better than his defense. Thats what seperates the great...
I bet you're wondering what I am talking about and saying to yourself "No one uses Time on Ice as a strategy for fantasy Hockey...." In my league we have just announced a statistic that will now become a strategy for our hockey team owners. This has been worked out to detail and such but is still actually being worked on to tweak out the bugs. Who played the most in the...
I know I am jumping ahead of the 2007-08 season, but I thought I would start to look down the road a little just for fun. I made a prediction the beginning of the 2006-07 season that the [b]TEAM TO BE LATER NAMED[/b] would win the Cup within the next 3 years. Well, that did not happen last year and I can see them going far this year, but still don't have enough experie...
Leafer93 writes...

Amended Predictions

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I made some NHL predictions awhile back; however, I made some small changes. I think that Carolina is more likely to make the playoffs than Philadelphia, and that I underestimated Washington and Dallas slightly; thus, I've made some changes to my tentative predictions. These are my FINAL predictions for the year. Book them. EASTERN CONFERENCE: 1) New York Rangers (51-2...
[img]http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2001-09/680485.jpg[/img] I cannot imagine the horror that was felt by those who lived, worked, visited or had family or friends inside the Twin Towers on that fateful day six years ago. My heart can only go out to them on this day of remembrance. Let us not only morn for those who were lost, but also celebrate the lives of t...
dagley writes...

Rate my Fantasy Team!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
So, the draft for my fantasy hockey league was this weekend. I went second from last, so my top picks (the usual -- Crosby, Ovechkin, Chris Mason) were long gone. I got most of my other requested players, though. This is going to be a tough league. In addition to my Hockey Husband, who is running the league, we have Hockey Buzz bloggers Paul McCann and Brandon Felder, p...
murdoch writes...

Monsieur Price

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
hey. just as a warning habs fans...you are putting way to much pressure on this carey price kid. talk about expectations for a young guy. remember when you were his age (or still are)? your confidence was not exactly one of your strong points as you developed in life and on the job. and now you and your fellow fans are swarming this kid with unrealistic expectations in a t...
Hey there, Finally, across the city, we can feel the nervousness and febrility of everybody. All the talk and chat are centered in only one subject : The Canadians. The passionate optimistist, the everyday pessimist, the young newbies, the seasoned veteran or the expert...everybody and their mama agree on one thing : They can't wait until it really starts! So, let...
It was announced that newly aquired defenceman Aaron Miller will undergo abdominal surgery today in Vancouver. Aaron Miller spent last season with The Las Angeles Kings where he amassed 8 points and was a -14 on a team without a goalie. Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice President and General Manager gave a brief summary of the events. “After further consultation with...
Okay... it's just training camp. I am really stoked about this coming season, the beginning of horribly overpaid contracts once again handcuffing the big spenders. We know at least one or two of these guys will be a total bust in their new home and could be almost untradeable. That aside, I have been sitting around trying to figure out, from an objective standpoint, ...
Sorry about the title ... I know it is just plain bad. I was looking at the Calgary Flames new look defense this morning and wondered what type of offensive prowess they had. This led me to look into how many goals and points they had combined for last year. The names Aucoin, Eriksson, Hale, Phaneuf, Regehr, Sarich and Warrener as a collective group do not strike ...
clarasax writes...

O Captain, My Captain

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Jason Arnott has been named captain of the Nashville Predators for the 2007-2008 season. Brilliant choice. Do you know why that was a brilliant choice, my friends? Because Jason Arnott once saved his dog's life by giving it CPR after it had fallen into a swimming pool. THAT is the kind of leadership we need on the team, people. (Congrats to Arnott, a great p...
Ahhhhhhhhh. That feeling of the first cup of coffee in the morning or that feeling after a long nap on the couch on the weekend without the noisy kids in your face or that feeling of getting your NHL hockey dosage. Tonight I got mine. Not to say that watching my boys play youth hockey is boring or doesn't get the juices flowing, but there is nothing like today's NHL. ...
I went to the first Ducks preseason game last night at the Honda Center. There were more people there than I expected and it was a fun crowd. The season tickets I bought into are pretty high up (though, there’s not really a bad seat at the Honda Center, which is great) so I was around a lot of real fans. I had a blast. This is my first time watching a preseason gam...
The Peca Rumors we're constant. The Sabres, Rangers and Leafs were at the top of the list but is seems as though EVERY team was linked to Peca at some point. Evrey team but Columbus that is. At first blush it seems like an odd match. At this point, Peca is the classic "final piece to the puzzle" type player and columbus hasn't even gotten all the piece out the jigs...
When Cristobal Huet injured his hamstring last season Jaroslav Halak came in to the picture, and played well, yet they were still not able to get into the playoffs. Huet is now a proven first-stringer, and his absence certainly factored into why they did not make the playoffs. A healthy Huet should win his job back at training camp, unless Carey Price shows him up, but we'...
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...
dagley writes...

The Garrett Robinson Story

Posted Friday | Comments 9
[img:left]http://cluster.leaguestat.com/download.php?client_code=whl&file_path=img/players/24181.JPG&w=120[/img]First and foremost, I know this is an incredibly long article, but I hope you take the time to read it, as it is perhaps one of the best hockey stories ever. I know I haven't been writing a lot these past couple weeks, and I apologize. I've been busy with class, ...
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]...
The NHL will open up NHL Center Ice Online FREE on Monday, and plans to show some teams pre season games live.. and FREE via the web. Most teams with their own video channel on their web site should have direct access to the center ice online channel during the preseason to catch preseason games for free starting Monday! Freeview Lasts until Oct 9th, so Have Fun! T...
I was fortunate enough to get my tix for the Pens' home opener against the Ducks on Oct. 6th before the game sold out. I was just wondering if any other teams around the league have sold out opening nights. On a side note, I heard the game where the Rangers will be retiring Brian Leetch's number isn't on sale yet. Anyone have word on what's up with that? Oh yeah, a...
[img:left]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:rbDOhlS0_FrI2M:http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com/images/birds-beads-full-tree-big.jpg[/img] [img:right]http://nhl.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p3288909th.gif[/img] With all the proper religious respect due my brothers and sisters of other faiths, seeing a scrimmage with real NHL players was like walking down the st...
sixtyone writes...

Back at it

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Well here we are again. Pre-season is under way for the league. It's a good time to be a hockey fan. For me, pre-season is always a lot of fun just to see who stands out and who doesn't. At this year's Leafs camp, we have a couple of those guys and some are starting to stand out already. The name that keeps popping up is Simon Gamache. It seems like he is turni...
Yesterday Sami Salo injured his wrist on an innocent looking play. Today it was confirmed by an MRI that he has a hairline fracture in his left wrist and is out indefinitly. Salo was injured during the intra-squad game along with Roberto Luongo and Trevor Linden. Luongo and Linden's injuries were minor in nature. Who now will step up and fill the void left by Salo? Edle...
Period 1 The first and only goal of the first period came from the most unlikely source; The thick hearty mustache of George Parros. A tip pass came right to his stick from Brad May and he buried it behind Curtis Sanford. Ryan Shannon was making his presence felt against his old team. He had a few quality shots and some timely passes to linemate Mason Raymond. He pla...
Minor league roster, circus-like uniforms and a plethora of penalties (again) aside, it was nice to see the Islanders back on the ice last night in North York, Ontario taking on the Atlanta Thrashers. Garnet Exelby's overtime goal ended hopes for a win but the Isles should be encouraged for a handful of reasons. Freddy Meyer scored a nifty goal, nearly going end-to-...
At the Blues FanFest on Saturday, they handed out coupons for the next night's pre-season opener, a 5:00 Sunday night game against the Atlanta Thrashers. With the coupon, Lower-bowl seats were only $20.00... upper-bowl seats were free. Great deal! Except.... What about the season-ticket holders, who are forced to pay upwards of $100 for the same ticket as part of t...
Last night during the Canucks preseason opener, Ryan Shannon stepped up and made everyone take notice of him. My sentiments were echoed by the Canucks website this morning(I'm glad I beat them to it) 5 on 5 he was lined up with Byron Ritchie and Mason Raymond(Also vying for a roster spot) and could have set up two goals for Raymond, had Ilya Bryzgalov not been on his game....
sixtyone writes...

And here we go...

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

Sens Army ... Where Are You?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 6
Seeing as this is my first blog, here's a little bit of background information: I'm a Leafs fan. Living in Ottawa. In the grand scheme of things, that's all that really needs to be said. Now, this past weekend it got rather cool in the nation's capital. Naturally, such temperatures call for a ... [i]sweater[/i]. But I decide to don not just any sweater ... I decid...
Dugray writes...

The Sounds of Hockey

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

RAV to be intact?

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

What's it going to take

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Mark Bell [img]http://littlefalls.blogsome.com/images/bell.jpg[/img] [url]http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/story.html?id=d344c4b9-75e2-45ba-aa40-6d468a5e9bcd[/url] Rob Ramage [img]http://czechfan.com/images_stl/ramage_rob.jpg[/img] [url]http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2007/09/18/4505458-sun.html[/url] Keith Magnuson [img]http://www.lifeinlegacy.c...
Mitchellis#1 writes...

Canucks Douse Flames

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

Preseason Thoughts Thus Far...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Having just sat through 12 hours on campus, and 6 hours of class, I really don't think I can be all that eloquent right now; however, I will just summarize what I've seen from the Leafs in both yesterday's 3-2 OT loss to Edmonton, and tonight's 3-2 win over Phoenix. HOT: The Blake/Sundin/Antropov line. This line had a great showing tonight, and was solid on the PP. I wi...
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...
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...
I started riding a mountain bike three years ago dropped about sixty pounds and like some of us I tend to get big head when I start having success. Just when I start thinking I’m all that is about when my riding buddies take me out and either seriously school me on a really big hill or they bust a rib laughing at me chipping a tooth on a rock garden I usually ride clean....
TheHabsFan writes...

A Dream Come True

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I grew up watching players like Robinson, Gainey, Lemaire, Lafleur, Shutt, Dryden...The list goes on and on! Generations of great hockey players have come and gone for this great franchise. I have put them on a pedestal above all else for the most part of my 37 years. When i was a kid, I would fall asleep following a Habs game that I listened to on an old radio tucked u...
Mitchellis#1 writes...

Canucks Over Oilers 5-4

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

Preseason Translation

Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the struggles of the Calgary Flames during their first three preseason games, I wondered if this was a sign of things to come as opponents would say, or simply false results caused by a lack of a full veteran roster, as many Flames fans would like to believe. Do preseason results translate to regular season success? In th 2006-'07 season, the Eastern Conference pr...
raymullan writes...

The NHL snubs British Hockey!

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/upload/2007/03/nhl_premiere.gif[/img]Hockey season is nearly upon us once again, pre-season training camps and exhibition schedules are in full swing, fantasy hockey drafts are the talk of the work place and hockey fans everyway wait with baited breath for that first puck to drop on the 07/08 NHL season. For once i'm happy to say tha...
Since the comment part of myhockeybuzz still doesn't work, I thought I would give our Irish friend from Belfast a little love back on his post. Ray - You have only been disrespected twice so far, so I offer two apologies. The idea of a British game in concert with the NHL game is warranted and I wonder why it posed such a problem? Call it a "double header" and give th...
Watching the Flyers/Rangers game today, there were a couple of things that stood out to me: 1: Sami Kapanen looked good tonight. If he continues to play the way he did tonight he could be one of those 3rd line guys for the Flyers that makes the difference in the post season. 2: The Rangers power play looked terrible. 0-7 tonight, I'm hoping that they have yet to find...
mslepp writes...

In Sutter we (don't?) trust.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_storm-clouds-oly1739_blog.jpg[/img] [b]Riders on the storm[/b] After a terrible performance against the Senators, the Flyers were looking to ride out the storm and rebound by heading into a tilt with the New York Rangers. In fact, they brought their own storm to Broadway. OK...I know, the Flyers 5-0 shutout win...
I watched Detroit and Tampa Bay today. Here are my notes from the game: - I never got to watch much of the Lecavalier/St. Louis show last year but hopefully that will change this year with my purchase of NHL Center Ice. It is the end of the 2nd and Marty already has 2 beauty goals. Vinny didn't play but the telecast made up for it by showing all of his 52 goals last yea...
It's obvious from the traffic and comments on this site that Sabre fans thirst for good and credible hockey media coverage. Unfortunately, the Buffalo hockey media took a hit this week as Brad Riter was fired from WGR550 in Buffalo. Sabres fans know Riter as the host of the Sabres postgame radio coverage. He was also a long time host for the night shift at WGR. He...
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 ...
JPDucks writes...

Burke is Tinkering

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Yesterday the Ducks traded defenseman Nathan Saunders and Brett Skinner to the Boston Bruins in exchange for center Mark Mowers. [b]To Ducks[/b] [i]Mark Mowers 261 NHL GP, 17 G, 44 A, 61 Pts, E[/i] [b]To Boston[/b] [i]Nathan Saunders 36 AHL GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 Pts, +8 Brett Skinner 127 AHL GP, 10 G, 39 A, 49 Pts, -4[/i] The D...
[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...
mob_slapman writes...

In Case you forgot:

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
TheStig writes...

Head Shots

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I was disgusted by hearing Steve Downie left his feet to hit Dean McAmmond, I was even more disgusted when I seen the hit on Sportscentre. Dean McAmmond skating behind the net, turning the corner to head up ice, some argue he had his head down, and Steve Downie charges across the ice, leaves his feet to take him out. McAmmond was turning the corner, weather or not he had h...
Bleed Blue writes...

The HIT - Sens/Flyers review

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
mike kraq writes...

Downie's Hit

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I'm sorry if this seems a bit unprofessional but this is my first attempt at a "blog" ever. I just wanted to comment on the hit by Downie on Dean McAmmond. Yes, it was definately an unappropriate hit. He did leave his feet using his body as momemtum driven projectile and he claims thats part of his game, finishing checks. But there's a right and a wrong way to thro...
Before moving to the Top 10 list, I wanted to comment on the events that occured last night in the Flyers/Senators pre-season game. The injury to Dean McAmmond is on the minds of all hockey fans, as it should be. The hit by Flyers prospect Steve Downie was unconscionable and flat out wrong. Irrespective of what Colin Campbell does, Downie should - and will - be punish...
I want to take a slightly different look at the recent furor at headshots in the NHL. Do I think they should be minimized? ABSOLUTELY! Do I think they can be completely eradicated? No, I dont, they happen, this is a fast game played by fast men but just because something is a head shot doesnt mean it should automatically be grounds fro a suspension. Hell anytime a big d-ma...
Luongo07 writes...

Off To The Game...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This past weekend my co-horts and I got together and drew out our Canucks tickets. I managed to snatch this evenings pre-season contest against the Sharks. Although, I was not impressed with the fact that it is pre-season, I am rather intrigued to see some of the notable prospects that the Canucks have to offer this season. Namely, Mayson Raymond. I am quite pleased th...
[quote=TheTiny]If you watch the video replay you will see that his feet don't leave the ice untill there is contact. Shoulder contacts the head and then Mcammond's head hits the boards. It is also 0.6 seconds after Mcammond passes the puck, Downey also cannot see that he doesnt have the puck. Mcammons head is looking where he passed and doesn't see Downey coming. By today'...
Unlike the game less than a week ago in San Jose, tonight's matchup between the Sharks and Canucks did not feature the fisticuffs and ejections that played a role in the earlier matchup. The excellent goaltending of Roberto Luongo, however, was once again on display for all to see as Luongo went head to head with Sharks youngster Thomas Greiss. While Luongo was perfect...
dpang writes...

Young guys are solid

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Coyotes will play in Dallas on Thursday night and then end the pre season in Colorado on Saturday and they have a few young guys you may want to keep your eye on as the roster continues to get down to regulation. Both Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzel continue to look good and more and more comfortable with each time on the ice. Although Mueller and Hanzel both missed...
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...
npc902 writes...

Calm Down Leafs Nation

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Just read something interesting on TSN.com in the Article about Dead McAmmond talking to TSN. ([url]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=219333&hubname=nhl[/url]) [quote=Sens Headcoach John Paddock]"I think for the good of Steve Downie. He needs to be suspended for a long time. We were cheering for him the last two christmas times (World Junior Championships) and h...
With many experts picking the Oilers to finish out of the playoffs and on the lower end of the conference standings there is no where to go but up. They will surprise some people with a playoff appearance and improved offence. Everybody knows that preseason success doesn’t always result regular season wins. With a 5-1 preseason start the Oilers might not change many o...
For all those fans out there who have watched Flyers fans fire back over and over with ludicrous accusations, I apologize. As a Flyers fan, it pains me to see what is currently going on not only with Steve Downie himself, but with other Flyers fans. On one front, I am proud to be a fan of the organization because I can see how the fans here rally together and will defend t...
Former 1999 Penguins draft pick Darcy Robinson, 26, collapsed on the ice during a game with the Italian Asiago team. Robinson was un-hit at the time of collapse in the first period, and was later rushed to a hospital where he passed. The cause of death has yet to be determined. Over his short career, Robinson spent time with the Penguins' minor league affiliates. From 2...
Sabres Fans... Join the hometeamhockey.com fantasy league. Below is a short description from the site's creator. I've participated for the past few "divisions" and really enjoy it. Give it a try. [quote][i]Fantasy Hockey for the Home Town Fan. Why a fantasy league with just one team? My thinking is this: I like Fantasy sports, but I don't have the time to [img:right...
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 ...
degroat writes...

Balancing Passion and Reason

Posted Friday | Comments 1
I figured since everyone else was talking about Steve Downie knocking Dean McAmmond into next week that it was time to throw my take on the incident out there. Why? Because I think a lot of people are letting their passion get in the way of reason, like they often do when incidents like this happen in sports. There’s no question that when you see something like thi...
I miss seeing the Leafs play the Wings. When the Leafs moved to the east, I knew that I would see less of them but thanks to this wonderful new schedule, I never get to see those two teams play. For me, they are right up there with Leafs/Habs or Leafs/Sens games. Always good regular season games and playoff games. I hope that with the new schedule for next season, ...
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...
1. Detroit Red Wings (Central Division Champions) -- A lethal combination of a talented team and a weak division. Ageless blueliners Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios join newcomer Brian Rafalski to form one of the league's elite defensive corps. Meanwhile, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk lead a typically strong Detroit attack. 2. San Jose Sharks (Pacific Division ...
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...
BuffaloMat writes...

Let there be light!

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

[2007-09-29] Tonight's Lines

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Following the lines from the last two practices, for the most part... Marleau Thornton Chechoo Clowe Pavelski Bernier Michalek Roenick Setoguchi Rissmiller Goc Grier McLaren Ehrhoff Vlasic Murray Davison Carle Nabokov Patzold For Calgary: Tanguay Conroy Iginla Nilsson Smith Huselius Moss Primeau Yelle Godard Boyd Peters Aucion Regehr Phaneuf Sari...
TJD92295 writes...

4-3 Sabres

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Buffalo edges out Pittsburgh in an unusually EXCITING preseason game. Not often are you on the edge of your seat listening to the radio. AND, no Sidney Crosby (boo hoo) and the debut of the new hi-def jumbotron.
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...
Back again to complete my NHL prediction blog extravaganza with my Eastern Conference predictions. Enjoy! [b] [u]Eastern Conference[/u][/b] [u]Southeast Division[/u] 1. [b]Washington Capitals[/b]: This may be my “what is he smoking?” pick of the 2007-08 season but the Caps have the parts to do some real damage. The arrivals of Nicklas Backstrom and Michael Nyland...
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...
bcbenzel writes...

And So It Begins...

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The season is upon us! From the looks of things, it's going to be one helluva season. At this point, all of the speculation, all of the predictions, everything that has been talked about means absolutely nothing. The Ducks and Kings have kicked the season off in London and, despite all of the scheduling problems that it caused, it was extremely successful. The fans r...
Luongo07 writes...

Pondering Vigneault...

Posted Monday | Comments 0
After winning the Jack Adams trophy you'd think that Alain Vigneault had everything figured out. Well, you guess wrong. The Vancouver Canuck head coach is currently sitting in his chair with about a million and a half different line combinations running through his head. The club announced eight releases today. Seven players are making their way to Manitoba (Bourdon, B...
1. Buffalo Sabres (Northeast Division Champion) -- The departures of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere got most of the off-season headlines, but the Sabres are as much about system as individual players. And the Sabres have plenty of offensive firepower in the likes of Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Maxim Afinogenov, Drew Stafford, Derek Roy..... you get the idea. The Sabres ...
Eastern Conference: 1. Pittsburgh Penguins: Last years youngest team added veteran help in Petr Sykora and Daryl Sydor to an already talented core. With Sidney Crosby up front and Marc-Andre Fleury in net, the Pens should build on last season. 2. Buffalo Sabres: Yes, the leaders are gone, but the students learned enough to carry the load. Derek Roy looks ready for an...
I would like to on a weekly basis share some of my thoughts about that weekend that was, the week to come, and any other quirkly news hitting the airwaves. I would like to offer first a prediction of the teams that I think will make it to the second season East 1) Ny rangers good additions, not great. should have spent money on D. Should have gone after hannan, or wa...
xmyth writes...

Unsubstantiated Season Preview

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I have no facts. I have no stats. I have no research, quotes, contacts. All I have is my opinion, but, as most of you know (begrudgingly), that is worth a fair bit. Did you come here for an in-depth analysis of teams, perhaps hoping for some outside speculation about your home team? If so, leave now. It will spare you disappointment beyond the shame you must feel ...
Your first(in your hearts too I hope) Ducks blogger ever on myhockeybuzz is back. Yes I have predictions, what everyone wants to hear. Yes I will do the East as well, and yes they will all be.....wrong. Western Conference: 1) Detroit 2) Anaheim 3) Colorado Avalanche 4) San Jose Sharks 5) Vancouver Canucks 6) St. Louis Blues 7) Los Angeles Kings 8) Minnesota Wild ...
[b]Playoff projections:[/b] Eastern Conference Finals: Pittsburgh over Buffalo Western Conference Finals: Calgary over Colorado Stanley Cup Finals: Calgary over Pittsburgh [b]Award predictions:[/b] Hart (MVP): Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Art Ross (Scoring leader): Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh (123 points) Rocket Richard (Most goals): Alex Ovechkin, Washingt...
npc902 writes...

Leafs & Sens opening Night

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
After having to sit through another boring baseball season (which was compounded by the Cardinals playing like crap), and realizing that pro football just doesn't seem as much fun anymore (I'm sure my crappy rams have something to do with it, still love college though), I get to finally watch the greatest sport in the world!! Though the season starts tonight (and I will h...
CaptShark writes...

San Jose gets to 23 !

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Sharks have narrowed the roster down to 23, with some strategic use of the IR. Alexi Semenov, Brad Norton, and Thomas Plihal were put on IR to cut the 26 man squad to 23 for opening night. All 3 in my opinion should have been sent to Worcester simply because they just don't have the "IT" that is needed to crack this line-up. So as for the line up, it looks very solid, ...
1) Minnesota - 105 pts (3rd seed) 2) Calgary - 102 pts (5th seed) 3) Vancouver - 97 pts (7th seed) 4) Colorado - 96 pts (8th seed) 5) Edmonton - 77 pts It all comes down to Nicklas Backstrom and Marion Gaborik in the hockey mad state of Minnesota. Nicklas Backstrom should have a great season for the Wild. He's never been a starter in the NHL, but he's succeeded in e...
predjoe writes...

Feeling Different

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
This opening night feels different. There is no other way to say it…it just feels different. This is the ten year anniversary of this team. I was there at it’s birth and thought that today I would feel like a proud parent…but instead I feel empty inside. With so much uncertainty this Pred fan is fatigued. That is why I have not posted in forever. I couldn’t brin...
[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...
Nyi28nhl writes...

Predictions mean nothing

Posted Friday | Comments 0
It's not unusual for a hockey fan to make predictions on how teams will fare in the upcoming season. Heck, in my head, I've come up with how I feel teams will perform. Things aren't always as black and white as we'd like to think they are. It's impossible to measure how a team will perform based on past performance. There could be a blockbuster trade next week, a key pl...
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...
predjoe writes...

Crotch - Bang!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
As the Sabres drop the puck on their 2007-2008 season tonight at HSBC Arena, I thought I'd share my outlook for this year. I'm a devout Sabres fan, have been following the team since the Mogilny/LaFontaine era (I'm only 21), and I've studied the history of the team too, back to the French Connection days. I've stuck with the team through the really bad, the bankruptcy,...
Hey pens fans, On a positive not, I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to MArio Lemieux. Now, onto the game... Tonight, the Pens lost their season opener 4-1. The Pens' lone goal came in the third period. It was scored by Mark Recchi and assisted by Gonchar and Malkin. Fleury was in goal to start the game, but after letting in 4 goals on 26 shots in the first ...
In his classic book, "See You at the Top," motivational speaker Zig Ziglar coined the term, "Loser's Limp." Ziglar explained the term in context of professional sports. He gave the example of an offensive player running for the end zone with a defensive player in hot pursuit. Twenty yards from the goal, it becomes obvious the defensive player won't catch the man with the ...
Uncouth writes...

Sports for Short Attentions

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Between yesterday and today, every team in the NHL played. While my favorite team, The Anaheim Ducks, are not doing so well, I cannot complain too much because hockey is hockey. I was never a “sports” person and I think that affects how I watch hockey. I love to watch any game, as long as the teams are playing to the best of their abilities. Of course, I want “my...
Just listening to the Avs vs. Sharks game - and Mr. Paul Stastny has 1g 4a in this game, while having a hat trick on opening night, which brings him to 8points in 3games. And i got him in 3 of my Fantasy Teams :-) I knew this kid would rock this season, and i also did believe he would have a fair shot at the 100 point mark - but this much improvement and absolute domina...
TJD92295 writes...

Blake's Bout

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
FrankD writes...

Pinnacle for a Pens fan

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I was born in Brooklyn, but spent most of my time growing up in Staten Island. I remember walking in to a Palmer Video (later bought out by Blockbuster) and seeing an ad on the front counter for a chance to enter to win hockey tickets. The entry box was your average, run of the mill box, but at the top right where the slot is for the form was a picture of Mario Lemieux h...
Petapaw writes...

Luongo shakes it off

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I found myself, much like probably every other Canuck fan on Saturday night biting my fingernails and sitting on the edge of my seat for 3/4 of the game. Perhaps it was the early goal that got past Luongo, or the daze I was left in after I quickly adjusted my TV, trying to fix the color from the new (baby blue Canucks Jerseys). However I think the major contributor t...
TheStig writes...

Jason Blake Diagnosis

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
For those of you who remember me from the Checking Line blog site, well, I am back and it's prediction time. [b]Season Records:[/b] Wins Predictions : Actual Predictions: [i][b] Games:[/b][/i] 7:00 PM Ottawa 4 Atlanta 2 Ottawa continues their dominance of the 1st month of the season with an impressive victory over the Thrashers. [b]Goals:...
Seeing Philadelphia come back to Vancouver is like seeing a old girlfriend you used to date in high school. At first you are like " Oh god !, there she is." She always wants it to be the same as it used to be like, but it never is. Things change, people grow apart. That annoying laugh that I ignored because "Having a Girlfriend" in Highschool is just the thing to do...
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...
Jsaquella writes...

Head Shots

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In the Vancouver-Philadelphia game, Flyers winger Jesse Boulerice viciously two handed Canucks center Ryan Kesler in the jaw. It was a flagrant, brutal action and Boulerice is certainly deserving of a nice, long suspension. Where it gets interesting is the Flyers have a guy currently suspended. That would be Steve Downie, who was suspended for twenty games for his bruta...
predjoe writes...

Preds Take First Loss

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Sometimes it just isn’t your night. That was the case last night as the Predators suffered their first loss of the year at the hands of the division rival St. Louis Blues 4-1. From the start the Preds seemed to be playing the part of the Washington Generals to the Globetrotting Blues. They let them get up early, on a pretty goal from Brad Boyes started ...
[b]It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..[/b] Much like the French Revolution, about which Charles Dickens (apparently I cannot use the word to properly denote the author's last name) wrote the above famous first line of [i]A Tale of Two Cities[/i], the Flyers are in a state of radical change and turmoil. The new regime is intent on successfully erasin...
nyghtflyer writes...

Predictions - Night 2...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So I didn't do too bad on the wins over the losses, but I didn't hit one single prediction on the head. It's ok, it was my 1st night, but it feels good to be back. Let's jump right into tonight! [b]Season Records:[/b] Wins Predictions : 7-5 Actual Predictions: 0-12 [b]Games:[/b] 7:00 PM Atlanta 2 Buffalo 5 A battle of playoff hopefuls here in Buf...
TheStig writes...

Leafs Early Season Woes

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Last night I was out for dinner with my parents who are in town and we heard two cheers from the Canucks' fans. So that means they scored twice. I didn't watch the game and I didn't see the highlights till I said my goodbyes and went home. Vancouver got smoked 8-2. That explains why I only heard two cheers. So here we have two Canadian teams that are well loved acro...
He damn well shouldn't be. That is for sure. I cannot even believe what I saw last night. A fourth line plug, who isn't even really good enough to be called a plug, cross checks a skilled player in the face. Ryan Kesler did not see it coming, there was no reason for it (Boulerice says that Kesler took a run at Randy Jones...ya...ok...), he didn't have the puck, and he ...
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...
To my surprise, I read this morning that the Canucks shipped Shannon down to the AHL team in the minors. [url]http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=339792[/url] Maybe I am reading too much into this, but is this move for good ? From all accounts Shannon had a very good pre-season and training camp, he was on everyone's top list...
[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...
writes...

Preds Fail To Bonk Coyotes

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well the Preds remedied the shots on goal situation that I talked about in yesterday’s post but failed to post a win against a pesky Coyotes team (they out shot the Coyotes 39-24). I felt like the Yotes beat the Preds at their own game last night as they didn’t necessarily play the better game but were bailed out by strong play in net. Despite getting two goals from...
predjoe writes...

Preds Can't Bonk

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well the Preds remedied the shots on goal situation that I talked about in yesterday's post but failed to post a win against a pesky Coyotes team (they outshot the Coyotes 39-24). I felt like the Yotes beat the Preds at their own game last night as they didn't necessarily play the better game but were bailed out by strong play in net. Despite getting two goals from ...
Canucks12 writes...

Van v.s EDM Game preveiw.

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Edit: Canucks.com Made it official, Rick Rypien is up and is expected to play. Canucks are 1-2-0 Edmonton is 2-2-0. The Canucks have just re-assign Ryan Shannon who ha 2 goals but was the leagues worste +/- with -7, according to CDC forums Team1040 sports radio is reporting that we have called up Rick Rypien, Witch Canucks.com has confirmed. I have no clue who the Canucks...
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...
Hello everyone, and welcome to my first blog here on MYHB, First of all, you will have to excuse me for my English, which is not perfect since i'm one of those Frenchies in Quebec City, but I will do my best. I will start from the very beginning. It was a saturday, back in october 2005. I woke up, and somehow, i had this idea of doing a Website and a petition, in ord...
Mitchellis#1 writes...

CANUCKS CONTEST

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Here are the standings...I'm not sure whats going to happen with the job or not and I'm not sure if I'll continue this, but who knows... [b][u]3 Points[/u][/b] brendonkuhn chompsy [u][b]1 Point[/b][/u] DrChristianTroy KirktheCanuck [u][b]0 Points[/b][/u] vojdog Sashimi23 scoot Jbug thehugs trio151 ...
Canucks12 writes...

Canucks Strike Oil.

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Canucks strike oil with a 5-2 bounce back win over Edmonton, Canucks goals by Henrik Sedin, Rick Rypien, Alex Burrows, Brendan Morrison, And Markus Naslund. Edmonton goals by Sheldon Souray, and Raffi Torres. Rypien and Burrows Both had 2 point night with a goal and assist, considering Burrows' goal was shorthanded and this was Rypien first game since Shannons send down an...
As most of you already know, Jesse Boulerice was suspended for 25 games after his crosscheck to Ryan Kesler's face a couple days ago. The question is, was it enough? By terms of Chris Simon getting the same sentence last year, yes, it's a perfect punishment. But by terms of Steve Downie getting 20 for an unnecessary hit on Dean McAmmond, Boulerice should have gotten...
lyricsninja writes...

Boulerice waived

Posted Monday | Comments 0
At this point I will say good riddance to this guy. He has been trouble from day 1 and I think will continue to be trouble. People may argue the same about Steve Downie, however I will counter with Downie's ability to put pucks in the net. That's the reason Downie may still see the light of the NHL, but Boulerice may not. All in all, I think this is a good waive for the Fl...
predjoe writes...

Losing Stinks

Posted Monday | Comments 0
One thing I've discovered about blogging about your favorite team...when they lose it's hard to write. Writing when they win is easy. "They played a great game." "The boys looked sharp." "The other team played well but just didn't have it." "This was a quality win against a quality team." Seriously...cliches abound when you are talking about winning but when yo...
Alexander Edler has been recalled from the Manitoba Moose(AHL) and will suit up tonight against the Sharks. Its the first time we'll get to see him play since suffering a hip injury in the pre-season. Edler was called up because Lukas Krajicek blocked a bunch of shots last night and is day to day with a foot injury. Jannik Hansen is getting his hand x-rayed tomorrow and h...
I was deperately hoping this was true but according to wgr550.com it isn't as of yet. Hopefully it gets done soon. They need to get working on these guys. If it isnt a done deal who should they sigh first: Hecht, Cambell or Kalinin. Here is my order: 1. Campbell- The longer they wait the more $$$$$ it will cost them 2. Hecht- If the reports are somewhat true I th...
Yeah, I'd like to see Jesse Boulerice waived and gone from the Flyers. Nothing against the guy personally, but when you attack another player in the manner he did, you have no place in my NHL. However, the Flyers now have a bit of a injury crunch, with Ben Eager and Scottie Upshall hurt, and they needed to recall a winger to fill in. Since Boulerice and the also suspend...
dtaild writes...

NHL Network on Cablevision

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
Just found this info looking around this morning...Google is your friend "Effective Thursday, October 18, 2007, the NHL Network will be available on channel 401 as part of the iO Sports Pak and on channel 429 as part of the NHL Center Ice seasonal sports package. NHL Network will be available in all service areas (except Woodbury Spectrum--Oak Beach, Gilgo Beach and Dom...
[b]"I love the smell of napalm in the morning...it smells like....victory" - Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore [i]Apocalypse Now[/i][/b] [b]Napalm in the morning[/b] If you were to walk into Bank Building in South Philadelphia today, it would would have a peculiar odor...no not stale beer or rock hard pretzels...but of the scorched remains of the bird with the genus Toxostoma -...
predjoe writes...

Pred Will Get On Track

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is my belief. The preds will get back on track and it starts tonight. Deep down it’s what I have to believe as a fan. As I have started trying to take this blog thing more seriously (thanks Ek for encouraging it) I find myself torn between reporting the story as a journalist or as a fan. Today I come down on the side of the fan...an unhappy fan looking for somet...
pensfan17148 writes...

Pens Fall to Devils

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens took on the very re-vamped Devils at the Mellon Arena. Unfortunetly, the Devils took the contest 5-4. The game had some very questionable calls and I am sure the oficiating is much debated. I will say that some of the calls were good, some bad, and some were rather close. To be honest, I am trying to avoid official bashing, because som...
sstrang writes...

If I Had The Cup for a Day

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When a team wins the Stanley Cup, each player and all the personnel for the team get to spend one day with the coveted cup. That's right, 24 hours. One of the keepers and caretakers of the Cup, Mike Bolt, says that each player has it "24 hours, and not one minute less". And why would you give it up before you had to? I mean, it's the freakin' Stanley Cup - the most coveted...
One year ago, the governments of the Philadelphia region were discussing adding Prozac to the water supply to keep unhappy Flyers fans from jumping off the Walt Whitman bridge as the team staggered to a 1-8-1 start on the way to a 56 point season. Now a year later, much is good about the Flyers. -Trade Deadline pick up Martin Biron has been providing good to excellen...
predjoe writes...

Home Away From Home

Posted Friday | Comments 0
While many teams view the comfy confines of a nice home stand I think there are times when a little road trip is just what the doctor ordered. That, I believe, is the case right now with the Preds. Mired in the a four game losing streak (3 at home and one on the road) the Preds step away from comfortable home beds, wives, children and any sense of routine. The ...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:BV9zNSpOHjtBHM:http://www.nook-market.com/bizzazz_s/rolling-stones_tongue.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_hanson2.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_NEW_JERSEY_DEVILS_LOGO.jpg[/img] [b]Please allow me to introduce myself[/b] Hi...no I'm not the Prince of Darkness, Lu...
sstrang writes...

The Act of Jumping Ship

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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 ...
predjoe writes...

Desperate Times...

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
You know the saying...'desperate times call for desperate measures.' That is exactly what the Preds find themselves facing tonight as they attempt to halt a four game skid against the Sharks. If there is one team that the Preds know well it's the Sharks. The Preds have fallen short against them each of the last two years in the the playoffs. Pred players probably see ...
pensfan17148 writes...

Pens Defeat Capitals

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens took on the Caps on the road. They came out victorious 2-1. Both of the Pens' goals came in the second period. Staal scored assisted by Recchi and Orpik and then Whitney (PP) assisted by Crosby and Malone. Comgratulations to Ryan Whitney on his 100th point tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal stopping 30 of 31 shots. The Pens had 2...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_canes.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_flyersbackground.jpg[/img] Wow...What a game. No clever song titles, no catchy movie lines, no historical or literary references. This game needed none of that. I know the season is still in its infancy and frost hasn't yet been on the pu...
predjoe writes...

Yup...Another Loss

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I feel like an auctioneer...'we have four. Do I hear five? Five - thank you team in teal. Do I have six?' Seriously...what do we have to do to get a win around this place? The Preds played a great game last night. Mason was as solid as I've seen him since game two and the team was really keeping pace with the Sharks. We just ran into another goalie playing out of his m...
tml1967 writes...

Is it time to change the D?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well here we are 9 games into the season and the Leafs have scored the most goals in the NHL who would have though that when the season started, but there is one little problem we have also let the most goals in the league thus far and look to continue to do so if we dont make some moves with our defensemen. The Leafs penalty killing is ranked 28th and its not hard to s...
BluemanGuruu writes...

It's Time

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Like Andy Strickland was saying it's time for the Blues to make some tough descions. I think Andy is correct in his opinions about Backman. I think he will be a good player at some point and I wonder if a change of scenery might just be the thing that would do it for him. It will be hard descion to make especially as the Blues start to bring in talent from Sweden. Back...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:XHhsrz2CNko4HM:http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/05/gator.jpg[/img] [b]Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know[/b] No...not the entirely forgettable 3rd album by "Dead or Alive" or the bumper sticker that is perennially placed on the back window of many pickup trucks, just below the gun rack. The phrase was ori...
- The 2007-08 NHL McDonald's Hockey Cards are set to be released on November 20, 2007. Upper Deck’s website has the check list online already. After going through it I noticed that Sidney Crosby was not included again for the second year in a row. This is the third set of McDonald’s hockey cards to come out since Sidney Crosby entered the NHL. Crosby only had one M...
Here is a quote from tsn.ca's (http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/feature/?fid=549) power rankings. [quote] Chris Mason opened the season with two outstanding games and has struggled ever since. Perhaps it's time to take a step back and give backup Dan Ellis some work. [/quote] Okay...I get that the Preds have lost five in a row and that Mason had some shaky games but ...
First off I want to say that the Blues/Ducks game was a well played game by a number of skilled players. After that I want to say the officiating was a bit questionable but understandable, those guys have a tough job and obviously don't see everything...but I'm sure they saw a few things they chose not to call. But what irks me more than anything is the style that the Du...
Number23 writes...

A Tale of Two Cities...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The two cities in question being Philadelphia and New York--more specifically, their Flyers and Rangers. [b] [i]"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."[/i][/b] Okay, it's not really either, because it [i]is[/i] still early in the season. But, from the vibes you get from each team's fans, you could certainly believe the sun shines on the Flyers while t...
predjoe writes...

Well...That Didn't Work!

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Tony Robbins is full of crap! I tried that positive thinking stuff yesterday and got nothing! There is no where to start on this one. The Preds stunk up the place last night. They looked bad start to finish. Something has got to change. The Preds cannot continue to keep playing this way. That is why today I have finally come to the conclusion that Trotz really ...
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...
Deke2194 writes...

Hero and Zero: Week 3

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I missed week 2, so this one will cover the past 2 weeks. HERO: Martin Biron Posting 4 wins (2 of them shutouts) in 4 games, Biron was an easy choice here. Stopping 140 of 143 shots during the 4 game stretch, the Flyers are making some big time noise in the Eastern Conference, with Biron providing A+ goaltending to aid the cause. He is leading the league with 6 win...
- Twice a year the largest sport card expo and memorabilia show takes place in Toronto during the spring and fall. Collectors, dealers, manufacturers, and autograph guests come from all reaches of the globe to attend this fabulous event. Being in Toronto, one of the largest hockey markets around, a lot of emphasis is placed on hockey cards and memorabilia. This year Upp...
All good things must come to an end, even the Philadelphia Flyers 5 game winning streak. But the Flyers had to try to defend that streak largely without the services of star forward Simon Gagne. The Flyers began their season-long 8 game road trip by visiting the Florida Panthers, but Olie Jokinen and Gregory Campbell made sure that the Flyers did not continue their winni...
predjoe writes...

Game Day Quick Hits (updated)

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[i]11:45 AM UPDATE: Dan Ellis will start in goal tonight for the Predators...whether or not this is a spot start remains to be seen. [/i] Thought I would throw out some game day quick hits: The City is requesting that the new ownership group commits to staying in Nashville for five years if lease concessions are made. I think the city is right on the money request...
Hey pens fans, Well, the Pens played the Leafs tonight and lost 5-2 to end their streak. Crosby scored in the first period, assisted by Malkin and Recchi to make it 1-0. In the third period, Gonchar scored and was assisted by Crosby and Malkin to make it 5-2 Leafs. Fleury stopped 22 of 27 shots. This season the Pens have been very hot and cold. Sometimes, it seems ...
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...

$683,000

Posted Friday | Comments 0
That, my friends, is what we Sabres fans have paid Thomas Vanek in the last 3 weeks. Well over have half a million already (that's probably more than you make in a whole year combined!) to, effectively, replace Drury and Briere (who made approximately as much together, last year, as we're paying the goat-herding, Edelweiss picking, Super G loving Vanek right now. Oh, and f...
Since the 2002-2003 National Hockey League season, no team has worn white at home on a full-time basis. Though this will not be permanent, Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn announced that the Buffalo Sabres will wear their road white jersies for 4 home games in November against Northeast division opponents... Wed Nov 7th vs Boston Fri Nov 9th vs Toronto Wed Nov 21s...
Jeremy Rutherford who covers the Blues for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and stltoday.com had this to say yesterday prior to the Blues game in Columbus: "[i]Murray continues to emphasize the work Perron is getting off the ice. While everyone agrees with that, I get the feeling that some in the club want to see Perron in a game soon. That decision continues to be left with...
predjoe writes...

The Return Of Tomas (UPDATED)

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
*** 2:49 CST: The Predators go with the hot hand and Dan Ellis will start in goal for tonight against Tomas Vokoun. *** Well...the much anticipated return of Tomas Vokoun happens tonight. Wheter Tomas faces the man (Chris Mason)who has taken his place as the Preds number one remains to be seen. Mason entered the season as the undisputed number one but a bumpy 2-6 re...
I have finally come to accept the "new nhl" rules.... I'm ok with it. The penalties in a game are always going to be second guessed... but the only thing i ask is that they call te same play for both teams... if the call the game even then fine. The thing that shocks me is how much the penalties are changing from game to game. Thursday night against Tampa, i thought tha...
groome16 writes...

Jones.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Randy Jones. Good. Young. Talented. Aggressive as any normal hockey player, not overly aggressive, but not afraid of contact either. Now. What happened. Was this the same as Jesse Boulerice and Steve Downie. No. Not today and not any day. This did not have intent from what I saw. This was a bad hockey decision made in the flow of the game. The puck was near...
predjoe writes...

In The Right Direction...

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]Two in a row![/b] Wow...this feels a little better. The Preds still have a ton of work left but string together a couple of wins is a step in the right direction for sure! While I feel a little bad that Mason did not get to go head to head against Vokoun last night I think the right choice was made by putting Ellis in net. You don't bench someone coming off a shutout...
phi1671 writes...

Jones and Bergeron

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I watched the hit. I saw the replays over and over again and I am not of the opinion this was a dirty hit. On the contrary, I thought was a clean hit gone bad. A Clean Hit gone bad? Yes, when are the players who are being hit make the necessary adjustments and protect themselves? Too many times I've seen the player being hit turn the backs to the player coming in so they c...
WHERE IS Volchenkov's suspension? [img:left]http://www.genericorp.net/~count/gorilla/gorilla-vs-mcammond.jpg[/img] [img:left]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/jaberwock21/avatar.jpg[/img] [img:left]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/jaberwock21/captfc13bb01f95f4230b20e45ee47e5eae.jpg[/img] WHO'S NEXT? [b]Free Jones!!! Free Boulerice!!...
Randy Jones was handed a two-game suspension today by Colin Campbell. While it may not be the number of games everyone wanted, this is probably the right suspension. While I don't think that Randy Jones was in any way trying to injure Patrice Bergeron, he does need to be a little more cognizant of the possibility of injuring him in that situation. I am sick of reading a...
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/The_FlyerFly/?p=26 Outrage. Disgust. Disappointment. Pick any other similar adjective and slap it into a description of how alot of hockey fans are feeling toward the Philadelphia Flyers these days. You will probably get alot of people to subscribe to that way of thinking. Why? Of course, it has to do with the recent rash of ugly hit...
CaptShark writes...

The Winds of Change

Posted Tuesday | Comments 2
We can all feel the chill. The winds are blowing through San Jose, trade winds, fire the coach winds, benching winds, demoting winds, and the winds of resolve. Something must be done. Sharks fans are nearing the edge of their patience. Who is to blame for the lackluster start? Why did this team look so good on paper and in the preseason? Who must be held accountable for th...
predjoe writes...

Mason In Net Tonight...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens defeated the Wild in Minnesota 4-2. Sidney Crosby had 4 points on the night. The Goals were: Malkin from Crosby and Malone, Malkin from Crosby and Malone (No, that is not a typo. It happened twice.), Sykora from Crosby and Gonchar (PP), Crosby from Gonchar and Malkin. Sabourin was in goal stopping 28 of 30 shots. The Pens played a...
Mawn77 writes...

Bruins

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
coming soon.............
predjoe writes...

Must Win?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
While it's early in the season to declare any game a must win I am going out on a limb and saying that tonight’s game against the Canucks is a must win. The Preds have got to win this game, if for no other reason, to prove to themselves and others that they can win on the road. As a Preds fan you know how bad it is. 0-5 on the road...can't buy a goal to save ours...
predjoe writes...

Oh Danny Boy!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
That’s the song that Pred Nation is singing this morning (that is if they are awake after the 10p central start last night!). Once again Dan Ellis is called upon and for the third time in a row he answers with a win and his second shutout in three starts. To say that he might be a hot goalie right now might be an understatement. The Preds had a solid game plan las...
Mawn77 writes...

Bergeron Blame

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I have had enough of this talk that somehow Patrice Bergeron is to blame for the Randy Jones hit. This is a case of media members trying to make themselves part of the story. See Don Cherry and his idiotic comments http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hnic/coachscorner/2007/10/never_put_your_head_down_in_th.html. Bob Mckenzie writes that the prevailing opinion outside of Boston...
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...
blueshirt writes...

Maple Leafs lack Identity

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
From the outset of this season, John Ferguson and Paul Maurice have been preaching the need for the Maple Leafs to become a hard team to play against. This was to be accomplished as the players matured under a second season of Maurice's puck pursuit, hard forechecking system. The idea of a team pursuing the opponent with speed and laying the body is enticing and shou...
Luongo07 writes...

New Era?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It's been awhile, whatelse can I say. In the busy life that I lead, I have been unable to follow the Canucks as closely as I have in past season. So far this season it seems to be a good thing. With that being said it seems that we will all be looking for "other things" to occupy our minds while the Canucks play out what appears to be a rather dissmal season. Yes, it i...
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 ...
- In a previous post I announced the details of the upcoming Fall Sports Card Expo taking place in Toronto November 9-11. Both Upper Deck and In The Game Trading Cards will be offering amazing hockey card wrapper redemption programs. I had reported on the details for the ITG program but Upper Deck had not released the details of their program. [img]http://www.hockeyh...
predjoe writes...

Back At .500

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
The schedule for the flyers this week is ROUGH. Tonight they have the the Rangers away, Wednesday Pitt away, Thursday Devils away and Saturday Pitt at home. These are enormous games... (even though it is only november). These divisional games are worth 4 points and more that that they are a chance for our VENGEANCE. Last year was embarrasing. We lost games, season ser...
[b]WHY THE WILD ARE CUP CONTENDERS[/b] This blog will consist of who I feel are the best the four players on the team. Yes, I feel the Wild could be Stanley Cup Contenders. The thing I like about the Wild the most is the supporting cast of the players. They make these players who they are. [b]PAVOL DEMITRA[/b] Pavol has more skill to burn than most players have...
I'm seeing and hearing a lot about how impressive the Habs have been 14 games into the season, but I need to remind myself that recent history suggests this hot start is not something to get too excited about. Any Habs fan remember last year when leading into (and after) the All Star break the team was below average? Last year is not the only year the Habs have blown a dec...
Here is whats RIGHT.....the current and latest owner. Jeffery Vanderbeek has delivered on his promise, got a new beautiful building built that is the class of the NHL ( just ask anyone who has gone, rather than cower in fear at the percieved vision of what they think that part of Newark is like) I liked him from day one when he kept his regular season ticket seats in with ...
[b]Wings and Preds[/b] tonight at 6:30 cst from the Joe on FSN. The Wings, as usual, have started out red hot and are leading the tough Central. The Preds are on a bit of a roll wining 5 of their last 6 and three in a row. This is, by far, their toughest test of the year. The Preds always seem to play the Wings tough and I expect the same kind of effort tonight. I loo...
We all know that as fans it seems like there are only 2 emotions in our fan-lives, a giddy rollercoaster of ups and downs, from supreme and utter glory as our team wins to dark, lonely despair as they fail don't. In some ways it's easier to be a fan of a really good team, like the Wings, or a fan of a struggling team, like the Blue Jackets. The Red Wings of the pas...
[b]The Passion[/b] Year after year the Leafs have tried to end the drought and year after year they have failed. It does at times get really frustrating that the team that I grew up watching just can't pull it off...at times it can even hurt. I have endured the endless bashing of our Leafs on hockey sites such as this one, I have also bashed other teams. While some...
This started as a response to Andy Strickland's blog on Garth Brooks interest in being a part of a KC hockey team, but it got too long, so here I go. I posted on these message boards about KC hockey before, so I thought I would compile it all into one blog. First of all, I've lived in Kansas City for the better part of three years now, but I grew up a rabid St. Louis Bl...
predjoe writes...

Preds Win In MoTown!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[i][b]Loyal Predjoe Blog Reader:[/b] Hey Joe you know that we lost last night right? In a shootout? [b]Predjoe:[/b] We won baby! [b]LPJBR:[/b] Oh...I get it. This is about the disallowed goals from last night. [b]PJ:[/b] Heck yeah baby...V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! [b]LPJBR:[/b] Ok...what are you smokin and can I have some?[/i] Folks...this is how I feel today. I feel li...
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...
Okay, Preds fans, if you are dying to meet your favorite player, mark your calendars for November 13. That's the second annual "Community Day" for the Preds, when almost all of the Preds players will be out in the community, visiting businesses, reading to students, and greeting fans. Highlights of the schedule include comedy duo Darcy Hordichuk and Alexander Radulov at...
TheGrandTetons writes...

Modano's Milestone

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Most of you are probably aware of this but Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars became the highest-scoring American in NHL history last night during Dallas' easy victory over the San Jose Sharks. The six-time all-star surpassed Phil Housley's record during the game and is currently sitting on a record of 1,233 points in 1,253 regular-season games -- 242 games fewer than Housley...
You read it right. I figured since none of the usual top Pacific Division teams really want to get their games going and take a lead to win the Division, then why not Phoenix? They have a bunch of "no name" kids on the team that can all play the game. Aside from Shane Doan and Jovo, who else is well known? I would love to be in the locker room and experience the new bl...
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...
BluemanGuruu writes...

CHANGING THE LINES

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After the game against Chicago I thought the lines were muddled and didn't shine through with players strength. The only line that looked really any good at all was Weight, Marty and Perron. That being said I'd like to propse a few different line possibilities and hear what you think and what lines you can come up with. In the preseason the line of Weight, Boyes and P...
BluemanGuruu writes...

CHANGING THE LINES

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After the game against Chicago I thought the lines were muddled and didn't shine through with players strength. The only line that looked really any good at all was Weight, Marty and Perron. That being said I'd like to propse a few different line possibilities and hear what you think and what lines you can come up with. In the preseason the line of Weight, Boyes and P...
KGBflyers10 writes...

Flyers Defeat Pens 5-2

Posted Sunday | Comments 1
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...
predjoe writes...

Preds Rolling

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Wins in six out of their last eight games. Points in seven of their last eight. Yes it is time to recognize that the Predators are back. Last nights 4-3 shootout win is proof of that. Sure the Preds gave up a two goal lead but they were able to come away with two points. Following the game their was frustration in the locker room over the fact that they let the Blue ...
The season began with the Northwest haveing the advantage with 3 playoff teams (Wild, Canucks and Flames) and one should have (Avalanche). But in the early going, things have really shifted around. The #1 division was a close call between the Northeast and the Central. The two divisions are historically strong on top and weak at the bottom but the lower teams have reall...
Jsaquella writes...

Random Thoughts

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
-Mike Richards is now my favorite NHLer. -Why is there no discussion of Andy Sutton's elbow to the head of Lasse Kukkonen at the buzzer of last night's Flyers-Isles game? It was a dangerous hit that marred a fun game to watch. Sutton now has laid two elbows this year that I found to be borderline dirty and review worthy for suspension. -If Sean Avery did make derogat...
Tav writes...

Reasons to be Thankful

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Remembrance Day just passed up here in Canada and with American Thanksgiving on the way, it made me start thinking of reasons why I am thankful at this time of year, some of which I'd like to share with you all below. *I am sooooooo thankful of the people who have answered our country's call, both in the past and now, who and continue to defend the lifestyle we lead and...
jammer21 writes...

What really grinds my gears...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blues beat Detroit which is always a good thing, but there are a couple things that really irked me tonight... -Night Class. I didn't catch the entire game and only saw the last period. I missed the one freaking time that Blues not only beat Detroit, but beat them on national TV!!! -eric brewer. I didn't capitalize his name because he was very bad. I understand m...
FLAMESTR writes...

OSERVATIONS TO THE EYE

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[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...
Last night I was spending one of my usual nights watching Center Ice coverage on Direct TV. I started with the Vs. game with St. Louis and Detroit. It was a pretty good game and the coverage was very good.. Then I started switching between that and the Toronto and Canadian game. I began noticing the difference with camera angles and number of cameras replays, etc. Th...
BluemanGuruu writes...

PERRON

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is bascially a blog with one message for a very 'special' kind of person. All of us other Blues fans would like to say to you Jackman5, WETOLD YOU SO! So let us get this straight, you think we should send Perron down to juniors after his next game? He, according to you Jackman5, is not a scoring threat. Well buyah buddy, booo--yaaah. Personally, I...
I went in to last night excited to watch my Habs take on the Leafs and hopefully bring home a victory, which they happily did. As I do not get RDS in my cable package, I hoped and assumed that since this was Habs/Leafs, the game would obviously be aired nationally. Is there really any other game in Canada quite as big as when these two age-old rivals square off? Well, appa...
murdoch writes...

Luongo Gets a Shutout? Why?

Posted Thursday | Comments 2
Can some please explain to me why Roberto Luongo gets credit for a shutout in a 1-0 shootout loss? I am totally bitter this morning. This week I am going against the guy i traded Lecavalier to and his 5 points last night (joke is on me), but Luongo is getting shutout points for a 1-0 loss? Kinda chaps me up here. Can someone explain why this is? It is even confirme...
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. ...
predjoe writes...

Fortitude

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[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...
iands8 writes...

Toronto Maple Leafs are

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
Ok so I am posting this a few days after the appointment of Hull and Jackson as interim co-general managers in Dallas. This whole interim co-GM thing seems to me that Hicks wants Jackson to train Hull so that Hull can take over as the man in Dallas. I don’t mind Hull as a co-gm as long as he is just the sideline guy that is there to learn the position. Jackson has been i...
predjoe writes...

If...

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I hate to write blogs based on 'ifs' but this one was too good to pass up. [b]IF[/b] (not the use of bold to emphasize how this is not happening) the NHL season were to end today (it would be crazy for it to since we haven't even hit the quarter pole yet) the Central Division would boast [b]FOUR[/b] (note bold use again...this time to emphasize how crazy this statement...
Of course he isn't a dirty player but the headline needs to be an attention getter as well as get to my main point. I realize it's early to be writing this piece but I have a sixth sense about things. If you don't believe me - check out my Forum piece entitled [i]"Prediction: David Perron will return to Juniors". [/i]Yes, I'm quite the prognosticator. EJ is only...
predjoe writes...

Announcement...Game Tonight

Posted Monday | Comments 0
[i](a note to the Nashville haters..can you give us this day? Can you give it to us without the negative comments and Nashville bashing? Thanks)[/i] [b]Well...the day that Pred fans have been waiting for has arrived[/b]. A deal has been reached with the city on a new lease the guarantees that Nashville hockey fans have the Predators for at least five more years. The har...
Is it only me or does it seem that the Sabres have "bye-weeks" between games? If the scheduling were'nt enough of an uphill challenge for relevance, the overall interest in this team has all but died a quick two-contract death in Buffalo last summer. Coming into the year, the talk in Buffalo was all Sabres, all the time. The pro-sport attention rival Buffalo Bills wer...
It is getting closer. I can smell the Turkey already. It is also time for a few more player evaluations. So here you go, 5 players and my take on them so far this season....... [b]Joe Thornton[/b] Well who can really complain. Joe is averaging over a point a game right now and has been the only guy who has a set spot on a line. everyone else bounces around but Joe st...
Dying of Death writes...

Islanders' give thanks

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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 ...
pensfan17148 writes...

Pens Lose to Devils

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, The Pens lost 2-1. Malkin had the only Pens' goal and he was unassisted. This was a tough night for the Pens. Unfortunetly for the Pens, Brodeur played a great game. There were a lot of shots that could have beaten a lesser goalie. The officiating tonight was something that was questionable, at times. I am not one for official bashing, but there were ...
Ok so everyone knows (or I hope knows) that the Leafs traded one of the top prospect goalies of the Juniors to the Boston Bruins for Andrew [u][b]Raycrap[/b][/u] .... sorry Raycroft. Mr. Rask went 7-1 with a 1.98 GAA. I mean honestly you trade a top goaltender 7-1 for peeps sake for a guy who is coming off a pretty good year and a terrible year after that (raycroft). H...
Another year has started and I know hockey season is well underway by the growing sinking feeling in my gut. 22 games in and the Leafs look about where most analysts had them pegged. There have been surprises, some pleasant, most not so much. So here are my first quarter grades for the Leafs. [b]Goalies:[/b] Andrew Raycroft: 2-2-3, 3.32 GAA, .887 SV% -Raycroft ha...
I am going to break this down into three parts: 1) Flyers 2) NHL 3) Non-Hockey. [img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_PHI_161.jpg[/img] [b]25 points and at Thanksgiving[/b] Who saw that coming? [b]Mike Richards[/b] - natch. Mr. Everything. 2nd on the team in scoring (23pts), leading in goal production (11), 5th on the team in +/-, tied with Cob...
By Jsaq and Number23-AKA H&B Olde Tyme Hockey After doing a Flyers trade history review and analysis, I decided to tackle their entry draft record. Needless to say, it was a bit more difficult, so I enlisted the help of fellow Buzzard Number23. We are brothers-in-law, sort of a white trash version of the Gallof boys. Anyhow, we decided to do this a little bit differ...
GO LEAFS GO! What a beautiful sound to hear when you are watching a Toronto Maple Leafs ‘road’ game? UH? Exactly what is wrong with the fans that go to the ACC and watch the Leafs. Honestly you pretentious bunch of F****. There are millions of Leafs fans around Canada and the world that would cheer so loud at the games that they would be horse and have a pounding ...
Hey pens fans, Last night's game could be a big moment for the Pens. In the shoot out, we have some serious shooters, including Ruutu. Many people are suprised by his use there, but, when he is given the opportunity, he does quite well at it. Fleury still has not quite found his game, but at the same time maybe he needs a little more room to breathe, before he is...
pensfan17148 writes...

Pens Shutout Thrashers

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens shutout the Thrashers 5-0. Fleury had the shutout tonight and this is a much needed confidence boost for him. Staal, Malone, Crosby, Armstrong, and Whitney had the Pens' goals. Gonchar had 2 assists and he also left the game early with a groind injury. Malkin's point streak has ended, as he had no points tonight. It was a good game all aro...
mslepp writes...

Bring Darcy Tucker West.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
Eggshmeg writes...

Interview with Ajay Baines

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Earlier this week I was able to get in touch with Hamilton Bulldogs forward Ajay Baines. Ajay played his junior hockey for the Kamloops Blazers, and broke into the AHL in 2000 playing for the Norfolk Admirals. Ajay played for them for 5 and a half seasons, becoming the franchise's all-time leading scorer. He signed a contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs last season, and hel...
predjoe writes...

Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Yes I know that I took some time off from the ol' blog this weekend. Truth be told it felt kind of good. I took the time to sit back and enjoy time with my wife and 23 month old little girl. Don't get me wrong...I watched some hockey but this weekend was about family and pausing to take time and be thankful for what we have been blessed with. I have an incredible wife, a b...
Flpanthers writes...

Panthers after 24 games.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
23 points in 24. Some disapointing free agents. A very slow start and of course as usual a boat load of injuries. But this year it dosent seem so bad. We finally lost the players that were hurting us ( Van Ryn, Mclean ). I wish Murphy would be back soon , hes been a pleasant surprise this season on the pp. The Cats finally got out of their November curse. 6-5-1 so far ...
Jsaquella writes...

Consistency Is Needed

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First, off, I am a Flyers fan. In fact, I consider myself to be a die hard Flyers fan. That said, I have no issue with any of the suspensions handed down to the team this season. Steve Downie got 20 games for leaving his feet and delivering a shoulder to the head of Ottawa's Dean McAmmond. The fact that Downie raced in from near the blueline to nail McAmmond is also...
eleven24 writes...

The Snowball amid the Firestorm

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Like a misbehaving toddler, a Flyers player is once again sent to the timeout chair. This time it is Scott Hartnell, and he gets 2 games to think about what he did - which is quite convenient because while he's thinking, he can read the scribblings on the wall left by Randy Jones, who occupied the same chair just a month earlier. And just like Randy Jones, Hartnell can...
predjoe writes...

To Do List:

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
According to reports the local investment group trying to buy the Nashville Predators wants to take possession of the team as quickly as possible. This may mean as early as Monday and before the City Council and Sports Council vote on the measure. I have to think that this means that the group must feel that that approval is a mere formality at this point. Let's say that a...
FlyersAreBackk writes...

SUSPENSIONS

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I am not here to say that the Flyers should not have received the suspensions they have received. I am fine with the suspension. My problem is the inconsistency within the league with suspensions being handed down. Why does a player need to be injured for a suspension to be handed down? Downie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322zqTkL0-c Phaneuf: http://youtube.com/w...
Hockey fans that have not spent much time in Southern California are often surprised to find the undercurrent of hockey support in the region. Sure, the media coverage is largely non-existent while many people on the street have never seen a game live. But dig deeper and you will find a strong community of youth leagues, recreational leagues, and die-hard hockey fans. ...
CaptShark writes...

To Compete Or To Not Compete

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After last nights game we know what side of the line the Sharks are standing on right now. There is no tenacity in this team and the killer instinct does not exist. In fact if these Sharks were actually sharks in the real shark tank called the Pacific ocean not the Pacific division, they would starve themselves to death. San Jose should be feeding on teams like L.A., espec...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_hurricanes.jpg[/img] The Flyers entered North Carolina in their own stormy turbulence, having sandwiched stellar performances against these same Hurricanes and the powerhouse Ottawa Senators with head-scratching, maddening and inconsistent performances in losses to lesser lights Washington and Boston. The Flyers re...
predjoe writes...

Answering The Bell

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Answering the bell[/b]...that seems to be exactly what the Preds Thursday night in Ottawa with a 6-5 win over the Senators. Every time that they were challenged by the Senators they answered. The Preds jumped out to a quick lead with a early powerplay goal in the first minute of the game. Ottawa would answer and tie it but instead of folding or laying back the Preds...
Why the NHL won’t expand in Canada? Canada is the centre of the hockey world. With over 50% of the NHL’s players coming form Canada, we dominate who plays the game, how the game is played but not where the game is played. Everywhere you go in Canada hockey is the #1 sport and we Canadians are more loyal, knowledgeable, and die hard then any country about any sport. ...
After listening to Ek's idea on the talk show earlier in the week about having the idea of handing out Hockey Buzz hats at the Winter Classic this year and needing people to help contribute to pay for this idea an idea popped into my head. As small as this may seem (I am by far not a rich man) I want to auction off my autographed Alexander Ovechkin Puck. This puck was sig...
pensfan17148 writes...

Pens Fall to Leafs

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the road in Toronto trying to continue their three game winning streak. Before I get to the game, I would like to wish Ryan Malone a Happy Birthday. The Pens have been playing well, as of late. They easily defeated the Stars Friday night and dazzled in the offensive zone. Their defensive play has improved greatly with everyone ch...
A night after the Penguins won their third straight game with a dominating 4-1 win against the Dallas Stars at the Igloo, the skate was on the other foot tonight at the Air Canada Center as the Pens took a step back in a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs came out energized right off the bat and took it to the Pens, who didn't have a response u...
predjoe writes...

Oh My...What A Comeback

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Okay...just finished watching this on DVR and all I can say is wow! Down 4-1 with less than ten minutes to play and the Preds come back to win in 5-4 in a shootout! Don't have a ton of time right now but some quick thoughts... [b]Work finally paid off for Jed Ortmeyer[/b]. Not only did he have a ton of chances tonight but he has been playing hard all year for us. I have...
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 ...
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/lights.gif?t=1196695011[/img] [img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_pfanim1.gif[/img] [u][b]The Twelve Days of Flyers' Christmas[/b][/u] In line with this season of giving, the Flyers' Elves decided to get decked out in their Holiday finery, complete with alternating black and white jerseys and and...
I know it may seem like I'm ragging on the Flyers, but it's kind of hard to ignore it when they are [url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=224272&hubname=]getting a suspension handed down every other game[/url]. The newest culprit: Riley Cote for his head-shot on Matt Niskanen of the Dallas Stars two days ago. Now I haven't seen it yet, so I'm not gonna BS my way throug...
Over the past decade, the National Hockey League has been suffering from declining television audiences in the US. The trend has been accelerated by the season-long lockout in 2004-05 which - quite frankly - left a horrible taste in mouths of most casual American fans. Because of the size (and therefore dollars) wrapped up in the American television market, perhaps t...
[b]A special note to our friends at the Preds and Fox Sports South:[/b] [i]WHY ON EARTH IS TONIGHT'S GAME NOT ON TV?[/i] [b]Seriously? How often do we play in Toronto?[/b] I realize that the Preds TV package doesn’t allow for every game to be shown but there is zero reason why this game is not being shown on TV. Just glancing at the TV schedule I would gladly trade...
I have one question to kevin Lowe, Why did'n't you pick up Bryzgalov off waivers? After last nights debacle I think its written all over the wall that Rolosons's best days are long behind him. The letang goal was as soft as it gets and if Edmonton wants to win games they are going to have to play Garon alot. Roloson's inconsistant play was all to remonnisant of last years ...
[i]So...today is my birthday. Today I turned 35 and I'm a bit depressed. 35 sounds really old. I don't feel old but I am old. No one around me calls me old but I see the way they look at me. What does this have to do with hockey? Not a darn thing but I wanted you to understand my mental state for my blog today. [/i] I was in the Cool Springs area today at a big box reta...
- On November 20, 2007 the popular McDonald’s NHL hockey cards became available through McDonald’s restaurants across Canada and will continue until the end of the year or while supplies last. The last three years the sets were put out by Upper Deck. This year’s set is a definite improvement and one of the nicest McDonald’s hockey card set put out so far by Uppe...
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens defeated the Flames 3-2 in a shootout. Marc-Andre Fleury injured his ankle in the first and Sabourin finished out the game. Malkin and Malone had the two goals in regulation. Malone's goal was a great short handed effort. It was a highlight reel goal, if I ever saw one. Sykora and Letang both scored in the shoot out for the win. Sabo...
This is for my Sabres followers. I figure I could fill you in on what I think of dropping a game to both the Ducks and Kings: Well, after giving it hard to the Carolina Hurricanes before hitting the tarmac at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, you would think the Sabres being winners in 6 of their last 7 games prior to boarding the plane could carry the momentum...
This is great news for the Pred faithful! Spending money to lock up some key players (Legwand) and the sell of the team going to the local group is now official. I would expect Erat and Dumont's signings to follow. Those two guys are key to that top line right now. Rads is not too far behind them. We better get him locked up before he becomes too hot of a commodity. There ...
[img:left]http://bp0.blogger.com/_iwrHzC9-ZDg/R1rNLRUzGcI/AAAAAAAAACU/loGd_bEI0D8/s320/Red+eye+fixed.jpg[/img]This morning I had the chance to speak with Cedrick Desjardins of the Hamilton Bulldogs at Copps Coliseum. He was kind enough to answer all of my questions, despite being put on short notice. Cedrick played Major Junior hockey in Rimouski for 3 years before being t...
I wish I did not have to pay for that ticket tonight. The wife was out with friends tonight so I figured I would take one in alone tonight, just me and the rest of the crazies up top. Well what I should have done was watch at home on the couch with the dog. I could have atleast changed the channel and caught some Seinfeld reruns that would have been more entertaining. Unfo...
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...
[b]COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS THERE ARE REASONS TO SMILE[/b] The next team on my tour is the Columbus Blue Jackets. People use to think of this team as the ones bringing up the rear, but you cannot necessarily say that any more. They have a strong base of players on which to grow. Every team has to have a strong core to build on, and the Jackets has that. I like the ...
Something has got to give soon. Either this team is going to break out and start lighting teams up, or it will just give. Now we really can't complain, San Jose is not in a bad spot amongst the rest of the league. Second in goals against says a lot about how well this defense and Nabby have played thus far. The penalty kill has been great and Thornton has been amazing. Bu...
There have been many blogs and and posts debating the validity of calling the Toronto Maple Leafs a .500 hockey team. Most notably is James Duthie's blog over at TSN, who brings up good arguments, but I think his perception is flawed. Some will say the Leafs are at .500 with a record of 12-12-6, while others say that they have a losing record at 12-18. Forunately for the...
Nationwide Arena - 7pm EST Tonight the Blue Jackets host the Ducks in the last game of the road trip series for the Ducks before they go home. David Vyborny was placed on injured reserve and will not be playing tonight against the Ducks. Instead a young prospect from the Crunch in Syracuse named Derek Mackenzie will be taking his spot for the time being. ...
Anaheim had a terrific power play kill throughout the whole game. After the Ducks tallied back in the second period there was a leverage that would be slightly turned once more for the Jackets until Over Time. Special teams for the Ducks was what won them this game, hands down. These teams are wonderful rivals because when they play each other, they tend to have some very...
Last year, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins owned the Flyers. Dennis Lemieux didn't even have to ask Joe McGrath to see that. The Pens won all 8 meetings and Crosby scored almost at will. Well, this season, the story has been different. The Flyers have won the first two meetings, and Crosby has not scored a goal. Crosby has been largely frustrated, especially in the last...
[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 ...
Tonight the always tough Canucks come into town, and I expect tonight will be a great game. The Sharks played well Tuesday, and I want the team to start some consistency in their game. I have a good feeling that a few players who have been struggling of late will find their game tonight. Steve Bernier had two goals, and Joe Pavelski added another Tuesday night. Maybe Rissm...
Marchant, Pahlsson, Rob Neidermayer, Moen, Miller, Bertuzzi, and MacDonald - It is time for you to stand up and be counted. You comprise the 2nd and 3rd lines of the Ducks and your lack of scoring is killing this team. We are 33 games into the season and you have very little to show for it. Do you expect your first liners to win every game for you? Some of you guys pla...
I was shocked that the Blues traded Dougie Weight and It is truly sad to see him go. He has been a fan favorite in St. Louis and we were happy to have him back after he won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes. But now this trade marks the end of Weight as a Blue I believe, and I think it is better for him to go to Anaheim and maybe get back on track offensively under a new...
Jon Jordan writes...

It Just Gets Worse

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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 ...
Jsaquella writes...

Random Thoughts

Posted Monday | Comments 0
'Tis the season to go shopping Fa la la la la la la la la la..... Go and get me something funny Fa la la la la la la la la Buy me now a Flyers jersey Fa la la la la la la la la.... Drink some beer and get real merry Fa la la la la la la la!!! -Steve Downie is out of control and needs to be stopped!!! He had another incident, this one with the AHL's Philadelphia Pha...
I would like to lead with what everyone is talking about and that is Chris Simon. I personally would have no problem not ever seeing this guy step on the ice again. Players should realize playing in the NHL is a privilege and an honour and he does things to jeopardize his career constantly. Give the guy what he wants and deserves and show him the door. The Sens look ...
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...
RyanMac writes...

The Unknown Swede

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]By Ryan MacLeod [/b] Most leaf fans can put together a pretty long list of accomplishments stemming from Swedish centre Mats Sundin, but there is a new Swede invading the team’s ranks that I guarantee many know nothing about. That’s none other than prospect defenseman Anton Stralman. The team called him up from the AHL to help fill-in while McCabe is shelved, so ...
TheStig writes...

Chris Simon: NHL Bad Boy

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
IslesNation writes...

When Is Enough....Enough??

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
When is enough…..enough? We all remember the “beheading” that Chris Simon laid on Ryan Hollweg last March….this time he tried to chop off Jarkko Ruutu’s skate. When is it enough? The Islanders officially gave Chris Simon a leave of absence from the team yesterday to seek counseling. During the course of that counseling….will Simon realize that he should...
For the past few days there has been a lot of speculation of what will happen to Chris Simon after his stomping on Jarkko Ruutu in a game against the Penguins last Saturday. The vast majority of feelings out there have been that of a suspension for the rest of the year and possibly a lifetime ban. Personally I would have lobbied for the lifetime ban, but I would have se...
JPDucks writes...

Selanne to stay Retired

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
marcs797 writes...

NHL 08 HUGE GLITCH

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
Hey pens fans, Well, last night the Pens fell to the Rangers 4-0. It was not pretty, so I will not dwell on that. The Pens have made some moves. Connor James was re-assigned to WBS and the Pens called up Jeff Taffe. On the injury front, Ryan Malone went in for a medical evaluation on a leg infection. Also, the holiday trade freeze will go into effect at midnight to...
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...
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...
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...
Ok here's the deal. The Maple Leafs always seem to face Backup goalies, it's getting ridiculous. 17 out of 35 games including tonights' game the leafs have faced a back-up goalie. You could say that it's 20 games but I left Carey Price's Starts out. so the breakdown is this: 14 wins in total 6 wins out of 17 games VS back-ups 17 games VS Backups 18 games VS Star...
Ron Guillet writes...

My Trip To Montreal

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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....
I am making a trip to Ottawa for the annual Bell Cup youth hockey tournament for my son during the holiday and then we are off to the HHOF in Toronto. While we are there, I would love to take my 10 yr old to ACC to watch the Leafs play the Lightening on Jan 1. What a great experience it would be for the both of us. As you in Toronto know, finding a ticket to a Leafs gam...
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...
I've been a hockey fan all my life. Regardless of who is playing I always enjoy a good hockey game (raise your hand if you watch the IHL All Star Game) but with the recent Chris Simon incident (see video above) I have begun to question if the game has always been like this? As a fan of the game I know that coaches put out enforcers at certain times knowing that they a...
The Florida Panthers will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs which is shaping up to look like a good game, tomorrow night at the Bank Atlantic Center. After coming off a big 5-4 win against the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida will be looking to add another win to its arsenal tomorrow night. As for the leafs, I think the challenge might be greater than the past games, t...
[b]While winning one game stops a losing streak[/b] I don't know how far it will go in turning the Preds season back around. Truth be told I can't get real excited about a home win against the LA Kings. The only thing I knew going into last nights game was one of these poorly playing teams had to win...there was no way around that. [b] The Preds came out flying[/b] and ...
predjoe writes...

Merry Christmas

Posted Monday | Comments 1
[b]Nice win by the Preds last night[/b] with a 3-1 win over the Bluejackets...I didn't get to see it but I liked what I heard. One name that I kept hearing last night was that of #22 Jordin Tootoo. I am loving his game and the way he is taking on the responsibility that the coaches are giving to him. Tootoo is making a case for him to be a top RFA signing for the Preds. ...
NYHippo writes...

Waiting for another win

Posted Monday | Comments 0
What will it take for the Flyers to win another game? While it seems like they are playing hard, they are making ton of mistakes. I guess you can't continue to win if you are getting out shot every week. Am I wrong or have we gotten out hit two games in a row by the Sabres!
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...
predjoe writes...

I'm Not Alone...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[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 ...
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...
predjoe writes...

12 In A Row

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Last night's 4-3 victory was the twelfth time in a row that the Predators have won over the Columbus Bluejackets. Honestly i can't believe it. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then! [b] Last nights win did not come easy[/b] though (actually all of the contests between Columbus and Nashville are heavily contested) with Nashville having to come back ...
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...
deadmarsh20a writes...

Pick Up Samsonov

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
When the Hawks put Samsonov on waivers I thought that his career was over and he would retire gracefully. I then pulled up his stat sheet and realized he is still only twenty-nine. Sergei still has the chance to turn it around and finish with a decent career. Not this year but maybe next. So who should give him this opportunity? The L.A. Kings of course. He is set to...
John Jaeckel writes...

Reality Bites

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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 ...
mapleleaf92 writes...

The Effects of January 1st.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]1. The Winter Classic[/b] Overall, the event was a huge success, and I would expect that the NHL is going to plan more for the future. I'd like to see it happen in a Canadian city again though. Perhaps in the Rogers Center in Toronto. [b]2. The Senators getting bossed around in Washington[/b] As a leaf fan, i found this to be actually quite entertaining. Ottawa...
FightingFerret writes...

Doughty Overrated?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 5
In my watching of the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship there has been constant talk of the top two guys for the 2008 Entry Draft in Ottawa. The consensus seems to be that Canadian Steven Stamkos will go #1 and Drew Doughty, a Canadian defender, will go #2. I was quite surprised by this aspect because of the games I have seen Doughty play I have been surprisingly und...
predjoe writes...

Solid Win

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]The Preds posted an impressive 5-2 win[/b] over the Edmonton Oliers who continue to find Nashville a tough place to play losing their fourth straight appearance here. Getting two goals from Alexander Radulov, a goal and an assist from captain Jason Arnott, a short handed goal from Jared Smithson and JP Dumont added a powerplay goal in a game that the Preds seemed t...
The first half of the rangers season ended on a bad note, with a 3-0 loss to the Canucks in Vancouver. The expectations this team had coming into the season were not met by their 20-17-4 record, totaling 44 points in 41 games. But overall this team had two sides and personalities. [img:left]http://voice.paly.net/media/images/2007-05-05-picture_1_280x349.shkl.png[/img] ...
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...
bongo_guy writes...

vanRiems-Who?!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Americans go 1-2-3 in scoring...pretty good...10pts in 4 games for that #12 guy...that's pretty good too. To be fair, vanRiemsdyk had a really good third period-he was strong on the puck and worked hard to get that goal. But I think I heard his name mentioned all of twice in the previous 2 periods. What happened, you might ask? 1 word: Domination! Canada's defense...
We are at mid-season and the team thus far has performed well. The expectations for this team were through the roof at the start of the season, picked by most sports publications to win the cup. If you compare the performance up to this point with the early predictions for the team, you will see they are a little below where they planned to be. However the team continues t...
FLAMESTR writes...

Ducks next on my tour

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b] QUACK QUACK THE DUCKS [/b] The Ducks probably have the best defense in the NHL. Burke must believe that you build a team from the defense in. The Ducks' strength is in their size. Their forwards are big and strong. The Ducks are a terrific team, with plenty of stars to burn. Today's blog will be in the regular format, with who I think are the key cogs...
Toronto's 3rd round pick in 2004 is coming into his own. Justin Pogge started the season with the Toronto Marlies splitting goaltending duties with former New Jersey Devil, Scott Clemmensen. Both played fairly well and one did not look superior over another. But a Vesa Toskala injury to the Toronto Maple Leafs might just be what Justin Pogge needed. With Clemmensen getting...
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...
John Ferguson, (General Manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs), is in quite a bind. He is sitting in the press box, watching the team he built, blow games night after night. He is watching his team fall to injuries, again! He is watching the coaching staff he has backed fail to bring the team he built to the point he thinks that they should be playing at. Essentially...
[b]"The Code"[/b] If you were to look in the Webster's Dictionary of Hockey for a definition, you would probably come up empty. If you were to ask anyone in the game, they might knowingly smile but likely not cough up to much. Some might. Ask a diehard fan what the Code means and he would likely be able to put some walls around it. [b]Action and Reaction:[/b] Thos...
sstrang writes...

Half-way Award Winners

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
On this day, January 8th, almost every Toronto media outlets have an article dedicated towards this intense toronto maple leafs situation. Let me just recap. We currently sit at 13th place in the nhl eastern conference. What people are saying is that we should throw in the towels, trade away the veterans for future aspects and draft picks. To me, its seems like a great id...
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...
DrFrankentweed writes...

Blues turn the screw

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Damn - I wish I could have watched the Blues savage the Blue Jackets 6-1 last night. Living the UK though, a number of the Blues games don't actually start until 1.30am and I cannot justify staying up for the whole game. Shame. NASN is the satellite channel in the UK that shows a lot of hockey - unfortunately we've only had one Blues game. Which one did they pick? ...
In the midst of yet another disappointing season for the blue and white, the question of rebuilding has resurfaced. A topic which has separated the mass of Leafs fans for quite a while – but to a lesser extent this season. While the 07-08 regular season offered promise for the Leafs, according to Paul Maurice and John Ferguson Jr. anyway, it has proved to be nothing but...
TheMike12 writes...

Mats Sundin, Ottawa Senator...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
As a Sens fan this is something that has been on my mind this season, if Mats Sundin were to decide to waive his no-trade clause and seek out a contender to join for a chance to win a cup, would I want to see the Sens go after him??? All trash talking and bad blood between the two teams aside, Mats Sundin is one heck of a hockey player with plenty left in the tank and in...
they showed the 99 flyers leafs series on nhl network last nite. kinda where the hatred started between the two teams. the call on leclair was definitely a penalty. but you don't call it in the deciding game with 2 to go. it was a weak way to end a series. the flyers should have had the opportunity bowing out like men and playing the last 2 hockey minutes of the season. ...
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...
[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 ...
From the first shift of his first NHL game, Alex Ovechkin has been knocking people on their asses. Ask Radoslav Suchy. You know, the guy that Ovechkin checked so hard on his first shift in the NHL that Suchy went through the glass. Ovechkin, ever since, has been a man among men in the NHL. Suchy? Well, he is playing in Switzerland, downtrodden and demoralized. Ap...
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...
Flyers lose a heartbreaker in overtime against Boston. Niittymaki played the puck wrong as he tried to stop a breakaway, and it was simply too easy for Ward to put it in the net. However, let's look at the positives from the game. Flyers come back from two in the third period. How? Simple. Momentum was on the their side. It all started with the Downie line, and Jason Sm...
The feeling going into the Leafs road trip in California was that the Leafs needed atleast 4 points to stay in the realistic playoff picture. The guys went out and got destroyed by the Ducks....of course the organization played the Ducks off as the Stanley Cup Champions and so in their minds the 5-0 loss was completely acceptable. Then they went out the following night...
Like they all say, a win is a win and that's what counts. For the Philadelphia Flyers, today's win is just that: a win. Mike Knuble scored two goals in the first period, and Mike Richards scored the eventual game winning goal on an exceptional play by Steve Downie whose come along very nicely in recent games (more on him later). Jim Dowd, and R.J. Umberger also scored f...
The Oilers lately have reminded me that I should not lose faith. The Oil are continually proving me wrong. Last night against the Flames, the Oilers put up a very impressive victory. They played a flames team that is virtually unstoppable on the road. Hemsky was outsanding, Score-coff continues to dominate, and a revived Dustin Penner is finally worth his weight. He has re...
It has been a whirlwind week for the Washington Capitals organization and its fans -- one which will always be remembered with the greatest of Capitals lure. But the Philadelphia Flyers, as they have done countless times in our 34 year history, played the spoiler as they came to town and skated away 6-4 winners. On a day meant for Alex to shine, it w...
Capitals fans (and no doubt the team itself) have dealt with swirling rumors regarding their 22 year old superstar in recent weeks. Fans of teams around the league were concocting outlandish rumors of trades that were supposedly near fruition. We heard Nashville, Columbus, Montreal, and countless other teams were "close" to making a deal for the face of the Capitals' rebu...
BlueBloodPat writes...

Around the NHL

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
Anne Hier writes...

Fantasy Stanley

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Having all that I can handle with reality, I don't do fantasy. Or fantasy hockey. On the plus side, fantasy hockey forces homer fans, loyal to their team, to actually look at other good players in the league. To do well in fantasy sports, one must, of necessity, keep up with the scores, stats, and injury reports league-wide. Of course, I am sure there are plenty of fant...
GAGNER#89 writes...

GARON IS A STAR!!!!!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Just thought I'd see who you guys thought would best represent the "C" on the Maple Leafs with Sundin gone, either on a short-term basis, or long-term should he decide to sign elsewhere. My Vote: McCabe. First off, the guy is full of class. He has and always will be a symbol of the best of times in Leaf land, with his everlasting passion and love for the game. In fac...
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!
In an extremely surprising season series where the Capitals have had Eastern Conference leading Ottawa's number all year long, the Caps look to ice the cake with a broom tonight -- the proverbial season sweep. As is the case with every game on Washington's schedule, it should not come easy, but against Ottawa (for some unexplained reason) it has. The Senators, in a scen...
4-2 Washington over Ottawa...Sens went a stellar 0-4 against Washington this year managing to get outscored 22-12 over that span. Wow..just...WOW... im not sure if this is just a weird cosmic anomaly that has the planets and moon lined up in the right order when these 2 teams play, but as every sens fan im sure will agree with me, this isn't the team we are used to seeing ...
Yes, the Leafs won, that's not a typo. I guess John Ferguson and Paul Maurice can sleep a little sounder tonight knowing that their jobs are safe for one more day at least. The pundits will talk, sarcastically mind you, of how everything is a-ok in Leafland, and there will be thousands of Leafs fans throughout North America that will be quick to say that the Leafs are on 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...
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...
Alexander Semin has faced more than his fair share of struggles this season. He's been criticized for his soft play and many times appeared to be in his own little world on the ice. But tonight, he was THE reason why Washington beat Ottawa, 4-2 -- finishing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders. The Capitals, who have accounted for a third of the Sens' reg...
Alexander Semin has faced more than his fair share of struggles this season. He's been criticized for his soft play and many times appeared to be in his own little world on the ice. But tonight, he was THE reason why Washington beat Ottawa, 4-2 -- finishing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders. The Capitals, who have accounted for a third of the Sens' reg...
Stevens may say there isn't a goalie controversy, but his actions continue to show otherwise: I say there is one because last week the "hot goalie" line worked for Stevens to play Nitty. But the team has had a few days off which inherently has broken Nitty's rhythm so the slate is basically clean right now. Both goalies gave up 4 goals over the weekend, including a fe...
Game tonight versus #23 and the Rangers. Interestingly, Drury has the worst plus / minus on the Rangers, and is 4th on the team in scoring. Talk radio this week was all about how the Rangers were apparently disappointed with Drury so far. Of course, they probably don't realize that the little man only scores when it matters or they're in the playoffs (see his Antonym, Miro...
panek writes...

RE: "Basic Decency"

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As Kipper pointed out today on [i]Hockey Central at Noon[/i], there is a sudden shift in Leaf Nation's attitude towards John Ferguson Jr. (JFJ) -- and perhaps rightfully so -- but only a month ago collectively we were calling for JFJ's head on a blue and white platter, and now, with puppy dog eyes, we offer our death-bed sympathies. There is no denying that JFJ's treatm...
Well, it's coming down to crunch time before the trade deadline and already we have been bombarded with rumours about us getting a guy and them getting a lot of our guys. If you are like me, you have probably thought about what the numbers are and who is in the mix. Well, technically everyone is in the mix (e.g. Vokoun) but, I thought I would give the info on who our UFA...
While discussions run rampant of how the Leafs should dismantle their club, trading Sundin and bottoming out in the Eastern Conference seem to be the most approved tactic from fans of the blue and white. I am completely behind this plan, but many have overlooked some prospects in our own AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. The Marlies are enjoying a successful season u...
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 was thinking back to the post-lockout Caps and all the journeymen that made a pit stop in Washington. I decided to check up on a few of these familiar names and share my findings. So here we go: [b]RICO FATA [/b]- The guy with the soul patch who was always flying around the ice with no particular destination in mind has moved on to Germany. Now in his se...
Some players who might help your team. Andrei Kostitsyn (MTL) winger : He has 18pts in the last 19 games Nicklas Kronwall (DET) Defense : He has 20pts in the last 28 games Mike Mottau (NJ) Defense : He has 5 pts in the last 9 games Kris Letang (PIT) Defense : He has 4 pts in the last 6 games. Watch out for this guy. He's a stud in the making. Grab him up w...
Has anyone seen Chris Kunitz? Where did the banzai-skating, run everything that moves, open up space for your line mates and fastest player on the ice go? Either the NHL told him to slow down and stop running opponents or someone whispered in his ear and told him he was a finesse-style player and could avoid contact and still be effective. Either way, he is lost and we ...
The situation in Leaf's Nation is very interesting. The Rumour of the Toronto Maple Leafs perhaps trading captin Mats Sundin brings butterflies to every Leaf fan in Toronto. The trade was suggested by hockey expert Bob Mckenzie. The trade would be a 3 way deal. The teams involved would perhaps involve the Calgary Flames, the Montreal Canadiens and of course our very own To...
Oosterman1 writes...

Solutions for Mr. Maurice

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Okay first of all get rid of Sundin I love him at heart and stuff but uh... we havent won a cup in over 40 years hello?? 2nd of all try to get someone like Mat Carle or Steve Bernier a franchise player who can step up... We need someone who can fill the shoes. step up take an A and put points on the board my suggestion Patrick Marleau and Steve Bernier for Antropov and Sun...
The last few weeks in this city have been frustrating; not just for MLSE, but for Leafs fans everywhere. With all the drama, accusations, job scrutiny and calls for the heads of many in MLSE upper management....I think many people forgot that the Toronto Maple Leafs are a hockey team rather than a business enterprise. Needless to say, it was very calming and somewhat e...
Yup, we all know what nees to be done. This team; players, coaches, and management all need to a good long look at each other and decide what changes need to be done now to get better. The Sharks are not going to win the Stanley Cup this year at this rate, and if they want to make an attempt at it this year or even next year, we need changes. The changes are not a ne...
[b]Some interesting Flyers stats for the month of January thusfar:[/b] * 7-1-1 in the Month of January * Biron is 2-1 while Nitty is 5-1 * Flyers have been outshot 303 - 268 * Outscored opponents 38 - 23 * Combined, the Flyer goalies have a 2.56GAA while they have a save percentage of .9240 * Opposing goalies are giving up an average of 4.22 goals per ga...
Over the last few weeks, the word inconsistent has been made synonymous with the Toronto maple leafs. I have exams to study for, so I'll make this quick. Sportsnet blogs and other sources say that the recent 3 game streak may not even be enough to save John Ferguson's job. Cliff Fletcher might be hired THIS WEEK. Then again, someone else made a good point that, unless M...
All the attention of the Hockey World, it seems, is on the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there's now a disaster just two hours southwest. Someone told me it's the Curse of the Buffalo Bills that has inflicted this team. The moment they stepped on the ice at Ralph Wilson Stadium, they got a heavy dose of "We find ways to lose" injected into their bodies. Now I don't know if...
predjoe writes...

Performance Under Pressure

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Knowing that the playoff push [/b]has started in earnest for them the Predators posted an impressive 4-0 road win over a team that they are chasing in the standings. Resembling the M.A.S.H 4077th more than the team that started the year the Predators played inspired hockey in their victory over the Av's. While Chris Mason's recent play (4-1-1, 1.32, .948 in last 5 G...
Last evening, in a Rangers-Thrashers game, Ilya Kovalchuk hit Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival from behind, into the boards, while leaving his feet. It certainly meets all the criteria Colin Campbell listed when he ruled that Steve Downie's hit on Dean McAmmond was worth a 20 game suspension. To remind us all, Campbell said Downie's hit met the four requirements for a...
Some of us are on the verge of conceding this year as lost cause for the Sabres. If this is the case, it's time to start thinking about putting up the "For Sale" sign at the trade deadline. Here's a look at our tradable assets and potential trading partners. Our tradable assets (and their approx remaining cap at the time of the deadline) Maxim Afinogenov (1.3m) Tim ...
tyler_31 writes...

My Utopian NHL - Part I

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
grapes17 writes...

Modernizing the NHL

Posted Friday | Comments 0
During Friday's coach's roundtable session on the NHL Network and NHL Home Ice XM 204, San Jose coach Ron Wilson responded in a curious manner to an interesting question. The thought was, has the NHL suffered from a lack of characters in the game? Specifically, the examples of Tiger Williams riding his stick after a goal and Don Cherry's flamboyant style behind the ben...
The core fans are the ones who buy the products, the tickets, show up to games. The perimeter fans, you have to have them, just like you have to have and develop new fans all the time, but you better take care of that core fan first. This is why the NHL needs to get back to cold weather cities, the Core is in the north, period. My idea is a migration of teams nort...
Three years removed from the NHL lockout and the young talent continues to look better and better with every drop of the puck. The 2007 Young Stars Game was a joke, plain and simple. It was boys, not men, floating around the ice and cherry picking at the oppositions blue line looking for a breakaway. Yawn. Quite a different scene displayed by the young talent selecte...
Anne Hier writes...

Thinking Outside the Net

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Among the hardest qualities to evaluate in competition are the intangibles of "beauty" and "creativity." This is principally because those not in the creativity business erroneously assume that anyone can make competent evaluations of creativity or artistic merit based solely upon personal opinion, with no objective criteria in place. This is the "I don't know much about...
Swede writes...

Answer:

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Mark Recchi :)
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...
Needless to say, Ferguson has left one hell of a mess in Toronto. Currently, Toronto has about 49.8 Million dollars committed to players, with about .7 million dollars left in Cap space. However, for next season, there are 19 players signed to 44 million dollars. Assuming that the cap goes up to 53 million, we will have 9 million left to ATTEMPT to get back, Sundin, Steen,...
Well, I've been quiet all year long on the blog site, and now that I've had time to reflect, and some sleep, here are some things that need to be addressed, IMO. 1. Team doctors screwing up with misdiagnosises Well, it's kind of hard to knock a Dr. on his/her practices if you are not in their shoes. People have been saying the team doctors have dropped the ball w...
predjoe writes...

Quick Hits

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Last Nights Game:[/b] Two things went wrong for the Preds last night. We ran up against a goalie who stood on his head and won that game single handily for his team and the second thing that went wrong was the referee crew. Yes I've read the comments that running into a goalie gives you a free pass most times on retaliating but last night went over the line. Why Chara o...
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens lost to the Thrashers 4-1. Conklin was in net and stopped 16 of 20 shots. Whitney had the only goal (Christensen, Talbot). The Pens had 30 shots on the night. They played a fairly good game. With the injuries, I thought it was a good effort. One thing that is positive is that thtey never gave up and played until the bitter end. No o...
[b]From another name in the rumor mill to a foundational player[/b] in the Preds future. JP Dumont has played all parts this past week in the press and I, as a Pred fan, could not be happier in the role he is ultimately cast. There is no denying that JP has been red hot and the Preds had to be fielding calls from interested GM's wondering about the availability of the ...
TheMike12 writes...

Another Embarasing Loss...

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well there really isn't too much to say about last night abysmal loss to the Leafs, what is happening to the Sens???? now I know the injury situation is hardly something that can be overlooked, you cant pull 3 top tier players off any team and expect them to be as competitive, The loss of Alfie and Heater has been huge to this team so far, and last nights last minute scrat...
Hey pens fans, Last night, the Pens mounted 4 goals in the third to down Carolina 4-1. Christensen, Sykora, Malkin, and Malone got the goals. Conklin was in the net. It was a solid effort by the team. They looked a little off in the beginning, but they picked up, took control, and never looked back. Beech is with the team and practicing. Look for him sometime in t...
Watching the Senators of late has been agonizing - how could a team go from being considered a threat to the Montreal Canadiens of the 70's to a .500 team so quickly? Their play harkens back to that fateful 05-06 season when they exploded out of the gate with a 27-6-3 record by January 1st. That team featured a high octane offense led by Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza and...
Hey pens fans, Tonight, the Pens fell too the Devils in OT on the road. the final score was 4-3 Devils. Malone, Sykora and Staal had the Pens goals. Sykora got his 6ooth point. Malkin had 2 assists. Conklin was in goal stopping 21 of 25 shots. In the second, it loked like there would be no stopping the Pens from this victory, but in the end they were stopped. The P...
habbies writes...

Trades

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens are gelling right now and I see a reason why we should not get a rental player. The first reason is our team is close to 1st in the east so why mess with them. Another we will be giving way to much for rental player such as the likes of Hossa. The only reason to go for a player like that is if we have knowledge that they will sign with us and keep th...
pensfan17148 writes...

Rumor Time

Posted Wednesday | Comments 3
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 ...
predjoe writes...

Preds Shutout Canes

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[i]*Please take a moment to pray for the people of the south today following last nights horrific storms that have left at least 26 dead in Tennessee alone. In moments like this sport seems so insignificant.[/i] [b]Great win by the Preds last night.[/b] I was unable to attend as I came down with a severe case of strep throat (yup 35 years olds can catch it too!). My par...
predjoe writes...

Playoff Hockey

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Trotz has said it. The players have said it. The prognosticators have said. I've said it. Everyone has said it...this is playoff hockey. The Preds are in the midst of a stretch run that could be one of the most exciting in recent history. I thought it was put rather well by Carolina Hurricane Cory Stillman in an intermission interview during the Versus broadcast on Tues...
Number23 writes...

Five Burning Questions

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With [b]Alexander Ovechkin[/b] soaking up the spotlight, and [b]NBC[/b] repeatedly opting out of showing [b]Penguin[/b] games to showcase other teams, how bad has [b]Sidney Crosby[/b]'s injury [i]really[/i] been for the [b]NHL[/b]? When are [b]Sabres[/b] fans more annoying, when the team is winning or when it's losing? What's harder to find: a fully occupied row of s...
boobyorr writes...

Oiler Questions

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Greeting Hockey Fans, So Oil Country I have some questions for you in regards to this team. I hope to get some response, as I am curious for other opinions on some issues I have heard being discussed. So here's a couple questions with a few talking points for your enjoyment or displeasure. 1. If he was available, would waive his NTC, and could be had for a reasonable...
cvick writes...

Sick of the leafs?

Posted Friday | Comments 5
Anyone out there sick of hearing about the leafs on all the sports channels, internet blogs, and radio shows? I personally am, and I have developed a hatred for the leafs. Although the Maple Leafs are the centre of the hockey world, they are not the centre of MY hockey world. I think it is unfair that every Saturday night that I sit down to watch HNIC, The leafs play th...
I will be writing a 5 part series that is somewhat similar to and inspired by Scott Gallof's "The Blame Game." However, instead of pointing fingers at individuals who are to blame, I will discuss certain key attributes that the team as a whole are lacking and are the reasons, but not the only reasons, for the Ranger's underacheivement. [u][b]MOTIVATION[/b][/u] Great ...
Une nouvelle saison debute dans la ligue de hockey cosom de l'ETS. Pour le National il s'agit d'un nouveau commencement. En effet, le capitaine Boivin et ses boys, voudrons faire oublier le desastre de la derniere saison. Souvenons-nous l'ecroulement en premiere ronde des series...apres avoir connu une saison parfaite! [b]Devant le filet[/b] Pour la premiere fois depui...
Toni Lydman and Dimitri Kalinin have at least one thing in common. When they're bad... THEY'RE BAD! If you see either of them have a bad giveaway in the first period, it's a "lock" that you will see each of them have 3 or 4 more turnovers over the course of teh rest of the game. Miller must [i]LOVE[/i] this. Coming into the season, Lydman seemed to be much more sol...
While not a Leaf fan, I always enjoy the talk about every single player in organized hockey wanting to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It always happens around Trade Deadline Tuesday and July 1. Of course, it hasn't been helping that the Leafs are on the bubble every year recently to get in, and likely need the boost. Anyway, the Leafs need to do some major trades this d...
jammer21 writes...

Contract insanity!

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s official. The “new” NHL is just as out of control as the last one. The other day, I used the phrase “Patrick Sharp money” while talking about Dan Cleary’s contract demands. (Yes, Dan Cleary is allegedly thinking about holding out for a pay raise. Dan freaking Cleary. He’s had one good year this year, and that warrants a big raise?) Wait a minute. T...
!!! Dernière heure !!! Rumeur de transaction chez le John Deer...Selon nos collègues de RDS, le nouveau capitaine du John Deer serait à préparer le retour au jeu du vétéran défenseur Julien Lapierre. Qui aurait l'épée de Damoclès sur la tête. Selon les rumeurs, l'ex joueur-entraîneur Rich "Rocky Rouquin" Pascone écoperait. Sa mauvais attitude, son manque de...
!!! Derniere heure !!! Rumeur de transaction chez le John Deer...Selon nos collegues de RDS, le nouveau capitaine du John Deer serait a preparer le retour au jeu du veteran defenseur Julien Lapierre. Qui aurait l'epee de Damocles sur la tete. Selon les rumeurs, l'ex joueur-entraineur Rich "Rocky Rouquin" Pascone ecoperait. Sa mauvais attitude, son manque de communicatio...
FLAMESTR writes...

HABS CONTENDER?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
The Freshman writes...

My Maple Leaf Wishlist

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So after reading endless posts about the leafs, and who they could get for our captain...I thought i would just put up a list of players i would love to see in a leaf jersey once the trade deadline passes. I am not an NHL GM and find myself unqualified to be planning trades, but here are some players i believe the leafs could get their hands on with the right moves by Mr. ...
[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...
predjoe writes...

A White Knuckled Win

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
You know when you ride that really scary roller coaster and you thought you had a great time...that is until you get off and realize that you were clinching your fists so tight the whole time that you cut off circulation. That's how last nights game against Detroit felt to me...a bit too much of the white knuckles. [b]The Start We Needed:[/b] Wow! I don't think anyone s...
millertime writes...

Live Blog: Sabres-Leafs

Posted Wednesday | Comments 4
10:07 p.m.: Some quick post-game wrap-up...Big win for the Sabres. Miller 1st star with 35 saves and Gaustad with the GWG. Other updates since Buffalo's game ended, the Habs win in OT 2-1, Boston holds on to win 2-1 and they actually pass the Rangers in the process, at least for now, as they have one more win and two games in hand. Updated Eastern Conference standings l...
Rob McGowan writes...

Simon Says...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 781
[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 ...
habbies writes...

Habs Trade Deadline

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What I want from the Hockey Gods for the trade deadline.......nothing, yes you heard me nothing. Well let me rephrase that nothing in the name of Hossa or Jokinen with their huge price tags of higgins, plekanecs or both. Yes Hossa would be a dream but higgins is young and can be great Higgins: 6 ft 199 lb for 3 full season (icluding this years on pace for) ...
In case you haven't heard, oft-suspended Islanders forward Chris Simon is back practicing with the team as of yesterday, is eligible to return February 21st against Tampa and will do so immediately, according to coach Ted Nolan: [i]"I can't see why he wouldn't get right back in the lineup. Other guys get injured and then get right back in. I don't see this as any differ...
predjoe writes...

Hawks In Town for V-Day Date

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]The high octane Chicago Blackhawks[/b] come calling tonight to the Sommet Center fresh off a 7-2 thrashing of the Bluejackets last night. One can only hope that they used up their allotment last night. Led by a core of youngsters that will make this team dangerous for years to come the Blackhawks have fallen out of contention and appear to be destined to be a .500 ho...
[u][i][b]Part One of a three-part series.[/b][/i][/u] Lately, lots of predictions are being made: who will/won't be traded; who will/won't make the playoffs; even who will/won't play in the Olympics [i]two years from now[/i](!?!) In this space, I'll put forth my nominees for this year's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The [b]Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy[/b] is...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Short and not so sweet this week. http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/ enjoy
John Jaeckel writes...

Quietly, A Star Is Born

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
While most likely out of playoff contention, the Blackhawks appear nonetheless to be on their way to a successful season (as compared with the previous decade and a half of futility) in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. The Hawks will probably finish over .500. They're 4-1 vs. Detroit this season. Their line-up is studded with young players who are emerging as N...
Inferno31 writes...

Leaf Deadline Plan

Posted Monday | Comments 0
So as a Leaf fan whats one to do, other than speculate on what will occur during the trade deadline? Now I've heard tons of ideas for trades, mostly ludicrous. We as fans tend to overestimate the value of some of our players, and we also tend not to realize the rest of the league knows what position were in, and thats one of weakness. So I figured I'd contribute to endless...
Phigment writes...

Flyers - Lost Weekend

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Well as I said before this past weekend could go a long way to determining the Flyers deals at the upcoming trade deadline. It looks like Hatcher is out for a month, as is Lupul, Gagne for at least that long, and now Downie is out with a "mild" concussion. I know this sounds like crybaby stuff, but when is the NHL going to protect the Flyers players within the rules like...
predjoe writes...

Preds Sticking Around...

Posted Monday | Comments 1
[i]"These Preds just won't go away."[/i] That has to be the thought going through many a player and GM in this league right now. The team that many had left for dead before the season started finds themselves sitting in 6th place right now with 21 games to go. Yes, I know that is a lot of hockey left but no one thought we'd be here. [b]Why Are We Here? [/b]For me it...
The Canadian Press recently reported that NBC is using the ratings for the current Sunday hockey broadcasts to determine if they wish to continue regular hockey coverage in the future. Wonder what the ratings were yesterday? Apparently, NBC has forgotten that they used to cover the Daytona 500. Of course, in 2005 when the race left NBC and went elsewhere the ratings i...
The deadline is only 8 days away and the rumors are swirling like crazy. Especially regarding the Leafs. The Leafs are getting more air time than ever in Canada right now, which is hard to believe considering East Coast TV always leads with the Leafs regardless of their standing in the league. But this blog isn't complaining about the centre of the universe, I just want to...
Number23 writes...

Masterton Nominees: The EAST

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[u][i][b]Part Two of a three-part series.[/b][/i][/u] Here are my nominees from each team for this year's Masterton Trophy. This does [i]not [/i]mean that I think each has an equal shot at the trophy, just that each is the most deserving from his team. [u][b]The East[/b][/u] [u][b]Atlanta--Mark Recchi[/b][/u] Many doubted he had anything left when waived by th...
Sgt-Punk writes...

First Time Blog - SUNDIN

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Yup, I've decided to stop posting random BS on other boards and voice my opinion out here. In this deep, dark world known as hockey blogging. Anyways, HUGE Leaf fan. HUGE hater of all the good teams. Good teams, being those better than Toronto, or basically, 28 teams. So, heres my rant about the Leafs. And what I feel they could do. Sundin. That's it. The blogs done. A...
predjoe writes...

Whoo...That Was Close

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]With the game in hand[/b] and the ice tilted in their direction the Predators let the Edmonton Oilers nearly steal two points in Nashvhille last night. The Oilers scored goals in bunches and scoring three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead. The Preds answered back seconds later knotting the game at four a piece. JP Dumont finally rescued the Preds in the final minutes ...
I’m not Darryl Sutter, though, so I’m just having fun and you can read and comment all you like. Sure, most are wishful thinking and maybe even a bit far-fetched, but have fun anyway. 1) [b][i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen:[/i][/b] Flames get the #1 Center they’ve been wanting for yea...
As of now the Leafs are a big mess. There are 5 players on the team with No-Trade clauses. Most of them should be traded either now for teams making a playoff run, or in the off-season at the draft. Sundin should be and probably will be traded at or before the trade deadline, pick up a developed player in the league, or two, a prospect or two, and a first, and second round...
saneopinion writes...

Should Sutter Sell??

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the trade deadline approaches there is a consensus that there are more buyers than sellers. Thus the price of return goes up, the 5th round pick you'd get for say a Yelle goes up to a 3rd round pick, who wouldn't take that deal? Some might say that a team going for the cup needs that depth to make it, they need to survive for two months of punishment and I agree. The on...
[b][i][u]Part Three of a three-part series.[/u][/i][/b] Here are my nominees from each team for this year's Masterton Trophy. This does not mean that I think each has an equal shot at the trophy, just that each is the most deserving from his team. [b][u]The West[/u][/b] [b]Anaheim--Brad May[/b] To play as long as he has in the role he does is saying something....
After a second declaration from Bob that they are looking for an impact player for the deadline, I pretty sure something big will happen. I wouldn't be surprised to see either Streit, Ryder, O'byrne and even Huet be moved. Other player that might go away are Mikael Grabovski or Kyle Chipchura. These players are young, they have skills and they are high on the GM's ...
5-2 Dallas Tomorrow I'll take a look at the Stars roster to see who the most likely trade chips are. Young players take time to develop in professional sports. 19 and 20 year olds rarely step right in take the world by storm. Steve Ott is a former 1st round pick, and this year he is beginning to show why. In the past two games Steve Ott has been throwing his body aro...
Dingwell writes...

Habs ECHL Team Tearing It Up

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Long time lurker, first time writer.. don't be too harsh.. While many people give Bob Gainey credit for the depth of Habs prospects, I personally believe the seeds were planted during Andre Savard's tenure in Montreal. Feel free to correct me, but this is when I first feel the Habs began the slow re-stocking process. Feel Free to enjoy this process Leaf Fans... W...
Canuck2k7 writes...

Canucks vs Red Wings

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Canucks have won 3 straight now and are only 3 points behind the division leading Minnesota Wild. Will the Canucks beat the #1 team in the league tonight? Only time will tell. [u][b]DIVISION STANDINGS[/b][/u] 1. Minnesota Wild- 73pts 2. Calgary Flames- 72pts 3. Vancouver Canucks- 70pts 4. Colarado Avalanche- 68pts 5. Edmonton Oilers- 59pts
Apparently I should have kept my mouth shut; the Isles looking for their seventh win in a row faltered under a young and weak defense, allowing the New Jersey Devils to win their first game against us in almost a year. It honestly was only a matter of time before the Atlantic Division leading Devils recorded a win against our 5-0 season streak. It was also only a matter of...
Dear Mats Sundin, I realize that you spend hours in the gym and on the ice every week trying to prepare yourself for the rigours of playing hockey at the NHL level. However, I also know (based on two very reliable sources) that you take the time to read every single comment and post made on this site so I thought I would clear a few things up. First off, I was...
other trade rumors I found for today... Canucks are a big-time player in trade talks for the likes of Brad Richards, Olli Jokinen, but don't like richards salary or minus 25 on the year. Tanguay, rumored to be headed to Montreal for Michael Ryder, Tanguay also has a no-trade clause and it's been recently reported that he would be willing to accept a trade to Montreal...
Well, Nonis will have another opportunity tomorrow to prove his worth. And in the last of a 3 year deal himself, he's got some proving still to do. Nonis, like his mentor Burke, doesn't get himself pushed around, but also doesn't sit still. He wants to do a big deal. A big deal that will get him an impact player that will be here for years to come. With so much ...
cvick writes...

K Lowe and Robbie Schremp.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
Rob McGowan writes...

Snow Is Indeed A Builder

Posted Tuesday | Comments 30
Salvador to Jersey.. Richards traded to Dallas.. Campbell to San Jose... The frenzy is just starting to begin... And Snow is in his office...ready to pull the trigger on a deal...and it is....... A 7'TH ROUNDER TO SAN JOSE FOR ROB DAVISON! Whew...almost worried we were out of the hunt for a second. What a relief. Hey I almost feel as good as when we lost out o...
3-1 Dallas This was trade deadline hockey. Dallas picked up one of the prizes of the trade deadline, and tonight's game was indicative of that. The piecemeal lineup Dallas had out there tonight is something we likely won't have to see again, but the determination they showed in the third period is something very positive to take away from this game. They were backe...
Glen Sather stepped out of his JetBlue plane in Phoenix, Arizona. As he walked through the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport terminal, he kept on muttering "They give away blue chips for free, they give away blue chips for free." This thought never left the Rangers GM's mind, even as he entered into Phoenix GM Don Maloney's office. He had come to negotiate a trade deadline deal w...
For the first time since Al Iafrate, the Sharks have a true, #1 offensive defenseman to lead them into the playoffs. It was a great move by Sharks GM Doug Wilson to get the prize defenseman of today's trade deadline without giving up any core players. Bernier was liked in San Jose, but the consensus of Sharks fans is that it was time for Bernier to move since he hasn't r...
nosmith23 writes...

Is the Price right?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I'm not a Canadiens fan, far from it, but I have found myself rooting for them more and more over the past few years because they (the management and the players) seem to do hockey the right way, the traditional way, and that's the way I like it. Ribiero's fake injury against the B's in whatever year that was is long forgotten. And the real Alexei Kovalev (remember when...
Zholtok33 writes...

The Downward Spiral

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
[b]A lot has been said about the events of the past few days[/b]. Rightfully so, no doubt. But sometimes, it's lack of foresight and hindsight that alienate some people from others--those who are quick to judge the decisions of a man far more educated in the subject matter. Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson isn't a first-timer at this, people. He's been in h...
i began calling for about two and half weeks ago, or before the blues had the mini explosion of wins,the tanking of the season. this way you end up with steve stamkos. then you dump half of these worthless non goal scoring schmos. tops on my list to not resign or those who need to be traded: 1)tkachoke(keith tkachuk). when you see a guy show up once in a while...
Continuing with yesterday’s blog on the Rangers deadline day acquisitions here is my in-depth analysis and opinion on the players the Rangers acquired, gave up and avoided. TRADE: New York and St. Louis New York Trades: 2008th 4th Round Draft Choice - Many people are speculating this year’s draft class is one of the best ever. But even still, by the fourt...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As usual thanks for reading. http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/ Have a great weekend.
[img:left]http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/09-07/0911stars.jpg[/img]When the Dallas Stars took Tobias Stephan 34th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, they knew what they were getting. At 6'2" 190, Stephan is a tall and skinny young goaltender who plays mainly a stay-at-home butterfly style, with some floppiness to his game. He is currently playing for the ...
Well Ottawa pulled one out last night against a depleted Pittsburg team, and ya know what? it wasnt the prettiest of wins, but ill take it right now! You can immediately see the impact of having Murray back behind the bench as the Sens have a new fire and passion in there game which had been sorely missing, the players finally seem to know there assignments and are out the...
Hockey is a game of emotion, point blank. Sergei Gonchar lost his cool on a play against superstar/superpest Daniel Alfreddson. Now I may take some heat for calling Alfredsson a superpest but let's call it as it is, this guy gets under your skin. I think the play on Sergei Gonchar is proof in the pudding. But I must also be very clear that I think there is a big differ...
"Vulgare proverbium est, quod nimia familiaritas parit contemptum" [b]Familiarity breeds contempt[/b] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/crystal_ballcopycopy.jpg?t=1204518503[/img] It doesn't take a medium or a seance to know that coming away with points on a nightly basis during the final six weeks of regulation games is of paramount importance. The...
MrSharks writes...

Thank You Mr. Wizard

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Sharks had been on quite a fall, losing five straight games and tetering on the edge of playoff consideration. They were three games into a season long 8-game road trip, with Pittsburgh and Detroit on the horizon. The Sharks were aimlessly following the yellow brick road towards the playoffs, but the road was getting narrower and narrower, and the team was falling asle...
MrSharks writes...

Thank You, Mr. Wizard

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Sharks had been on quite a fall, losing five straight games and tetering on the edge of playoff consideration. They were three games into a season long 8-game road trip, with Pittsburgh and Detroit on the horizon. The Sharks were aimlessly following the yellow brick road towards the playoffs, but the road was getting narrower and narrower, and the team was falling asle...
Nyi28nhl writes...

Mr. Jones

Posted Monday | Comments 0
First off, for any Islander fans interested, I have been writing regularly at http://islesnation.com/matt.htm . In order to expose my blog to more people, I decided to post my latest entry here: [i] "I want to be a lion, Everybody wants to pass as cats. We all want to be big big stars, but we got different reasons for that. Believe in me because I don't believe in a...
For those of you who don't frequent Ducks games, let me give you a little background on that question. Prior to last season, part of the renovation of the Ponda included expanding what is now called the Jack Daniels Ol' #7 Club on the Club level into a pretty respectible bar. But the greatest thing about it, was that it stays open for a couple hours after every game, and...
Texhorns02 writes...

Recurring Series'

Posted Monday | Comments 0
http://www.eddiesbetter.com/2008/03/recurring-series.html I'd like to start a few recurring features with staggered starting dates. 1. Ex-Star profile of the month This would simply be a monthly profile of ex-Dallas Stars. Anyone from Bill Masteron, to Mike Kennedy, to Joe Nieuwendyk would be fair game. 2. Dallas Stars 3 Stars of the month Like the NHL 3 stars ...
It's less than a week since the trade deadline, and while the Canucks have picked up 2 of a possible 6 points, they are a disappointing 0-1-2 in that spell. Not only that, the teams top line has gone pointless in those 3 games, and while there has been some secondary scoring, the team seems to be more apathetic as the games go by. Even Luongo's passion has diminishe...
mslepp writes...

Road to the '08 Playoffs

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
Well, once again, I have drunk enough tequila to write a blog complaining about the NHL's inability to locate competent on ice officials to run it's games. This past week, two game deciding goals were scored on plays that should have been blown dead by one of the four on-ice officials. The first was San Jose vs Detroit. The Sharks scored a goal that clearly hit the ...
As we enter mid March the Toronto Maple Leafs have once again put together a run that has seen them tease their fans with the thought of playoff hockey in 2008. Since February 2nd The Leafs have managed to put together a run of 10-5-0-1 and as of the end of play tonight sit six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with thirteen games left to play. With that b...
[img:right]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20080307/tootoo_340_46857.jpg[/img]Jordin Tootoo just hit the nail right on the head, you do have to be a man to play this game. But I'm puzzled by the fact that he laid out Aaron Miller and doesn't be a "man" and stand up for his actions. On Sunday, Matt Pettinger laid out Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks and he ge...
BlueBloodPat writes...

It wasn't Ferguson

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The 2007-2008 NHL season has pretty much become a write-off for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans. Most of the blame for the mediocre season has fallen into the hands of one John Ferguson Jr. for many of the questionable decisions he made as Leafs General Manager. Trading Tukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft obviously tops that list , but neither of those players had a re...
The first period in Toronto has come to a close and the New Jersey Devils are standing on top with a 1-0 lead. It was mostly an uninspiring 20 minutes for both clubs. The Devils managed a goal on a Zach Parise 2nds effort after Jamie Langenbrunner proved that hard work is worth more than skill. Not that he doesn't have any, but he charged for a loose puck, outworked Bri...
After having tied the game with minutes to go in the third period, the Toronto Maple Leafs get the butt end of the stick on a non call which allowed the New Jersey Devils to score the game winning goal on goaltender Vesa Toskala. What a dissapointment this is. The Leafs were in position to get a minimum of 1 point and maybe more but due to this poor non call by the off...
I will be writing a series of blogs discussing a handful of teams whose expectations were minimal to start the season or even now; within these teams, I believe one will take home the Stanley Cup to their franchise. I am beginning with a team that was doubted from the get-go, the Montreal Canadiens. After missing the playoffs in the 06/07 campaign, the Habs tweaked some...
kmohager99 writes...

Numbers Don't Lie

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I've come to realize that my mathematics professors at my alma mater failed to mention that the theories of probability and statistics [i]aren't[/i] universal after all. They immediately cease to be valid once you walk through the gates of the Air Canada Center. You see, it just doesn't matter how mathematically improbable it is for the Toronto Maple Leafs to make the play...
This is a in depth look at what Flyers are signed, which are free agents, who should be back, who should not and who might be trade bait. First a quick look and synopsis of who is signed and under contract for next season-and who have a realistic shot at NHL service with the Flyers in 2008-09. Forwards: Danny Briere, Simon Gagne, Scott Hartnell, Mike Knuble, Sami Ka...
WOW! I just watched the end of the Montreal-New Jersey game on Versus, and how about those Habs? I wish I would've seen this whole game, but ending up with 38 saves, obviously Carey Price had to be sensational. I personally have had some concern about Carey but he stepped up in a big game in a big way and I'd officially like to say I'm on the Carey bandwagon. This gu...
hAbfAn33 writes...

Bell Centre Standing Ovation

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I've been a Habs fan for 20+ years and I can't remember the last time I had goose bumps watching a regular season Montreal Canadiens game. For those of you that missed it, out of appreciation of what the Habs are doing this year and for overtaking the Devils last night for the Eastern Conference lead, the capacity crowd at the Bell Centre last night gave the home team a...
[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/thewirewool/Grateful-Dead.jpg[/img] Jerry and the Boys - 1971 at the Palladium [i]Trouble ahead Trouble behind and you know that notion just crossed my mind... [/i] [b]Trouble Behind:[/b] Ugh. The notion that crossed my mind with about 11 minutes left in the 3rd period of last nights' Flyers/Leafs tussle in Toronto ...
Willie Wilts writes...

LEAFS: Captain Of The Ship

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Yes Mats is still with us in Leaf land. Yes he invoked his no trade clause at the deadline. Yes Mats Sundin will be back in the blue and white next season and yes it will be with a no trade attached to the bottom of the contract. There is no reason to believe Sundin will retire at years end with or without a playoff appearance by the blue and white express. This stea...
rwrusso writes...

Pronger/Kessler incident

Posted Friday | Comments 2
In light of the recent stomping incident involving Chris Pronger and Ryan Kessler, I thought I'd share the email I wrote to Gary Bettman (cc to Collin Campbell). I am simply disgusted with the direction this league is headed. Dear Mr. Bettman, If the current reports regarding the Chris Pronger/Ryan Kessler stomping incident are accurate, I feel compelled to voice my...
PS: tous les accents ont du etre enleve pour faciliter la conversion du texte, desole et merci. Les series eliminatoires approchent a grand pas et le temps des grandes questions sur nos equipes favorites est a nos portes. L heure des predictions est arrivee et c est a ce moment qu il faut regarder l historique de nos equipes pour voir s ils ont le potentiel de se rendr...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Happy Saturday morning http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/ enjoy
The best thing that could have happened to the leafs took effect this weekend when they lost both Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov to injuries. There is no way that the leafs win anymore games from this point in without Sundin and Antropov their top 2 scorers. Obtaining a lottery pick is looking alot better then it did mid last week. Any chance of getting Stamkos, (unlikley...
[b][i]UPDATE - [/b]The Tennessean is reporting that Dan Ellis will make the start in net tonight for the Preds. Ellis has played well against the Wings and recently was in net for the 3-1 Preds win at the Joe. [/i] [b]I will be mobile tonight[/b] at the Preds - Wings. I have not done that yet this year and I am looking forward to doing it. Follow along online or wit...
AlexanderScharf writes...

Unfair Advantage

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The world of professional sports is always striving to create a fair, if not equal, playing field for all competitors. The entire concept of sports is for one individual or group to triumph over others who were also capable of winning. Although on a micro level there are teams with more talent than others, the opportunity for an organization to build a strong team is not h...
npc902 writes...

Mapleleafs and the Playoffs

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
I am all for the Mapleleafs, and would love to seem them make the playoffs, but it is not going to happen folks, let me explain. Lets consider for a moment that the Leafs win all of their remaining games for a total of 92 Points, now for the sake of argument lets assume all of the remaining teams also win all of their games so we can see how many loses each team will need ...
What does the Boston loss mean tonight? If the Sabres win out - each of their last 8 games - they are in the playoffs. Period. Nobody behind them can catch them if they win out and they would leapfrog Boston for a playoff spot, regardless of what currently-eighth-place Philadelphia does. Buffalo will have tallied 16 points for those 8 wins and would finish with...
It's been a long time since Calgary has had THAT defenseman. The guy who was going to score goals and shut down the other team. Robyn Regehr has been a stalwart for years, but his offensive output is limited, relegating him to be simply a shut-down d-man... extremely important, but in a different regard. Dion has shown Calgary Flames fans and the league that he's going ...
[b]Avs 2, Flames 0. Although the score may seem somewhat misleading, the game was much closer. Again, at the start of the game the Avs came out somewhat tentative, though I have to say our passing was much crisper tonight. I thought Calgary really set the physical tone early, especially thanks to Phaneuf. I love this guy, I really do, and I thought he was great tonight (at...
In hockey, there used to be one goal....that was to win the Stanley Cup. It didn't matter how much money you made when you won it, it didn't matter how ready for the future the team was, the team's cap situation didn't matter.....no the business aspect stayed out of the history books. It used to be when a team won the Stanley Cup, the team was engraved forever in hocke...
Well, if there was any doubt on the fate of the Sabres - I called this weeks ago -, they proved tonight why they don't deserve to be one of the 8 Eastern Conference teams left standing for the 2008 NHL postseason. But beware of the spin! In the coming days and weeks, these are the things you'll be hearing from Sabres management, head coach Lindy Ruff, and general manag...
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/poltergeistFlyers.jpg?t=1206499452[/img] Just like that creepy little girl, Carol Ann, from "Poltergeist II" said, the Flyers have seriously thrust themselves back into playoff mix with a 2-1 Overtime victory against the Rangers tonight at MSG. Oh, and this one was against Lundy - not the backup. The Flyers very easi...
icedog97 writes...

Almost Gutcheck Time

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The regular season has only 5 games remaining. The (expected) playoff birth has been obtained an now it's really just a question of heading into the post season playing good "playoff hockey" and above all...staying healthy. I know the team and the fans would like a division championship...at least...and maybe even first place in the conference. But honestly to me...
MrSharks writes...

Bring on The Playoffs

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
All year long, Sharks fans lamented over inconsistency. We are not scoring enough. Our offense is hot and cold. Cheechoo and Marleau have disappeared. We need a number one d-man to make the playoffs. Blah, Blah, Blah. Living in Columbus, OH, I watched. I listened. I said, "Just be patient." I got to see Brian Campbell's debut in teal in person in Columbus. I...
My family and I just happened to fall prey to the nasty sickness that has been floating around and not going away in a normal timeframe. This one was abnormally uncomfortable as even my bones and teeth hurt. Nothing like waking in the middle of the night after 15 hours of sleep in a soaking wet sweat, but I am wandering off topic. The bottom line is I missed the "Ne...
predjoe writes...

Preds Control Destiny

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[i]Not so much a blog as just some random comments...this is getting good people![/i] With the win last night the Preds put themselves in control of their own destiny...win out and they are guaranteed at least the 8th spot. [b]Let's take a moment [/b]and ponder the fact that no one thought we would be here at this point...NO ONE! Many of the [i]experts[/i] were pick...
The consistent-inconsistency continues, on par with the whole of this season, and all of the last. It's been since the first post-strike season that the Calgary Flames have played with any sort of consistent effort and production. This is a trend that, if not fixed before, or early in the playoffs, will result in another early exit from the post-season. And that's assum...
I want to start with a rarely-if-ever used phrase -- Double Wow! Uhhhh...is that really how I want to start? Does anyone remember Pierre McGuire (if you don't know him, turn off your computer and never mention the word hockey again) yelling "Double Dion!" during a World Junior championship final when Dion Phaneuf corked two guys at once? The entertainment value of McGuire ...
We're all getting riled up for playoffs and every now and then I still see people whining about the physical style that is hockey. This is hockey people. Hockey players get hurt, it's an outcome a physical game brings. This isn't a new growing problem, checking has been there since the beginning. NHL teams made a mistake when they figured they no longer need tough guys...
Just a quickie - More to come later tonight... [b]* Two consecutive shutouts[/b] against teams - Devils and Pens - few thought we could even beat - let alone hold scoreless! [b]* Timely scoring[/b] from all lines. 7 players with 20 or more goals - only team in the NHL to do so. [b]* Marty Biron[/b] just coming up HUGE! He threw the team on his back and * brought...
Well congratulations to all the qualified for the playoffs. As fans this is our favorite time of the year. Forget March Madness. This is the real fun tournament in the spring! Some final analysis on the season and the unbalanced schedule. Previously I wrote about a plan to play a balanced schedule with 86 total games. 4 (2 home, 2 away) against all teams in the con...
So here it is, the end of a long (or short ;)) 82 game season. If there can be one word attributed to this team throughout the entire course of the year, I think it would be "Surprises". You could, no doubt, tag them with chemistry or hard work, but surprises seems to come to the forefront no matter how you look at the season. First one should look at the obvious when a...
Remember last year when the Sens were the favorite...but Brian Murray was playing the underdog card with his team and the media? Well, it worked. He got his guys to play a physical brand of hockey that probably no Sens team had ever played before. And it was good enough to get them to the Finals. A year later and the roles seem to be reversed...with the Sens truly...
Sorry couldn't resist! :) [b](1) Detroit v (8) Nashville[/b]---[i]Nashville in 6[/i]-Detroit had fits with only one group of teams this year, and that was the Central. Detroit needs to get to the final. The Motor City will accept nothing less. They have a lot to play for. Nashville just needed to get to the playoffs and much needed revenue. They have nothing to lose....
Thoughts heading into the NHL playoffs.... -- Hockey fans should be thankful for the Washington Capitals. Since long-time minor league coach Bruce Boudreau took over on Thanksgiving, the Caps have arguably been the league's most exciting team. Of course, having Alex Ovechkin helps, but Boudreau allows the Caps to play to their strengths. In a league full of stifling,...
That's right, get comfy we have less than 24-hours until the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and as we've all come accustomed to, this ain't no race, it's a marathon. One of my favourite quotes of all-time was made by Harry Neale from Hockey Night In Canada. Back in 1994 when the Canucks battled back from a 3-1 series deficit to force game seven versus the Rangers. Harry...
Okay sooo here we go... [b]Eastern Conference[/b] [u]1.Montreal VS 8.Boston - Montreal in 5[/u] Why? Bruins will keep playing dead with the Habs. [u]2.Pittsburgh VS 7.Ottawa - Pittsburg in 6[/u] Why? Pens are too much and the Sens are sucking big time. [u]3.Washington VS 6.Philadelphia - Philadelphia in 7[/u] Why? Flyers played HUGE games at the end of the season...
DucksFan07 writes...

How the West was Won

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Just want to send out some love to all of the Western Conference teams that are gunning for the Cup. May the best Ducks team win. The Dallas Way http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPmc4dYQpx0&feature=related The Sharks Way http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E81PKj9dTZc&feature=related The Ducks Way http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vIn2gYoLZ0 The Detroit Way http:...
predjoe writes...

Lovely Detroit...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Ahhh yes...the playoffs...every hockey fans favorite time of year. Where 16 teams are given that chance to win the sports ultimate prize, The Stanley Cup. Round one has the Predators traveling to Detroit to face the President Trophy winning Red Wings. The Preds typically play the Wings tough and should provide more than enough for the Wings. Instead of doing my typical...
10- Hair on face = Proof that player has at least one testicule (most likely 2) 9- You can do cool pictures like this one: 8- You become a father figure for young people everywhere like Mike Mcphee was for me 7- You can match your mustache with a mullet to become the ultimate hockey GOD 6- The mustache can cover their your lips, making lip reading impossib...
Just a few hours away from hitting the 'dome in anticipation of Game 3 between the Sharks and the Flames. I expect a wild and crazy crowd and I just hope that the Flames don't get over-hyped for the game and take some bad penalties early. I expect another tight game and hope the Flames continue to hit the Sharks and don't try to beat them at a finesse game, regardless of...
Jsaquella writes...

Random Thoughts

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Playoffs are here, finally. Some tidbits: -Sean Avery's creative screening of Martin Brodeur certainly crossed some kind of line. I heard Ron MacLean call it "dishonorable" on HNIC, but that would assume Avery had any honorable traits in the first place. -As the experts stand stunned at the Stars two games to none lead, remember that Anaheim was an inconsistent team...
The title of this blog is a quote that came about 30 seconds after the Cory Sarich hit on Patrick Marleau. No, it wasn't Don Cherry or Pierre McGuire or any hockey expert. It was my drunken buddy sitting next to me in the 'dome. A die-hard Oilers fan who loves hockey enough to split season tickets to the Flames with me. I laughed, mostly because he knows that I...
So, heading into game 4 of the Flames/Sharks series if there was ever a particular scenario that I would absolutely want to avoid happening... It would be exactly what happened last night. Everything that I was afraid of happening, happened. First of all, the Flames jumped out to an early lead then attempted to try and win the game 1-0. If there's one thing we'v...
rwrusso writes...

Kicking motion?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Well, after yesterday's post and the absolute fiasco it turned into, I'm going to take my chances again with a reaction to an in-progress game. Ottawa-Pittsburgh, game 4. And Ottawa isn't getting much help from the refs. I try not to blame officiating for the outcome of games, but given the number of missed calls, I can understand the displeasure of the Ottawa fans. Ma...
[b]Yet another roller coaster of a game[/b] between the Red Wings and the Preds. Say what you will about either team but one thing is for certain they are giving hockey fans a great series to watch. [b]Last night the quick strikes continued [/b]as the Preds we able to score 32 seconds apart (first a goal by Hamhuis then by Weber) and followed up Pavel Datsyuk's goal wi...
phi1671 writes...

Capitals Vs. Flyers

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Inside the Owner's Box: In need of divine assistance Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Ted Leonsis for USA TODAY Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who made a name for himself as an executive with AOL, is sending USA TODAY his playoff journal as the Capitals begin their postseason run with a series against the Philadelphia Flyers. Day 8: Th...
Ok here is Ted's Blog in its entirety for today [quote]Day 9: Friday, April 18 What a game— a tough OT loss We arrive at the arena at 5:30 p.m. We mingled with the crowd and then take our seats in the same suite as last game. I note that the fans that were in our face last game are nowhere to be seen this game. And that the Wachovia Center is not playing fight v...
I don't mean for politics to enter a hockey website, but did anyone else see the irony in tonight's events? 7 minutes after the Flyers beat the Caps in Overtime, Hillary Clinton - who is fighting for a change in the highest office in D.C. - could be seen on CNN addressing supporters in Philadelphia. That group Hillary addressed was a rambunctious bunch. I counted at...
I have to say, with all due respect to Caps fans, I would rather lose like we did, than lose an absolutely heartbreaking game in OT... at home. Yeah, we all hope for a good game, but a good game means a close game and those are so much harder to get over. But what makes this pill easier to handle is to watch the way the Sharks handled themselves after the game, in the ...
"...The shot from the point by Timmonen...rebound...THEY SCORE...jOFFREY LUPUL!!! AND THE FLYERS HAVE WON IN OVERTIME IN GAME 7!!! They're going to the next round..." Thank you Jim Jackson. Thank you Joffrey Lupul. Thank you Hockey Gods. What a ridiculously suspenseful game. I laughed. I threw stuff at my TV. I yelled at the refs. And I definately jumped ...
1st round I predicted: Montreal in 5 Pittsburgh in 6 Philadelphia in 7 Rangers in 6 Detroit in 6 San Jose in 5 Minnesota in 7 Anaheim in 5 So i got 6/8.. not bad I'd say lol So, here are my 2nd round predictions: [b]Eastern Conference[/b] [u]1.Montreal VS 6.Philadelphia - Philadelphia in 7[/u] Why? The Habs aren't invincible and Flyers battle like crazy....
I only did the western conference going 2-2. I picked Calgary and they came just a bit short, and Anaheim shocked everybody except Dallas. Anyways.. Round 2 Predictions. Just noticed that the first, second, fifth and sixth seeds advanced in each conference. These have got to be some of the best second round matchups I have seen in quite a while. WESTERN CONFEREN...
Phigment writes...

Playoff Predictions - Round 2

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well I went 7-1 in the first round and only missed the Stars knocking off the Ducks. Not too bad. Now time for round 2. West [b]Detroit vs Colorado[/b] The Avs have had a nice rest and they look very good. Detroit won against a division rival which is hard after 8 regular season games and 6 in the playoffs. I think the uncertainty in the net for Detroit will becom...
Inferno31 writes...

So What now Leaf Fans?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Burke Is [b]Not[/b] the new GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. So now what? Well this may be a blessing in a disguise, or maybe it just sucks. Personally Burke was a qualified candidate who had the savvy to deal with media and ownership. His draft record however was abysmal, but maybe with some money injected in our scouting department who knows. Personally I want Nill to get ...
The Season Series The Habs owned this one in the regular season, taking 8 out of 8 points in 4 games they played. Carey Price recorded his first NHL shutout on the front end of their February home-and-home with the Flyers and stopped 66 of 67 shots over the two games. Philadelphia went 2 for 22 on the power-play in the season series, while Montreal was a better 6 for 25...
Big fan of former LAK GM Dave Taylor. In my mind, to be a successful GM of a rebuilding team you need three strong qualities: 1) The ability to build through the draft 2) The ability to make shrewd trades 3) The ability to pick up bargains in the UFA market In my mind, Taylor has all three of these qualities, and I'll quickly explain why, providing some exam...
mslepp writes...

2nd Round Predictions Recap

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, not bad for the first round... 4/4 in the East, but only 2/4 in the West; having picked Anaheim and Minnesota to move on. So I will recap my predictions and update them for the 2nd round! WESTERN CONFERENCE Detroit vs. Colorado... Oh, NBC must love this. I'm sorry to say this series won't have the same guts as the ones in the late 90s used to, but it should ...
With Game 2 coming up tonight, I thought I'd share with you all my thoughts on this series, and some contentious issues that seem to be on the front burner with fans. Game 1 saw a bunch of sloppy plays, as well as a bunch of flukey goals. The Flyers 1st was a redirect...by Carey Prices' own teammate! Montreal got a lucky break on Kovalev's shorthanded marker..if he was...
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=361796&page=NewsPage&service=page Dear Therrien, You're full of shit and I'm pretty sure Crobsy knows it. Typical taht he has someone ELSE stand up for him, but really you wouldn't deny it so animately if it wasn't true. Questionable penalty, you won. What's the issue? Everyone knows he dove. ~S I mean really...
steal_your_faceoff writes...

Back in Black

Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://acdc.com/bin/galImg/siteFiles/35bff89a78.[/img] I cannot hear those words without thinking of one of the most influential bands to hit the music scene in the mid-1970s and power their way through the mid-1980s with a high voltage mixture of the power vocals of Malcom Young and the screaming guitar intensity of brother, Angus Young. In my mind's eye when I t...
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/MainImage.jpg?t=1209430739[/img] EE should suit up because his boys need something. Flyers lead 3-0 end of two. Just amazing how pumped the Bank Building is. It might be the loudest I have heard it - and this is from the VS feed. I am sure it is just deafening in person - JS, #23, EE - please comment on it. The Join...
The final score was 5-3, but that in no way tells the whole story of this game. Early on, the Pens were out for the win and were playing like no other. Marion Hossa got the Pens on the board early with a goal from Dupuis and Crosby. The Rangers came back to tie it with Straka's goal . Then to close out the period, the Pens netted two more to make it 3-1 with goals by Laraq...
Last night, the fans and everyone who believed the San Jose Sharks were different than years past, were once again disappointed. Disappointed the Sharks lost, but more importantly, disappointed by the effort. Now because of last night's effort and a few bad breaks, the Sharks have their backs to the wall. An 0-3 hole is the worst in sports, and it is nearly impossibl...
millertime writes...

Montreal CHEATED in Game 4

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First, let's make something very clear. I am happy for Daniel Briere and Martin Biron tonight. I loved them while they were in Buffalo, and I still love them. They're the type of guys I'm going to follow the rest of their careers, regardless of where they play. Also, kudos to the Flyers in general for coming up big when it mattered most in this pivotal game 4. But.....
I would classify myself as being a news junkie and when it comes to sports, I make sure I get my daily fill from all available sources. What is surprising to me is how fans and media will not give credit to a deserving team. It’s more or less; how lucky the Flyers have been because of the amount of posts that have been hit, how they have been outshot and how they have ...
Congratulations to the Montreal Canadiens and their fans. You are among the classiest organizations and fans in all of sports! I love that the fans did not boo its team and gave them the heroic but painful send off they deserved - they left nothing on the ice and played with incredible heart. [img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/a8/fullj.7e7e4d0a099996c6174fcdf3f1c083a...
[code] [/code] Huet [code] [/code] Price [code] [/code] Fleury After the usual gratuitous 2 Habs pp goals donated on bad calls by the refs (seemed like every game this series), the Flyers took the bull by the horns in game 5 and just plain embarassed the #1 top ranked team of the big bad East. This was a very sweet 6-4 elimination victory against a legacy hockey...
Phigment writes...

Round 2 - Prediction Status

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I lost some steam in this round. After going 7-1 (only missing the Stars over Ducks) I set off to predict round 2. Well 2 series are complete in round 2. The Red Wings made me look bad. Not sure when the Avs got so banged up, but the Wings not only beat them, but they humiliated them. These games were blowouts and not even fun to watch. I would venture to guess that ...
watching the Montreal - Philadelphia series I have to wonder why can the Canadiens have French language graphics on the ice as well as dasher boards while there are very few if any Spanish language text advertisements in the United States arenas??? In todays marketing 101, Español/Spanish speaking,reading and writing population is skyrocketing, everywhere we go we get ...
Rob McGowan writes...

The Annual Underdog

Posted Sunday | Comments 480
It almost seems that every year there is that one team that no one expects to make out of the first round but somehow manages to carry the "Cinderella" title all the way to the Cup finals, and I think we may be seeing that with the Philadelphia Flyers. Two years ago we saw the Edmonton Oilers accomplish this task; finishing in 8th place in the West at the end of the reg...
chipiii writes...

Predictions 3.0

Posted Monday | Comments 0
1st round I was: 6/8 2nd round: 2/4 (I missed the whole western conference) So far, i'm at 8/12... not bad. [b]Eastern Conference Finals[/b] [u]2.Pittsburgh VS 6.Philadelphia[/u] WOW! This is going to be a series, whether it's a sweep or goes to Game 7. If the Pens manage to win you have to wonder just how badly they're going to be beaten up before the win and if th...
[i]But if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need[/i] [img]http://www.poster.net/rolling-stones-the/rolling-stones-the-photo-xl-the-rolling-stones-6212539.jpg[/img] Mick and the Boys beautifully expressed the quandary the Flyers (and Pens) find themselves with a four day layoff until the puck drops to begin to decide the Eastern Conference Champion...
Well I followed up a 7-1 first round with a 2-2 second round. [b]Western Conference Finals[/b] I like the Stars in a mild upset. They are playing great and getting the play in net they need from Turco. I think the Wings have cruised a bit too easily so far and the intensity of the Stars will allow them to jump out early in the series. It will be interesting to see...
gosharks19 writes...

Epic Ending!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Last night the San Jose Sharks layed everything out there and lost valiantly to the Dallas Stars in a 4OT game. Last night's game was intense, the Sharks showed true grit, determination, drive, and heart. I just first want to say thank you to the San Jose Sharks for a great season, a Pacific Division title, and a fun playoff run. The last 2 games the Sharks played we...
Well now....I've been thinking about this series and reading up on what all the "experts" have been saying and I've made up my mind. I'm pretty sure having the experts vote is the kiss of death anyway...so let them predict away (they are after all, the ones who said Habs in 5). The way I see it, the Pens have really coasted through the playoffs. They haven't been chal...
Well, I for one was surprised how quick each series ended, and really thought that the Rangers Penguins series would have been a bit closer. The San Jose Dallas series did go 6 games after Dallas got a quick 3-0 series lead, with a record 5 games being decided in the extra frame. Well lets get to what is currently at hand. [i]Western Conference Finals[/i] [b]1. Detroit...
The majority of sports pundits realize that when ever their is a change at a General Manager's position, a coaching change is also expected. This goes for almost all sports. All fans in Leafs Nation knew there was a GM change upcoming, and therefor the knowledgeable fans would realize that a coaching change would most likely be inorder. However. . . in this situation, ...
It is strange how nobody has talked about the Detroit Red Wings as Stanley Cup contenders for most of the season. You know, the team that won the President's Trophy -- again. The team led by Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Norris... err, I mean, Nicklas Lidstrom. The team coached by coach of the year candidate Mike Babcock. The team with three Stanley Cups in a...
Burt writes...

The Scam That is Maggie the Monkey

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I have been held silent long enough. I want to personally thank many of you for backing me here. I have been talking to people and I believe Maggie's picks may be fixed. Notice how you see her spin the wheel and then the camera switches. She picked Pittsburgh and Detroit this round. (or so they would like you to believe) She spins a wheel! How lame! I ACTUALLY mak...
Blamm writes...

Quick Post Game 1 Thoughts

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
1) The game is over by 9pm. Wow, what a difference it makes to have an opponent in your time zone. 2) The first two periods had me in "gulp" mode, but I think the Stars were somewhat shell-shocked at the start (though I can't really say why). However, a strong 3rd period showed more of the team we've seen in the first two rounds...so I'm feeling better now. I don't t...
[b][u]PERIOD ONE[/u][/b] One of the key problems Philadelphia had was Martin Biron wandering the boards. He coughed up the puck to the Pens more often than he helped his defense, and in fact it cost him a goal which allowed Pittsburgh to tie it at 2. The second area where they had an issue was one of the keys to this series that I said they needed to pay attention ...
Olaf Kolzig has called it quits for the Washington Capitals, being that Kolzig did play a few years for Tri-City, and that Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price played for them as well, would the two work good together? Consider this, Bob Gainey ( general manager for the Habs ) has what one might call an issue with his goal-tenders, Carey Price is the no.1, but Jaroslav...
Bryen Owen writes...

Suggestions For Habs

Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the off-season about to start for the Montreal Canadiens, putting rumours aside of course, there are a couple of players that wouldn't bust the bank, but might pay great dividends in the end. One of those players is 6'5", 225 pound Paul Gaustad of the Buffalo Sabres. First off Gaustad is big, secondly he's a centre that can position himself in front of the net. Gau...
Zholtok33 writes...

To Visor or Not To Visor?

Posted Monday | Comments 4
Already, news outlets are insisting that visors are the key to salvation. It's a cry that comes up on every big facial injury involving a high stick or a stray puck. [i]If only he wore a visor[/i] they say, shaking their heads. Of course we all know that it is impossible to make the claim that a visor would have absolutely prevented the injury suffered by Braydon Coburn...
I'm afraid fans in Toronto are still delusional. They may have opened their eyes after having them closed for so long, but they are still blinded by the sun. I cannot see any well respected and established General Manager taking a job with the Leafs. The team is currently coming off of a disaster of a season, with little help coming from within the organization. Top ...
What is the reason that I have not heard one complaint about Mike Ribeiro being fined and not suspended for his slash to Chris Osgood's chest? I thought maybe it was because Osgood has protection on, but then thought about how all players wear shoulder pads for protection. Next, I thought of what Barry Melrose said, talking about how Osgood "started" by butt ending Ribeiro...
[img]http://www.upstate.edu/cdb/grossanat/imgs/skullantmax2.jpg [/img] If you listen carefully, you just might hear the sounds of knees jerking in a building in New York City. The powers that be in the NHL are cringing right now at another prime-time, graphic injury to one of its young players, perhaps even a budding star, during its showcase playoffs. [i]Those same p...
BlueBloodPat writes...

My 2008 NHL Mock Draft

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Okay so the draft is a little over a month away, we know that this draft is headlined by one Steven Stamkos, but as far as I'm concerned, the NHL draft goes 7 rounds, not just 1 pick. I decided to break down all seven rounds of the NHL draft and offer up some of the possibilities. This mock draft is based on the CSB Final Rankings. [u][b]Round 1 [/b][/u] 1. Lig...
I noticed recently that someone posted a blog about the problems Versus has as a TV production, and I was going to simply comment on his blog, but I figured this is info that many people here might be interested in, so why not share it with anyone who cares. The problem expressed about Versus was that their camera work is shot too tight, and moves too much, which does n...
Blamm writes...

Looking Ahead to Game 5

Posted Friday | Comments 0
While the outlook may appear bleak, it's not completely hopeless. Heck, it's been done before. I'm not buying into San Jose's theory of every 33 years...I'm just saying this team has been special this post-season, so why the hell not? One thing I noticed in VERY brief spurts during the first three games that I was finally able to confirm in game 4: Detroit plays incred...
I am a fan of a lot of British comedy. Basically, anything from Python, to Fawlty Towers to Eddie Izzard to Benny Hill. I nabbed a copy of "Shaun Of The Dead" on amazon.com for a dollar last week. Great bang for THAT buck. Anyhow.... -Rivalries. They spur the emotions, and get a nice level of blood lust going for fans. One thing I am seeing more and more of is the back ...
VENGEANCE [i]{has to wait for}[/i] NOW! This year the Flyers went through a lot. They started came out hot and went on a 6-1 tear, and from there on the team was very inconsistent. Injuries to [b]Simon Gagne[/b], [b]Mike Richards[/b], [b]Joffrey Lupul[/b], [b]Scottie Upshall[/b], and [b]RJ Umberger[/b] cost this team some scoring punch, and coupled with the teams inco...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:KkcU7fWpIVfrVM:http://www.acc-tv.com/images/globalnews/gp_republican_1006.jpg[/img][img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:C9MhQbEeolU42M:http://www.acc-tv.com/images/globalnews/gp_democrat_1006.jpg[/img] As if we've not been inundated enough with Politics already, there is a new issue looming on the horizon in the Philadelphia Me...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Enjoy http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/ Have a great weekend.
With the Playoffs underway and the Stanley Cup taking center stage, there hasn't been too much talk in Islander Country of what to expect at the draft or next season. It's been pretty quiet, and I'll admit I've been waiting for some news, good news in particular...and it seems that I'm still waiting. [b]Wade Dubielewicz will hit the open market[/b] It was stated in N...
It was a great game to watch, easily the best game I've watched since the first round of the playoffs... it made the San Jose/Dallas overtime game look like a soccer match. Now, the Pens and their loyal fans and bandwagon fans feel a run coming on, the same improbable run that Anaheim, Dallas, San Jose and Philly all thought their teams had in them... with none of the a...
FLAMESTR writes...

KIDS SPEAK OUT

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Do you remember when hockey was fun to watch? You know, when we walked miles to to get to school; when there were no cars; you know, the dinosaur era when I was a young lad. The only difference, between the old NHL and the New NHL is that the NHL thinks they have put one over on us by saying we are in the new NHL era. Every team has a designated thug or defensive forwa...
With recent news surfacing that Ron Wilson may be well on his way to becoming the Leafs' next head coach, I can't help but think this is -- yet again -- another step sideways for this stumbling organization. While Wilson has coached over 1000 games in the NHL and has the most wins out of any coach available (an impressive 518-426-101-46 record) he is also someone who wa...
The Rangers have the following picks this year: Round 1: #20 Round 2: #51 Round 3: #75, #81 Round 5: #142 Round 7: #202 The picks from rounds 4 and 6 belong to St. Louis (Backman deal), Los Angeles (Avery deal) and Dallas (Mike Green deal). I've seen all kinds of ranking sites, so this is a bit overwhelming, but let's see who's available in this draft: [b]N...
icedog97 writes...

Ryan Malone

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I play "adult league" hockey with a good friend who I met back in 1998. One day back in early 1999, my friend and I were talking before one of our games and he said that he was interested to see who the Pens would take in the upcomming draft. He told me that Greg Malone lived "next door" and he had been trying to find out what the teams draft plans were. My friend told ...
Since the end of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, all the focus has been placed on restructuring management and the coaching staff. Now with Burke all but cemented as this team's eventual GM (a Burke/Wilson combo is the best possible scenario Leaf fans could have hoped for..imo), Fletcher needs to go into overdrive restructuring this roster. We can speculate on ...
icedog97 writes...

Ryan Malone - Part 2

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I don't usually do "Part 2" of anything here. I usually try to say it all in "Part 1" and then move on. In reading the recent rumors and apparent "truths" about the Ryan Malone situation, I heard some things that I wanted to comment a little more about (even if nobody else reads this!!!!) The "negotiations" with Malone and the Pens, and I use that term loosely be...
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080617.canucks18/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home [quote][b]Gillis also hinted that players from Russia, who may be difficult to lure to North America, probably won't figure into Vancouver's plans.[/b][/quote] Gillis is thinking that Russians who are hard to lure to North America wont fit, now this does not rule out all ...
David Poile should play poker professionally. He should. I saw him on local news tow nights ago saying "I am not confident at all that we will be able to sign Dan Ellis. I think he wants to test the free agent market." Well...I'll be jiggered if he didn't go and pull off a deal that cleared the way to get Ellis to sign by trading Mason away to the St. Louis Blues. This ...
blueshirt writes...

Maple Leafs Draft Blog

Posted Friday | Comments 2
Well, here we go Leaf Nation. It's June 20, 2008 and suddenly we're collectively being hit with flashbacks of 1993. Fletch is back in charge of our beloved (cough) Maple Leafs and Cito Gaston is managing the Blue Jays. At the moment, the Toronto FC might just be the best franchise in town...omg, my world truly is upside down. However, we need not fear. The march bac...
doktordave writes...

Sundin Situation

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I don't claim to know Sundin's mind, but at the first round of the NHL Draft Fletcher indicated that the Canadiens have been granted "exclusive" negotiating rights until July 1. This suggests at the very least, some sort of gentleman's agreement between Gainey and Fletcher. Sure, Fletch may simply want a few extra days notice if Mats is going to leave....in such a case...
[i]Fighting in the NHL remains one of the most staunchly debated subjects in the world of the hockey and yet the argument barely divides supporters down the middle. Far from a modern topic, the recent incident with Patrick Roy’s son Jonathon has quickly risen fighting back to its usual grandstanded place. Now I’m not here to endorse stupidity like Roy’s kid or fighti...
Perhaps I underestimated Darryl Sutter. Minutes after he managed to get a 1st round (AND 2nd round, as I found out later) pick for disgruntled cap eater Alex Tanguay, Gord Miller reported as the Lightning prepared to take Steven Stamkos that there had already been a trade. I assumed he was confirming the Tanguay deal, but no, it was another trade with Calgary at the center...
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...
[i]The Tennessean is reporting that Shea Weber has signed a three year 13.5 million dollar deal to remain a Predator. Great signing...David Poile continues to work his magic and get things done. This sets up our blue line for the next three years. Weber and Suter are just going to get better and better! [/i] [b]The first big hurdle[/b] in the hockey off-season took plac...
For Toronto fans, the Entry Draft 08’ signaled a new age. With the much vaunted clear out in the upcoming months, the draft had all the makings of a cornerstone with which the franchise could rebuild in the next few years. Despite having 10 picks at their disposal, even after the eyebrow raising trade for Jamal Mayers, the Blue Nation was hoping that Toronto could buck...
Ok, I'm back. It took a little longer than anticipated to get over the loss in the Stanley Cup Finals, but I think I'm alright now. Every time I thought I was over it, something would happen or I'd see a highlight from the series and it just prolonged the entire healing process. Anyway, the draft is over and now free agency begins on July 1. That being said, I've read s...
Yet another UFA day is rapidly approaching, now just a measley week away. As usual, hockey fans across North America are gaining excitement as this day approaches and the calendar is about to flip July. And from a personal point of view, I couldn't be more excited - as usual - to see what my beloved team, the Buffalo Sabres, will do. A year of disappointment, only...
David Pollack wrote a blog this week reporting that there will be no remaining bridges between the Ron Wilson era and the new regime of Todd McLellan. The press in Toronto has been reporting the two assistant coaches will be joining RW's staff on the Leafs and sources in San Jose have also confirmed it to be true. The move will be made upon contract approval. Pollac...
I know this may not be a blog in the normal sense, but I am trying to figure out what hockey fans like when they watch NHL games on TV. Obviously everyone wants every game in HD, but in terms of the broadcast in general, what draws your attention? The TV crew cannot create a game, only the players can; however, during the first 5 minutes of the broadcast (called the Open...
doktordave writes...

TUCKER BOMBSHELL - JULY 1?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I had an interesting thought today, and really don't know if it is do-able under the CBA, but would certainly be a bold move...if it were possible. This is pretty out there. Here's how it would work. Cliff Fletcher announces this week that Darcy Tucker will be bought out. Tucker is bought out and gets a nice little sum of $1 million or so a year for a few years. ...
mykeknows writes...

So what happens Next?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Over the past few weeks Cliff Fletcher has started to completely dismantle the core of the "Toronto Maple Leafs". I'm Gonna take a wild shot in the dark and say that captain Sundin is NOT going to be back in the blue and white next year, going to wherever he feels he has the best chance, and i say "Catch ya later" on the condition he doesn't screw the ...
***Updated at the bottom of the blog*** The announcement of these 3 players being put on waiver's to start the buy-out process comes as somewhat of a surprise to me, albeit, a very welcome and exciting surprise. I've written recently that I didn't expect Daryl Sutter to exercise his right to buy out any of the gaudy contracts that were on the Flames books and really ...
In addition to Eklund's rumor today that the Sabres are extremely interested in Brian Rolston - and why wouldn't they be based on the veteran leadership the team has lacked since Chris Drury departed - I found an interesting tidbit. What do he and Thomas Vanek have in common? Same agent. Steve Bartlett of Rochester, N.Y., just down the Thruway from Buffalo, repres...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Friday | Comments 0
As usual enjoy or hate but as always thanks for reading. http://flyerflies.com/blog/ Have a great weekend.
TSN.ca is reporting that Ryan Malone has agreed to terms on a contract for $31.5 million over 7 years, including between $7 and 8 million for each of the first two years. I would say nice move by the Lightning, but they are definately overpaying for the first two years. I understand that he would probably be valuable to any team in the NHL, but $8 million is too much. T...
chadkilger writes...

July 1 is approaching

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
This is a new blog. These are just my opinions. Hope you find it insightful. [b]Ryan Malone Signs 7/31mil in TB.[/b] In the past 3 years I would have disagreed drastically with this signing but I actually like this for TB. To me this is a good fit for a team that desperately needs top 6 wingers. Malone as shown in Pitsburgh is a nice complimentary player when surro...
Well this was a mild surprise at best. Ray Shero sent the rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2009 4th round pick. Should Malone sign, this would become a 3rd rounder in 2009. I am a little sad to see Malone go and a little angry from a fan's perspective that this deal didn't happen sooner. Here's why. Since Malone's sophomore camp...
Interesting to look back at my old blogs as the Sundin Magical Mystery Tours continues...and there is no hint of him starting training. In two separate posts in late June, I offered my inside info from King Clancy's Ghost and 4 possible choices that Sundin might make. Below is the 4th suggestion, which may well prove to be the June 30th: Possible UFA Targets fore Lea...
The Flyers have announced that they have come to terms with RFA defenseman Randy Jones. The deal will leave the team with a $2.75 million cap hit and Jones will receive $2.5 million this year and $3 million next year. The contract is a little too much in my opinion, as I thought he should receive $2 million max. This leaves the Flyers with too many defenseman under contrac...
thewritestuff writes...

Once Bitten, Twice Shy?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The reaction to the moves made by the Maple Leafs on July 1st has been understandably mixed. There has been more than enough posted regarding the virtues of the new acquisitions (Jeff Finger in particular) so I'll be focussing more on what seems to me to be the overall philosophy/strategy of the club. The buyouts of Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft indicate that Fletcher...
[u][b]NOUS DEMENAGEONS !!! http://www.alnh.tk/ Nous voulions un site plus complet que ce simple blog, je vous donne rendez-vous ! http://www.alnh.tk/ [/b][/u] [i]*Veuillez notez que les mises a jour sont administrer par Marc-Antoine Perrault et Etienne Jolette.[/i] [i]NB: les accents de fonctionnent pas[/i] [u][b]Rumeurs[/b][/u] -Ilya Nikulin est ...
I am not sure what to make of things. I was excited at the coming of UFA time but the lack of anything going on has left me a little bummed out. I read this comment from Doug Wilson “We’re a better team now than we were at the beginning of last season.” Ok excellent...but how is San Jose a better team now than it was last year at this time? Bernier is not here...
Whenever a building is demolished by implosion the spectacle creates a horde of onlookers, feeding on a basic human attraction toward violent destruction. It is the same depraved impulse that causes so many to further the obstruction of traffic when they pass a wreck on the highway. Though the impact of such rearrangement is immediate and rife with dramatic imagery, few if...
icedog97 writes...

Pens Sign Fleury

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08185/894617-100.stm
Stefan Ruzicka has decided to go back to Europe to play. The Flyers will still retain his rights since the transfer agreement is not in effect. WIth this loss the Phantoms will likely need another forward, I wouldn't be surprised if the Flyers signed one of their prospects in the coming days. Ruzicka is a great AHL player, but never seemed to be able to achieve in the NHL....
If the 2008 NHL Entry Draft was going to be the linchpin onto which the Maple Leafs commenced its rebuild, then the July 1st free agency free-for-all was going to be a barometer with which to measure the organizations immediate ambitions. Going into the first days of free agency, the Leafs had two options. The first was too play it frosty, pick up some low key, low cap h...
Welcome to my 1st blog at HockeyBuzz. I’m a life-long Oiler fan who surfs the net a lot reading the forums at hfboards.com, Sportsnet.ca, EdmontonOilers.com, and here at Hockeybuzz as well as other hockey news sites. I’ve never had the urge to create a user account before at any of these sites, but recently I started thinking that it would be fun to do some blogging to...
In the summer of 2006, the Devils’ attempt to fill out their roster with 2000 Stanley Cup members Alexander Mogilny and Vladimir Malakhov did not exactly work out as planned. Malakhov barely played and was subsequently traded to San Jose the following offseason, while Mogilny was barely a shell of his former self before sustaining an injury which allowed the Devils to wi...
With only a slim number of talented free agents remaining, fans can now take a look at their UFA acquisitions and either brag about the additions, or crawl into a dark corner pretending nothing happened. Of course, just because you landed yourself a Wade Redden doesn't mean you should be uncorking the champagne just yet, as the terms of the deal play a big part in determin...
After all of the pissing and moaning by Sharks fans (myself included) on July 1st and 2nd for Doug Wilson "sitting on his hands," the last 24 hours have provided PLENTY of change in the Silicon Valley. First Rob Blake was signed to a 1-year, $5 million deal yesterday. A couple hours later, rumors were rampant that this would not deter Doug Wilson from further pursuing ...
As of July 4, 2008, these are the players currently contracted by the leafs that have a shot at making the big club [b]Forwards[/b] Nik Antropov Mark Bell Jason Blake Darryl Boyce Boyd Devereaux Robert Earl Alex Foster Mikhail Grabovski Niklas Hagman Nikolai Kulemin Jamal Mayers Dominic Moore Alexei Ponikarovsky Matt Stajan (Not yet signed, but i ...
benbca writes...

City of Edmonton

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Wasn't that long ago when Pronger announced he wanted out of Edmonton after just signing a 6 year deal there. Pronger along with numerous other Oilers (Spacek, Peca, Samsanov, etc) formed a mass exodus out of Edmonton, the City, not the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club. A team just 4 weeks prior played in a 7th game of the Cup finals. Pronger had his problems personally, his...
Hello to all during a summer in which the news has been filled about rising fuel costs, job losses, flooding, a declining home market, forest fires, and a war that still will not end. But in these times, there has been plenty of wonderful and fantastic news to all who are either die-hard fans or slight fans of the San Jose Sharks. The moves Doug Wilson has made have ...
If the Leafs stop adding Free Agents now, they'll carry enough cap space to bring Sundin back - should he decide to play. However, right now he isn't coming. Nobody has discussed this so far, but it seems pretty obvious that with Sundin in doubt, Tucker gone and McCabe on thin ice, the Leafs will be looking for a new captain - very likely from the free agent ranks or a tr...
Ed Snider announced today that the Flyers have reached an extension with current GM Paul Holmgren that will keep him for another three years. This is a great thing for the team and is easily our best signing of the year. Holmgren has done something that never happens in hockey. Through his great trades and signings he took a last place team to the Eastern Conference Finals...
July 8th, 2008 So the dust has setled, money has been thrown around as if it grows on trees, and we inch closer and closer to the 2008-2009 NHL season. It's the time of year when GM's, after months of analysing, scouting, and meticulous planning, get out their cell phones and start wooing agents and their clients to come play for their team. Massive contracts are being ...
[i]Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy each moments of the free agency frenzy, as always, this is a very thrilling and exciting moment for hockey fans.[/i] Before the free agency period began, Bob Gainey said that he was looking for an impact player, looking at this year UFA bumper crop names like Hossa, Rolston, Huselius, Jagr and Sundin were the possible targets. So the ...
mightyquinn writes...

Leafs: Had good G.F

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As the slow summer weeks pass, every day I hear fans, talk show host, and reporter’s talk about how "It's time to write off the Leafs", "They have no offence", "Team is full of 3rd and 4th liners". To a certain degree I would have to suck up my pride and agree, well I did until I started to think and research how they ranked last year. You would be surprised some of th...
Today, Flyers forward Patrick Thoreson has announced he is returning to Europe for next season. He will likely end up in Switzerland or Sweden. Before signing with the Oilers he played for Djurgarden and will likely return to play there. He will definitely be in the NHL in two years. He works his hardest on every shift and plays solid defense. If he can learn to bury his o...
With the recent reaction from the NHL to have the two feuding GM's cease and desist, I have come to ponder the real reason Kevin Lowe finally came out with a response to Brian Burke's one sided rants. I am not here to say that either one of these GM's is accurate or correct in their assessments of each other as in business every decision is a risk. We hear the banter of...
doktordave writes...

Montreal - Plan B?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It seems that Montreal has been tripped up in the free-agent chase early on, with the chase of Mats Sundin. What happens if Sundin continues to take his time? (1) Alexi Yashin - A big step down from Sundin, but a player with a lot to prove and a desire to return to the NHL. He and Kovalev could be an interesting fit, BUT only if he's willing to swallow some pride and ta...
mightyquinn writes...

Tavares : Doomed To Fail?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I am a huge Leaf fan, have been for the past 26 years(entire life). Given my memories start back when Bester was the blue and white's net minder and they lost to the Blues in the first round of the playoffs(was at one of the games at the Gardens), I like to think I have a very open mind when it comes to hockey and the Leafs. As ...
First off, let's see how I did with my off-season move guesses (http://my.hockeybuzz.com/user.php?user_id=19560) and what Sutter did in comparison to my guesses: 1) [i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen[/i]: [b]FAIL[/b]. Ok, so this big trade didn't happen, but that's not to say Sutter didn't try ...
mightyquinn writes...

Will it be JOE??

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Will it be Burke or will it be Joe?? This is the new question cropping up in Leaf land. With the recent hiring of Joe Nieuwendyk as Cliff Fletchers assistant GM, there are whispers that Joe maybe the Leafs next GM in the next couple of years (if not before the 09/10 season). Mentoring under Cliff for possibly 2 seasons, learning the ropes, everything seems to be in pla...
The Sundin saga is still undecided and only a few teams are still in the race. Detroit and the Rangers are out, due to cap space, Toronto seems to be a little bit erased, only Montreal and Vancouver seems to keep pushing very hard to land Sundin. The Canucks are rumored offering Mats a 2 years/20 millions deal, while the Canadiens offer stand to 2 years/15 to 16 millions. ...
It needs to be said...after all the hype and rumor and silly "connect the dots" conspiracy theories trotted out this Spring to suggest that Brian Burke wants to be the Leafs' next GM...somebody has to say it: "Why Burke?" Even before Kevin Lowe leveled the boom with suggestions that Burke is more luck than genius, that he Left Dave Nonis with a mess in Vancouver; that ...
David Pollack dug around some to find out what the deal is with the one Shark we all want to have back next season, Ryan Clowe. It all started when an article surfaced on sportsnet.ca about the future of the Sharks (link below). In it was a small statement basically stating that a deal was close to being reached since Doug Wilson and Ryan Clowe came to an agreement and ...
Okay, I've read through all the articles and all the comments, now here's my weigh-in on [b]The Great Radu-dini[/b]'s disappearing act from Nashville. It may all be smoke and mirrors, but even if so, the smoke stinks and the mirrors reflect very badly for both the Nashville Predators and especially for one whose promise as a bright star in the NHL has now been all but ...
Leafs1319 writes...

The Toronto Media

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hey, you guys, yeah I'm pointing at you in the media. It's time you stopped writing the same stuff over and over. I've started to get quite annoyed with the Toronto Hockey media the past few weeks because you continue to read the same things, printed in the paper and posted online, every day and every week. Okay, so Niklas Hagman, Jeff Finger and Curtis Joseph are not goin...
There has been much crash and bang about the Leafs moves so far this off season. Signings, buyouts and trades, especially of the draft picks involved. Here is my opinion of the moves thus far. Just keep in mind that an opinion is like an anus, everyone has one and you really only care about your own.....Now mine. Buyouts: [b]Tucker[/b] - $1 million cap hit for the...
FuzE_gus writes...

Thought on Sundin #4566544

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I haven't gotten in on the Sundin debate, but I sure do read a lot about it. It's incredible how many theories, rumours and flip-flops we have to endure day to day. But for some reason this guy (meaning me) reads on and on. Ok, for fun...I'll throw in my best guess... Sundin will be a Hab. It's been know within the organization for some time. Grabovski was rumour...
doktordave writes...

Possible Kubina Trades

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Three teams would appear to be possible destinations right now and I'm going to toss around some names: Ottawa: Vermette and Jeremy Yablonski for Kubina, Yablonki could be a good replacement for Belak in the enforcer category and Vermette could be in for a big enough raise through arbitration to warrant dealing away for a Top- pair defenseman like Kubina. Tampa :Ou...
Well i will get right to the point . All last season i heard from everyone and that blasted hockey news that we were gonna be a bomb out team in the 07-08 season . Well we did the exact opposite and had the best season for quite a long time . Now last seaosn i thought we would do better then we were projected but this season though optimistic I don't see us as the bonafide...
The STARS rewarded Dave Tippett with a well-deserved 2-year extension, locking him up through the 2010-2011 season. Tip has one of the best, if not the best, regular season winning percentages of any coach in history. Under his guidance the STARS have been to the playoffs every year, and 2 wins from the Stanley Cup Finals last season. Tippett's success with the STARS pa...
doktordave writes...

The Whole McCabe Red-Herring

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Points to note: McCabe has not been benched or told to stay home, reporters keep suggesting that it may happen, but Fletcher has so far dealt in good faith. Howard Berger seems to keep bringing it up on Hockey Buzz, but Fletcher so far seems to me to have been avoiding the public bashing that some few fans and media have been employing. Second point: As a media generate...
In what can only be described as an incredibly surprising move, Daryl Sutter has signed free agent forward Jamie Lundmark. Lundmark had spent parts of two seasons with the Flames, his first of which after being acquired in the deal with the Coyotes for a fourth round pick. He was expected to add depth to our forwards for a playoff run and add some scoring. He did ju...
Hey there to all my hockeybuzz brethren and sistren (is that a word? Sure, why not). So, this isn't a normal blog or anything just a call for help. I know that alot of you out there in hockeybuzz-land live in the greater Toronto area, and alot of the others have visited the area. So, my wife and I are making our first ever trip to the Toronto are in a couple weeks and othe...
HabsMan11 writes...

Max Pac in Habs colors?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Patch. Pacman. Max Pac. Whatever you want to call him, Max Pacioretty is the hot topic today as the Habs announced the 19 year old winger has signed a three-year entry level deal (financial terms not disclosed), effectively ending his college career. The move comes as a bit of a surprise-both Pacioretty and director of player recruitment and development Trevor Timmins were...
rwrusso writes...

Hockey in the Summer

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I've been checking this site on occasion this off season. Lately I've been thinking: What ever happened to seasonal sports? I love hockey. I'm 30 and have been playing hockey since I was a Mite. But the summer was for baseball. I can't think of a sport that my buddies and I didn't or don't play. And being interested in numerous sports, I watch what I have time for, ...
Two years ago, it was Sheldon Souray blasting shot after shot from his spot on the right point, taking Andrei Markov's passes and forcing teammates and opposition to duck for fear of having their heads ripped off by a piece of rubber flying at 100 mph. Last year, the thought on everyone's mind was "What will we do without Souray?"..."The power-play is gonna be [i]brutal...
mapleleaf92 writes...

Element of Suprise

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished 7th last in the league after a dissappointing campaign that had high expectations. They failed to make the playoffs for a third straight year mainly because of poor defensive play and inconsistant back-up play by Andrew Raycroft. Quite Frankly, I don't think Paul Maurice was quite up to the task of coaching in Toronto. How...
Well Shark fans, I know it is summer and the last echoes of the playoffs have trailed off, but there is still news to be had for Sharks fans? I know our bloggers are busy folks, but where have they gone Joe Dimaggio? Our teal nation turns it's lonely eyes to you.. What about camp? What about assistants? The big question is: What the hell is up with Ryan Clowe? All this tal...
Team 1260 in Edmonton is reporting that the Flyers have reached an agreement with Right Winger Joffrey Lupul. The deal is rumor to be a four-year extension and Sportnet is reporting that it will be about 4.25 million per year. Lupul finished last season with 46 points in just 56 games. He was on pace for well over 30 goals before an unfortunate collision with teammate Deri...
The new schedule is out and you can view it on the sharks website. But I thought it might be nice to point out a few select dates and why they might be of interest to Sharks fans. On October 17th, Eastern Conference powerhouse Philly visits. Sid the Kid (sorry, Captain Kid) and the mighty Pens visit the tank on Tuesday, October 28th in a Halloween preview. After all, ...
It is getting laughable of late with the continual flow of idiotic rumors about the future of Mats Sundin. The people who are pushing forward these "gems" are apparently doing so with the agenda of generating buzz. Whether for a blog or a Newspaper or a hockey themed show, Mats Sundin's story remains a "gravy train" for those seeking a boost in readers or ratings. The prob...
As reported by TSN: "The Toronto Maple Leafs will honour former captains Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour by raising their numbers to the rafters of the Air Canada Centre this season." Both were great players without a doubt and both were classy guys as well. However, neither brought a championship to the Leafs, the ultimate model of greatness in any league. If these pla...
predjoe writes...

Where Is PredJoe?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[i]Many Predator fans have been wondering where Pred's blogger PredJoe has been this off season. This article pulled from wire reports answers this question. [/i] [b]Ufa Russia [/b]- While the international dispute continues over young Alexander Radulov and his NHL and KHL contracts one American is also seeing if, he too, can strike gold in Russia. PredJoe has been b...
The Detroit Red Wings are giving goaltending prospect, Jimmy Howard, all the confidence in the world even though is has not one but two battles on his hands this upcoming year. Howard will earn $600,000 if he makes the club or $200,000 if he is assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. He will not have to clear waivers if sent down. He will also earn a set salar...
Rivalries between friends who share a passion for different hockey teams is a tireless tradition. Making fun of friends whose team has performed poorly is almost as fun as watching your own team win. Blogging sites such as this one have allowed strangers to debate tirelessly on endless topics often escalating to virtual fighting. As a Canadiens fan I have personally...
While it is not yet the end of July, it's hard not to think about the upcoming hockey season, especially given the current state of the Devils and everything that has happened since last season's disappointing playoff loss. It seems as though the Devils have addressed their most pressing needs, and in just two months time, we finally will get to see how the seeds planted t...
How many dumb Sundin Rumors have you seen today? Personally, I'm starting to feel a little taken for granted with some of the ridiculous stuff out there. Today for example, Ek tossed out that some unnamed source in the Habs camp had indicated that there was additional excitement today surrounding Sundin. Considering what Sundin said a few short days ago, could this be any ...
mightyquinn writes...

One more Sundin Rumor!!!

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
Listening to "Leafs Lunch" on AM640 this after noon I heard some interesting things. Mike Seidel of THN and Chief Scout for North American Central Scouting mentioned that a source close to him and he considers very reliable told him that (and im paraphrasing) Sundin really wants to come back to Leafs but he also wanted former Leafs captain Doug Gilmore as an assistant coa...
[b]Re-signed Chuck Kobasew[/b] The Bruins re-signed Kobasew to a new 3-year deal with a 2.3 cap hit. I'm probably not the only one who believes that Chucky would have made a huge difference in our 7-game quarterfinal war against the Habs. He potted 22 goals in 73 games during the regular season on a team that was usually referred to as offensively handicapped. Despite ...
Ok so Sundin dosen't stink but the statement is true. If the Canucks do actually land this fat fish it may take up more room in the tank than we can afford. Think about next year (because this is a two year deal) we have dome pretty big signings coming up i.e. Sedins, Edler. Ohlund, Krijacek, Burrows, Shannon, Pettinger, Bernier. Do you see any of these players taking a...
Anyone else think that the NHL, Executives, Players, and Agents alike use him to deflect the real goings-on in the NHL? I think so. His blogs are as reliable as a Ford Pinto, or less reliable. It's like bizarro blogging. Whatever he writes, just believe the opposite and it would stand a much better chance of becoming true. Sundin going to Montreal or Toronto? well...
Here are 13 why reasons that Mats Sundin should sign with the Habs: 1. Sundin has a Stanley Cup drought of 17 years and the Hab have a drought of 15 years. They are in a position to help each other out. 2. Sundin would put himself to not only win a Stanley Cup, but to win it in the greatest hockey city on earth. When you win a cup in Carolina, you get a ring. When y...
The Montreal Canadiens are coming off of a Cinderella type season, where the so called experts picked them to finish anywhere between 10th and 13th in their conference. Instead, we saw the emergence of Kostitsyn and Plekanec, the resurgence of Alex Kovalev and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly side of Carey Price. The end result was a spectacular surprise first place in the...
You see it in the NFL. Currently, Buffalo Bills' Jason Peters is holding out of training camp until a new deal gets inked. He wants more money, even though he's already signed for the next three years. You see it in MLB. Look no further than the whole Manny saga in Boston right now. And if you're not much familiar with that, here's the low-down: http://insider.espn....
thejerseydevil writes...

Five Burning Questions

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Earlier today on NHL Home Ice (XM Radio), they were discussing the five burning questions surrounding the New Jersey Devils as we head into the 2008-09 season. And from those five questions, they derived five incredibly biased answers. I love my XM and couldn’t live without it, but the truth is that they certainly make no attempt to hide their allegience to Leaf Nation�...
Thanks to HB's own Howard Berger http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16358 , information about the many new team 3rd jerseys are leaking out. For Sharks fans, it looks like the return of the black jersey. A bit overdone, but it looks like the logo will be the full shark body logo. http://bp3.blogger.com/_r8tWGVHrjGI/SJBtoG-FxVI/AAAAAAAAFRs/H_x_FefGUtU/s1600-h/sjssha...
I won't write what others have written about the Red Wings signing Valterri Filppula, however I will write about how much money he will will receive for the 5 year contract and what that means to some current Red Wings players. Filppula's contract is: 2008-2009 $2 mil 2009-2010 $2.5 mil 2010-2013 $3.5 mil for the final three years What this means is the Red Wing...
In the world of sports, the playoffs are often referred to as the "second season." Hockey fans know that the current season never really ends until the puck is dropped for the first game of the next one. In this sense, one can look at the off-season as the "third season," which has been less exciting than the previous summer for the Anaheim Ducks (having won the greatest...
doktordave writes...

Sundin to play in Sweden?

Posted Friday | Comments 1
It is becoming apparent that Mats really isn't excited about any of the choices being offered. One theory is that he'd really like to take a year off and return to a stronger Maple Leafs team - but after the lockout year, he knows full well the uncomfortable truth about being over 35 and being away from the NHL for a year - if you don't stay in absolute top shape, you fac...
tangent_man writes...

HockeyBuzz Anonymous

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hello. My name is tangent_man. (pause for 'hello, tangent_man'...) I'm a buzz-aholic. I check my hockey-buzz before I check my email in the morning. Is there anything I can do to alleviate the pain?? Please help me...
ndk writes...

The Possible Leafs 2008-2009

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
If this off season is as slow and arduous to any of you as it is to me I'm guessing many of you have already tried the same exercise that i'm about to do. In fact, i've seen many suggestions on the HB boards, and they have in part helped shape my perception of how the Leafs will look come opening night. Now, keep in mind, there can still be changes to the roster within ...
jackws24 writes...

Sundin's playin Fletch'

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Isn't it obvious that Mats Sundin is playing TML? And who can blame him!? Think about it, If you were Mats right now, after being asked to waive your ntc after stating you don't want to be a rental player, wouldn't you be a little pissed off? I mean sure Fletcher was doing his job but for god sake, he already had said no, Mats had been loyal to the Leafs, they should show ...
My name is[b] Pengal [/b]and I'm a [b]Hockeybuzz[/b] addict. 1. We admitted we were powerless over Hockeybuzz and that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Powerade greater than water and alcohol could restore hydration . 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of EK as we understood him. 4. Made a sear...
They aren't all bad, but I've noticed a disturbing trend in recent months - that being bloggers who work harder to stir up controversy rather than cover the "home" team objectively. It seems to me that bloggers with their own site to promote are playing a game inside the game to generate reaction. Howard Berger for the Leafs is one example. Most recently, "Howie" post...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans. Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place. Very weird by I’m not a big fan of Corona, just don’t like putting lime in my beer I guess. Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking. Since we are o...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 2
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans. Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place. Very weird by I’m not a big fan of Corona, just don’t like putting lime in my beer I guess. Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking. Since we are o...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans. Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place. Very weird by Im not a big fan of Corona, just dont like putting lime in my beer I guess. Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking. Since we are on the ...
Few remember the promise that some scouts saw in this young behemoth when prior to his draft year, he led his country of Kazakhstan to a romp over Iceland in some international game in one of the low level groups. He scored 11 goals, 15 assists in a single game, and with that 6' 5" frame, and his youth, he seemed a sure bet for great things some day in the NHL. Fast fo...
Not much to report concerning the Ducks this past week, or even the league in general, so this entry will focus more on speculation than hard news. GM Brian Burke joined Wild founding owner Bob Naegele, Jr., former NHL defenseman Phil Housley, and Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay as recipients of this year's Lester Patrick Trophy. The award, named after the former Ranger play...
Let's start off with an introduction. I haven't been on this site, and posting a blog in a while. So, the name's Johnathan. I'm a 16-year-old highschooler from Toronto, Canada. I've probably already lost credibility in saying that, haven't I? Well, how's this one - I'm writing this blog in the middle of night, my head pounding while eating a bad of Lays potato...
I love looking back to see what kind of ramifications past trades hold on the present-time NHL. For example, in 1990 the Flames and Devils swapped a number of picks that gave the Flames the 11th pick (Trevor Kidd) and the Devils the 20th pick... which just happened to be Martin Brodeur. Bruins blogger Jesse Connolly wrote about the Cam Neely/Barry Pederson trade that, af...
Holy smokes batman! The Isles have fired and hired yet another coach! Yes, for the umpteenth time the Isles have brought in a new vict-...er I mean coach to lead our guys in the blue and orange. However despite my sarcasm, I do believe this is a coach that can lead this team through changes, necessary changes to help reestablish a winning team on Long Island. Scott ...
MDLerner writes...

My First Blog on HB

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After using hockeybuzz as a resource for hockey rumours and information for almost 5 months, I have finally decided to create my own blog, to discuss anything and everything primarily about the Toronto Maple Leafs. To briefly introduce myself, I am a sixteen year old highschooler and live outside of Toronto, Canada. I play competitive hockey, and have always been a hu...
Well, things have certainly gotten interesting today in Leaf Land with a number of published reports suggesting that Brian McCabe is almost ready to waive his No Trade Clause....some variety in the reports too - one suggests a deal has been sketched out with Florida, another has said that McCabe has green lighted a trade to any one of number of eastern conference teams. S...
thejerseydevil writes...

2008-09 Predictions

Posted Friday | Comments 0
That’s right folks, it’s my favorite part of the summer…the part where you still have some time left before normal life resumes, yet hockey season is so close you can almost taste it. (In case you were wondering, it tastes like Cracker Jack.) And so, it is time for my 2008-09 predictions. I assure you that I purposely wrote and published this blog before so much as g...
doktordave writes...

NEWEST SUNDIN FOOLISHNESS

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Can you believe it? Good ol' Ek posted that a source (no e-rating)....is suggesting Sundin may want to play for the Rangers so baddly that he'll play for as little as $2 million. [my face is still sore from laughing at this one] Never mind that Mats this week publicly stated that he's still wrestling with whether he want to play in the NHL this year and expects that ...
There is no way around the fact that the N.H.L's popularity in Europe has grown significantly over the last couple of season. Although mainly due to extensive N.H.L marketing and contracts with the North American Sports Network to broadcast more games then, ever the truth is that hockey on t.v is completely different than in real time. The excitment, the speed have never...
With even less news on the Ducks front over the last seven days than the previous week, we'll start of this entry by taking a look at the recent events surrounding Anaheim's new AHL affiliate, the Iowa... Chops... *ahem*. The club formerly known as the Stars has done all it can to keep itself in the spotlight since adopting its new moniker, from the unveiling of the tea...
yideboit writes...

Is it just me...

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I'm relatively new on the hockeybuzz.com blog scene, but I am going to try and write at least one a week with the title above; "Is it just me..." In this, the first installment, I am going to discuss the current Maple Leafs roster, as it stands today, and how it would fair this upcoming season. Of course, as stated, this is how it stands today, so I am going to exclu...
Buts16 writes...

Saturday Morning Coffee

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Not much hockey to talk about these days??? I'll do my best to keep focused on hockey but my blogs are starting to be very un-hockey related. Funny how none of the Leafs wanted to move at the trade deadline and now Tucker is gone, McCabe is on his way out and God only knows what's up with Meatball Sundin. Jose Theodore a Washington Capital, that just doesn't sound...
These are just for fun, and to get discussion going. If you disagree that's cool, just don't bash, as that always seems to happen on these boards. EAST: 1.Pittsburgh Penguins 2.Montreal Canadiens 3.Washington Capitals 4.Philadelphia Flyers 5.New York Rangers 6.Ottawa Senators 7.Boston Bruins 8.New Jersey Devils --------------- 9.Carolina Hurricanes 10.Buffalo...
doktordave writes...

SUNDIN SHOCKER!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Though he's a Swedish citizen and never been involved in politics, sources suggest that Mats Sundin has been offered a spot on Barrak Obama's ticket as Vice Presidential candiate. Now we have 6 teams in North America and 1 political party pursuing the vaunted Swede. Sundin apparently has asked for a few days to think it over. Meanwhile, Republican John McCain is rumored to...
yideboit writes...

Is it just me...

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Continuing the blog as I said I would for all you loyal blog readers, and all comments, suggestions, etc are welcome and appreciated. For this weeks blog, I want to know; is it just me... or are you as torn as I am as to what you want the Leafs to accomplish next season. Sure, finishing dead last would give us the best odds at drafting highly-touted John Tavares, howeve...
The real truth of things would appear to be that Mats Sundin may indeed be leaning towards retirement. With all the press coverage on his situation the last word that I heard was that he still had not begun skating in August. For any NHLer, let alone a 37 year old, not hitting the ice going into the Labor Day weekend is surely considered as a bad sign. A player coming off ...
As pre-season approaches we as hockey fans are faced with another aging vet, deciding IF he's gonna play another season and if so at what point of the season he is going to start again. The ugly truth seems to be that Sundin is going to follow Scotty Nieds. and Teemu's path and delay the start of "thier" season till they decide. All summer J.P. Barry has given us "deadl...
doktordave writes...

Sundin Magical Mystery Tour

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
Interesting that Mats Sundin will be in Toronto Friday September 5th for the first ever Festival Cup charity hockey game. Certainly they couldn't ask for a bigger draw to get a crowd and lots of press coverage also. Hopefully his presence won't overshadow the charity aspect. There are still theories out there that Mats really wants to return to Toronto to end his career, b...
Ok we all knwo the drill , I spin my charming lil roulette , it lands upon a team and I give my run down upon it. Well onto the spin. ......... and we have the Philedalphia Flyers. With out question the flyers pulled off one of the biggest turn arounds in sports history last year. Going from a pathetic 56 point 22 win ending in the 06-07 to a incredible 95 point 42 ...
Folks. I'm a little peeved. For the last couple of weeks (and I may be selling this one short), the Hockey Buzz Chat Room is not working as it should. In order to see another person's remark, you need to hit the "refresh button" each time. As a season ticket holder, part of what I pay for is the use of this room. Often times I can catch some of my favorite people there...
The Q Returns to Montreal Junior hockey has been a tough sell in Montreal over the last couple of decades, but following 3 seasons as the St. John Fog Devils(and 5 seasons without a Major Junior team in Montreal), Montreal native Farrel Miller purchased the team and has moved them into the historical Verdun Auditorium as the new Montreal Juniors. This is a fantasti...
knucklesandwich writes...

Ray Emery's KHL Debut

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
This morning I managed to watch Ray Emery's KHL debut for Atlant Mytishchi vs. Spartak Moscow. Emery's Atlant lost 6-5 in overtime with the winning goal scored by Stefan Ruzhichka on the power play. Emery looked a little shaky, he let in a goal from the point with no one standing in front of him and was beaten on a break-away by a tied up forward whose shot seemed to su...
Ok I am taking a break from the whole spin the roulette series just to post this up in anticipation of the season aproaching.I recently got into a debate with a friend as to which games in the NHL are the best match ups. In the end I was able to come up with my top five match ups. Tell me what you think. 5)Dallas Vs SanJose : Well I will be honest I wasn't much of...
predjoe writes...

Back In The US of A!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Nashville - When his plane touched down in Nashville a tired and weary PredJoe looked around as if to be expecting a welcome committee. There was none there. No signs. No banners. Nothing to welcome him home after months in Russia trying to live his dream as a hockey blogger. "It was something I had to try or I would regret it the rest of my life," said an unshaven Pred...
Kinglove1 writes...

Kings sign Stoll

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Kings sign Stoll to a 4 yr 14.4 mill....In my opinion..too much money. I know you all will share your opinions....bring em...
I realize that many players, media and especially fans read Hockeybuzz on a daily basis, and I believe this may be the most efficient way to get this message across. There is a HUGE difference between the fans and the media, and this was evident this week on the airwaves in Montreal. Jean-Charles Lajoie, a radio commentator on CKAC radio in Montreal managed to OUT-TWIT...
Gatineau 5 - Montreal 4 [Sunday, 09/07/08] - The Montreal Juniors wrapped up their pre-season series of matchups versus the Gatineau Olympiques this afternoon with a 4-4 tie. The Olympiques eventually went on to win in a shootout(2-0). This afternoon’s game, in front of 2,224 spectators, marked the last of a 4 game series, in which both squads tuned up for their ...
Alright as with before I spin the roulette , it lands upon a team and I give my rather run down as it appears to my eye. Onto to the spin. ......... The Edmonton Oilers The Oilers are two season removed from their stanley cup final appearance . In that time they have gone through quite a bit. With the 07-08 season seeing the trade of their beloved captain and their ...
Ok, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict the regular season standings before the season actually starts (particulalrly the teams who'll actually make the playoffs). Here we go! EAST: 1) Pittsburgh* 2) Montreal* 3) Washington* 4) NY Rangers 5) New Jersey 6) Philadelphia 7) Ottawa 8) Tampa Bay ----- 9) Boston 10) Buffalo 11) Carolina 12) Toronto ...
normryder writes...

Can the NHL work in the U.S.?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sooner or later the powers to be have to wake up and publicly admit the NHL has a big problem in the U.S. gaining a fan base to compete with the NFL,MLB and even the NBA and NASCAR. You can't fix a problem you wont admit you have. When poker shows on ESPN where out performing live primetime NHL broadcast someone should have took notice and said "Toronto we have a pr...
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,...
mightyquinn writes...

Sundin to wait a Year??

Posted Friday | Comments 1
I know this story has been told and told and told over again. Here I am adding another story to it. I haven't written a blog in quite some time, but it because I have been away working on making contacts so when I write a blog I have some substance behind what I am writing. Back to the story I started out writing. For the past 2 months I have been in almost daily con...
The Toronto Maple Leafs defense has by no means been full of all-star caliber players and has struggled on numerous occasions since the post-lockout era. Needless to say, it's never really been one of their strong points. This season however, their defense may be one of the few bright spots on a season that many are predicting to be more than abysmal. The one thing the...
This is my first blog on hockeybuzz so here goes, I have been an avid blues fan since birth and this year has to be the most anticipated year of blues hockey that I can remember. I think John Davidson is taking this team in the right direction and if we as blues fans can be patient we might soon be seeing the blues raising a stanley cup banner of there own real soon.
[u]Depth Chart[/u] C Tim Connolly Derek Roy Paul Gaustad Adam Mair Jochen Hecht Nathan Gerbe Marek Zagrapan LW Thomas Vanek Daniel Paille Patrick Kaleta Clarke MacArthur Philippe Gogulla RW Drew Stafford Jason Pominville Ales Kotalik Maxim Afinogenov Andrew Peters Mark Mancari D Jaroslav Spacek Toni Lydman Henrik Tallinder Craig Rivet Andre...
Ive been away from the site for a bit "having a summer"... yes, some things do take presidence over the local rumours in sports, not many things, but there are a few. After reading up on the predictions for the Leafs season and watching the analysts analyze I thought there was nothing that could be added to: no sundin, no top6, no goals, no way (in the deepest hottest d...
I will be honest I got the idea from a hockeynews blog that I read with a player from each division to watch . I liked the idea so much that I decided just to expand on it. So I will be naming a player of interest to watch this year from each team. The reason they are of interest vary and may be either ; contract value , potential , looking to break a record ect ect. So ...
"At Syracuse, they teach quarterbacks to protect the ball deep in their own end zone!" Fifteen minutes into my run on the treadmill at the local gym, I was busy trash-talking Tony Romo. The Eagles were closing on the Cowboys in the second quarter of their Monday night game. Away from Philadelphia for twenty years, I now live in Seattle. This isn't really a sports t...
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 reading an article on Cody Hodgson from the Vancouver Province [url]http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=067ccf11-4598-4d09-9a0b-9dddec9fe1c0[/url] and hearing that he has advanced to the Canucks main camp. I am starting to wonder if Cody Hodgson might have a chance of making the Canucks this season. His 5 points and a plus 5 rating in 2 games ...
On October 8, 2007, I wrote that the Phoenix Coyotes would win the Pacific Division. The blog is linked below. I really didn't believe it at the time - I wrote it more as a knock against the perennial favorite Sharks, Stars and Ducks. All three of those teams were mired in an early season of mediocrity and it was frustrating to watch these three lose to the Blackhawks, ...
normryder writes...

Nashville, Good Enough?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
First things first. The Nashville Predators have proven they have a good GM a good Coach and a good Hockey Team. They do a good job at the draft table, have a good AHL affiliate and have a good building to play in. So good. But is good,good enough for a team struggling to meet even minimum attendance goals and still has not managed to compete in the local media and local b...
It's time for Ponikarovsky to step up. No more excuses. The now-Canadian citizen is going to have display his talent and prove to the Leafs why he should rejoin them in the long-term. The six-foot-four, 220 pound sniper has shown glimpses of being top-six forward quality, but that's as far as he goes before falling back into inconsistency. In Ponikarovsky, the Leafs ...
Jsaquella writes...

The Little Brown Building

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://philadelphia.about.com/library/gallery/lincoln39.JPG[/img] The Spectrum. The little brown building at the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia. The home of the legendary Broad Street Bullies. The structure that infected NHLers with the Philly Flu. The place where a blue collar town came to love the ultimate blue collar sport. [...
etownhockey writes...

Make way for Rob Schremp

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Oilers feel they can build from within the system. However, I've been reading "respectable" bloggers in regards to the 3rd line centre void. They have been bantering up ideas to bring in a Smolinski or a Marchant. So in my effort to silence the critics, so to speak, I for one strongly feel those statements are poorly executed. "IF" that were to be the case, why did the...
The2ManAdvantage and Shawn Arseneault are on the scene, reporting back on day one: [b]The2ManAdvantage's eyewitness report[/b] [i]Training camp is a bit different this year. Instead of scrimmages, Scott Gordon is running practices. The drills are focused on speed, driving to the net, quick passing, and transitions. Gordon is fiery. Its great to watch and his energy ...
As the 4th month of the Sundin saga approaches there is still no end in sight. Sundin has displayed an unprecedented inabilty to make a decision if you factor the number of teams that have publicly expressed interest in his services. He was quoted recently stating "I just can't give you a timeline right now as I still haven't made a decision whether I'm going to play o...
Montreal Juniors Vs. Quebec Remparts Montreal, Saturday, September 20, 2008. The 3-2. The Juniors, who are replacing the 5-1. In front of a capacity crowd at the Colisée Pepsi, Montreal seemed gun-shy in their opening battle with the Remparts and were unable to mount a consistent, solid attack. Nick Layton scored the Juniors only goal with less than 7 minutes remain...
Montreal Juniors Vs. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Montreal, Sunday, September 21, 2008. Following an extremely hard fought battle with the Quebec Remparts last night at the Verdun Auditorium, which resulted in a Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 4 - Montreal Juniors 2 The Juniors, having 1 win and 2 losses in their first 3 games, started slowly against the Huskies. Montreal allowe...
Montreal Juniors Vs. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Montreal, Sunday, September 21, 2008. Following an extremely hard fought battle with the Quebec Remparts last night at the Verdun Auditorium, which resulted in a Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 4 - Montreal Juniors 2 The Juniors, having 1 win and 2 losses in their first 3 games, started slowly against the Huskies. Montreal allowe...
hockeyfan89 writes...

2008-2009 predictions

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ok I have held off to the last possible moment as to what I think the conference standings will look like this year . So here it goes. Eastern Conference 1.Washington 2.Montreal 3.Philadelphia 4.Pittsburgh 5.Rangers 6.Sabres 7.Ottawa 8.Boston 9.Tampa Bay 10.New Jersey 11.Florida 12.Carolina 13.Toronto 14.Atlanta 15.Islanders Western Conference 1.Det...
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...
FLAMESTR writes...

FLAMES CAMP REPORT

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Let me apoloize for horrible writing but my heart was in the right place TRAINING CAMP REPORT We went to all of the Group A Session. I did miss half of group B, we left around 2 pm. So in all fairness, my Group B impression might not be as good. I am just writing on the players who made the best showing in the practice to me. Rhett Warrener Rhett looks in...
I spent some time studying Kyle Wellwood during last nights 4-3 SO game against the Oilers, and came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter whether he is in 'hockey shape' or not. He was never once out of breath when he came back to the bench at the end of his shifts. Heck, I couldn't even detect a single bead of sweat on his brow thoughout the contest (and he played ...
sirwin31 writes...

Flames First Pre-Season Game

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
(After a 5 month absence from posting) I went to the game tonight against the Panthers, and these were my thoughts on some individual performances... [u]The Good:[/u] [b]Iginla: [/b] -Looked in mid season form -Scored a beauty off a Boyd feed -Just hope he stays healthy and plays a full season *knock on wood* [b]Boyd: [/b] -Made a nice play on ...
If the Leafs wanted to mimic a team's success, it would probably be that of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens built their team around a superstar. Then more superstars. And even more superstars. There were a few surprises, but for the most part Crosby, Malkin, Staal and Fleury. Add Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, Ryan Whitney and Pascal Dupuis to veterans Darryl Sydor, Ser...
This is the second in a series about memorable moments at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. [img]http://www.dio.net/pictures_misc/a_special_from_the_spectrum_us_38100-3d_vhs_big.jpg[/img] Dio poster On December 11th, 1977, the lowly Cleveland Barons visited the Spectrum and were dealt a severe ass kicking. Flyers defenseman Tom Bladon had the night of his life, scoring ...
I know that he's put in his time. 14 years at a paper in Peterborough, 16 years at the hockeynews and now with Rogers Sportsnet's and the fan590 on Hockeycentral, but really, c'mon. The Leafs have played 2 pre-season games. 2. They've been in camp for all of a week. They've barely had a second to take in the city, let alone the media throng that is you and Howard. ...
NHL Prospects Return To Lead Juniors To Victory Opening the season at the Verdun Auditorium with 2 losses last weekend was not how the Montreal Juniors wanted to impress their new fans. Losing 3-2 to the Quebec Remparts and 4-2 to Rouyn-Noranda left the Juniors winless in their home debut and hungry to make their fans happy. Enter the Saint John Sea Dogs. Sain...
[b]Camp Notes for the Week For the Flames[/b] The Calgary Flames are 2-1 on the season losing to the Panthers 2-1 and beat the Coyotes twice. But overall, I think you have to be really impressed with the team as a whole. The Flames have surprised me this week by mostly using a veteran line-up. The real battle is on defense, as Warrener, Erikisson, Pardy, and Vande...
Pucked writes...

What's up with Friesen?

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

Random Sabres Thoughts......

Posted Sunday | Comments 2
Max Afinogenov is in the ultimate contract year. Not only is he in the last year of his contract, but he was shopped around in the offseason and is auditioning for all 30 other teams in the NHL either via trade during the season, jockeying for line placement on the Sabres or for his free agent contract following the season. Right now, it looks like we are going to go be ge...
[b] Montreal. Sunday, September 28, 2008.[/b]The Juniors faced their pre-season rivals, the Gatineau Olympiques, for their first regular season encounter this afternoon at the Verdun Auditorium. Anticipated to be a heated contest due to the four pre-season encounters these teams endured, Montreal was a step ahead of the Olympiques all game long. After four games in the...
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...
Tons of hype and mostly disappointing results. On the surface, it would seem like Boston product Jimmy Hayes and the Toronto Maple Leafs were a match made in heaven. All kidding aside, Hayes was drafted by Toronto in the 2nd round, 60th overall this past June. Once touted as a possible Top 10 pick in one of the deepest draft classes of the decade, Jimmy had an absolu...
It's been a couple months now since the Stanley Cup was paraded around the Mellon Arena in the hands of the opponent. While the sting has subsided, the memory of that painful sight has not and you can bet it hasn't been forgotten by the likes of Sidney Crosby and Co. Due to prior engagements, I will not be able to see much more than the puck drop on Saturday afternoon. ...
In one of the most action packed offseasons in Canucks history, this one blows everything else out of the water. Roberto Luongo is named as the first goaltender in 61 years and risks "Captain Lou Albano" jokes for another 2 years. Keeping in mind that Canucks hockey has been pretty interesting over the last few years, this year has been...incredible. Usually the hig...
MarleauMan writes...

Freeze.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hello again! So McLovin is being very vague about Jeff Friesens status. Saying "he didn't hurt his chances last night" What exactly does that mean? Our new coach seems to be a little less willing to give the media information about the status of certain players. One would think that with fr...
mightyquinn writes...

Looking for Moves

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Been away from the Leaf's page the last couple of weeks, but i have returned. Talking to my source(who has some great connections to the Leafs) has told me that they are hearing that Cliff is still looking to move some body around. With the back log of D men the name of Carlo Colaiacovo has come up as a prospect that teams are really looking at. Word is that Cliff is loo...
Going into this season, its pretty clear who will be at the top of the Central Division: The St. Louis Blues.... I kid, I kid... It'll be Detroit hands down. It amazed methat they were able to re-sign Valteri Filppula to a 5 year deal that pays him only $3 million a season on average. On the free market, a guy like him would've yielded maybe double that or more. Thei...
I do this every year, just for fun. The so-called hockey experts have their say, and I figure why not have mine? I'm a huge hockey fan, I've been following the league since a youngster - my earliest memories the 93-94 season and the infamous 7-game series between the NY Rangers and Vancouver. So here I go. [b]Regular Season Predictions[/b] [b][i]Western Conference[/b...
ladynic writes...

10/01/08 Capitals @ Flyers

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Shout out to everyone. Before the game the Flyers hosted the season ticket holder BBQ. They had TV's set up so that people could watch the Phillies. I went to the Caps end for warmups cause I was hoping that Either Ovechkin or Green would be playing and I could get some pics of them. No luck. [url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2906637934/in/set-7215760...
TheEdge writes...

Predictions

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Alright, so, everybody does these things at some point, I suppose I'm going to throw them up here too. I don't really know why, considering they'll just get ragged by everyone who thinks their teams should do better and whatever teams I seem to like totally suck. EASTERN CONFERENCE Southeast Division 1. Washington 2. Carolina 3. Florida 4. Tampa Bay 5. Atlanta ...
Hey Everybody, This is my first time making an NHL prediction, as I do not really like to throw myself out there, because it is almost a certainty to be wrong. However, I will give it a go this time, and I would like to see what everyone thinks about these picks. [u]Eastern Conference[/u] 1. Montreal Canadiens 2. Philadelphia Flyers 3. Washington Capitals 4. Ne...
I know, I know, everyone and their dog is doing predictions (although Bert is quite good at it I hear)...here goes more Western Conference 1. Detroit 2. San Jose 3. Calgary 4. Anaheim 5. Dallas 6. Chicago 7. Minnesota 8. Edmonton 9. Colorado 10. Columbus 11. Vancouver 12. Phoenix 13. St. Louis 14. Nashville 15. Los Angeles Eastern Conference 1. Mo...
FightingFerret writes...

My Predictions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the 2008/2009 NHL hockey season upon us with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins preparing to take to the ice in Europe I figured it was about time to make my relatively crude predictions for the upcoming season! Last year I had some misses (Canadiens missing the playoffs) and some hits (Capitals winning the SE) ...
leafs_slayer writes...

Predictions

Posted Saturday | Comments 2
These are just for fun, and to get discussion going. If you disagree that's cool, just don't bash, as that always seems to happen on these boards. EAST: 1.Pittsburgh Penguins 2.Montreal Canadiens 3.Washington Capitals 4.Philadelphia Flyers 5.New York Rangers 6.Ottawa Senators 7.Boston Bruins 8.New Jersey Devils --------------- 9.Carolina Hurricanes 10.Buffalo...
leafs_slayer writes...

Predictions 08-09

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
These are just for fun, and to get discussion going. If you disagree that's cool, just don't bash, as that always seems to happen on these boards. EAST: 1.Pittsburgh Penguins 2.Montreal Canadiens 3.Washington Capitals 4.Philadelphia Flyers 5.New York Rangers 6.Ottawa Senators 7.Boston Bruins 8.New Jersey Devils --------------- 9.Carolina Hurricanes 10.Buffalo...
With the 2008 pre-season almost drawing to a close, it's the time of year when every fan is filled with hope and optimism about their teams chances to look competitive or maybe do well or even take home the cup. Leaf fans get to predict that they will have a defense this year; Islander fans get to hope they have someone who scores at least 50 points; Shark fans get to bel...
pecafan writes...

My Predictions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
East: 1.) Pittsburgh 2.) Montreal 3.) Washington 4.) Philadelphia 5.) NY Rangers 6.) Tampa Bay 7.) Toronto 8.) Ottawa West: 1.) San Jose Sharks 2.) Detroit RedWings 3.) Edmonton Oilers 4.) Dallas Stars 5.) Minnesota Wild 6.) Anaheim Ducks 7.) Calgary Flames 8.) Vancouver Canucks I'm not going to make Stanley Cup Predictions because its near impos...
Eastern Conference: 1. Philadelphia- Their offense is arguably the best depth wise in the league, and they have some yound defensman that could really step up and do a good enough job to win the conference. And I think that Biron will do a good enough job as well. 2. Montreal- Fast, skilled, young, but I thinnk they will lose the conference by something as little ...
[b]FLAMES SEASON PREVIEW[/b] Someone asked me how I thought the Flames would do this year. That is hard to predict, because there are so many factors involved this season. The main problem I have with the Flames is the same old problem - not enough scoring. We have several forwards, but in all honesty, we have just too many third and fourth liners. I feel the Flames hav...
jsimms52 writes...

My Predictions!

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Here are my predictions for the 2008-09 season: [b]Eastern Conference[/b] 1. Montreal 2. NY Rangers 3. Washington 4. Pittsburgh 5. Philadelphia 6. New Jersey 7. Ottawa 8. Carolina 9. Buffalo 10. Tampa Bay 11. Boston 12. Toronto 13. Florda 14. NY Islanders 15. Atlanta [b]Western Conference[/b] 1. Detroit 2. San Jose 3. Calgary 4. Dallas 5. Chicag...
Sven22 writes...

One man's West preview

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I know predictions are cliche for this site and this time of year, but I wrote obscenely long Western Conference preview for something else and thought, what the hell, I'll put it up here and see if people respond. Enjoy if you have the patience to read it all. -Sven 22 1. Detroit Red Wings (1st in Central) (This’ll be a bit longer than the rest; they’re my te...
Sven22 writes...

One man's West preview

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I know predictions are cliche for this site and this time of year, but I wrote obscenely long Western Conference preview for something else and thought, what the hell, I'll put it up here and see if people respond. Enjoy if you have the patience to read it all. -Sven 22 1. Detroit Red Wings (1st in Central) (This'll be a bit longer than the rest; they're my team, ...
Preseason has concluded for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After 9 games of juggling line-ups and testing their young guns, the Leafs have finished with a 2-6-1 record. However, this blog does not have the objective to bash the Leafs and bring the fan base to a heaving sigh. Instead, let's take a different approach. Let's go into the season with our heads high. Let's go into the...
Greetings to all buzzers. Thanks for clicking on my maiden web log. If brevity is the soul of wit, I either have no wit or no soul. Thus, my season preview will be posted in two hefty installments. With the trans-Atlantic set of games aside (and it was nice to see those Easterners learn what [b]real[/b] travel is like), I’m looking towards Thursday when the true fant...
Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk has said that European expansion is "...Happening, it's going to happen". He also added that he's in favor of it. Granted the response was overwhelming-which is exactly what I'd expect. It's not as if Sweden doesn't have a rich hockey heritage of it's own, and a chance to see NHL teams certainly would be a very popular event. The problems,...
habster_31 writes...

08-09 Predictions

Posted Monday | Comments 1
This hockey season looks to be a great one. It's the Habs' 100th year anniversary, there looks to be an emergence from teams like Edmonton, Chicago and Phoenix out West, and we as fans of this great game get to make our predictions of what we think might happen....So here are my predictions for the coming season. [u]East[/u] 1. Canadiens- Tanguay, Laraque and Lang. Th...
Tucker, McCabe, Raycroft, Sundin.. what meaning do these names hold? They are the mainstays in what will come to be remembered for the forceable future as the last Leaf team that could compete. This years round-up sells itself considerably short in comparison to the band of jolly clowns that has missed the post season by a hair in each of the last 3 seasons. So where do...
Over this summer and much of last season there has been a great debate on how to turn the Leafs around. Everyone has an idea and everyone has an opinion. Finally after much of the same over the past few seasons the Leafs admitted that they had to stop, slow down and rebuild a very proud and storied franchise. Quick fixes have not worked. Every good team in the NHL has rebu...
mino65434 writes...

High Hopes?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Philadelphia Flyers surprised everyone last year with a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and there are a lot of people in Philadelphia who expect more of the same this year. Hell, with the Phillies' season coming to a close shortly (satisfyingly or otherwise) and the Eagles playing awfully at the Linc, the Flyers are going to feel the weight of the city on their ...
As the 2008-2009 NHL regular season is about to dawn on the Toronto Maple Leafs' first rebuilding season in decades, it's time to get excited. There is a mysterious aspect to this team that hasn't been present for many years. The mystery, however, isn't where the Leafs will finish in the standings - you can definitively say they will finish in the bottom 6 (an envious plac...
Can you hear that? Thats 90% of America not giving a shit. Hockey is back, and while most of Canada are on their couch eagerly waiting for Hockey Night in Canada, to come on the trusty CBC. Americans everywhere are struggling to find that hunting network, and have given up looking. Why the NHL refuses to go back to ESPN is beyond me. Sure you could be a small fish in a ...
predjoe writes...

State Of The Preds...Goaltending

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I go into this season with a bit of a deja vu feeling. No...not the club next to the interstate with all the neon lights on the outside and poles on the inside but that uncomfortable feeling that I may see a repeat of something I have seen in the past. Is seems like only a year ago...wait...it was exactly a year ago...that the Preds were heading into the season with a new ...
sirensong writes...

Winds of change.

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Naslund-NYR Morrison-Ana Linden-Retierd Krajicek-Tam Pettinger-Mtb Cowan-Peoria Ritchie-out Izzy-Ott Shannon-Ott Weaver-out Miller-out Demitra Bernier O'Brien Johnson Wellwood Hordichuk 11 player's from last year's roster either playing elsewhere or out of the league. 6 players added from either trades or free agency, and a handful of youngsters e...
Friday marks the beginning of a new season for the Buffalo Sabres when they face off against the Montreal Canadiens at 7:30pm at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo. The two divisional rivals kick off the 2008-2009 season with a lot of questions open for discussion for both squads after disappointing finishes last year. The Sabres are attempting to rebound from a season that foun...
NosCanadiens writes...

PREDICTIONS CONFERENCE EST

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Comme chaque annee, le temps est venu pour les experts, pseudo-experts, et amateurs de hockey de predire le classement final qui prevaudra dans la LNH au mois d'avril. J'ai moi aussi mis ma boule de crystal au travail et voici ce que je prévois comme classement de la Conférence Est. J'espere que j'aurai plus de succes que l'an dernier, alors que j'avais reussi à prevoir...
Elchrisco writes...

How The East Will REALLY Look

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Want a set of predictions that are a little bit off the beaten path? how about... 1) New York Rangers 2) Carolina Hurricanes 3) Montreal Canadiens 4) Pittsburgh Pengiuns 5) Philadelphia Flyers 6) Ottawa Senators 7) Washington Capitals 8) Boston Bruins 9)Florida Panthers 10) Buffalo Sabres 11) New Jersey Devils 12) New York Islanders 13)Tampa Bay Lightning 1...
IslandDynasty writes...

My 2008 NHL Predictions

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b][u]EAST[/u][/b] 1-Montreal Canadiens 2-New Jersey Devils 3-Carolina Hurricanes 4-Pittsburgh Penguins 5-Ottawa Senators 6-Tampa Bay Lightning 7-Boston Bruins 8-New York Islanders ---------------------------- 9-Washington Capitals 10-Philadelphia Flyers 11-Buffalo Sabres 12-New York Rangers 13-Florida Panthers 14-Toronto Maple Leafs 15-Atlanta Thrashers ...
obe24 writes...

Avs Blog - Preseason thoughts

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What follows is my meager attempt to fill in the black hole that is Avs coverage on Hockeybuzz. Maybe Engblom will be back. Maybe not. But I can construct sentences. Mostly. Alright, enough poking fun at Engblom's Hemingway-like sentence structure, let's get to it. I am nothing if not a procrastinator, so now that there's only a few hours of preseason left, thi...
Western Conference 1. Detroit (Central Division champions). Take away a ten-game stretch late in the season, and last year's Wings were one of the best teams in NHL regular season history. This year's squad is better. 2. San Jose (Pacific Division champions). It is no secret Patrick Marleau and Ron Wilson did not see eye to eye the past couple of years. A coaching ch...
As I sit here gazing at the many fellow students trying to get inside their bus without getting soaking wet, I am reminded of the Leafs. As I sit here typing up this article on my laptop, that I bought two years ago as one piece and is now breaking up into two separate pieces, I am reminded of the Leafs. As I sit here trying to get through this chapter, which has a c...
I was so excited for the start of this hockey season. Why exactly I cannot say. Season opening the last few years ever since the lockout has been an event I've barely noticed. Tonight, however, a mild ankle sprain kept me out of the lineup for my rec floor hockey game, which was ok, because the temptation of the raising of Detroit's Stanley Cup banner, the Wings-Leafs g...
I always enjoy playing out big Sabres games just before they take place on my PS2...sort of "predicting" if you will. I set the rosters up so that they match the Game Day rosters, and I go at it. Historically, I'd say I pick the winning team about 75% of the time whenever I do this, so it's pretty accurate. In fact, I've done playoff games in the past in which I get the...
CanuckBloggin writes...

Canuck Gold

Posted Friday | Comments 0
First I would like to commend the Canuck organization for the impressive and sincere tribute to the late [url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/2537906452_2730d20d83.jpg]Luc Bourdon[/url]. For those who didn't have the opportunity to see the heart-warming display it began with two massive portraits of Luc on the ice surface. Tom Cochraine and Red Rider performed "Big L...
One day while bored at work I was thinking about hockey and wondered if it made much difference if we weighed point production from a per minute basis. I decided to check the top 40 scorers last year and compare them by how many points that they produced by actual playing time. Of course there is always the debate about who is better, Ovechkin or Crosby. Lets see who is be...
So far I have touched on the defense (I think we are good), goaltending (bold prediction...I think we are great) and now comes the offense. I have saved the most difficult for last. Let me say up front that offensively I think we are going to have problems. I am not blaming all this on Radulov's journey back to play for the Russian mafia but we will miss his 26 goals fo...
This is word-for-word from the first half of my regular Blog just posted, but I thought it deserved a spot all on it's own ... The Canucks did just about everything right last night in the season opening 6-0 win over the Flames, but the part they pulled off without a hitch came before the game itself, during a moving, yet under-stated tribute to Luc Bourdon. These...
Hockey is upon us once again! As much as I like baseball playoffs, nothing beats Game 1 (in North America) of the NHL season in my eyes. And I really couldn't believe my eyes when the Leafs survived three posts in the first 10 minutes of the game to win 3-2 against the Wings. Absolutely brutal game to watch, but a trap system played very effectively by the Blue and Whi...
The Eastern Conference 1. Pittsburgh 2. Washington 3. Buffalo 4. Montreal 5. Philadelphia 6. NY Rangers 7. New Jersey 8. Carolina 9. Ottawa 10. Toronto 11. Tampa 12. Boston 13. Florida 14. Atlanta 15. NY Islanders Western Conference. 1. Detroit 2. San Jose 3. Edmonton 4. Vancouver 5. Calgary 6. Chicago 7. Anaheim 8. Dallas 9. Colorado 10. ...
It's a rather atypical day for your hockey season to start. I've gone from freezing at night, wearing my footsie pajamas and electric blankets to wearing a short-sleeved shirt with the A/C running on my commute home from school. I'm kidding, I don't own footsie pajamas, but I would look damn cute if I did. But yes, back to the important stuff. Every year I would get...
Yes, this team is for real. It is only two games, but look at what they've done. An emotional 6-0 win (that one was for you Luc Bourdon) and then a 5-4 OT victory in hostile territory tonight. Northwest Division rival Calgary was the victim both times. And I know how people say the preseason doesn't matter, but it's no fluke that the Canucks had one of the best r...
tml1967 writes...

The Leafs Defense

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Leafs find themselves in a interesting situation on defense as they have 9 defensemen on their roster and will need to clear a couple within a few weeks once Jeff Finger returns. Leafs 1st rounder Luke Scheen has not looked out of place in the big leagues even if he looked a tad slow against Montreal yesterday. Frogren also had a tough night but he has an edge to him w...
Ok Ok, I may be the minority here but... The goal song really isn't THAT bad. Personally it was fine. It had some guitar, a few HEY's, a chorus, and no sex offender attached. BTW, did you know that the Devils have the same EXACT Gary Glitter goal song that we just got rid of? I don't know about you but don't want to have the same song as the Devils. Kudos for ...
10/13/08 It was Kids Day on Long Island, and fans came out as the Isles tripped, clutched, held sticks, grabbed, fought, slashed, roughed, hooked, cross checked and probably did about 80% of it all over again. Buffalo worked hard with their 7-1 drubbing of the Islanders, but perhaps not as hard as the refs. The refs called a total (at this time..it might still not...
Last year the Blues' roster was filled with underproductive guys, many of them being paid lots of money to score, but never amounting to much. So the Blues said goodbye to Doug Weight, Petr Cajanek, Martin Rucinsky, and others and welcomed the next generation of players, the future Blues. And I don't know if it comes as a surprise or not that these players have stepped ...
Last Friday night the season started with the hopes of a shining youth movement getting underway to a successful first game. We saw Okposo make a good attempt on a penalty shot with Joey MacDonald putting on a promising performance in a 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. It wasn't a win, but it left optimism for the following night's home opener at the Coliseum against the...
predjoe writes...

Who Knew We Were Invited...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Who knew the Preds were invited to a coming out party last night? I didn't...but that is exactly what happened. The Preds, and the rest of the NHL, got a look at the force that is Fabian Brunnstrom. The 23 year old Swedish talent became the third player in NHL history to net a hat trick in his first game and in the process has everyone wondering just how good this guy will...
I can't begin to explain how good it felt to see the Isles give up a 2-0 lead and manage a win. Yeah I know...how can anyone be happy that their team gave up a 2-0 lead in the third period? It's pretty simple. Dating back for say the past four or five years the Isles maintained this identity of "roll over and die" as opposed to the "never say die" Isles that they used t...
Yeah my title was a tribute to Talladega nights Jean Girard and his "formula UN" and my clever segue (or not so clever as obvious) is that tonight's game is going to be a speed race with a lot of collisions...just like the real Talladega. Everyone was aware coming into this game that the Oilers has youth, speed and skill on at their side, if you haven't seen Lubomir Visnov...
Sven_119H writes...

Home Sweet Home

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
[b]Montreal. Friday, October 17, 2008[/b]. The Juniors returned home from a 5 game road trip on Friday night to host the Huskies from Rouyn-Noranda. Montreal, weary from their recent stretch of 3 games in 3 nights(Oct. 10-12), were in desperate need of a goal as the Juniors had not scored since the 13th minute of their 3rd period of their 4-1 win over Halifax, a total of 1...
Apologizing to Flamestr for kind of ripping off his blog title. Think of this as a sort of point/counterpoint thing. On the strength of three consecutive second period powerplay goals, the Oilers beat the Flames 4-3 tonight in the first Battle of Alberta of the season. Aside from the powerplays alone, the Flames were generally dominated, being outshot 35-29 and being ou...
tml1967 writes...

Will Ponikarovsky ever get it?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Alex Ponikarovsky also know as Poni in Toronto has scored 60 goals the past three season for Toronto but does not seem to get understand the concept of keep your stick down. Poni took another lazy penalty against the Rangers last night because he stopped moving his feet, thanks to the stellar play of Toskala the Leafs managed to get a point out of another shootout loss but...
FLAMESTR writes...

MAYBE IT IS TIME TO PANIC

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Todd Bertuzzi keeps his 82 goal pace, Langkow cashes in on another power play as the Calgary Flames made the Oilers pay for penalties in the first period. It was nice for a change to see the powerplay connect tonight. I have to say, I am so pleased with how well Todd Bertuzzi is playing tonight; he looks very good for the Flames. Bert leads the team in goals connecting e...
ladynic writes...

10/18/08 B Sens and Phantoms

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Phantoms lost 3-1. This was the debut of the Phantoms new third Jerseys that are all purple. http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2952835251/in/set-72157608155866404/ Game was not as chippy as vs the Bears but it has its' moments. http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2953734778/in/set-72157608155866404/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2952894009/in/...
[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...
FLAMESTR writes...

WHY DO I BLOG

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Genius is over rated just ask us idiots, Hey geniuses thbbbbbbbbbbbbbtttttttttttttttt I have often wondered why I blog, it is not like anyone reads my blogs. Yet I seem to get very upset when no one reads them. My wife asks me why do I blog what is in it for me? I seem to love the sport, I am so feeling in adequate mostly because I pretty much suck at writing heck I...
bagasome writes...

The Other Alex

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
Ryman writes...

Sharks off to visit the Flyers

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The day before the Sharks play the Flyers I am thinking about the last game. The last game I was sweating and on the edge of my seat. I LOVE games like that. We had fights we had good skating and just one hell of an exciting game. A lot of people seem to be worried about the flyers. I have watched only this one game and have to say they looked fine to me. This next...
I want to take this opportunity to thank Hockeybuzz's own Julie Robenhymer for writing a much needed blog, "How Can I Get My Girlfriend to Like Hockey?" (You can read her blog here: [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16472[/url]). I wish I would have had that type of starter kit about 15 years ago but luckily it all worked out for me. As you may have gue...
predram writes...

Weber = Beast?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Its starting to get pretty clear that Shea Weber is really living up to the hype that has surrounded him for the last few years. One memorable moment of mine was in the 2006 playoffs against San Jose when Shea absolutely laid out Milan Michalak. Shea went flying into his own bench and Michalak appeared to be shaken up. Then in the 2007 playoffs, head coach Barry Tr...
thejerseydevil writes...

Rise of the Rookies

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. There was a decidedly sullen mood around Devil-land when Brian Rolston went down with a high-ankle sprain and Bobby Holik broke his finger. In two days time, there it went...all the money we spent over the offseason to make us a better team gone, out the window. But as I said, there is a silver lining to this injury cloud, a...
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...
There have been many surprises so far this season, and the following is judgement of which occurences are "real" so to speak and will continue throughout the season, and which are abberations and won't last very long: [b]Thomas Vanek will lead the league in goals[/b] This young star is off to a quick start and is the real deal. After scoring 43 goals in his sophmore se...
bagasome writes...

Third Time Not The Charm

Posted Friday | Comments 0
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com For the first time in the Bruce Boudreau era, the Washington Capitals have lost three straight games during the regular season. The Caps travelled to Phoenix on Thursday night and lost 2-1 to Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes came back from a 1-0 deficit and scored two unanswered goals in third period and held on for t...
A good pass. Of course there are players who score their goals with impressive dekes and flashy moves, but those players are called stars...superstars. Not the Dallas Stars. But last night the Isles got trampled by Mike Rebeiro and his career-high four assists. This brings me to my point. What does it take to score a goal? We know that the Isles were going to have trou...
So, on to the Hurricanes, who have posted themselves a 3-2-1 record to kick off the season. A respectable record, having only played two home games thus far, but the team has seemed to regress as the season goes on, as opposed to getting better. Obviously I can't recap every game for you here, so I will give you some +/- ratings for players on the season.... +'s B...
[b]Juniors Reclaim 1st Place in Division[/b] [b]Montreal. Friday, October 24, 2008.[/b] Heading into Friday night's action at the Verdun Auditorium the Montreal Juniors trailed the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies by one point for 1st place in the Telus Western Division. In order for Montreal to regain first place of their division they would have to beat the Gatineau Olympi...
We're early into the season yet and but a few patterns have emerged. The obvious one being the Blues penchant for falling behind and the other being they usually come back. Another pattern is the inability of some of our defense to make a good breakout play or pass. None of the D-men seem to keen on rushing the puck or making the move on the intial forechecker but are q...
Captain Matt Fillier's Hat-trick leads the way Montreal. Sunday, October 26, 2008. The Montreal Juniors entered this afternoon’s game versus the Victoriaville Tigres in search of their second straight home victory of the weekend and a chance to regain 1st place in the Telus Western Division. In their only prior match versus the Tigres, Montreal enjoyed their best of...
It was a night of firsts at the Garden on Saturday night. The first multi-power play goal game for the Bruins, Stephane Yelle scored his first point as a Bruins, Shawn Thornton record his first point of the season with an assist on Yelle’s goal, Milan Lucic recorded his first career hat trick tonight – getting four points(the extra point for assisting David Krechji sco...
I'm going to play off of the infamous "Ek Factors" for this one, and give you the "Mill Factors" for this game. BTW, before I get started, Ek and his family remains in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Get well soon Ek! [b]Senateurs d'Ottawa[/b] (2-5-1, 14th in conference) at [b]Buffalo Sabres[/b] (6-0-2, 2nd in conference) Monday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m....
bagasome writes...

Home Sweet Home

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Capitals are finally back home after a three game road trip out west. The Caps went one and three on their road trip to Calgary, Phoenix, and Dallas. They picked up two points on the trip, while they would have liked at least three points, they remain tied for first in the Southeast with Carolina. The Caps play the Nashville Predators Tuesday night at 7pm, however, the...
It told us we still have offense. It showed what happens when we have a decent time in the transition game. BUT...oh yes the but. But in the end Florida was pretty sluggish and did not truly resemble the team I'd seen this season. Their forecheck was not as strong as it usually was and that still means seeing the turnovers throughout the game that the Blues major issue...
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...
(forgive the non-hockey post my puckhead bretheren) Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! Been a long time....since 1980. I wasn't sure I was going to see one anytime soon. I was 12 when they last won it and will never forget Tug McGraw slapping the mitt on his leg as the city went into pandemonium. Fast forward to Brad Lidge as...
This past Monday was the first Islander-Ranger game of the season, so I figured, what better a game to get my first taste of the NYI Blog Box? Unfortunately the Isles didn't finish with the expectations that I had hoped, but it was an exciting game that showed areas of promise...and areas of concern. Joey MacDonald cannot be blamed for the Isles poor start. That has to ...
bagasome writes...

Next Stop: Buffalo

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
http://capsstop.blogspot.com The Washington Capitals, minus Alexander Ovechkin, head to Buffalo for a Saturday night match-up with the Sabres. The Sabres (6-2-2) come into Saturday nights game having lost three straight. The Capitals (5-3-1) will try and build on the win against Nashville, a 4-3 shootout victory, from Tuesday night. This will mark the second straight ...
Some times, King Clancy's ghost just astounds me. He told me back in June that Sundin would return to Toronto in November - and that is becoming a very real possibility. The current rumor from Ek has Sundin looking at Montreal and Toronto. Montreal just doesn't have the cap room, and have already said that they've moved on. There's the question of saving face, not u...
Big Bert has been nothing short of spectacular, this season. He has the strength of an ox. He has great hands, including one of the best behind-the-back passes to Iggy tonight. It was a spectacular, no-look pass. The goal he scored was a great deke on Gigy as he breezed into the Ducks zone. He has great strength and will not be taken off the puck. The problem tonight is...
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...
Favor to ask of you kind folks.... .... for any of you that watched the [b]Flyers/Oilers[/b] game yesterday SNET (I think thats the network you have), apparently there was a part of the pre-game show that had a Flyers' [b]Craig MacTavish[/b] jersey on it. Well, that jersey is mine. MacTavish has been my favorite hockey player since I was eight and...
So the Isles go into the third period against R.J. Umberger and the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 3-0 lead...very reminiscent of the 4-1 lead the Isles held going into the third against the Montreal Canadiens...but the Isles couldn't blow a 3-goal lead in two consecutive home games...could they? ...yes...yes they could. And they did. Going into the third period the Is...
airtsabes writes...

100 point scorers!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Over the last 3 seasons 100 points or more has been scored by players 16 times. 2 in 2007-08 7 in 2006-07 7 in 2005-06 Alexander Ovechkin – 2 Sidney Crosby – 2 Joe Thornton – 2 Dany Heatley – 2 Evgeni Malkin Vincent Lecavalier Martin St. Louis Marian Hossa Joe Sakic Jaromir Jagr Daniel Alfredsson Eric Staal So far this season there are 14 pl...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com The two nations' capitals will square off tonight, at 7:30, in Ottawa on election day across the United States. Both teams are coming off losses on Saturday night. The Capitals were shut out by the Buffalo Sabres, and Ottawa lost a tough game to Tampa Bay in overtime. Neither team has yet to find its true identity yet this season, and ...
TJD92295 writes...

Vote for Kaleta!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Inspired by the 2006-2007 all-star campaign for Rory Fitzpatrick, I've decidied to start a campaign for Buffalo tough guy Patrick Kaleta (you can tell I'm a Sabres fan). I am hoping to put a website up if this recieves a positive response. We will do the best we can to get him to the ASG in Montréal! So, who's with me?
saneopinion writes...

Take a seat.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Craig Conroy, you are the latest winner on "take a seat!", a game show for players that do there very best to make an individual effort to lose a game for their team! After letting Shane Doan walk past you while you checked for dirt under your nails and after you stopped skating to let Stephan Reinprect walk in on your goalie un-checked you also win... saneopinion making f...
You will never hear me complain of the New York Islanders beating the New York Rangers. Ever. Although the rivalry may have died down on the ice over the years, it has not died down for the fans, and a win is a win however they may come. Despite the Isles being on a two game winning streak after playing back to back games, the Isles were lucky to come out with a "W" after ...
Allen Leads Juniors To Victory Montreal. Wednesday, November 5, 2008. In a rare weekday start at home, the Juniors de Montreal welcomed the Foreurs de Val D’Or to the Verdum Auditorium in front of a young and excited audience. Among the spectators on Wednesday night, the Juniors were pleased to welcome the students of Royal Vale High School. In participation with th...
Lets start with the most overdrawn annoying story in hockey. Sundin-- I keep repeating I don't care what happens with this except i hope he doesnt want to play in Ottawa. And while I'm going to probably take flack for this, Montreal isn't a possible destination, Gainey said he has no interest in Sundin at this point and with how good Montreal is doing it'd be retard...
Lets start with the most overdrawn annoying story in hockey. Sundin-- I keep repeating I don't care what happens with this except i hope he doesnt want to play in Ottawa. And while I'm going to probably take flack for this, Montreal isn't a possible destination, Gainey said he has no interest in Sundin at this point and with how good Montreal is doing it'd be retard...
Lets start with the most overdrawn annoying story in hockey. Sundin-- I keep repeating I don't care what happens with this except i hope he doesnt want to play in Ottawa. And while I'm going to probably take flack for this, Montreal isn't a possible destination, Gainey said he has no interest in Sundin at this point and with how good Montreal is doing it'd be retard...
amidst tundra writes...

The Ron Wilson Way

Posted Friday | Comments 0
An arrogant, egotistical taskmaster touching down in the Toronto fishbowl, Ron Wilson’s appointment may not have been an obvious choice with so many candidates in the close season merry-go-round, yet with Wilson’s strategy of lowering expectations helping stick the mantra of underdog on a franchise so long riddled with media expectation, the Maple Leafs have proven man...
Juniors Comeback for 2nd Straight Win The Montreal Juniors surmounted a 3 goal deficit en route to a strong 6-3 road victory Friday night in Gatineau over the Olympiques. Gatineau dominated the 1st period, scoring 3 goals on 17 shots, but would not hit the score sheet again as Montreal scored 6 unanswered goals, dominating in a strong road performance for the win. ...
Juniors Lose Close One 2-1 to Shawinigan Montreal. Saturday, November 8, 2008. Entering Saturday afternoon's match at the Verdun Auditorium having won 2 games in a row, the Montreal Juniors were eager to extend their winning streak to 3 games against the league-leading Shawinigan Cataractes. Following their Friday night 6-3 win in Gatineau, the Juniors were only in ...
It's looking like another November to remember for Canucks fans as the team has won 5 of its last 6, including a 3 win/shutout streak and sit atop the NorthWest division. After looking great in the first week, the Nuck's settled into a lovely groove of mediocrity and were playing .500 hockey. Luongo looked mortal, special teams were on and off and the Sedins had gone c...
airtsabes writes...

Sabres week 4 report:

Posted Monday | Comments 0
8-3-3 19pts H(4-2-1) A(4-1-2) Week 4 started great and then got ugly. 1-1-1 with Miller starting all 3. He started the week with shutout and it all went downhill from there. Our guys decided to revert to their lazy defensive play of last year and it cost them. One can say that Lalime should have started one of the back to back games but I do not think it would hav...
I've been asking myself who would be the best player to be captain and lead the Leafs moving forward, and I have come to the conclusion Scott Hartnell is the man. He is perfect, a gritty full of heart player who can pot you a few points and put slackers in their place. In addition he is under contract for 4 more years after the 08-09 season. The only problem...............
Coming from back-to-back wins in New Jersey and New York, where he blocked 77 of the 80 shots he received, Jean-François Drouin-Deslauriers is starting to turn heads. The young Oilers netminder is slowly making a name for himself and vying for more starts in the NHL's only ménage à trois with Mathieu Garon and Dwayne Roloson. In 4 games this season with the Oilers...
For the past few games we have watched this Isles squad play an impressive 40 minutes of hockey to conclude to the dismay of many fans with a 2 or 3-goal give-away resulting in a loss. I was in Connecticut on Saturday and was unable to watch Satan and Fedotenko make their returns to Coliseum ice, but I got a text message from a buddy of mine that said it all in two wor...
predram writes...

Relocation...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
So Bill Daly was on TSN's Off the Record the other day and the main topic of discussion was, not surprisingly, the sustainability of a 2nd NHL team in Toronto. Being a western Canadian myself, I really could care less about the Leafs or mainstream Canadian media's love affair with the city of Toronto. Onto the issue itself, there's no doubt that Toronto could hold anoth...
Too Little, Too Late Montreal. Wednesday, November 12, 2008. The Juniors faced the Titans for the second time at home this season, having previously defeated the Titans 4-3 in a very close game which marked the debut of Angelo Esposito’s career as a Montreal Junior. Montreal entered Wednesday night trailing the Huskies by 4 points for 1st place in their division. ...
The Freshman writes...

The Blake Shake...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Jason Blake is in the dog house. His play of late has seemed uninspired and his antics may be destroying the moral in the dressing room. The obvious option is to sit him and hope that lights a fire under his posterior, however that doesn't really solve the problem of him not fitting into the top two lines. Anther more aggressive option is to post him on waivers and then...
Well it is still a day away from our next game but I can't help but write about what went on the last week and a half in Canuck land. Luongo shook of the rust and lose of his hair to show every team why they should be worried when he is between the pipes. His play is something that I personally come to love from the elite goalies in the league. There is something absolu...
The Isles were down early against a struggling Ottawa Senators team last night. Sure, they were under .500 going into the game, but you cannot undermine the power of Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson. The early lead had many pundering how bad this game could get, but then the impossible happened... A "stale" Kyle Okposo, (as described by head coach Scott Gordon), newly pa...
With “100” emblazoned across every conceivable item of memorabilia lest the ice at the Bell Center there is undeniable pomp and pride being wagered at the Canadiens centennial and why not. With North American sports so often criticized for their lack of heritage a storied and historic franchise like the Montreal Canadiens with their wealth of traditions can do nothing ...
If you look back to July and August the Leafs would have given Matt Stajan away for basically nothing. He was even a healthy scratch early into this season. Now however he is showing us what Pat Quinn and the Leaf's brass had noticed in his game. Taken in the second round 57 overall to his hometown Maple Leafs the pressure was on Matt right away. Scoring in his first N...
Last night's game against Ottawa started off with a fearful barrage of shots from the Sens. Almost 6 1/2 minutes in the Isles were being outshot 7-1, forcing Joey MacDonald to commit with some big saves to keep the game at a scoreless tie. At the end of the first the ice was tilted in the Senators favor. I looked up to the score board to see the Sens were not out-shooting ...
Strong Shutout Performance by Juniors Montreal. Friday, November 14, 2008. Deciding to give Montreal Juniors number 1 goalie Jake Allen the night off proved to be a stroke of genius for Head Coach Pascal Vincent. Backup netminder Jean-François Bérubé stopped all 30 shots he faced on Friday night and led the Juniors back into the winning column with a 1-0 shutout ov...
Gatineau Wins for First Time in 14 Games Montreal. Saturday, November 15th, 2008. A late game meltdown by the Juniors defense cost Montreal their 12th loss of the season. Looking to build momentum following their 1-0 shutout win over P.E.I. last night,the Juniors instead gave up a 2-1 lead late in the third period, eventually losing 3-2, to the Gatineau Olympiques. ...
Montreal Beats the Unbeatable Montreal. Sunday, November 16, 2008. The Montreal Juniors played their best game of the season thus far, handing the undefeated Moncton Wildcats their first regulation loss of the season, 3-2. Despite allowing 2 goals in the 3rd period, the Juniors outshot and outscored a potent Moncton offense 37-25. Guillaume Asselin led the way f...
bagasome writes...

Point Taken

Posted Monday | Comments 0
From http://capsstop.blogspot.com Today's post will be a just a random list of points to ponder over, feel free to comment along the way or email thoughts. -The Capitals earned a point last night that they did not deserve in New Jersey, with the exception of Jose Theodore. -The recent play of Brent Johnson has motivated Theo to play better and it has shown over th...
Ron Guillet writes...

A Rant

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The only way to possibly heal the emotional wounds this team has caused me is to rant. If I don't, I fear a heart attack is in order for the very near future. I'll start with an issue that needs to be resolved, an issue that is causing me a loss of hair, an issue forcing me to listen to Simple Plan and lock myself in my room for days. That issue is the goaltending of V...
bagasome writes...

All Star Disaster

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
From http://capsstop.blogspot.com The NHL All Star Game has turned into a joke. This coming year the game will be played in Montreal. The Canadians and their fans are celebrating their centennial and the NHL felt it only right to reward them with the game during such a historic season. The only problem with the whole game is the process for who will start. Less than ...
predram writes...

Sharks vs. Preds - Fight review

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Monday night's game was anything but pretty for the Preds. The inconsistent scoring is starting to hurt this team. One game you get 6 goals, the next you get none, then you get 3 and the next you get 1 (no particular order but games vs CGY, VAN, ANA and SJ). To make matters worse, Captain Jason Arnott left the game after colliding with Sharks forward Joe Pavelski and eve...
The Isles shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks Monday night lifted them to 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Sure, that's right around where this team finished last year, but keep in mind just a few days ago we were sitting at the bottom of the standings with thoughts of Tavares and Hedman swirling around our brains. It's still a possibility (and a very good ...
I could never understand how teams made bold trades or adjustments when they were on top of the league. When Claude Julien got dumped by Jersey a few days before the playoffs I laughed. When the Rangers moved Mike Gartner to the Leafs at the deadline in 94 I cried ( well a little) . But the truth is sometimes these head scratchers become huge chess moves in capturing t...
I guess a lot of fans in Montreal now miss Mark Streit after his departure via free agency to Long Island. Montreal had last year’s number one power play in the NHL, but they are now sitting 26th with a poor 14.6% success rate, while the Islanders power play has improved slightly from 29th to 25th overall. Streit has 12 points (he would be the Habs' 5th scorer) in 18 ...
And, oh yeah, who predicted that? Mind checking my Oct. 2008 archives for my NHL season predictions? Because if I recall, I was nearly crucified by the Hockeybuzz community for my "outlandish" remark that the Canucks would win the Northwest Division. Granted, I know there's a lot of puck to be played, but take a look at those standings, and see if I had any brain ...
The reports around the NHL right now are that the Capitals are trying to move veteran center Michael Nylander. Nylander has two goals and ten assists this season and is a minus two. Recently, Boudreau has not been impressed with his play and subsequently made him a healthy scratch last week against New Jersey. He returned to the line up the next game, only because of recen...
etownhockey writes...

Time to step up

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Turnovers and lack of physicality is what the Oilers identity has become this year. Seems to be game after game that a gawdy turnover just before the offensive blue line results in a scoring chance for the opposing team. It's worth noting that at this moment Hemsky ranks at number 15 in points but he is the only guy in the top 15 with a negative plus/minus. Hemsky is a ple...
There are two teams in the league that most people would agree are the super elite. The Sharks and the Wings. After Calgary was creamed by San Jose in a one sided embarrasing loss they came back and looked to have the right idea but against a practice squad called the Avalanch. So the talk was about taking what they learned after being spanked by San Jose and the two w...
Dateline: Last season Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren needs to add mobility to his blueline, so he's shopping for a decent veteran guy who can move the rock and be a responsible two way player. The Flyers are playing well after dropping to last place the year before, and Holmgren wants a good playoff run. The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired GM John Ferguson Jr, an...
PhReAkShO writes...

Luongo Injury

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Well in my trolling for info on Luongo it appears the actual press conference will be help at 2PM PST and that the prognosis is somewhere from 4 to 8 weeks depending on what source you believe. Both reports so far are coming out of Montreal, so it may be from people connected to Luongo's family. We shall see for sure soon enough. My two cents is that with the way the ...
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...
PhReAkShO writes...

Luongo Injury Update

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well for what it's worth they are saying Luongo is week to week. Apparently no tear, which is huge. The fact he is comfortable walking already is a great sign, and I think they have deemed it week to week as he has never had an injury like this before and so they are not sure how long he will be out, except more than one week. In the press conference there was a questio...
kent writes...

Canucks vs. Redwings

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
To many Vancouver fans, the Luongo injury was/ is bad news, but to those that have been following the team closely, many know that the team is a tight knit united that wasn't going to shake in its boots and collapse. This team had already won 2 games in a row with Sandman in net, and the red hot trio of Demitra and the Sedins has been looking like a fit that won't be broke...
Well the news for the Capitals has not gotten any better, yet again. In fact, it's worse. Captain Chris Clark has been put on long term IR again. Apparently, Clark is suffering from a stress fracture in his right forearm. This is just the latest in a rash of injuries that have stuck the Caps in the last two weeks. Originally it looked like it was the Carolina Hurricane...
Richie18 writes...

Flyers Preview- 11/26/08

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Flyers look to win their sixth consecutive game as they take on the Hurricanes in Carolina tonight. In my opinion, I think this is going to be a fiesty type of game. The main reason why is that these two teams play each other in a home at home series starting tonight, and the 2nd game of the home at home on Friday, and as we have seen in the past, what happens in the f...
Today, the Flyers lost a tough game by the score of 3-2 in overtime against the Hurricanes. This was a game that the Flyers could have easily won, but Cam Ward just played one heck of a game. You gotta give credit where credit is due. In the second period, the Flyers had numerous opportunities to score against Ward, but he shut the Flyers down. In my pregame blog, I said t...
Inspired by Jason Blake's unmovable contract I thought I'd post the 5 Most untradeable contracts in the league. 5. Ryan Malone 4 more years @4.5 million- This was a toss up between him and Michael Ryder. Malone wins because his team is playing terrible. It doesn't matter if you're a playoff performer if you can't get your team to the playoffs. 4. Sean Avery 3 more y...
Juniors Win on the Road in Val D'Or 5-2 Montreal. Friday, November 29, 2008. The Juniors enjoyed a week off before returning to action on the road Friday night against the Foreurs in Val D'Or. Montreal, who had not played since defeating the Quebec Remparts 8-2 last Friday night, played another strong road game, winning 5-2. The line of Luke Adam, Pier-Antoin Dion ...
Richie18 writes...

Flyers preview: 11/29/08

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After an overtime loss yesterday against Carolina, the Flyers look to begin a new winning streak when they take on the Leafs in Toronto tonight. There are going to be questions heading into this game. Will Jeff Carter play? That's the big question, after Jeff hurt his shoulder awkwardly into the boards yesterday. On Post game live on CSN yesterday, Jeff said he was fine, b...
After clearing waivers, Luke Richardson has decided that it's time to hang up his skates, and is expected to make the transition to a coaching position with the Ottawa Senators. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but Richardson is likely to accept an assistant coach position in Binghampton. Richardson has had conversations with Sens GM Bryan Murray about such a move, and it i...
The significance of Atlanta’s brief appearance in 2007’s Conference Quarter finals would not have been lost on the Blue Jackets board of governors. In a city obsessed with the Buckeyes hockey has been a hard sell and with Atlanta making the post season, Columbus were left as the only late 90’s expansion franchise not to make the cup run. With nearly 600 regular seaso...
Sven_119H writes...

Huskies Top Juniors in OT

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Rouyn-Noranda Bests Montreal in Overtime 4-3 Montreal. Saturday, November 30, 2008. The Montreal Juniors were visitors to the Huskies in Rouyn-Noranda on Saturday night for the second of back to back road games this weekend. Montreal, who trail Rouyn-Noranda for first place in the Telus Western Division, gave the home team all they could handle and more but came up sh...
CanuckBloggin writes...

Additional Cowbell

Posted Monday | Comments 0
With our top blogger out for the season I make my long unawaited return to the MyHockeybuzz blog area thing. Although I originally intended on posting a regular blog, being in Mark Gage's shadow is no easy pill to swallow and it was clear with him on board there was no point in writing a blog that was not going to be read. However, that being said, Gage is gone, so hopef...
A-Mar writes...

Leafs trading chips

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Essentially I see a lot of comments that talk about Leafs fans overvaluing players... and for the most part thats true... if you were to pick up the public sentiment two years ago, you'd think that Darcy Tucker was on the path to a Rocket Richard trophy before he got injured later in the campaign... if you think that's rough... you should have been in Toronto when Domi was...
During Saturday's press conference to the Toronto media, Brian Burke all but confirmed that the Leafs are officially out of the Sundin sweepstakes. “I don’t think we fit his profile as a team,” said Burke. He referred to the 2-year $20 million offer from the Vancouver Canucks, putting the emphasis on the fact that Sundin's comeback is not about money, but about playi...
Toskala35 writes...

The San Jose Sharks: 'Wow'

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[IMG]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/EaglesWallpaper/dsfoigjh.jpg[/IMG] [i](Photo Courtesy mapleleafs.nhl.com)[/i] December 3, 2008 By Jon Cunningham [b]"Wow"[/b] That was the word constantly coming to my mind as I sit watching the Sharks take on my Maple Leafs. I have never seen a team that is more complete then this years edition of the Sharks from San Jo...
[b]Wow[/b], [b]what-a-loss[/b]. What an amazing team the Sharks are. Setoguchi is playing some great hockey, and I still can't believe the Bruins traded Thornton for what they did. I did have a feeling Patty Marleau would have a good night. A real winner they have in San Jose. I'm sure they went the extra mile to beat their former coach's first return to the silicon valley...
Your centers are Weight, Thompson, Bailey, and Sillinger...the Isles are up by a goal with less than a minute remaining in the third period with a face-off in their zone. Who do you put out there? Mike Sillinger. His value on face-offs while with the Islanders has been paramount over the past two seasons and has been greatly missed in his absence. Weight and Nielsen ha...
Guillaume Latendresse will likely be a healthy scratch tonight when the Canadiens face the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. Latendresse was also a healthy scratched in Tuesday's contest against the Atlanta Thrashers. It was not the first time that Latendresse was not dressed when healthy by Guy Carbonneau, but it's the first time #84 appeared confused in front of th...
NYIsles16 writes...

Flyers: Top 5 Prospects

Posted Thursday | Comments 3
First and foremost, my name is Justin and I am the Atlantic Division Blogger over at IslesNation ( [url]http://www.islesnation.com/justin.php[/url] ) I am a tremendous Islanders fan, however, I enjoy every minute of hockey that I can watch from every team throughout the league. I write very truthful, unbiased pieces of work, whether it be on the Islanders, the Rangers, or ...
Nothing else to really say about this game, so I'll put it into classic bullet point form. The good: Ossi Vaananen had a very strong game tonight. Made the initial save on what turned out to be the Devils first goal. This dude just doesn't make mistakes. Reminds me of a bigger Petr Svoboda. He never gets noticed, just does his job and does it well. Good game also ...
I know its been a few days since Sean Avery's mouth did a drive-by on the topic of his "sloppy seconds" but I think its good to examine whether he is of good to this league or not. Its a relevant idea considering some analysts have made the bold prediction that Avery will not see NHL ice again. I definitely am not out here to defend him. His words were utterly disrespec...
watsonnostaw writes...

The Sean Avery fiasco

Posted Friday | Comments 10
The entire Sean "Sloppy Seconds" Avery saga is fascinating stuff, especially with a suspension for just spoken word and stupid comments. I looked in the current law dictionary and their is no definition for the term "sloppy seconds". The term could have multiple meanings and by itself is not a vulgarity as defined by the "7 dirty words". Many have commented on the st...
Jsaquella writes...

Wither Biron...

Posted Friday | Comments 10
Back when the 2008-09 season dawned, I was comfortable with Martin Biron as the Flyers goalie. I was content and hopeful that Biron and the team would come to terms on a contract extension that would lock up the entertaining backstop. Sadly, that position has changed. [img]http://stanleycupplayoffs2008.com/Assets/Photos/Biron%20action%20-%20PHI.jpg[/img] I am not...
The news only got worse for Kyle Okposo yesterday...he was was expected to return to the lineup Thursday night to face Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, but unfortunately he will be out of the line-up for another 4-6 weeks with a sprained right wrist. Whenever I hear that one of the core factions of the youth movement are going to be out for a significant...
Juniors Offense Denied Montreal. Saturday, December 6, 2008. The Montreal Juniors squandered a great opportunity to gain ground on their divisional opponents Saturday afternoon in front of their home crowd, suffering a shutout to a surging Gatineau Olympiques team, 3-0. Gatineau, who have now won 8 of their last 11 games, controlled the tempo of the game, contai...
It's tough to say what the price of moving up in a draft like this one would be. Moving even a few spots in the top ten could be quite expensive. Garth Snow was demanding the Leafs pick along with two additional 2nd round picks(we ended up giving him a 2nd and 3rd) in last year's draft to move up two spots. This was the price in a draft not as strong as this one. With ...
Juniors Out-Gunned on the Road Montreal. Sunday, December 7, 2008. The Shawinigan Cataractes tied a franchise record for most consecutive wins at home Sunday afternoon, beating the Montreal Juniors 5-2. The win brought the Cataractes home winning streak to 15 consecutive games, tying a franchise record that was established in 1982-83. The Cataractes enjoyed a domi...
The Calgary Flames played their best defensive game of the of the season. Kipper was outstanding, kicking out all 31 shots. Now you may say it sounds like Kipper stole the game, but the defense really did limit the scoring chances. The forwards really came back to help the defense. When the forwards do their part in the defensive zone, this team can be successful. The best...
Well we did not break it but almost, the buzzer in Chicago runs off a compressor that needs time to regenerate on our 7th goal the buzzer was audibly softer than the others. What a game, we passed the puck as good as any team I have ever seen, tape to tape over and over, I’ll post the link for the highlights as although Ilya Bryzgalov got shelled he actually did not play...
airtsabes writes...

Sabres New Season recap:

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
2-1-0 4pts After the first loss of the season the team bounced back rather well with 2 wins against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh on the road. Vanek, Roy, and Kotalik are tied for the team lead with 2G each. Roy, Stafford, Mair, and Gaustad each have 2A. Roy leads the team with 4P. Stafford leads the team in +- with a +4, meanwhile upcoming star Gerbe has a +3 after m...
[img:right]http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/83938865.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193003A50471BAAE0D5F0B6D46DD7BFFC0B8F198085993A39DE[/img] After playing 20 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, during which he recorded 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points, forward Matt D'Agostini was recalled by the Montreal Canadiens on November 28th. After watching...
I'm going to try to make this quick since I really should be studying for an exam. Last night was god awful for the Preds. The team had no life on the ice and seemed drained from the previous night. The powerplay was dismal, esp. in the 3rd period. Yes they scored a PP goal...on a 5 on 3. Game was bad, Canucks were better. OK. Great. Now on to the hits. The Daviso...
Montreal Hands League’s Best 4-1 Loss Montreal. Wednesday, December 10, 2008. The Montreal Juniors enjoyed some revenge at the expense of the Shawinigan Cataractes Wednesday night, beating the best team in the QMJHL by a score of 4-1. Winning the second of home and home games with Shawinigan, Montreal continued their strong play at home in front of a strong cr...
It may come as a bit of a surprise to some, but as reported on Chris Botta's blog at Islanderspointblank.com, Jon Sim is officially on waivers and available to any of the other 29 teams in the NHL. [img:left]http://www.cbc.ca/includes/promos/promo/sports/images/hockey-sim-jon_200.jpg[/img]So far this season Sim has 5 goals and 2 assists for a shallow 7 points. He was ...
First, I apologize for the lateness of this short but important blog. Yesterday, I went straight from work to United Centre, and this is the first chance I've had to get in front of a computer. Anyway... If you're a season-ticket holder planning to stay at the Hilton for the convention this summer, you DO NOT have to wait until 9:00 this morning to reserve your room...
I never want to see my team lose as bad as this...but it happens...hell, in Jagr's debut game for the Rangers they lost 9-1 to the Senators and I think Jagr was held to one assist (don't ask me how I remember things like this, I just do). The major problem with last night's loss was that there was no heart in the Isles game. They quit once they were down 3-1. Their shifts ...
[b]Juniors Backup Berube Wins Goaltending Duel[/b] [b]Montreal. Friday, December 12, 2008. [/b]The Juniors beat the best team in the QMJHL on Sunday, a 5-2 win over the Shawinigan Cataractes, and then promptly lost number 1 centerman, Angelo Esposito, and number 1 netminder, Jake Allen, to Team Canada's World Junior training camp. Barring cuts, the 2 players wi...
The Flyers came out today and had the zip, right from the beginning. That was the key in the Flyers 6-3 victory today over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Obviously, the Flyers have not had great starts lately, but today that was a different story. It had looked like someone lit a fire up their you know what today. I was very, very impressed with the way the Flyers started the ga...
[b]Streaking Juniors Score Six[/b] [b]Montreal. Sunday, December 14, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors won their 3rd straight game on Sunday afternoon, beating the Chicoutimi Saguenéens by a score of 6-4 and improving their record on the road to 6-8-1. Montreal fell behind 3-0 early into the second period before battling back with 5 unanswered goals. The Juniors...
Slasher98 writes...

Is the Price really right?

Posted Monday | Comments 1
Coming out a phenomenal 2006-2007 hockey season, during which the Anahim Lake, B.C., native won the gold at the IIHF World Junior (U20) Ice Hockey Championship in Sweden (he was named the Tournament MVP) and the Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs (he was named playoffs MVP), expectations were very high at the beginning of last season in Montreal. The 6-3, 212 lbs, bu...
I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but next offseason is going to be interesting. With the CAP not expected to move much next year and potentially could go down the following year, GMs have to be carful with their money [b][u]Forwards[/u][/b] Next year we have Briere, Richards, Gagne, Carter, Lupul, Hartnell, Metropolit, Asham, and Cote signed to 1-way contracts. ...
markoftrad writes...

Opening my vent.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I've had enough of hearing and reading stupid "comments" and "soundbytes" So this whole blog is my chance to vent on everything bugging me in hockey lately. ------------------------------------------ Mats Sundin - Everyone is sick of this I agree, but I more sick of the media coverage of this guy. Every medium has said Sundin has or will sign with just about every t...
ndk writes...

That's a lot of spilt milk....

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I was just watching the TSN panel talk about Burke's moves for next season and one of the guys (Mr. Hockey Insider) was talking about the confirmed and approved trades Fletch got last year but was blocked by NTCs. It was a terrible reminder of how futile Fletch's trade deadline push was. For of you who don't remember or never heard about it: Sundin Higgins, Grabovski &...
Recently Gary Bettman said Avery's remark offended him as a parent. "To be perfectly honest I wouldn't want to have to explain to my 12-year-old daughter what he said," the commissioner said. I find this humorous considering the NHL allows its teams and media partners to advertise viagra with a disclaimer: [i]in the rare event of an erection lasting more than 4 hours...
The Bruins' first pick in the second round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft (63rd overall), David Krecji, 22, has climbed fast on the Bruins depth chart. Currently the Bruins' third centre behind point-producer Marc Savard and proven youngster Patrice Bergeron, Krejci is quickly making his mark in the NHL. His new line-mates Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder have perfectly cli...
[b]Gatineau Hands Juniors 5-3 Loss[/b] [b]Montreal. Friday, December 19, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors lost their final game before the holiday break on Friday night to the Gatineau Olympiques. The Olympiques were led by Alex Quesnel and JP Chabot. Quesnel scored a hat-trick and added an assist while Chabot scored 2 goals including the game winner in the 3rd. The ...
I'm SOOOO glad to see the Stars putting together some wins, though I don't think any fan can honestly say they're comfortable with how Dallas is playing right now (just...less distressed, perhaps). Picking up points to get back into the playoff race is a good thing...don't get me wrong. As of right now, the Stars are only four points back from the Coyotes and Wild in the...
As a Vancouver Canucks fan, particularly one not living in the city of Vancouver. I find it difficult to get Canucks' news, without venturing online. So it's heartwarming to see how many fans across this great North American plane have so much to say and offer about my team. The nuggets of knowledge expressed, i often find unbiased and completely insightful, and it tota...
markoftrad writes...

Back to Cherry and the Sens

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
My previous blog I harped on Cherry, and after watching hockey night in canada tonight/saturday I find myself in the same spot. After the Toronto/Pittsburgh game, Cherry ranted and cryed about Deavoux not fighting Godard when it was 4-1, cryed about Hagman mouthing off Crosby after Crosby checked him from behind and keep stick checking Hagman, then he finished it off by...
Just some news that some may find interesting, especially goaltenders. TPS has been bought out, so prepare to see goaltenders who currently wear their equipment switch to other brands. There has been quite a bidding war going on for some of the soon-to-be-former TPS goalies, with Vaughn recently signing Josh Harding to a contract, and extending the current Vaughn wearer St...
Since the lockout, the NHL has both enacted and endured many changes. One of the most intriguing, and certainly the most disturbing is one that has overcome many members of the media who make a living covering the NHL. According to many card-carrying members of the hockey-media, post lockout teams should be more than willing to throw entire seasons and lose "on-purpose"...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v34/leafs4ever89/hockeycanada2.jpg[/IMG] It's their final exhibition matchup of the pre-tournament and Canada looks to apply the same pressure they've produced in their first two meetings. Sunday night's game against Finland showed that this team can in fact change on the fly, and I'm not talking about the lines. Canada's game a...
Newman writes...

Christmas Wishes...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Was that a smile from Darryl Sutter? It might have been as his son, Brett Sutter, scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game to tie the Flames with the Ducks 14 seconds after the Quackers took their first lead. Sutter, after shockingly being called up from the minors just days before Christmas, made an impact that few thought possible as he was flying all night and...
This was a disgraceful, very disgraceful effort that all Flyers fans had to watch tonight. It was a total disgrace. The Flyers lost 5-1 to the Blackhawks tonight. The Flyers had absolutely no jump tonight, the Flyers were in their own zone way too much tonight. The Flyers got into Chicago a little bit later than expected because of airplane problems, but that is not an exc...
polastem writes...

We Three Kings

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[IMG]http://www.icebullshockey.com/chris/nhltol/logos300/ott.png[/IMG] The Ottawa Senators will continue the 8 game road swing featuring the likes of the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils, but they will first have to kick off the road swing with back to back games against the Calgary Flames tonight, and the Vancouver Canucks tomorrow. Not an easy challenge for any t...
[b]5 Unanswered Goals Shutdown Juniors[/b] [b] Montreal. Saturday, December 27, 2008.[/b] The Shawinigan Cataractes opened their new arena, the Amphithéâtre de Shawinigan, with a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Juniors on Saturday night. Shawinigan wasted little time recording their first goal in the new state of the art facility as Matthew Pistils notched his 2...
Man oh man, this was another one of those games where the Flyers just had nothing. This time, it was against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason stopped 20 Flyers shots for his third shutout of this season. This kid is really, really good, and he's the future goalie for the Jackets. Nothing against Mason, but the Flyers just didn't have the energy and there wasn't a ton...
Pre-Game: Senators vs. Canucks The Ottawa Senators are looking to avoid one streak and continue another as they face-off against the Vancouver Canucks tonight. The Luongo-less Canucks are 5-4-1 in their last ten games but have fallen short in their last two, including one to the Edmonton Oilers despite sporting a 10-5-1 record at home this season. The Senators are curre...
1. 14 Goal scorers after the first 2 games. 2. Jamie Benn's hat trick. 3. John Tavares with 2 goals and 2 assists. 4. Canada ties all-time highest shutout goal total with 15. 5. Jamie Benn's unbelievably unselfish assist on Tyler Ennis' PP goal. 6. Ryan Ellis playing an incredible point shot position. 7. Chris DiDomenico's hands and cycling skills. 8. Goaltending is...
[b]Montreal Rebounds 4-1 over Tigres[/b] [b]Montreal. Sunday, December 28, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors rebounded from a 5-1 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes Saturday, beating the Victoriaville Tigres 4-1 on Sunday afternoon. Barely 24 hours after suffering defeat to Shawinigan, the Juniors got back into the win column thanks to a breakout performan...
[b]Voltigeurs Score 5 in Third to Down Juniors[/b] [b]Montreal. Tuesday, December 30, 2008. [/b]The Juniors let victory slip away Tuesday evening in Drummondville as the Voltigeurs scored 5 goals in the 3rd period to earn a 5-4 win over Montreal. The Juniors opened the scoring in the 2nd period on Nick Layton's 16th goal of the year, but fell behind early in ...
Richie18 writes...

Flyers edge Nucks 3-2

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Flyers got back on the winning track, as they defeated the Canucks 3-2 last night. I was very impressed with how the Flyers played last night. Unfortunately, one of the stars on the Flyers got hurt way too early in the game. About 15 seconds into the game, Simon Gagne got hurt when Kevin Bieska hit him near the boards. Simon left the game with an upper body injury. Rig...
[b]Jake Allen's 38 Saves Lead Montreal to Victory[/b] [b] Montreal. Friday, January 2, 2009.[/b] The Montreal Juniors opened 2009 with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Friday night. Having closed out 2008 with a loss on the road to the Voltigeurs, Montreal enjoyed some sweet revenge in front of their home fans and Jake Allen registered his...
Just six months ago many a grapevine was carrying rumor of NHL expansion while I lamented the integrity of a revenue bound salary cap. Even into the new season few had foreseen the sheer gravity of the global economic downturn and its impact on jobs, housing, businesses and every facet of life down to sport. Now as international markets stutter into a depression that many ...
Reunited for yesterday's match-up against the Florida Panthers, the Kostitsyn brothers, Andrei and Sergei, sparked the Habs' offense to a close 6-5 OT win over Peter DeBoer's team. Lining up on a line with veteran Robert Land, the "Mullet line" produced three of the Canadiens' goals. Lang finished the afternoon with one goal and one assist (+2), while Andrei notched two...
Every year there is a consistent trend that the Isles pick up. I'm not talking about the never ending changes to the Isles third jersey, (which actually looks mighty good this year) but the way they start and finish their games. First they went through this stretch where they would score the first goal and establish a comfortable 2 or 3 goal lead and then blow it eithe...
mightyquinn writes...

May Day

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Brad May from the Ducks to the Leafs for a 6th round conditional draft pick. as heard on Leafs Lunch Am 640
This is the time of year for New Year's resolutions. You know - the one where most people will try to not to eat people for the year. Well, that might be a bad example. I have decided to make resolutions for other people, since I am too perfect and do not need to improve at all. I think it is time someone pointed out some good new year resolutions for the poor misguided h...
predram writes...

Sundin returns

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
He's back in the NHL and playing for the Canucks. He certainly gave Ek a lot of material to work with in terms of being the focus (somewhat) of the hockey universe for the last long while. I really had been hoping for a larger build up to his return and really didn't get much. Living in the Vancouver area, I was kinda hoping for a little buzz about the guy but didn't g...
[img]http://bleacherreport.com/images_root/image_pictures/0174/5572/75061_feature.jpg[/img] On February 25 2007, the Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman Craig Rivet and a 5th round selection in 2008 to the San Jose Sharks for young defenseman Josh Gorges and a 1st round selection in 2007 (Max Pacioretty). Now a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Rivet helped the Sharks go...
Jeff Carter scored two goals to add on to his league leading 29 goals, and Marty Biron made 41 saves as the Flyers defeated the Leafs 4-1 tonight. I thought Marty had one of his best performances of the season. Marty made the big saves when needed, and he helped the Flyers get a big win. Obviously, if Marty can keep on playing this way, the Flyers will win a ton of games. ...
amidst tundra writes...

Ken Campbell is Wrong

Posted Monday | Comments 14
Coaches Corner maybe becoming increasingly irrelevant as the staunchly patriotic Don Cherry rambles about musings better suited to an age when every player was nicknamed “Butch” and that a Swede was something related to jokes about corners. But as Cherry provides the antithesis to contemporary hockey analysis I once more find myself agreeing with his misty eyed old sch...
* I can't let you read this blog without first apologizing for the title. Shameful, just shameful. * Alexei Ponikarovsky is in the midst of a career season. 14 goals and 30 points in 42 games played – on pace for 26 goals and 58 points. But who is responsible for this sudden jump in production? Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the so-called back-stabbin...
As most Blues fans will tell you, the reason to watch the Blues isn't because they're going to win or make the playoffs. The excitement is watching the young talent on this team and salivating over the potential. Thank God for that shred of hope, because watching the Blues right now is maddening. [b]The Good.[/b] (In no particular order) The emergence of David Backes ...
walrus writes...

Leaf Trade Talk

Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the Trading Deadline around the corner I think the following trades would be great for both teams. Tlusty, Andropov for Jordan Stall and 2nd round draft pick. (Both Tlusty and Andropov are very affordable) Tlusty played with Malikin in Russia and both enjoyed great success. Pittsburgh needs a little shake up with a glut of Centremen and Jordan rotting in th...
This will serve as my technical midseason review, even though the Flames passed that mark two games ago. I'm splitting this post into two parts: first, a general review of the season so far, examining defense and offense, and then I will discuss if anything can - or needs - to be done to improve the team via trades. Now that we're approaching the heat of trade rumour seaso...
amidst tundra writes...

Our Kingdom for a Goalie

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Through 45 games the abject tandem of Toskala and Joseph has combined for the worst team save percentage in the NHL and by an ever increasing margin. Where .900 is seen as a barometer for average net minding in the modern game, the Blueshirted duo has managed just .886 between them. Subsequently the hard work put into making the Leafs sixth in shots against with a 28.3 per...
Howdy from Ottawa. Here is a quick look at what's going on in Binghamton, NY or as the locals call it 'The Parlor City'. Currently the Binghamton Senators sit 4th in the East Division with a 22-13-3-3 record. If we were in the other divison in the Eastern Conference, the Atlantic, we'd be one point out of first place and not 12 points as we are now (Hershey is the best ...
tml1967 writes...

Maple Leafs 1983 Draft Review

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Leafs are looking to rebuild and a bit of that will come from the draft and drafting the correct pieces of the puzzle is always difficult. The Leafs have been known to trade a lot of picks away and have not been great draft day players and until this past draft in which they selected Luke Schenn 5th overall the last time the Leafs had a pick in the Top 5 was all the wa...
drock24 writes...

New hope for the Leafs?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's been over three months since the NHL season started, and besides the few surprises (Boston leading the East, Pittsburgh not, etc), taking a picture of the standings today pretty much leaves most of us happy with our predictions that we made at the beginning of the season. A few good stories, and a few nasty ones, but all in all, it's been what most realists expec...
senate666 writes...

Who is the NHLs Best Player?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Jesse Connolly's recent article, entitled "Why Alex Ovechkin Will Never Be the Face of the NHL" really got me pondering this question again, as I have so many times in my life. There has always been a player regarded as the face of the NHL, and that player was generally recognized as the best in the league at that time: Players like Richard, Howe, Orr, Gretzky and Lemieux ...
greg9966 writes...

Leaf Fans: Crank it up to 11!

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I am a very lucky guy. I get to go see several leafs games every year, and I am thankful for the opportunity. The one thing that really pushes my buttons about being there is that a good chunk of the lower bowl is corporate seating. The leafs sell out every game and the waiting list for season tickets is insanely long. We are talking 15 + years. When corporate ...
drock24 writes...

The Same Old Story...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Give the Leafs a point, the fans will be happy for a day; teach the Leafs to score, and we'll be happy for years to come. This old adage works on so many levels, and clearly, our team hasn't reached the latter yet. Last night, I sat down and watched the game, and was pretty surprised with how the Leafs handled the Bruins for the first couple periods, then, after the s...
Now I know that a lot of people are saying that the team needs to just give up and let it sink. I don't feel this is really going to do anything! This team has a good roster, it just has had too many injuries to too many key players. Now the important thing to notice is that there have been no season ending injuries. Although some say Sakic's injury might be a season e...
Richie18 writes...

NHL Second Half Predictions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As we get ready for the second half of the season, I have my lead-pipe lock predictions for the second half. Some of my predictions will be positive, others will be negative. 1. The Columbus Blue Jackets will make the playoffs this season. Why? Steve Mason will single handedly lead them to the playoffs. Yes, I understand that he's a rookie and there is a possibility tha...
It's about time that the Flyers finally play another game, eh? Tonight, the Flyers will play their first game after the All-Star break as they take on the Florida Panthers. The last game for the Flyers was last Wednesday when they defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 5-3. Tonight's game against the Panthers should be a very interesting game, because these two teams faced off aga...
This week has been a little crazy. My break came to an end and I had to quickly shift gears from being that lazy bum that sat on a couch playing Call of Duty: World of War and NHL 2009 to a student again. So far, it's not going so well. I go to class, but start writing down line combinations in my notebook on what I think the team might look like next year or go over who m...
Last night, the Flyers did not play a good game. They lost to the Florida Panthers 3-2. It was an inconsistent effort, where in the first period, the Flyers had energy and played well. However, the second period was a different story. They gave up two goals that period and they played terrible. Usually, the second period is the period where the Flyers play their best, but ...
In the NHL, having money is great, but it doesn't always mean success; well not on the ice that is. Take a look at the whack of free agents Tampa Bay signed in the off season, and look at them now. Anyway, as I sit here and take a look at the class of 2009 free agents; I am less than hopeful in what big splashes the Leafs will make July 1st. That's not to say there ar...
FLAMESTR writes...

Flames sweep Preds

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If there is one thing that I have learned about the Calgary Flames, it is that they can win ugly, boring, exciting; basically they can win any way they can win. Tonight they won with defense, which usually means totally boring. But tonight, there was a touch of exciting, meaning I liked a couple of goals the Flames scored tonight. Before I mention the goals, let's ta...
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...
First of all, I would like to say that I'm not happy at all with the effort and the way the Flyers played tonight. It was as craptastic of an effort that you could ever see from the Flyers. It was a bad, bad game for the Flyers as Chris Mason made 36 saves for his third shutout of the season to help the Blues beat the Flyers 4-0 tonight. Even though the Flyers had 36 shots...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...

Not Giving Up Yet

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
I was at the Joe last night for the Blues-Wings game and I couldn't help but be very impressed with the Blues and how they played. They out-hustled the Wings to every loose puck, their offensive forecheck was great and it created some Red Wings defensive zone turnovers, and I really like the Blues for the most part being very active and aggressive on defense. I think th...
With many Leaf fans looking forward and counting the days till Draft day where there beloved leafs will draft there franchise player who will bring the blue and white to the promise land. Some dream of JT after him leading Team Canada to Gold at the WJC. Others dream about Evander Kane and his amazing hands or Brayden Schenn who seems to be the Burke style player we all wo...
If you asked some people whether they thought the Flyers could come back from 3-1 after one period of play, they'd think you were crazy. Well the Flyers did just that, by coming back to beat the Bruins in overtime 4-3 today, on a Randy Jones goal. However, Jones's goal was not the cleanest of goals, but it worked very well. Three minutes into overtime, Jones took a wrist s...
A-Mar writes...

Jason Blake

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I keep reading articles about how he has really upped his marketability with his play this year. His Points-per-game average is 0.82 which is very slightly off of his career year with the Islanders (0.84). So I ask this question to other hockey buzzers: is there anyone interested in Jason Blake or has 'Tucker' syndrome infected the Toronto media again?
Tonight's shootout loss was a hard fought defeat to the Los Angeles Kings, a team that the Isles should hope to reflect one day. The Kings have a nucleus of young skaters ranging from Kopitar, Frolov, and O'Sullivan to Doughty and Johnson. For the past few seasons they have sat at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, frustrating themselves and their fan base. No...
I sat amongst a circle of friends last night, one of which was a Leaf fan. We were enjoying good conversation and the Leaf fan wanted to break from form and peek at the Leaf game on TV. To be honest, I had no interest in doing so but obliged him for a few moments. Then a typical Leaf/Hab jab moment ensued with him reminding me of last Saturday's drubbing of the Habs by ...
Mulder41 writes...

Thinking like a goalie...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After a positive response to my last blog, I figured I would take another crack at one. And I decided to pick a topic that was near and dear to my heart, goaltending. Many moons ago, (yes, MANY moons, Lisa), I used to be a decent puckstopper. I used to live for the feelings associated with stopping a breakaway, throwing up an unconventional two-pad stack, a rapid refl...
[img]http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/106873/75061_feature.jpg[/img] After the Canadiens' fourth consecutive loss against the Oilers yesterday, it is clear that the Canadiens players don't want to play for their coach anymore. They have lost nine of their past 11 games, during which they scored only 25 goals (2.27 GF per game) and surrendered an astounding 48 goal...
Here are the NHL's top rookies sorted by number of points.... Chris Versteeg(CHI)- 15 goals, 26 assists, and 41 points in 49 games played Bobby Ryan(ANH)- 18 goals, 17 assists, and 35 points in only 39 games played Patrik Berglund(STL)- 16 goals 19 assists, and 35 points in 49 games played Blake Wheeler(BOS)- 15 goals, 18 assists, and 33 points in 55 games played ...
nreeb21 writes...

What to do With Pick No. 2

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Let us all concede that the NY Islanders will get the first overall selection in the 2009 Entry draft. Now that Milbury is not in charge they will probably make the correct choice and go with John Tavares over Victor Hedman. So what do the Leafs do with that second overall pick? Keep it and take Hedman? Keep it and take some one out of place? Or do we trade it? I say ...
walrus writes...

Are the Leafs really that bad?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This team has been plagued with injuries to their top scorer at the time Stajan, their top shut down defenseman in Finger and their two top puck moving defensemen in Kaberle and VanRyan. Had they stayed healthy and won 5 more games this team would be in a play-off spot but I think the coaching staff wanted this year to toughen these guys a bit more and their focus wasn'...
Well he is doing it again . Dustin Penner is back to playing the up-tempo physical game that first made Kevin Lowe to offer him that ridiculous offer sheet 2 years ago.Penner seems to always thrive at the end of the season.Last year in the 07-08 season, Penner played poorly for the first half of the season until just after half point ; where it seemed a fire had been lit ...
I'm positive I don't have to explain that the Leafs are going in to the March 4 trade deadline as sellers. As an avid reader and poster here on hockeybuzz, I have seen my fair share of lopsided proposals resulting in high draft picks and stellar prospects for our 2nd and 3rd strings of roster players. With that in mind, I decided to analyze each team's prospect pool th...
Oh wait...This isn't the playoffs yet. But it's going to be hard to tell the difference when the Edmonton Oilers (29-24-4) take on the Dallas Stars (28-21-7). Once again this will be the Oilers most important game of the season. Funny how this keeps happening. The Oilers have the 7th best road record in the league and are looking to extend that record after suffering a los...
This year's standings have probably seen a lot of activity in terms of teams moving up and down in their conferences and divisions. Despite the active movement, there are also enormous barriers between certain seedings that give certain teams very comfortable cushions. I think this year's playoffs will be just as unique as the season has been so far. One could say these ar...
Alright I thought that with Hockey Day in Canada coming up I would do a piece on it and dive into the origins of the game we all love. I also got an idea from my fiancee to put a list of strange facts about the game at the end of this article, so any thanks for that piece go to her. Now we can debate all day as to where our national passtime began, like whether it was i...
General Manager Garth Snow decided to pull the trigger on a deal yesterday instead of waiting until the heavily anticipated March 4th trade deadline madness. In a deal with the Ottawa Senators receiving young defense-man Chris Campoli and center Mike Comrie, the Isles got back in return left-wing Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick in this year's draft. With ...
As wild and crazy as this game was today, the Flyers had a chance to win this game. Down 3-1, the Flyers battled back to tie the game at 4, but late in the third period, a costly mistake ended up hurting the Flyers. Marty Biron went out of the net, way out of the net for that matter, and misplayed the puck. Sidney Crosby was there to get the puck and score the game winning...
amerk626 writes...

Atlantic Division Thoughts

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Recently, things have been eventful for the teams in the Atlantic Division on and off the ice. Here are a couple of thoughts I have for each team. I just found out a couple of minutes ago that the New York Rangers have fired Tom Renney. I'm sure most Ranger fans would say the wrong guy got fired, but the way the Rangers have been playing, a change was imminent. Sather h...
[img:left]http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2009/02/03/danis-yann-ap-090203.jpg&usg=AFQjCNF2jQ4J8TjnDJSvhyq6xgplJIE1fw[/img]Yann Danis came to an Islanders team that had two goalies signed with one-way contracts, one of which belonged to Rick DiPietro who is here for the next decade and then some. It was all but ...
icedog97 writes...

Penguins Missing Grit

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
When the Penguins lost Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, and Jarkko Ruutu to free agency last summer, many observers thought that the team had lost too much grit to be successful this season. Personally, when those players left, I wasn't immediately inclined to buy into that belief...I took the "wait and see" approach. Well, I have waited... and now I have seen... [b]thos...
matraque writes...

Présentation

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[IMG]http://g.imagehost.org/0469/blog1.jpg[/IMG] Salut salut, Premièrement, je voudrais souligner que je suis un grand fan de HockeyBuzz. Je fréquente le site depuis longtemps et je le considère comme une excellente source d'information sur le hockey. Je suis, comme vous l'avez surement deviné, partisan du CH. Je suis loin d'être un expert, mais j'ai une op...
With both teams fighting for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens square off against the Flyers tonight at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The Canadiens will line up against a Flyers offense that has been scoring at will as of late, and who will only get stronger with the long awaited return of Daniel Briere. Briere will look to seamles...
Many people in the Hockey community are not aware of the tragedy that struck two St. Louis Blues fans and a future St. Louis Blues fan a week ago. As reported by the St. Louis Post Dispatch ( http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/1D2B34AF39C85DB686257565001231FF?OpenDocument ), "a man and his pregnant wife were killed Saturday afternoon in a...
There aren’t a lot of people that have yet to come to terms with the state of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the present time. Maybe children who haven’t yet experienced their first Leafs playoff game, or well....idiots, but other than that, we all know where the Leafs are destined to end up the next couple seasons. A lot of good has come from all of this though, and I for...
After a pair of losses, the Flyers look to be a team needing help and solidification to a number of aspects to their game. And while I won't attempt to make excuses for the two losses, it is actually isn't all that surprising that the Flyers lost. The Flyers lost to Montreal because of a 3 minute lapse in judgement and a couple of crazy bounces. To top it all off, the...
John Jaeckel writes...

Watch Chicago This Week

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The big question in Chicago this week will not be the ongoing goalie Soap Opera (now starring a new player, unorthodox Finnish import, Antti Niemi). It won't be the running debate between Hawk fans as to whether 2005 first round pick Jack Skille is the second coming of Bobby Hull or Ken Yaremchuk. It won't even be rumored minor deals for the likes of Dominic Moore, N...
A-Mar writes...

Leafs deadline dealings

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]The Toronto Maple Leafs acquire a second-round draft pick and a conditional draft pick from the New York Rangers for Nik Antropov.[/b] Is that it? I will admit that I am totally disappointed by what Nik Antropov brought in trade. I will admit to being curious about what the conditional pick might entail but with the sheer volume of second round picks flying around (9...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
[img:left]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m31/tonyjetblue/89and13.jpg[/img]Besides the swap of Comrie and Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick, the Islanders were quiet today on the trade front. I'm sure Snow had a few other offers on the table for other players on his roster, but the only deal in which Garth pulled the trigger sent Captai...
The National Hockey League (NHL) is the largest-scale professional ice hockey league in the world. Its ability to attract the most talented players from around the world has enabled it to grow from a small, six team, regional league in the 1950s to the thirty franchise NHL of present day. Notwithstanding the League’s concerted effort at continued growth and expansion, ...
That rumble that you have been hearing since last Tuesday, from around 3 pm EST, has been the collective groan of the TANK NATION - those that believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs should be bottoming out in search for one of the top 5 picks in this year's entry draft. Admittedly, membership to the TANK Nation has, of whom Michael "From Buffalo" Augello is mayor and chi...
A good friend of mine, a die-hard Habs fan and a habitual pain in my rear when the Leafs and Canadien play each other in their mammoth hockey clashes, uttered words of shock and horror just moments after he had found out about the Montreal Canadiens firing Carbonneau. If you haven't heard - Guy Carbonneau has been fired by the Montreal Canadiens, with Bob Gainey taking ...
BryanM writes...

Why did we make this trade again?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
On January 17 the Pittsburgh Penguins traded Dany Sabourin, Ryan Stone and a 4th round pick in 2011 to Edmonton for Oilers back-up goalie Matheui Garon. My question was, and still is, why?? Since joining the birds Garon has played one game. He allowed five goals on 21 shots in a loss at Toronto and looked like a quality backup for an AHL or ECHL team. In his defense, Ve...
Jsaquella writes...

Wither Fighting...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I grew up in the late 1970's as a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers. [img]http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/PHO/AAEO021~Gary-Dornhoefer-Dave-Schultz-Reggie-Leach-Broad-Street-Bullies-Posters.jpg[/img] Yep. [i]Those guys[/i]. The ones who fought their way to a couple of Stanley Cups and who still get labeled as goons by lazy journalists today. Some people for...
I was really deeply saddened when I heard the announcement of Gary Roberts retiring. Don’t get me wrong, it was not the announcement per se, it was the way it came about. Meaning I would have liked Gary to go out on his terms, something he has earned. Being put on waivers without even warning him shows a lack of respect to him. Gary Roberts, being a warrior, should accu...
They are winners of five in their past seven; Kyle Okposo leads the team with 16 goals; the original third-string goalie is playing at the level of a number one starter; Bailey, Okposo, Nielsen, Comeau, and Bergenheim are all in the same point range; Gervais is starting to look like a real defense-man playing along Mark Streit; Mike Iggulden comes up and has a very impress...
So we are into the nailbiting time of the season. Every game matters. Can we do it? Use this link to follow the preds chances. http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL/Western/Central/Predators.html The one thing I do believe, is that regardless of whether we can make the playoffs, we are not a playoff hockey team. If we make it it, it will be more b/c of what others ...
The Thrashers have had some shotty goaltending in the early half of the regular season with people doubting the teams goalies. Then Atlanta's main man Kari was sidelined with back issues and then came another question. Could the man known as "Moose" get, and keep this team on track? Well, after a month of continous pressure on the veteran, he ended up with a record that mo...
It is tough to write up much during a postseason run without becoming repetitive. So I am just going throw out my predictions for the final standings in the East. Let me know what you think. 1. Devils- Have been playing great all year and Brodeur has been solid. 2. Bruins- In a controlled free-fall right now and have all the signs of a "one-and-done" team. 3. Capitals...
The Islanders seem to be having the time of their lives; having a fun time enjoying playing hockey. Young players have been getting their chance in the NHL. I wonder how they feel about trying to tank every game for the rest of the season. Of late, I have heard fans yelling and being happy about losing a game, with their teams being out of the playoffs. I can understand th...
Blamm writes...

Is it now a fight for 8th?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
What had been a battle for the 7th and 8th seeds in the West now looks more like a fight for 8th, as the Oilers have started pulling away from the pack. There's still time for the Stars to make a push for that 7th spot...but it's looking less likely after Edmonton tacked on points 78 and 79 in their shootout win over the 'Hawks. Do the Stars (at 74 points) have a shot ...
Blamm writes...

Who would you want to play?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Let's make some big leaps of faith and assume Dallas wins the 8th seed going into the post season. Who would you want to be in that #1 slot for Round One? Here's why I ask: I think most of us would prefer to face San Jose over Detroit, though the Stars have silenced some of those Joe Louis demons this season. So, since that requires the Sharks to overtake the Red Wings...
Let me introduce myself since this being my first blog here, my name is Tom and I'm a hardcore Flyers fan, even more a hockey fan. I hate the Penguins with a passion, one much great to describe yet I [b]hate[/b] Sidney Crosby even more. That's a quick little intro to me. As it stands right now, my Flyers are standing fourth in the conference - tied with those pansies ...
Bruno Gervais has always been one of the players on the Isles roster that has given his free time to charity and/or social events while also being very vocal and outgoing with the fans. However, after not scoring a goal in 100+ games and at times looking out of position and frustrated on the ice, Gervais was becoming a question mark for the Isles future on the blue line. ...
Blamm writes...

Ouch.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
They say, "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." Well, she may not be singing yet, but I saw her warming up backstage. The Stars season is on life support after a dismal road trip through the Northwest. Tack on Richards' broken hand (the OTHER hand) and you couldn't be faulted for scheduling April tee times for the Dallas crew. There is hope, though. (Not much, ...
With all of Stars' woes of late, it's amazing that they're still in this hunt at all. But, with a little help from the hockey gods, that eighth seed is still within reach. We've seen this team go on runs this season (both good and bad), so it's not impossible...but it won't be easy. The obvious question, however, is does this team have enough for one last push? And, ...
Don Cherry decides that Alexander Ovechkin went overboard on his celebration. I really do not understand why this is an issue. What is wrong with a player celebrating scoring their 50th goal? Pretending his stick is hot when scoring his 50th goal for the third straight year seems to have become a crime. I say it's great for the NHL to have a superstar with character. Chara...
predram writes...

My Western Conference picks

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well its that time of year again and the quest for the postseason is heating up. I have yet to see the infamous Brad Ratgen playoff quest blogs so I decided to chip in with my own picks. Here are the current standings: Western Conference 1. Y - San Jose 107 2. X - Detroit 107 3. Calgary 90 4. Chicago 89 5. Vancouver 87 6. Columbus 83 7. Anaheim 80 8. E...
BryanM writes...

Vezina Candidates

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's time for Martin Brodeur to step down from his throne. Because of his torn bicep, Brodeur missed most of the season. It would be an insult to the other 59+ goaltenders that have played this year if Brodeur did win his third-straight and fifth career Vezina. I'm not saying Brodeur is not the best goaltender, but he wasn't the best this year. You can't be the best if ...
saneopinion writes...

Flaming out

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I stopped counting at zero for seven on the power play. Then I noticed the penalty kill has let two in as well. I started thinking of catchy slogans like, "zero for seven fire Preston!!" or , "Penalty killers are slow let Preston Go". The fact is in the playoffs there a few things you need to win. You need an incredible goalie to steal games for you, Kipper WILL do that...
We have all heard NHL bloggers, announcers, beat writers, and fans refer to the omni-present "HOCKEY GODS". These unseen forces, that protect the integrity and well being of the game as we know it, have been offended! Thats Right fellow Hockey Fans, the same City (Montreal) and its fans, who in the past paid homage to the HOCKEY GODS have sinned against the Gods in 2008-20...
Strung0ut writes...

Carey Price

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
At a certain point you have to get sick and tired of people harping on Carey Price. The only reason that everyone gets down on him is that he was made out to be the next great thing. This year the kid will be 22 years of age, and still has ton of potential and could have a great career in the NHL. This is unless our brilliant fans run him out of the building first. ...
BryanM writes...

Who's on the hot seat?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the playoffs approaching and the trade deadline long gone I decided to give my opinion on which NHL coaches and GM's should be on the hotseat between now and next season. 1.) Bob Gainey, Head Coach/GM, MON - Gainey was so upset with the fact that his team was only in 5th place after the trade deadline that he fired a well-respected Guy Carbonneau and name...
cdog1399 writes...

GLEN SATHER MUST GO

Posted Friday | Comments 0
March 10th, 2009 Having played 67 games, the New York Rangers are flirting with the unthinkable yet very real possbility of not making the Stanley Cup Playoffs because despite a solid veteran lineup and the solid goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist this is a team of chronic underachievers (yet again). Proven Star players and Team leaders Scott Gomez(-5), Chris Drury(...
mightyquinn writes...

Welcome to the Re-Build?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
There are reports, the Leafs have signed free agent forward Tyler Bozak from the University of Denver Pioneers. The 23 year old Regina native is being compared to Colarado's Paul Stastny As Reported on AM640 at 7:33am
Before I begin, I just want to inform my readers that my former username was TopRtLW76. Being that I write for the NYI Blog Box, I felt it would be more appropriate to have my real name displayed instead. Sorry if this has caused any confusion. But yes, Doug Weight has been extended for the 2009-2010 season. This is a great signing and one that fans should be happy to s...
Another NHL season is drawing to a close and, once again, the Blue and White find themselves out of contention for the playoffs. There are few among us that would have predicted otherwise as the 2008-09 NHL season began. A dismal team on paper has shown on some nights that it is just that, while on other nights they exude confidence and commitment to the positive work ethi...
The season has ended for the Thrashers, with most fans going home dissapointed once again. Some things did improve, but a lot more things stayed broken and I'm here to help good ol' DW out. I'm going to go through the three positions (forward, defense, goalie) and review them, with some other little tid bits as well. So hang on for the ride as this is the first ever Thra...
Phigment writes...

Round 1 Playoff Predictions

Posted Monday | Comments 0
[u][b]Eastern Conference[/b][/u] [b]Boston vs Montreal[/b] The Bruins are too good and Montreal is not stable in goal. Bruins win in 5. [b]Washington vs NY Rangers[/b] Too much Ovechkin and Greene for Lundqvist to steal the series. Caps in 6. [b]New Jersey vs Carolina[/b] This one is tough. Jersey sort of limped in before the playoffs and Carolina was hot! Both ...
sstrang writes...

Round 1 Predictions...

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know, everyone and their mother (or in some cases, dog) have predictions but here we go anyway: [b][u]Eastern Conference[/u] [/b] [b]Boston vs. Montreal[/b] - Boston will ride Timmy Thomas as long as they can - Bruins in 6 [b]Washington vs. New York Rangers[/b] - Alex the Great and that cannon from Greene on the point should carry them - Caps in 5 [b]New Jersey vs...
Rob McGowan writes...

End Of The Year Review

Posted Monday | Comments 584
Alright Isles fans...take a collective sigh of relief. We've made it through 82 games...82 long, injury riddled games. Some were exciting, some were let downs, and some just plain ol' sucked. But there seems to be a very bright light at the end of the tunnel with the draft lottery tomorrow night on Versus. I know, we're all salivating over the possibility of drafting J...
[u]EAST:[/u] [b]BOS over MON in 5[/b] (Price has a playoff meltdown while BOS defence flourish) [b]NYR over WAS in 7[/b] (a hard-faught battle with Lundqvist besting Theodore) [b]PHI over PIT in 6[/b] (Philly's toughness gets the best of Crosby & Fleury) [b]NJD over CAR in 6[/b] (Brodeur is back to post-season form, but CAR puts in four solid one-goal games) [u]WEST...
While the majority of Leafs fans wrote the team off in the summer, it wasn’t until the New Year that the teams first true season of rebuilding began the inevitable grind into early year golf tournaments. As Leafs nation pencilled in dates for the draft and free agency into their diaries both the Eastern and Western conferences were enjoying (or enduring) one of the mos...
Good God, what is happening to the NHL? Suspensions for "sending a message"? This has been part of the game since the beginning of time. What exactly is "sending a message"? The ultimate purpose of every hockey fight is to "send a message". Will fighting result in automatic suspensions? Don't get me wrong, I believe that players that use their sticks as club weapons in...
I have to admit that when Campbell issued a "warning" to the Flyers last season about injuring players I was pretty pissed. The spent the rest of the season paying for it with penalty after penalty. Pretty brutal to put a team under the microscope a month before playoffs. I thought that they were getting too involved but figured it was a one time thing. Needless to say...
[img]http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2009/04/17/01/530Ducks_Sharks_Hockey.sff.embedded.prod_affiliate.138.jpg[/img] [b]The Same Old Sharks[/b] What is it that the Sharks have been accused of being for the past few seasons (besides chokers)? The answer: [b]Soft.[/b] All year long members of the Sharks organization have been claiming that this is a different ...
RDG83 writes...

What Message?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I didn’t need the first few playoff games to learn that the NHL needs some officiating changes and a better policy on disciplining players. I have said numerous times going back through past instances whether it be Todd Bertuzzi or Alexander Perezhogin, that we need consistent strict rules on suspensions. The memo sent out this postseason was that the NHL did not want ...
The Blues applied their best pressure of the series late in the second period last night. They tied the score at 2-2 with two goals and again had the puck in front of the net and close to the goal line. Luongo never appeared to have the puck covered as it was sliding around in the crease area and eventually crossed the line and into the net. It was ruled that the puck h...
For the overwhelming majority of the season the Islanders played their back-up and third string goaltenders, Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis. DP's injury forced him to pretty much sit out the entire season allowing these two net-minders to have a quality chance at proving themselves at the NHL level. But which one will be back next year to serve the role that was initially i...
The story is known around the league. A team left for dead at the halfway point by bloggers, journalists, and insiders alike. A team depleted by injuries mid way through their rebuild. Fans are talking Tavares vs. Hedman and if the Western Conference cellar dwellers will play as bad as the East to get a shot at the Canadian Sniper or the Swedish Pronger. Enter the Manny...
Once 8 years of pass after drafting a player and still not seeing him play in any of the teams affiliates, the player slips off your radar and never usually gets back on. It's different with a kid named Ilya Nikulin. He has had never shown up on the stats side of things like most defenseman so I had never cared to follow him or his Russian teams but today I followed his ...
iands8 writes...

Toronto sign Hossa

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This off season the Maple Leafs must decide to spend during free-agency or stay the course. I believe the Leafs should make a giant move and sign Marian Hossa to a contract of something like $9 million/5-6 years, or avoid all other UFA's. While I believe the Sedin twins are talented, they aren't Marian Hossa. My other reason for Hossa or bust would be the better UFA's...
Nordic Reign writes...

Inconsistency.

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
That word about sums up the Flyers season. That is the reason why they got the 5th seed when they could have achieved more, and ultimately why they lost this series. They look like Stanley Cup contenders one game, scrubs the next. Jeff Carter. 46 goals in the regular season, 1 in the postseason. The successor to John LeClair, I suppose. They say he was playing hurt, but...
Can the National Hockey League really expect it's teams to take it seriously when it says things like "no message sending" and "no confrontations with fans" when it doesn't even act on most of the dirty things that happen on the ice? Ok, yes, they suspended Daniel Carcillo for his "hit" on Max Talbot (I still question whether or not that was intentional), and Andre Roy ...
MrBigglesworth writes...

Stuff

Posted Monday | Comments 1
I honestly dont think it matters what happens in the East bracket, [b]the Red Wings are unstoppable![/b]... even by Tim Thomas and the Big Bad Bruins. This is not an easy pill to swallow, coming from a guy whos inlaws are from Michigan, and whos wife's cousin married a Michigan State hockey fanatic dubbed simply as "the Angry Guy". Beckster and I go out there ever year...
Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton were reunited on the top line for San Jose in game five, and it worked! Thornton had a goal and two assists and Marleau, who already had an assist, added the game-winning goal on Thornton's overtime wraparound attempt that playoff rookie Jonas Hiller couldn't cover. It has been pointed out in the media that Todd McLellan called his two s...
BryanM writes...

Change coming San Jose

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After embarassing themselves yet again in post-season play the question on the table now is what do you change in San Jose. Here are my answers: [i]1.) Trade Evgeni Nabokov[/i] Sharks fans will hate me for saying this, and I agree with their love for Nabby. The problem is he just doesn't steal games in the playoffs. In game five he allowed the Ducks back into the gam...
You may recall that, last spring, Capitals owner [b]Ted Leonsis[/b], who gets full marks for enthusiasm and accessibility, used the platform of his blog on USAToday.com to post his "Take" on the fans of Philadelphia: ===== [i][b]Day 6: Tuesday, April 15 (Flyers 6, Capitals 3)[/b] My family and partners traveled to Philadelphia —the city of brotherly love. After ...
Ryman writes...

What do the Sharks do now

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
I see a lot of calls to send off Big Joe and Patty. What about the rest of the team? If the criteria for keeping a player are they come up big in the playoffs then it sounds like the whole roster needs to be thrown away. I don't subscribe to that line of thinking. The Sharks at the start of the season had all the lines working well, scoring came from everywhere. Thi...
Newman writes...

Season Thoughts

Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
The 2008-2009 version of the Calgary Flames was very unique. Probably the most talented group of players ever collected in cow town since 1989. So why did they once again get bounced out in the first round? How did they blow a huge lead in the division? Should Rich Preston still behind the bench after the power play went 0 for 40 to finish the regular season? Why was Ander...
sstrang writes...

2nd Round Predictions

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So I was 7 for 8 in 1st round predictions (Sharks....tsk tsk tsk). Not only did they screw up my predictions but my playoff pools are done! On to Round 2: [b]Boston (1) vs. Carolina (6) -[/b] This will be a great series. I like Carolina but Boston, after disposing of the Canadiens in 4 straight are riding high with confidence - I'll go [b]Bruins in 6[/b]. [b]Was...
walrus writes...

2010 Leafs

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Leafs are in a rare situation in the NHL as most of the teams are going to loose money the Leafs are going to continue making money so if I were the Manager I would make the following moves that frankly I think Burke will. First the UFAs that he will go after are the following: H. Sedin, D. Sedin because Burke has a history and they are solid top 6 forward ...
Like everyone else, I’ll give my predictions for this upcoming 2nd playoff round of the greatest sport on planet earth. Let me get one thing off my chest before we start. Goalies will make and break everyone of these matchups, and are MY key to who I think wins each series. [i][b]Pens vs Caps: [/b][/i] Everyone sees Ovechkin and thinks this one is gonna be close. I...
BryanM writes...

On to Round two

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Joining the rest of my fellow hockey buzz enthusiasts, here are my predictions for Round Two as well as a review of Round One. [b]Round One[/b] I'll take a 6-1-1 record into the second round. I correctly predicted wins for Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh (even got the games right), Detroit, Vancouver, and Chicago. San Jose let me down, just like pretty much everyone e...
Just put this up on my site, [url=http://thebluenotezone.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/thought-of-the-day-04-29-09/]Link Here[/url] thought I would share here as well. Once again the San Jose Sharks have flopped out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A Coaching change was made, key veteran additions were made, and sadly San Jose met the same outcome. Is it possible that it is not ...
[img:left]http://images.theglobeandmail.com/archives/RTGAM/images/20071215/wspt-leafs-habs15/Kostitsyn.jpg[/img] I've been really excited about the talent level of Andrei Kostitsyn ever since he was drafted 10th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. The 2003 NHL entry draft, in my opinion, was the best draft year the NHL has ever seen. Andrei Kostitsyn was considered ea...
Newman writes...

Sutter and Co.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
One week after being ousted out of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Calgary Flames have packed up their bags and headed off to their respected off season homes. Let’s talk about the front office and bench bosses for the Flaming C. Darryl Sutter was brought into the organization in 2002 to be the Flames head coach and General Manager. In his first full season in 03-...
I guess I am going crazy again. I am amazed by Mr. Campbell’s knowledge of what is a penalty and what isn’t. I love the hitting, but this is really getting maddening. Again, I really do not care who wins the cup, but we have to stop running goalie interference. The League has to protect the goalies better. How is a cross check to the neck not called? These incide...
After one of the most disappointing endings in the playoffs in recent history for the New Jersey Devils, fans may have something or someone to look forward to. The Devils’ website had headlines thanking the fans for the enormous support that was shown this regular season and especially in the playoffs. One thing is for sure though, if the Devils make a big move on the f...
Can we really hang this years early playoff exit on Sutter? The guy who has brought our beloved Flames to the post season for five straight seasons, and one of them to the Stanley Cup Finals? The guy who created what I think is one of the most talented teams we Calgarians has seen since the 80's? I say no. Here's why. Our team was performing well up until February. We t...
There is a lot of obvious attention being paid to the playoff series' that are at hand, and when it comes to Islander country most are focused on the possibility of obtaining John Tavares. But today I am going to take a look at the impending UFA's on the roster and give my reasons for why they should or should not return. The first two that I will rule out are Yann Dani...
Jim Balsillie is at it again as he tries once again to bring the NHL to southern Ontario. You have to give him marks for determination, once again making an offer to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. This being the third attempt to buy a team to bring them to Hamilton. I really have nothing against Jim; heck, I do not even know him. Obviously he is a huge hockey fan. He is a ver...
knolan15 writes...

Battling to the Brink

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So, here we are. Game Seven. "All of the marbles." "Win or go home." "The whole enchilada" "Play like there's no tomorrow." "Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'." There are endless cliches you could use to describe the intensity surrounding the Bruins-Hurricanes matchup in Boston tonight (8pm, NESN, TSN, RIS; bonus coverage on Versus following the Wings-Ducks concl...
As has been pointed out numberous times by NHL.com, the Associated Press, ESPN and some of the bloggers here on Hockeybuzz.com, Pittsburgh's 6-2 rout of their playoff rival Washington Capitals was an anticlimatic end to an otherwise amazing series. Looking at the series by the numbers we could not have asked for anything more from the leauges brightest stars - Alexande...
MichaelBernard writes...

Round 2 > Round 3

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I was wrong on my Boston in 4 predicition, but who wouldn't have thought the B's were gonna roll through Carolina after their dismantling of Montreal like they did. Down 3-1 in the series, I thought for sure Boston was done. When Boston tied it up 2-2 in game 7 that changed my mind a bit. Then came overtime. What pure domination Carolina showed through the first 10 minutes...
With all the talk about what the fate of the Coyotes will be after today's hearing and the likely appeals on any decisions, I decided to put my two cents in on the argument. With or without Jim Balsillie, the NHL will not be successful with a team in Hamilton, Ontario. This is not an attack on the dedicated hockey fans of Canada. In my honest opinion the league should a...
Interpretation is one of the most aggravating words in the English language. Everyone knows what is being said in a certain situation, and then you hear that it’s all in the interpretation. So many people interpret the same words totally differently. For instance, take this November 14th proxy the League and Mr. Mays are having fits over. You see, it’s all in the i...
Obviously, the main theme amongst these three Atlantic Division rivals is a solid above .500 season that always results in an early playoff exit for the same and different reasons. You could sit here and blame the referees, one player, or injuries, but good teams play through instances like that and overcome the adversity such obstacles present. The Pittsburgh Penguins ...
All is quiet in the world of the Devils right now. Fans and players alike have one eye on next season while the other looks back at the year that was with a disgruntled groan of frustration. There has been a distinctly empty stretch since the team cleaned out their lockers, not that this is unexpected. So while Devils fans watch their lesser sports and wait for some news, ...
[b]The Calgary Flame Coaching Carousel[/b] It wasn't quite as big of a jolt as the hiring of Mike Keenan, but the firing did come as a bit of a surprise. Not because of Iron Mike's firing, but because it was leaked to the media, late Friday afternoon. The timing alone tells you this is not what Darryl Sutter wanted, but the whole Keenan "era" (mess might be a better w...
In the midst of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, perhaps it's a little early to discuss the possibility of the Toronto Maple Leafs splurging in this year's Unrestricted Free Agent crop by acquiring Mike Komisarek. But hey, four consecutive years of missing the post-season will do that, and speculation is always fun, so let's discuss! Komisarek has been a serviceable defen...
Watching the Stanley Cup Finals now, I can't help but think how it should be us. We should be watching the Devils battle the Red Wings right now, and we very well might be had the team not decided to sit back as if they still had the likes of Stevens and Daneyko to save the day. But now that the offseason is unfortunately upon us, I'd like to try placing myself in the GM's...
''Its a blindfold kick back type of a game Called the Kansas City Shuffle Whereas you look left and they fall right Into the Kansas City Shuffle Its a they-think you-think you don't know Type of Kansas City hustle Where you take your time Wait your turn And hang them up, and out to dry'' It was just last night that I was watching the movie [i]Lucky Number Slevin...
In the MLSE land of unreasonable expectations, even a superstar troupe like Burke and Wilson will not be afforded another record breaking season; at least not if said record is a fifth consecutive season of playoff free hockey. Subsequently Burke is going to be looking for a catalyst to the rebuilding project come summer and the most obvious route will arrive in early July...
If you asked any hockey fan who was going to win the Stanley Cup in February there was only 1 answer: The New Jersey Devils. It was a shock to everyone that the Rock fell silent as Eric Staal capped game 7 and carried his team to the second round and the Devils made an early exit. Thankfully that is all over. 5 thing the Devils need to do: [b]1. Release Madden and Gion...
amidst tundra writes...

The GTR Bandwagon

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Anybody who has played an EA Sports hockey title in the last decade will be familiar with the create-a-team function whereby the gamer is allowed to shape a franchise, choose its name, logo and location and in some cases even build their own virtual arena. Taking that concept to a slightly grander scale yesterday at the Rosewater Supper Club, yet another “consortium” b...
amerk626 writes...

Devils Off-Season Questions

Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the playoffs drawing to an end, a lot of questions surround the New Jersey Devils as the beginning of the off-season nears. The major questions being asked by fans, bloggers, and analysts are mainly routine questions that come up every year, but there are a few that stand out more than others, whose outcomes can affect this Devils team in different ways. [b]What is...
The title that I wanted to put for this was too long so I had to shorten it. I don't mean to cause any kind of hatred or anything with it. The original title was to be: "Why the NHL is better off in Phoenix than in Winnipeg - Part 2: The Rebuttals". Alright, so I promised to write a blog to counter the 18 comments on my last blog. Close to half of those comments didn't ...
willytheleaf writes...

Woo for Blogs!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hi! I'm Will! I love hockey! There's an introduction to me. I'm pretty awesome. So yeah. Oh, and check out my youtube channel! www.youtube.com/willytheleaf Thanks all! I'll be writing here as draft day comes closer, and what I think the league, and the Leafs should do! Yay!
amerk626 writes...

Make or Break!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This is a pivotal off season for the New Jersey Devils. After another "red bull" season, the Devil's weaknesses were exposed greatly after the trade deadline and in the playoffs. This, along with the need to hire a head coach, handling the upcoming draft, and his annual free agent situation puts a lot on Lou's plate. This off season may be the most important one for the De...
First things first, congratulations to captain Sidney Crosby and his Penguins for winning the 2009 Stanley Cup. Well done, guys, you put on quite a show. It was a hard fought series, right until the final seconds when goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury had to dive across the crease to rob Detroit captain Niklas Lidstrom of a sure goal. Wondering what Fleury was thinking when all...
Bah! I had a nice long blog full of coverage on tonight's game and more but it all went away when Internet Explorer unexpectedly quit on me. I should really start doing these on Word documents and they copy-paste them. Anyways, I'll try my best to replicate that previous effort. [b] The Flightless Birds fly high[/b] Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins on the...
First thing's first, congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins! Once the Devils were eliminated they became my adopted team from the East, and while my adopted team from the West, Chicago, did not make it to the finals, Pittsburgh both made it and won. I'm also happy for a pair of former Devils—Bill Guerin's only other Stanley Cup came here in Jersey back in his rookie ...
The woes of the New Jersey Devils; but doesn't every team have them? Trade this guy, sign that guy, buy him out, waive that guy, fire him, he should retire, blah blah blah. I swear if we the fans dictated what moves our teams made, we'd see more people come and go than on the Apprentice. Since The Devil's 2008-2009 "Red Bull" campaign ended, the same ideas and opinions ...
jzs_18 writes...

The Oil in the off season

Posted Monday | Comments 0
just going to share a few thoughts on issues the oilers are facing this off season. new coaches: i like the hiring of quinn and renney is an underrated hire as well. it will be interesting to see how they handle the current roster and what they decide to do with it. a couple questions as to what they will do with a guy like penner, do they give him another chance or get...
icedog97 writes...

Final Thoughts

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I have read a lot of comments lately...many unhappy "non Penguin" fans out there. A lot of them are angry at Sid for the "Handshake Debacle". Honestly...I think Sid should have been at the front of the line and he wasn't. Shame on him for that. He was clearly too caught up in the moment. Do I think he PURPOSEFULLY skipped certain players...NO. I do think he should...
Dear Mike Gillis, First of all Mr. Gillis I would like to take deep exception to the fact you signed Burrows to an extension that clearly makes sense. As a Calgary Flames Fan I am used to other division General Managers (cough lowe cough cough) making horribly large and exorbitant signings that greatly increase our chances and this clearly goes against everything I was ...
A little while back I completed my mock Draft and now that the draft is less than a week away I thought I'd look back and see if there were any changes. Here is the Old Draft order (note this was before standings were final) 1 New York Islanders C John Tavares 2 Colorado Avalanche D Victor Hedman 3 Tampa Bay Lightning D Jared Cowen 4 Atlanta Thrashers C Matt Duchene...
approximately 2 days from now we'll know who the Leafs drafted with their first round selection. I have all the faith in Burkie (hence my Burke leafs jersey I purchased before he was announced as GM/President) but I do think he has a very tough task to complete in Montreal. For Starters with all the media attention he has received over his stay up until now I can surel...
5:45am According to www.eliteprospects.com Sergei Fedorov has signed a two-year deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. source 1: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=da&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.metallurg.ru/news/48165/&rurl=translate.google.com source 2: http://www.hockeysverige.se/news_show_nu-ar-det-klart---fjodorov-till-khl.html?id=7974389
"Sources tell TSN the Toronto Maple Leafs have received what the team considers to be a significant offer for defenceman Tomas Kaberle." [url]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=282846[/url] Kaberle has been rumoured to a few teams in the past. The Kaberle to San Jose rumours have been active for few years now. This morning TSN reported that Toronto was interested in...
It is my belief that the Leafs will not be trading up in this draft. The teams in front of them are just too desperate to get a highly touted prospect... The Islanders will go for the option of selling tickets before looking for the future of the franchise, and Tavares will probably go first... Even though to me, it looks like Duchene and Hedman look like they will develop...
amerk626 writes...

Offense or Defense?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
July 1st is less than a week away and the NHL Entry Draft is hours away. Rumors seem abundant for 29 other teams in the NHL, while what little news regarding the Devils is scarce and broad. Is this another instance of the Devils living up to their reputation of confidentiality or Lou sitting on his you know what picking his fingernails? I digress. We all know who the...
Thanks for the welcomes on the first blog. In this one, I will take a relatively brief look at who the Rangers have drafted recently (see Gmkiller’s blog for a more detailed look at the draft over the years) and some prior 19th picks; how our recent selections might impact who we draft this year; possible candidates for the 19th pick and my choice. [i][u][b]Prior Draf...
Thanks for the welcomes on the first blog. In this one, I will take a relatively brief look at who the Rangers have drafted recently (see Gmkiller’s blog for a more detailed look at the draft over the years) and some prior 19th picks; how our recent selections might impact who we draft this year; possible candidates for the 19th pick and my choice. [i][u][b]Prior Draf...
Acquiring Chris Pronger seals up the back-end for next season. He is exactly what the FLyers missed this year: someone to clear out the middle and score goals from the point. Holmgren paid a steep price but realize that he did it to win now. Luca Sbisa will be missed, but ultimately was deemed expendable when Homer said he had reached a deal with MA Bourdon. Sbisa was proj...
It came as no surprise, Daryl Sutter trading down to the 23rd pick from 20 to pick up an additional 3rd round pick. This is interesting for a few reasons, Calgary already had two 3rd round picks and no 2nd round picks, they must have been comfortable that the guy they wanted would still be there three picks away so they traded. As soon as that trade went down, with guys li...
icedog97 writes...

Pronger to Flyers...I Love It!

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Flyers mad a big splash today and landed Chris Pronger in a trade. Smart move for the Flyers. Flyer fans will start salivating the moment they hear of this news...visions of Crobsy getting crunched by Pronger along the boards...or Malkin getting hip checked as he tries to cruise through the middle of the ice. Yep...they certainly have reason to think he will m...
NuckNyne writes...

Canucks thoughts and questions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I am just curious to know how many Canucks fans want the Sedins back and what your thoughts are on them signing a 12 year deal? Also I still don't believe that Gaborik rumors, he is highly skilled. But Gillis likes grit and Gaborik has been prone to injury. I have a weird feeling that Sundin will be back next season. I'd really like to see Wellwood back with a 2 ye...
Somebody asked me Why I post the Blogs on the weekend when I get no traffic to look at the blogs. I simply responded because I get no traffic to read my blogs anyways :) Now on with the observations of the weekend. [b] The Two biggest trades on the weekend[/b] Mr. Sutter is at it again, as he trades for the rights of JBO, out of Florida, which cost us Leopold an...
Three seasons ago, it seemed pretty obvious where the best teams in the NHL lived...the Western Conference. The Ducks had just beaten the Senators in 5 games to win their first cup. They appeared to be a team that could easily repeat. They were physical...mean even...and could score goals to boot. While the Ducks did not repeat as champions, the Detroit Red Wings fin...
The Flyers headed into the offseason after a disappointing 1st round loss to the Penguins in the playoffs, perilously close to the salary cap ceiling and looking to add the pieces neccesary to compete with the Penguins in the years to come. GM Paul Holmgren felt comfortable with his forwards and addressed the goaltending position by adding KHL refugee Ray Emery. The Flyers...
While the highly anticipated trades, wheelings, and dealings that were expected at the NHL Entry Draft last Friday never materialized, there was a sense that a lot of teams ended up a lot closer to understanding just what they need to do come July 1st, the opening of the NHL's free agency transaction period. Brian Burke, so frustrated at the lack of movement at the pro...
He’s been highly touted as the “best goaltender outside of the NHL” and has been rumoured to be coming over to the NHL to play next season. The 24 year-old has apparently been in contact with the Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Sharks, and Stars. We still don’t know where he’s going to end up, and it’s almost July 1st. Now, I’ve watched as much tape as I could possib...
So Rob Blake has re-signed in San Jose for 1 year, 3.5 million dollars. I think it's a good deal. He is now making about the same as Vlasic and Ehrhoff, 1 million more than Doug Murray, and half as much as Dan Boyle. This basically solidifies the San Jose defense with the following top 6 guys: Boyle Blake Ehrhoff Vlasic Murray Lukowich I also think Blak...
hAbfAn33 writes...

WTF are the Habs doing?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Just wondering through written word, what my beloved hockey team will look like next season. With their reluctance to ever sign impact UFA's from other teams over the summer and their hesitation to tender contracts to their own UFA's thus far I dont see a marked improvement on last season. Unless some speculated signings are actually executed, this is not going to be a pre...
trueblue98 writes...

a REALISTIC offseason plan

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hey everybody, i've been on hockeybuzz for a while but rarely post. But after reading EVERYWHERE about all these "offseason plans" that people are coming up with its just ridiculous. Lets get real. We have no money to spend. The odds of trading Drury, Gomez, Redden and/or Rozsival are very slim to say the least. The only realistic one that could be moved may be Rozsival. D...
Let me start by saying that I am a Leafs fan and in no way shape or form do I have a liking for the Ottawa Senators. I wanted to ask the masses of people out there if Dany Heatley may have a point in all of this. Personally, I think Heatley is a bum and that he will get what he deserves (contract ripped up, lifelong injury etc...). I was quite disapointed for Ottawa...
What a difference a day makes, eh? Wow. I am still not really sure how I feel about all of the moves that Bob Gainey made over the last 48 hours. To be honest, I'm not sure what I expected Gainey to do. I guess if there's one thing I've learned over Gainey's tenure, its that you should always expect the unexpected! Gainey seems to have a knack of zigging when you ...
I wrote a blog a few days after the draft, and quite harshly got ridiculed for suggesting that the Leafs would not be after the top-end talent available during yesterday's NHL free agent frenzy. I suggested that Brian Burke, in all his common sense, would realize that now is not the time for the Leafs to sign big, while taking smaller, more rational steps would be the ...
Kamal Panesar writes...

Et tu, Komisarek?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Is that a knife in my back, or are you just happy to leave me? And by me, I mean us...and by us I mean Habs fans. As much as the loss of Komisarek from the Canadiens lineup is hard to swallow, the way in which it was done makes it all the more painful. Now that the details are coming out, it is looking like Komisarek went to Toronto for a measley 2.5 million more than...
saneopinion writes...

The Edmonton Perception

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Heatley has asked for a trade, just not to Edmonton. Bouwmeester wanted to come to Alberta, just not to Edmonton. Those are the latest two players to put further black marks on the city of champions, a trend that started with Chris Pronger and his exodus from Edmonton. This is not a rant about how much Edmonton sucks, because it doesn't, but there is a truth out there ...
KPE18 writes...

NEW Offseason Game Plan

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With Brashear and Gaborik signed to contracts, as it stands today, the Rangers have about $13.7 million of cap space to work with. This is what should happen with that money if we want to be Stanley Cup contenders. -Sign the RFA's. This is a reasonable amount for each RFA. Zherdev-2 years $3.25million per yr. Higgins-4 years $2 million per yr. Korpikoski-1 year $...
When John Ferguson Jr. took over as General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs I was hoping that he would bring the Leafs back to glory.....that didn't really happen. His first year saw the Leafs miss the playoffs for the first time since 1998, and long-time coach Pat Quinn fired after missing the playoffs by one point. It also saw Toronto buy out the contract of long-ti...
With all the hype circulating around the draft, many, like myself, almost forgot that free agency was looming just a few days later. The Islanders were heading into July 1st with one real major concern, and that was finding a suitable back-up goaltender for Rick DiPietro. They did just that with Dwayne Roloson. At first I was unsure of how I felt with the signing. He's ...
This is my first blog and I live and breathe flyers hockey so cut me some slack. haha After a disappointing first round exit at the hands of the pens, that saw the flyers get beat defensively and in goaltending, their main goal coming into the offseason was to improve the goaltending and blue line. Like many flyers' fans i was awestruck, angry, and about to start a lynch m...
Montreal trades Christopher Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko & Doug Janik to New York for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto. Montreal landed their long sought-after #1 Centre on Tuesday, but it wasn't the Flying Frenchman that everyone expected. GM Bob Gainey felt the price was too high for Vincent Lecavalier and instead settled for an overpaid, underac...
There has been a lot of comparison lately between the summer of Sundin and this summer - the summer of "the Monster". But make no mistake about it, this is one heck of a tough decision for Gustavsson to make. The young goalie is still young...don't over-look that. At age 24, he has lost both parents - his mother very recently. He's been getting huge credit in Sweden for ...
The Montreal Canadiens had the most players to re-sign or seek out this 2009 off-season. Might be a new NHL record to add to the list of Habs records. The team's GM, Bob Gainey, at the time of the NHL Draft, had 11 players signed and $33 million of cap space remaining. While some teams will be opting for minimum cap this coming season, Montreal will remain a contender for ...
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...
The ongoing issue pertaining to the Blackhawks and the delivery of RFA tenders has certainly piqued the interest of many, me included. However my interest doesn’t stem from my desire to necessarily add any of these RFA’s to my team; my interest is solely in the precedent that this decision will set. I can virtually assure you that this issue will rear its head again ei...
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3699747582_f2a36b03b9.jpg?v=0[/img] Pretty much sums up what most Flyers fans are thinking, huh?
With the recent signings of Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg to nearly identical 3 year contracts worth more than $9 million each, it appears that the Hawks have dodged the proverbial bullet with regards to the NHLPA grievance over the Hawks handling of the RFA tender notices. After all, if the players had any desire to test the market and consider offers from other teams they...
On the heels of Brian Burke saying that the team is still not a finished product, and he will continue to make changes through free agency and trades, I thought I would take a quick look at the free agents that still remain out there that Burke could show interest in. The following are some free agents i would inquire about, not necessarily chase.... Travis Moen - ...
I hate to be the bearer of bad news to Habs fans out there. Especially on the heels of such an emotional 24-hours in which we lost our inspirational captain, and our flame of offensive passion. It seems like just yesterday that I, for the first time in my short life, felt like I was in the presence of a true Stanley Cup Contender going into a season. Compared to the excite...
This is part 2 and final of a two-piece article writing about the value of Montreal Canadiens UFAs and RFAs from the 2008-09 season. In part 1, I covered the big name Habs UFAs and compared them to the new recruits. In short, the value of the UFAs were on average lower than that of the new signings. And as the new signings are more or less all younger (exception is Ale...
Alright, time to get some frustrations of mine off my mind. I've been browsing around the Canadiens' facebook groups recently, and I've been noticing people bashing #84. The arguments about him is that he has not improved in three NHL seasons thus far. Um, last time I checked he was 22 years old, with size and plenty of upside. Give the guy time. Patience seems to b...
It's been a little while since I've posted a blog... and I have a number of ideas and thoughts on the current state of the Calgary Flames that I would like to address when I find the time... For now, I want to focus on the tampering allegations toward the Toronto Maple Leafs in regards to the Sedin twins. I really feel these allegations by the Vancouver Canucks ha...
So let's put all this Heatley drama aside for a second and look ahead to the upcoming season. Am I being too optimistic or do Sens fans have a lot to look forward to? Let's start with the [b]coaching[/b]. The last few years have been turbulent in terms of coaching for Sens fans. Cory Clouston is a young, new coach who seems to want to bring a whole new identity to this...
Alright guys, bear with me here, this is my first time blogging so I may make some mistakes here and there, but I figured, hey, why not start out with a topic that I love? That topic being the Nashville Predators. Now, moving on to the specific topic itself: In my honest opinion, I believe the Predators have positioned themselves quite well so far this offseason. ...
HI everyone I hope you are having good summers. If you are in hockey withdrawal, I would like to suggest attending your local prospect camp. These camps are generally free to watch. You get to see your future players and new draft picks. Flyers prospect camp as a special event at the Jersey shore. It is called Trial on the Isle. The players split into 3 grou...
Eastern Conference final stadings from last year 1 -Boston 116 2 -Washington 108 3 -New Jersey 106 4 -Pittsburgh 99 5 -Philadelphia 99 6 -Carolina 97 7 -NY Rangers 95 8 -Montreal 93 9 Florida 93 10 Buffalo 91 11 Ottawa 83 12 Toronto 81 13 Atlanta 76 14 Tampa Bay 66 15 NY Islanders 61 This year we should see a few teams flip flop with some new...
Off the top I'd Like to say that I Love the Winter classic and I will watch no matter what teams are playing, but with that said the game should be directed towards the non-typical hockey fans and Markets. The NHL doesnt have the Luxury of having 15 to 20 National games a week, the have 15 to 20 national games a YEAR, so having this game in the National Spot light is hug...
Michael Lindow July 14, 2009. Toronto – It has been less that a year since Brian Burke took the reigns as the Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager but already the team has a new look and some much needed optimism in a city that was starved for it. Having to clean up the mess left behind by the previous GMs John Ferguson Jr. and Cliff Fletcher Burke stil...
Michael Lindow July 14, 2009. With Tomas Kaberle being the last of the “Muskoka Five” to remain with the Toronto it is time to turn the chapter and move him and put the past Leaf horrors behind us. Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker, Bryan McCabe and now Pavel Kubina are all but a distant memory leaving us with just Grant Exelby, Colin Stuart and Mike Van Ryn to show for wh...
http://islesnet.blogspot.com As you can tell, it has been quite the confusing day or two for Islanders fans in terms of the Alex Tanguay race. As of yesterday morning, there were about ten different opinions floating around the hockey blogosphere as to which teams were still in contact with Tanguay and his agent. I figured it would be an appropriate time to organize the...
Danny Heatley will not be making a decision today. I have conformation that Heatley will not be making a decision tonight and probably not in the near future. Danny still wants to explore every option before making a decision on Edmonton.Reports are that Edmonton has set a deadline for Heatley to accept a trade to the team bringing up rumours that Heatley would make his de...
lowkey writes...

Tanguay interest?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Tampa bay, Florida, Colorado,Phoenex,Buffalo, and the New york Islanders are all interested in Tanguay. Ive heard that Colorado and Florida are the front runners at this time. Teams such as the Islanders and the Coyotes seem to have lost interest as his price tag continues to climb with the added interest. "They're one of the teams we've talked to, but that's about all I ...
Article taken from: New York Islanders Net - http://islesnet.blogspot.com Although the dog days of summer are here, it has been quite easy to continue the hockey talk considering the number of free agents that are still available, and the numerous trade winds that all seem to be blowing in the New York Islanders direction. Obviously, as I mentioned in a previous articl...
Today I have to ask you guys what you think we can get out of Nik Zherdev in a trade. I have 10 trade possibilities. Here they are..... 1. Rozsival, Zherdev, Locke, Dupont 2010 2nd round to Dallas for Brad Richards and Stephane Robidas. 2. Zherdev, Roszival, Crowder to Atlanta for Bryan Little and Eric Boulton. 3. Zherdev, Rozsival, Dupont to Florida for Cory Stil...
Hockey is a business, you hear it all the time and it is true at least at the professional level. As team President, John McDonough is directly responsible to Rocky Wirtz. He oversees the administrative side of the Hawks. Wirtz is the Chairman of the Board, the man with the money as it were. Wirtz delegates the responsibility of running the organization to McD and becau...
lowkey writes...

Where will Kessel play?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Boston gm has said he has no plans on trading Kessel. The problem with that is they only have 3.5 million in cap space with 21 players signed. In order to keep him they must get rid of contracts to clear up the money. My bets are on Kessel is traded this summer. I really do not expect it to be soon though. Boston will carefully consider all options and will wait until they...
lowkey writes...

Tanguay update

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
MIAMI HERALD: George Richards reports the Panthers have an offer on the table for Alex Tanguay as do other teams. Richards suggests if the Panthers lose out on Tanguay the club could make a minor move prior to the start of next season. TAMPABAY.COM: Damien Cristodero reports Tanguay is rumored to be asking for $5 million for next season, down slightly from the $5.375 mill...
1. Washington-Ovie will want revenge. Team still intact but even better. 2. Philadelphia- With the addition of Pronger on the blue line, they will be tough to beat. 3. Boston- Recchi wants one last chance although the Bs need to sign Kessel and Yelle. 4. Pittsburgh- Pronger will haunt but not enough to quiet Sid, Malkin, and the defending champs. 5. NY Rangers- Goodbye...
KUNITZ. CROSBY. GUERIN FEDOTENKO. MALKIN. ADAMS (TALBOT when he returns) COOKE. STAAL. KENNEDY DUPUIS. RUPP. GODARD (ADAMS when TALBOT returns) GONCHAR. ORPIK LETANG. MCKEE GOLIGOSKI. EATON FLEURY. CURRY (MCKEE-ORPIK) would be a replacement line for (GILL. SCUDERI)
andydrmm writes...

09-10 Schedule

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
All fans anticipated the release of the 2009-2010 season schedule. Again, the Buffalo Sabres have an intriguing schedule ahead of them. Numerous exciting match-ups lay ahead in the upcoming months. There are a few clutch points in this season that will make or break Buffalo's season. The months of December and March contain the most games for Buffalo. This will test Bu...
gonna keep the pissing and whining relatively short and sweet ... but gotta love how 99% of blog feedback on this site is negative ... keep it up guys ... like obviously you enjoy reading other people's thoughts and views or you wouldn't be doing it ... or wouldn't be on this site at all .... but the fact that all i got on the last blog "player by player" that i wrote was ...
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'm sure many of you would agree with me? Dale Tallon took the Hawks from one of the worst teams in the league, to one of the best. He completely re-built the Hawks the professional way, and deserves full credit for it. However, the only thing he got was a stab in the back. I understand that John McDonough believes Bowman is the man for the job, but statistics don't lie, t...
Rumors persist that Burke has offers for other Dmen not named Kaberle coming in. It would seem wise to retain Kaberle at his cap hit and given the lackluster offensive abilities of Toronto's truculent defense. The key is to turn a 4-10 defenceman with other parts into a "top 6" forward Given Chicago's cap situation and the recent firing of Tallon regarding that cap ...
A-Mar writes...

Kaberle to Vancouver??

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Eklund has suggested that a deal trading Kaberle to Vancouver is almost complete. I like this move for the Canucks but can only wonder: what are the Leafs actually getting out of this? Assuming that the Leafs are in the market for a young top-six forward, it confuses me when I don't actually see any such players on the Vancouver roster not named Cody Hodgson. Apologie...
Hello Hockeybuzz world! My name's Andrew - I am a hardcore Pittsburgh Penguins fan, obviously very excited for our Cup win this past year and in general happy about the direction of our team! I am also a fan of the Phoenix Coyotes (YES, PHOENIX... not any other city, thank you). I live in a small suburb of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area that is within 15 miles of Jobing...
KevinJames writes...

Sabres Schedule Outlook

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I figured I would be like everybody else and talk about the schedule. So, for all of the Sabres fans, here is a quick look at the upcoming year. The Buffalo Sabres will open the regular season on Saturday, October 3rd against Montreal. Buffalo will quickly get to see Jaroslav Spacek back at HSBC arena. The first road game of the season will be the following Saturday whe...
With all the hysteria by a few Canucks fans on the Leaf Blogs these past few days, I thought I might try to inject my 7% solution into the potential trade of Kaberle to the Canucks. First, my take on Kaberle: HOLY CRAP!!! GET HIM, GET HIM, GET HIM, GET HIM!!!!!!!! Uh sorry, did I say that out loud? Oops. Anyway, about Kaberle: He is not just a 'puck moving defenseman...
KPE18 writes...

Trade Proposals

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Here are 3 deals that will help out the Rangers..... 1. Rangers get: Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg Blackhawks get: Michal Rozsival, Nikolai Zherdev, Brodie Dupont 2. Rangers get: Matt Stajan, Ian White MapleLeafs get: Nikolai Zherdev, Dan Girardi, 2nd round pick The last one is a three way 3. Rangers get: Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettenen Senators get:...
jasonkavanagh writes...

Dion out the door?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
A lot of rumors have been swirling lately about the state of the Calgary Flames. With Darryl Sutter making moves left and right this off-season, most notably the acquisition of Jay Bouwmeester, fans and analysts alike have raised the question 'is Dion Phaneuf on his way out of Calgary?' Now before we jump to conclusions let's review the situation the Calgary Flames are ...
Michael Lindow July 20, 2009. Being a Leaf fan it is impossible not to get emotionally attached to players wearing the blue and white. Jerseys with Palmateer and Roberts names on the back still hang in my closet with Gustavsson about to join the ranks. Salming, Markov, Sittler and Zezel all stir up emotion when their names are mentioned but for the life of me I will ne...
The hockey world is pretty much at a stand still right now so I decided to take a page out of Eric Engels' book and pose 5 questions for the Preds this upcoming season, all of which you are more than welcome to answer. 1. Will the Predators add a top 6 forward between now and the 2010 trade deadline? 2. How long do either David Poile or Barry Trotz last, in months (f...
mcefalu writes...

Islanders Sign Biron and Tavares

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So as it turns out, Martin Biron was indeed able to find a home before the end of the off season..... Unfortunately, he found his home with one of the worst clubs in the NHL... Yes, the Islanders are in the middle of a "rebuilding phase," but I, for one, am having a tough time trying to reason the signing of a THIRD veteran goaltender to a team that has less than ade...
[img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7Ukm-B3o-WI/ReR310YSOMI/AAAAAAAAAks/x-Gg9gWv0So/s320/MartinBironAction.jpg[/img] Biron Signs With Islanders, 1 YR at 1.4 M. Sabres Management Caught With Their Head In The Sand Going into the summer, the Sabres had two glaring issues to deal with: First, the Sabres desperately needed to acquire a few veteran defenseman. The Sabres took...
Stuee writes...

Kaberle, Kaberle, Kaberle!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
According to Howard Berger and Eklund, Kaberle is indeed on the block and the Canucks are sniffing around. A peek at some of the comments after Eklund’s blog presented some pretty far-fetched, ambitious –and ultimately delusional—propositions for the Czech’s services. Kaberle would no doubt improve the surprisingly fragile and porous Canucks D, but he is not wor...
Phil [i]Freaking[/i] Kessel! Could the Canucks actually have a chance to grab Phil Kessel from the Big Bad Bruins? You betcha we could. We’d just have to be willing to give up a package of prospects (the Bruins can't really afford roster players in their cap situation) starting, but certainly not ending with Jordan Schroeder, for a 22 year old with the potential t...
andydrmm writes...

For Love of the Game

Posted Friday | Comments 1
Numerous players have already signed extensive deals for the 09-10 season. However, one starts to wonder how much these players are just playing for money, instead of love of the game. One of the perks of going to a division III college was Friday and Saturday nights at the hockey rink. I was the play-by-play broadcaster, and had the chance to get to know the players. T...
Not sure that anyone has even seen "unbreakable", so that reference may be totally lost on you. However, I was quite dissapointed that I was checking Hockeybuzz.com all day yesterday awaiting any Kessel news (to which there still isn't any), and not seeing anything pop up about the Ward trade. I actually learned about it watching the 6 o'clock evening news. At that p...
HabAve37 writes...

A Sense of Optimism...

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
So maybe the Montreal Canadiens will not win the Stanley Cup this year, and maybe not for a while, but it certainly has been an interesting off-season. The more I look at this new, revamped roster, the more I try to forget the anger I felt for Bob on June 30, when I found out that he had mortgaged our future to acquire an overpaid, small centerman to replace the beloved Sa...
how you say that is beyond me.. really.. it makes no sence.. crosby plays with malkin, and the majority of his goals are tap ins.. you talk about all around players, lets loook at the stats... when ovechkin is on the ice you fear him.. you fear his shot, his scoring, his hitting... that fear is not there for crosby.. crosby is great sure, but best player in the world.....
To this point in the summer, the New Jersey Devils have laid out their plans and executed. The gameplan this summer is youth movement, and save for the Cory Murphy signing, that is exactly what's happened. The signing of Murphy gives the Devils 8 defensemen who could potentially play with the big club this season, and that's ignoring the fact that a strong training camp fr...
It's clear that the Canadiens have made MAJOR changes to their roster this summer, but as always, one question still seems to rattle my brain; do we finally have a team that can actually "play" with the Leafs? Don't get me wrong, like every "Montrealer" I am a die-hard Habs fan, but year after year, I find myself coming home from the arena or the bar (or even just upsta...
There is a lot of buzz about the Flyers moving Randy Jones. It makes some sense. He is a pretty big cap hit for a 4-5 dman. That is all well and good. Move Jones, make room to bring in "someone". Rumore has it that someone would be Sykora. A winger. Add some scoring back after loosing Lupul and Knuble. Again, makes sense. Only one problem. If the Flyers move ...
As with any team in a rebuilding mode, taking baby steps is required. The Leafs under the tutelage of Brian Burke have done an excellent job of re-tooling an empty prospect cuboard and a team largely devoid of any real toughness. Beginning with deadline deals for Antropov and Moore, Burke parlayed 2 pending UFAs which he did not intend to retain into two 2nd round ...
Would anyone have expected the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to be perennial elites of the league when the expansion franchise was granted in 1993? Their uniforms were atrocious. Their lineup was laughable. They owed their existence to a campy Disney movie. Hardly the makings of a champion franchise. Even the Kariya-Rucchin-Selanne line, easily among the best forw...
Happy August everybody! The 2009 Free Agent Frenzy is a month old today, a month of excitement, frustrations, surprises, and disappointments for the fans of the 30 NHL teams. We haven't watched a live game of hockey since the conclusion of the 2008-2009 season in June, but have been entertained by the Entry Draft, Free Agent Frenzy, and the occasional trade, hiring, or fi...
Leafs nation has been all a-buzz since draft day when a rumour leaked that Kaberle would be sent to Boston for Phil Kessel. The GM's had thier wires crossed. Clearly. That deal has fallen out and since then nothing has come of it. Burke has built a wall of defenders in front of Vesa Toskala. The group looks strong with Kaberle, Schenn, Komisarek, Beauchemin, Exelby and, Mi...
leafsprospect writes...

Zherdev to Leafs?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Inevitably, as soon as the Rangers decided to walk away from Zherdev the cries from Leaf Nation went up for Burke to complete his last obvious step which was to bring in another top 6 forward. While the Leafs do have the cap space to absorb another roughly $4million a season for the 24 year old Zherdev...is it worth it? While many would place Zherdev in the top tie...
On draft day I was one of many thinking Burke would move up in the draft. To grab JT or Brayden Schenn. I was dissapointed to see the Kings draft Brayden. So the leafs selected Nazem Kadri at which point I cursed in disgust. But the more and more I look at it, the better it seems. Kadri was only cut from the world junior team last year because of a broken jaw. Even though ...
kenny878 writes...

Jiri Tlusty Late Bloomer?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
We certainly hope so. Most have forgotten the leafs first round draft pick all the way back in 2006 Jiri Tlusty. He hasn't had an impact with the big club just yet. Luke Schenn, the leafs first rounder in 2008 made the team and at times was thier best d-man. Tlusty however, has had an impressive season with the Marlies. Scoring an even point per game. Tlusty's break ...
Bozak last season with U of Denver 19 GP 8 G 15 A 23 Pts 10 PIMs Hanson last season with U of Notre Dame 37 GP 16 G 15 A 31 GP 28 PIMs Who will put up better numbers? What will those numbers be? Leafs or Marlies? Kenny
kenny878 writes...

Heatley failed to mention

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I just read Eklunds latest blog and Ek had something to say of Dan. It reads... Heatley himself is actually in Toronto (hmmm) today to speak at a Canadian Hockey Summit at Toronto's Westin Harbour Castle Hotel put together by The One Goal Association. Heatley is not manning up and speaking of the last two months, but rather will speak on his experiences growing up and p...
kenny878 writes...

Leafs Prospect Rankings

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
#1 Nazem Kadri - London Knights #2 Jiri Tlusty - Toronto Marlies #3 Mikhail Stefanovich - Quebec Remparts #4 Chris DiDomenico - Drummondville Voltigeurs #5 Dale Mitchell - Windsor Spitfires #6 Jerome Flaake - Cologne #7 Kenny Ryan - U.S. U-18 #8 Joel Champagne - P.E.I. #9 Viktor Stalberg - U of Vermont #10 Jesse Blacker - Windsor Spitfires Noteables - Grant Rol...
kenny878 writes...

Leafs Prospect Profile

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In the next few days I will be writing prospect profiles on my list of the Top Ten Leafs Prospects. Begining with number ten Jesse Blacker counting up to number one Nazem Kadri. Stay Tuned Kenny
There's been a lot of grumbling in Sabretown. Granted, a trip from a President's Trophy-winning season to two consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs - without major free agency splashes - would reasonably cause even the most diehard of Sabres fans to wonder what in heck Regier is doing to earn his paycheck. At least, it seems reasonable. What free agent moves ar...
andydrmm writes...

Is this a playoff team?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I recently read the article about the Sabres building the team they have to be competitive. The pieces are there, according the Darcy Regier. There is a comfort level of the roster. I don't deny that the team has talent. It's there. However, for the past two seasons, the team has missed the playoffs with these players. Could a piece be missing? There is the ability to d...
I just read an article, on tsn.ca, about Carey Price and I have to say that it put a smile on my face. There is nothing that makes me happier than to see/hear a professional athlete take his lumps like a man, and by reading this article, that is exactly what Carey did! Here take a look for yourselves: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=286872 Without getting into all ...
In the 2008 season Jesse Blacker had limited ice time. Only appeared in 17 games. This year his totals and ice time have jumped with 21 pointsfor the powerhouse Windsor Spitfires. Blacker was picked by the Leafs in the second round #58th overall. Blacker is expected to play one more year with Windsor then make the jump to Marlies or Leafs. Blacker plays a solid defensi...
Newman writes...

Early Start

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
I know its August 6th, but lets look at October, because really its only 53 days away… How much does October mean to the Flames? Is the first game of the season really indicative of whether or not they will be raising Lord Stanley’s Mug nine months later? The answer simply is no. But, the first meaningful hockey game of the season is usually the most highly anticipa...
Did I get your attention? Great. I've been reading some pretty hilarious stuff since the ruling by Judge Redfield T. Baum regarding the September 10th auction for the Phoenix Coyotes Franchise. If you haven't heard the ruling you must tell me how you fit your computer under that rock which you must surely reside beneath. Essentially, the Judge has declared that all b...
It is becoming obvious that the NHL board aren't going to play ball with Balsillie, no matter how much sense it makes economically to give a franchise to a keen business mind, with a passion for the game and a home rink in a strong, under-served hockey market. What is the answer for "Billion-dollar Jim"? Simple....apply to the KHL for a North American expansion team...may...
Let's get right to the argument, shall we? There are two major points: [b]The signing makes good short-term sense.[/b] I don't love Jason Williams, and I wasn't particularly sad to see him go. But, he isn't a bad player by any stretch of the imagination. Last year he put up 29 points in 39 games with Columbus (after a rough patch with Atlanta) and the year before tha...
There's really no way this can end well. The drama surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes has been going on for months. It's almost certainly hurt the morale of the team, and it's been terrible publicity for a league that already struggles to maintain credibility outside of the Canadian market. Part of establishing that credibility has been trying to prove that hockey is a...
cyeryk writes...

Show me the money

Posted Sunday | Comments 6
The movie Jerry Maguire started this phrase, and it even won an Oscar for Cuba Gooding Jr., but should it apply to someone trying to sell a hockey team or better a bankrupt team? Sure there have been some offers made to buy the team, but none that come close to the Balsillie offer. This decision shouldn't come down to just money, but because it is in the courtroom, it prob...
The recently announced spin off of Cablevision's Madison Square Garden unit, which includes the all the sports teams, the arena, the MSG network, and various other live entertainment properties, makes perfect sense. Media companies have become so diversified that it's almost impossible for investors to compare "apples-to-apples". How do you compare the stock value of Cabl...
Before everyone jumps on me all at once to kick the crap out of me for providing false hope in regards to the Isles actually making the post-season, let me just say I don't see it happening either. This is just a thought that maybe Garth has higher expectations for this team, or maybe he's just doing some smart planning ahead. I'd also like to say yes, I am well aware ...
With the departure of Jaroslav Spacek, Max Afinogenov, Teppo Numminen, Al Kotalik, and most likely Dominic Moore and Andrew Peters, and the addition of Mike Grier, Cody McCormick, and Steve Montador, the Sabres will surely have a "new" look this coming season. The past 2 seasons have left us fans asking "Where is the grit?", and finally Darcy has addressed the issue....
cyeryk writes...

Economics 101

Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
The more posts and reliable news outlets I read there is a common theme. The NHL is anti Canada. Now, I know I may not be the most educated man on the planet or the most business savy, but there were some basic lessons in economics and business. There will be some people who may have a degree or more experience in the field I am about to talk about and I will take critici...
So The Hockey News website is doing a ranking of where they think all 30 teams will finish this season, from last to first, and in the 8th spot overall – in the East – they have chosen the Montreal Canadiens. [url]http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/27434-The-Hockey-News-200910-NHL-regular-season-predictions-No-8.html[/url] Looking at this prediction, I’d h...
This Friday I have a caught up DVR accept for ace of Cakes. Amazing what getting injured in hockey tournaments does for your DVR. The last couple weeks I have covered hockey withdrawal and Player fan interaction. I appreciate the feedback you all have given. I love hearing everyone’s stories. The AHL schedule came out this week. I think you all know that i...
First i want to dedicate this post to all the bashers, i just want to put these few numbers out there because I've been seeing alot of bashing of the habs and if people actuall looked into the upgrades montreal has made they would be suprised. This is a comparrison of the top three forwards and D that were let go and picked up. Gainey removed Kovy, Koivu and Tanguay and aq...
I've been quiet this offseason because I've decided to keep myself busy playing hockey outside rather than comment on free agent signings, especially since the Penguins haven't made any really big moves. However the news of Patrick Marleau being ousted as the captain going into training camp, with not successor named, has given me cause to post again. I fully support...
I initially thought this was a no brainer, but now have reason to believe otherwise. I speculated the Devil's second line would include Patrik Elias and Nicklas Bergfors at the wings and Brian Rolston giving center another shot. Jacques Lemaire stated in an interview with Tom Gulitti that he felt Rolston played best at wing, but was unclear whether or not he'll try him at ...
Last season, 14 teams had a legitimate go at the post-season up through the final month of the season. With so much parity in the West, we could be looking at a huge turnover in playoff participants, or we could be looking at the same 8 again next year. Even the Avalanche can't be written off. Here's our best guess at what to expect when it all shakes down next April: ...
thejerseydevil writes...

2009-10 Predictions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As the lazy days of summer begin to fade away, NHL teams will soon begin to reconvene for training camp. So, in that spirit, I'd like to throw my 2009-10 final standings predictions out there. Nothing detailed, just straight to the point. I'll get back into the swing of heavy analysis next time around when I take a closer look at the Atlantic Division. Of course, predictio...
Looking at the rankings for this coming season, I'm surprised at how lowly ranked the Sabres are by the people who are doing it. I, by no means, believe that the Sabres are a Stanley Cup contender, but I do see a playoff team in the current roster. This team has the potential to finish anywhere as high as the 6th seed and is 100% capable of winning a playoff round. By t...
FLAMESTR writes...

MY WISH LIST

Posted Monday | Comments 1
Being a small-time blogger has it advantages, as I can pretty much say anything I want and no one cares. I know a lot of the players, but they do not know I am a blogger and do not follow me anyway. So it is not really putting myself out by saying what I wish would happen this season. But what do I know? I am just a small-time blogger, and like I said no-one is really r...
Every summer as camps are about to break, conversation in some circles turns to who will be the most enigmatic rookie performer in the forthcoming season. Last year's Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason didn't even start playing until after the season had started but made a huge impression by taking his team to their first ever postseason berth and leading the league in s...
I'm a homer, I will not even try defending myself when accused of it, but I have to seriously wonder if the Flames aren't projected first by default! Not to say they will be so good they can compare to the Detroit and San Jose's of the world...or even Chicago in my opinion (except in net). My Friends and I discussed this and some interesting N.W. division questions came up...
KPE18 writes...

FULL 2009-10 NHL Predictions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
East 1-Washington- Ovechkin, Semin, Backstom, Green, Poti..... Amazing 5... Nuff Said 2-Pittsburgh- Stanley Cup Champs, with two franchise players who easily break 100 pts. 3-Boston- Savard, Bergeron, and others will all score 20 goals, and their all-star defense will lift them to home ice advantage. 4-NY Rangers- Gaborik is coming off surgery and will be healt...
The days keep winding down to the open of the 2009-10 season and myself like many Maple Leafs sit pondering who will score this season for the Leafs and will any Maple Leaf actually crack the 30 goal mark? The last time that this has happened in Leafland with a player not named Mats Sundin, we have to go all the way back to the 2002-03 season when Alex Mogilny scored 33. T...
Today was a pretty crazy day for me. At about 2 o'clock my cell phone was going off the hook with text messages about my favorite hockey player, Simon Gagne. These texts lasted for about 2 hours. The first text I got told me Simon had hurt himself at the first day of Canada Camp. As more texts came the story began to further itself that he had hurt his groin. This then ...
My boss has been uploading pictures all through the summer of the renovations being done at Matthew's Arena, the oldest standing Hockey Rink in the US. Here is a link to pics and videos... PLEASE COMMENT! http://matthewnareski.shutterfly.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rGgpzFxhyc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrbipbu7OCg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...
Geffres writes...

Is Toronto a Playoff Team?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Many people seem to be writing the Toronto Maple Leafs off to miss the playoffs again for the 5th consecutive season. The reason being that the Maple Leafs offense and goaltending are both huge question marks, but after the off season that the Leafs had, I find it hard to write the Leafs off yet. People are complaining the Leafs lack a goal scorer and with no big na...
hplayer11389 writes...

2009-2010 Predictions

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Eastern Conference: 1. Washington Capitals 2. Pittsburgh Penguins 3. Boston Bruins 4. Philadelphia Flyers 5. New Jersey Devils 6. Montreal Canadians 7. Buffalo Sabres 8. Tampa Bay Lightning --------------------------------- 9. Ottawa Senators 10. Carolina Hurricanes 11. Toronto Maple Leafs 12. New York Rangers 13. Florida Panthers 14. New York Islanders 1...
BryanM writes...

Offseason Rebuilds

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Training camp is just around the corner, and that means it's time to look back at the teams that have been in rebuild mode all summer. Here are some of the best and worst rebuilds of the summer: [u][b]Best[/b][/u] Tampa Bay Lightning - Tampa didn't go overboard with changes this summer. Despite an uncertain ownership situation the Bolts managed to hang on to the core...
You know, if anyone had any doubt how hockey crazy the City of Calgary was, they need not wonder any more after tonight’s scrimmage by Team Canada Red vs. White. The atmosphere was outstanding. You could not hear anything at the beginning, it was electric. A 10 year old Miss Pederson sang the national anthem in both languages. It was pure magic even before the game sta...
saneopinion writes...

Red and White ramblings

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Flamstr wrote a blog as well regarding this that I commented on but for some reason hockeybuzz gods don't like when I comment and often leave them blank... hint hint Ek. Anyway... a few thoughts I had being there... Crosby and Nash look good together, I'm not convinced Iggy meshes but it seems like Iginla is hard to get chemistry with period. Nash was incredible,...
Throughout much of this off-season, the bulk of the media-generated discussion surrounding the Maple Leafs rebuilding has focused on the solid moves of GM Brian Burke, and rightfully so. For the hard-core members of Leaf Nation, the internet blog discussions have covered a variety of areas, but when the discussion turns towards the Leafs young 'top six' potential for the ...
Marc Savard. Assuming the Bruins dont resign his the leafs MUST! He would immediately be our best forward. The bruins have a back up plan for Marc departure. It's David Krejic. So im hopefull the Bruins don't re-sign him at which point he'll be UFA. Immediately the Leafs need to sign him. 6 years at least 30 million. Also I would love for them to sign Pat Kane as I believe...
September is right around the corner, so it's time to take a look at what the Atlantic Division will look like for the 2009-10 season. This is written with the knowledge that rosters are not completely set, and rumors are still abound about a few of these teams...but comments are made based on how the teams stand right now. Even though nobody paid attention to it last time...
With more than a half dozen teams falling further down the hole and a few others making marginal improvements this is what I see happening this year. 1. Washington is going to make a big push this year and become the dominant team of the East and NHL. They have the pieces in place and also have a couple of good runs and are prepared to make the push. In my opinion they...
Here are my Eastern Conferene predictions: 1. Boston 2. Washington 3. Rangers 4. Pittsburgh 5. Carolina 6. Philadelphia 7. Buffalo 8. Toronto --------------------- 9. Montreal 10. New Jersey 11. Florida 12. Atlanta 13. Tampa Bay 14. Islanders 15. Ottawa Boston: Solid team. I expect a repeat performance from last year. They led the league i...
Okay so i'm not even gonna try to do Eastern Conference because i don't see a lot of their games, and i notice that when people try to do both conferences on this site they really mess up the one they don't watch, anyways im gonna try and give some reasons for my picks but please comment and tell me what you think 1. Calgary Flames 2. Chicago Blackhawks 3. St. Louis B...
Phigment writes...

2009-10 Predictions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
East 1. Pittsburgh 2. Boston 3. Carolina 4. Philadelphia 5. Washington 6.Montreal 7. New Jersey 8. Tampa Bay Out: Florida, Buffalo, Toronto, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Atlanta, NY Islanders West 1. Detroit 2. Vancouver 3. Anaheim 4. Chicago 5. Dallas 6. San Jose 7. Columbus 8. Calgary Out: Nashville, St. Louis, Edmonton, LA, Minnesota, Phoenix, Colora...
Phigment writes...

Comcast and the old tricks

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Booo to Comcast. They are at it again. They refuse to play with others. They are trying to create a monopoly in Philadelphia broadcasting. They are so paranoid about satellite TV that they have kept CSN off the DirecTV since it's inception. They claim that they are not capable of broadcasting to satellite. Now they have increased the price of Versus to make it un...
ed16 writes...

Predictions/Expectations

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b] Predictions/Expectations [/b] Hey everyone, I thought for my first post it would be right to start off with my introduction and prediction. Hi… My name is Ed I’m college student in North Carolina and a huge Rangers fan. I grew up in New York and recently moved to North Carolina. I try to watch and go to as many gam...
With the 2010 NHL training camps only a few weeks away, I think that Habs fans are excited about the upcoming season but with all the changes over the summer, left feeling a little lost too. The question is, why? Why was this summer's upheaval so traumatic? Why do we feel like we are floating in the wind waiting for the breeze to deposit us somewhere? I'll tell you why...
Tomas Kaberle has been with the Leafs since day 1. He signed a contract with a NTC, in which he's lived by. He's been the franchises best player for a number of years now. He's made the Olympics, All-Star teams and yet he continues to be bashed by the fans and the media for years. He had a chance to wave his NTC and he didn't. His heart is here in Toronto. Sure it ...
Elliot writes...

New Kid on the Block

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Evening hockey fans, I'll be starting a hockey blog, and be aiming to blog once a week or so on topical news around the NHL. This week, Luongo's 12 year 64 million dollar contract and a visit to the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie training camp at the Kitchener Auditorium this coming Sunday. On tap, the Leafs (or Marlies, Knights, Spitfires etc.) of Toronto take on the Pengu...
Buts16 writes...

Sunday Morning Coffee

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I have a hockey draft this afternoon and I'm bored this morning so.......... Leafs traded for the Hawks 2nd round pick next year.They now have a 1st,2nd and 3rd for next season. Phil Kessel here is your offer sheet, the Bruins are over the cap I believe so they are screwed. David Tyree nice catch in the Superbowl, that being said best of luck finding a new job. Ha...
I was at the Leafs/Pens rookie game in Kitchener earlier, so I have decided to try and write a blog about it. This is my first one ever, so any criticism and advice would be helpful. Here we go. [u][b]Final Score:[/b][/u] Leafs Rookies 3, Penguins Rookies 1 [u][b]Goals:[/b][/u] [u]Toronto:[/u] 1st Period - Viktor Stalberg - Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson ...
Ok, I know, it’s not an original concept for a blog post but I still want to get my predictions on record before the season starts. Feel free to disagree about any of my choices. Anything can change between now and the end of the regular season, injuries and trades for example but I’ll still stand by these. Today I post the West and the East will follow later this week...
gkmkiller writes...

Fantasy Hockey Time

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I will admit it; I don’t know about most of you but I am a fantasy addict. I play fantasy baseball, football and especially hockey. In fact, this year I have joined 3 leagues, two of which are keeper leagues. This will be my first foray into a keeper hockey league so I am looking forward to it. In one of the keeper leagues, the league manager paired up all of the teams a...
With training camp only a few days away and the Habs rookie camp already underway, there is no doubt that hockey is in the air....and I'm lovin' it! Given that the 2010 season is almost upon us, it got me thinking about the new-look Habs and what their chances of success are, this season. While I'm not brave enough to make a prediction, I think that I can say that I am c...
A-Mar writes...

Quick NHL Season Players Preview

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Anaheim -MVP: Ryan Getzlaf -Key New Face: Saku Koivu -Sleeper: Andrew Ebbett -Super Sleeper: Luca Sbisa Atlanta -MVP: Ilya Kovalchuk -Key New Face: Nik Antropov -Sleeper: Anssi Salmela -Super Sleeper: Jason Krog Boston -MVP: Zdeno Chara -Key New Face: Marco Sturm (back from injury) -Sleeper: Matt Hunwick -Super Sleeper: Vladimir Sobotka Buf...
leafericson writes...

Kessel Trade

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I think that the Leafs must have some sort of agreement in place with Kessel either that or a good scoop that he wants to play for the leafs. At anytime now a rival team can offer Kessel an offer sheet and scoop the player if Boston decides to match. Remember that Charelli can not trade Kessel for a year if he has to match. This would mean Charelli would have to dem...
So, continuing in my 5 part series on what will (or won't) make the Habs successful this season, I want to start off by replying to one of the comments from my last post. In my previous post, I had said that I define the Habs' success as finishing anywhere between 4th and 8th, in the East. The poster, 'flamminghead', wondered why not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd? Well, the answer i...
A-Mar writes...

Kessel and the Leafs

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With all this talk of trading a glut of high draft picks for Phil Kessel (1st round, 5th overall), discussion of 'draft pick value' seems to be the rage. I can't really beat the work Scott Cullen at TSN has done in analyzing the statistical odds a draft pick will make the 'big show' but I can throw in my two cents as to the value of draft picks to the Leafs. When peopl...
Daniel Alfredsson is the longest serving of all active Captains in the NHL. I can't imagine an Alfie-less Sens. I've watched him win the Calder Trophy (for rookie of the year) when he still wore that JOFA helmet. I was there when he took over for Yashin. I was there when he got his hair cut. And I was there when he scored the Overtime goal to send Ottawa to the Stanley Cup...
While it has long been thought that pre-season is an irrelevant showcase and tune-up for 19 out of 22 players and an intense battle between some 30 others for the last 3 spots, I find myself thinking it to be a little more important. In particular, for the Toronto Maple Leafs after 4 seasons of non-playoff hockey! With the Leafs, the obvious logjam at defense has been ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not win a lot of games this season, but the opposition won’t be leaving the rinks with a full set of teeth. A team that Brian Burke envisioned as truculent, belligerent and pugnacious hit the ice last night in a no holds barred match-up. There were five fights by the end of the game; the Leafs winning three of them. Surprisingly, pugilist C...
Back again, and in the home stretch with part 4 of 5, in this series. Training camp is in full effect and the new look Habs hit the ice tonight against Florida, in Montreal. Gomez asks Lapierre if he thinks it will be a sold out tonight. Hehe.....good one Scott. In a few short hours, you will experience, 1st hand, what it feels like to be a home boy in the larges...
Canadiens' lineup Forwards Mike Cammalleri - Scott Gomez - Andrei Kostitsyn Guillaume Latendresse – Maxim Lapierre – Matt D’Agostini Gregory Stewart – Mikael Johansson – Brock Trotter Mathieu Darche – David Desharnais – Ryan White Defensemen Andrei Markov – Josh Gorges Jaroslav Spacek – Ryan O’Byrne André Benoit – P.K. Subban Goaltend...
I suppose this is a case of better late than never since I was supposed to have had this up a week ago. Anyway, after careful deliberation I’ve concluded that 7 of the 8 playoff teams from a year ago make it again this year. The lone non-playoff team to crack the top 8 will be Tampa. I’m sure you’ll find some of my choices debatable. That’s fine, feel free to disag...
Ryman writes...

Sharks Vs Canucks 9/18/09

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I just got home from this game and have to say I didn't really like the first 1 1/2 periods at all. With the game being 5 to 0 at this point really made me want to pack my stuff and head back home and play EA NHL 10. Thomas Greiss did not look good tonight. With 11 shots there were 5 goals and most of these goals looked very stoppable. After a few more shots at Greiss A...
With some transactions since my last post, and since a bunch of the predictions were a combination of bias and an experiment to see comments ... I have decided to redo that blog in a shorter format with basic predictions for the opening night roster, and some point predictions for that roster... enjoy! Sorry in advance for the format, I tried my best to keep it simple! ...
The Maple Leafs were $2 million under the cap before the trade for Kessel. They now sit $3 million over. I know Burke said he had the cap room to make this trade, but it is hard to see how. He does have some bonus cushion but not enough to make up the difference. Don't forget how important it is to have a little cap cushion. The Flames couldn't even get a full rost...
apsunick writes...

Kessel Details

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Reading the Tennessean, John Glennon reported Poile made an equal offer but they couldn't match what Toronto was willing to pay Kessel. If they made the trade then they would have been in the same situation as Boston and wouldn't have been able to sign Kessel. Poile still says he is looking to add someone if the right person becomes available.
Each and every year, I decide it is humorous to put myself on the line here (and at the wrath of every single individual), and put forth my predictions for the final standings. While I am only a blogger, I like to think of myself as somewhat of a smart hockey-mind, and I understand that I will be ripped apart by fans of all backgrounds who feel that I betrayed them by not...
Call me confused. Don’t get me wrong; I am stoked that the Rangers and Glen Sather finally came to their senses and gave Dubinsky enough money to entice him to re-sign. The problem I have is with the money they gave him, especially if the reports I have read are true. We know that pressure had been building on Dubinsky’s side to get the player into camp. John Tortor...
So the Canadiens were beaten, 2 - 1, by the Boston Bruins last night, in Quebec City. It is exhibition season, and with player like Glumac, White and Pyatt in the line-up, who really cares what the score was? What was impressive, however, was the little guys: Gionta and Desharnais. Gionta, is a proven commodity, and Habs fans are going to love this guy. Man is he fas...
BryanM writes...

Survival of the Fittest

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Okay, I'm obviously not some great hockey expert writing about all the little nuances of the game I love. But I do know that finely-tuned athletic machines should not be getting hurt so easily in training camp. Today I wake up to find Adam Burrish's name added to the list of players who will not make the season opener and I am forced to ask, what is going on here? Okay,...
This is part 5 of 5 in this series, and I just want to thank everyone for the feedback and emails! The support and feedback, whether negative or positive, is always appreciated! So without further ado.... [b]Carey Price[/b] When Carey Price was drafted, 5th overall, in the 2005 NHL entry draft, a lot of people were unsure as to why the Habs grabbed this kid. As go...
With the regular season only one week away and the Leafs needing to trim their roster to a maximum of 23 players, the debate rages on as to whether to play the youngster or to stick with the veterans assembled over the course of the last 2-3 years who actually produced a respectable offensive output last season. What makes this decision difficult is that the temptation to ...
Dumont gets the goal and everybody gets ready to start singing "I like it", then huh. What is that? A new goal song in Nashville. From the few folks around me they didn't seem to like the change. Tradition is tough to alter. We will see if this follows through to the regular season. After the Canes win here are my thoughts on a couple players. JP Dumont - Good g...
Back in August I wrote a blog about Sergei Kostitsyn entitled 'Sergei Kostitsyn: Superstar or Superbrat?' Here's the link, FYI: http://habsaddict.blogspot.com/2009/08/sergei-kotitsyn-superstar-or-superbrat.html In this article, I talked about how I wasn't sure how or where Sergei fit in the lineup of the 2010, Canadiens. How he seems like he has top-6 skill, but he...
Here are ten predictions for the 2009-10 season. I asked "Big Country" Shawn Lavigne of Hockey This Morning on XM 204, and here are his picks, along with mine: 1 - Aside from Wayne Gretzky, the first head coach to be fired this season: Shawn Lavigne - Lindy Ruff Me - Peter DeBoer It's not that Deboer is necessarily doing anything wrong. He got the Panthers within...
saneopinion writes...

This Years Flames Team.

Posted Monday | Comments 0
It appears as though certain players have been placed on waivers that we are hearing about and it's tough to see as it means some kids who had really good camps will not catch a break this year due to the one way contracts already doled out. Jamie Lundmark, Colin Stuart and Jason Jaffray Jaffray in particular I am sad to see go, as far as this pre-season I liked his ...
drock24 writes...

Understating Achievements...

Posted Monday | Comments 0
With training camp over, and a slew of exhibition games that probably should have been cut in half if the league knew what was good for them (I mean, auditioning new guys is one thing, but by the end, the coaches know who’s staying and going, and they’re just playing whoever they don’t care about hurting), it’s time to face reality. The blue and white came out with...
sdflyerfan writes...

Retribution

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Alright, its almost October and Im eagerly anticipating the upcoming season. To help facilitate my excitement, I decided to watch last years playoffs between the Flyers and Penguins. It was easily apparent the Penguins were targeting the Flyer d-men, especially Timonen, by physically pounding them at every opportunity. I saw Kunitz and Cooke teeing off on the smaller Flyer...
Skipping the pleasantries: [b]Eastern Conference[/b] 1. Boston 2. Philadelphia 3. Washington 4. Pittsburgh 5. Carolina 6. New Jersey 7. Montreal 8. NY Rangers 9. Tampa Bay 10. Toronto 11. Buffalo 12. Ottawa 13. Florida 14. Atlanta 15. NY Islanders [b] Western Conference[/b] 1. San Jose 2. Detroit 3. Calgary 4. Vancouver 5. Chicago 6. Anahe...
Let me start by saying, "I called it!" re: the Sergei Kostitsyn situation. Hooray. Nice for me. Ok, enough patting myself on the back... After being demoted to the AHL but a) refusing to report to the Bulldogs and b) requesting to be traded, it appears that Sergei 'lil-punk' Kostitsyn's time in Montreal is over. I can't say that I am sad about it but definitely disap...
TJD92295 writes...

NHL 09-10 Predictions

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
EAST 1. Washington 2. Pittsburgh 3. Boston 4. Philadelphia 5. Carolina 6. New Jersey 7. NY Rangers 8. Ottawa 9. Montreal 10. Florida 11. Buffalo 12. Toronto 13. Tampa Bay 14. Atlanta 15. NY Islanders WEST 1. Detroit 2. San Jose 3. Vancouver 4. Chicago 5. Anaheim 6. Calgary 7. Minnesota 8. St. Louis 9. Dallas 10. Columbus 11. Edmonton 12. N...
Hockey is Back!! Get out your jersey, put that puppy on and let the battles begin! My name is Anthony and I'm a Montreal Canadiens fan. As much as I can this year I am going to try live blogging the Habs games. I am quite new to blogging and will gladly accept any feedback. So here we go ... TV Station: CBC Canada The Leafs are being announced now, not much of of ...
andydrmm writes...

Time for Hockey!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
That time is here. Face off is almost 48 hours away between the Habs and the Sabres. What awaits for the loyal fans of Buffalo this season? After looking through what happened in the off-season, I feel that Buffalo is yet again, not prepared or ready for the season to start. Looking at the final roster, I don't feel this team is any better than the team last year. There...
HOCKEY!!!! Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. :-) Just like all of you out there, I am incredibly happy to be able to watch a hockey game that counts. I'd love to say that it was one for the ages...a classic that will go down in the annals of hockey history and which we will be talking about for years. Unfortunately, that was just not the case. While it...
It has been too long of a summer with too many questions thrown up. Was trading Sbisa a huge mistake? Can anyone make up for Knuble on the PP? How much of the teams implosion was really the fault of the Goalies? Will Pronger make all the difference? I really don't expect any of these to be answered in the first game. Some may take a couple years to play out (Sbisa)...
It has been too long of a summer with too many questions thrown up. Was trading Sbisa a huge mistake? Can anyone make up for Knuble on the PP? How much of the teams implosion was really the fault of the Goalies? Will Pronger make all the difference? I really don't expect any of these to be answered in the first game. Some may take a couple years to play out (Sbisa)...
landsharkhockey writes...

Warroom Predictions

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I was on the Warroom on XM 204 yesterday to chat with them about NHL predictions for the upcoming season. 3 simple questions were asked. Here are their picks, along with mine: 1.  Which team will win the 2009-10 Stanley Cup? 2.  Which player will win the 2009-10 Hart Trophy? 3.  Give us one wacky and/or out-on-a limb prediction. Peter Berce - Sharks, Joe Thorn...
Another season has begun with the Battle of Alberta. All and all a good game, unless of course you play on the Oiler's PK units. The Oilers did show more "crust" as Coach Quinn likes to call it. A couple of fights, one involving Sam Gagner(?!?), and there were good solid checks being thrown. The Pre-Game show was highlighted by a full out bag pipe entourage and acroba...
Here we go folks, hope you enjoy the blog! Let's see how the Markov-less Habs will fair. Roman Hamrlik returns to the line-up tonight. Dags sits, Stewart is in. 1st Period: 19:29 - Gomez with a chance, Miller stands tall! 18:45 - Offside Montreal 17:25 - Montreal Penalty - Metropolit - Hooking 17:20 - Buffalo Goal - Tim Connoly - Rivet & Roy 14:55 - Both sid...
I am a US hockey fan, and I can not state emphatically enough that there is NO reason to "Make it Seven". It should be MAKE IT TEN Southern markets in the United States, despite some very vocal and passionate fans, are largely failures. The two teams in the state of Florida have had their successes, but have been in terrible financial straits and have seen far more d...
I took the drive this weekend to see the Phantoms new home. It is a classic old AHL barn. It was not a bad place to see a game. Saturday night's game sold out and had a ton of people doing the standing room only thing. Randy Jones http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3983825432/in/set-72157622400203853/ Mormina http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3983773140...
Well, I am back from my trip to Waterloo and ready to go folks! The sad thing about being in Waterloo is that I could not watch the Habs game last night due to RDS [b][u][i]NOT[/i][/u][/b] existing in Waterloo. But I digress ... This should be a great game tonight folks! I can sense it will be a battle of the goaltenders. Price finally gets the chance to start in hi...
ladynic writes...

10/6/09 Caps @ Flyers

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I think we all know while I could do the game analysis that all of you have rehashed last night's game to death at this point in the day. So let's just do the pictures and call it a day. The most requested pix in msgs to me today Richards and Ovechkin http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3991864276/in/set-72157622415044485/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have started the season as many non Maple Leaf fans would have hoped for losing their first three games with the possibility of making it four when the defending Stanley Cup Champions come to town on Saturday. The Maple Leafs have scored eight goals in these three games but is their any forward on the Leafs that scares any opposing team that faces t...
After the season opener, the Islanders proved that they were capable of coming out strong. To prove that it was not a home opening fluke, they needed to start tonight's game the same way that they did last Saturday. For the most part that is exactly what the Islanders did; they came out with energy and chances in the first ten minutes or so, but that fell short once the Se...
Sorry Im a couple days late on writing this blog. Time has been in short supply lately, but here it goes. First, I have a complaint about Versus. Being a Flyer fan in San Diego, it makes it very difficult to watch the games live. Thank God for the DVR, as I can now see the game when I get home. Usually the time alotted for the game is more than enough as NHL Center Ice ...
It's Saturday night, my wife is baking Thanksgiving goods and we have another all Canadian match-up between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens coming up on CBC. How Canadian! The Oilers will begin to have a sense of what Montreal is going through after losing Sheldon Souray in the Calgary game. He suffered a mild concussion after an unfortunate incident ...
I never mentioned this last night but during the 3rd period of the game last night Andrei Kostitsyn didn't play one freaking shift! Fans to Jacques: WTF are you doing? Trying to ruin the kid? If Habs management think that benching a player who actually has the ability to score a clutch goal is the right way to motivate him then they better start re-thinking their gam...
The Preds decided not to show up and the Oilers took it to them scoring 6 goals, en route to a 6 to 1 win. This game spoiled Colin Wilson's debut for the Preds, who finished with a minus 1 with 1 SOG. Again, we still haven't seen a goal scored in regulation/OT from any other line than the top line. Notables: Klein/Hammer (F) - This pair has struggled. They where...
Newman writes...

That Was Something...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Watching the Flames blow a lead like that should not be surprising for any true Flames fan. We watch year after year, game after game as the Flames jump out to early leads and either wind up blowing them, giving up last minute goals or barely hanging on. And there are some prime examples only six games into this very young season. The opener against Vancouver where the...
Rob McGowan writes...

Isles Need To Dig Deep

Posted Tuesday | Comments 691
And no, I'm not talking about the amount of work they will have to do IF the Lighthouse Project ever passes. The Islanders had a typical let down Saturday, scoring three goals in a solid 50 minutes of hockey to watch it fade away in the final 10, losing in the shootout to a team they had all but beaten in regulation. Monday they had a chance to make up for it with a...
At last folks ... the home opener! How appropriate that we play Colorado with all the recent talk about reserrecting the Nordiques!! For the opening they had all the Habs say "Je Suis" followed by their name. Was nice to hear ... here we go! 1st Period: 20:00 - Start of Period 19:21 - Avs with a chance, Habs with some great defensive work 19:10 - Habs with a chance...
The Preds finally scored 2 goals again, but it wasn't enough as Ovechkin had two goals, including the shootout winner. Compared to previous games, this was a much better effort against a great team. In the first period, the Preds missed two breakways by Ward and Weber on the PK. They got good scoring chances and did a good job of only allowing 2 goals to this offensiv...
Rob McGowan writes...

0-3-3, Woe Is Me

Posted Sunday | Comments 482
Let's put it this way folks; there are only two full weeks left in October and the Isles have seven games left to play. So far they've played six and have done everything but win. Throw in the fact that both goalies have combined to let in 10 goals in the past two games and the same forwards are the only ones contributing on a nightly basis. TIME TO WAKE UP GUYS! The...
Bridgeport CT is closer then Glens Falls NY. I will be doing closer games vs going to Glens Falls this season. Phantoms won 4-2. They believe it or not rolled all 4 lines for the whole game. Randy Jones did not play for the Phantoms but Brian Boucher did. http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4026178848/ Kevin Marshall looked very strong on D http://www...
It seems to me like most of the early successes and failures of other NHL franchises are drowning out any positive feed back of a surprising Oilers team. If you by chance live outside of Alberta you would have probably not known that 2 of Edmonton's tops scorers are those players deemed to small for an already small team! Even more surprising is the play of one Dustin P...
Oilersfan27 writes...

2-1 win for the oil!!!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Vancouver fly's into town having not won a game on the road, and in my opinion they should have come out with win in that game. Khabibulin was the difference again this time stopping 39 of 40! The Oilers were outclassed by the 'Nucks in every aspect of this game, pinning Edmonton in their own zone for a ridiculous amount of time! Now some positives. Dustin Penner is starti...
Oilersfan27 writes...

Dustin Penner and Co.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I have always been a Penner fan even in the first 2 years in edmonton. i have been a firm believer that Mac-T was a terrible coach, and his constant ripping and torture of Penner did nothing but destroy the confidence of DP! with that said he never really showed up to camp in shape. the first year was a stanley cup hangover, but last year......well.... that was last year, ...
bizan writes...

Canadian Franchises in Danger

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Here's a new look: Canadian franchises are in danger, not because they aren't drawing enough crowds or making enough money. No, Canadian franchises are in danger because the game as a whole is struggling. When 80% of the league is based in either a non-hockey market (boy have we heard that phrase a lot this summer) or in a struggling economy (sorry neighbors to the s...
Oilersfan27 writes...

Ridiculous rumors!!

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ek has posted a rumor saying the oil are in talks with preds about a possible deal involving penner or cogliano! well i am gonna say that source who told him that is full of (you know what), Penner is the best oiler so far this year so he is not going anywhere! another reason to count out this rumor is the fact that Nashville has the same needs the oilers do. so this possi...
What's the date? Are we still in October? We are! And the Isles won a hockey game?! Pinch me, I must be dreaming. Wait, no I'm not...the Isles still managed to give up a two goal lead late in the third period and went to the shootout, once again. Being in the Blog Box last night provided for some gut-wrenching moments. One in particular was when John Tavares was...
sdflyerfan writes...

Bruins vs Flyers: Game 7

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Given this game was broadcast on the NHL network and not the Center Ice package, I had to resort to watching the game online. I want to send a special thank you to ustream.tv and slimebox for making the game available online for free. It was good to see the Flyers come out with a much needed win tonight and end the three game losing streak. While the Flyers did not pla...
So as the it nears the end of the second period the oil are down 4-1, i start thinking that i am watching this oil team relapse in to Mac-T mode. Then i see the teachings of Quinn come into play, his motivation and coaching style take hold of the game and we witness 5 straight goals to win 6-4. The new top line. pens, gags, and hemmers clicked just 58 seconds into the...
mslepp writes...

Flames vs. Oilers... It's On.

Posted Friday | Comments 1
Who knew a game in late October could have such anticipation? The thing of it is, this is a huge game for both teams. [b]Why Calgary Wants It[/b] The Calgary Flames have yet to play a 60 minute hockey game. Their best game of the season was the last one, against Columbus. A hot start, followed by an absolute melt-down on a 5 on 3 Power Play... re-establish the ...
Once again, Isles fans are getting to see an Islanders team that is incapable of holding a lead. I cannot stress enough that this is a result of having a young squad, but it is also due to the fact that some of these guys should not be playing in the NHL. But of course, fans are starting to point fingers, looking for a scapegoat. Let's start with the fourth-liners, and...
WarHero writes...

Habs after 11 ... My thoughts

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
First off, another good win for the Habs tonight. Nice to see Hamrlik getting to goal on OT. He's been really stepping it up since Markov's injury. I apologize for the lack of live game blogs lately and should be back for the next game against the Pens on Wednesday! Prediction: Price get the start. So ... 11 games down and the Habs are 6-5-0 (12 pts) after winning 4 ...
nhl101 writes...

Shots on goal

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
While watching the Vancouver Canucks Vs. Detroit Red Wings game i noticed something, by the end of the second period the score was 2-1 for the canucks but yet the the shots were 28-16 for the Red Wings. Now some might have a different opinion on the matter but to me it didn't seem like bobby luo was that busy, the canucks seemed to dominate the first two periods of play in...
I attended last night's first Islander/Ranger tilt not as a blogger, but as a fan. At times in the blog box I may shout or slam my first on the table, but for the most part, I try to keep myself contained since I'm representing the Islanders as a member of the media. But as a fan, I get to let loose. And boy, did I enjoy this one. The perspective you get as a blogger in...
This past Wednesday I had the privilege of catching up with Travis Hamonic, the Isles 53rd overall selection in the 2nd round of the 2008 NHL entry draft. He is currently playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL up in Canada. Right now he leads the league in scoring as a defenseman. He’s played in 15 games, scoring 7 goals, 13 assists, and is a +3 with 23 PIMs. I th...
Welcome back folks! It's been awhile and I apologize for my absence. Carey Price is starting for the first time in 5 games. He saw limited action in the 3rd period against Pittsburg and surrendered 2 goals (1 breakaway, 1 pp). This will be a very good test of Prices' mental game as the Hawks are an extremely talented, high scoring, explosive team. I expect Neime to s...
andydrmm writes...

Disgrace

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I sat down Friday night to watch the Sabres pound Toronto. On paper, it looked very simple. Buffalo, vs Toronto. Buffalo should have run away with this one before it began. Surprise, it didn't happen. Buffalo had fairly good pressure all night long. However, Gustavsson was impressive, but Buffalo couldn't put it home. Numerous attempts failed, and the evening culminated...
Last night the Islanders completed a trade with the Buffalo Sabres. A swap of shut-outs between Ryan Miller and Marty Biron as the Isles lost 3-0 in their visit up north. The Islanders did not play their best game. As a matter of fact, you can see the expression on Okposo's face in the post-game that he was very disappointed with his play, as well as the rest of the te...
Newman writes...

Overtime Heroes!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Two nights, two cities, two goaltenders, two overtime wins. For the second straight night the Flames managed to win an overtime game on the road, due in part to the goaltending they received on both occasions. Miikka Kiprusoff, who had been battling the flu for the past while, came into the net tonight and shut the door on the St. Louis Blues. Stopping 30 of all 31 shot...
The Habs are fresh off their first road win since October 3rd, a shootout over the Boston Bruins, thanks to some brilliant goal tending from Carey Price while the Lighting are fresh off an overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. Montreal has had trouble finding the net recently due to a sever lack of secondary scoring while Steven Stamkos just keeps filling it. Add in the re...
Re-visiting a question previously mentioned on Rangers’ posts, would it behoove the Rangers to bring back veteran, play-making Center Michael Nylander? According to Steve Hindle, the Capitals blogger on Hockeybuzz, the team has place Nylander on waivers. This move in and of itself is more complicated than it would seem. Because of Nylander’s No Movement Clause (NMC)...
Welcome back! It' a beautiful Tuesday night here in Ottawa and the Habs are once on good ole' faithful RDS! Their opponent tonight, the Calgary Flames, are currently riding a 3 game winning steak thanks to the improved play of their captian Jarome Iginla. Iginla has 5 points in the last 3, most of hose goals, and has also stepped up his defensive play. The Habs l...
day_v08 writes...

Leafs Have What It Takes

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As each game passes, the General Manager in me can't help but wonder about the decisions Ron Wilson makes concerning the youth in Toronto. For years, fans have been demanding a makeover, and finally during this offseason, they were granted one. Brian Burke and company made some key moves and changed the face of the organization. Or did they? If you were to take a qui...
Welcome back folks! It's a chilly night here in Ottawa but at least the Habs are on and the Sens are loosing to Ray Emery! Yay! The Habs take on Phoenix tonight in what should be a decent game provided the Habs can actually score some goals. The games features brother --vs- brother (The Pyatts), Cousin -vs- Cousin (Price, Doan) and, the one and only, Robert Lang. Gam...
Welcome back everyone!! Another beautiful night here in Ottawa! The Habs are coming off a big win over Phoenix on Thursday and will face the Preds who have been on the rise of late. This should prove to be a good game! Game Notes: Game Time: 8:00 (Est) National TV: RDS (French) Price will make the start for the Habs. Spacek will be a game time decision after s...
"It's weird!" - This was Matt Moulson's post-game answer when asked how it felt to win a game in regulation on the road. Well, it should feel weird considering that the Islanders have gone to over-time or the shoot-out in their past three away games. From 3 points, to 4, to now 6 points taken out of a possible 8 and the team moves to 7-2-2 in their past 11 games. N...
It's 7:22 and my rabbits are going crazy with Hab fever! Welcome back everyone! Tonight, the Habs will face off against a team who we can actually say is doing worse than the Habs. The Carolina Hurricanes have not been able to find the form that took them to the conference finals in last years playoffs. Couple that with an injury to starting goaltender Cam Ward and a fl...
It's been a while since I've written anything on here. It's really been more of a change in lifestyle than a lack of things to say. Since the hockey season started, I've become a part-time student with a full-time job instead of the other way around. As such, my days begin at 7:55 AM as opposed to 2 PM. I'll write when I have time, which is not that often, but I have some ...
saneopinion writes...

What is Dion Worth?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I know I know... one fight with the coach does not not a trade rumor justify. In case you weren't aware several media outlets have blogged (but not reported) on a shouting match Between Dion Phaneuf And Brent Sutter. Some blogs say it may or may not have been Sutter or may or may not have been Phanuef but with a -2 on the night and the shouting about being selfish apparent...
As our Montreal Canadiens get ready to take on the Washington Capitals, in Washington, there are some interesting rumblings that are percolating in the city this Friday morning. Aside from the fact that Montreal will be getting reinforcements in the form of Ryan O'Byrne (yay!) and George Laraque (who cares) back for tonight's game, I am starting to hear a lot of people men...
There are not too many Friday night games for the Islanders, and that's usually a good thing for me. Being that I am 21 years old, I usually like to go out on my Friday's. I also work until 9 and will miss most of the game since they usually start at 7, and being that I work with people who despise hockey, I will not get to watch it on TV. But I will get to watch tonigh...
Vancouver: 22 Points= 11 wins, 10 losses, 0 Over time losses Team Leaders: Henrik Sedin, 23 points, 12 goals and 11 assists. Ryan Keslar, 19 points, 5 goals, 14 assists. Mikael Samuellson, 15 points, 8 goals, 7 assists. Goaltending: Roberto Luongo: 7 wins, 7 losses. 2.69 GAA, .906% on his saves. Summary: Another team that has been dealing with the l...
The Islanders gave away a win last night that they should have easily held on to. The Wild were playing with a depleted roster that is trying to perform under a new system, much like the Islanders of last year. Despite gaining a 2-1 lead after being down a goal in the first period, the Isles failed to hold on in the final minute as Owen Nolan buried the puck passed Biron. ...
MikeMcC writes...

A season lost?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As leafs fans we find ourselves asking this question far too much as of late. Truth is, yes the team is struggling, and yes, the season may be lost. But would it not be sensible to suggest there might be more to gain from a season many are claiming to be over for the Leafs? One of the biggest issues this season has to be the acquisition of Phil Kessel. Why have fans ...
gkmkiller writes...

Rozsival Trade Ideas

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Of late I have tried posting blogs that discuss more than just Ranger game recaps and previews. The reason for this is obvious; Jan Levine already does such a great job doing that and most of us watch the games anyhow so what’s the point in me writing up another game analysis. It’s especially tough, when the team is losing, to rehash what went wrong or what needs to be...
MikeMcC writes...

Love Hurts

Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the recent struggles of the Toronto Maple Leafs, many fans are wondering what is happening to this once proud franchise. Leafs’ fans often claim to be the most faithful fans in the sport, and while this may be true, is it really what the team needs? Fans are present at every game; no matter what city the team is playing in there will often be at least on fan in at...
It's not hard to look up and down the rosters in the NHL and identify a handful of contracts that each team would like to take back. This past decade saw a ridiculous jump in the amount of money and term being handed out to players as GMs try to woo the top free agents to their market. While a number of these bad deals ran wild in the era of free spending, the salary cap...
KevinJames writes...

Bring Biron Back To Buffalo

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091121/capt.492a4d93e711443fa9a94c69b22f47d1.islanders_wild_hockey_mnjm102.jpg[/img] Becoming an NHL goaltender is hard enough. Becoming an elite starting goaltender is even more challenging. However, there are always backups. Every team has them, but they don't necessarily prefer to use them. A starting goaltender is expected to m...
Another day, another injury for the Devils, who, despite the growing list of injured players, have remained at the top of the Eastern Conference. This last one, however, may really come back to hurt them. Clarkson had seven goals and eight assists so far this season, and was doing a great job on the Devs' third line (for most of the year, he was on that line). He is goi...
The Islanders finished the month of November with a 6-6-2 record, bringing them to an overall record of 10-10-7 with 27 points at 11th place, just one point out of the final playoff spot. I’m sure many fans would agree that if anyone said over the summer that the Islanders would be a .500 team on the cusp of a playoff berth by the start of December that they would have t...
With the NHL season finally underway, and with the chrisp winter air starting to decend on much of Canada(Snow in Alberta, Yikes), we are now only three months away from what promises to be the most memorable olympic games in the history of this country since pro's became eligible to participate in the hockey tournament starting at the Nagano games in 1998. Everybody re...
ladynic writes...

11/28/09 Phantoms @ Bears

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
pix Legin since everyone want to see Legin http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4143154886/in/set-72157622897593702/ Dingle since everyone likes his name http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4143156454/in/set-72157622897593702/ Maroon http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/4142413437/in/set-72157622897593702/ Laliberte http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat132...
MikeMcC writes...

Changes to come?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the latest Maple Leafs' loss the same question remains regarding the status of several players on the roster. Brian Burke promised changes, and while the roster has seen a major overhaul, and the future does look brighter, one has to still find themselves asking if this is where the changes should end for this season. The Leafs have managed to crawl out of last plac...
mr.t writes...

The Horcoff Debate

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This blog will basically break down a bunch of numbers associated with Shawn Horcoff since the lock-out, and look at comparable players/contracts. [u][b]Horcoff since the lockout:[/b][/u] 09/10: 11P/23GP =0.48P/GP Playing injured, now w/o Hemsky 08/09: 53P/80GP =0.66P/GP Roughly 0.7 07/08: 50P/53GP =0.94P/GP Roughly 1 06/07: 51P/80GP =0.64P/GP Roughly 0.7 05/06: 73...
MikeMcC writes...

Hockey stories

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have realized over the past few days I tend to be biased toward certain groups of players. With biased opinions being having a strong presence in any fan base, it does not surprise me that I tend to want these players to succeed more than others, even if the logo on their sweater dictates I should think otherwise. There are a few attributes that would make a fan apprec...
Rick DiPietro will be playing in net for a professional hockey team for the first time in over a year this coming Saturday for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. All I have to say is ...FINALLY! It's been a long time since Isles fans have seen Ricky on the ice in game action. Since his absence began, Joey MacDonald, Yann Danis, and the newly acquired pair of Dwayne Roloson an...
BryanM writes...

NHL Expansion?!

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Today as I was browsing ESPN.com's NHL rumors, I stumbled upon a shocker. The NHL is considering adding another franchise in Canada. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at a Reuter's forum, "The fact is we're not seeking to relocate any franchises and as a result expansion would be the way to satisfy that interest. But in this economic climate, I'm not exactly comfortabl...
MikeMcC writes...

Hawks extensions and Leafland

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Looking at the recent extensions in Chicago, this this make the rumored deals involving Sopel of Sharp coming to the Leafs that much more possible? I wouldn't rule either out. Even though the Leafs are looking better as of late, a lot can still be done to make this team look a lot better, and Sharp is a great place to start. Question is who would the leafs need to give ...
A-Mar writes...

Tlusty dealt for Paradis

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]As reported by TSN, the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt winger Jiri Tlusty to the Carolina Hurricanes for prospect Philippe Paradis.[/b] Both players are former first round picks with Tlusty going 13th overall in 2006 while Paradis was Carolina's first pick (27th overall) in the 2009 Entry Draft. Tlusty's development had seemingly stalled this season and he has been pa...
joegill88 writes...

Cam Neely's Nifty Fifty

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Cam Neely was the prototype power forward in hockey. He could skate, fight, cause chaos in the crease, and SCORE(LOOCH hope you read this). He came to the Bruins in a trade with Vancouver during the 1986-1987 season. The Bruins shipped over Barry Pederson to the Canucks for Neely and the third overall pick in the ’87 draft which became Boston blue liner, Glen Wesley....
[img]http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/games/2009120302/photos;_ylt=AuJkKj5f3yUg4dTobrl0tfcrvLYF?slug=94373a5b92ce47f78db507ba81d52809.canadiens_sabres_hockey_nydh108&prov=ap#photoViewer=urn%3Anewsml%3Asports.yahoo%2Cap%3A20050301%3Anhl%2Cphoto%2C98e7aa55f32a4134908e1e6adfa900c4.canadiens_sabres_hockey_nydh106%3A1[/img] Buffalo (15-7-2) vs. Montreal (12-13-2) It did...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091201/capt.b69d37411aab4325a67bcc5009d5bbe4.bruins_savard_hockey_ny178.jpg[/img] The Boston Bruins signed Marc Savard to a seven year extension worth just over 28 million. There are many reasons why this is an amazing deal for Boston. First off, Savard is 32. They signed him through the 2016-2017 season, when Savard will then be 39 ...
amerk626 writes...

The Abandoned Purpose?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It’s no news about the intentions general manager Lou Lamoriello had going into the 2009 summer for his New Jersey Devils. He believed it would be in the team’s best interest to part ways with the team’s unrestricted free agent class so certain rookies and young players in the organization to step in, while having the veterans on the team increase their roles. Lamori...
snirk sniggler writes...

Hate to Say it but...

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I told you so. The Oilers were coming together as a team and what do you know. The beat the Wings and the Stars, both teams who the Oilers haven’t had much success against in the past years. The Oilers are still in the running for a lottery pick and still have some glaring weaknesses but as apposed to the past few seasons at least we can say that they are moving in...
sreekers writes...

Examining The Avs Numbers

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Currently the Avs sit in the number one position in the NW division and the number two slot in the Western Conference. The sit number two in the West thanks to the LA Kings and their win over Calgary. I expect this to be a fight for that division title down to the end, the flames are a VERY capable team. Vancouver currently sits 4 wins away from being able to gain the...
It had been leaked on the Internet that Garth Snow is looking to add a mobile, veteran defenseman to the Islanders thin blue-line. If Snow finds a willing trade partner, he might want to add someone with size, grit and the willingness to stick up for his teammates. The Islanders lost a tough one tonight, 6-2 to the Flyers. It's never encouraging to see your team let up ...
KevinJames writes...

Buffalo Blanks Ovie, Caps

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Buffalo (16-9-2) vs. Washington (19-5-6) It looked like a no-brainer. The caps were easily the favored team against the Sabres. With Buffalo scoring one goal in their past two games, Washington looked like the best bet in this one. The Capitals came into the game first in points, goals, and power play percentage. Wednesday night, Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres...
As is the case with most young teams, the Islanders have had many interesting third periods in which they either lost the lead, or fought their way back after being down early. (Ahem…hence the abundance of overtime losses). Last night was a case of the latter, but not all late efforts will be rewarded, and Jason Blake made sure to remind us that with his late goal with ...
[quote]I asked McLellan if tonight’s game had any more significance because the Kings were only four points behind the Sharks in the Pacific Division, or if it was too soon to be paying attention to that. “I have a sneaking suspicion there are going to be teams behind us or in front of us this year and they’re going to be within four or six or eight points,” he ...
sreekers writes...

A Simple Set of Questions

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I am going to break from the usual analysis of games and try to have a good hockey conversation. I am going to ask a series of questions, all of them related to hockey. If any of you who read this can come up with a question that relates to this blog, ask it. What I would like to see is the hockey lore that we can come up with as a hockeybuzz fan base. Should be a lot...
In my last blog, I felt the Islanders should give players like Trevor Smith or Jesse Joensuu a chance to play with the big club if they were going to continuously sit guys like Comeau and Tambellini over fourth liners such as Jon Sim. The next day Jesse Joensuu was called up from Bridgeport and played his first NHL game of the season. "It was awesome. It's part of livin...
Don't forget to check out oilnutz.com Well, Well, Well… Where are all the trade them now guys??? Have you all put away your panic buttons and maybe even relized that Hemsky alone isn’t going to make this team team great. All I can say is that it was another great week for the team. The GBP line was clicking (especially against the Blues). Horcoff is playing gr...
The year 2009 is coming quickly to an end and I have decided to take a look at the best Toronto Maple Leaf player on a decade by decade basis covering Toronto clubs from 1920-2009. The Maple Leafs were known as the Toronto St. Pats until the 1927 season when the team was purchased by Conn Smythe and the named changed to the Toronto Maple Leafs. This organization has had ma...
drock24 writes...

The Case for Stajan

Posted Monday | Comments 0
As I turned on Sportsnet the other day, I happened to see the guys on Hockeycentral during a phone interview with Matt Stajan, concluded with them both agreeing that they liked Stajan, but that he is just further up in the lineup than he would be on another team. I think that's a fair assumption, but only because of his numbers the past couple years. Remember though, last ...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091215/i/r814805491.jpg[/img] Buffalo (19-9-2) vs. Montreal (15-15-3) The Sabres have not played well in the Bell Centre. Ryan Miller has not won there in four starts. Buffalo disregarded those stats and came in and beat the Canadiens. The game resembled a style similar to the Sabres' 2006-2007 season. It was an offensive game, ev...
drock24 writes...

Ay ay 'C'aptain

Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
[img]http://golfinginapril.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/dapns.png?w=300&h=73[/img] There have been many great captain’s over the years…and that spot is still up for grabs on the current edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Coming into the season, Ron Wilson said that the captaincy ’situation’ would be revisited in November, after Tomas Kaberle, Mike Komisarek and Fr...
sreekers writes...

Flyers/Avs Trade Possibilities

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First and foremost, this blog is simply to provide a fun conversation as well as enjoying some of the rumors that are going on. It is no secret that the Flyers are struggling, and in the cap era this seems to be the only time that major trades really have any traction. For the most part this also brings about big dealings at the deadline. In relation to the Flyers I ...
KevinJames writes...

Dirty Sens Blank Sabres

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091217/i/r822088240.jpg[/img] Buffalo (20-9-2) vs. Ottawa (16-12-4) Since the 2005-2006 season, the Senators have dominated the Sabres, winning 21 of 31. On Wednesday night, it remained that way. After the first period the Senators were only up 1-0. I say ONLY because of Ryan Miller. The game could have easily been out of reach f...
Here are some ideas that are floating around the NHL right now, and my take on each of them: [u][b]1.) Another outdoor game[/b][/u] Gary Bettman spoke with the NHL's Board of Governors about the possibility of another outdoor game for next season. This isn't a new idea, more of a gauging of interest for the league. Over the summer the NHL worked on putting together a...
Thirty-five games into the season, more games played than any other team, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves a mere 2 points out of 29th spot overall. That’s more than enough reason to think this team is not a Stanley Cup contender. And in this modern NHL salary cap era that’s enough reason to rebuild for next season. A common, successful strategy to rebuild is...
The daily links are up. Hamrlik is out for tonight's game, Gionta has started skating again, Weber recalled from Hamilton and the return of Latendresse! Check it out: http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-dec-17-2009-gionta.html UPDATE: Just added a great fantasy piece about a potential Halak trade. K.
drock24 writes...

A Dose of Frat

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
The Leafs have once again recalled one of the media-named Frat Pack in Viktor Stalberg, and it should be interesting to see if he can translate some of his AHL success to the NHL (unlike Christian Hanson). Stalberg played okay near the beginning of the season, but we have to remember that he went into a slump during a time when everyone on the team was slumping. Stalberg l...
Another day, another loss. It seems that us Habs fans are getting used to the idea. We're not happy about it, mind you, but we are definitely getting used to the heart break. You could tell, in the third period last night, how unhappy the fans were as their boos changed focus from Latendresse to their beloved Habs. The booing started with about three minutes left in the ga...
Although I didn't write it in a previous blog, I PROMISE you that I believed that the Islanders were going to split the home-and-home series with the Rangers, and that the visiting team would win each game. Yeah, I know that sounds like complete BS since I am speaking in retrospect, but that WAS my prediction. The first game at the Garden was a well-played game by the I...
sreekers writes...

Let the Log Jam Begin

Posted Saturday | Comments 5
We are seeing a tremendous year of hockey. Tight standings, fun play and a division/conference that is up for grabs. Currently we have three teams that are in a fight for the western conference lead with 47 points apiece, L.A., Chicago, and San Jose. However, Chicago has earned those 47 in just 33 games. Nashville stands alone at 45 points, but stands to move up if they...
The return of Andrei Markov was the storyline of the night and the game - a 3-0 win by the Habs - could be summed up as great goaltending, great special teams and a very special player. While Markov's two-goal performance warmed the cockles of Habs fans everywhere, the real hero this evening was Jaroslav Halak who in turning in a 40 save shutout performance continues to ra...
[i]OK, first off: I don’t often respond to stupid trade rumors from other hockey “news” blogs – which I realize is a complete redundancy in terms. But please, stop it with these “Duchene and O’Reilly to Atlanta for Kovalchuk” and “O’Reilly and Liles and Wilson and half the Denver Mint for a couple of underachieving Philadelphia Flyers” rumors. Repeat ...
Now that's the way the Blues should play every game. Against the best home team in the NHL, the Blues came out and completely out-worked Vancouver. They were faster, stronger, dove for loose pucks, and blocked shots during crucial penalty kills. It's that type of game the Blues should strive to play every single game. Despite being dead last in the West heading into Sun...
Habs win! Habs win! Long live the streak! A two-game streak that is. But, after losing 5 in a row, we'll take it. Last night in Atlanta, the Canadiens once again played the role of thieves, stealing two points from the suddenly within reach, Thrashers. Before last night's game, Montreal (35 points) were four points back of Atlanta (39). With the overtime win, the Habs gain...
Gameday updates, injury information, Pouliot in the line up, Gionta suffers setback and more. Read all about it on Habs To The Top http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-game-preview-pouliot.html Bookmark us today! http://www.HabsAddict.com
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091224/i/r95991619.jpg[/img] Buffalo (22-10-3) vs. Washington (22-8-6) The Sabres are coming off of a overtime win in Toronto, in which the team played without Thomas Vanek and Patrick Kaleta. The Capitals have not played since Saturday, when they scored four times in the third to defeat Edmonton. The Capitals have 130 goals score...
As I start this blog there are only 28 minutes left on Christmas. The last blog I wrote was a week ago on the 18th and I am actually annoyed at myself for not having a chance to write in the mean time. But I will say it has been a hectic week as I'm sure it was all the other bloggers and readers out there. During this week, yours truly finished all of his assignments a...
KevinJames writes...

Sens Use Shootout For Win

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Ottawa (18-15-4) at Buffalo (22-11-3) The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 5-3 win for Ottawa back on November 21st. However, several Sabres were suffering from food poisoning that night. A few nights later, when the Minnesota Wild came to visit, their players found that their equipment was set on fire. The Senators have won six straight games against ...
Gionta could be back vs. Sens playing with Gomez and Pouliot, Leafs' post-game stuff and much, much more.... http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-giontas-comeback-leafs.html
WAACHCast writes...

Canucks 4 Oilers 1

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
If you had asked me at the start of this 8 game home stand if I would be happy with the Canucks winning 6 of 8 I would have said sure. And while the two they lost should have been ones they won handily, overall it was a pretty decent run. With the Olympic road trip from hell looming, the Canucks need to continue to get as many points as possible at home, and hope that they...
WAACHCast writes...

GAME DAY: Canucks @ Flames

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Fresh off a decisive 4-1 win over the slumping Edmonton Oilers to wrap up an 8 game home stand which saw them go 6-2, the Canucks are right back at it in a huge game tonight against the Flames at the Pengrowth Saddledome. With a win, the Canucks can vault past the Flames into 2nd in the Northwest and 7th place in the Western Conference. It certainly isn't going to be an ea...
Could Gionta and Hamrlik be back tonight vs. Sens? ESPN.com game preview. http://www.HabsAddict.com
As the 2009 calender year comes to a close with the Maple Leafs three points behind a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Brian Burke will need to look at making some decisions in 2010 and the first one on his list needs to be the resigning of defensemen Ian White. The 25 year old on many nights this season has been the teams best rearguard and overall it's not much of...
In an interesting turn of events, the Ottawa Senators pulled a 'Montreal Canadiens' move on the Habs by being outshot and outplayed but ultimately winning the game 4-2. Full marks to the Sens who were a team decimated by injuries and were missing Daniel Alfredsonn, Jason Spezza and Nick Foligno. On paper, this game should have been a walk in the park for the Habs and for t...
The Habs 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, on Monday, marked the official mid-point of their season. Having now played 41 games and with ALMOST the entire team healthy, I thought it was a good time to review the 1st half of the season. I have provided an overall review, a look at special teams and grades for each player CURRENTLY on the roster broken down by position. Final...
sreekers writes...

What to do with JML

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
John Michael Liles is a player who has shown the ability to consistently achieve 40 point seasons. That is nothing to snuff at by any means. Sacco thinks he can do better, and so do I. We as fans all kind of have this collective feeling that he is worth more than he is putting out. I do however feel that he has a somewhat fragile ego. We could look back at his perfo...
WAACHCast writes...

GAME DAY Canucks @ Stars

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Canucks (aka the coach killers) take their much improved road show to Big D this morning (grumble grumble)for an 11am PST match against the Stars. The Canucks pulled off a gutsy comeback on NYE against the bafflingly bad at home St. Louis Blues, and now hope to move their road record to 1 game under .500 with a win today. Dallas is a hard team to figure out as we si...
The Winter Classic has come and gone once again and this time at Fenway Park was another spectacle to watch, there is nothing like watching professional players, playing outdoors in what can come across to us as a game of shinny. We can all relate to that growing up and going into our backyards or the local community rink with temperatures below zero, the frost coming out ...
Disclaimer: I don't know much about the contracts of each of the players. I know there are a good # that are FA but I'm not sure who they all are. This is a scenario built around the fact that the FA pool isn't very good this year and assuming many of these guys are re-signed cause there won't be many great options in the FA market. I was going through all the players t...
Buffalo (25-11-4) at Montreal (21-19-3) The Canadiens hosted the Sabres for the fourth matchup between the teams this season. Entering the game, Buffalo led the series with a 2-0-1 advantage, outscoring Montreal 11-7. The Sabres were coming off of back-to-back games in which they have overcome three goal deficits. They came in on a three game winning streak as they h...
You had to know with the way that the National Anthem was sung that this game was going to be ugly and at times filled with disappointment. Before I even get to the way the game was played, the Islanders might want to start having try-outs before they let just anyone sing on the ice. The woman that sang had such a hardcore accent that it was hard to understand her, and whe...
Everybody makes mistakes. Some are just more prominent, embarrassing, and harmful than other. Looking back on the year in the NHL, there's no doubt certain individuals would like to have a do-over on few of their decisions. On many decisions, it's far too early to tell just how bad (or perhaps good) a move will ultimately be. Inevitably, years from now, we'll look back...
KevinJames writes...

Miller Stops 48 In Win

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Toronto (15-20-9) at Buffalo (27-11-4) Buffalo had a chance to extend their five game winning streak on Friday with a win against Toronto. The Sabres were also also looking to beat the Maple Leafs for the tenth straight time. Buffalo has outscored the Leafs 15-6 in the four games played this season. Everything looked to be in favor the Sabres for Friday's game. It is...
Domaju writes...

The clock says it's Miller Time

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Ok, so I was going to write a blog about the debate over trading and keeping Thomas Kaberle...but after last nights game against Buffalo, something had to be written. When you outshoot your opponent 50-31 you should really put a few pucks in the net...however when the other goalie is Ryan Miller that number drops quite drastically...especially since he comes out of nowh...
Sergei Gonchar takes a slapshot...the puck appears to either hit the post then cross bar, or the post then the bar in the back of the net...then bounce away from the Toronto goal. The insuing pass and then chase for the puck results in Alexei Ponikarovsky heading toward the Penguin goal with a breakaway. At the last second, Gonchar gives Poni a hook. Fleury stops th...
Great win this afternoon at the TD Banknorth Garden by the Rangers. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a dominating performance but it was solid. Boston controlled the play for stretches but all-in-all the Rangers did a good job of making sure a Bruins team missing key players came up on the short end of the stick. Lundqvist was great today. He made some great saves foll...
Buffalo (28-11-4) vs. Colorado (24-15-6) The Sabres enter the night with a perfect 7-0 record against the Western Conference. Buffalo is looking to extend their current win streak of six games while Tim Connolly hopes to extend his eight game point streak. Patrick Lalime starts between the pipes for Buffalo, allowing Ryan Miller to rest after making 48 saves last nig...
Interestingly enough, I found myself reviewing my preseason predictions for the final standings in both the East and the West. In several instances, I was dead on; unfortunately, in others, I was way off. That’s usually the case in these matters. Just for kicks here’s the links to those posts: http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=65941&post_id=8516 http://m...
Being that the Islanders are going to play host to the Detroit Red Wings tonight, I knew right away that Chris Osgood would be in the building. It was then posted on Twitter and Chris Botta's blog at Islanders Point Blank that Ozzie will not be the only former Islander returning to the Coliseum tonight. Kenny Jonsson will be in attendance as a fan to support his former tea...
Everyone has been doing their analysis on team Canada so I decided to do one also. Now that the world juniors is over, congratulations to the USA for winning, all international hockey eyes focuses on the Olympics. Here are my line ups would be and I doubt the fourth line would be used as if playing NHL game where they only used for 5 minutes they would get their fair s...
Let's face it...Penguins and Flyers fans love TWO things... 1) Their respective teams... and 2) to dislike, dare I say hate, the OTHER team/team's fans But in February, both sides will be put into an akward position as the 2010 Olympics open. Both teams fans, of mostly US origin, will have (most likely) their favorite players on the roster for Team Canada - Mike...
Domaju writes...

To Trade or Not To Trade

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the way the Leafs have performed since the lockout...more specifically last season and this season...many people have called for trades of pretty much everyone. There's some players that just CANNOT be traded. Blake and Finger have contracts that no team in their right mind would take...especially when the Leafs are one of the few teams in the NHL even CAPABLE of t...
blarneylad writes...

Gainey

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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 ...
Habs Post-Game break down, Laraque scores 1st goal in Habs uniform on his 2nd shot of the season, Price shaken but unstirred, Gionta's 500th career game, Metro's 100th career assist and more... http://www.HabsAddict.com K. Remember to check Habs To The Top daily for all your Habs links! http://www.HabsAddict.com - Habs To The Top blog http://www.facebook.com/pag...
[b]Game Summary: [/b] After four long days off the Habs finally got back into action last night and defeated the Dallas Stars 5 - 3 in regulation. While they won the game by two goals, they made it much harder on themselves than it needed to be. From the start of the game, the Habs looked like a team playing with the rust of four days of rest. Up and down the lineup - ex...
The Bruins could really struggle to play .500 hockey for the rest of the year unless they can make a serious trade, and obviously I’m talking about Ilya Kovalchuk. The loss of Marc Savard to a torn MCL could force Boston to use one of their valuable draft picks they received in the Kessel trade far earlier than they imagined. In fact, as bad as Toronto is playing, the...
The Bruins could really struggle to play .500 hockey for the rest of the year unless they can make a serious trade, and obviously I’m talking about Ilya Kovalchuk. The loss of Marc Savard to a torn MCL could force Boston to use one of their valuable draft picks they received in the Kessel trade far earlier than they imagined. In fact, as bad as Toronto is playing, the...
What a frustrating game last night. As I mentioned in my last post, the Bruins are severely undermanned (not in quantity, but quality) and will need to be extremely opportunistic in order to win games. The inconsistency in the lines and the minor league call-ups on defense mean that the Bruins will invariably give up more opportunities than they generate, and when those...
The three and a half hours of sleep I received before work this morning were well worth it — Around 1:30 a.m. (on the East coast), big Zdeno Chara bore down San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and unleashed his 105 M.P.H. cannon from 20 feet out. Chara’s lone goal in the shootout completed a 65+ minute effort for the Black and Gold last night in San Jose and g...
I'll be honest, I've never really been one to look at the nhl numbers closely, but this season is different. We have Tomas Plekanec who is an upcoming UFA, and we have very little cap room to re-sign him. Word around the water cooler is that he'll be looking for 4.5-6 Million for 5 years. Problem with that is with all the money being freed up in the offseason, the habs are...
Buffalo (29-11-5) at Islanders (20-19-8) With a 7-1-2 record, the Sabres headed onto Long Island looking to win their second of seventh game on the road trip. The Islanders came in having won their last two, including a convincing 6-0 win over Detroit. Rick DiPietro started in net for the first time in over a year at Nassau Coliseum. There no surprise seeing Ryan Mil...
The Islanders hosted the 2nd placed New Jersey Devils today at the Nassau Coliseum and won a decisive 4-0 victory for Rick DiPietro's first shutout of the year in only his third game played, putting the Isles to 9-2-1 over their past 12 games. You can tell that the Isles 15-year man is regaining his confidence in net. At least twice he was seen catching the puck with h...
KevinJames writes...

Sabres Crush Coyotes

Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
I don't blog very often for good reason, I rarely have much of value to say and when I do I would much rather have a beverage or two then sit down and write. Sadly, after yet another uninspired performance by the Oilers last night, alcohol only dulled the frustrations rather then extinguished them like usual. Yeah, I know...its not healthy to drink away the anger, tel...
Buffalo (30-11-6) at Anaheim (22-20-7) Buffalo comes close after trailing by four, but cannot complete comeback Buffalo had the opportunity to regain 1st place in the Eastern Conference. Washington won their game earlier against Detroit. They were down 2-1 in the third but rallied to win. The Sabres needed two points to jump back into first place. Patrick Lalime rec...
If the Maple Leafs were an amusement park they'd be one of the best around. I don't think I've seen a more consistently inconsistent team game ever. The roller-coaster just doesn't end. Let's start in net. Vesa Toskala is a goalie to make you scratch your head. He can on occasion (a rare occasion) be briliant and stop some tough shots. Unfortunately the more common of t...
Buffalo (30-12-7) at San Jose (34-10-8) The last time these two teams met was on February 13th, when flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Even though the NHL offered to postpone the game, the Sabres chose to play. Buffalo went out to a four goal lead, only to see San Jose come back and score five goals. Jason Pominville tied the game up wit...
gkmkiller writes...

Too Good to Be True

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I will not talk about last night. For me, that “game” didn’t ever happen. I have completely wiped that garbage from my mind. Instead I’m going to talk about some of the rumors that have been reported or repeated on this site. The first is the alleged request by the Ales Kotalik camp that he be traded or allowed to go to Europe. Beautiful!! Since he has a NMC ge...
Buffalo (30-13-7) at Vancouver (31-18-2) The seven game road trip came to an end tonight for Buffalo. Buffalo needed to defeat Vancouver in order to win the trip. This was the only meeting between these two teams this year. Buffalo won the only meeting last year by a score of 5-2. The Sabres had to face another Olympic goaltender in Roberto Luongo on Monday night. ...
All I hear in Buffalo is, "Why do the Sabres keep losing?" The answer, folks, is not because of poor play. Sure, coming home after the team's lengthiest road trip of the season every fan, including myself, would like to have come out with more than 6 of a possible 14 points, but when you look hard at the trip, specifically the tail end, it's really not as bad as the record...
thomas_vanek26 writes...

Sabres Down the Stretch

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So here we are as hockey fans in late January. There are only a few short months of hockey left, and shortly we'll be able to tell if our teams are poised for a playoff run, or for golf season. It's this time of the year that teams must make a good run in order to establish prime playoff position. The Sabres, for the past couple weeks, have not looked like the playo...
Slump Busters.....not quite. The big guns for Calgary: Phaneuf, Iginla and Jokinen all scored while others like Lundmark chipped in with a nice assist. It was not enough. Once again, some unlucky bounces did the Flames in. Not making excuses here at all, but when two unlucky goals go in after being up 3-1, for a fragile team like they are now, it's hard to recover. That do...
[img]http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=media%2Fgettyphoto%2FGYI0059435216.jpg&w=715&h=476[/img] I've been thinking all night about how much the Blues are actually underachieving up to this point in the season, and I think they're right where they should be. Last year's blistering finish to claim the sixth spot in the playoffs created high expectations for this team...
When it comes to having fun, a roller coaster is above all one of the best. I think someone needs to tell the forwards on the Toronto Maple Leafs that the same doesn't apply to a roller coaster of a season. As it stands the Leafs are being led by a defenseman in points. Of course Tomas Kaberle is a very offensive player, but no team should ever be led by a d-man if you ...
Buffalo hosted the Bruins looking for its second win in a row. Boston will have Marc Savard back in the lineup, which is a big relief for the Bruins. Without Savard, the team went 1-6-1 and only scored 13 goals. Boston has won the first two meetings between these teams, but trail Buffalo by 15 points. Despite being 11th in the conference, Boston can jump all the way up ...
Domaju writes...

Cleaning House

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
When you talk about cleaning house in hockey it's usually not as intense as what Burke has done. Rarely in todays world do you see a 7 player blockbuster like the one made earlier with the Calgary Flames. And now they've made another big trade. They've cleared off more cap space by somehow managing to convince Anaheim to take Jason Blakes contract basically for nothing....
[b]Burke Gets His Guys[/b] The first big moves of the trading season have been made and is it really any surprise that Toronto GM Brian Burke was at the forefront? Burke, perhaps feeling additional pressure to improve the Leafs’ position in the standings because of the inclusion of this year’s 1st round pick that they so generously bequeathed upon Boston for the rig...
saneopinion writes...

New guys...on the block.

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Forget that Stajan got the game winning goal, forget that Mayers provided some spark and that Kotalik didn't fall on his face, forget that White didn't make any massive blunders or "dions" as they call them, forget that Higgins was solid and that Hagman looks dangerous... sorry I forgot where I was going with that. >>>>> Backlund is points magic, he doesn't even have...
I can hear it now: "Not to be out done in stealing the spotlight, Brian Burke this morning announced that he has signed both Mats Sundin and Peter Forsbeg to contracts for the NHL minimum to end this season." Naw....never happen. But you have to wonder if GMs out there are looking for ways to top or equal the latest move by the Devils. There really aren't many big bi...
Still waiting for the other shoe to drop? Me too. But that is what the Habs have gotten their fans used to this year. Last night's game was one that the Habs had no business winning. But hey, don't look a gift Halak in the mouth! In beating the Boston Bruins 3-2 in Boston, the Habs are now on a modest 2-game winning streak while the Bruins are on a horrific 9-game losin...
Zholtok33 writes...

Tragedy Strikes Toronto

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I am a father. I have four children who are individually and collectively the biggest and brightest pieces of my life. I ache because I cannot do more for them. Sometimes, as children do, they can be testy and they can push me to my limits of patience. Sometimes I yell. Yet no matter what, these are my little flashes of light, and the joy they bring me is immeasurable. ...
The Sabres were hoping to snap a three game losing streak against Columbus. The last time these teams met was in 2008, when Columbus crushed Buffalo by a 6-1 score. First place may be out of reach since Washington is on a 13 game winning streak, but the Sabres only trail the Devils by three points for 2nd place. Patrick Lalime is expected to get the start in net tonight...
Domaju writes...

The Honeymoon?...Still?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It's been 3 games since the Leafs made the big trades for Phaneuf, Sjostrom, and Giguere last Sunday. And aside from the final 3 minute meltdown against New Jersey Friday night the team has looked very very good. Again last night the Leafs put on a very strong performance against a team who seemed unbeatable since the return of Daniel Alfredsson. Since Alfie's return to...
As the midway point of the season came and went, the Buffalo Sabres were sitting comfortably atop the Northeast Division. Boston was the closest team team, but still trailed Buffalo by 12 points. Now, the Sabres have hit the biggest road bump of the season. The west coast trip was just the beginning of the Sabres recent woes. The team has gone 2-8-1 in its last 11 games...
An Islander forward last night, making his NHL debut, had an immediate impact with each shift he took in the Islanders first win in the past 8 games. Could it have been a case of first-time nerves and adrenaline working it's magic to help the youngster provide the spark this team needs? Possibly. But what we might also be seeing is the toughness and grit this team has lack...
For anyone who is watching the Isles/Lightning matinee tilt that is at Nassau Coliseum today, I have been live blogging from the NYI Blog Box in Section 201. Head over to The Checking Line. The direct link is as follows: http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/live-blog-nassau-coliseum-isles-vs-lightning -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! h...
The Islanders have gone 2-9-0 in their past 11 games heading into the Olympic break, lowering their spot in the standings to a disappointing 13th seed with 58 points, trailing the 8th place Montreal Canadiens by 6 points while only maintaining 3-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes. "It would have definitely been more enjoyable if we had a bunch of wins before the b...
The Olympics may have officially begun competition on Saturday, but it's today that for most of Canada the games really start. HOCKEY!!!!!!!! What more could you ask for than to see the best players in the world compete. I know some people that have actually said "I don't see the difference between this and the World Championship, it happens every year". To those peo...
JV writes...

Jason Blake's "legacy"

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Leafs fans finally got their wish-the player most villified in recent years, (mostly by Leaf fans who expected more of the player, listened to media reports, or simply followed the typical Leaf fan trend - put all energies in to hating a guy until he is run out of town and then believing it was their behind the scenes, radio call in, and blogging efforts that actually made...
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...
JV writes...

Luke Schenn a Leaf...again!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
When the Leafs made the deal to acquire Dion Phaneuf (as well as Aulie and Sjostrom), there were comments of realism and nonsense. Some heard the big name on the radio or saw it in headlines and thought Phaneuf= another major piece to the puzzle. Others commented on the number of goals the Leafs sent the other way. And surprisingly, some experts (people who are actually p...
First off i believe one hundred percent that those who were angered and offended by the beers, and the stogies are just upset they're great american team ran into a canadian squad destined for greatness. It seems like having lost the last three onlympics has soured the fans of the womens olympic squad. this is canada and here we celebrate wins, births, weddings, graduation...
Back to work. It has been a most enjoyable two weeks of Olympic hockey. But now, it's time to get back to the NHL. With roughly 20 games to go in the season, the first few strokes have been painted on the playoff picture. So let's take a look ahead and who's going to be dancing in April on the East Coast: [u]Who's In: [/u] [b]Washington, New Jersey, Ottawa, Pittsbu...
First up... (1) Carolina - With the recent show of great team chemistry and the close proximity to the last play-off spot, combined with the trouble in getting Ray Whitney to waive his NTC for a team who won't offer a major multi-year extension - it is becoming less likely that Whitney may be moved. In fact, Jimmy Rutherford might just pull off a major acquisition if th...
(2) The Lightning apparently have their owner's permission to spend at the deadline, though realistically, they will have to move out some salary to add anything significant. Vinny is NOT going to move, get that out of your mind in this Cap-restricted NHL, at least not at a time when the Bolts are struggling for a play-off appearance and buyers would have to dismantle t...
Rick DiPietro is out indefinitely with swelling of his left knee and was unable to practice this morning at Syosset as a result. Check out my article at The Hockey Writers to read up all about it! http://thehockeywriters.com/rick-is-out-once-again/ Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/RoMac76
We tackled the East on Saturday, so let's take a look at how things will shake down in the mighty West over the next six weeks. [u]Who's In:[/u] [b]San Jose and Chicago [/b]- Only two teams have enough breathing room to look over their shoulder at this point. [u]Who's Out:[/u] [b]Edmonton and Columbus [/b]- Let the firesale begin for the Oilers and Jackets as they ...
Newman writes...

Laughing Stock

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I can see the line-up at the hospital for broken ankles is getting pretty long, as people have been jumping off of the bandwagon at a tremendous pace. Fresh off one of the worst sets of trades I have ever witnessed, the Calgary Flames lay a massive egg on the ice tonight against the Minnesota Wild. Fortunately I did not have to bear witness to this game tonight so I re...
BuckSaucer writes...

Bruins Dead at the Dead-Line

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Any hockey fan looking at what the Bruins were trying to accomplish at the trade deadline would grade Peter Chiarelli’s deadline transactions as incomplete. For Bruins fans, this was a tough pill to swallow. I mean, this has been a disappointing season to date and Bruins fans were hoping to acquire players at the deadline to put their current woes to the side. But loo...
The Trade Deadline has passed. The Oilers dropped some salary (which isn't that tough when you look at some of the contracts the Oilers handed out over the years), did they improve the club though? In the long run..maybe. In the short term..absolutely not. But here is the question that has to be asked for the rest of the season is this: Have the Oilers made themselves w...
[img]http://media.canada.com/bdbffb02-dc75-420e-8b09-c7871e3d0f7a/2511cory2.jpg[/img] With the trade deadline now past and the Blues currently on a great five-game win streak, I want to take a brief look back a few days to the trade deadline and a few thoughts I have on the matter. I can't help but be disappointed about two things the Blues did approaching the deadli...
They say that a loss is a loss no matter how well a team play. On paper there is no question that last night's 3-2 loss to the Sharks hurt the Habs tremendously in the standings. That being said, there were no shortage of positive and encouraging signs for the Habs but unfortunately you don't get points for effort in the NHL. Both teams had their chances in the first pe...
Brisco writes...

The Dust Settles

Posted Friday | Comments 0
So here we are, two days after the glitz, glamour and ru-ha-ha of the always exciting NHL trade deadline. The dust has settled and traded players are dawning new colors and settling into new digs. Ryan Jones debuted against the Blackhawks Wednesday night, Ryan Whitney and Aaron Jones will wear their new numbers, 6 and 2 respectively, in their debuts tonight against Minne...
predram writes...

Preds Deadline Review

Posted Friday | Comments 0
First blog in a long while. Lets get to it. Well the trade deadline has come and gone and its time to look back at what changed with the Preds roster. [b]EDM trades: D Denis Grebeshkov NSH trades: 2010 2nd round pick Thoughts: [/b]I had a mixed reaction. When I got a text from a colleague and friend from a news source informing of this trade, I said to myself ...
Rob McGowan writes...

Isles Hockey Is Do Or Die

Posted Saturday | Comments 5
In an hour the Islanders will be hosting the Boston Bruins, the seventh placed team in the East that sit seven points ahead of the orange and blue. The Isles are only six points out of the playoff race but only have 18 games remaining, including this afternoon's tilt. Here's the long and short of it: If they play today's game the way they played the Atlanta Thrashers T...
The Olympic break seems to have done a lot of good for the Montreal Canadiens. Not only did they get their walking wounded back from injuries -- with the exception of Michael Cammalleri and Marc-Andre Bergeron -- but they seem invigorated for the stretch run. Despite losing to the Sharks the other night the Habs played some great hockey against one of the league's po...
dlachine writes...

Bettman's Forgettable Reign

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Though most likely no one will read this little blog I have mustered up (justly so), I’d like to voice my opinion on the magnificent reign of Gary Bettman (insert sarcastic face emoticon here). Upon finishing up an outline for an upcoming term paper, I visited my twitter account. Low and behold, one of the best articles I’ve read on the infamous Gary Bu..ettman mad...
icedog97 writes...

Cooke

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For the record, I like Matt Cooke. I think he's a player that brings a good combination of grit and skill to the rink on a daily basis. The Penguins are a better team with him in the line-up. That said, Cooke's hit on Marc Savard the other night is unacceptable. Even if Cooke had kept his arm against his body, in what would have been a completely legal play, I still ...
D-Men, new money and the future. Here is how the new optimism works for me and the new revamped Leafs (I know Leaf fans are forever optimistic but I believe there is truth in my words). To assess the situation of Leafland we need to start from the net out. Giggy is expensive (but a proven performer) and "The Monster" is unproven. We have $6 mill freed up in 2011 if Gigg...
icedog97 writes...

Blindsided

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have been saying to anyone that will listen (not many)...for some time now...that it's not hits to the head that are the problem in the NHL, it's the blindside hits that create the most potential for injury. I'll get to that more in a second... When it comes to hits to the head, the NHL is in a very difficult spot in terms of making rules that apply specifically to...
As the Isles playoff hopes became more and more of a dream rather than a reality, the team decided to do what's best for one of the most respected leaders in the game. Team Captain Doug Weight will miss the remainder of the season with surgery in his left shoulder to repair a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff. He had been battling the injuries since November. "If Thursd...
Newman writes...

A Turning Point

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
One play can often be the turning point in a game, but rarely do you see one play possibly be the turning point in a season. That might have been the case this evening. Tonight, in front of a sold out crowd at the Pengrowth Saddledome, Curtis Glencross was awarded a penalty shot with 1:30 remaining in the 2nd period. He skated back towards Kiprusoff who was smiling...
Months after Phil Kessel was dealt from the Boston Bruins to the Toronto Maple Leafs the trade talks are still bothering me. I’m really tired of hearing both sides bitching and complaining about who got or who is getting the better deal. After reading many of Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins fans blogs, tweets, and comments on TSN.ca, I can’t help but observe the comm...
Put that as your headline, Vancouver. Last night the Islanders visited the Canucks and defeated them 5-2, ending their seven game home winning streak. John Tavares exploded with a five point effort, a new career high that paved the way for the win. The Islanders started the game with a very strong first period, coming away with a 2-0 lead on eight shots. The goals c...
KevinJames writes...

Road Warriors No More

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Are the Sabres even good anymore? I forgot what it has been like to see them as a winning team. They have dropped 16 out of the last 20 games and are close to losing the division lead. To be in the division lead, they had to be good at some point, right? To lose 16 of 20 and still be in the lead means that they must have done extremely well in the first half of the seas...
Not many people are expecting the Sabres to go far in the playoffs, unless you are quite an optimistic fan. Buffalo’s chances do not look good going up against Washington or Pittsburgh, which is why winning the Northeast Division is a must. The Sabres have been slumping for a while now, and Ottawa and Montreal are coming closer with each win. Buffalo has lost 16 of it...
Domaju writes...

OT...Again

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Frustrating. That about sums up how the Isles and head coach Scott Gordon felt after last night's collapse to the Anaheim Ducks. Gordon was so frustrated that when MSG Network's Rob Carlin questioned him about the team's third period let downs throughout the year, he walked away without giving an answer during the live post-game show. That can be seen as a sign of a co...
The Montreal Canadiens came out with guns a blazing tonight, unfortunately for them NHL games are 60 minutes long. The Sabres didn't look too bad in the first, but had trouble getting pucks to the net. Montreal on the other hand scored just 41 seconds into the game, as Kostitsyn managed to flick the puck over Miller's right pad off of a pass from Plekanec. The Sabre...
KevinJames writes...

Flashback: The Ottawa Brawl

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Many fans will remember this game for a long time. This wasn’t just an ordinary game. The Sabres were in the mix of one of their best regular season performances of all time, a year in which they would win the Presidents Trophy. The Senators and Sabres have always had a rivalry, but this game was nastier than usual. Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, two Sabre killer...
KevinJames writes...

Leaving Before the Buzzer

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Wednesday night’s game against Montreal was the perfect of example of a time when fans should not leave a hockey game early. If the Chris Drury goal with 7.7 seconds left to go against the Rangers in the playoffs taught Buffalo fans anything, it was just that. Though, how many empty seats were there as the clock began to run down? Just how many people got up to leave ...
When the Toronto Maple Leafs began the '09-10 season 0-7-1, it was determined that even though they were not as bad as their record indicated, the horror movie like start demonstrated they could not compete when points "mattered most". Lately, nearing the end of a 5th straight non-playoff year, the Leafs (as has been their season ending trend) have been on a tear; their 7...
The Sabres came into Boston coming off of a 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay two nights before. The Sabres were without Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Raffi Torres, and Patrick Kaleta. Head Coach Lindy Ruff wasn't worried a bit about the team. He had confidence in the players that were recalled from Portland. Nathan Gerbe, Tyler Ennis, and Mark Mancari all be replaced the inj...
Last night the Islanders faced off against the New York Rangers for the last time this season at Nassau Coliseum, losing 4-3 in regulation. After a strong start where the Islanders scored a power play goal early and then added to it with another tally before the end of the first twenty minutes, the Isles would come out flat in the second and fail to connect on a 5-on-3 opp...
Alright fellow Philly fans. It's time for me to make some rash statements about our favorite hockey club. It's time to make a final prediction for the season and do some speculating regarding roster moves for the summer. First of all, the Flyers have signed another random 3rd string goalie to make a ridiculous attempt at fulfilling sports' toughest position in order f...
brodie403 writes...

European Connection

Posted Monday | Comments 0
As an avid Flames fan I sit here and wonder why is it all the great and exciting teams today in the NHL have that "it" factor then it hits me no exciting european. (All do respect to Kotalik who really is not that good now that we have seen him play out west) For now we have to wait on Backlund and Hagman who do have upside there no Ovie and Geno or Datsyuk or I hate to sa...
Hockey players are some of the most athletic, flexible and well-built athletes in professional sports. Not only are they trained in strength and endurance, but they also have to have the ability to skate; a skill that is not easy to acquire. Think about it: hockey players add the skills they develop with their hands to the use of a hockey stick, and then combine speed, agi...
icedog97 writes...

Farewell to the Igloo

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The days of the Penguins playing in the Igloo are numbered. 3 games for sure...1 in the regular season...beyond that, we won't know until we see what kind of playoff team we have this year. Tonight IS the last regular season game in the "old barn". Mellon Arena, formerly, the Civic Arena, has been around since 1961. In 1967 the Penguins started playing there, and ...
I'm looking to do a 2000+ word Historical Investigation on the 1972 Summit Series and its influence on Canadian Nationalism/The Cold War. Does anyone know of any good novels or essays or any historical information on the Summit Series? Interviews especially welcome. I know the basics but I wasn't alive at the time, so I need some first hand information. Also: If anyone ...
Buffalo headed to Boston Thursday night to take on the Bruins, who have won three out of the five meetings coming in. Each team gained six points in those five games. The Sabres were coming off of a 5-2 in which they clinched the Northeast Division. The Bruins came into Thursday with a one point lead over the Rangers for eighth place. The Sabres have had a rough time...
All season long, hockey writers and commentators have been bad-mouthing the East and praising the West. They've joked about how the battle for a playoff spot out West was so tight, while there are so many weak teams in the East. Now that the standings have been decided and we're faced with the top 8 on each side, the balance of power does not seem so slanted. The East b...
nwhewitson writes...

Toronto: Looking Ahead

Posted Monday | Comments 0
After showing promise after the Olympic break and a couple of high-profile trades the Maple Leafs have little right to take anything for granted and need to make continued changes in the off-season if they want to guarantee themselves a playoff spot and not a tee time in April. 1) The Ponikarovsky Deal While I was disappointed to see Poni shipped to the Pens he is a pe...
While the Eastern Conference matchups seem to be a bit predictable, good luck making any sense out of the situation in the West. There are some impressive favorites at the top, but you could make a case for any team out West to go far, and you wouldn't get much argument from me. Any one of these 8 teams could ultimately find themselves in the finals without surprising to...
[u][i][b]HEY, IT'S YOU KNOW WHO!!! JUST TRYING OUT THIS BLOG THING SINCE I'VE BEEN GONE FOR A WHILE!!! FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, ALL MY ACCOUNTS EITHER NEED A NEW CELL PHONE NUMBER OR HAVE BEEN BANNED TIL 2012!!! IT JUST SEEMS THAT A CERTAIN MASKED "ANONYMOUS" BLOGGER AND HIS CRONIES CAN'T HANDLE MY TRUTH SPEAKING!!! I CAN'T SAY IF I WILL BE BACK BEFORE MY BANS ARE UP...
Fingers were crossed and prayers to the hockey Gods were made, but it all came down to the luck of the draw - something the Islanders did not have land in their favor. The draft lottery was conducted last night and the Isles went in with the 5th worst record in the NHL. That gave them an 8.1% chance of moving up to grab the first overall pick. Instead, they ended up standi...
Wednesday night...4/14/2010...the alarm sounds at 7pm. The playoffs started for the Penguins and the team woke up from what seems like a season long slumber. Well...for about 10 minutes. That's about how long they "got to their game" on Wednesday. Long enough to bang some bodies...draw a penalty...and score an early power play goal to go up 1-0 in game one. ...
Check out my seasonal review for the New York Islanders at The Hockey Writers! http://thehockeywriters.com/2010-islanders-seasonal-review/ -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Yes, I am FULLY aware that the playoffs are going on right now. About every other blogger on this site is having a field day with playoff blogs - and I don't blame them. Whether or not their respective teams are in it, they are doing a great job providing their perspectives on the most exciting time of the year for the NHL. I am still rooting for the Hawks, Kings, Coyo...
While cycling through some old fight tapes last week, I came across a spirited 1986 fight between the Flyers’ Dave Brown and Winnipeg Jets’ Jim Kyte. Brown landed close to six straight unanswered lefts to Kyte’s face before big Jim lowered the boom on Brownie with a single right that ended the fight. [i]Hmm …[/i] I thought to myself, [i]who won that fight,[/i] Br...
KevinJames writes...

Momentum Shift

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Sabres made it look easy Friday against as they defeated the Bruins 4-1 at HSBC Arena. The crowd was electrifying the entire time and chants of “tuuuuuuuuka” emerged quickly after Rask allowed a goal on the first shot. Unlike the other games in this series, the Sabres didn’t let up. They added another in the first period, then one more in the second. A late ra...
There's a lot of interesting players in this draft. As always it depends on who is drafting in front of you and who they chose and how you have your draft board ranked. I'm of the opinion that you go for skill heavily balanced with character. You only break from character in later rounds looking for home-run picks, the kind which can gain value in a potential trade. ...
No matter what happens tomorrow night in Boston or Wednesday night in Buffalo, the Boston Bruins front office has work to do. You see, whether the Bruins win this series or not is kind of irrelevant. This team might have what it takes to get past these Sabres but probably not Sid the Kid and Pittsburgh, and certainly not Ovie's Capitals. At least not in 2010. But armed wit...
KevinJames writes...

Was Round 1 An Upset?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Entering the 2010 NHL Playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres had every reason for confidence heading into their quarterfinal matchup with the Boston Bruins. After all, the Sabres had a very successful season winning the Northeast division easily by sixteen points, nineteen more than the Bruins. The Bruins, who only secured a spot in the playoffs the last week of the season, were...
The first round of the playoffs is complete and it was full of surprises. This is what makes the NHL playoffs so exciting to watch because you never know what can happen. This year’s playoffs have shocked many fans, especially those in the Eastern Conference. Here at SHC, we already discussed whether the Sabres/Bruins series was an upset or not (you can view that arti...
Did I really just see Montreal eliminate Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals from the Stanley Cup playoffs? I'm going to be quite honest with you. I pride myself on knowing a thing or two about pro hockey, and I like to think I have a knack for filling out brackets (not that my NCAA bracket this year would reflect that statement...), but I did NOT see this coming...
As always, the first round of the playoffs featured plenty of surprises. In the East, the lower seeds provided a greater challenge than expected and came through with a couple of upsets. In the West, it was surprisingly predictable, as the general favorites all came through to the second round. We'll start with the West as we try to make sense out of what's to come over...
I am impressed by this post by Ted Leonsis on his blog. I had to share! http://www.tedstake.com/2010/04/29/congratulations-to-montreal/
The path has certainly been plowed for the Penguins to make a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup finals. All three of the division winners have been eliminated, leaving Pittsburgh as the clear favorite to move on. [u]Pittsburgh Penguins (4) -vs- Montreal Canadiens (8)[/u] Can lightning strike twice? Montreal pulled off one of the biggest upsets of all time by t...
After a dissappointing finish in the first round, it is apparent that the culture of our team needs a bit of a shake. I think we have a very skilled team, but there are quite a few changes that need to be made. Mostly we need more players that will be more accountable and play a leadership role. We have a team of boys but we need a team of men. In making this blog,...
After a dissappointing finish in the first round, it is apparent that the culture of our team needs a bit of a shake. I think we have a very skilled team, but there are quite a few changes that need to be made. Mostly we need more players that will be more accountable and play a leadership role. We have a team of boys but we need a team of men. In making this blog, I t...
Round 2 is off the ground, so it seems like a good opportunity to start throwing out names for consideration for the coveted MVP of the postseason. Here are the early favorites, with a skewed chunk of bias against players unlikely to make it through to rounds 3 and 4. (sorry Halak). [b]1. Sidney Crosby[/b] To the surprise of absolutely nobody in the world, Crosby is ...
I know this is a little late since the second round has already started...but here is what I think could happen in the second round of the playoffs. Western Conference --------------------------- (1) San Jose vs. (5) Detroit [b]Prediction: San Jose in 6[/b] [i]Synopsis[/i]: Even knowing that San Jose is up 2-0 in the series, I unfortunately think that Detroit'...
(2) Chicago vs. (3) Vancouver [b]Prediction: Canucks in 7[/b] [i]Synopsis[/i]: Game 1 was an absolute blowout for the Canucks, but the youth and talent of Chicago will definitely be able to mount a comeback in the series. Roberto Luongo struggled early in the playoffs, but now looks like he is back to gold-medal form. What a season it would be for Roberto to win the ...
There’s always next year. The infamous phrase heard around Buffalo has been said again this year after the Sabres were knocked out in the first round to end the season. Fans in Buffalo were disappointed again after what looked like a promising season. The Sabres made the playoffs for the first time since winning the President’s Trophy in 2007, but were then bounced ...
icedog97 writes...

Touché

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I took French in high school...but was never very good at speaking it and don't remember much of it (I know, some French Canadien is saying to himself "Stupid American!" ). But I do know what the popular culture translation of "Touché" is... Sometimes, as the saying goes, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...". While not exactly what the Penguins did on Tuesday night ...
KevinJames writes...

Biron: More Than a Backup

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Coming off of the worst season of his career with the New York Islanders, Martin Biron will be looking for a new contract this Summer. General Manager Darcy Regier wouldn't comment on Biron, but said the Sabres will need a veteran goalie. It couldn't be better timing. Patrick Lalime's two-year contract comes to an end this year, giving Buffalo a couple of options for a ...
saneopinion writes...

A sign in a signing

Posted Friday | Comments 0
So the Oilers want to go ahead and draft one of the OHL's best players? Well in what appears to be a smart move, Darryl Sutter has signed Bryan Cameron of the Barrie Colts. Who's Bryan Cameron? Bryan is a notable signing as he led the OHL in goals this year, not Seguin, not Hall but Cameron. 52 goals. Haven't heard of him? I'm not surprised, neither have I. The prob...
nyr30 writes...

the long road ahead

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
with the playoffs coming near to the end the off-season will begin.the rangers have many decisions to make this year.1.resign prospal?2.bring back the whole 4th line?attempt to move r&r?bring back zherdev?..knowing sather he will do none of these and instead sign or trade for vets that have a yr or 2 left in them...also do you sign sergei gonchar or let him slip away ...
Ron Wilson, an alumnus from Providence College, was playing for Davos in the Swiss National League A in 1985 when pivotal Minnesota North Stars defenseman Craig Hartsburg was injured. Embroiled in a battle for a playoff spot, Minnesota were in tough to find a stabilizing replacement to hold down the North Stars backend whilst Hartsburg recovered. Ron Wilson, a standout col...
icedog97 writes...

Just Like Last Year?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I was going to call this blog..."Just Not As Good As Last Year" when describing what I thought of the Penguins after last night's 4-3 loss in Game 6 to the Canadiens. But then I looked back over the first two rounds from last year again...and realized that sometimes our minds play tricks on us. We remember watching the raising of the Cup in Detroit...and then we kind...
What defines a Cinderella team when it comes to the NHL playoffs? I would have to say that the team finished the regular season in either 6th, 7th or 8th place and managed to come on top with multiple upset victories in the playoffs, pushing the franchise to the Stanley Cup Finals. In recent years, fans have seen the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oi...
KevinJames writes...

Home Ice Is No Guarantee

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The 2010 playoffs have shocked the NHL, and there are still two rounds remaining. The saying “anything can happen in playoffs” has certainly been proved once again this year, especially in the Eastern Conference. All three division winners in the East were knocked out in the first round. Even with earning the home-ice advantage, they still were unable to win the ser...
By Aaron Wrotkowski With the Conferences Finals for the Stanley Cup set to begin on Sunday, it seems that NHL viewers have been captivated by the Cinderella run of the Montreal Canadiens. Defeating the President’s Trophy winner and the defending Stanley Cup champions with a game strategy that seemed to put most of the pressure on a hot goaltender and well instructed ...
In terms of excitement and surprise, Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs did not disappoint. It also presented us with a mixed bag of candidates for this year's Conn Smythe Trophy. Most of the early favorites have been eliminated, paving the road for some unlikely heroes as we look ahead to Round 3. [b]1. Jaroslav Halak[/b] If Halak can keep this level of play up thr...
I can't believe it, but I am actually...just a little...excited to watch the Flyers play tonight. As a lifelong Pens fan, I have been down the "HATE THE FLYERS WITH A PASSION" road more than a few times. Especially in my younger years. Of course, as we get older (and have finally won a series or two against the Flyers)...we supposedly get wiser...and I have learned t...
With the post season being as entertaining as ever, not much has been in the news regarding a busy offseason ahead for the Oilers of Edmonton. With Sheldon Souray most likely gone at the draft and the same can be said for Moreau and either Nillson or O’Sullivan. The attention has now turned to what would be a welcome return or even better what could be a steal. ...
icedog97 writes...

Doing So Many Things Right

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Watching the Flyers play the Canadiens in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals has made sick. Every goal that has been scored, every save that has been made, each shift that has been played...has taken me one step closer to wanting to "hurl" on my living room floor. As a lifelong Penguins fan, isn't that the natural reaction you would expect from watc...
ForeverFlyer16 writes...

Mr. Snider

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Has there been a better 'owner' of a sports franchise in Philadelphia over the past fifty years than Mr. Snider? [i]*He had the faith in the city to learn and embrace a sport new to most of them and went out and found the backing and ignored the risks... And made it happen. *He brought in the right people and for the most part has succeeded to maintain a quality man...
After the first few round of the playoffs, it is clear that in the new NHL there is a comparable amount of skill in each team. Who would've thought that the high powered Sharks, who have an unreal team, would get SWEPT by the Blackhawks. As I said in my prediction before, not only did i not think this series would be lopsided, I thought the Sharks would win. This spe...
Right now, plenty of Leaf fans are wondering about what sort of return MIGHT Brian Burke get for Thomas Kaberle once the trade window opens on his contract. Last year, he was a potentially valuable chip. In December 2009, he was playing some of the best hockey of his career and many hoped that he might be traded to speed along a re-build if the Leafs could not get back in...
The Flyers are in the Stanley Cup Finals! Congrats to all the Flyer faithful, and even those who had their moments of doubt and pain. Mike Richards is becoming a leader before our eyes. His taking the game into his own hands against Boston, when he demolished Krejci, reminded me of Scott Stevens (only cleaner) on Lindros. As a Flyer fan who was psychologically injured ...
The Windsor Spitfires won their second straight Memorial Cup on Sunday night beating the host Brandon Wheat Kings by a score of 9-1 in the final; a real barn burner of an affair. The Wheat Kings qualified for the final by beating the WHL Champion Calgary Hitmen in an overtime thriller. The Wheat Kings qualified for the tournament by having the right address. The lo...
After two rounds of play, the playoffs gave us some surprising candidates at the top of the list (Halak, Cammalleri, Pavelski). Now that we're down to 2 teams, the candidates are more of the expected variety for each team. The one unknown factor here, is how do you deal with Philly's goaltending situation? If Leighton rattles off 3 more shutouts, is it conceivable to gi...
icedog97 writes...

Mike Richards

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
NHL fans are constantly debating the effectiveness of their team's captains. Let's face it, unless you are in the city that wins the cup (and sometimes even that's not enough), you are likely to find a good number of people who will argue that the current team captain (--->insert your favorite whipping boy here
One consistent problem with the Flames over the course of the past couple seasons is their brutal power play. What can be done to fix something so basic. In essence the first thing minor coaches will tell players is that there is an extra man out there, find him! The next thing they say is don't stand still because the opposing team will box out and use active sticks...
AJonesy19 writes...

Anton Volchenkov

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Volchenkov is an aggressive defenseman who could definitely add to a teams depth to try to win a cup. Most likely to go to: [b]a Contender[/b] Possible Teams: [b]Pittsburgh or Washington[/b] Summary: Isn't it funny how the Penguins and Capitals seem to be turning into the Red Sox and Yankees in the way of adding pieces to their puzzles? It seems every high-end ...
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...
Deal with Buffalo ? - Doubtful. Other than Kassian and Luke, their players and prospects don't really fit the Burke mold. Pick # 23 might be affordable and interesting - especially if it comes with one of the previously mentioned prospects, in a Kaberle deal, but I expect Buffalo will want to shed some salary in a deal, and THAT might kill any offer to Toronto. Deal wi...
Polar94 writes...

Ideas for a happier NHL

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Traditions are important. The names of the Conferences and Divisions should have been left alone. But that was done only to try and draw in and keep fans. The NHL will do anything to try and woo Americans into not just loving their home team but to want to watch hockey in general. For example: Fox and their 'glowing' puck experiment; or the over explanation of what all the...
Rob McGowan writes...

Catching Up With Kyle Okposo

Posted Wednesday | Comments 3
As promised, today I interviewed Kyle Okposo over the phone to talk about the World Championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, and more! Check it out here! http://thehockeywriters.com/one-on-one-with-kyle-okposo/ -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Oilersfan27 writes...

Coyotes make a move.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As of an 6:45 pm mst Scottie upshall has signed a 1 yr deal with coyotes.
Perhaps the most anti-climatic goal in playoff overtime history, but it still counts. The Chicago Blackhawks had an unbelievable ride to the top this past season and they deserved to win the Stanley Cup. Just a few days later, it's already time to start looking ahead to next season. The NHL draft is only a couple of weeks away, as well as the award ceremony. On June 22n...
I'm tired of hearing year after year, "were going to stick with rebuilding and not sign anyone this year." We have a good young core of players now, we need a shut down defenseman and a forward like Tomas Plekanec or even Maxim Afinogenov. Basically we should've never traded Chris Pronger, and we would have been in the playoffs for the last three years, and then to put ...
FLAMESTR writes...

Flames Trouble Fix Them.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
We all know about the bad press that constantly surrounded the Flames last season. I can understand it, with the Flames not making the playoffs. The last time the Flames did not make the playoffs was the 2003 season. I see two major issues that need to improve next season, one being the offense, and the other being too many defensive breakdowns in their own zone. So ...
Rob McGowan writes...

Between The Pipes

Posted Monday | Comments 2
Dwayne Roloson answered any question that lingered about who would be the Isles starter by the end of the 2009-2010 season. During last year's off-season, the Islanders signed Roly to a two-year deal to be Rick DiPietro's 1-A back-up that could handle a heavy work load if he were to injure himself for the umpteenth time. However it became clear that Rick wouldn't be ready ...
In three years from now, the Buffalo Sabres will be a completely different team, but that could be said about any team. The Sabres have a big couple of years ahead of them that will prove whether or not they will be a contender come playoff time. The management will likely change soon, which may not be a bad thing. Lindy Ruff had and will face criticism regardless of wh...
Domaju writes...

#3 is #18

Posted Tuesday | Comments 2
Yesterday it was finally made official, #3 Dion Phaneuf was named the 18th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs History, or the 22nd in Toronto history if you include the Arenas and St. Pats. There has been talk of Dion being named captain for months now. There's no hiding that Wilson loved what Dion brought to the table, even with all the rumours coming out of Calgary. Those...
Being a Habs fan, I can certainly understand why many of you are outraged at this trade. I, on the other hand am not. In fact, my respect for Pierre Gauthier just went up another notch for the kahonies he displayed by making this trade. I will agree that Halak was fantastic in the playoffs but I will not agree that he was the only reason the Habs made it to the 3rd roun...
darek writes...

Halak Saga

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I've never posted an online blog but here it goes. In 700 word or less, I will try to give you my input on the Jaroslav Halak saga. So what do I think about this whole ordeal? Well there are many things that have to be taken into consideration. Am I happy Halak was traded even though we stilled owned his rights? With most other teams I would’ve said no but as he had e...
What does it mean when Sutter signs Breen and Cameron as UFA prospects? It means that they are his 1st and 2nd round picks in essence. Cameron had more goals than any other CHL player, more than Hall, more than Seguin, more than Eberle, more than Beach even more than number 10 on the list, and Flames prospect, Ryan Howse. Flames fans, Cameron IS our first round pick. H...
New Tampa Bay Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik has consistently mentioned his desire to build a "World Class" organization in Tampa. His actions suggest loudly, that he's not kidding. For the past 2 seasons, Lightning news has more often than not been more appropriate for a Supermarket Rag than the Hockey News. Vinik has successfully reversed those days in Tampa Bay in a big ...
[img]http://futureconsiderationsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/hall3.jpg[/img] Hockey is a team game, but you'd have to think Windsor Spitfires forward Taylor Hall was out to prove something of an individual nature during the 2010 Memorial Cup, which ended Sunday with the Spits claiming their second consecutive major-junior hockey title in a 9-1 drubbing of the host ...
It’s been a LONG time since I wrote a hockey blog of any sort. Actually, as far as I can recall, the last blog I wrote on hockey or the Oilers was the day after Ryan Smyth was traded to the Island. That’s a long time for me. But, the itch to hold an open forum to air out my thoughts on the game as been fed, and now needs to be scratched. (If that makes any sense)...
When talking about Scott Niedermayer, where does one begin. From being drafted 3rd overall, to his 4 Stanley Cups and 2 gold medals (the only player to win that many of each), to being the only player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup, Gold Medal, World Cup, World Championship, World Junior Championship, and World Cup. He is a workhorse, constantly playing averaging ov...
canuckspeculator writes...

2010 DRAFT INTODUCTION

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
INTRODUCTION 2010 NHL ENTRY DRAFT The 2010 NHL Draft is turning out to be a fascinating one. Unlike recent draft years, this group of players lacks the ultra high end depth we’ve come to expect. The 2010 draft has two great offensive players, and three premium defensemen in the top five, but after that group there are questions, questions, and more questions. H...
Rob McGowan writes...

Gearing Up For The Draft

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
If you haven't bought your tickets, now is the time...the Islanders draft party is set for this Friday at the Nassau Coliseum with the 5th overall selection solely in Garth Snow's hands. Yours truly, (as usual every year) will be unable to attend due to work obligations...but here is a brief primer of the scenario's that I think might go down on draft day. In order... ...
Ok Taylor Vs Tyler, Tambs Vs Pete. Well here we are It's Wed and well the draft is not here yet hurry up! now that that's outta the way it looks to me Edmonton Won't be trading the #1 pick unless there's a HUGE offer I know I Just Pointed out the obvious but lets have a look of whats gone on in the last 2 weeks. Edm & Bos are both saying we would be happy with either ...
Earlier this week, the San Jose Sharks announced that they will not re-sign goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. The Russian goaltender has been with the Sharks since 1999, posting just less than 300 wins. Nabokov earned 5.3 million this past season, but General manager Doug Wilson has his reasons for letting him walk. “If you look at the trends in this league the last four or ...
Oilerfan88 writes...

Taylor vs Tyler

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://fromthepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Hall-and-Seguin.jpg[/img] For the last few month since January when everyone pretty much knew that the Edmonton Oilers were going to finish out of the playoffs and most likely in 30th Place in the NHL. Everyone’s been wondering who the Oilers were going to take, Taylor or Tyler. Some have said the Oilers would ...
[img]http://www.itsallaboutlappy.com/2008_09pics/blackhawks10_5.jpg[/img] The Edmonton Oilers mad a solid depth move last night by acquiring Centre Colin Fraser from the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick, 151 Overall. Fraser, who played junior hockey with Brent Sutter’s Red Deer Rebels, was the Hawks’ fourth-line centre much of this past s...
Well, it's been a little over a week since Mr. Gauthier sent our Slovakian playoff wonderboy out of La Belle Province and off to St. Louis for... Lars Eller (He's danish...yummy) and Ian Shultz (No not the D-man who was a +50 for the Caps, that was his brother) and consequently sending the city into an outrage while rekindling that old nickname our GM was crowned with in A...
6/24/10 - This time of the season is the most exciting to me. It’s where champions are built. Darcy Regeir always says that he will build his team in the off-season. Darcy Regeir’s time to make a move is NOW. We have some key ingredients, including an all-world goalie, a number 1 defenseman, and a 40 goal scoring winger. We have some very important third and four...
Folks, The Habs Brass has impressed me yet again! Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier saw an opportunity to move up in the draft and jumped on it! The Habs traded 1st(27) and 2nd rounds picks to Phoenix for 1st(22) and 4th round picks, all 2010. According to various sources, the player Vancouver was waiting for was in fact, Jarred Tinordi. I can only assume that Gauthier c...
Undrafted D Brandon Aquino set to ink 3 year entry level contract with the Buds after a stellar season with BK Farjestad in Sweden last season. He will be playing in their AHL affiliate Marlies next season and will hopefully to come up into the Leafs line up late in the regular season.
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/oilers/images/upload/2010/06/20100625_hall-325b.jpg[/img] New Edmonton Oiler Taylor Hall Not so long ago, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle were both wearing Team Canada jerseys and making their mark at the 2010 world junior hockey championship. Now they’ll get a chance to help rebuild the Edmonton Oilers!!! Jordan Eberle said he was...
Now that the draft is concluded it’s time to preview the upcoming off-season for the New York Rangers. I stayed away from submitting my own mock drafts or draft pick profiles since I don’t have the insights necessary to offer anything you haven’t already seen on TSN or other hockey websites. I don’t watch Canadian Junior hockey so aside from some highlights I haven...
As you all know by now, on day 1 of the draft Habs GM Pierre Gauthier traded up for the 22nd pick to take towering defencemen Jarred Tinordi. Let's now take a look at who the Habs picked on day 2. Pick #113: Mark MacMillan MacMillan is a 6'0", 150 pound, 18 year old forward from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the BCHL. During the 2009/2010 season, MacMillan tallie...
Hockeychaz writes...

Anaheim Ducks Offseason

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Yesterday Los Angeles wrapped up its 2010 NHL entry draft with a fizzle, as quickly as it came teams from around the league wheeled and dealed for picks and players after that big question was finally answered. Who comes first? Seguin or Hall? Though both the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins got great players as it was almost a toss-up, other teams had to rely on a bit ...
Well folks, the 2010/2011 Habs are starting to take shape. On Monday, June 28th, the Habs announced the signings of Tom Pyatt and Benoit Pouliot. Pyatt was acquired as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Scott Gomez to the Habs. He played 40 games for the Habs, picking up five points in the process. While not a major offensive component, Pyatt was a strong two...
Well first off i woke today and read that : Patrick O'Sullivan, Ethan Moreau & Robert Nillson were all placed on waivers today and Mr.Lebrun from ESPN just confirmed they have been bought out.Now I don't have exact numbers but Patty was a Cap hit of $2.95Mil and Moreau & Bobby were both $2Mil so thats about $7 mil of dead wood gone don't get me wrong they're all better hoc...
On Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 the Habs traded disgruntled forward Sergei Kostitsyn and "future considerations" to the Nashville Predators for forward Dustin Boyd, Goaltender Dan Ellis and "future considerations". What an awesome trade folks! Gauthier and the Habs brass impress me yet again this off-season. Dustin Boyd: If he decides to sign, Boyd will be a great 3rd...
Talon503 writes...

Toronto-LA trade possibility

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hey, guys, I just heard early this morning that Burke may be looking Los Angela's way. The latest rumor coming out of Toronto is that Burke is looking to unite the Schenn Brothers. To LA goes Tomas Kaberle and either Mikhail Grabovski or Nik Kulemin and to Toronto goes Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a 2nd rounder in 2011. This is just another rumor, remember, it cou...
wingsuck writes...

Poile pulls the trigger...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 12
I will have to admit, in the past I have been very critical of David Poile and the Predators have not taking a high-end risk. (Yes, the Forsberg trade was a high-end risk.) I think a move like the acquisition of Sergei Kostitsyn from Montreal for a goaltender you had no interest in keeping as a UFA and a 4th, or at most a 3rd line center, who is a RFA and future considerat...
Here is a list of the top free-agent forwards and where I think they will go: Ilya Kovalchuck: LA Kings Ray Whitney: Colorado Saku Koivu: Ducks (re-sign) Matt Cullen: Toronto Maple Leafs Paul Kariya: Ducks (what a reunion) Colby Armstrong: Toronto Maple Leafs Chris Higgins: New York Islanders Mike Modano: Minnesota Wild Alexander Frolov: New York Islanders Olli...
Sergei Gonchar: Washington Capitals Paul Martin: Pittsburgh Penguins Dan Hamhuis: Toronto Maple Leafs Anton Volchenkov: Washington Capitals Z. Michalek: Phoenix (re-sign) Henrik Tallinder: Boston Bruins (2nd coming of Hal Gill?) Pavel Kubina: new York Islanders Andy Sutton: Montreal Canadians Derek Morris: Nashville Predators Joe Corvo: Colorado Avalanche Kurtis ...
David, David, David... (tist, tist, tist...) Jonas Andersson, Jonas (FREAKIN') Andersson... Okay, I'm thoroughly confused. First, you traded Hamhuis (UFA) for Ryan Parent. Basically, 2nd pair defenseman with experience for a 3rd pair defenseman with less experience. Second, you traded Arnott to NJ for a prospect and a 2nd round pick next year. I'm good with that, you...
Breathe in...breathe out.... I have been on several Islander message boards and blogs—and there are some pretty irate, zany, wacky and down-right pissed Islander fans throughout Long Island. Trouble is—I can't quite understand why. Okay–I know today was July 1, and I know everybody figured the Isles would do something to address the holes in the line-up, but ...
etownhockey writes...

No trading Souray?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Now that Souray cleared waivers, it's clear that a suitable trade isn't available. It's likely the Oilers will need to accept a poor contract and possibly an undesirable player to boot. Leading to another problem of it's own, a trade that could haunt the Oilers for years to come. However, in the best interest of the Oilers, they shouldn't make that trade...not yet anyways....
So, Why Not Canada? That is the question TSN and the Globe and Mail are asking. There is a lot passion in Canadian hockey fans. We all know what's best for the game, we feel strongly when we've been wronged. We get mad at the Commish when he goes on TV during an interview and says that he didn't want the Jets to leave Winnipeg. Really Gary?? That's so nice of you to sa...
So today the Herald finally picked up that the Flames have let go their head of amateur scouting and two other scouts, well for regular readers of my blog you read it here July 2nd. I am not ashamed to tell you when I think I'm ahead of the curve because it only happens a few times a century! In political, talk to the media type of talk Tod Button, head of scouting addr...
BS2Babylon writes...

Leaf Musings

Posted Saturday | Comments 10
The Kovalchuk shoe is apparently about to drop and Leaf fans everywhere are waiting for Brian Burke to pick up that shoe and run away with it himself. This is surely not a man who is afraid of making big moves - as has been overly blogged and discussed. All of which has left Leaf nation refreshing computer screens on strict bi-hourly schedules - in July. Things have cert...
10 year deal.....12 year deal.....15 year deal.....17 year deal. Which of these deals is related to the New York Islanders? Any and all would be the correct answer in a previous year—but not in 2010. How many of you fans have come onto these boards and poked fun of, cried, and lamented about how pathetic our team owner—Charles Wang has become. And that lame brain...
There are many variables that must be accounted for within an NHL team if they wish to compete for the Stanley Cup. The most important of these qualities can include offensive/defensive awareness, athletic ability and toughness. In the past few years, I have been trying to justify every move that Brian Burke has made with the Leafs. For the most part, it has been quite app...
savvy8teen writes...

Hjalmarsson stays a Hawk

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Hawks kept one of their best up and coming Defenseman today as they matched the San Jose Sharks offer sheet to Niklas Hjalmarsson, a 4 year, $14 million contract. Some say they overpaid to keep the 23 year old but he has the potential to be better. The problem is that of the cap hit this will cause on the Blackhawks and what happens with contract talks with Antii Nie...
BubMih writes...

Lapierre signed!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.rds.ca/images/chroniques/302489.jpg?20100713090433 [/img] Finally, the Montreal Canadiens have announced today the signing of Maxim Lapierre for 1 year worth almost 900K. It seems a good decision to me regarding the terms of the deal because Lappy has something to prove an we know that he's going work to very hard to get to stay a couple more seasons...
FredoXV writes...

The Hjalmarsson Blowback

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
At approximately 3:30 p.m Eastern Time yesterday, the first real pangs of worry hit me like a freight train. While many fair-weather Hawks fans and career Hawks haters alike have been overreacting to Stan Bowman’s off-season moves in one way or another, I have generally remained calm this summer. To this point, sacrificing second and third-tier scoring and role guys ...
By Eric Marin Their chemistry produced one of the greatest goals in Devils history, and Patrik Elias hopes Jason Arnott’s second tour in New Jersey proves just as sweet. It was Elias who set up Arnott’s winning tally in double overtime of Game 6 to clinch the Stanley Cup versus Dallas in 2000. Together, they were two-thirds of the famed “A Line” with Petr...
ggb216 writes...

Giggy and the future

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As Burke has built our team from the mesh out, I will talk about the future of our team the mesh out. Giggy, our six mill a year net minder, was a brilliant acquisition by Burke. Shedding Jason Blakes ridiculous contract and, the transparent between the pipes, Vesa Toskala for a goalie who could stop a puck let alone a beach ball was genius. It’s important to note ...
Source NJ.com The Devils weren't Anton Volchenkov's first choice. The hard-hitting defenseman, signed as an unrestricted free agent July 1, would have preferred to stay with the Ottawa Senators. "I would have liked to stay in Ottawa. My next choice was to find a good place for me," Volchenkov said today as he visited the Prudential Center. So why didn't he re-s...
jsiha writes...

MacLean meets the A-Train

Posted Thursday | Comments 9
Source NHL.com John MacLean has already given the A-Train an A-plus. The new head coach met one of the newest members of his defense on Thursday when Anton Volchenkov rumbled through Prudential Center for a visit. The Russian blueliner was in town to work out family arrangements for his move to New Jersey. “Nice kid, looking forward to it,” MacLean said Thursd...
First off... props to Richard C for his great blogs! After watching the Oilers pump up their farm system I have come to realize that there are only going to be two of the rookie forwards making the Oilers this year... and there are three main reasons that I can see: 1) The Oilers need to fulfill a commitment to Oklahoma in regards to providing a quality product that...
If you're a Sabres fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do. Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffalo Sabres prediction challenge that will test the knowledge of many fans. All you have to do is predict the winner and sco...
source nj.com The signing of Ilya Kovalchuk isn't the last big move for the Devils this summer. Now general manager Lou Lamoriello has to find a way to fit the left winger's salary under the cap. And that may not be easy without making some significant trades. 20 1 0Share "It looks like they're going to be over the cap, so (roster moves) that's the only thing t...
killTHEnight writes...

Simon's Lament

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I told myself I would most assuredly start blogging on hockeybuzz immediately after Ilya Kovalchuk signed on somewhere. I said that yesterday. About three hours before the news actually broke.. so I was unprepared. I figured I would have another week. At least a few more days. I was wrong. My thoughts were there, but they were unharnessed. I knew what I was going to say, b...
caricari writes...

A New Voice

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So as I sit here at my desk in Toronto, reading all the blogs in the Hockeybuzz society, I find myself without a voice. I think it's time I started giving feedback to the community I hear but not being heard. Perhaps it's my faint desire to be heard from the actual decision makers in the NHL. Or maybe it's creating a 'spark', an idea, or even topic of conversation for t...
Necharsian writes...

Possible Souray Trade

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I believe the best oppurtunity for the Oilers to trade the disgruntled Sheldon Souray is to the Buffalo Sabres for Tim Connolly. That would be the core of the trade. The Sabres have over $8million in cap space, so taking Souray's $5.4million would not be disastrous. Souray also gives Buffalo something they desperately need; a top 4 defender, who can play significant pow...
The National Hockey League Players' Association has issued a statement in light of last night's rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk's contract with the Devils by the NHL. Per NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon: "The NHLPA is currently analyzing the basis upon which the NHLrejected the contract between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk.We are evaluating the options avai...
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...
With the NHL’s rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk’s deal with the Devils, the debate has broken out as to what constitutes circumvention of the CBA and what’s a fair deal. Hockeybuzz’s Sam Woo sees the rejection as evidence of a double standard in the NHL’s policies and a misstep that casts the NHL as a “Mickey Mouse organization.” Admittedly, any line drawn in th...
FuzE_gus writes...

The Art of the Deal

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So, the NHL shot down the Ilya Kovalchuk deal. Good on them. They probably have a fight on their hands but the bar has been set. We'll see how this plays out. For the record, I believe in a free market system. Go for what you feel you are worth. If someone is willing to pay the tab, take their money. However, I must admit I have grown tired of the "business" of pr...
I believe that Afinogenov would be a great pick up on free agency for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Give him a chance to bring in a veteran presence for the young top 6 forwards, since he is now in his Early 30s. He may have had a great season last year, but that could've been a fluke if you look at his stats the previous two seasons, where he didn't even mass a total combin...
We have heard a lot from our friends to the North about their development camp, how it got sold out because people wanted to see the likes of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paarvi. You can't disagree the copper and blue have a fair amount of young talent coming up in their system but what about the Flames? It has been said the Flames cupboard is empty and that they ...
Hello ranger fans and well hockey fans in general. My name is Ian and when it comes to hockey especially the rangers i have a lot to say. Lets get started with talking about the insanely ridiculous contract of Wade Redden. As if giving him 6.5 million dollars a year isn't bad enough, (when watching him 82+ games a year he is clearly worth 1.5-2.4 million area), Sather...
Source NJ.com The NHL Players' Association likely will file a grievance today on behalf of Ilya Kovalchuk, whose 17-year, $102 million contract was rejected by the league. The union has until 5 p.m. to file the grievance or the Russian left winger will once again become an unrestricted free agent. Kovalchuk, 27, signed the longest contract in NHL history but the...
urciuoli62 writes...

Devils Next move

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Its not a matter of [b]if[/b] but [b]when[/b] kovy is offically a devil again. but after kovy signs, what do the devils do after that. do they dump some salery with a trade, or do they look for that 1 more peice of the puzzle. What players can be traded, names being thrown around are rolston, salvador, zubrus, Langenbrunner, Zajac, i even heard marty's name but its highly ...
Predictions for the upcoming NHL season are already being posted around the web, and many teams are not done making moves. At this point, are the Sabres good enough to win the division again? Mike Corcoran, a Tampa Bay radio host, posted his Eastern Conference predictions with Buffalo finishing in fifth place. Corcoran stated this about the Sabres: "Some will make th...
saneopinion writes...

Flames Butterfly Effect

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's funny when you look at how a few decisions can have a massive butterfly affect on a team. Release a player here, trade a player there, draft this player instead of that player. When the dust settles, sometimes years from a certain move, you either win the Stanley Cup or you draft first. There have been some major things the Flames organization has done that spring...
kingofswing74 writes...

The Youth Movement

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I have been bored out of my mind over the last two weeks, the entry draft is far behind us, free agency has slowed to a crawl, arbitration hearings are the last exiting thing that remains. And we all know how boring arbitration is. Case-48 hours-decision-48hours-another decision. kill me now! So while this summer drags on I have been thinking of how Pierre Gauthier seems t...
Since joining the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brian Burke has worked feverishly to distance the club from the atmosphere of mediocrity which pervaded during the years of mismanagement that came before. While upgrading the playing staff and reducing the age demographic of the locker room are the two most apparent hallmarks Burke has placed upon the Leafs, his backstage upgradin...
With the dismal season the Oilers had last season, you can't help but wonder how the youngsters such as Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi-Svensson & Omark are going to do. Hall is one of the most hyped first overall picks of the new millenium. That's a lot of pressure to put on the kid's shoulders. His years in Windsor made him more of a hot commodity than the new iPhone 4 t...
Many people around hockeybuzz who talk about a rebuild don't look far enough into the future to project what a team will look like when a rebuild is complete and said team is actually a contender. A lot of people including our very oilers blogger Richard Cloutier often project the entire roster in 3 years time to be made up of all current oilers or prospects but if you loo...
There has been a fair amount of Habs news to discuss since last night. With Louis Leblanc choosing to leave Harvard to play for the Montreal Junior, Pierre Gauthier signing Alexandre Picard, and much more, it was definitely time to put together some thoughts. What does Leblanc's return to Montreal mean for his career and for the Montreal Canadiens? Why did the Canadiens...
Check out my blog over at The Checking Line discussing Jon Sim's contract renewal with the New York Islanders! Register and leave comments!! They are ALWAYS appreciated, whether positive or negative! http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-take-simple-route -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
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The Sabres and Oilers had nearly identical records when they played each other for the lone meeting of the 2008-2009 season. Thomas Vanek was the only Sabres player to go to the all star game, with much thanks to his 28 goals. This game got out of hand early and it remained that way for the rest of the night. Just ten seconds into the game, Drew Stafford took a shot the...
New at The Checking Line, I analyze and rank the seasons of the Canadiens top six forwards, assigning each a letter grade and sharing my expectations for each for this upcoming season. Where did each player land? How good were they? Read the blog to find out at the link below! [url=http://thecheckingline.com/blog/george-prax/montreal-canadiens/off-season-analysis-t...
As the systemic dismantling of this summer’s Stanley Cup champions continues in earnest, league watchers are crying foul. Where detractors of the current, hard revenue based cap once denounced the communistic, unilateral sharing of league revenue as the prime illustration of illogic in the CBA (alongside the long-long term contract loopholes), Monday’s exit of Antti Ni...
I don’t want to say what both teams should or shouldn’t do, or compare players to see who would get the best deal. To me, this one just makes sense, and it falls into place with the only scenario I can realistically think would work (for both). Savard already expressed interest in waiving his NTC for both Ontario Teams if the right trade came along. Does it make se...
FLAMESTR writes...

WHO IS YOUR ENFORCER

Posted Friday | Comments 0
What would happen if the NHL had no off-season? Can you imagine the freedom, husbands? You could watch the TV as much as you liked. Think about it, we would not have to listen to whiny kids ever. It would be your wife's job to take care of the kids all year during hockey. The only problem is the cost of a bodyguard to protect you from your wife killing you. Who would ...
Long story short, nothing. And everything. Nothing because there is not a single chance in the world that the Sabres would do something as ridiculous as sign Kovalchuk. The Sabres already have 2 contracts like that: Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. On a quick aside, I would be very inclined to say that dumping either of those at the right price would be a very intell...
itsthebgb writes...

80s vs 2000s

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Wayne Gretzky's lowest point total in the 80's was his NHL rookie debut, 137 points. He topped out at 215 points, he also had 212 and 205 point totals. Ridiculous. Todays NHL the max out has been 125 points by "Big Joe" Thornton. Why are point totals so much lower? I mean Crosby is portrayed as the closest thing to Gretz, but I can only see him matching Messier, Crosby wou...
I'm putting out my official and final prediction that kaberle will NOT be moved ... but here is my reasoning why he should... First off .. he was a team worst -16 among defenders last season. This team moving forward, in Burke's mold, is a defense first team. In my eyes, in the right situation with the right pairing, Kaberle is adequate in his own end, but I don't feel ...
Things are starting to take shape, Chicago. Earlier this morning, numerous media outlets reported that Jordan Hendry has re-signed with the Chicago Blackhawks for one year and $600K. Hendry saw ample time in the 2009-10 regular season and 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Interestingly enough, CapGeek is also currently showing that veteran defenseman Nick Boynton is sign...
saneopinion writes...

Which Craig Conroy???

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Craig Conroy signing is actually very interesting on so many levels. The cap level, the number of roster spots level, his performance level. Very interesting. What isn't interesting is that it's Craig Conroy, a 4th line center, it's the ramifications that we all enjoy. I haven't heard if this is two way or not which would be really interesting to know. Cap Level: This s...
Newman writes...

Conroy is back...unfortunately

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames signed Craig Conroy to a two-way contract today. He will make the league minimum $500,000 if he plays in the NHL. He is 38 years old and in the twilight of his career. He scored all of THREE goals last season in 63 appearances. Now, I don’t mind that the Flames stay loyal to someone, but stay loyal to him by making him a coach or a consultant or somethi...
camsoilers writes...

oilers over the rainBRO

Posted Thursday | Comments 8
Ok !!!! To start off with yes is says rainBRO because I didn't want to give off the wrong impression. Secondly i am posting mostly because for some odd reason it won't let me make comments on other posts although you can clearly see i am logged in it still says you have to log in to make a comment.Ugggg Back to over the rainbro. I am a a life long oilers fan. My paren...
cromanyszyn writes...

Weighing In On Kaberle

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This is my first blog with Hockeybuzz and I'm choosing to speculate on a topic which has been discussed for several years now, that being the eventual departure of long time Maple Leaf Tomas Kaberle. I write eventual departure because I do believe that come the August 15th deadline, before Kaberle's no-trade clause comes back into effect, he will be moved. Never in the...
comment on your final prediction as to his destination and we'll tally them up as we go ... Ill start ... toronto -- Toronto - 1
Before I begin, I want to say that I am not like a lot of other Leafs fans. In other words, I am not going to sit here and tell you that the Maple Leafs are going to make the playoffs and maybe even win the Stanley Cup just because they haven't for so long now. With that being said, if you disagree with what I am about to say than don't comment saying that I am just someon...
Would the Devils be able to pull of getting Tomas Kaberle and Ilya Kovalchuk? If they did that would cap off an already great free agency for the Devils that the fans of New Jersey aren't used to seeing from their team. Although the chances seem very slim, nothing is impossible. Rolston, White, and Langenbrunner combine for a $10.86 million cap hit. If the Devils could...
Sure the majority of Leafs fans saw the value of a trade Tomas Kaberle, and dreamed of a top line starring countless players from around the league paired with Kessel and Bozak/Versteeg (depending on said players position), but alas, it wasn't to be, and Kaberle remains a Leaf for another year. Now, the question to be asked, where to the Leafs stand. In my eyes, the Lea...
For everyone saying Toronto did the worse thing by trading Kaberle I suggest they think again. Burke truly knows who was offered and what he wanted. Worse case scenario is Toronto get 1 year service from him and he leaves. The Leafs current top 6 without Kaberle would amount to Phaneuf, Komisarek, Beauchemin, Schenn, Gunnarson, and Lebda. Which for a rebuilding team is not...
thesportsbuff writes...

Reason for Optimism

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Now that the anger and confusion surrounding the latest Tim Kennedy arbitration fiasco has begun to subside, I think it’s time for the team and city to move on and forget about the whole ordeal. It stings to see a young, home grown player with such a feisty game be thrown to the curb, especially in the midst of an uneventful off-season that saw no major changes to a team...
With training camp right around the bend in another month, I decided to do a division by divisionpreview and what to expect from each team this season. Here is the South East Division outlook: Washington: Look for the Capitals to dominate the weak South East division again this year. Alexander Ovechkin and the high powered offense of the Caps is still there and will con...
DSgabellone writes...

What's wrong in Montreal?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So Montreal trade their top AHL prospect goalie to the Lightening for Karri Ramo who is playing in the KHL. Their current top goalie on the team is Alex Auld since Carey Price is not signed with the Habs. So now they have the rights to Ramo and Sanford. So does this mean Sanford and Auld battle for the starters job so long as Price holds out. At this rate Montreal...A driv...
First off, I am your prototypical diehard Toronto Maple Leafs fan that hopes every year will be different and we will win the Stanley Cup. I really thought Kaberle would be traded before midnight deadline on August 15th. I did not necessarily want Kaberle dealt, but Burke made certain deals and moves that suggested a changing of the guard. He first named Phaneuf the tea...
Manics writes...

Kneading the Leafs

Posted Thursday | Comments 2
Recently I had the pleasure of spending a day with the Toronto Maple Leafs during a workout and massage session. I was thrilled for the opportunity to be around this group of finely tuned young guys. I was especially eager to "learn the ropes" and see what a day in the life of an athletic therapist is like. I came away VERY envious of these men and the fine job th...
habsteen26 writes...

NHL Contracts

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What did arbitrator Richard Bloch accomplish, in the big picture, in upholding the NHL's rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102-million contract and ruling against the NHLPA? As Nicholas Cotsonika wrote "What, exactly, are the rules? They aren't clear. At least they aren't clear enough." If a 44-year-old Kovalchuk playing in the NHL is "not impossible, but it i...
(Please keep in mind that english is a second language for me, so I apologize in advance for every mistake or misused word. Thanks) Throughout the summer, we could witness a rollercoaster ride of emotions among Habs fans. With Halak gone, some of them are asking for Gauthier's head on a platter. We can witness a true difference of opinions. I think it's normal. I me...
Source: [/url]http://www.todayinhockey.com/tag/viktor-tikhonov/[url] The New Jersey Devils would like to add a puck-moving defenseman if possible. This is just pure speculation, but you have to believe they would be interested in Marc-Andre Bergeron as he is a cheap and productive option. [b]I haven't heard this one yet...but i thought Id share..[/b]
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 ...
McCluskey88 writes...

The Onus on Tomas

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Tomas Kaberle needs to step up to the microphone and speak for himself. Rick Curran, Kaberle's agent, complained publicly about the way Brian Burke has put his client in the spotlight during the limited window of opportunity in which his contract allows for Tomas to be moved. Days later, Kaberle's father hardly fell short of requesting a trade on his son's behalf. Rational...
[img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/11/05/alg_brodeur.jpg[/img] Let’s break out the Delorean, dust her off, and put the pedal to the stainless steel floor. We’re cruising at 88 MPH and about to take a little trip back in time to … 2003? Yeah. We’ll go to 2003. When 2003 began, Eminem was on top of the charts with “Lose Yourself”. Eminem would go on...
KyleG writes...

Leafs Playoff bound ... hopefully

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Every year as the summer winds down i throw my golf clubs in the garage and get my seat ready for the regular sesaon, always full of hope and optimism. As a leafs fan it seems like the same thing every year shiny new players shadow what the roster really looks like. Yes on paper our goaltending is solid and our d core is top notch, then you hit the forward core, it's reall...
I was fairly close to the output I expected from a few players last year, also with a couple that I was somewhat distant on so I'm looking to improve this time around. First I'll start with the lineup as it stands today that could conceivably represent Toronto on opening night, then I'll briefly discuss how wide-open the North East is and then move on to individual Mapl...
lately i have noticed a stupid an really unfounded string of Souray haters guys like richard cloutier who are really low balling the talented defense man. After a month or so i believe these "haters" will change their tune watching the guy with hardest shot in the game on the oil PP scoring goals and being a assist machine (if ANYONE on the oilers can tip). His first pass...
Here we are ... about 40 days away from the drop of the puck. Is anyone as antsy as I am for the season to start? It's not that I don't like summer, but watching baseball just doesn't do it for me. But at least there's some Canadian Football to tide me over. Speaking of which, Ottawa is supposed to get a team for next season. But I digress ... Since the Habs ros...
Hi all, I am new to the blogging world so bear with me! I have been a huge leafs fan all my life, but that will not cloud my judgement on how I think they will perform this year (well ok maybe a little bit ;). Obviously I would love it,as would any other Leaf fan, for them to end the dreadful stanley cup drought, or even their post-lockout playoff drought, but lets be ho...
habsteen26 writes...

NHL STANDINGS (WHAT I THINK)

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Here is a little thing I like to do annually, but I began to post this on HB last year. Though they we're weird...perhaps a tad crazy, most came true. So I decided to post them again. Here's what I think the 2010-2011 NHL Regular Season will look like,Some of them are pretty obvious, some of them have you rubbing your chin, and some just make you angry for some reason. Enj...
I "Beleaf" this year will prove that Brian Burke know's what he's doing. And will also finally silence doubters. If all goes well, the statistics and line-up will look like this. LW/C/RW Kris Versteeg/Tyler Bozak/Phil Kessel Clarke Macarthur/Mikhail Grabovski/Colby Armstrong Nikolai Kulemin/John Mitchell/Marcel Mueller Fredrik Sjostrom/Christian Hanson/Luca Caputi ...
dude84 writes...

Oilers gagner signs!

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Two years 4.55 million 2.225 cap it and per year pay out.
gomtl5 writes...

Habs upcoming season!!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hello everyone, First blog, very excited. But I am more excited because the upcoming season is just a few more weeks away, and I am anxious to see how the habs will fare this season. After a wonderful run in the playoffs last season, it's back to the start for Montreal and they must start all over again with 30 teams in the running. In the offseason, Pierre Gauthier tra...
habsteen26 writes...

NHL AWARDS (WHAT I THINK)

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
First Edition, if there is success, it will be brought back. Enjoy Stanley Cup: Vancouver Canucks Reason: It looks like the 'Nucks are shaping up to be the new Hawks, with the stacked roster, all the way to the cap issues.. Presidents: Washington Capitals Reason: 1 abbreviation: A.O Maurice Richard: Alexander Ovechkin Reason: Look for A.O to bounce back from ...
Courtesy of http://www.etownhockey.com/2010/08/oilers-defense-review-and-where-leafs.html The Oilers are coming off their worst season in franchise history. Some of the work Tambellini has accomplished this offseason has been a staggering over haul, but mostly on the front end. The forwards are looking promising for the future, but how about the defense? Name - age...
KevinJames writes...

Northeast Division Preview

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Northeast Division is expected to be close once again this season, but the Sabres won’t have an easy time repeating as division champs again. The Northeast saw many changes and will be as competitive as ever as Toronto is attempting to return back to the playoffs. The Northeast is considered one of the toughest in the NHL and this year should prove that statement...
Laplante writes...

Carey Price: From Hero to Zero

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I really don't understand where all the hate for Price comes from. It's always the same story in Montreal, a youngster comes up, he's the savior (i.e. Jesus Price) and after 2 years he's nothing, a piece of garbage, a bust (Latendresse, Pacioretty, D'agostini, Price, McDonagh). What's going to happen if ever Subban has a bad season?! Young players (especially goalies a...
Hello This is the Moose Review and I’m Buddy Brier Now that it’s September, it’s about time we take a look at the upcoming 2010/11 NHL season We’ll start with my predictions of the teams that make the playoffs for the end of the upcoming season. In the west, I’m predicting the standings will look like this: 1st - Detroit 2nd - Vancouver 3rd - Sa...
As per HabsInsideOut: The Canadiens have signed goaltender Carey Price to a two-year contract. No word yet on the terms of the contract, which will take him to the end of the 2011-12 season. From the team's press release: MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier announced today the signing of goaltender Carey Price to a two-year contract...
With the recent off season waives, trades and signings, the acquisition of Hall and pulling up two other good (supposedly phenomenal) rookies via Eberle and Paajarvi, it looks like the rebuilding of the Oiler’s may be close to complete. Are they going to be able to go from Dead Last in the league to 8th or higher in the West? Right now. I’m going to say no . ...
Well folks, its 34 days till the season starts, but training camp is right around the corner! Finally! Let’s get back to some hockey! Living in Ottawa gives me a unique opportunity to watch 3 brands of hockey. Besides the Sens, I can also take in either an Ottawa 67’s (OHL) or Gautineau Olympiques (QMJHL) game. This year I will be doing both so I can catch Jarred...
alexgoal writes...

INTRODUCING...

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

Sabres Prediction Contest!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If you’re a Sabres fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do. Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffalo Sabres prediction challenge that will test the knowledge of many fans. All you have to do is predict the winner and s...
it appears as if Taylor Hall has picked his number. Sportsnet is reporting that he has chosen the number 4, previously worn by now president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe. an official announcement is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
This is how I think the Kings season will go. 1. Martin Jones, Brandon Kozun, Jordan Weal, and Brayden Schenn all make the Monarchs, earning the AHL affiliate a new nickname: "The 2009-10 WHL All-Stars!" 2. Jones DAZZLES in Manchester, earning himself a call-up. 3. Ersberg is traded for Niklas Hagman, who posts average numbers on a struggling Calgary team. H...
Cecil09 writes...

Top 50 Players in the NHL

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well its getting close to training camp time in the NHL, and that means it time for some preaseason predictions and rankings. I'll be putting my conference and award predictions up soon and here is my ranking of the top 60 players in the NHL. 1. Sidney Crosby - No brainer here. 2. Alex Ovechkin - Doesn't quite have the championship pedigree to reach Crosby, defenseman ...
Darryl Sutter's Cookie-cutter Comments: It's another year and already its become clear that Flames fans need to brace for more of the same from Darryl Sutter. After having quite possibly one of the worst seasons a GM can possibly put together without actually [i]trying[/i] to screw up, Sutter is back with the same-old shenanigans. Late last week an article in the ...
For five years now, around this time I eagerly anticipate the upcoming NHL hockey season, with what retrospectively seems like foolish optimism. This optimism on an annual basis remarkably convinces me that my pride and joy (The Toronto Maple Leafs) will have a real shot of making the playoffs. Call it excellent team marketing skills or a love blinded fan base, eith...
sirwin31 writes...

Crunching Some Numbers

Posted Tuesday | Comments 4
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was reached during the canceled 2004-05 NHL season brought with it some new rules and concepts which have changed the way team personnel are managed, and the league was dubbed the “New NHL”. The majority of these rules were financial based and have largely impacted the general managers in the league, limiting the high spendi...
Welcome back to the final installment of my Montreal Canadiens player points predictions series. We are now a mere 22 days away from the drop of the puck with the rookie currently going and the big camp just around the corner. Let’s just drop the puck and get-er going!! The hot topic of the last few days has been the signing of Jeff Halpern as the 23rd man on the H...
Eastern Conference 1. Washington Capitals - Similar situation as last year, scary-good offense, young and developing defensemen, questonable goaltending. Look for 1 or both of young blueliners John Carlson and Karl Alzner to step up and help carry the load on defense. 2. Boston Bruins - Last season they couldn't score, they addressed that in the offseason with the trade...
HyeDray writes...

A View From The eSeats...

Posted Friday | Comments 0
There is little doubt in my mind that the two Rookie games are more or less meaningless in the grand scheme of the 2010-11 NHL season, the position the Isles will finish, or the state of the franchise as a whole. It would have been nice to win both games, see some more scoring and dominate the “baby bruins.” Though the Islander rooks managed to lose both games — last...
Micheal Aldred writes...

Preview: Boston Bruins

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Peter Chiarelli (GM) Claude Julien (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats: [/b]82GP 39W 30L 13OTL 91PTS [b]Place:[/b] 3rd Northeast, 6th East, 14th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Patrice Bergeron – 19G 33A 52P [b]Captains:[/b] Zdeno Chara (C), Patrice Bergeron (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Denis Wideman (Dealt to Florida) Vladimir Sobotka (Dealt to ...
Micheal Aldred writes...

Preview: Buffalo Sabres

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Darcy Regier (GM) Lindy Ruff (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 45W 27L 10OTL 100PTS [b]Place:[/b] 1st Northeast, 3rd East, 11th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Derek Roy – 80GP 26G 43A 69P [b]Captains:[/b] Craig Rivet (C) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Henrik Tallinder (Signed with New Jersey) Toni Lydman (Signed with Anaheim) Tim Kennedy ...
Check out my post at The Hockey Writers discussing who may or may not surprise Islanders fans with a chance to be part of the starting line up at the Islanders home opener on October 9th! http://thehockeywriters.com/islanders-training-camp-roster-spots-are-open/ Leave comments in the comments section under the blog! -Rob McGowan Follow me on twitter! http://tw...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Greg Sherman (GM), Joe Sacco (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 43W 30L 9OTL 95PTS [b]Place:[/b] 2nd Northwest, 8th West, 12th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Paul Stastny – 81GP 20G 59A 79P [b]Captains:[/b] Adam Foote (C), Paul Stastny (A), Milan Hejduk (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Brett Clark (Signed with Tampa Bay) Chris Durno (Sign...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Scott Howson (GM), Scott Arniel (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 32W 35L 15OTL 79PTS [b]Place:[/b] 5th Central, 14th West, 27th NHL [b]Top Scorer: [/b]Rick Nash – 76GP 33G 34A 67P [b]Captains: [/b]Rick Nash (C), Mike Commodore (A), RJ Umberger (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Nathan Paetsch (Signed with Florida) [b]IN:[/b] ...
Newman writes...

Rocket Robyn Regehr

Posted Monday | Comments 2
Let’s do some role-play. Robyn Regehr plays Maverick , Jordan Leopold is Goose, and Dion Phaneuf is the Iceman. Maverick and Goose were a great pair, as documented, but once Goose was blown up (traded) Maverick has never been able to find that perfect wingman. “You can be my wingman anytime.” Iceman finally accepts Maverick, and vice-versa, at the end of Top ...
KevinJames writes...

Vezina Trophy Favorites

Posted Monday | Comments 0
2,098. That’s the number of shots Ryan Miller faced last season. 150 of those shots got past Miller and into the back of the net. Miller won the Vezina Trophy as the most outstanding goaltender during the regualar season, but can he do it again this year? Martin Brodeur will likely be the biggest challenge (again) for Miller. Even though Brodeur is approaching 40, he ...
The preseason has already started, and we are two weeks away from the Sabres regular season opener. If you’re a Sabres fan, or just an NHL fan, you probably find yourself predicting the outcomes of games before they start. Well, now you have the chance to submit your predictions and win prizes based on how well you do. Sabreshockeycentral.com has introduced a Buffa...
Tonight is the first of three pre-season match-ups for the "Battle of Ontario", and perhaps for the first time since the pre-lockout era, the games could live up to that title. Leafs fans will be happy to know that almost all of their new additions will make their way on the ice tonight. Only recently signed free agent forward Clarke MacArthur will sit out tonight's gam...
sirwin31 writes...

Far From Dead Birds

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is June 12, 2009. The Pittsburgh Penguins have just walked into Joe Louis Arena and beaten the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, exacting their revenge on the team that robbed them one year prior. Move ahead one year to the 2009-10season, where the Penguins finished the season in fourth place in the Eastern conference, only to run into a hot goalie and b...
We're well into training camp and I'm sure I can speak for all hockey fans when I say how excited I am that hockey's back. Although we're in the stages of exhibition hockey, consider it your fix to help ease the anxiety that comes with the anticipation of waiting for October's arrival. After a summer where the New Jersey Devils were among the more relevant teams in the hoc...
There's a new post up at the new and improved "The Checking Line" web-site! If you haven't already, you need to register and get involved on the forums and comment on the blogs of this site as it continues to head in a great direction! Here's the link to my most recent post: http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/sending-message-kabanov Leave ...
KevinJames writes...

Sabres Defeat Leafs 3-1

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Andrej Sekera started the scoring with a shot off the crossbar that went in. Tyler Ennis scored Buffalo’s second goal on a 2 on 1. The Sabres third goal came from Rob Niedermayer. Towards the end of the second period, Toronto broke the shutout after Nikolai Kulemin scored. Ryan Miller played the first 30 minutes of the game, making all nine saves. Jhonas Enroth made 1...
Here are some brief thoughts and opinions I had while watching tonights pre-season game: First off: Wow! It’s great to have hockey again. I thought the long, lame summer would never end. So now that the honeymoon is over we can talk about how the Sabres looked. Before that, I would like to go on record as saying I like what the Leafs have done. They will be very good ...
Check out my latest post over at The Checking Line discussing Mark Streit's injury and the affect it will have on the upcoming season for the New York Islanders! http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/streit-out-luck-d-man-miss-six-months-action -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
A back and forth battle ended with Toronto on top. Nikolai Kulemin’s 2nd goal of the night turned out to be the game winner as the Maple Leafs won 5-4. Nathan Gerbe scored on a penalty shot in the third period, narrowing the deficit to one and allowing Buffalo over eight minutes to tie the game. With the goaltender pulled, the Sabres weren’t able to draw even. Bu...
Newman writes...

Flames in Net

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The goaltending position in Calgary has never been a worry for the past half decade, and considering Flames fans tend to worry about pretty much everything else, it’s nice to have one less thing. This season, Calgary looks to have its strongest tandem to date in between the pipes with Miikka Kiprusoff and newcomer Henrik Karlsson manning the 4X6. Kipper for his part,...
It was a successful night for the Calgary Flames last night, and has been a successful pre-season thus far. I had hoped when going to the Tampa game on Saturday night (to check out my new, and slightly downgraded :( seats at the 'dome) that Henrik Karlsson would get the nod so I could see him live and get a good read on his game. But, I never got the chance... fortunat...
All Haters Beware...you will Discover and get used to the Taste of your own Feet. Want Ketchup or Barbecue Sauce with them? I am sure either will improve the bitter taste of De"Feat" Flames proved in the PRe Season, with their 7-0-0 Record, capped off by a Shut out by Netminder Miikka Kiprusoff, That This Flames Team Can play to win, as a team, and can still win, in spi...
With the announcement of Cam Cunning and Matt Pelech on waivers for the Flames, we now get a real look at the players who have the final shot at making the team for the start of the regular season. Of course - this could all end up being thrown out depending on the injury status' of both Ales Kotalik and David Moss who were to be fixtures on the third line with Glencross....
[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...
Brendan Morrison. I sat in the dome in '04, Flames vs. Canucks in a pivotal game 6. If the Canucks won it was going back to Vancouver for game 7 and along with it the home crowd advantage Calgary enjoyed. They turned the beer off after the 2nd period so by the third overtime we are basically hung over. Our seats weren't directly behind Kipper but they were just off center ...
Newman writes...

This and That and Morrison

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the regular season on our doorstep my goal of profiling every single player on the Flames roster came up a little short. But with that being said I will run down, quickly, those players I missed and share my thoughts on the signing of Brendan Morrison. The Rest of the Healthy Forward Core: Bourque, Glencross, Conroy, and Meyer Bourque is coming off a career...
The preseason wouldn't be complete without a healthy dose of meaningless predictions. As always, I'm here to serve. Feel free to laugh and hold me accountable if nothing I say comes to pass. EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic: Pittsburgh Penguins The Devils and Flyers will certainly contend, but there's no touching what Pittsburgh has assembled this season. I don't ...
Another highly anticipated NHL season is just a couple of days away, and once again, the Buffalo Sabres are not favored to win the division. The Sabres haven’t changed too much from last year. A few players came and left, but for the most part, they are relatively the same. Many experts have already submitted their predictions for the 2010-2011 season, and many have f...
Yesterday morning Garth Snow made another one of his low risk high reward acquisitions by claiming Michael Grabner from the Florida Panthers. This is a move that helps bring some skill to the Islanders opening day lineup with the recent injuries to Kyle Okposo, Rob Schremph and Mark Streit. Mr.Snow has made some good pickups recently by basically signing other teams tras...
jtommyt writes...

West Predictions

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The predictions I'm seeing for this year just don't make any sense to me, so I'm going to give this a shot on my own... We'll see how it shakes out at the end of the year. 1. Vancouver Canucks It pains me to say this, but when I look at the rosters in the West, Vancouver just seems to be the strongest bottom to top this year. The weakness with this team is defense, b...
OurStupidBlog writes...

GAME 1 of 2010-11

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Game 1 of the 2010-11 season! Game 1 of this season's "Battle of Alberta," it's about time! Hell yeah! Finally, we get to see how these kids are going to perform on the big stage. I'm particularly interested in seeing how the Oiler coaching staff manages ice time between the top 3 lines that all have to potential to put up some decent numbers. I'm also interested in wa...
BluemanGuruu writes...

My Picks

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Western--- 1)San Jose 2)Vancouver 3)Chicago 4)St. Louis 5)LA 6)Edmonton 7)Nashville 8) Colorado Eastern--- 8) New York Rangers 7) Carolina 6) Buffalo 5) Toronto 4)Pittsburg 3)Philly 2)Boston 1)Washington
Well folks ... I decided to take a chance and made a couple Hockey related contacts today. I am very satisfied to say that I should have some extremely exciting news to report in the next couple weeks. For now, I can say nothing more but stay tuned! Did I mention I am extremely excited?
The Red Wings pulled another one out tonight, almost in spite of themselves. Taking three penalties late in the third period proved that the Wings have a decent penalty kill, but it's best not to try to give games away. Detroit's boys escaped with another two points against a Central Division rival that may prove critical down the stretch, but it wasn't pretty. The Re...
Well folks.... In regards to that Hockey news, I took a chance and because of it, I have been asked to write both live game blogs and non-live blogs for the OTTAWA 67'S!! No, it's not an NHL club but it certainly is a step in the right direction and to be honest, I [b]LOVE[/b] OHL hockey! My first game blog will be on Friday, October 22nd against the Brampton Battali...
Welcome to Hourihan 27's Blog. This week I will give you early season noticables about all 30 NHL teams. Here are the first 5 (Teams in Alphabetical Order): [b]Anaheim[/b]: The Ducks are not winning games so they are banging skulls. Interesting fights between their two games with the Wings and Blues are Perry vs Datsyuk and Ryan vs Perron. Ryan manhandled Perron....
KevinJames writes...

Blindsided

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that takes a look at how Trevor Gillies and Zenon Konopka are doing what they do best and helping the Islanders win hockey games...leave comments under the blog in the comments section! http://bit.ly/aAa4lF -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their impressive performance to start the season taking 9 out of a possible 10 points as the club looks to break their longest playoff drought in club history. The team is oozing confidence, looks faster and has one of the better back ends in all of hockey but there is something else brewing.... with the opening of Maple Leaf Square the cl...
Luongo. There are guys in the NHL who play for the money and those that play to win. I have to wonder where Luongo falls with these guys. He was the captain of the team, that means he must have that drive right? Yet after signing a long term contract he had a noticeable slump in his play, I know Vancouver fans are going to jump on this but if you're happy with his performa...
icedog97 writes...

The Glass...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It may seem when things aren't going so well that I am more of a "glass is half empty" than a "glass is half full" kind of guy. Three games into this season...and after watching some mistake filled play...I was already calling for benching Malkin and Crosby...like that was really going to happen. I have a tendency, from years of playing sports..and really hating to l...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the latest injury to the Islanders defense. Register and leave comments under the blog! http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/macdonald-out-four-six-weeks -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hello Everyone! Welcome to [b]FIRST EVER[/b] live game blog for the Ottawa 67’s! View the blog on the Ottawa 67 Fan Hub here: http://ottawa67shub.com/ My name is Anthony Brown and I am a hockey fanatic! This is the first of many blogs that I hope to write for the 67’s. I will be covering all things 67’s, OHL and 67’s Alumni related. If you have any feedbac...
Friday proved to be just another frustrating night for the Buffalo Sabres and its fans. Ottawa defeated the Sabres 4-2 in front of the HSBC Arena crowd. Daniel Alfredsson continued his tear against the Buffalo Sabres, scoring three times and earning his 1,000 career point. Alfredsson came into the game with just one goal and four assists on the season, but had a hat ...
Going into tonight's game in Dallas the Preds are still unbeaten this season. I'll take 3-0-3 over 2-3-1, which is where the Flyers, Stanley Cup finalists last year currently sit after 6 games. The injury bug has been flying around and it's not a good thing, hopefully we can weather the storm and the dam doesn't burst. Now onto my favoraite subject, the Canadian press...
The gm Darcy Regier and the coaching staff keep on saying that the sabres are going in the right direction to win the stanley cup. The question is When ? Because so far the play of this team this season from the start right now has been inconsistent, sloppy, and non physical play. Oh and a powerless powerplay . When is the time going to come when theyre going to make a blo...
Kylewhirlwind writes...

You People All Suck

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Yo, dudes, check it out. So I was over at my friend Chad's place last night. We don't call him "Chad" we call him "Nads" because that's what he's like. A big set of nads. Anyway, I was over at Nads place and we were drinking sum Axe, which we always do on Wednesday because it makes you feel real dizzy n' stuff. And after about the third can, Chad said to me something like,...
KevinJames writes...

Some Sabres Surprising

Posted Friday | Comments 0
This NHL season has been unpredictable so far to say the least. Here are some thoughts as to what has been going on with the Sabres. Buffalo are currently ranked 27th in the NHL with just seven points through 10 games. Derek Roy has been the hottest player on the team, scoring 11 points (5G, 6A) to begin the season. Thomas Vanek has recently picked up the pace. It fe...
For the third time this season (and this month) the New York Rangers will clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In their first two meetings (4-3 OT win Leafs / 2-1 win Rangers), each have conquered the other on the road. Toronto will look to avoid recent history repeating by earning the victory in this match-up at home. Toronto has scored just 7 goals in their last 5 gam...
Hello folks! Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Halloween!!! May it be safe for everyone! http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/10/31/after-15-games-player-points-projections-where-they-are-where-they-can-go/ Thank you for reading!!
JohnCarbs writes...

Savard Out? Do We Care?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The trade rumors for Bruins center Marc Savard continued today, specifically pertaining to the Bruins shipping their star center off to the desert with the Phoenix Coyotes. Savard, who easily could never be back to his prime form, has been the Bruins leading scorer each full season since he was acquired after the 2005-2006 season. He has been a leader for the B's and in so...
Hello folks! I had an absolute blast at the game today! The sell out crowd was very loud and fun was had by all! To read about the action please visit my LIVE game blog here: http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/10/31/ottawa-67s-vs-kingston-frontenacs-nov-1-2010-let-the-battle-begin/ For those that don't know, Erik Gudbranson plays for the Kingston Frontenacs and man does...
mayorofangrytown writes...

The Concussion Problem

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
My son is in his third season playing ice hockey. We live is Southeastern Pennsylvania. He started in 5th grade playing Middle School Hockey. While this is the lowest level of organized hockey outside of house leagues it may also be the most dangerous as 5th graders often find themselves lined up against 8th graders. They can find themselves facing competitors four years t...
Just making sure that the millions and millions of the Gibs fans have not forgotten me. I shall return tomorrow with a full blog. Until then I will leave you this thought. Who would win a rumble between the Hanson brothers of Slap Shot and the Hanson brothers of mmmm bop fame. A question that needs to be answered. I have no inside info on Phaneufs leg injury, as I do...
Just making sure that the millions and millions of the Gibs fans have not forgotten me. I shall return tomorrow with a full blog. Until then I will leave you this thought. Who would win a rumble between the Hanson brothers of Slap Shot and the Hanson brothers of mmmm bop fame. A question that needs to be answered. I have no inside info on Phaneufs leg injury, as I do...
Hey guys .. for those of you Hab fans who want to see some of Jarred Tinordi: Ottawa 67's -vs- London Knights Tonight: 7:30pm Rogers Channel 22 (Ottawa) Online: http://livestream.ontariohockeyleague.com/ I'll be live blogging the game. You can view the blog at: http://ottawa67shub.com/category/ottawa-67s/ Cheers, Anthony
Hello folks! I had an absolute blast at the game today! The crowd was very loud and fun was had by all! To read about the action please visit my LIVE game blog here: http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/11/05/ottawa-67%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%93-vs-%E2%80%93-london-knights-%E2%80%93-nov-5th-2010-%E2%80%93-let-the-battle-begin/ Enjoy your reading! Anthony Brown
Hello folks! Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Halloween!!! May it be safe for everyone! http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/11/06/after-17-games-%E2%80%93-player-points-projections-re-visited/ Thank you for reading!! Anthony
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers analyzing the Islanders recent seven game losing streak as fingers are starting to point at who is to blame and what should be done: http://bit.ly/aizxI5 Leave comments! -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
KevinJames writes...

Sabres Fall to Rangers in OT

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Jhonas Enroth became the first goaltender in NHL history to have his first two wins decided by a shootout. He came close to making it three, but the Sabres were defeated 3-2 in overtime by the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. The Sabres never had the lead, but were able to earn a point in the second game of a back-to-back set. Former Sabre Martin Biron rece...
With a spot in the bottom 5 league wide freshly secured, the fear of giving up 2 lottery picks to a divisional rival because more of a reality. It also becomes more difficult to right the ship and end the free-fall. The team lacks confidence, can't score consistently, has horribly timed defensive lapses, sporadic weak goals, increasingly ineffective special teams and only ...
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Nashville Predators at the ACC and are looking to finally sever their connection with their mistress – Ms. Losestreak. Nashville enters the match-up looking to extend a small winning streak to three games, while Toronto has lost their last four games at home. Their last win at home was also their last 2 point game prior to the st...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing Jack Capuano's recent promotion as head coach of the New York Islanders! http://bit.ly/bZPZNH Leave comments! -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
TPiddy writes...

An Entire (Leaf) Nation Rejoices

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Originally posted at [url]http://www.sportsblognetwork.net/an-entire-leaf-nation-rejoices/[/url] The Toronto Maple Leafs were finally able to exorcise some demons in a thrilling 5-4 come from behind victory over the Nashville Predators at the Air Canada Center last night, and the Leaf Nation faithful collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The Leafs team that started th...
In the wake of a wave of unsubstantiated Jarome Iginla speculation, Darryl Sutter decided to distract Flames fans by making another trade to complain about. Ian White and his facial hair as well as Brett Sutter are gone, replaced by Anton Babchuk and Tom Kostopoulos. My immediate knee-jerk biased reaction: it looks to me like an about equal trade in value, but a trade that...
Domaju writes...

Longtime Tandem?

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
For the last few games the Toronto Maple Leafs have been playing quite well, there's no question about that. But they need to continue working hard and developing chemistry to keep up any sort of success. All the focus has been on Toronto's scoring, how well Luke Schenn has been playing, and the great play of Jonas Gustavsson. But there's something that I've noticed, bu...
TPiddy writes...

Time to Nut Up or Shut Up!

Posted Friday | Comments 1
[url]http://www.sportsblognetwork.net/its-nut-up-or-shut-up-time-for-the-leafs/[/url] This could possibly be the biggest weekend of the year in Leafs Nation. The pressure is mounting, expectations are growing and the blue and white have their biggest test of the season ahead of them: Back to back road games against divisional rivals, while missing their captain and thei...
Gunner Staal writes...

Penguins Game Thread

Posted Friday | Comments 2
As Penguins fans know we are now without a team blogger. We have been lucky to have two high quality writers for us in Brian Metzer and Tom Mast. I know that I get enjoyment from talking about the Penguins in this forum., both on game days and non game days. Lately there has been little to no Penguins talk because there have been no new posts. My goal until we get a Pe...
FLAMESTR writes...

One on One with saneopinion

Posted Friday | Comments 1
Today I am doing another part of the Flames Questions. Here are the answers from Brad Windsor, a very good blogger from Myhockeybuzz, who follows the Flames: Which area do we fix first? You have 3 options A. Coach - Do we need to send Coach Sutter on his way? Is the system the problem? B. First Line Centre for Iggy - Do we need a Centre for Iggy? Would he succeed ...
I'll keep this short and to the point. Thanksgiving is over, yet the Blues felt the need to give that game away like a three-button coat at the Salvation Army. They struggle SO MUCH to score any goals, yet let in garbage like that. This was their game, but instead of going home with 2 points and a chance to sweep the home and home, they're going home dejected. J...
KevinJames writes...

Sabres Fall Flat In Montreal

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
After a solid performance and a 3-1 victory over the Leafs on Friday, the Sabres were unable to win their second straight games against a division opponent on Saturday. Brian Gionta’s two goals led Montreal to its third victory over Buffalo this season. The Sabres looked flat, and the Canadiens took advantage of it, outshooting Buffalo 20-8 in the opening period. Buff...
A five day break between games may be just what the Sabres need. Now is a good time for them to fix up all the problems on and off the ice. With a slow start to the season, the Sabres have a lot of work to do in order to make the playoffs. There are quite a few problems that need to fixed before the team goes anywhere. Here are their biggest concerns as they head into D...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that takes a look at the Islanders offensive struggles as Jack Hillen and Andrew MacDonald are close to returning to the line-up http://bit.ly/gGoVL2 -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
With the Isles set to concluded there home and home mini series with the Rangers tonight at MSG, they are once again trying to dig themselves out of a hole that they themselves have dug. A sloppy yet gut wrenching 6-5 loss last night at the coliseum can be blamed on turnovers, countless defensive lapses, failure to clear the puck, failure to protect the puck, failure to cl...
Just a few things I wanted to touch upon following the Flames 3-2 shootout win over the Minnesota Wild. Thing #1: Darryl Sutter and his claim that goals against are the Flames big problem Yes, the Flames rank 24th in the league in goals against per game. But, if you dig a little deeper you will see that these numbers are quickly skewed due to a couple blow out games...
If the Sabres only played once a week they might be the best team in the league. After five days of rest, the Sabres played their most complete game of the season, defeating Columbus 5-0 on Friday at HSBC Arena. The victory marked the first time the Sabres have defeated the Blue Jackets since 2004. There was not much more you could ask for out of the Sabres on F...
projp1 writes...

Penn State Hockey D1

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Is anyone else excited about D1 hockey for Penn State? I AM! It is going to be beyond sick! I really think they can turn Penn State into a power house and really boast hockey in the state of Pennsylvania. Me being from PA and all. I really think this could be big! He did a great thing for Penn State with scholarships and creating opportunities for all these players. I love...
Willie Wilts writes...

Leafs Host B's at ACC

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Tonight the Maple Leafs will take on an always tough opponent in the Boston Bruins. No trades yet as we inch closer to Burkes self appointed trade freeze. Rumours are swirling but I would be surprised if we see anything before the new year. As for the lineup tonight, Lebda and Mitchell take a seat in the press box with Dion and co. as Aulie and Rosehill fill their spo...
The leadership quality of Devil's captain Jamie Langenbrunner has been questioned since last year's mid-season slide, a trend that's worsened as it crossed into this year's campaign. At this point in the season, Langenbrunner's been as ineffective as most of the players on this team have been with only three goals and eleven points in eighteen games, going a minus ten. As ...
The Sharks worsened their HSBC Arena record to 1-13-1, losing to Buffalo tonight by a final score of 6-3. Flukes and turnovers mixed with a tired San Jose squad to spell a loss to end their road trip. The scoring was opened at 12:18 of the 1st period with a fluke goal off a faceoff being shot by Cody McCormick, deflecting into the air off Paul Gaustad's skate, and hitt...
With so much attention and discussion around the Phil Kessel trade and the repercussions it may have on the future of the Maple Leafs, I thought it would be interesting to go back 10 years or so and see what impact the first round draft picks of the last decade have played in the team's overall success and with the benefit of hindsight, has the trading of picks helped to p...
Newman writes...

The Return of Dion

Posted Wednesday | Comments 5084
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames will face off on Thursday night at the Dome. You would think a game between the 22nd and 26th ranked team in the league wouldn’t exactly be a must see affair, but this upcoming tilt between two cellar dwellers has a little more oomph than your run of the mill basement clash. Did I mention Dion Phaneuf will be making his ...
mslepp writes...

Dion Phaneuf: Cheers or Boos?

Posted Thursday | Comments 3972
It's a date most Flames fans had circled the very day the NHL schedule was released. My first thought back in July in regards to his return was that Calgary Flames fans will boo Dion mercifully. When I thought about his return in September when my season tickets were delivered, I laughed again to myself, "oh man, are people gonna boo this guy." But, today, when ...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing the trade rumors that surrounded Dwayne Roloson as the Isles lost in the shootout to the Phoenix Coyotes http://bit.ly/gtSp18 Leave comments! -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
thehockeyguru writes...

Burkes Blunder

Posted Monday | Comments 6852
Well things in LEaf Nation are not any better then they were last year, perhaps Burke is still trying to clean up his blunders and the remains blunders left over from Fergie. Burke has done so far what he can to try and help the Leafs win some more games, he has upgraded the blue line and the goaltending, he has dealt player and got players and yes he has d...
Well we are getting on to the New Year, and I am started my 1st Annual Draft Update, this will be a further posted year after year on this blog, and the first update is a big one with the biggest draft picks since Sid the Kid and Alexander the Great. Lets face the facts that there is a ton of pressure put on these kids when it comes to being drafted into ...
Hello folks! Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Holidays!!! May they be safe and merry for everyone! http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=334 Thank you for reading!! Anthony
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line, taking a look at the current core of this team and how the 2011 year has been treating them statistically http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/kids-are-alright-isles-youngsters-arent-problem Register and leave comments! Also be sure to check out Better With Popcorn (BWP) at betterwithpopcorn.com...
Hello folks! Please visit the following link to view the blog and Happy Holidays!!! May they be safe and merry for everyone! http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=348 Thank you for reading!! Anthony
...has the Sharks at 7th place in the Western Conference, one point away from being left out of the playoff picture again. The high-scoring affair got started at 7:08 of the first period, when Kyle Brodziak scored a power play goal for the Wild. Joe Thornton later tied it on a San Jose power play to make it 1-1 after 20 minutes. The second period picked back up where...
The Sharks powered past a 2nd period breakdown to beat the Chicago Blackhawks for the third time in three tries this season. It's refreshing to see the team pull together late instead of bowing to defeat, and as a reward they gather an important two points that put them in 5th place in the West as they head to Los Angeles to play the weary Kings for the second time this we...
In early December, waffles were thrown after a Leaf game. Since then, waffles have become a bit of a statement in the Maple Leafs community. The media has called it “The Year of the Waffle” and “Waffle-Gate”, and at a mid-December meeting between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Atlanta Thrashers, one fan in particular felt the need to express his disapproval of the...
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...
moseph writes...

Roloson Moved

Posted Sunday | Comments 13
The New York Islanders have became a little younger as Islanders GM Garth Snow sent veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson to Tampa Bay for 22 year old D-man Ty Wishart. This deal provides the Lightning with some goaltending stability which the club very much needs. So far Tampa Bay has gone with Mike Smith and Dan Ellis, both of whom have not been able to claim the number o...
Making predictions is a dangerous endeavor, as they very rarely pan out, and more often than not do little but make the writer look like a fool. But since it is the time of season for starting over, I'm taking the liberty of looking back on my mistakes and resolving to make them right as we start the new year. I'm dragging out my pre-season predictions to see which ones ...
amerk626 writes...

2011 and the Devils

Posted Tuesday | Comments 5
First and foremost, I wish everyone a happy 2011! After ending the 2010 year with a modest 3-1 defeat over the Atlanta Thrashers, a year during which the Devils went 30-42-9, they stumbled hard into 2011, getting crushed by the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3. Going into tonight's game (1/4/2011) against the Minnesota Wild, there have been a number of intriguing events that tr...
The Islanders have extended a one-year contract for one of their defenseman and recalled a familiar face from Bridgeport. Head over to The Checking Line to read the article! http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/jurcina-extended-and-colliton-recalled Register and leave comments! -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/Isl...
gkmkiller writes...

Rangers Youth Being Served

Posted Sunday | Comments 6
Many Rangers fans have been critical of coach Tortorella in the past. We've complained of his constant line changes, his demeanor towards some of the young talent and the way in which the team always seems to start games off slowly. I would argue though that Torts has been spot on since the beginning. Yes, I would admit he has made mistakes, like any coach will. But whe...
wingsuck writes...

5th Place and Frustrated

Posted Friday | Comments 13
As our Preds turn the 1/2 pole and start the last half of the season, I can only sit here and think of what could be. As I write this, the Preds currently sit in 5th place in the Western Conference at 52 points, 7 points behind that team from eastern Michigan and 1 point behind the Coyotes for 4th. Should I be happy and content with where we are, especially with all the ...
Hey Y'all Being a Maple Leafs fan as long as I've been I had the opportunity to see some of the good days and the bad days which have extended into the past 5 seasons... also with that I have been able to notice the one thing missing... HEART Seriously can you remember the last time they made the playoffs they had Roberts, Tucker and Joe N. giving everything they ha...
Despite being down four goals in the middle of the second period the Flames clawed back to gain a very valuable point. Head on over to The Sports Roundup to find out what this means for the surging Flames! http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/flames-show-resiliency-in-comeback.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman www.thesportsroundup.com
Who would have ever thought that at this point in the season an Oiler rookie Taylor Hall would be leading the team in goals with 14! I am also really impressed with Linus Omark this far, no he does not score lots but he does all the little things right weather it be speed or forechecking to cause a turnover very well done. Another player that has taken alot of heat in Oil ...
Check out my most recent post at The Checking Line discussing the rumors that are swirling around Matt Moulson's future with the New York Islanders http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/what-does-matt-moulson-mean-new-york-islanders Register and leave comments! -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Nothing has ever come easy to Jonas Gustavsson in his hockey career. He has had to work for everything that he has achieved and has strived to prove naysayers that he is capable of being a starting goaltender in the NHL. After displaying a dominant performance in his final season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League, which included a 1.96 goals against average, 0....
The Philadelphia Flyers are the beast of the east right now and any team that flies into the Wells Fargo Area gets scared. The Flyers are a very talented team with the likes of Chris Pronger, Jeff Carter just to name a few, nobody ever expected them to make the run they did last season going all the way to a game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final then falling short, to a speedy H...
Tim Connolly was born on May 7th, 1981 just outside of Syracuse in Baldwinsville, New York. He was selected 5th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1999 Entry Draft. Connolly had played two years for the Erie Otters of the OHL, where he produced at well over a point-per-game pace before being drafted. After two mediocre (but not terrible for a rookie, by any means)...
Paul Byron scores first NHL goal in Sabres 2-1 victory over Ottawa The Sabres have entered the All-Star break on a high note, winning four of the last five games, and moving to within four points of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite falling behind 1-0 in Ottawa on Tuesday night, Buffalo battled back and came away with two points. With his family in t...
Rob McGowan writes...

Moulson's Golden

Posted Friday | Comments 1
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as the Islanders have signed Matt Moulson to a three-year contract extension http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/moulson-extended-three-years -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Welcome to Saturday afternoons LIVE Game Blog versus the Kingston Frontenacs! [b]Pre-game Notes:[/b] - This is the fifth meeting between the clubs this year. Ottawa won 9 - 0 last time. - Keep your eye on Ryan Spooner & Nathan Moon for the Frontenacs. - The 67′s are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games. That's a little better! - Tyler Toffoli leads the OHL in scoring,...
The NHL All-Star game happening this weekend in Raleigh, and during the broadcast of the All-Star draft, TSN mentioned that the salary cap numbers for both of All-Star rosters where over $100 million! This got me thinking about what type of All-Star team could I put together using the NHL Salary Cap floor of $43.4 million. This team will be made up of 12 Forwards, 6 D...
Has it already been a year since the infamous PANIC button was hit? Who won this deal? Come on over to TSR and weigh in on who YOU think won this deal. http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/year-ago-today-dion-was-dealt.html Newman www.thesportsroundup.com www.thecheckingline.com twitter.com/TSRNewman
Be gentle, this is my first post on HockeyBuzz EVER! Its well known that although E-town's rebuild is well underway, but there are a few pressing issues that need to be dealt with and trade dealine is coming so I feel the need to flex my “archair GM” muscles. We need a couple of centre's with size that are over 50% in the circle and that seems to be a tough order t...
So thats 12. Did you see the stats on Sportsnet about Khabibulin on goals allowed? If you missed them I happened to have these stats on hand: GA Games 2 2 3 6 4 1 5 1 6 1 So that brings him to a total of 37 goals in 11 games add today's game and that's 40 in 12. Maybe Khabby is trying to retire on some sort of high note but with numbers like this is may be to...
Concerning NHL year-end awards, deciding who is the most deserving candidate to take home (x) awards, is always a fickle question. Take the James Norris, for example. Some people would argue that unless a younger player was unquestionably the most dominant patroller of the back end, the trophy should otherwise be awarded to a previous winner. In other words, in tight races...
Head over to The Hockey Writers for my interview with Matt Moulson after the Islanders 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators! http://thehockeywriters.com/?p=24164 -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Zak1524 writes...

Gut Check Time for Rangers

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The New York Rangers have entered into unfamiliar territory after dropping their 4th game in a row. During a time that was supposed to be one where the Rangers thrived after getting 4 regulars back into the lineup, they have instead played the inconsistent hockey that has plagued them the past few seasons. It's too quick to jump to conclusions and say that this team is the...
b.park writes...

Penner for Simmonds (e19)

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
There has been alot of talk that the Kings have serious interest in Dustin Penner, so I say the two teams make it happen. It's simple, Dustin Penner to LA and Wayne Simmonds to EDM. You can agree or disagree, I don't really care, but this deal would make the Oilers a much better team. I can see it happening, because Lombardi has made some silly deals in the past,and ...
RhadLife writes...

Never Nuff Nucks

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Right off the hop I would like to tip my cap to Peter Tessier... He does a great job of contributing to Nuck Nation. Unfortunately I am a huge leech and it is about time I see if there this is the right soil to seed some of my own passion for my life long team of which now I am 38. A bit on where my perspective comes from. I played hockey competitively until my second ...
Well, Terry Pegula did it. The Buffalo Sabres newest owner acquired the team from Tom Golisano and will take over on February 22nd, less than one week away from the NHL trade deadline. This should be an interesting situation. Pegula may try to make a splash and please the fan base. He may be content to play Darcy-puck and sit still at the deadline. Only time will tell...
Rob McGowan writes...

Ring Around The Goalie

Posted Thursday | Comments 3
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest post as the Islanders have acquired Al Montoya from the Phoenix Coyotes in the absence of Rick DiPietro and Kevin Poulin http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/ring-around-goalie -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The past few weeks I have been watching the Oilers very closely. Even though they have been losing of late, they are not playing bad overall the team seems to be gaining more confidence as the season progresses. A few forwards that have impressed me of late, Linus Omark who more and more every game seems to look more comfortable especially with fellow country men Magnus Pa...
Rob McGowan writes...

Lemieux Laces Into Isles

Posted Monday | Comments 3
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing Mario Lemieux's stance on Friday night's game between the Pens and Isles, including Zenon Konopka's reaction http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/lemieux-laces-isles -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
This is a Joke... If I watch another game tonight like the the past two then I'll start cheering for ...gulp...Calgary. At least their management was able to identify a problem and rectify it. The biggest problem with this team is not the Powerplay, lack of a decent center or is leadership. Want to know why Stamkos developed so well and Traverse hasn't??? Look at the...
wgosse writes...

Leafs and Bruins Will Trade

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
OK. We knew Beauchemin and Versteeg was top of the trade list for the Leafs, but whose next? Obviously, Burke has to trade Kaberle before the 28th of February or he will lose him for nothing come July 1st. Kaberle is gone then, that's for sure. So, where's Kab going? Well, pretty easy to guess considering Kab's agent gave Burke only one team to talk to - the Boston Brui...
[b]LEAFS LOSE[/b] Francois Beachemin Kris Versteeg Tomas Kaberle Mikhail Stefanovich 7th Round conditional pick *It hurts to see Kaberle go, but it was inevitable. Weird to think now, that the longest serving Leafs currently on our roster are Kulemin and Grabovski. As for Kris Versteeg, it was never really working out. He fits a team like cup contender like Philad...
jzadow writes...

Leafs Looking for Defenseman?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
It's no secret the Toronto Maple Leafs have got a lot thinner on the blue line in the past couple of weeks, shipping out Francois Beauchemin and fan favourite Tomas Kaberle. Beauchemin's value has turned out to be quite good for Toronto, as Lupul has made his presence known on the top line alongside Phil Kessel (assists on Kessel's last four goals). The Leafs can also look...
Most of you probably read that headline and thought, "Thanks tips." Yes, we all know Darryl Sutter left us with very little to go with on the farm in terms of prospects. And, we all know that we don't have a 2nd or 3rd round pick this year. The 2nd was thrown in on the Primeau/Stralman deal for god knows why and even more mystifying was the 3rd being thrown in t...
The Sabres improved to 2-0 under new owner Terry Pegula with a 4-2 victory over Ottawa on Friday. After a 47 save shutout performance in his debut with Ottawa, Craig Anderson earned his first loss as a Senator. Mike Grier put Buffalo on the board six and a half minutes in, converting on a breakaway. The Sabres went up by two midway through the second period when Cody Mc...
shvmr writes...

Oiler Q&A

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
In my travels, I come across a lot of information, and most of it turns out to be wrong. So, in a personal quest to continue the trend of putting out wrong opinions, innuendo and vile gossip, I decided to write my first blog, and give you my opinion on certain issues. Of course, I will not know the answers about what will happen with the Oilers on Trade Deadline day, no on...
Hey folks, my name is Kenny Brewster. [b]I am writing this today with a humble request for your help.[/b] I am a finalist in a contest to win a 55" Toshiba HDTV, but I can't win without your votes. I have produced a short audio clip that is less than 2 minutes long, it is a spoof of the old "I AM CANADIAN" commercials. In the audio, I talk about how the Internet an...
Montreal Canadians are moving! They are in the process of trading Scott Gomez, PK Subban and Louis Leblanc to Tampa Bay, in return they will get Vinny Lecavalier. Rumor says that they will bring down Beliveau #4 jersey from the Bell Center ceiling and give it to Vinny Lecavalier.
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line covering what did and did not happen for the Islanders before today's trade deadline http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/quiet-day-garth-snows-office -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
andydrmm writes...

Quiet Long Enough

Posted Monday | Comments 0
As new ownership presented itself in Buffalo, I like all Buffalo fans, sat in anticipation as to what was to come on February 28, 2011. However, I was extremely disappointed, and now it's time for me to say what no one else is... Buffalo is currently smack in the middle of the playoff race, a place that not many expected them to be in, including myself. Buffalo had nume...
The Sabres acquired for Blues forward Brad Boyes late Sunday evening for a 2nd round pick in next year's draft. The move has garnered quite a bit of attention in both markets involved. It's obvious the Sabres were in need of a top 6 forward who can score, skate hard, and check harder. Boyes can backcheck and forecheck with the best of them. He skates with intensity that I ...
I want to take this opportunity to let you know that tiger blood will drip from the Flames chest in their quest for a playoff spot. Direct Charlie Sheen reference there sorry. In early January I was on www.sportsclubstats.com checking the chances of the Flames making the playoffs, my memory is fuzzy but I believe it was like 2.7% or something. They would have to win...
New post over at The Checking Line covering the Islanders 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues this afternoon at the Nassau Coliseum http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-defenders-tune-out-blues-5-2-win -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
icedog97 writes...

Chara...Cooke...Suspensions

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]On Chara[/b] - This is a tough one to call when it comes to intent. The result is obviously disasterous ...BUT...a few more feet up the boards and it likely would have only been a body check that Pacioretty would have gotten up from. The much more important question is... If a player injures another player via a penalty...like a late hit in this case...shouldn't...
sensrule19 writes...

I Need a Rant

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After reading Richard Cloutier's blog on the state of the NHL after the Chara-Patches incident, I figured I too needed to rant a little bit. In this rant, I will touch on favouritism, how Bettman is an idiot, and how everyone else is saying the exact same thing as me. Honestly though, you would be hard-pressed to find a legitimate hockey fan who thinks this is the right...
Today we weigh the Flames playoff chances after a tough loss last night to the Coyotes. Come on over to TSR and have a listen! http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/podcast-march-11-2011.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
So as an Oilers fan the one thing we have to look forward to is the upcoming draft, so I figure I would give my predictions. Let me know if you agree or what you would change. I am only going to do the top 10 based on the current bottom 10 teams. 1)EDM: Adam Larsson - huge need for an all around defensive force with huge upside 2)OTT: Gabriel Landeskog - power fo...
Despite playing their second game in less than 24 hours, the Sabres didn’t show any signs of fatigue. The Sabres saluted the fans before leaving the ice, pointing their sticks toward the No. 7 banner. The Sabres honored Rick Martin as all the team wore stickers on their helmets. Ryan Miller got a day of rest on Sunday as Jhonas Enroth received the start in net against...
Check out my latest article at The Checking Line as the Islanders have agreed to terms on a contract with 2008 2nd round pick, Aaron Ness http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-agree-terms-prospect-aaron-ness Also be sure to check out the facebook and twitter contest that is going at The Checking Line! Prizes are available! http:/...
icedog97 writes...

Theory About Crosby

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Ek wrote a good column about keeping Crosby off the ice for the rest of this season and the playoffs. If we take what we know about Crosby's situation...and assume that his concussion has kept him out of action for this length of time, then Ek's points are well taken and what he recommends is probably the best plan of action...shut Crosby down. I have a theory, which...
With GM meetings underway in Florida this week, the main concern around the league right now is headshots and the growing rate of concussions. My personal opinion on this hot topic is the league should have a no tolerance policy and the player should be handed a heavy fine plus a minimum of 7 game suspension. Along with the player being punishied I believe the team should ...
KevinJames writes...

Predators Stun Sabres

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After a 1-0 loss to Carolina last week, the Sabres earned a pair of much needed victories against Atlanta and Nashville this weekend. A three-goal second period would be the only scoring for Buffalo, but it wasn’t enough. Despite falling behind 3-1, Nashville put together a late comeback and scored three unanswered goals to win the game, 4-3. The Sabres came out wi...
icedog97 writes...

Matt Cooke: Indefensible

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Those of you that have read my blogs before know that I think Matt Cooke has some skill as a hockey player -- he serves a useful purpose as an agitator/checking forward, is a great penalty killer and also has some offensive skill. You also know that I wrote a blog back when Cooke hit Savard and called for a suspension even though, at the time, Cooke's hit was considered...
The Sabres collapse against the Nashville Predators on Sunday is always going to be a nasty memory for the players and the fans. But if there’s any guaranteed way to alleviate that pain, it’s the complete stifling of a bitter division rival two nights later. A loud and passionate crowd filled Montreal’s Bell Centre, which cheered whenever the Habs initiated any so...
icedog97 writes...

Matt Cooke: Will He Change?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Matt Cooke came out with a few statements yesterday saying he needs to change and that he will follow up those words with actions. In fact, he stated a few times that his "future" actions would speak for him. We all know his past actions have too, in ways that were less than flattering. As someone who has watched him play for the past 3 years, I would like to think he c...
I know I'm probably the only one thinking about this right now, being 3 weeks removed from the trade deadline, and another three weeks from the start of the playoffs, but it's just been something I've been kicking around lately, especially given the opinions of the some of the other folks I've heard lately. The Red Wings stood still at the trade deadline, as is their M....
As the 4-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers was the most disappointing win of the season, last night's fall to the Washington Capitals 5-4 in a shootout was definitely the most satisfying loss this year for the Philadelphia Flyers. This entire week, with games against Washington, Pittsburgh, and Boston, is pivotal for playoff placement, and we will all see just how...
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest post discussing Zenon Konopka's impact on this team and why he should be resigned for next season http://bit.ly/fF1hJl -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
NYI247 writes...

The Konopka files......

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/ Follow me on Twitter @nyi247 I have been discussing Zenon Konopka's role on the Islanders for a pretty long time now and as the season wraps up there are more and more people discussing his future on Long Island. There is no denying what he has brought to this team over the past season and how big of an impact he has h...
check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/ Now that the Islanders are officially out of the playoff race it is time to start looking towards next season and see what improvements need to be made to become a contender next year. First let me say, I think this season was a huge success. Sounds crazy, I'll explain. As last season concluded, myself and many other fans...
airtsabes writes...

Who is the best goalie?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
There is a lot of differences of opinion on who the best goalies in the league are from year to year. I dug deep into the numbers to see who the cream of the crop really has been over the last 5 years. Most of these will be expected but there may be a couple that surprise some. I pulled the stats for GAA and SV% for the last 5 years and averaged out their numbers to find t...
Head over to The Checking Line to see all about the news as Al Montoya will be kept in an Islanders uniform through the 2011-2012 season! http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/al-montoya-extended-one-year-contract -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
KevinJames writes...

Sabres Fall in Toronto

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Sabres came into this game on a three game winning streak with aspirations of crushing the Leafs playoffs hopes. Toronto had nothing to lose and came out with an impressive performance in the first period. Dion Phaneuf ripped a shot past Miller to get the Leafs on the board. Darryl Boyce scored late in the first period to give Toronto a 2-0 lead. Buffalo had trou...
Does Tim Connolly deserve a contract extension? I am pretty sure that there are few Sabres fans that believe Timmy is worth the $4,500,000 we are paying him for his 36 pts this season. So if he is not worth that much money how much is he worth? Using player stats collected before last nights games I compared other centers in the league that have within 7pts(20%) of Connoll...
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest post that takes a look at prospect Matt Donovan and his first professional contract wit the Islanders http://bit.ly/fW9rhd Don't forget to check back tonight at TCL for Daniel Friedman's post-game blog of the Isles Devils game and definitely stop back tomorrow night for a LIVE BLOG for the Islanders/Rangers game, coming to...
Since Martin Biron’s departure, the Buffalo Sabres have struggled to find that ideal backup goaltender to support franchise star Ryan Miller. The first replacement, Ty Conklin, wasn't with the team for even ¼ of a season and played only three games. Next up was Jocelyn Thibault, who was about as wildly inconsistent as they came and lasted just one year. Patrick Lalim...
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest post, taking a look at the Islanders defense and it's depth that has helped the team through it's injury struggles throughout the season. http://bit.ly/dHnJGk -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
killTHEnight writes...

It's been a WHILE.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Between school and work and my novel and just blatant laziness, I've neglected my blog. But alas, I'm back. I figured coinciding my return with Michael Leighton's impending return would be a good PR move. Which means some things: --No more will you have to deal with sub-par hockey blogging. --I'm back. and I'm going to stay back. --and... probably most importantly...
Head over to The Checking Line (and register and leave comments for your thoughts on the matter) for my take on whether or not Micheal Haley will have Zenon Konopka's job next season. http://bit.ly/huL2qg -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
killTHEnight writes...

That Awkward Moment When:

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
A first place team plays worse hockey than their minor league affiliate (who've won 28 out of 75 games thus far.) If I'm Peter Laviolette, Leights starts the next two games. As I said in my last post, having him on the big-boy roster, if nothing else, will show Bouchrovsky that: --they are in fact, expendable.. --that there is a reason why an undrafted rookie an...
Well, after a last game collapse by Carolina, then Chicago, then Dallas the playoffs are set. Time for predictions! QUARTERFINALS WASHINGTON over NY Rangers in 6 BUFFALO over Philadelphia in 7 BOSTON over Montreal in 6 TAMPA BAY over Pittsburgh in 7 VANCOUVER over Chicago in 5 SAN JOSE over Los Angeles in 6 DETROIT over Phoenix in 7 ANAHEIM over Nashville in ...
so which of these is worth of a suspension in the "new" NHL? torres on seabrook http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nomG4dU-mTk or Ruutu on erat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPd8LJvIpgI The Torres hit is WAY worse. Elbow to the head. Ruutu doesnt even make contact with Erats head! He goes flying like the was sniped from the rafters. The refs didnt even call a p...
Ilya Bryzgalov has once again opened his big mouth an insulted the entire country of Canada. For those who didn't see this guys interview with regards to Edmonton, please see this link: [url]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8531230620351334232#[/url] That was a few years back when he was in Anaheim. This time around he has now picked on Winnipeg. Saying ... ...
There are some nights when I think Don Cherry has lost his mind - and suits and ties do nothing to convince me otherwise. That being said, Don Cherry was 100%, absolutely spot on tonight. The four points Grapes made tonight were brilliant: 1) What the hell was Hamhuis doing taking a dirty, cheap shot at Bolland's head? 2) Bryzgalov is a joker and should keep his ...
It is amazing to think that only a few months ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded their 'star' defenceman to Boston for Joe Colborne(1st round pick), a first round pick, and a conditional pick - when now, Tomas Kaberle is luck to even see ice time in their latest playoff game against the Habs. 12 D KABERLE, TOMAS 1 1 [b]21:10 [/b]28 00:45 03:46 00:00 [b]17:24 [/...
What are the Flyers doing??? Hind sight is 50/50 - Yes - but why start Leighton??? I still don't understand why they didn't ride Bobrovsky. Sure he let in a few stinkers but he had one heck of a season. He is young - he is a rookie - why not get him the playoff experience. Will be interesting to see how Bobrovsky's confidence is after being a healthy scratch for t...
darren4444 writes...

Komi Konundrum

Posted Sunday | Comments 2
For Leafs fans, Mike Komisarek is the new Bryan McCabe. To an extent at least. He is an overpaid defensemen who really can't play defence really well. To be fair, that isn't really true. He's had his good years, and was one of the more solid shutdown d-men in the NHL until Lucic messed him up. But you think he'd be healthy by now. It's been two and a half years since the i...
PickDaddy writes...

Hawks / Canucks Thoughts

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I thought the Canucks played a good game. Chicago didn't look that great to me. They looked tired, but they got the job done. Good teams know how to win and win games they don't deserve to win, and that is exactly what they did tonight. Cup winners win games they don't deserve to win, simply because they know how to win. Thought both goalies excluding Luongo played a...
He won't like that he didn't get the start. That is a huge slap in the face. He is one of the best goalies in the league - how do you not play him? In big games, you want your best players to rise to the opportunity and win the game for you. Vancouver didn't give Luongo the chance and you can bet he is taking this personally. He played net and won a gold medal for...
PickDaddy writes...

Canucks Full Marks for Win

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Congrats to the Canucks for their win. Well deserved. A few high level comments on the game: 1) Why did the Canucks change their style in the 3rd? They started to hang back and let Chicago gain the offensive zone. Chicago could not get into the Canucks zone the first 2 periods. Then in the 3rd Vancouver started to hang back and defend the lead and Chicago started to ca...
This is interesting new territory for me, personally. I’ve never before come out of a Blackhawks playoff series loss with any feeling of accomplishment. Usually, there is just emptiness, angst and the early symptoms of summertime boredom, which is certain to be in full throw in mid-July. All of those feelings are certainly present. However this morning, and even la...
They like to find turning points. Distinct moments when the tide turned, for better or worse. Moments that were the beginning of the end for a given hockey club. Had Tampa Bay not beaten Carolina on the penultimate day of the season, they would have said it was the 3-0 loss to the Thrashers two days earlier.[img:right]http://stupidhockey.typepad.com/.a/6a0133ee99c85a...
Newman writes...

Second Round here we come!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The first round was epic. Can the second round provide the same drama? Come over to TSR for our second round thoughts and predictions. http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/round-two-2011-nhl-playoff-predictions.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
Ok here we go…….. When I look at the Sabs I see potential for a great, great team. One like Boston has now. We have the parts of a team that are the most difficult to obtain (goaltending, a number one d-man, depth forwards who can add scoring, coaching, and sniping wingers). The main thing we need is centers (duh). So here is what I would try and do today, this ...
hunsinator writes...

Game 2

Posted Monday | Comments 0
It's 15 minutes to game time, and we know more about how Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan than what's up with Flyers' defenseman Chris Pronger. Apparently, Pronger is not playing tonight's pivotal Game 2 as the Flyers try to even things with the Bruins before the series shifts to Boston. Asked why by a reporter before the game, GM Paul Holmgren reportedly said "Th...
hunsinator writes...

What about Bob?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Despite Peter Laviolette's proclamation that the pressure is now on Boston, those of us based in reality understand the Flyers are truly feeling the heat of an 0-2 hole as the Eastern Conference semifinals shift to Beantown. This is very different from last year. In 2010, the Flyers were taking an 0-2 deficit to Philadelphia, not on the road. On top of that, they were g...
Newman writes...

Washington Capitals: Perplexed

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So I've been wrong before, but never like this. The Caps were a strange team this year and the sweep at the hands of the Lightning have their coach on the hot seat. Come read more here: http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/washington-capitals.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
Well, it was inevitable. Any legit Sabres fan knew our biggest flaws running into these playoffs. Sure, we didn't have our "#1" center in Derek Roy, we had an injured Tim Connolly, Brad Boyes; who shouldn't ever play center, Robbie Neidermeyer, and Paul Gaustad up the middle. Compare that to Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Danny Briere, and Blaire Betts (a less talented Goose)...
I didn't spend yesterday night watching my team get swept. I've said this continuously since the Bruins scored their 5th goal. That Flyers team was not my team. My team played the Chicago Blackhawks in the Finals last year; My team was tearing into the the entire league in January; and then they stopped playing. Just fell off the face of the earth. Frankly, I've been l...
Please read this blog http://hempstevensloves.com/the-new-boys-of-summer-why-the-nhl-should-begin-in-august/ Thank you The O.Fitz P.S. Have a Nice Day :)
Now that two rounds are complete and we're off and running with the Conference Finals, it seems an opportune time to start mapping out the early favorites for this season's Conn Smythe Trophy winner. This year may be one of the most challenging to predict in the early going. Many of the best individual performers so far have already been eliminated, while many of the to...
Hockey season came to a halt sooner than most Sabres fans probably would have liked this year. While the NHL Playoffs rage on, the Buffalo Sabres are anticipating one of the most eventful off-seasons in recent memory as new owner Terry Pegula brings his winning attitude and deep pockets to the table. And so I thought: while we're stuck watching the remainder of the tour...
Newman writes...

Winnipeg and Tim Erixon

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
"Going to Winnipeg!" But how long can it last this time. The Rev takes a harsh look at the reality of keeping hockey afloat in a very small market. Also, the Flames lost a coveted prospect in Tim Erixon, but did they even have a choice in the matter? Come to the Sports Roundup to read more on these two topics. http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/welcome-to-winnipe...
dude84 writes...

Flames state of team

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It is the start of summer the flames have traded away a blue chip prospect and a 5th rounder for two 2nd round picks and from what I know of Roman Horak a career AHLer. we all know the prospect is Tim Erixon who's father Jan played for the Rangers his entire career racking up 57 goals and 216 points. Apparently the entire family loves the city and organization which meant ...
wingfan23 writes...

Realignment

Posted Saturday | Comments 6
With Atlanta moving to Winnipeg this year the NHL is faced with a dilemma for the 2012-2013 season (as the NHL has come out and said Winnipeg will be in the Southeast Division for just this upcoming season before switching to the West). With that being said the NHL needs one more team in the east to make the conferences even. Being a Red Wings fan obviously selfishly I a...
Its coming close to draft and free agency time and it's time to bring up the age old question! Will the Leafs ever find their #1 centre they desperately need? In this day and age its definetly hard to find that #1 centre via trade without giving up an abundance of youth and picks to get said player, but its not impossible. The Leafs have been linked to many #1 centre'...
[img]http://leafshq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Brian_Burke.jpg[/img] Its coming close to draft and free agency time and it's time to bring up the age old question! Will the Leafs ever find their #1 centre they desperately need? In this day and age its definetly hard to find that #1 centre via trade without giving up an abundance of youth and picks to get said ...
Markymark9016 writes...

What Would You Do?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/oilers/images/upload/2008/08/tambellini_steve.jpg[/img] The Edmonton Oilers hold the first overall pick and General Manager Steve Tambellini has publicly stated that he would move the pick if he got the best deal for his team. Do you think he should move this pick or should he stay the course and keep the pick? I think if he gets a hell of ...
As we move closer to the draft, Brian Burke and Dave Nonis are working hard at keeping our team competative and the fans as a side effect are gleaming with hope and pride. James Reimer evoked something that sits inside all leafs fans and up until last year, had been lurking in the depths of our collective stomachs, waiting to be unleashed. As we sat and watched the relat...
Iban3z writes...

Stanley Cup Battle Heats up!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It’s no secret that the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports. Any player will do whatever it takes to hoist it. That’s a proven fact given what has happened through the first four games of the series. I’m tired of Canuck fans and Bruin fans complaining about the calls. It’s the FINALS! First off, I really don’t think the refs have ...
With just 2 or 3 games left to be played, it's fair to say that the battle for the Conn Smythe Trophy has been effectively narrowed down to 3 candidates. At this point, the winner will largely be determined by which team can win 2 more games. Before we meet the candidates, let's review our history. Only 1 man in the last 20 years has won the award while playing for th...
As you read you will see that I kind of get "tuned" up and no matter how hard I try not to be just a "homer", I just can't agree with the way some of the calls and non calls go. Sometimes I watch the game and get cr@p from my da for criticizing the Nuck players for penalties not called against them, but by and large the most obvious non calls are quite often replayed by th...
I have loved and followed hockey ever since the ´88 olympics in Calgary.. This is just the best game ever invented. As a European fan - having lived only 1 year in Toronto - it is hard to get a proper connection and information feed on the most honourable and dynamic professional sports existing, although the internet has brought significant improvements with regards ...
After the Vancouver Canucks won the first two games of the 2010-11 Stanley Cup Finals, a lot of people were saying things like... [b]The Canucks have too much talent... The Canucks are the deeper team... It's the Canucks year... [/b] It was difficult to argue against those comments because in both games it seemed that the Canucks just looked like the better team. ...
jeffgreig writes...

Show me your Guns!!!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Another Positive step for the leafs offseason. Carl gunnersson being signed over the next two years helps us keep our young and talented blue line intact. The large and smooth skating defensmen has shown us all that he is capable of manning a number two power play unit and I look forward to watching him continue to grow.
wingfan23 writes...

Previewing Game 7

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Tommrow night or Tonight whatever the time is that your reading this wonderful blog Game 7 the final NHL game of the 2010-2011 season will happen. The Boston Bruins evened up the best of seven Stanley Cup series with a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. My feelings on the game are this I believe Vancouver is lucky to still be playing right now due to the fact that 2...
Tyler.Oke writes...

Canadian Fans = Classless?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Has it came to the time when Canadian hockey fans have forgotten what the sport is really about? Canadians are the first to say they love the game of hockey more than any other. Then why can't we show it then by having a little class!? Or at least a little more class than rioting, burning police cars and vandalizing parts of downtown Vancouver. This morning on CNN.com ...
ErikC writes...

The Curious Case of Brian Burke

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
8 days remain to the start of the 2011 NHL entry draft and 2 weeks remain to the the opening of the NHL free agency period. Burke has defined the number one off-season priority as being a true no. 1 centre to play with Kessel. Ideally, come July 1st Brad Richards would don the blue and white and for years to come would be the set-up man to help Kessel reach his goal-scorin...
I just got off the phone with a source of mine in Colorado who tells me a Huge trade might happen soon between the Av's & Leafs. [u][b]To Colorado[/b][/u]: Gustavsson, Lebda, 25th & 30th Picks in 1st Round (2011), Leafs 3rd Round Pick (2011) & Boston's 2nd Round Pick in (2012) [b][u]To Toronto[/u][/b]: Paul Stastny & John-Michael Liles I hope t...
joelsteeves writes...

Leafs - Do or Die?

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

Karlsson re-signs.

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Calgary Tower is back! Well it never really left, but you know what I mean. Karlsson re-signed with the Flames for another two years today. Read more here: http://www.thesportsroundup.com/ Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
In acquiring the negotiating rights to goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, the Flyers addressed an area of concern that experts had called an organizational black hole since the heyday of Ron Hextall in the late 1980's. I disagree with black hole, however, the Flyers had not made goaltending a top priority since then. By trading for Bryzgalov's rights, and according to most repo...
On Monday Red Wings fans everywhere rejoiced as Nicklas Lidstrom announced he was coming back for a 20th season. With Rafalski already retiring this season Lidstrom retiring would have been a huge blow to the Red Wings. Now the question is what do the Wings do in Free Agency as I will discuss more next week my opinion is they sign Ed Jovonoski to 2 yr 8 million dollar de...
habbies writes...

My Mock Draft

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
EDM: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins COL: Huberdeay FLO: Landeskog NJ: Larsson NYI: Hamilton OTT: Strome WIN: Couturier PHI: Beaulieu BOS: Murphy MIN:Zinebejad AVS: Brodin CAR: Bartschi CAL: McNeil DAL: Armia NYR: Grimaldi BUF: Siemens MTL: Saad CHI: Oleskiak EDM: Gibson PHX: Klefbom OTT: Jensen ANA: Jenner PIT: Rattie DET: Musil TOR: Puempel WAS: ...
First off, this is my first blog. Just fyi. Today, the Flyers made two big deals. Carter too Columbus for a pair of picks and Jakub Voracek. They also sent Mike Richards too the Kings for Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a 2nd round pick (overpayment imo). So how do these two trades affect Toronto and there train of thought going into the draft? The first trade onl...
First off, this is my first blog. Just fyi. Today, the Flyers made two big deals. Carter too Columbus for a pair of picks and Jakub Voracek. They also sent Mike Richards too the Kings for Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a 2nd round pick (overpayment imo). So how do these two trades affect Toronto and there train of thought going into the draft? The first trade onl...
THis is before any trades occur with the first 30 picks. 1. Edmonton - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. 2. Colorado - Gabriel Landeskog 3. Florida - Adam Larsson 4. New Jersey- Jonathan Huberdeau 5. New York Islanders - Ryan Strome 6. Ottawa - Sean Couturier 7. Winnipeg - Dougie Hamilton 8. Philadelphia (via Colombus) - Ryan Murphy 9. Boston (via Toronto) - Nathan Beaulie...
dclanglois writes...

Big night or Big bust?!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Happy Friday! As anticipation grows with the looming draft tonight, like most Leafs fans, I'm hopeful that big Burke can live up to his reputation and pull the trigger on a trade that will shed the limelight on the city that eats, sleeps and lives the Leafs! In wandering my way through the many credible tweeters today, it doesn't appear there is much life to many r...
Both trade calls went through and both were accepted. But with some of those draft picks in today's draft, these trades weren't completed done until today. And so, with the players picked, who wins? First, it needs too be summarized: To Boston : Tomas Kaberle Jared Knight Tyler Segiun Dougie Hamilton To Toronto: John-Michael Liles Tyler Biggs Phil Kessel Joe ...
If you are like me you sat there glued to the television waiting for the big announcement last night... you know the one that didn't happen. Once again Brian Burke was unable to find anyone willing to trade with, I wonder if i it is because people around the league believe that the leafs players aren't worthy of much. Is Brian Burke overvaluing the prospects and draft p...
I guess it's too expensive to make the changes in these crappy economic times!
I guess it's too expensive to make the changes in these crappy economic times!
Newman writes...

Regehr and Tanguay

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Robyn is gone. Tanguay is back and the Flames no longer have to worry about Ales Kotalik sucking it up on the ice. Come to TSR where I look at what the impact of the both the trade and the signing mean to the Flames http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/regehr-traded-and-tanguay-signs.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
Newman writes...

The Newest Flames

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Who are Paul Byron and Chris Butler? Most Calgarians have no idea. Well here is a closer look with the help of a Buffalo Sabres expert that gives us some more insight on what we can expect from the two players the Flames got in return for Robyn Regehr. http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/chris-butler-and-paul-byron-newest.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
Read the latest at The Checking Line with updates from Micheal Haley, Travis Hamonic and Matt Moulson as to their thoughts on Ryan Strome and what they have planned for the summer! http://t.co/B1X18Ae -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM P.S. I apologize for the multiple posts of the Strome article, my browser was not working properly.
I don't believe that there will be any "HUGE" signing this summer from Brian Burke. I believe that perhaps Andy Mac may be an option, but is he available? Mr Augello wrote that he would be a nice fit, I also think that Andy would be a great fit. Not only would he be a relative bargain due to injuries, but he could actually end up being the type of guy that Kessel needs...
The addition of Mike Richards has made the Kings tougher up the middle, but the loss of Simmonds leaves a void to an already thin area on the team: Toughness. The Kings lack the kind of toughness that will enable them to go far in the playoffs. Dean Lombardi needs to bring in an animal to play on the back-end, a tough forward willing to drop the gloves to fill in for...
icedog97 writes...

Laich and Jagr

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For a few weeks now many Penguin fans have been discussing and debating the possible return of Jaromir Jagr to the Penguins. Some people don't see the point in signing a 39 year old who hasn't played in the NHL for 3 seasons to a $3M contract (word on the street). I look at the recent signing of Brooks Laich to a 6 year, $27M contract by the Washington Capitals as mo...
It's summer time in New Jersey - that means that the New Jersey Devils are probably conducting their almost-annual coaching search! Some interesting names have been floating around: Ken Hitchcock, Craig Ramsay, Marc Crawford, Mike Keenan, Mike Haviland, Michel Therrien, Bob Hartley, and Mike Eaves to name a few. But one thing we know for sure from past experience - the ...
JoelPickering writes...

First Blog! Cam Barker.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is my first blog. There, now that's out of the way down to business. Edmonton Oilers... The news on the possibility of the Oilers acquiring Cam Barker intrigues me. This former 3rd overall selection of the Chicago Blackhawks has had some injury troubles but is young and I believe he was not put into a big enough role in Minnie or Chicago. His 1yr 3mill. contra...
First off I would give some props to Dale Tallon for the quick signing of Tomas Kopecky for some offense (stats below), albeit I think he overpaid a bit a 4 years 12 million (especially since Kopecky made 1.2 mil last year). They could have gotten him for a bit cheaper but there trying to reach the cap floor with a little over 20 million left to spend and Kopecky was a big...
Well another day's come and gone and we're excited to announce that we've set a single city record for Ottawa! The community turned out today to raise a total of 4,635 lbs of food and almost 100 people attended. We also teamed up with A Channel Ottawa and gave away a pair of Katy Perry tickets (section 100 tickets!!) to the first person who donated 20 cans of food this mor...
Well another day's come and gone and we're excited to announce that we've set a single city record for Ottawa! The community turned out today to raise a total of 4,635 lbs of food and almost 100 people attended. We also teamed up with A Channel Ottawa and gave away a pair of Katy Perry tickets (section 100 tickets!!) to the first person who donated 20 cans of food this mor...
Well another day's come and gone and we're excited to announce that we've set a single city record for Ottawa! The community turned out today to raise a total of 4,635 lbs of food and almost 100 people attended. We also teamed up with A Channel Ottawa and gave away a pair of Katy Perry tickets (section 100 tickets!!) to the first person who donated 20 cans of food this mor...
Well another day's come and gone and we're excited to announce that we've set a single city record for Ottawa! The community turned out today to raise a total of 4,635 lbs of food and almost 100 people attended. We also teamed up with A Channel Ottawa and gave away a pair of Katy Perry tickets (section 100 tickets!!) to the first person who donated 20 cans of food this mor...
Well another day's come and gone and we're excited to announce that we've set a single city record for Ottawa! The community turned out today to raise a total of 4,635 lbs of food and almost 100 people attended. We also teamed up with A Channel Ottawa and gave away a pair of Katy Perry tickets (section 100 tickets!!) to the first person who donated 20 cans of food this mor...
Well another day's come and gone and we're excited to announce that we've set a single city record for Ottawa! The community turned out today to raise a total of 4,635 lbs of food and almost 100 people attended. We also teamed up with A Channel Ottawa and gave away a pair of Katy Perry tickets (section 100 tickets!!) to the first person who donated 20 cans of food this mor...
Well another day's come and gone and we're excited to announce that we've set a single city record for Ottawa! The community turned out today to raise a total of 4,635 lbs of food and almost 100 people attended. We also teamed up with A Channel Ottawa and gave away a pair of Katy Perry tickets (section 100 tickets!!) to the first person who donated 20 cans of food this mor...
Well another day's come and gone and we're excited to announce that we've set a single city record for Ottawa! The community turned out today to raise a total of 4,635 lbs of food and almost 100 people attended. We also teamed up with A Channel Ottawa and gave away a pair of Katy Perry tickets (section 100 tickets!!) to the first person who donated 20 cans of food this mor...
icedog97 writes...

Thanks Max...and Good Luck!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The start of unrestricted free agency in hockey is a crazy time. It's been less than a month since the Stanley Cup was awarded. Less than a month since one team's dream of a championship was realized. Less than a month since new playoff heroes were born. Now, with those recent memories fresh in mind, NHL GMs, players and fans hope to turn next year's Stanley Cup Cham...
Check out my take on the Reasoner signing for the Isles this afternoon as free agency continues at The Checking Line http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/%5Bfield_full_story_ref-title-raw%5D/isles-get-reasonable-sign-marty-reasoner-two-year- -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The 2011 free agent class was the weakest group of ufa's that I have seen in a very long time but none the less moves were made and their were still winners and losers which I will give you all my opinion on the moves that all 30 teams made thus far including moves made before the draft. As always comments good and bad are welcomed as I do want your opinion of how you all...
Oilerfan88 writes...

Oilers Big Day

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://www.nhlhockeyportal.com/edmontonoilers/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/EdmontonOILERSlogo.gif[/img] [b]On Friday, I though there was going to be little or no signing by the Oilers turned out that the Oilers were one of the busyer teams. As I was listening to alot of the Brad Richard crap on TSN the Oilers were busy making there team better. He is what...
The_Flavor_Beam writes...

Tomas or not Tomas

Posted Monday | Comments 0
So...Tomas or not Tomas? No, I'm not a headline writer for NHL.com or the guy who titles episodes of The Simpsons (I'm convinced they are the same person, go ahead prove me wrong). I'm just a man trying to answer what is really the last remaining big question surrounding the 2011-2012 edition of the Boston Bruins. In a recent Boston Globe poll, over 67% of people indicated...
[img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/flames/images/upload/2011/07/109844431.jpg[/img] Today Calgary finally managed to land defenceman [b]Anton Babchuk[/b] back in a 2 year contract worth $2.5 million per year. It is believed that this negotiation was stalled until now because Calgary was trying to keep Cap room for Brad Richards. Saturday night news spread of New York Rangers si...
OhioLeafer writes...

Don’t Expect the Unexpected

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As Burke finishes signing the remaining RFAs, it has come to the attention of many fans that the Leafs are slowly developing a surplus of bodies on both forward and defense. Hypothetically, if the season started tomorrow, the Leafs project line-up could look like this: Lupul – Connolly – Kessel MacArthur – Grabovski – Kulemin Kadri – Bozak – Armstrong Orr...
OhioLeafer writes...

Don’t Expect the Unexpected

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As Burke finishes signing the remaining RFAs, it has come to the attention of many fans that the Leafs are slowly developing a surplus of bodies on both forward and defense. Hypothetically, if the season started tomorrow, the Leafs project line-up could look like this: Lupul – Connolly – Kessel MacArthur – Grabovski – Kulemin Kadri – Bozak – Armstrong Orr...
OhioLeafer writes...

Don’t Expect the Unexpected

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As Burke finishes signing the remaining RFAs, it has come to the attention of many fans that the Leafs are slowly developing a surplus of bodies on both forward and defense. Hypothetically, if the season started tomorrow, the Leafs project line-up could look like this: Lupul – Connolly – Kessel MacArthur – Grabovski – Kulemin Kadri – Bozak – Armstrong Orr...
Hello to all hockey fans that read this blog and any of my future blogs! I am a student of Hockey! I have been a hockey fan since the day I was conceived! (I know it sounds impossible but I came out in a Leafs sweater!) I play pick up, mostly because I was never good enough to actually play and couldn't afford to play when I was a child. I love the sport. I am new to ...
Is it just me or does everything that Steve Simmons say sound the same? Further more everything he writes seems to directly involve Brian Burke's innability to get the hockey team into the playoffs. I honestly don't believe that there is a less intelligent and more negative individual in the Toronto media. The questions this guy asks are irrelavent and offending, only S...
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway. Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway. Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway. Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway. Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway. Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi and Boyce(RFA). Unless Something changes, such as Boyce not being resigned by the leafs and/or a trade of one of those 5, these players are ...
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=112991Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:14:37 -0400 http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=11507 I'm aware that this may be a bit too early in discussing this but, for arguments sake let's talk about this subject anyway. Right now the leafs currently have 5 centers on their main roster with Bozak, Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi a...
As you have probably heard. P.L.L. Leblond was sent to the Flames for a 5th Rounder in 2012. There are rumors of Bouwmeester coming to New Jersey. With the trading opening with Calgary this can lead to GOOD NEWS. Only thing is the Flames are interested in Parise.
Miss11 writes...

Happy French Connection Day!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It’s 7-14-11, and to Buffalo Sabres Fans, that can only mean one thing – It is FRENCH CONNECTION day. The numbers 7, 14, and 11 hang grouped together in the rafters of HSBC arena in tribute to three hockey players who were arguably one of the greatest line combinations in NHL history. With the late Richard Martin (#7) at left wing (Rest in Peace, Rico), Re...
devilsfAAn1 writes...

BOULTON/JANSSEN

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Devils have inked to "TOUGH GUYS." Former Devil/Blue Cam Janssen Former Thrasher(JET)/SABRE ERIC BOULTON. PLUS ADAM LAARSON IS SIGNED!
NJDAaron1 writes...

JANSSEN/BOULTON

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Devils have inked to "TOUGH GUYS." Former Devil/Blue Cam Janssen Former Thrasher(JET)/SABRE ERIC BOULTON. PLUS ADAM LAARSON IS SIGNED!
Hey all, Now, I realize that with a bit of common sense and realistic expectations it's pretty easy to take a stab at what the Leafs will look like next season. Yet I frequently see people making odd guesses/ projections for the team to then defend themselves till their blue in the face... So I'm just going to write down the lines I believe most likely to be put out...
Newman writes...

Calgary Flames in July

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames have made some small moves in the last week or so. But were they good moves and moves they really needed to make? Come over to TSR and read more http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/07/calgary-flames-in-july.html Also remember to follow me on Twitter at: @TSRNewman Newman
NJDAaron1 writes...

How Do We Get Parise?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Clarkson is now a player who is in the talks of being traded. Mr. Todd Cordell's blog had talked about this. Clarkson who is recieving about $3 million seems like the perfect escape. Most people say "TRADE ROLSTON!" Well...Rolston has a NTC. White?!...NTC Rolston who I think has a hell of a slapshot hasnt been doing much. We are paying him for 25 goals......
With Jhonas Enroth signed the Buffalo Sabres should have their first steady backup since Martin Biron and Ryan Miller split the twine post lockout. Gone are the days of Brodeur, Fuhr, Belfour, or Kipprusoff playing 70-75 games a year. Recent history has shown goaltenders wearing down over the course of the season and faltering in the post-season. In fact only 3 goalies ...
goleafssakis writes...

Everybody Just Relax

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Okay so there seems to be a general panic in Leafs' Nation. From what I understand, this has been cause by the Leafs' inability to acquire a first line centreman. With the likes of Brad Richards and Steven Stamkos no longer available, the monkey working the big red panic button now has to work overtime. But what is Toronto didn't NEED a top line centreman? It now seems mor...
goleafssakis writes...

Everybody Just Relax

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Okay so there seems to be a general panic in Leafs' Nation. From what I understand, this has been cause by the Leafs' inability to acquire a first line centreman. With the likes of Brad Richards and Steven Stamkos no longer available, the monkey working the big red panic button now has to work overtime. But what is Toronto didn't NEED a top line centreman? It now seems mor...
Latest from Matthew_Steven According to my sources, Panthers recordingly have interest in Zach Parise. What I am hearing is that the Devils really like Huberdeau and/or Gudbranson (3rd overall pick in 2010 draft.) Devils seem to also be interested in David Booth and Jacob Markstrom (Panthers #1 goaltending prospect.) With this possibly being Brodeur's last productive se...
Matthew_Steven writes...

Hemsky to Winnipeg?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Lately, I have been hearing that there is a good chance Hemsky could be dealt in the next few days. However, it is not to the teams you have been hearing about. I have been hearing that Winnipeg is high on Hemsky and believe his injuries the past couple of years have just been flukes. If this deal goes down, it could look something like this: Oilers- Hemsky Winnipeg-...
Matthew_Steven writes...

Hemsky to Winnipeg?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Lately, I have been hearing that there is a good chance Hemsky could be dealt in the next few days. However, it is not to the teams you have been hearing about. I have been hearing that Winnipeg is high on Hemsky and believe his injuries the past couple of years have just been flukes. If this deal goes down, it could look something like this: Oilers- Hemsky Winnipeg-...
Matthew_Steven writes...

Hemsky to Winnipeg?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Lately, I have been hearing that there is a good chance Hemsky could be dealt in the next few days. However, it is not to the teams you have been hearing about. I have been hearing that Winnipeg is high on Hemsky and believe his injuries the past couple of years have just been flukes. If this deal goes down, it could look something like this: Oilers- Hemsky Winnipeg-...
Matthew_Steven writes...

Hemsky to Winnipeg?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Lately, I have been hearing that there is a good chance Hemsky could be dealt in the next few days. However, it is not to the teams you have been hearing about. I have been hearing that Winnipeg is high on Hemsky and believe his injuries the past couple of years have just been flukes. If this deal goes down, it could look something like this: Oilers- Hemsky Winnipeg-...
The Northeast Division has an impressive crop of young defensemen that are about to enter into their prime. Spearheaded by Tyler Myers, P.K. Subban, Luke Schenn, and Erik Karlsson, and they likely will be joined by Dougie Hamilton in another year or two. There has been much debate as to which one of these guys is the best rearguard, but i'm going to keep this strictly ab...
bamdoucet writes...

Leafs Preview for 2011-2012

Posted Wednesday | Comments 31
With the Leafs currently having only 1 more guy to sign and that signing will be completed in the next month or so, really, there's no rush, Luke Schenn might be the next franchise player, what i mean by that is, players who actually stay with there franchise more than 10 yrs...aka Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Steve Yzerman, Ray Bourque types of guys; he seems to love it in Tor...
Sink. writes...

Buffalo, Washington Over Cap

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Not sure if some of you realize this but Buffalo and Washington are over the NHL's cap limit. Buffalo is over the cap by $3,595,357. Already an exorbitant number, it will more than likely go up since they still have yet to sign defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani. Gragnani made $500,000 last season so you could expect some sort of raise. This would put Buffalo above $4 milli...
Maple Leafs fans we are just a few weeks from training camp, thats right Leafs Nation just a few weeks away from September and another run by our beloved Buds to end this playoff misery that we having been suffering from since the end of the lockout. The Leafs have made a few changes from the club that ended the season in April: In: Tim Connolly, Matthew Lombardi, Co...
Now that the initial adrenaline rush of free agency is behind us we can gain perspective on the off-season thus far. Now of course every signing and trade comes with a measure of risk, but these are the 5 that i have identified to be the riskiest. Without further ado: [b]Buffalo Sabres sign Ville Leino for 6yrs/27$mil (4.5mil annual cap hit)[/b] If you read my Vill...
Read my latest at The Checking Line as I take a look at the Trent Hunter/Brian Rolston trade with the New Jersey Devils http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-acquire-brian-rolston-devils -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Random Notes for all the junior buffs out there... London traded up only to pass on Mikhail Grigorenko and instead pick up Finnish defender Olli Maatta 1st overall. Hey, if the Knights are doing it – it must be right. Grigorenko drafted 2nd overall to the Quebec Remparts. This is a great primer for the young Russian leading into his draft year. CAN’T WAIT to ...
habsteen26 writes...

10 Questions

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Welcome back for another installment of habsteen26's 10 questions! First off, I would like to talk about my name. While I realize it is stupid, my username for virtually everything besides twitter, 'habsguy26' was already taken. So was 'habsman26' and along with 'gohabsgo26'. So, I regretfully took 'habsteen26'. And I am regretting it. Did I already say that? Becaus...
saneopinion writes...

FN Strikes back

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I direct messaged Kent Wilson after I posted my last blog, not to pick a fight, but as a matter of congeniality in a blogosphere that seems to lack respect sometimes. Kent took the time to read my blog and respond in kind here: [url]http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2011/07/31/common-misconceptions-about-statisitical-analysis/#more-28434[/url] While I can appreciate his con...
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...
As we start to ramp up for another action packed NHL season we also start to see/hear the many couch experts (myself included) start offering their opinions and projections for the race to April and what it will bring. Who’s going to jump out early.. who’s going to suffer the xmas slump.. Who has all the pieces to go all the way? It is worth noting that it is always su...
Might as well be a month ahead of everyone's blogs saying whose gonna finish where and whatnot...not like anyone cares, but this is for my own sake and something official when a team makes the playoffs that no one even considered, i might be the one who told u so and have it officially out there, but anyways, i say 50% of what im about to write will come true! if not, i wi...
mikezabby writes...

Andrei Markov and MTl

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With Andrei Markov out of the lineup Montreal has struggled on the power play switching between who was scoring goals ( Camelleri, Subban, Wisniewski) they just couldn't get the puck in the net on the power play as much as they could have. With Markov coming back in the line up If he plays healthy and like he used to for Montreal look for Subban, Cammy, Plekanec goal cou...
mikezabby writes...

MTL and TML

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
TML: First off I expect Toronto to come around 9th or 10th in the east this year coming yet again shy of a playoff spot. The key factors in them Making the playoffs would be Kessel Getting 70+ points Grabovski getting 60+ and Clarke Macarthur getting 60+ points. Also some all star defense from Schenn and Phaneuf toronto might have a strong team . Complete this a...
So, it feels good. I've been debating for a good part of two years now to start a blog, and here I am, finally starting. Ah, it's a good day. So let me fill all you readers in on personal info. I will be covering the Montreal Canadiens. I live in Hamilton, Ontario and am a season ticket holder for the Hamilton Bulldogs. I love playing, watching, and doing anything involvin...
There have been a number of blogs written about Hemsky over the years and very few them have been negative. There’s a reason for that. Ales Hemsky is a good Hockey player. He’s obviously a great talent and his most well known fault is that he is injury prone. How many times have Oilers fans said “If Hemsky was healthy last year he would have scored so many more point...
Looking for sleeper picks in your upcoming fantasy draft or interested in who to look for as possible up-and-comers next season? You've come to the right place. After hours of statistical analysis, I have compiled a top-10 list (featuring video evidence) of rookies/prospects who are likely to breakout next season as bonafide NHLers or even superstars. For the purposes...
BINGO! writes...

Who Are The St. Louis Blues?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Over the past several seasons, we have seen an enormous amount of transition in the Blues franchise. Since 2004, the Blues have seen 2 owners, 3 Head Coaches, and 2 GM's and now the franchise is for sale yet again. How has this affected the team? Well, beginning in 05-06, the Blues have wound up with 57, 81, 79, 92, 90, and 89 points in each season respectively, whic...
Following the Anaheim Ducks in line is the Atlanta Thrash... I mean Boston Bruins. 2011 Review: Ladies and gentlemen! Your 2010-11 Stanley Cup Champions! No but seriously. Can anyone have a better ending to their season than the Stanley Cup Champions? The Bruins, similar to the Penguins two years ago went down 2-0 and 3-2 in the finals before ending it away from ho...
blackgoldrush writes...

Edmonton's Got Talent

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Looking at the Edmonton Oilers roster and watching America's Got Talent gave me an idea. I have combined the two into one wicked blog posting. I will look at 3 acts on the Edmonton Oilers and view them from Howie, Sharon and Piers points of view imagining they know something about the game we love. Howie might have some knowledge based on his place of origin, but I don'...
It is the time of year where NHL professional prognosticators and armchair fans begin making predictions. Actually, that time of year starts when the season ends for most. However, in August, we now have an idea of what most teams will look like after the dust has settled on free agent frenzy and most players are signed where they will start the year. As an Edmonton Oil...
The Islanders have made some adjustments to their forward lines but have been quiet when it comes to shaking up the defense. Could Garth Snow make a few changes before the start of the season? Rob McGowan reports at The Checking Line. http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/look-defense-island -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitt...
Jeff Woywitka is now a Canadian. Montreal signed the defender to a one-year, two-way deal. Woywitka spent the 2010-2011 season with the Dallas Stars where he had 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points in 63 games. The former 1st rounder has been through the AHL and NHL in the past few years. This is a great addition for the Canadians. Woywitka has played 251 career N...
Before we start, I'd like to send out my thoughts, prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Rick Rypien. He was a great player who had a bright future in the NHL and also a player who knew his role and played it tremendously. He will be deeply missed in the hockey community. The speculation is that Rypien committed suicide. Having gone through this with family ...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 7 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Colorado Avalanche Preview. Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team. [b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
Today Brian Rolston and I discussed his anticipated role with the New York Islanders for the upcoming season, his past experiences with the New Jersey Devils and his thoughts on the possible changes to the game that the NHL is currently considering. http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/one-one-brian-rolston -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitt...
Hi! I'm Flyersrock, and right now I'm bored, so I'm going to be starting a "series" of blogs with my opinion on what I think the 2011/2012 NHL season will look like. There are going to be 8 parts of this "series". This will include how i think the East Standings, West Standings, East playoffs, west playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Final will turn out. The other 4 blogs will b...
Happy retirement to Chris Drury. I really was hoping Montreal could've picked him up. Class act and a great player. Okay, so here we go with part 2. If you haven't seen part 1, go to my profile and check it out if it still isn't on homepage. What I'm doing here is a 5 part series of blogs. Part 1, Western Conference standings predictions. Part 2, Eastern Conference. Par...
Ya, not going to do any shout outs here, because that's not the type of guy that I am.(joke) Although I do think "Rangers"(saw a guy post in the NYR blog that he doesn't like it when people call them "Rags" fans) fans are being a little tough on Drury. The guy thought he would get signed somewhere. If your boss said "here's a raise for you before you leave", would you say ...
I've done this for 3 years now, with varying success, and mostly do it for entertainment... So flamers fire up your torches! Granted, this is assuming Luke Schenn is signed for the start of the regular season, and banking on the roster staying as-is outside of that, but this is my lineup and predictions for each individual this year. Also, I know I wrote a blog with ...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 9 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Dallas Stars Preview. Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team. [b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b] ...
Hello Everyone. This is my debut hockey blog on, well, any website. My opinions might be skewered, in your opinion. I’m aware of the fact that anything I might say could be something that might sound ridiculous to one, yet completely sensible to the other. Anyways, seeing how this is my first blog, I’ll start off with something easy, right? I’ll be doing an analys...
What the hell! They didn't give me enough space for my title! Well tonight i'm going to do my predictions for how I think the East playoffs will finish. Here we go! Happy readings! [u][b]ROUND 1[/b][/u] 1. Washington vs. 8. NY Rangers- Washington in 6. Why?: Washington re-loaded this off-season, and finally got their #1 goalie, much like the Flyers did. The reason I ...
icedog97 writes...

Crosby, Ek and the NHL

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Let me get a few important things out of the way... First off, I want Crosby back and playing hockey in the NHL as badly as anyone else who enjoys watching the best skilled players play the game. I think he is important to the game, right now at least, because he was viewed by many as the best player in the game prior to his concussion(s) suffered last year. How can he ...
With hockey enthusiasts left to count the days until the puck drops again, I believe it would be a good time to share my predictions as to what will unfold between now and next April. Enjoy. Eastern Conference: 1. Washington Capitals 2. Pittsburgh Penguins 3. Boston Bruins 4. New York Rangers 5. Tampa Bay Lightning 6. Buffalo Sabres 7. Montreal Canadiens 8. Phil...
djvoiz writes...

Situation in Quebec City

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It's been a while since I posted a blog here. In fact, I haven't posted anything in ages! I decided to write a bit about the situation that prevails here in Quebec City regarding the new arena and everything that revolves around it. First off, I think I speak for everyone here in Quebec when I say Congratulations to Winnipeg! It is so amazing that you got your team b...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 12 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Florida Panthers Preview. Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team. [b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[...
Hey everyone! The start of the season is almost here I am very much looking forward to being able to share my thoughts throughout the season. A little bit about me: My name is Anthony, I am 23 years old and I live in Dallas, TX. I am originally from the Bay Area and will be moving back there at some point in the future. I have been a Sharks fan since I can remember and lov...
sss333 writes...

Comebacks and Break Outs

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I have compiled a list of comeback players and break out candidates for the 2011-2012 season. These guys should help any fantasy pool, especially down the stretch. Don't call it a comeback this is a throwback and a showdown! 1. Alex Ovechkin - 85 pts is a bad season when your the GR 8. Expect him to win the Art Ross this year 115pts. 2. Nicklas Backstrom - 65pts i...
sss333 writes...

Comebacks and Break Outs

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I have compiled a list of comeback players and break out candidates for the 2011-2012 season. These guys should help any fantasy pool, especially down the stretch. Don't call it a comeback this is a throwback and a showdown! 1. Alex Ovechkin - 85 pts is a bad season when your the GR 8. Expect him to win the Art Ross this year 115pts. 2. Nicklas Backstrom - 65pts i...
[img]http://www.cyberpresse.ca/images/bizphotos/435x290/200910/30/120459-maire-sortant-regis-labeaume-multiplie.jpg[/img] There has been alot of people complaining about the fact that Quebec City's new arena would be built using mainly public money. When we take a look at the situation it is easy to end up with this conclusion, but there is more to it than what it lo...
Newman writes...

Langkow GONE

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Langkow was traded for Lee Stempniak. What does the move mean for the Flames? Did Jay Feaster make the right move? Follow the link! http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/08/langk-you-very-much-daymond-langkow.html Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
With one of the greatest minor league affiliates in Hamilton, the Canadiens have a list of great young talent moving forward. There are three that played with the big boys last year that I expect to have breakout years. Max Pacioretty Last year, his season was cut short due to a spinal injury but he showed flashes of a positive future with a season that saw him play in...
Well I guess I sort of lied when I said it'd be 2-3 days for the next blog, as it's now 6 days after... my bad. :) Today as you could tell by the title, i'm doing how I think the West playoffs will turn out this year! Cheers! [u][b]ROUND 1[/b][/u] 1. Vancouver vs. 8. Calgary- Vancouver in 5. Why?: Simple: Vancouver has everything. Great offence, great defence, and a...
Well, here we go. This is Part 3 of the series and I can't believe we're almost done!!! If you have no idea whats going on, I highly suggest you click onto my profile and read Part 1 and Part 2 and leave a comment telling me what you think! Part 1 of the series was dedicated to the Western Conference Regular season standings, while Part 2 was dedicated to the Eastern C...
icedog97 writes...

Nobody Asked Me, But......

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
...I think Brendan Shanahan will do a great job as the new league disciplinarian. He has the combination of playing experience, intelligence and common sense to understand how the game should be played and officiated. ...I'm NOT REALLY DIGGING the new Predators home uniforms. Maybe when I see them in game action my mind will change, but right now, I'm reminded too much ...
I'm new here...JUST registered. I've always had this thought...not sure if it's new or not, and I have no idea how a person would go about getting an idea like this to the league, but.... I always felt that a player who just won the Stanley Cup should be recognized for it for the whole year. I know they all get rings, but I mean [u]on the ice[/u]. So...let's take ...
mshannelly writes...

The Omerta of Depression

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
We've heard it before. We reacted the same each and every time. It may have been a family member, friend, co-worker, or anyone in our lives. You hear stories about the son of so-and-so who was found hanging in the kitchen, or whats-her-name's dad turned the car on in the garage and went to sleep. Every time the reaction is the same. Yet, it keeps happening. We hav...
First off, I'd like to say that I've had a pretty miserable week so far. 1st with going bcck to school. Then on Tuesday I found out that my great grandpa, who was a former scout for the NJ Devils, had passed away. My grandma and grandpa got a call from Lou Lamoriello, who gave his condolences to our family. He was also still paying him, even though he retired about 5 years...
What is going on here? Wade Belak, the happiest man on this planet, committed suicide. I know exactly what Wade's family is going through right now and what they're thinking. "Is it my fault?", "Why wasn't he happy enough?", "How could he do this to us?". My thoughts, prayers and condolences are with the Belak family in their time of need. Okay, lets talk predictions. T...
If there is anyone out there having trouble putting together a decent team through a draft let me know and I would be happy to help out. Good luck to all you fantasy nuts out there!! Peace and most importanly GO LEAFS GO!!!
One of my favourite youtube videos of all time was Larry Robinson coming back on to the ice during a preseason beach clearing brawl to find Dave Schultz and beat the snot out of him. Like all hockey fans, violence has always been a part of the game for me and I am just as guilty as anyone for condoning and encouraging it. Having said that, I have to admit that a few ye...
johndaniel53 writes...

2012 Predictions

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Here we go! Tell me your thoughts and why. Please try to be an adult this blog isnt meant to hurt anyone its purely for fun. [u][b]Western Conference[/b][/u] 1. Van 2. LA 3. Chi 4. SJ 5. STL 6. Det 7. Nsh 8. Col 9. Clb 10. Min 11. Ana 12. Cgy 13. Dal 14. Edm 15. Phx [u][b]Eastern Conference[/b][/u] 1. TB 2. Buf 3. Pit 4. NYR 5. Was 6. Bos...
IceSage writes...

Things I miss!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Welcome to my first blog! Hopefully I will bring a fresh perspective to your Buzz experience. Here is what I promise. I will spell check my blog. I will speak from experience, in what I know and not how I can impress you. I am not an insider, don't pretend to know all the players nick names and if I don't won't disrespect the player by giving him a new one. I won't ...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 13 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Los Angeles Kings Preview. Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team. [b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
TheSchlink writes...

State of the San Jose Sharks

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The dust is starting to settle. The pain of another baffling 'shot-yourselves-in-the-foot' playoff ouster is starting to subside. We're not even to training camp yet, but we've had a chance to reflect on a season that was disappointing in result but promising to build on. If you feel like you've had that thought before about the Sharks, you aren't alone. But reflecting on ...
This week in hockey Well I am going to start a weekly blog outlining the happenings around the NHL. I know that probably no one will ever read this aside from my wife and I but figured what the heck. It has always been sort of a pipedream of mine to become a sports journalist but with life and bills getting in the way it could never become more than that. Hopefully this b...
flamesfan!! writes...

Bye Langkow

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Last week saw another long time Flame being traded away. This time the name heading out was the veteran center, Daymond Langkow. After a successful comeback to hockey, Langkow finds himself on the Coyotes, being traded by the Flames for Lee Stempniak. Langkow, one of the leaders in Calgary's locker room, recovered from a freak injury which saw him out of action for ...
flamesfan!! writes...

Bye Langkow

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Last week saw another long time Flame being traded away. This time the name heading out was the veteran center, Daymond Langkow. After a successful comeback to hockey, Langkow finds himself on the Coyotes, being traded by the Flames for Lee Stempniak. Langkow, one of the leaders in Calgary's locker room, recovered from a freak injury which saw him out of action for ...
Well, i have been an avid reader of hockey buzz for many years now.. i finally decided to write a quick blog on how i think the Eastern conference 2012 season will play out: [b]East[/b] 1. Pitsburgh [i]Reason:[/i] I firmly believe that this is the team to beat in the east... having done what they did last season without crosby for the better part of the season and wit...
IceSage writes...

We've been had!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
As die hard Buffalo Sabres fans, we have certainly had to suffer through our share of disappointments. Beyond that, we have also hung on every word of hope sent to us from owners and managers. Who could forget John Rigas standing before a crowd in downtown Buffalo, declaring that he was going to supply the tools to "get the job done" Looking back, I am not quite sure ex...
Rob McGowan writes...

Bailey's Clock Is Ticking

Posted Saturday | Comments 5
Josh Bailey is the last impending RFA for the New York Islanders that still is without a contract for next season. Will he be reporting to training camp? Or will he be without a job in 2012? Check out my report at The Checking Line. http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/baileys-clock-ticking -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitt...
I decided to cut out the Draft predictions, as that would just be a waste of a blog, and too short. So now I am onto who I think will be the league leaders in the major stats catagories. It will include the Points leader, Goals winner, Assists champ, GAA leader, Save % leader, Wins leader, and shutouts leader. Well then, here we go! [u][b]TOP 10 POINT GETTERS [/b][/u] ...
Welcome to the final part of my 5 part series. But, before we start I have 3 things I want to say. 1) I dedicate this post to the victims of the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack. As all of you know, today marks the 10th anniversary of the horrific event. I actually have a personal connection to a victim. My aunt was actually a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 1...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
1. San Jose Sharks: Forwards: 9/10 The Jan Jose Sharks are the deepest team in the league when it comes to the centre position with more NHL quality centres then they have spots. One thing is missing from the forward corps and that is and elite level winger to go with Thornton and Marleau or to spark the second line. This is the role Dany Heatley was supposed to fill but...
So with all the free time ive had on my hands at work with business slowing down /summer coming to an end im usually left with countless hours to surf the net. Unfortunatley all of the good sites are blocked ( Youtube, Yahoo, Hotmail etc) which means im left looking up meaningless stats and reading NHL blogs for the majority of my 8 hour shift. I might as well put all of t...
Training camp has started. Wait, that means hockey is right around the corner. Oh, thank God. I don't know if I can stomach any more baseball. Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson is no stranger to the trade market, and today we're going to look in to whether this has been for the better of the team or not and what to look for as the season progresses. Wilson has long ...
SabreHess writes...

Northeast Division Hardware

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Preseason predictions and rankings are about as much a guessing game as the weather. Until we've seen 30+ games of regular season action it is impossible to accurately predict how teams will perform. Yet it seems that as much as I cringe when I read everyone elses' rankings and playoff projections, I can't resist following suit. I'll try and check back on these mid-sea...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD. Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD. Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD. Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD. Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
It's such a great day for everyone who dreams of the return of the Nordiques in Quebec, like myself. I have been dreaming about this for so long and now, its unreal to take a moment and realize that a new NHL-ready arena will be built and delivered during the 2015 summer. The "Assemblée nationale" voted for Bill 204 today, which means that it secures the deal betwee...
Well it’s been a long summer. Actually it’s been 95 days since Zdeno Chara lifted the Cup over his head. It’s also been the worst summer in hockey history as the hockey world was plagued by death. This season will be a season for mourning of Derrick Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak and all those on the Russian Lokomotiv team. It hasn’t been easy to digest. ...
spasmatic13 writes...

The Banana Incident

Posted Friday | Comments 0
rather than try to retell the whole story ill just assume everyone has heard of this and to those who havnt direct you to espn.com to check it out. basically a banana was thrown from the stands at Wayne simmonds during a shootout attempt. This is my first blog and done from my Iphone so cut me some slack. that being out of the way lets jump into this. first up th...
Pittsburgh area native Brandon Saad will be playing in his 3rd straight Hawks preseason game tonight against Washington at the UC and Andrew Brunette also makes his debut as a Hawk tonight. Chicago's number one netminder, Corey Crawford, will take his place between the pipes for the Hawks tonight for the first time this preseason. Click here to read more of my Haw...
With the preseason in full gear, we have gotten to see a preview of what to expect in this defining 2012 NHL season. I know that lately my blogs have been focused on all 30 teams, but today I'm just going to talk Habs. This blog will be (obviously) about what I expect from the players (stat wise) and the team's opening night lines. Also, I'll write a blurb on a few of the ...
The Flyers have improved to 2-1-1 in their first four games of the post season. As I've reported in my previous blog, the Flyers would re-evaluate on Saturday and they did just that. At 3:01 PM the Flyers have cut 17 Players. Goalie Johan Backlund was a notable name. Backlund has struggled since his surgery and hasn't been the same when the Flyers signed him as "The g...
icedog97 writes...

Yahoo! - Same Old Story

Posted Monday | Comments 0
A quick look at the Yahoo! NHL front page shows this as the main article Same Old Story - New and improved Matt Cooke boards a guy [url]http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/New-and-improved-Matt-Cooke-boards-a-guy;_ylt=AijT3EETh3umNq2YGz92hut7vLYF?urn=nhl-wp13351[/url] Those of you that read my blog...(I think 5 now?) know I have spoken out against Cooke...
Ian Cunningham [email protected] The Tampa Bay Lightning trimmed their active roster down to 27 yesterday, sending 26 players packing in the process. This round of cuts sets up the difficult decision still remaining for Steve Yzerman and Co., with four more players set to be released. Thus, trimming the active roster down to the required 23 spots. The foll...
The war of words is already in full force among fans of the NHL, more specifically supporters of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. "Wayne Simmonds is a hypocrite." "Sean Avery is a scumbag." "(Insert player of choice) committed the worse crime." Comparisons to other cases of unsportsmanlike conduct have been made. But the truth is that derogatory and di...
Ian Cunningham [email protected] Of note, forwards Mike Angelidis, Michel Ouellet, Alex Picard, Trevor Smith and J.T. Wyman, and defensemen Richard Petiot and Mike Vernace have all cleared waivers. These seven players are now assigned to the training camp of the AHL's Norfolk Admirals. With the remaining members of the Lightning's main camp fully settled i...
I spoke about the Red Wings in the last entry, but now it’s time to take a ppek at the rest of the Western Conference. For the most part, the teams seem to be improving. There are a few teams to note though. Lots of folks have been hanging on San Jose to be the all-out favorite this year, having brought in defenseman Brent Burns and forward Martin Havlat from Minnes...
Boston's pregame ceremony recognizing their Stanley Cup championship lasted longer than it took the Flyers to trade Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. A goaltender other teams actually fear between the pipes, wearing orange and black. Jaromir Jagr sitting on the bench with his familiar "68" across his back - and unfamliar Flyers' crest across his front. Yes, it's a b...
hunsinator writes...

Could Bryz be the one?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Growing up, my father told me of the bumper stickers that became popular in Philadelphia in the 1970s. "Only God saves more than Bernie." The sticker, in reference to Bernie Parent, the only goalkeeper in the Flyers' franchise history to win a Stanley Cup, has likely been copied and used in cities across the country. Just enter your goalkeeper's name and it works. ...
habsteen26 writes...

10 Questions

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Welcome back for another installment of 10 questions! I'm your host, habsteen26. So without further ado, here we go! 1) Which coach will get canned first? Ron Wilson, Bruce Boudreau, or Alain Vigneault? 2) Chris Campoli? 3) Which Canadian 'bubble' team is most likely to make the playoffs? Winnipeg, Calgary, or Toronto? 4) Who will have the highest +/- this ...
Iban3z writes...

Flyers Off On the Right Foot

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Two games into the new look Flyers' season it appears that they seem comfortable with one another. In fact if you had no clue what was going with the team, you may have thought that they've been playing together for awhile now. Just two regular season games and two wins have many fans that were feeling doubtful with this summer's moves, having a change of heart. Thurs...
I admit, the season’s already started, and I should have already entered this little discussion beforehand, but hey, life gets in the way… As I have done with my Western Conference preview, I won’t discuss all the teams, just a few highlights, and then follow it up with a guess at the standings come season’s end. So away we go… New York Rangers The Bluesh...
PickDaddy writes...

Crosby Returning

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Dirty rumour that Sid-the-Kid will be back in line-up shortly. This is strictly a rumour at this point. Crosby has not yet been cleared for contact, and he is still wearing the red jersey in practise. That being said, the line has opened up on Sidney Crosby's games played this year. Vegas bookrunners have the odds at exactly 50 / 50. On the over under for games played t...
hunsinator writes...

Flyers in the sweet spot

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's a familiar refrain at hockey games. Fans get restless. They want action. For a lot of them, action equals shots, therefore, that familiar refrain. "SHOOT!" A simple - and logical - school of thought would be that the more you shoot, the more chances you have to score, the better chances you have to win the game. Interestingly, with the Philadelphia Flyers, at le...
On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks sent arguably their top organizational prospect in Brandon Saad (sorry Kyle Beach) back to his OHL team, the Saginaw Spirit. Though Saad registered no points in his two games with the Blackhawks in the early regular season, he did play well during the preseason against several division rivals, which included getting time on a line wit...
andydrmm writes...

Value of Miller

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I've heard a lot of bad talk about Ryan Miller. I think that he may be one of the most undervalued players in the NHL. I've heard a lot of predictions about how Jhonas Enroth will be taking on a larger role in Buffalo, and Miller may be out the door soon. I think this would be one of the biggest mistakes made for the Sabres. Ryan Miller is as good as the team around hi...
Yes, we're only three games in and, yes, the Flyers have taken six of a possible six points. We're all happy in Flyerville. But. Yes, in Philly sports, there is always a but. Right now, it's defensive zone communication. It's a problem I noted in the Flyers' win over Boston, one they seemed to do much better with against New Jersey, but Wednesday night against Vancou...
by Ian Cunningham [email protected] The Tampa Bay Lightning sit below the .500 mark for the first time under Guy Boucher’s tenure as head coach of the hockey club. The team has allowed at least four goals against in the past three contests, the end result being one point of a possible six. This after starting the season with a convincing 5-1 victory over a ...
FLYERSROCK! writes...

Ask me any question!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Ok, I'm at home sick, so I'm gonna leave this blog up for 2-3 days, ask me absolutely anything, and I will answer truthfully. Edit: and yes, I did get this idea from my hero, Adam French. Have at it! *I will post the answers on a separate/maybe the same blog in 2-3 days.*
RickDixon writes...

Brooks Laich

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
I just wanted to comment on what Brooks Laich had to say about the NHL's new rules about player protection. Brooks just wants to play the game. He's tired of people telling him what he has to do in certain situations for the betterment of the players. In my opinion he couldn't be more right. Secondly I applaud him for going on record during such a tumultuous time. T...
Cecil09 writes...

State of the Oilers

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Watching the Edmonton Oilers play Saturday night brought a couple thoughts to mind, good and bad. Needless to say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is here to stay. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are very, very good hockey players and by the end of the season 'great' may be a more fitting adjective. They have tons of young offensive pieces in place with Paajarvi, Gagner, Hemsky, Omark a...
Cecil09 writes...

State of the Oilers

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Watching the Edmonton Oilers play Saturday night brought a couple thoughts to mind, good and bad. Needless to say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is here to stay. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are very, very good hockey players and by the end of the season 'great' may be a more fitting adjective. They have tons of young offensive pieces in place with Paajarvi, Gagner, Hemsky, Omark a...
Cecil09 writes...

State of the Oilers

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Watching the Edmonton Oilers play Saturday night brought a couple thoughts to mind, good and bad. Needless to say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is here to stay. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are very, very good hockey players and by the end of the season 'great' may be a more fitting adjective. They have tons of young offensive pieces in place with Paajarvi, Gagner, Hemsky, Omark a...
Cecil09 writes...

State of the Oilers

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Watching the Edmonton Oilers play Saturday night brought a couple thoughts to mind, good and bad. Needless to say, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is here to stay. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle are very, very good hockey players and by the end of the season 'great' may be a more fitting adjective. They have tons of young offensive pieces in place with Paajarvi, Gagner, Hemsky, Omark a...
From 1997 to 2006, the Vancouver Canucks must have used around a million different netminders, and never found a clear #1 since Kirk Mclean. What I mean by this is they never had a goaltender after that, that was "the guy", well, they did have Dan Cloutier who was probably one of the better regular season goaltenders out there at the time, but at best good for a round in t...
SabreHess writes...

Northeast Numbers volume 1

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Welcome to my first Northeast Numbers column of the season. We're only a few games into the new year, but I figured it was the right time to take our first glance at the numbers and gauge these teams. [u]Records:[/u] Toronto[b] 3-0-1[/b] (3 ROW) Buffalo [b]3-1-0[/b] (3 ROW) Boston [b]2-3-0[/b] (1 ROW) Montreal [b]1-2-1[/b] (1 ROW) Ottawa [b]1-4-0[/b] (0 ROW) ...
by Ian Cunningham [email protected] Roman Hamrlik of the Washington Capitals recently played in his 1,315th game in the NHL, making him the leader in games played by an Eastern European born player. The Czech defenseman started his career with the expansion 1992-93 Tampa Bay Lightning. Hamrlik remembers the challenges of making the transition to the North Ame...
So the Penguins best defenseman has been suspended 2 games for his hit on Jets forward Alex Burmistrov during the Pen's 2-1 loss to the Jets. Burmistrov was not injured on the play and Letang received a 2-minute minor for boarding. This was the first suspension under the "Shanahan Regime" that involved a star player. What are your thoughts on the suspension ? Too...
The Jets head east tonight to take on the Leafs tonight in what should prove to be a bit of a barometer for the club. If they expect to be in the running for a playoff spot, Toronto is one of the clubs they will just have to find a way to beat. [b]The Newly Named G.S.T. Line[/b] The line of Tanner Glass, Chris Thorburn, and Jim Slater has been dubbed by Winnipeg...
Here we are on October 19th, 6 games into the Canucks regular season, and local sports talk shows are flooded with calls by the usual boneheaded people about the teams 2-3-1 start, and of course, Roberto Luongo. It's not a debate or argument if Luongo isnt involved, not in this city. What really gets me is the fact that the team infront of Luongo last night owned 50 mins o...
Whether or not Mark Sceifele stays with the Jets through the 9-game mark remains to be seen. He has been invisible in a few of the games so far this season and also has seen reduced ice time in close games. One thing is certain though for the young kid from Ontario. The puck is starting to find him. In the preseason Jets fans thought they might have found themsel...
With the sole intent of expressing my opinion and to raise enough eyebrows to thwart nasty responses; I have decided to write a blog about the Canucks as a whole. The organization, the fans, the forwards, the D, the coaches and oh yeah, the goalie..(s). I will break it up into a two-part series. To be honest, for the better part of the last few years the Canucks have be...
gomer300 writes...

Luongo

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
A lot's been made out of Luongo's recent play on certain goals. I may have, in certain public forums and Facebook pages, called for him to be moved, shut down, pulled or at least replaced with Schneider in a wig, make-up and Lu's jersey. Those have been momentary reactions and I want to apologize, I really do. There's more to life than hockey and I'm watching a team tha...
Rivera writes...

New kid on the block

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
First and foremost, thank you to hockeybuzz for providing a forum where I could write about my opinions and also facts. Secondly I feel like I need to inform people that in no way do i have any writing experience or formal training (as you will be able to tell through my writing style), I am just a fan of the game and a fan of the Toronto maple leafs, have been since...
In a snoozefest of a hockey game, the Flames dropped their second straight Saturday afternoon. But did they necessarily play that bad? And what about the revised goaltending philosophy in Calgary. These things will be debated... http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/no-afternoon-delight-flames-lose-second.html Newman Follow me: Twitter.com/TSRNewman
The plan. I have heard this term a few times now from the management and coaches of the Flames. The plan was to have Kipper play less and have the back up come in and win a few. I think we now have enough of a look at Karlsson to make an accurate assessment of his play and that is he is not the right guy. The plan only works when things fall into place and sometimes that p...
While neither goalie has proven themselves to be a top flight NHL starter, there is a twist to the story. Reimer, once thought to be nothing more but a future backup goalie is the Leafs number one guy. Monster, once thought to be their future number one goalie is starting to look like nothing more then a possible back up. My question is, Do you think Monster can s...
First let me say this is my first blog on this site, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!! I know it's not even one month into the season, and a lot of fans may be upset reading this, but remember it is only my opinion. This season is looking more and more like a complete right-off. This team is going nowhere fast, and even if by some miracle we do sneak int...
4blindmice writes...

The Luongo Effect

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
While geneticists on Terra Nova hope to head off global warming (oops! Climate change nowadays) by discovering the insidious Luongo genome, NBA owners and players are at an impasse over whether or not Booby Lu is in fact responsible for all of the woes facing pro sports today. A bit of a stretch you say? Well, considering that callers to Vancouver sports radio shows are...
habsteen26 writes...

10 Habs Questions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I have nothing note-worthy to say, other than I am very excited to watch Habs-Bruins tonight. I was vacationing in Florida the past three weeks, time shares didn't have NHL Network or CBC! No surprise though, I was reading through the morning papers each day to keep up with my hockey pool with my friends, and went through about eight total pages of Baseball and Football, b...
The Islanders played a full 60-minute hockey game last night but lost in overtime due to a questionable call on Travis Hamonic. Rob McGowan provides the post-game report at The Checking Line. http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/islanders-get-hammered-sharks -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM Be sure to "lik...
by Ian Cunningham [email protected] There has been an abundant amount of speculation the past week or so regarding the Tampa Bay Lightning’s goaltending situation. Namely, that a change is needed to keep the hockey club competitive with increasingly difficult Eastern Conference squads. The NHL Standings as of November 1st read more like science fiction com...
FLYERSROCK! writes...

NHL Fun stats

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well I work on this during the intermissions of the Flyers game, and finally finished... here are some funs NHL Stats guys! :thumbsup: [u]Eastern Conference[/u] [u]Atlantic: 53 GP[/u] Pits: 13 GP, 18 P Phil: 11 GP, 13 P NYR: 10 GP, 11 P NJD: 10 GP, 9 P NYI: 9 GP, 8 P [u]Northeast: 54 GP[/u] Tor: 11 GP, 15 P Ott: 12 GP, 14 P Buf: 10 GP, 12 P Mon: 11 GP, 1...
We are now almost a month into the 2011-12 NHL season, so I decided to take a look at the top performers thus far and create the First Month All-Star team. The rules are simple every team must have a representative. Once each team has their rep then the best players are selected. I have selected the top 24 forwards, 12 defenseman and 6 goaltenders, while also selecting an ...
Wouldn’t it be nice if just once Ron MacLean actually challenged one of Don Cherry’s outlandish assertions and made him support it with some substance? Seriously though, if you throw in a few Cherry-wanna-be’s, like Mike Milbury or Doug MacLean, the so-called expert analysis segment of your favourite hockey program is filled to the brim with unsupported rhetoric f...
Since winning the Calder Memorial Trophy for being the top rookie in 2008-09 Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets has been downright terrible. Mason had a terrific rookie year posting a 2.29 GAA with a .916 save percentage to go along with an incredible 10 shutouts. But since that fabulous debut Mason has posted a GAA of over 3 with a save percentage of .901 along wit...
After a tumultuous start to his New York Islanders career Nabokov showed up to training camp this year and have proved that he is still capable of being a strong NHL goaltender. Couple that with the emergence last season of Al Montoya and the forever under contract Rick DiPietro and the Islanders have three goaltenders that could be the team’s starter. If the Islan...
Recently Eklund has posted a rumor suggesting that the Columbus Blue Jackets are interested in Chris Mason and/or Antero Niittymaki. Now while I don't doubt the Blue Jackets have interest in both goalies, and all goalies for that matter, I do doubt the fact that they will be able to get either of these goalies. Lets start with Chris Mason, who is currently injured bu...
Brian Rolston said he would play better if used on the top two lines; in his first game on the second unit, Rolston scored his first goal of the season and played on the most succesful line against the Washington Capitals last night. Rob McGowan reports. http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/time-brian-rolston-revival Like TCL's Islanders Fac...
Rob McGowan takes a look at the current goalie rotation that is currently plaguing the Isles ability to win hockey games. http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/montoya-minutes-al-needs-play Follow us on twitter @TCLIsles (twitter.com/TCLIsles) and like our Facebook page with all of our Islanders blogs and more! www.facebook.com/TCLIsles ...
Newman writes...

Flames Moves: Youth Movement

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hagman on waivers. Backlund is back. Byron up, Brodie up. Babchuk and Bmo out. Check out a quick recap of the Flames recent moves and tell me what you think as the Flames just got a helluva lot younger. Click below: [url]http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/11/flames-moves-youth-movement.html[/url] Newman
Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson's recent decision to start 'Big Ben' instead of 'The Monster' against the St Louis Blues played out as nothing short of an inspired choice. Scrivens was undeniably excellent on a night when the Leafs came out strong, fell asleep for 35 minutes, and then awoke for the final few minutes and overtime to earn the W. What does this decision ultima...
andydrmm writes...

Deserved To Lose

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
There is no nice way to say this after the Sabres vs Bruins game from TD Garden Place tonight. The Buffalo Sabres deserved to lose. Just about anytime that the Sabres made a turnover, anywhere on the ice, the Bruins capitalized. Buffalo’s passing was lackadaisical throughout the course of the game. The team lacked energy, despite having scored the first goal of the n...
Newman writes...

Flames Split Back-to-Back

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Lose one. Win one. It's been the story of the season for the Flames. Paul Byron showed some jump tonight. Come read more here: http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/11/flames-split-back-to-back.html Newman
mfreedman writes...

Be a GM Mode: Leafs

Posted Monday | Comments 0
So I woke up today looked in the mirror and saw Brian Burke staring back at me? Weird, I know, but I figure now that I look like him I may have the chance to scratch one item off my wish-list, which is to be the GM of the Leafs! Now, I don’t know how long this is going to last, so I am going to have to act fast if I want to make a difference. So to cut to the chase, I am...
Ken Campbell is wrong. Very, very wrong. In his latest gem of an article he proclaimed that the Leafs have never had a "true superstar" on the team, that Sundin doesn't belong in the HHOF in his first year of eligibility, and the HHOF is biased towards Toronto players. http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/42947-Campbell-Hall-of-Fame-Leafs-bias-will-benefit-Sundin.htm...
Right now the Buffalo Sabres remind me of Cerberus the three headed hound from Greek mythology. In this case however, instead of a menacing multi-headed beast guarding the entrance to the Underworld, the Sabres have their own triple threat in Vanek, Roy, and Pominville. Thomas Vanek (11g, 11a, 22pts) is tied for second in the NHL in scoring, despite averaging less time...
Once again, we have witnessed a Boston Bruin escape any external discipline for his violent on ice transgression. I'm not one of these people that are screaming collusion or inequity of discipline. I'm simply looking at events in front of me and trying to make sense of the NHL actions. First, let's travel back in time to March 8, 2011 and the infamous Pacioretty hit. ...
Sabres42 writes...

Wait a Second...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
A night after I was killing my team for 40 minutes of uninspired and awful play in the Bell Centre followed by 20 minutes of dominance and a W via the shootout, I took a look at the standings this morning as per usual. Wait a second...the Buffalo Sabres are in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference 1 pt behind Philly and first in the NE Division. Now raise your hand if you ...
mfreedman writes...

Player Review: Phil Kessel

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It has been over 2 years since Kessel has been traded to the Blue & White, and ever since trade day (T-Day) Phil has been put under the spotlight by fans, media, and alike. I have no interest in evaluating the deal, as it has already been done to death, and the fact of the matter is that all players involved are either too young/inexperienced to play in the NHL as of ...
Evgeni Nabokov appeared to be on the trading block before suffering a groin injury Thursday night that put him on the Injured Reserve. Rob McGowan explains how this may actually increase his value later on in the season. http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/nabokovs-injury-may-increase-his-value I will also be appearing on Hockey This Week ...
Rob McGowan provides the post-game report at The Checking Line as the Islanders were victimized in an effortless 6-0 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Boston Bruins. http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/their-worst-game-season-isles-lose-6-0-bruins -Rob McGowan Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/IslesRM http://twitter....
The most underrated player currently in a Leaf Jersey would have to be #19 Joffrey Lupul. Effective in all areas of the ice, the Lupster (trying out the nickname) has managed to keep up over a point per game pace so far through ¼ of the regular season. His play thus far has been overshadowed by that of Phil Kessel, but in the end, some time out of the spot-light may have ...
andydrmm writes...

REALISTIC Boston Preview

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I read Garth’s blog earlier about the upcoming matchup with Boston (See Chowds Have Another Thing Coming). Dear God, I don’t know what else to say to this. I don’t know if he’s been watching the same games as the rest of us, but it was pretty presumptuous. Buffalo should not be worried about extracting revenge on Lucic. Will someone take a run at him? I’d lik...
So I was watching the Pittsburgh game last night and just got onto thinking of what Dan Bylsma was able to accomplish over the past year and a half, while missing his top 2 players (Crosby and Malkin) for a significant portion of time. It got me thinking how much I would love to have a guy like this running the Leaf’s bench and then it got me thinking even more. Currentl...
andydrmm writes...

Not a Time For Revenge

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Apparently, some people (Garth) didn’t get it when I wrote my blog yesterday looking forward to the Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins game tomorrow night. Let me try, one more time. First off, I see that Garth feels the Sabres should “run Seguin or Bergeron”. Then, he writes in that Shanahan, “God” of NHL discipline, will be watching the game very carefully. To...
andydrmm writes...

A Solid Loss

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I watched an extremely entertaining hockey game last night. Buffalo showed up to play, and meant business as well. I think Boston was probably surprised at Buffalo’s style of play last night. Despite the fact that Buffalo lost in the shoot out, it was a good loss for Buffalo, and should be a boost to their confidence. Last night, Buffalo started to show the type of po...
Rob McGowan brings you the post-game report at The Checking Line as the Islanders have been shutout for the sixth time this season http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/still-without-power-island-isles-lose-1-0-devils -Rob McGowan Follow our Isles staff on Twitter! http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
Captain Serious, a.k.a. Jonathan Toews, gets paid the big bucks for many reasons. He scores goals, he sets up plays, he digs out the puck in corners in order to set up said plays and he shuts down some of the most lethal opposing offensive threats in the NHL. Of course, you already knew that. Good players in the NHL can provide offense for their teams throughout th...
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that the Lightning may be interested in loaning Brett Connolly to Canada’s World Junior Championship squad this coming December. If you’re team Canada, why wouldn’t you want Connolly? He has all the intangibles necessary to be a great WJC player. For example, let’s take a look at some of the great WJC leaders for Canada in the past ...
Sabres42 writes...

Getting Healthier

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Stafford, Regher, and Kaleta will return tonight leaving the Sabres with only 6 regulars out. Ennis should be back Friday, Miller will take part in his first full practice tomorrow probably meaning another week or so for him, Weber and McCormick both skated today. As the Sabres get healthier will they start to climb the eastern conference again? I think they are startin...
yave1964 writes...

Bobby Ryan rumors

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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 ...
Still think Chicago should make that bid for Bobby Ryan? Right. Be sure to check out TCL's newest Blackhawks' writer Maggie Avila's game recap from last night here - http://thecheckingline.com/blog/maggie-avila/chicago-blackhawks/chicago-blackhawks-home-sick-or-sick-home Here's a brief goal analysis of last night's joke of a 60 minute effort by your Chicago ...
Here with a quick update. The Lightning have signed Victor Hedman to a 5 year $20million contract extension. Hedman, who is second on the team in ice time this season, has struggled offensively this season. Though, the talent is there and it should only be a matter of time before points start to come. [b]My Thoughts on the Deal:[/b] With this being the last year o...
Last time John Tortorella and Brad Richards were at the St. Pete Times Forum it was a very happy time for the Lightning. Fresh off winning the Stanley Cup and heading into the lock-out, things looked good for the franchise moving forward. That was until the dreaded SALARY CAP…..ugh…..took hold of this team and forced Jay Feaster to rip the team apart. Richards was o...
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue their winning ways tonight when they matchup with the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks are coming off of an exciting 5-4 shootout win against the struggling New York Islanders last night and look to build on that success. This will be the second matchup of the season for these two teams, with the Blues ta...
Hello everyone, welcome to the first installment of Trade Wars: Habsteen26 vs Nucker101! You may already be familiar with this series, as hockeybuzz bloggers Dan Cloutier and Travis Yost did the exact same thing a while ago. As for the rules, they will be very similar to Travis and Dan's rules. I, will be the acting GM for every team in the Eastern Conference while my ...
Al Montoya has been playing excellent lately, making himself the team's number one goaltender. But with Rick DiPietro's contract keeping him here for many more years to come, how long will Montoya's run last? http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/have-isles-become-montoyas-team -Rob McGowan http://twitter.com/IslesRM http://twitter.com/TCLI...
Well, the Ranger game is now over and I suppose it’s time to go over my downright dreadful predictions. Without further ado, my post-game recap. 1. Lightning dominate the game but the score is close until the final buzzer. The Rangers are red hot but the Lightning have all the intangibles necessary to beat this team. The final score? 5-4 Lightning. [b]Okay, so I didn...
SabreHess writes...

Northeast Numbers Vol. 2

Posted Monday | Comments 0
We're just beyond the one third portion of the NHL schedule, and the divisional races are beginning to take shape. The Northeast Division is as tightly contested as they come as the entire division is separated by a mere 6 points. The next closest division races in the league are both 12 point margins in the Southeast and Pacific divisions. Here's where we stand in the ...
Matt Moulson has been named the NHL's First Star of the Week. Rob McGowan reports for The Checking Line: Islanders Edition with that and more! http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/moulson-seeing-stars -Rob McGowan http://twitter.com/IslesRM http://twitter.com/TCLIsles http://islanders.thecheckingline.com www.facebook.com/TCLIsl...
I have been watching the leafs for 12 years now (the better part of my life) and I can honestly say, without any doubt in my mind, that a group of hockey players must have kidnapped the Leafs, stolen their jerseys, and played out the entire first period of Toronto’s 3-2 win over the Rags, before letting the real Leafs back on the ice in the 2nd. There is no other explana...
This story is becoming more and more familiar. Despite rallying to erase a 3-0 deficit to tie the game late in the second period, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to finish off a hard-working Phoenix Coyotes club in the shootout, losing 4-3. Both Oliver Ekman-Larsson and former Blackhawk Radim Vrbata scored for Phoenix in the shootout, while red-hot Blackhawks ...
Gunner Staal writes...

NHL changes foundation

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The NHL and the Board of Governors has approved a plan that will dramatically change the landscape of the NHL regular season and playoffs. With any new plan there are going to be pros and cons. Unfortunately for me I feel that the cons dominate the pros in the new setup. Here is some of the fallout from the changes: [b]Creating divisional rivalries:[/b] The sche...
The Islanders, who are boasting the worst offense in the league with only a dismal 59 goals for (the second worst team is the L.A. Kings with 63), were heavily criticized for one specific thing over the past three months; not scoring enough goals. (Shocking, right?) After being shutout several times this year, the Isles were becoming a one-trick pony; if the line of Mou...
Brian Rolston, Jay Pandolfo, Marty Reasoner and Steve Staios were added to this Islanders team during the off-season to provide veteran stability throughout the line-up; Rolston was acquired for cap room and an added offensive punch over Trent Hunter, Pandolfo and Reasoner were brought in for defensive support on the bottom line, and Staios added grit and experience to a r...
Sidney Crosby is out indefinitely with reoccurring concussion like symptoms. Words that all Penguin fans and most civil hockey fans find terrible and concerning. 8 games into his first comeback attempt he started experiencing symptoms that he knows all too well and decided to act on the side of caution and shut it down. All fans of 87 knew there was the potential of s...
araisfarah23 writes...

Ron Wilson: Here to Stay

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ron Wilson has had his shares of ups and downs in his three seasons....mostly downs. Being under the spotlight for a losing franchise in hockey's biggest market, Wilson has been constantly bashed and disregarded for an otherwise decent job as coach. Although not having appeared in the playoffs, Wilson has implemented a fast paced g...
Fast, skilled, great hands. These are the components that make up Nazem Kadri of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization's game. Some believe that he has earned his right to play in the National Hockey League full time as he has nothing to prove on the farm team. While his game is ready, he is not ready to be the face of the franchise. Ever since being draft 7th overall in a ...
Phil Kessel leads the league in goals, 2nd in points, and has been everything advertised when brought to the Maple Leafs from the Bruins. Although he has been one of the best forwards in the league if not the best, Leafs MVP award a third of the season is Dion Phaneuf. The Leafs are in a position to make the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons has a huge part beca...
Iban3z writes...

Brayden Schenn's road block

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
When the Flyers traded Mike Richards to the LA Kings in exchange for Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, they really were rolling the dice. They knew Simmonds has the potential to net in 20 goals and be effective on the PP as well as play very physically and protect his team mates, but with Schenn it was a gamble. Scouts described Schenn as the best prospect in and the b...
Two goals, including the winner in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes. Not bad for a former Buffalo Sabres outcast whom was subject to ridicule in his multiple seasons with their organization. Injuries, inconsistency, and turnovers were the reasons the Sabres opted to not resign him for this upcoming season. They say another man's garbage is another's treasure. This ...
I will start this by stating due to personal obligations I missed the first half of the game due to other obligations. Due to the bipolar nature of the media in and regarding Toronto, I can't tell whether this was an amazing game by Toronto which Cam Ward earned the Hurricanes a point, or the Leafs squeaked by with a win. I will stick to the third period of this one. ...
Iban3z writes...

The NHL's Concussion Issue

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Since the beginning of the 2011-2012 season, Claude Giroux, Sidney Crosby, Jeff Skinner, Brayden Schenn, Daniel Paille, Peter Muller, Joey Hishon, Radek Martinek, Marek Zidlicky, Nino Niederreriter, Michael Sauer, Milan Michalek, Zbynek Michalek, Kris Letang and Andy Mcdonald have all been diagnosed with concussions. While the NHL attempts to remove hits to the head, ...
pdg123 writes...

Swatting Away the Injury Bug

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Every team finds itself with a few injuries over the course of a seaon, maybe 6 or 7, with most not missing a serious amount of action. There is always that one team every year though that seems to get the injury bug, and this year it is none other than the Philadelphia Flyers. The following is a list of players who have gone down so far this season for the Flyers (in...
Gunner Staal writes...

No Timetable

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
The concussions have started to officially pile up at an alarming rate to top end skill players in the NHL. Crosby, Giroux, Milan Michalek, Skinner, all in the past week and a half That includes the best hockey player in the world, the NHL points leader, the NHL goal leader, and one of the best young stars in the game. That is not to leave out players like Pronger, Letang...
The list of players having recieved a concussion this season hit 23 this morning, according to a Globe and Mail report. This is concerning for a lot of reasons, none larger than the names that have made the list. Sidney Crosby, Ryan Miller, Claude Giroux all have found themselves on the shelf for some time this season with the dreaded C word. Consider that 2 of the top ...
[img]http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/1564/eruption5.jpg[/img] Welcome Back! Tonight's game is the first game that Jay Feaster will get the play against his former team the Tampa Lightning. It was in 2008 that Jay Feaster decided to resign from his position as GM of the Lightning and he will be looking for the win. As much as I wish I could say this team would be m...
Wild_Halo writes...

A Concussion Epidemic?!

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
A Concussion Epidemic?! - 12/15/11 This week may have been the worse week for the NHL in terms of Concussions that it has ever experienced. The Hurricanes have lost Jeff Skinner and Joni Pitkanen. The Flyers have lost Chris Pronger and Claude Giroux. The Ottawa Senators have lost Milan Michalek. The Wild have seen the return of power forward Guillaume Latendresse, only ...
[b]...for the Philadelphia Flyers: [/b] They now know they will be at least 52 more regular season games without their top defender and captain, Chris Pronger. Although the efforts of Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall have sufficed, this cannot be effective over a long-term span, and a trade for a proven defender is necessary if the Flyers are serious about a St...
It's always amusing when the media is really eager to jump all over any negative stat out there, and at the same time ignore some positive ones. Everyone knows the Leafs penalty kill is struggling and regardless if they win, it will make headlines the next day if they allow even a single power play goal – as was the case after Tuesday’s game vs. Carolina. What's puz...
I'm taking another shot at the live blog. Tonight, Buffalo takes on the Leafs. If Buffalo wants to win, they need to play 60 minutes. This Maple Leaf team will eat them alive if they don't. As one of my counterparts pointed out on here, Buffalo is ahead of their pace from last season point wise. However, what I don't think he's looked at is the fact that Buffalo co...
TheRollingPuck writes...

Scandell-ous

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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 ...
After a close-call win against the conference dwelling Hurricanes, the Maple Leafs dropped two hard fought games this weekend against two good teams, Buffalo & Vancouver, who for the most part, played a little better than Toronto did over the 60 minute span. Yes, both games had glaring errors. Neutral zone turnovers, horrible PK, a couple soft goals, HORRIBLE refer...
yave1964 writes...

Go west young men

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The annual canadien west coast trip, followed by a revenge game with Nashville to finish the trip. How many points do we need to get for the trip to be a success? I think five is the magic number, any less is a bad trip, and more a gift. Road blues are still a problem this year, hopefully this trip takes care of it.........
[i] Rags2Riches' regular blogs will return after the holidays [/i] It is hard to figure out the real meaning of the standings when teams have played different amount of games. Its impossible to predict what a team will do with games at hand, so that analysis may be faulty. The point-per-game tool is handy but less simplistic than the regular points system and again base...
Last nights match, although tough to bear at some points, was one of the more entertaining games I have seen from the Leafs in a while. There were a lot of positives coming out of the game, but the negatives were the same as they have been for the last few years. I prefer ending on a good note, so let’s start with [b]the bad[/b]: 1) Not my biggest beef with the t...
Dear Molson Family, I am hereby informing you of my intention to apply for the post of the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens. Although my experience is very limited, I plan to explain why I would be by far the best GM the Canadiens have had in the cap era. It is difficult to truly know what the team would look like under my guidance over the last few years. ...
jgross25 writes...

Fear Not, Philly Phaithful

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Is it just me, or has a wave of dread washed over Flyerdom? A few concerns I have heard are: Pronger is out for the season and playoffs, Claude Giroux was concussed and is rushing back too soon, Ilya Bryzgalov has not played like the all star he was in Phoenix, and the list goes on and on. I have one word for the fans: RELAX! If you are a Flyers fan like me, you view ...
Read my latest at The Checking Line (Isles Edition) where I take a look at the recent injuries to the Islanders and explain what it might mean for the team as the season moves along. http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-injuries-starting-mount -Rob McGowan http://twitter.com/IslesRM http://twitter.com/TCLIsles www.facebook...
[img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/390310_10150417679757293_500697292_8615052_2062699810_n.jpg[/img] Christmas Time! Sorry for not getting a blog up sooner as I had expected to yesterday at some point. Christmas time is here and I have plenty of shopping still left. I will be traveling to Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston (kind of like a hockey road trip)...
After last night’s brutal loss to the San Jose Sharks, it’s time for the Tampa Bay Lightning Holiday Multiple Choice survey! No answer is a wrong answer; this is just to get a perspective from each and every single one of you. Without further ado, here we go. [b]1. What should Steve Yzerman’s next move be?[/b] [b]A: Fire Guy Boucher[/b] When teams struggle, ...
When Leafs forward Nazem Kadri was called up from the Marlies last week, many thought it would be the last chance he would get to show what he was capable of at the NHL level. Many felt that the seventh overall pick in 2009 has had enough chances to prove himself, and at this stage in his career he should already be making an impact on a big league roster. Kadri has larg...
The Canadiens come to town in what is shaping up to be a tale of two underperforming teams heading in opposite directions. The Lightning have put together a couple of really solid efforts that have us looking upwards towards greener pastures. The Canadiens are still so enigmatic that it is so hard to read. On the one had, you think that they might do something still thi...
yave1964 writes...

Wings Hawks rivalry

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Finally!! When the schedule makers came up with the idea of pushing the Chicago/detroit series off until this late in the season, could they have known how much it would be anticipated? Chicago with 50 points, Detroit with 47, the Blues playing like annoying little brother wanting to play with the big boys, all together three of the best teams in hockey. Chicago is o...
[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6593768465_4fc6277974_b.jpg[/img] Christmas time Let me start by saying Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to you all. I had a great Christmas and spent time visiting relatives all over Ontario, and stuffing my face. The best gift aside from the time with everyone? Box seats, center ice, for the Calgary versus Ottawa game! Now th...
What is four out of five? Four is the place the Flyers sit at, out of the Top 5 teams in the Eastern Conference. Four out of the last five Flyer injuries were “head” injuries. Finally, four out of five represents the current Flyers five game span, four losses. (Before Pittsburgh Game) Many fans have some concern and are asking questions. Is our defense missing Prong...
Although the effort wasn’t as strong as it had been in the last two, you’ve got to like the Lightning’s comeback from 3-1 down. It was a game that had a little bit of emotion, some nice offensive play and a lot of excitement. Overall, while I wasn’t totally impressed with everything from the Bolts tonight, it was nice to see a victory after falling behind early. ...
The Isles would go on to win 4-1 over the Edmonton Oilers on Ken Morrow night. The Checking Line - Isles Edition provides you with the post-game coverage. http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-strike-oil-4-1-win-over-edmonton -Rob McGowan http://twitter.com/IslesRM http://twitter.com/TCLIsles www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
GoHaBsGo56 writes...

Gorges extension

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
GoHaBsGo56 writes...

Gorges extension

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
It’s funny to consider just how far the Toronto Maple Leafs have fallen from the tree that is the cream of the crop in the NHL. What a witty little analogy that was. To start the season, everything that could go right for the Leafs, was going right for the Leafs. They were getting solid goaltending from James Reimer, timely scoring from the top line and great defensiv...
GoHaBsGo56 writes...

Gorges extension

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
GoHaBsGo56 writes...

Contact Extension

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
GoHaBsGo56 writes...

Contact Extension

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
GoHaBsGo56 writes...

Contract extension

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
GoHaBsGo56 writes...

Contract extension

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
andydrmm writes...

Coach Upgrade

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I’ve been asked a few times as to where Buffalo would go with a new coach. Personally, I think there is only one answer to this, as for this season. Ron Rolston, as interim coach, to finish the season. One of the benefits I have is living where I can get to both Sabres and Amerks games on a regular basis. I’ve watched Rochester numerous times this season. They ...
So the bench boss went on record with the media by saying that the performance of Eric Fehr has to be better. Noel pulled no punches in his interview and put his point across as a matter-of-factly as one possibly could. I suppose the ball is now in Fehr's court and many Jets fans are waiting to see what the big forward will do after being singled out in such a manner. ...
yave1964 writes...

Chris Conner sent down

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Wings have sent Conner down to get his injured wrist rehabbed, but also it frees up cap space, there is a chance that it is a precurser to a deal. Hemsky for Kindl??? h
I breathed a sigh of relief as the horn sounded at First Niagara Center tonight and Buffalo finished the game on top, for a change. However, this was far from perfect. Buffalo played a bipolar style of game. There were moments during the game when Edmonton was in control, despite having played in Chicago last night. Most importantly, Buffalo crawled away with 2 points. ...
Heading into this game, everything seemed right for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts had just come off a 3-0-0 run at the Tampa Bay Times Forum (I try to plug it as much as possible just to get used to it) and were looking for a fourth straight victory in Toronto. Say what you want about tonight’s game, but it’s pretty hard to argue that, on paper, this wasn’t a ...
SettleDownRyan writes...

Oilers year in review

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's hard being an Oilers fan where losing to win seems to be the new school of thought. Where the present doesn't matter it's the belief that better days are coming. This past year has been no different, it's the same management in control of the same losing record. Let's take a look at some of the changes which occured in this past calendar year. January 1st 2011 saw ...
Tomorrow, the Lightning are in Montreal to take on the Canadiens. If our Bolts cannot get up for this one, I will officially consider this season a write-off. It’s always exciting for this group to play in Montreal. Few teams have the French connection that the Bolts do. Guys like Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier typically put in that extra little bit to play wel...
[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FsjRzf68I0s/TdOxz6uVlTI/AAAAAAAAAzM/QntEDfnHxno/s1600/elephant20shit1.jpg[/img] With an effort last night that can only be described as "Worse that anything I have squiged out of my Ass", the Calgary Flames managed to drop their fifth game in a row last night 9-0. I SAID NINE NOTHING!! A shut out vs nine goals. This is disgus...
Pricer31 writes...

Take A Note Montreal.

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It would appear as if in the last five years Montreal has become a veterans grave. It seems that word has been spread around how if your an overpaid, underachieving veteran, Montreal's the place to go, it has to stop. A sacred franchise is fast becoming a joke due to its shockingly bad trades and unnecessary signings such as Scott Gomez for Ryan McDonagh, and the signing o...
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. While that may be the tagline for CBS’s popular show, Survivor, it is also exactly what the Montreal Canadiens did to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. That loss, giving the Bolts a record of 3-3 on my little stretch, all but puts the Lightning out of contention. Unless drastic changes are made, we aren’t going to be seeing playoff hockey...
Xwayde writes...

Donald S Cherry

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
What a guy! Isn't he beautiful?! I have chosen to write my next blog about one of my favourite sports personalities of all time. Nothing irritates me more then people who constantly berate and chastise Don Cherry when they don't even know the guy. Off-screen, what does Don do? Spends his time helping the hockey community in every way he can. He visits hospitals...
BrowntoBure writes...

The Boston Tear Party

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Boston. Beantown, Hub, The Walking City. So many cute nicknames these arrogant Chowd's have for their city, but everyone knows the best nicknames aren't given to ones self, but rather thrust upon you by others. Allow me to introduce to you, Boston, The Centre For Mass Hypocrisy. Our blue collared, working class heroes to the east have thrown quite the party the past fe...
Many people in the hockey community feel that the amount of concussions suffered by NHL players is a serious issue – and it is. It is no secret that the number of reported concussions in the NHL has been on the rise over the last number of years compared to the past. This can be attributed to a number of things. First, the knowledge of concussions and the symptoms have i...
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to really build on something that Garth wrote about before. I back Miller as well. Let’s be honest about how hockey works. How to assess blame in hockey? On average, 12 forwards are dressed a night, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies, 1 of which starts. Now, throughout any given night, numerous defensemen can make bad brea...
Pricer31 writes...

Two Minutes For Instigating.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As Montreal struggles to climb into a playoff spot its apparent they're lacking in more than a few areas of expertise. This year however the PP, offense and the teams toughness and grit have been among the teams problems. However with one move they can drastically improve the teams grit and strength, Colton Orr. Montreal needs a player who can stand up for their superstars...
It's becoming harder and harder to whine and complain about the Habs. The painful reality of what is has set in. I've said for many years, regardless of the organisation, leadership and success is a culture. And that culture starts at the top. Not in the locker room. Not in the history books. At the top of an active, dynamic stack of people. It's become clear that the c...
mfreedman writes...

Leafs Game Day! +Rumors

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Pregame:[/b] Toronto is about to step into HSBC Arena for the 2nd time this week. There is no doubt in my mind that Buffalo is going to be craving for a win against the Leafs considering the recent slide they have seen in the standings and the fact that the team they used to be able to write off as a win in their schedule, has finally started showing up to play. ...
By: Peter Harling Leafs GM Brian Burke recently was a guest on the fan590 Prime Time Sports, and On ESPN, and was very candid in response to questions if he was close to making a significant deal. "We are listening to a lot right now, and there is a good chance something will happen…" Burke said. “Am I done making deals…the answer is no. If I can improve this team t...
Last night the Habs(16-20-7) lost 2-1 to the Bruins(28-11-1) but that wasn't the main story. less than 24 hours after Mike Cammalleri called the team a bunch of "Losers" he was nowhere to be seen in the 3rd period, the commentators thought he might have been injured. Then tweets from Dave stubbs, Mckenzie, Duthie said possibility that Cammalleri could have been traded. ...
The Lightning are in DC tonight to take on the Washington Capitals. Despite not being the powerhouse group that haunted the league only a few short years ago, the Washington Capitals boast some great offensive weapons that shouldn’t have any problem feasting on weak defense and spotty goaltending. As Ian Esplen, the Canucks blogger here at Hockeybuzz, always says, “r...
There are those out there who are coming down on Mike Cammalleri for making his statements about the current state of affairs in the Montreal dressing room. Why ? Nobody can deny that the diminutive forward has always been known as a pretty class act and stand-up guy. His comments were bang-on in my assumption and the fact that he said them to the media does nothing...
The Montreal Canadiens are an organization driving along in a dark tunnel without functional headlights. You do not fire your head coach, fire an assistant coach, trade a player with a 6 million dollar salary cap hit mid-game and have the worst power play in the league all before the All-Star Break if things are going well. But just how long is this dark tunnel and is th...
Who needs success when resiliency that leads to failure is a perfectly good option? Once again, the Lightning started out slower than a turtle in a pivotal game. You would have thought that the team would be better prepared to take on the high flying Capitals. In my pre-game report, I mentioned that Ovechkin was a sleeping giant; I also mentioned that I’m terrible at ...
scottregnier writes...

Get It Back!

Posted Monday | Comments 1
Hitch would have freaked out. He would have absolutely lost his mind. No one pinching. No one forechecking. Open passing lanes. Open in front of the net. I was losing my mind watching the Hawks and Wings on Saturday afternoon. The St. Louis Blues play a gritty style of hockey. They take no shifts off. They put the opponent under pressure from the get-go and neve...
The Lightning finish off a busy couple of weeks with a visit from the big, bruising, Boston Bruins tomorrow night. It should be an interesting game between two teams who have gone in opposite directions since a meeting in last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs. I would argue that that series was largely dominated by the Lightning. Last season, when the Bolts were successf...
scottregnier writes...

Guts Abound

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
The Blues and Stars played one of the toughest games I've watched in a long time. Gritty, old school hockey was the name of the game. The goalies, especially Halak, were absolutely huge. Both teams crowded the other out the whole game. An inch or two here and there was going to make the difference. Tough game indeed. The Stars played with a bit of an edge. They we...
There’s a jam packed blog here for you folks tonight full of my post-game thoughts, a rumor update, and the answers to the questions you submitted to me. Speaking of the game, it’s really funny to think that this is the exact same team we saw play Pittsburgh just a couple nights ago. Maybe all that mumbo-jumbo I was saying about frustration really did make a differen...
scottregnier writes...

Sign Em Up

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Doug Armstrong is going to be earning his paycheck the rest of this calendar year. Besides trying to figure out what to do about possibly picking up a player for the playoff push, he's going to have to figure out a lot of contract situations for next season. My gut tells me that he won't make any deals the rest of the way this year. Andy McDonald is coming back (hopeful...
ZacKrell writes...

Time To Evolve

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
According to Lindy Ruff he is the one that needs to start leading this Buffalo Sabres team. It sounds to me like the leadership in that locker room is at question, and that this team is obviously not all on the same page. What Lindy Ruff needs to do is go all Ted Nolan on this team. All bets are off now, this team is spiraling out of control. If Lindy Ruff is going to l...
Newman writes...

The lowly Edmonton Oilers

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I'm a diehard Flames fan. I hate the Oilers. So who better to dissect the team from northern Alberta than their enemy? Come over to The Checking Line -West for to read more! http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/edmonton-oilers/lowly-edmonton-oilers-flames-fan-perspective Newman Twitter.com/TCLNewman
The Lightning went into the American Airlines Center in Dallas to take on a Stars team that is one of the hardest working, energized groups in the league. Looking for their second straight victory, the Lightning took to the ice knowing what they had to do. They played with pride, emotion and strength for a good portion of the game. It was enough to lead the group to vic...
[img]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396165_10150496555357293_500697292_8929549_435481295_n.jpg[/img] When asked to comment on his feelings towards the Oilers, Sullivan felt actions spoke louder then words! This one is dedicated to All Mighty Oil, who I promised I would post more pictures of my dog for. Why don't we talk about injuries? Oiler fans...
Well there's another one in the books folks. The Calgary Flames' defeat the young and vibrant Edmonton Oilers, 6 - 2 in what did not look like a 'Battle of Alberta'. Although the shots (23-23) would indicate a fair game, it was far from it. [b]A few things from the game to note:[/b] - Lee Stempniak was a monster, scoring 3 G, adding 1 A for a total of 4 points. He a...
Depth down the middle is a key ingredient to success in the NHL. The most consistent teams in the league over the past 5 years have definately benefitted from having a strong top 3 centreman in the top 9 scoring-line scheme. Pitt: Crosby, Malkin, Staal LA: Kopitar, Richards, Stoll ...
jstrobe writes...

Depth

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's becoming more apparent everyday that the Chicago Blackhawks need to do something to bolster their depth on the blue line and for the team all around in a general sense. This sounds ridiculous (I second guess myself sometimes) when the hawks have 6 players with 10+ goals, but the most deceiving and most important stat in hockey isn't goals and assists, its plus/...
scottregnier writes...

One More For The Road

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blues are going to have to cherish their break. Only one guy is going to the All Star Game and that's the "backup" goaler. Everyone else gets to play around, rest up, get healthy, and refocus for the second half of the year. If it was me, I'd be spending some time on my couch....because that couch is going to be lonely the rest of the season. February is pretty spl...
scottregnier writes...

No One's Safe

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
If for no other reason the St. Louis Blues need a top notch goal scorer is to get more calls I'm all for it. I am sick and tired of watching the "best" teams get every single freaking call all night long. Malkin falls down twice, Blues get penalized twice. Brad Stuart drops his gloves first, Chris Stewart gets 2 minutes for the instigator and a 10 minute misconduct. It...
Well the All-Star Game is upon us this weekend. Does anyone else think it would be wildly successful if it took place in Las Vegas? It's hard to tell if the Coyotes have overachieved or underachieved to this point of the season. A mixture of both seems fitting. Rather than analyze the first 50 games, let's look at the future of what the Coyotes need for the playoff p...
Well the All-Star Game is upon us this weekend. Does anyone else think it would be wildly successful if it took place in Las Vegas? It's hard to tell if the Coyotes have overachieved or underachieved to this point of the season. A mixture of both seems fitting. Rather than analyze the first 50 games, let's look at the future of what the Coyotes need for the playoff p...
AlexanderScharf writes...

Breaking It Down (1/5)

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b][i] If you missed the other sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up: [url=http://bit.ly/z6opJG] Part 2 [/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] ************************************************************ So, you want to be a contender?...
It is the time for the rumour mill to pump out all kinds of possible trades. Some plausible, others, insane! As a Hab fan, I really believe that they need to make more changes. I also think that winning against Detroit could be detrimental to them in the long run. Geoff Molson, as much as he says he is hands off and he lets the hockey people run the operation, needs to...
As we hit the all-star break this weekend with the Fantasy Draft kicking things off this evening at 8 P.M., the 2011-’12 NHL season has officially reached it’s mid-point. There have been many surprises — and equally as many disappointments — across the league this season on both an individual and team basis. In anticipation of the second half of the season, slated ...
Most Leafs’ fans are getting excited with the possibility of a playoff berth for the first time since the lock-out, and who can really blame them? While I think it is Burke’s intention for the team to make it to the post-season this year, I have also heard the GM mention on several occasions that the cup is his primary target, and a first-round exit is not his goal. ...
Most Habs fans and media believe that the Canadiens should retool at the deadline. I am of the same opinion. I really think this is the time for the Habs to retool, not rebuild. I would like to see this happen under the watchful eye of a new management team and would love to see Gauthier and Gainey let go. As much as I respect Gainey, I don't think he made the right cho...
[code][ # Comments] [/code] Brendan Morrison was just traded to the Chicago BlackHawks for prospect Brian Connelly who is a 5'10 and scored 52 points over the last 80 games. Morrison was a UFA this year and was not going to be resigned. With the number of forwards we have this was the best move since it gives him a chance to win a cup this year. One can only wonder if t...
Morrison was traded tonight to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brian Connelly, a name that surely no one has heard of. After doing some research, and watching some footage, this Connelly kid is quite impressive. At only 5'10, he may not be as intimidating as some defensemen, however with 52 points in 80 games last season, and a AHL All-Star, who according to some...
Newman writes...

Morrison Traded

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Flames disposed of veteran forward Brendan Morrison on the weekend sending him to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brian Connelly. Good or bad? Come over to TCL-West to read more: http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/brendan-morrison-traded Newman
[b][i] If you missed the previous sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up: [url=http://bit.ly/zd1ldc] Part 1 [/url] [url=http://bit.ly/z6opJG] Part 2 [/url] [url=http://bit.ly/yI5u6B] Part 4 [/url] [url=http://bit.ly/zpmgaQ] Part 5 [/url] [/b][/i] ************************************************************ So, you want to be a contender...
Newman writes...

Ritch Responds - The Press

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In his latest blog response, hockey agent Ritch Winter takes a look at issues with the press and the problems with objectivity in sports journalism. Check it out: http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/01/ritch-responds-press.html
Andy McDonald.......you're close, you're really close to making every St. Louis Blues fan very happy. Your speed, your vision, your finishing touch, your experience.....oh how we've missed you. You are the missing component in making the Blues go from a contender to a legitimate favorite come playoff time. Your impact on the ice will echo a great deal off the ice where ...
The "Habs" lost 3-1 to Buffalo Tuesday night. So do you want the bad news or the good news? How about both... [b]Good News[/b] Now it's hard for anything good coming out of that game but there was a couple things I liked. [u]Carey Price [/u] Played amazing tonight making 37 saves on 39 shots but once again overpaid players who can't score and lack of effort made us...
[img]http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/dEhP1eNtUUhJ8RlJ.v25Ow--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnhlexperts/GRABBBBBBs.jpg[/img] As you might know I decided to get twitter, and its proved to be lots of fun. Follow me @vowswithinhb [i]#Update: Well looks like Stempniak will be out for 6 week now, + Kolanos will wear #8 for the ...
As the NHL trade deadline quickly approaches, trade rumors in Leaf land are at a fever pitch. It is commonly believed Brian Burke is targeting a significant player. A big top line player, in particular a center that has size, skill, and playoff experience. Ryan Getzlaf and Eric Staal are the two players at the top of most Leaf fans wish list. While it is highly unlikely, b...
As the NHL trade deadline quickly approaches, trade rumors in Leaf land are at a fever pitch. It is commonly believed Brian Burke is targeting a significant player. A big top line player, in particular a center that has size, skill, and playoff experience. Ryan Getzlaf and Eric Staal are the two players at the top of most Leaf fans wish list. While it is highly unlikely, b...
If you were to ask around for opinions about Pierre Gauthier, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, most of the Habs faithful fans would probably sing you a couple of lines from the old classic by Ray Charles: [i]“Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more”[/i]. So in the spirit of fun, let’s take a look at the many songs of...
cradw93 writes...

Who's Going In T.O?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As of late the play of Mikhail Grabovski has brought some attention to whether throw him on the trade block or extend him. Either would can bring good value. Another two guys they could put in the mix is Cody Franson and Luke Schenn. Talented young defenders that could bring a nice top six forward to the club. In all honestly though I doubt they will move Grabo at the dead...
cradw93 writes...

Who's Going In T.O?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As of late the play of Mikhail Grabovski has brought some attention to whether throw him on the trade block or extend him. Either would can bring good value. Another two guys they could put in the mix is Cody Franson and Luke Schenn. Talented young defenders that could bring a nice top six forward to the club. In all honestly though I doubt they will move Grabo at the dead...
I wonder how worried Deanno is about losing his job if the Kings a)Lose in the first round, or b) don’t make the playoffs? I don’t know too much about Dean’s tenure in San Jose, but after listening to Craig Button a little while back, it seems as though Dean managed the Sharks the same way as he is currently managing the Kings by not making the right moves, let al...
As the trade deadline approaches there is much speculation, anticipation, and reservation to go around, depending on where your rooting interests lie. Sometimes it is easy to predict the players that will be traded, but where they go and for who can be a little tougher to pick. Instead of trying to figure the future out, I am going to revisit some recent trades that invo...
andydrmm writes...

Shocking the Bruins

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I came home from work tonight and expected to watch a decent hockey game. To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for the Sabres tonight. I personally think the Bruins have the best chance at the Cup this season. Don’t get me wrong, I want Buffalo to win every game during the season. And I'm always in one of my many jersey's come game time. But, I’m also a realist, an...
It seems that every year Toronto is home to what seems like thousands of rumours regarding "big deals", "a top 6 forward", and a "blockbuster deal". This year however seems to be even worse, and more drastic, there is no question that the Leafs organization are still in the re-building process, but Leafs Nation is quite happy with the results this season thus far. As a...
It seems that every year Toronto is home to what seems like thousands of rumours regarding "big deals", "a top 6 forward", and a "blockbuster deal". This year however seems to be even worse, and more drastic, there is no question that the Leafs organization are still in the re-building process, but Leafs Nation is quite happy with the results this season thus far. As a...
Part three of revisiting some of the recent bigger deals in the NHL involves the Philadelphia Flyers (again) and the Los Angeles Kings. This was the 2nd impact deal the Flyers made in the summer of 2011. [img]http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/p/sp/getty/2b/fullj.9c415908a0d3b6187d6156a0916a2f57/9c415908a0d3b6187d6156a0916a2f57-getty-138838397.jpg [/img] [img]http://nyrbl...
Andy McDonald came back with a vengeance last night at home against the Sharks. The Blues looked instantly charged up. They looked faster. They looked tougher. They definitely didn't look like a team who played the night before. The previously absent power play showed up. The Blues looked better. Andy McDonald.....you are the man. Does that mean that Doug Armstro...
To the Blues Management and Coaching Staff, Please do something with Chris Stewart. He's not helping the team. He's not a good player right now. He's not producing. He's not working. He's not a Blue. It's way past time for something drastic. Was today the day? Reports from practice today are coming in as positive as ever for #25. Hitch, good job in putting hi...
Brad Marchand needs to just go shoulder to shoulder with guys regardless of his height. By trying to up end guys in that manor will always result in clipping because of his height. Brad is way too good a player to take the chance of getting suspended again and hurting his team. The hit on Emelin tonight in Montreal was pointless, and if Brad saw one of his own teammates ge...
andydrmm writes...

Good Teams Find Ways to Win

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
Sometimes, with a non-playoff team, you sit, you watch and you wonder how on earth it isn’t more competitive on a night-to-night basis? That’s exactly what happened with the Bolts tonight. With the parity in the National Hockey League, talent doesn’t necessarily mean everything. In today’s game, it’s all about work ethic and effort. In my opinion, the Bolts w...
It’s tough to argue with results. As right now, the Lightning have narrowed the gap between themselves and the playoffs to a mere six points. There was a time at which the gap was around ten points and Bolts fans would take heat for saying that we still had a chance this year. Now, the Bolts are proving all the critics wrong..... [b]Read the entire blog over at my...
Let me first premise my analysis on a Leafs-Nash trade by saying that it would take a lot of work on the Leafs part and a whole lot of luck. That being said I believe that Brian Burke is not interested in making it to the playoffs and losing in the first round, second round or even the conference finals. It is all about winning a Stanley Cup in Toronto and thus if the ...
With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Ryan Malone trade rumors are starting to heat up. For a player with size, soft hands and a knack for going to the net, Malone’s offensive totals should be much greater than they currently are. In fact, it could be argued that Malone’s effectiveness on the ice is at an all-time low. Since arriving in Tampa Bay from Pittsb...
chamb2am writes...

Joey MacDonald: The New #2!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
It almost comes as no surprise really but [b]Ty Conklin[/b] has been placed on [u]waivers[/u] by the Detroit Red Wings. This is coming after Joey MacDonald shocked and stole the hearts of all those in Detroit. He also stole a roster spot as the number two goaltender from Ty. Jimmy Howard is finally back after missing the past 8 games with a broken finger, thus making it ma...
mfreedman writes...

Leafs: Do We Risk Change?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Let’s face it, with how inconsistent this team has been over the course of this year (and the last 2), we can basically be assured that Ron Wilson will not be the coach of the future for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His “systems” make for some exciting hockey, but the run n’ gun offense will not survive in today’s NHL. Players these days have far too much skill and a...
There is no denying the ability of Alex Ovechkin. Size, speed, power, he has all those things. There is one thing missing from the Great 8's game. Character. With the struggles of this team over the course of this season, it has become woefully apparent that Ovechkin is not exactly what you would call a team player. He is not doing the things that brings you the a...
chamb2am writes...

Bertuzzi: A wing till the end?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
According to the Detroit Free Press the Red Wings are working on a two-year contract extension with forward Todd Bertuzzi. The contract is expected to be finalized before the weekend. Bertuzzi is in his final season of his original two-year contract that pays him just under 2 millions dollars a season. The new contract is reported to bump his salary up over $2 million....
tml1967 writes...

A Ring around the Goalie

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Maple Leafs have done a complete 180 degree turn from their usually post lockout performances and that is not a good thing Leafs Nation. The club has gone 4-6-2 since the all star game and an even worse 1-6-1 in their past 8 and as February 24/12 comes around the club looks like they will be sitting in a familiar spot post lockout..... out of a playoff spot. The clu...
CD writes...

Leafs nation starved for success

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Like every fan who bleeds blue and white, I want nothing more than an invitation to the post season dance. I find myself dreaming of big trades and drawing up new lines all in hopes of filling the void of playoff absence. Then it happens.... A moment of clarity! I heard it summed up well today, Brian Burke didn't spend the last 4 years re-building this organization with yo...
CD writes...

Leafs nation starved for success

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Like every fan who bleeds blue and white, I want nothing more than an invitation to the post season dance. I find myself dreaming of big trades and drawing up new lines all in hopes of filling the void of playoff absence. Then it happens.... A moment of clarity! I heard it summed up well today, Brian Burke didn't spend the last 4 years re-building this organization with yo...
CD writes...

Leafs nation starved for success

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Like every fan who bleeds blue and white, I want nothing more than an invitation to the post season dance. I find myself dreaming of big trades and drawing up new lines all in hopes of filling the void of playoff absence. Then it happens.... A moment of clarity! I heard it summed up well today, Brian Burke didn't spend the last 4 years re-building this organization with yo...
Ottawa seems to be slightly ahead in their own "3 year" plan, so does it make sense for Bryan Murray to start making deals? Quick answer, No. Murray was on Ottawa radio this week (before the Anderson injury) and said that in a perfect world he would like to add a depth defencemen and a forward. Things have obviously changed since that radio appearance, and Murray needs...
u2kmerrill writes...

Carter to LA was a steal

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Jeff Carter was a stud in Philly with multi 30 plus goal seasons. To this day I still think the Flyers shot themselves in the foot getting rid of Richards and Carter. Getting Jeff Carter for Jack Johnson and a pick is a steal. Two years ago if the Kings ever tried to go after Carter while he was with the Flyers, they would have had to pay a steep price for the 30 goal scor...
Newman writes...

Hodgson for Kassian

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Nothing really happened on the Flames front except for the re-signing of Tim Jackman. Are you really surprised? Because you shouldn't be. With my spare time I took a quick look at the Canucks blockbuster sending Cody Hodgson to the Sabres for Zach Kassian. Read more: http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/vancouver-canucks/hodgson-kassian
MichaelMax writes...

Cam Neely 2. OH NO!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Cam Neely played hockey with the Ridge Meadows Hockey Association for the majority of his minor career and has been named to the Maple Ridge honorable people list. After a stellar season with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League in which he led the team to the Memorial Cup Championship, he was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks ninth overall in the 1983 ent...
I’ve thought about this long and hard since I heard of the 2 trades that Buffalo has made. After some careful consideration, and looking at all of the stats, I’m not entirely sold on the deals that Buffalo has made. I’ll break it down to the two trades that were made today. [b]Gaustad to Nashville[/b] We all accepted this. I’m actually shocked that the Sabre...
Saturday, 06.14.2008 / 11:17 PM / 2008 Draft Brampton Battalion center Cody Hodgson already is a student of the game of hockey. But he got a master's-level education during the Under-18 World Championships in April when he suited up for Team Canada at the event. With long-time NHL coach Pat Quinn serving as professor, Hodgson earned high honors. As team captain, he l...
The Habs are in Tampa for a really important game tonight. The Bolts are only six points back of 8th place and, with their new look defense, you can bet they'll be ready to go. It should be a really exciting tilt as you know these two teams always get the best out of each other. [b]There's a game preview blog over at TB HB![/b] [url]http://tblhockeybuzz.blogspot....
[img] http://welcometothe716.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/darcy-regier.jpg[/img] Trade deadline day. One of two days a year where people in the hockey community will actually alter their work and education schedules to take in all the happenings on TSN, NHL Network, and Twitter. A big day from a fans perspective to get something done, anything. Trade deadline day is...
Sometimes, the referees do everything they can to change the outcome of a game. Occasionally, that's not enough. In last night's tilt between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bolts got absolutely shafted by the officials. Those of you who read my blogs frequently know that I am not someone who harps on the referees often. In order for me to actua...
mfreedman writes...

Leafs: Dear Ron Wilson

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Dear Ron Wilson, I along with most Leaf fans today feel your pain. Our team is not performing and it is frustrating as can be for fans, as well (I’m sure) for players and the coaches. You may feel that you are being unfairly blamed, as has been your feeling throughout your time in Leaf’s Nation. What I saw last night was pathetic. The players let you down early with...
icedog97 writes...

Nobody Asked Me, But...#4

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
- The whole Rick Nash saga played out about as I expected, although it may not be for exactly the reasons I described here [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=6464&post_id=13064[/url]. I honestly think that Scott Howson really had no intention of dealing Nash unless someone was going to give up the house...and no one did. He did get a fair return for Jeff Carter...
First off, I do not beleive montreal needs to draft a Defencemen this upcoming draft, so I am writing this blog as if they will be drafting one of the top 4 offencive prospects that could go in the top 5 in Pittsburgh this June. 1. Nail Yakupov (5'11, 189lbs) - W - Sarnia Sting - 37GP/30G/35A/65PTS/26PIM 2. Mikhail Grigorenko (6'3, 200lbs) - C - Quebec Remparts - 57GP/...
CD writes...

18 left 14 to win!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are. So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
CD writes...

18 left 14 to win!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are. So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
CD writes...

18 left 14 to win!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are. So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
CD writes...

18 left 14 to win!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are. So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
CD writes...

18 left 14 to win!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are. So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
CD writes...

18 left 14 to win!!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I kept hearing all abound today by mass intelligence that is Toronto sports radio, how tough the leafs last 18 games are. So I decided to look at the schedule and to my surprise it's not even bad, it's actually exactly what you would ask for if you could ask for it. Keeping in mind of course this is the NHL and you have to play different teams throughout the year. Clear...
andydrmm writes...

Looking Up???

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I’ll be 100% honest here, I didn’t really have high hopes for the Sabres as they headed towards the West Coast. I didn’t really expect Buffalo to do too well, and kind of figured that the playoff hunt was going to get a lot more difficult come Monday. HOLY $^#$ AM I GLAD TO BE WRONG!!!! I mean, who honestly saw this coming? I wasn’t as shocked with the wins ...
Michael_Stuart writes...

#MikesMailbag Ed. 1

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s Sunday March 4th and the Bolts have a couple days off. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this team right now as it tries to complete the once unthinkable task of making the playoffs. The games are big; the stakes are high. Every player on the roster knows that he needs to play well in order to get this team into that number 8 seed. Here’s hoping that t...
" ... This summer is shaping up to be a very busy one for the Flames organization. Should the Flames not make the playoffs as expected then it certainly seems likely that Brent Sutter will be fired, this will be more about his results than his ability. It should be noted that in my opinion no coach will be successful in Calgary until the entire culture of the organizat...
I can already imagine the comments I will get on this piece, but regardless what I am told, I need to document my stance on this (as well as put this on record for when the prediction comes true :)). Jonas Gustavsson has been under some serious heat from the moment he was signed by the Blue and White. Thought of as the soon-to-be goaltending saviour of the franchise, w...
nickmo2699 writes...

Kronwall...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have contemplated writing this blog and I can only hope that it causes a stir. Again and again and again, this guy preys on the one guy on the ice who has his head down. Last night he put Jakub Voracek the talented young player from Philadelphia in a body bag. Granted Voracek left Kronwall licking his chops by reaching back with one hand. After watching three or four dif...
Welcome to the National Hockey League, Dustin Tokarski. It was a big night for everyone on the ice tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Washington Capitals. With two points up for grabs in the ever-tight Eastern Conference playoff race, the Lightning needed a good performance. Trailing the Capitals by two points heading into the tilt, the Lightning had a great...
[b]Welcome to another blog by Aarif Deen. For more blogs, and EVERYTHING HOCKEY 24/7, follow me on twitter @NHLAarifDeenRep. Enjoy the read![/b] Well here we are fellas. It has been eight years to the day Todd Bertuzzi shocked the entire hockey world by pulling off one of, if not, the biggest cheap-shot in the history of the game. Young, promising, gritty forward St...
It’s hard to believe that there are only 16 games left in the regular season. This is the point where those on the cusp decide their fate, and those locked in begin to look ahead to the postseason. The Philadelphia Flyers (38-21-7) currently sit in 5th place in the Eastern Conference and will most likely be heading to the playoffs. Despite a drastically differen...
I went with my fiancé last night to take in an Amerks game. Luckily, since the Sabres are now re-affiliated with the Amerks, I can talk her into going a lot more. Buffalo’s farm team is playing very well at the moment, and right now in the middle of a playoff race in the AHL, in case you're not following the Amerks closely. If the playoffs started today, the Amerks are ...
andydrmm writes...

Words Escape Me

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I just don’t get this. Words can’t explain what Buffalo has just done the past 2 games. Yes, I understand 3 points out of 4 the past 2 games. But blowing the game, in 3 seconds or less, in back to back games... [b]UN-@#%ING-ACCEPTABLE!!!!![/b] It’s great that Foligno is playing well. I’m glad for the kid. Stafford has also picked up his game lately. As for Ho...
So far this season, the Flyers have struggled mightily while playing during the day. The team’s 3-8-1 record in afternoon games is proof enough of that. Looking lethargic at times, the team’s lack of jump in day time hockey has resulted in sloppy play, which has allowed their opponents to outscore them 49-33 in those kinds of games. Obviously, this is a trend ...
Despite being all but out of the playoff race (barring a miracle), the Tampa Bay Lightning need a victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Unless this team wants to absolutely tank the rest of the season, which is unlikely based on the culture Yzerman and Boucher have created, a victory is imperative for confidence and getting back on the right track. Let�...
andydrmm writes...

Biggest Game of the Year

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
No I’m not talking about tonights game. Another solid effort tonight from the Sabres. It’s good to see that they aren’t laying over and dying and are playing like they want to make it to the playoffs. I’m glad that Hodgson is starting to find his way in Buffalo. 2 great goals from him tonight. Very impressive to see him starting to play to his potential. Miller...
How many of you remember the Norris Trophy voting of 2008-09? I'm sure the people of Washington and Boston do. To refresh the rest of you, Zdeno Chara won a stunning upset over Mike Green in the Norris voting that year. In that season, Green had a higher plus minus, 23 more points (46% more), and 12 more goals (63% more) while playing in 12 less games. Will Erik Karlss...
andydrmm writes...

Control Your Fate

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Buffalo has finally done it. They are finally in a position that a lot of us would like to see them in. They’re in that spot that I have been anxious about them getting into. With 5 games left in the season, Buffalo is now in charge. As of right now, Buffalo is in complete control over whether they make the playoffs. Buffalo and Washington each have 5 games left. Buf...
moss234 writes...

It's Time To Start Over

Posted Friday | Comments 0
As March nears it's end, the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in a familiar spot in the standings; near the bottom. The Leafs, who haven't made the playoffs since before the lockout, have been floundering in recent years, and seem no closer to postseason success now then they did at this time last year, or even two years ago. The one difference between this year and the...
Tuesday night, playoff fever had hit Buffalo. Buffalo didn’t just beat the Capitals, they ran them over with a 5-1 win. Buffalo was in sole possession of 8th place, 2 points up on the Caps, with 5 games left for both teams. Buffalo was in control, and just had to keep playing solid hockey to get into the playoffs. The Caps won on Thursday, making it clear that Buffal...
Who is ready for the NHL Playoffs? Although I think the, "Because its the cup" slogan for this years playoffs is a complete miss compared to the prior, "History Will Be Made" edition. The NHL playoffs are still very easy to get geared up for regardless. If you haven't seen the highlights or watched the Buffalo/Toronto game from last night, do it now! For my boy @Brimau5, a...
HOCKEYDOGS64 writes...

OffSeason Trades-Part 1

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hello this is a new series I am starting,YES THE TITLE WILL BE THE SAME IN THE REGULAR SEASON NEXT YEAR!(These trades have nothing to do with other trades ie. Capitals could trade Ovi in 2 trades I list) Trade 1- Craig Anderson to Tampa for a 2012 2nd Round Pick Well Obviously Tampa needs a goalie bad, so there is the reason for them.Ottawa would have Bishop starting ...
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an amnesty clause to buy out one-contract per team without it affecting that teams salary cap for the next season. In this 2 part blog are one ...
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an amnesty clause to buy out one-contract per team without it affecting that teams salary cap for the next season. In this 2 part blog are one ...
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an amnesty clause to buy out one-contract per team without it affecting that teams salary cap for the next season. In this 2 part blog are one ...
This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an amnesty clause to buy out one-contract per team without it affecting that teams salary cap for the next season. In this 2 part blog are one ...
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=156400Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:43:41 -0400 http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13293 This is my first blog on Hockeybuzz and with the off-season approaching we should look into how the Amnesty Clause being rumoured to be apart of the new CBA. Reports have indicated that teams and owners are looking to incorporating an a...
It seems that I am the only Blue and White fan that actually enjoyed the presser this afternoon. Over the past week I have been listening to what Leaf fans wanted Burke to say, versus what they expected him to say. I full out believe that it didn’t matter what was said by the Leaf’s GM and that the failure of the season was enough to simply cast aside anything meaningf...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
The second that it was announced that the Edmonton Oilers had won the right to select first overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft suggestions started pouring in that they should trade the pick off for some immediate help, likely defensively. However it is my belief that the Oilers would not be better off to trade the pick, instead should do the obvious thing and select Sarni...
perezje writes...

Cheat Sheet for Future Habs GM

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]The best way to build a contender is through the draft so we'll start here.[/b] Habs have the #3 pick, it's simple if he is available, draft Alex Galchenyuk. We need wingers on fwd more than anything but that doesn't matter Gally is a game changer, they won`t have many chances at a player like this. [b]Sort out the contract mess[/b] Re-sign Price at a reasonabl...
Nascar........... I cold not care even a little but about... but car crashed.... OOOHHH... let let at my PVR. This is a time honoured sentiment. Violence, usually mindless, will get our attention faster than a hole in one, an honest QB sack and even that most exciting play in hockey.... the.... the... what was it again? Penalty Shot? So my point is: How do Ame...
[img]http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/images/11/2011/09/medium_puck_daddy_chats_with_brendan_shanahan_about_making_suspension_videos_colin_campbell_criti.jpg[/img] By Ryan Wilson Follow me on Twitter [b]@gunnerstaal[/b] As each day passes in the playoffs it seems that it also comes with a new disciplinary issue. The one thing that most people who are dire...
Is it just me or is this one of the worst years for biased play-by-play and colour commentary? I understand that each team has their own announcer, whether on TV or on radio, for local broadcasts. What I'm talking about is the people doing nationally televised games on CBC , NBC, etc. Should these games not be called evenly for the benefit of all fans and not just fans ...
The Roberto Luongo era is coming to an end in Vancouver. Everything that has transpired over the past few days would indicate that Roberto Luongo is on his way out of Vancouver. Rewind the clock just two or three years ago and this notion would have been unthinkable. Now, with Cory Schneider all but dominating the Canucks’ crease, Roberto Luongo finds himself at a crossr...
Corseting writes...

Vokoun -The Next Leaf

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Vokoun is no longer welcome in Washington. Not because of his play (which has actually been just as excellent as his time in Florida), but simply because it's a numbers game. It should be pretty clear to everyone in the hockey world that Vokoun took a large salary cut to play for a potential cup-winning team instead of sticking it out with his bottom of the heap Florida Pa...
[b]"Big Splash"[/b] So Ek reports today that the Leafs([i]Burke[/i]) are([i]is[/i]) yet again proclaiming to the hockey world that they will be making bold moves this off-season. Not only will they be doing whatever it takes to get Rick Nash out of Columbus but they will also be signing a high end free agent. Haven't we heard this all before? Yes, of course we have ...
Why would Edmonton trade the 1st Overall pick? The second Edmonton won the Draft Lottery everyone started to compare them to the Quebec Nordiques who also got the 1st Overall pick three years in a row. Quebec would win the Stanley Cup five seasons later as the Colorado Avalanche, guess how many of those 1st Overall picks were on that Stanley Cup winning team. If your gue...
Why would Edmonton trade the 1st Overall pick? The second Edmonton won the Draft Lottery everyone started to compare them to the Quebec Nordiques who also got the 1st Overall pick three years in a row. Quebec would win the Stanley Cup five seasons later as the Colorado Avalanche, guess how many of those 1st Overall picks were on that Stanley Cup winning team. If your gue...
Why would Edmonton trade the 1st Overall pick? The second Edmonton won the Draft Lottery everyone started to compare them to the Quebec Nordiques who also got the 1st Overall pick three years in a row. Quebec would win the Stanley Cup five seasons later as the Colorado Avalanche, guess how many of those 1st Overall picks were on that Stanley Cup winning team. If your gue...
After many conversations, it appears most Leaf fans feel that Luongo coming to Toronto either wont happen or is a bad idea primarily due to the length of his contract, and secondly because he might not even want to play there. After having failed with the Gustavsson and Reimer duo, Burke is at a point where he is desperate for a legitimate starter for the 2012-2013 sea...
The second round of the NHL Playoffs start tonight and already the big name teams are gone Wings, Pens, Canucks, Shark, Hawks and the defending champ Bruins. Parity at its finest people. So without any further ado here are my predictions for the second round of the NHL playoffs: Blues-Kings (Blues in 7)- This is going to be a very low scoring series in my opinion. I ...
We would all rather be watching our Habs players play in the playoffs right now, but we can get a look at a few of them over the next couple of weeks in the World Championships. Although if the Habs were to lose a game in triple overtime like the Caps did last night I may have had a heart attack. The Canadiens will be sending four players over to Finland and Sweden for thi...
Eklund recently posted a blog indicating that the rumors of Roberto Luongo to Tampa Bay are heating up and mentioned that the potential deal could be a Luongo for Lecavalier swap. The VL4/RL1 rumblings have been around for a few years now. Since the departure of Khabibulin, the Lightning have really struggled in the goaltending category. Roberto Luongo’s history in Flori...
Perhaps the biggest decision to be made by Marc Bergevin this summer will be what to pay current restricted free agents and future franchise cornerstones Carey Price and P.K. Subban. Both will demand huge raises from their current salaries, but with future CBA and salary cap uncertainty it is important to get them signed to the most modest deals possible. A year from now D...
[b]For everything hockey 24/7 follow me on TWITTER @DailyNHLGrind[/b] [img]http://athletes-celebrities.tseworld.com/cached/_images/maintainwidth/160x192/3289d6466a2cd8483042263f956c9f7d/shanahan-brendan-160-1933.jpg[/img] Well here’s something each and every single one of us hockey fans have been aware of all season long. Brendan Shanahan—the head disciplinarian o...
There is a rumor circulating this morning that Larry Robinson would welcome a return to Montreal as an assistant coach. According to an article in the Toronto Sun, Robinson’s agent Don Cape says Larry would return to the Habs organization because he knows Marc Bergevin and the Molson family well and he believes the right people are in place in this organization. It is ni...
The round robin portion of the World Championships are complete and the Habs representing their respective countries this Spring have been largely impressive. The four Quarterfinal games will all be played on Thursday, followed by Semifinal Saturday and the medal games taking place on Sunday. Lars Eller had the most disappointing tournament of the Canadiens as his team...
The 94th edition of the Memorial Cup featuring the best Junior hockey teams in Canada, begins Friday in Shawinigan. The Montreal Canadiens will be well represented with four of their prospects taking part in the premier event hosted by Shawinigan. The Habs two most recent first round picks will both be competing, Nathan Beaulieu for the Quebec League champion and defending...
For my first crack at blog writing in some time, I thought I would simply put together a list of my thoughts on the Leafs. 1. Nazem Kadri is in no way the bargaining piece Brian Burke would have us believe he is, nor is he the super star the Leafs need. In fact, I would argue that if he does not piece together the defence side of his game soon - and that includes limiti...
There is a #91 Tavares Jersey that is framed and hung on Eric Murphy's office wall on the set of HBO's "Entourage." It's ironic, considering the show had it's final season on HBO last year and the Islanders might not be far behind. In August 2011, a referendum which would have allowed the Islanders to borrow up to $400 million to modernize the Nassau Coliseum failed in...
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...
Asset management is the top priority for every General Manager in hockey. Getting something for players you move keeps a franchise afloat, however getting nothing for an asset can set a franchise into ruin. Unfortunately for the Montreal Canadiens, Pierre Gauthier got a whole lot of nothing for many of his assets. In today’s era of free agency, salary caps and money h...
So three days in a row, I've written a blog. Three days in a row I've mentioned Jake Gardiner. But how can I not? By my estimate he is the sixth best defence man from the 2008 draft class thus far, and he's only played professional hockey for one year, as opposed to three or four. He's well liked, he's well educated, and, perhaps his most tantalizing prospect, he has conne...
The Lethbridge Hurricanes for those who do not know is a Junior Hockey league team that plays in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League. This Division includes other such teams as the Red Deer Rebels, Calgary Hitmen, Kootney Ice, Edmonton Oil Kings and the Medicine Hat Tigers. All of these teams are yearly competators who rarely rebuild and constantly compete fo...
The 2006 NHL Draft will be remembered for the same reasons most drafts are, the superstars at the top, the first round busts and the diamonds in the rough such as 6th rounder Andrew Macdonald who was picked by the New York Islanders. Taking place in Vancouver, most Canucks fans will recall it as the day they finally got their franchise goaltender. New ‘Nucks GM Mike Gill...
centribo writes...

Where Schultz will Go

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I was reading comments idly on a blog today, and I read the most ridiculous thing: a Calgary fan claiming Justin Schultz was basically there's. Wrong. Justin Schultz quite simply is going to a place where he can be successful, play, and play on a good team soon. Which rules out Calgary. He is going to sign with a. a team where he already knows one or several players (Toron...
CanadaSlayer writes...

NHL Entry Draft 2012

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
Keep in mind that this article reflects my opinions and does not use any Draft Day rumours on any other persons blogs or news articles. To start off the draft, the Edmonton Oilers faithful have been awarded with watching thier Team "Kick off" the Draft Day by selecting first overall for the third year in a row. A Pick widely considered to be used on Draft Day front Runn...
The Stanley Cup finals are upon us but I don't really care about it. Whether the Los Angeles Kings or the New Jersey Devils win, I could care less. I'm more interested in what's going to happen at the draft. Not too long ago a rumor surfaced that the Edmonton Oilers were entertaining the idea of trading the 1st overall pick to Columbus in a package deal including the 2n...
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me. Coaching situation Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
Last season, when the Ottawa Senators still had Brian Elliot and were struggling throughout the year, goaltending was a major weakness for the Sens. Robin Lehner was seen as the goalie of the future as he was playing incredibly well, leading his team a Calder Cup Championship. At the trade deadline, Craig Anderson was acquired in a swap for Elliot, and goaltending seemed m...
Bros, Many Torontonians find themselves qualified to do the job of Brian Burke. Toronto and the surrounding GTA is infected by a plague of arm-chair GM's who believe themselves to be educated and well versed on the inner-workings of the National Hockey Leaue. I happen to be one of these "arm-chair GM's" yet wish to bring a more level headed perspective to the situation....
Not since the late 80s has a team thoroughly dominated the NHL like the Oilers. There was a 5 year period where they won 4 Stanley Cups. The Oilers organization took what youth they had and expended as much from them as possible. Ever since the Oilers of the 80s, there has not been another team that ran through its opponents so easily. I would call the Oilers of the 80s a ...
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me. Coaching situation Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
Hello all first off this will be the first bit of any sort of writing since high school so bare with me. Coaching situation Ever since the WHC there has been rumors of Brent Sutter becoming the next coach of the Oilers. I highly doubt that rumor will come true. Dont get me wrong Sutters a solid coach but I think he'll sign with another team thats closer to a contend...
With the 2012 NHL draft creeping up quite fast and the Finals almost over, draft / trade speculation is going to start like a wildfire. So, I thought I would write a small piece about who Burke should draft (1st round), in my opinion of course. 1) Draft either Galchenyuk or Grigorenko, whichever of the two will be available. Galchenyuk, from what I've read, is the bett...
JamieS writes...

The Leafs Off-season

Posted Saturday | Comments 2
Brian Burke sure has his fair share of work to do this coming off-season. Now currently owning the longest drought without a cup AND the only team that hasn't made the playoffs since the Lockout, fans are starting to get upset. Ownership doesn't have a problem, just as long as they keep selling tickets, and I think that gives Burke some leeway when it comes to this season....
Allow me to set the scene for you. It is the second round of the 2002 Playoffs, the 8th seeded Montreal Canadiens have already upset the best team in the Eastern Conference in a six game battle against the rival Boston Bruins. They are now at home in game four of the second round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, already up 2-1 in the best of seven series and winning...
Honestly, I couldn't think of a better story for the 2012 NHL season. An 8th place team barely makes the playoffs after having an abysmal year were they couldn't score to save their lives. It took a head coach change, a huge trade and a lot of luck to even accomplish this. And yet, here we are, congratulating the LA Kings! It's quite amazing really, I had them picked every...
Trevor Timmins took over as Montreal’s Director of Player Development at the beginning of the 2002-03 season. His main responsibility is drafting and of course developing the next wave of Montreal Canadiens. The most important piece of business for Timmins to take care of every year is the NHL Draft. The upcoming draft in Pittsburgh will be his tenth as the mastermind be...
mfreedman writes...

Leafs: 3 Options Available

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the draft approaching, there is a lot of talk about what Brian Burke could possibly be up to, in order to better the club for the upcoming season and the future. There have been many scenarios bounced around over the past few weeks and every option discussed seems to have a bevy of supporters, regardless how different the path may be. After watching some of these conv...
ErikC writes...

D-Day - June 22,2012

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I don't believe that Brian Burke and his management team have ever faced as important a time during his tenure as GM of the maple leafs as these next seven days. Tasked with improving his club enough to make the playoffs in the upcoming season, Now more than ever I believe Burke is willing to do whatever it takes to put the buds into the postseason. In addressing where thi...
Just like the New York Yankees are in baseball, Machester United in soccer, Dallas Cowboys are in football, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the centre of the hockey universe. It has been for many years now. All of the teams i mentioned above have high revenues and don't hesitate when it comes to spending money on big name free agents or making trades for big time players....
Hello, this is my first blog at Hockeybuzz (obviously) and I should introduce myself. I go by Gator26 (Gator was my highschool handle) and I adore the Habs. Ever since child birth, I've seemed to enjoy to watch them play (maybe not last season) but nonetheless, they still have my heart. Recently just got ink'd actually, the logo is now part of my body. Sounds odd when I sa...
In three short days Montreal will finally reveal who they will choose with the third overall pick in this year’s draft in Pittsburgh. To find out what can be expected of someone selected so high I took a look back and ranked the last 20 players to be picked at number three. (Technically the last 22 players but I didn’t include the 2 most recent, Jonathon Huberdeau and ...
FEFZONE28 writes...

Toronto Interested in Stastny

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Howard Berger tweeted yesterday that Toronto could be re-visiting talks for Stastny. We all know that Toronto was throwing deals at the Avs earlier in the season for Stastny that were just straight up ridiculous. They tried to offer us Nikolai Kulemin, Cody Franson and a third round draft pick in 2013 for Stastny. That would be a horrible deal so why not send one back a...
skwizzo writes...

Burke made right choice

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Gotta say...I'm more than a little tired of hearing how Burkie dropped the ball in Leafville by not trading off his players for 1st rounders. I implore you...what possible sense would that have made? Burkie said he had offers for his players. He said 1st rounders were offered. What he DIDN'T say was where those picks were. It's no secret that this is a weak draft. ...
For many seasons, the Flyers have always opted for the "quick fix" mentality. Signing a big name free agent, trading away draft picks and young prospects for more established players often on the back end of their career, and relying on high salaried players to get the job done. This strategy has come close to paying off several times. Trading away a huge chunk of the futu...
Blackhawk fans, I have to warn you, you may want to grab something to vomit in before reading this article. Now that I have prepared you for a possible gut wrenching idea bear with me for the next few paragraphs. Believe me; I know it will be hard. I too have stood in the 300 level and booed this man mercilessly and my hatred for him boiled over so much during the 2011 ...
Before anyone freaks about the title of my blog, don’t worry. My goal with this, as I sit down at 7:50 pm (all times EST), to watch the NHL draft, is to throw my thoughts out about the draft as it unfolds. Unfortunately, you the reader will get to read it after the draft is over. Sorry! So, here we go, enjoy… And yes, I will be focusing my thoughts on the Sabres. Le...
JamieS writes...

Draft day for the Leafs

Posted Sunday | Comments 1
What excitement! At least from my perspective, this was a successful draft day for the Leafs. Not because of the picks, but because no stupid moves were made in order to "upgrade" the team. Being able to hear Burke actually draft [b]Morgan Reilly[/b] was a relief. I was worried the pick may be traded before hand, as Burke likes to make bold and drastic moves like that....
[b]The Mike Ribeiro trade is a strange situation. Not because it was a surprise or because it was a bad trade for either team.[/b] It's a strange sitaution simply for the reasons that it had to happen. Normally a team makes a trade because they think they can make their team better through it. Whether that means immediately or down the road during a rebuild. The Dalla...
With July 1st approaching quickly teams being posturing for the mad dash at a weak free agency class. Few teams win in these races, as it is in any sport, and we al write and comment on the impact of the new faces in new uniforms. The side that never gets talked about is the teams that lose. Failed trades and salary cap dumps for a player that does not end up playing fo...
Nail Yakupov was simply the guy Edmonton HAD to take with the first overall pick. He was unanimously ranked number one in all the ratings and the Oilers did not pass up the future start. The Russian born winger dishes out passes that make him look like Claude Giroux and plays at a 1.5 point per game pace stocking up about even totals in goals and assists (always favori...
There isn't anyone out there in the hockey world right now who doesn't know who Justin Schultz is. As an Oilers Blogger, I am quiet aware of the hype and Alure of having someone of his Calibre play for the "home" team, although no-one really knows who's team he's going to play for. During the last week Justin has released a list of 5 teams that he would love to be ap...
I know I promised (on Facebook) that I wouldn't make any Monster jokes, but I couldn't help myself. Wings have inked former Toronto backstop Jonas Gustavsson to a 2 year deal. Gustavsson went 39-45-15 in 107 appearances with the Maple Leafs over the past three seasons with a 298 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. To be honest, I’m not terribly exci...
If you, like most of us hockey fans out there, have been left scratching your head about some of the Blue Jackets’ off-season moves you’ve come to the right place. Finally, Scott Howson explains exactly why he’s been stocking up on number 2 or 3 goalies. After announcing the free agent signing of Curtis McElhinney, Howson took time to clarify. ...
JasonPanov writes...

Guess I Was Wrong

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
In the first cheer-worthy move of the day, the Wings have brought back Mikael Samuelsson. Again, I’ve already said that I liked Monster’s signing, but he’s more of a stocking stuffer since I expect Joey MacDonald to put up a serious fight for the number two gig. Okay, so this guy is probably a stocking stuffer, too, but let’s call him a fan favorite. I liked Sam...
[b]The Stars were one of the few teams that made some moves on day one of free agency. While the Avalenche in my mind not only made the most noise but also made the best moves, the Stars in my summation didn’t do so bad themselves. Let’s take a look at each of the two players they picked up in short order. Starting with the least important piece…[/b] Aaron Rome is...
Why does every year feel more and more painful as a Leaf fan? I think that after this year the new CBA will work to the advantage of the leafs or at least put the on a level playing field with the rest of the NHL teams. Burke doesn't believe in these long term contracts, and even though it sucks to see big names pass up Toronto year after year, there is a method to his mad...
Oh well, the Devils moved up to 17 and farmed a great player to become a great captain just so that they can prep him for his home state and he can wave back at the organization like a kid walking off to college after this team made all the right decisions about his development. He shouldn't be expecting any phone calls on how he's doing. Harsh realities of a busines...
So far this summer, we have seen the Canadiens take some steps to make the team a lot tougher to play against now, and possibly one of the contenders in the East starting in 2 or 3 years. Here is what I think of the signings and what the depth chart will look like for the Canadiens as it stands right now. Brandon Prust- I absolutely love this signing. This was an abso...
After a busy off-season last summer, the Washington Capitals have had a relatively quiet summer in 2012. With the strong possibility of losing Alexander Semin to free agency, many fans were expecting GM George McPhee to make a big more or two and sign some high-profile free agents to address glaring needs. I'm sure Jack Hillen and Joey Crabb are good guys, but they are cer...
[img]http://img.deniksport.cz/img/2/article/416977_sport-hokej-extraliga-slavia-sparta-cervenka-crop-crop-crop.jpg[/img] There has been a lot of talk about Roman Cervenka and questions as to what he was offered in his contract and what it actually means to the team and cap in real world dollars. The following is my attempt to explain and debunk it. Roman Cervenka w...
Although, admittedly, my favorite memories of the Pittsburgh Penguins have come while the team was winning, in retrospect, I (unlike most of city of the Pittsburgh) actually enjoyed the Pre-Sidney Crosby "Dark Years". I can say I enjoyed them now, although at the time the future of the team was in serious jeopardy, but without these down years, the Pens wouldn't have been ...
Who are the greatest Penguins blue-liners of all time? You'd probably say Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy, or Randy Carlyle. Maybe more recent players make your list like Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik or Rob Scuderi. But what about D!ck Tarnstrom? What if I told you that Tarnstrom accomplished something that none of the previously mentioned players ever did? In 2003-04, D!ck Tar...
First off, on behalf of all of the province of Vancouver I apologize for the lackluster effort put forth by the Canucks in refusing to win 16 straight games to win their first Stanley Cup for the third time. We can only blame Roberto Luongo for so long for failing to win the cup in 012, 94, or 82 where i heard he actually [i]didn't even watch one game[/i] of the FINALS b...
http://burestripledeke.blogspot.ca/2012/05/wayne-gretzky-bobby-orrhenrik-sedin.html Did everyone miss the headline at the end of the regular season last month? With 67 assists in 2011-12, Henrik Sedin became just the 5th player in NHL history to lead the league in that category for three consecutive years.¹ The other four? Joe Thornton (2005-08), Wayne Gretzky (1979...
Montreal fans have been talking about next year since before the calendar flipped to 2012. With the draft and opening frenzy of free agency behind us, it is finally time everyone in the NHL starts to focus on next year. Obviously, the focus of the Canadiens is to climb out of the cellar of the Eastern Conference. The best way to do this is to realize what landed them in th...
Title pretty much says it all.
thehabfan writes...

Want VS Need

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Every blog you read has an opinion on how someone thinks they know what their favorite team needs to succeed and contend for a championship. Edmonton - A few veteren defencemen and a proven goaltender Toronto - A big centermen and a proven goaltender Pittsburgh - A winger to play with Crosby Calgary - Trade Iginla and Kipper and start over In reality, every team ...
There are plenty of topics regarding the Union Blue that I could pinpoint in my first piece for this site. That, in large part, is because the 2011-2012 season of Blue Jackets hockey was like that scene in [i]The Strangers[/i] where the record player begins to skip as Liv Tyler painstakingly searches her dark cabin for maniacs. The point being: there’s work here to be do...
With most of the big guns of the free agency class spoken for nearly two weeks in to the frenzy, the Habs are left still looking to add a few goals to next year’s opening night roster. What started out as a relatively weak UFA class has been watered down considerably but a few interesting options still remain for the Canadiens. Let’s take a look at the top 5 offensive ...
mfreedman writes...

Leafs: What's The Plan?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
3 Years. 7 Months. 14 Days. This is how long it has been since Brian Burke took over the reigns from interim GM Cliff Fletcher. Needless to say, the team Burke inherited on Nov 28 2008 bears little resemblance to the team that ended the 2011/2012 season. Opinions of what Burke has accomplished with his team, up to this point, are mixed to say the least. I do not preten...
I find it funny how people are saying that Habs gm Marc Bergevin didn`t do enough on Free Agent Frenzy Canada Day July, 1 2012. Bergevin addressed the need of "team guys" and "gritty players" by adding Colby Armstrong, Francis Bouillon and Brandon Prust. Let`s look at what else Bergevin has done since being hired. A list of hirings by Bergevin since taking office : ...
The Bruins are just a year removed from a Stanley Cup victory, and finished second in the East in the 2011-2012 season before a first round fizzle-out. They should be a team ready to go. Wrong. The Bruins over the past 3 seasons have seemed to fill voids from within while creating new ones at the same time. In 09-10, they couldn't score. In 10-11, they figured out ho...
The Bruins are just a year removed from a Stanley Cup victory, and finished second in the East in the 2011-2012 season before a first round fizzle-out. They should be a team ready to go. Wrong. The Bruins over the past 3 seasons have seemed to fill voids from within while creating new ones at the same time. In 09-10, they couldn't score. In 10-11, they figured out ho...
It's been an inescapably quiet summer for Brian Burke and his boys in blue. The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently being shut out on the trade front, have whiffed on every prized free agent on the market and, as is customary with the franchise, the team has largely ignored addressing its unmistakably glaring needs for a top-line center and a quality goaltender. If the n...
With just under 100 days remaining until the season opener against the hated Vancouver Canucks, two teams that are at drastically different points in their roster development. The Canucks have a very solid team led by the Sedin twins, Kesler, and Burrows on offence, complemented by a very capable defense backstopped by Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, and the newly acquired ...
andydrmm writes...

What if, Ott is it?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The title of this blog says it all. What if… Ott is it? I’m looking at a couple of things with this blog. First, what if Buffalo’s only move this year is the Ott move. After all of this time, and with Darcy Regier’s track record, everyone’s thinking it, I’m just saying it. Second, game plan for if Ott is it, and prep for the oncoming 2012-2013 season for Buffal...
lovin writes...

Oilers 2012/2013

Posted Friday | Comments 0
This is my first blog and i am just going to discuss what i think of the Oilers roster as of now and some thoughts on what i would like to see happen over the next few months. When i analyze whats going on with a team, i like to break it down into line combinations, gives the best idea of whats going on with the team. This is what we have going for the Oilers so far: Ha...
This Offseason, the penguins have work to do to get ready for the upcoming season. They've already made some splashes sending Jordan Staal to Carolina for Sutter, Pouliot, and Brian Dumoulin. They signed Tanner Glass who is perfect to fill in for Asham. They traded Michalek and signed some low key guys. . ...
motraynor writes...

Philly in trouble????????

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ok so i don't write very much and this is not really my thing but with that being said i thought that i might weigh in on my beloved Flyers. With Shea Weber staying in nashville what are the flyers going to do now??? seems to be the big question everyone in flyer nation has been pondering, and yes i know that Homer will most likely come up with something i hea...
motraynor writes...

Philly in trouble????????

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ok so i don't write very much and this is not really my thing but with that being said i thought that i might weigh in on my beloved Flyers. With Shea Weber staying in nashville what are the flyers going to do now??? seems to be the big question everyone in flyer nation has been pondering, and yes i know that Homer will most likely come up with something i hea...
Trade Talks Washington and Anaheim 90 Marcus Johansson 6' 1" 205 Oct 6, 1990 21 Landskrona, SWE [:thumbsup:] Drafted: WSH / 2009 NHL Entry Draft Round: 1st (24th overall) 81 Dmitry Orlov 6' 0" 210 Jul 23, 1991 21 Novokuznetsk, RUS Drafted: WSH / 2009 NHL Entry Draft Round: 2nd (55th overall) 1 round draft pick. ###################...
Follow me on Twitter @PHI_Flyers First off, in case you didn't hear.. the Flyers sent an official trade offer to the Ducks for Bobby Ryan. Philly would be shipping off Meszaros, Read, Laughton, and a 1st Rd pick in '13. Ultimately, I would be okay with this trade. Matt Read had a great rookie season and I don't see him following in the footsteps of Leino in a product...
I'm an American. I like to consider myself more liberal than most of my countrymen. But, I also recognize that there are going to be people that disagree with me about my social and political beliefs. I just want to go on record and say that I believe this is a good thing. We need contention in society, or else nothing can be addressed and improved or fixed. Along those...
Corseting writes...

The Missing Pieces

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I'm not sure about you, but I am so sick of hearing about the needs of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Every off-season, trade deadline or rumor has to do with Toronto filling those much needed areas to make the club a playoff team. But here is my issue, a proper rebuilding plan (that I thought they were doing...) will take at the very least, 3-4 more seasons. For...
Been with HB since '06, first blog :) Any feedback welcomed. @Feltzer89 It was so obvious at the end of last season, even the management group admitted the team needs a 1C and a proven 1A goaltender with experience to have any chance at success. There are options available to fill both of these holes, but for some reason I get the feeling it's not going to be address...
In many ways you could say that the future is already here. When Erik Karlsson picked up his first Norris Trophy last season it has gone no less than one year after Lidstrom settled with his last and seventh, one shy of Bobby Orr's record eight. As one living in Sweden I know the Swedish hockey fraternity were all in smiles. Is there a new era of domination for (Swedish) d...
How can the Habs prepare for future success? Heading into the 2012-2013 season a lot of uncertainty faces the Montreal Canadiens. The organizations fans would have you believe that they are a move or two away from contending for the cup. This however, is not the case. After a disappointing basement finish, the organization needs to address several needs. The 2011-20...
Follow me on twitter @PHI_Flyers ---------------------------------------------- We are only a little more than a month away from the start of pre season action! While there still will be more signings and possibles trades, I thought that today I would make predictions of the Atlantic Division if the season started tomorrow. I will look into the other divisions and con...
AarifDeen writes...

Offseason Review: Part 1 of 6

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] We are now currently just a few days into the most horrifying month of the year for the entire hockey world. Seriously now, August definitely is the worst time to be a hockey fan. Free agency has die...
First blog in quite awhile for me. But today I am going to be doing my predictions for every notable player on the Flyers roster today. Please note that these are if every player plays 82 games, which will NOT be happening. So give/take 5-10 Goals less! I will also be including the players +/- stat. [u][b]FORWARDS[/b][/u] [b]Giroux[/b]: 30 G, 75 A, 105 P, +13 [b]Hart...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
First off let's start with a few updates. 1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1 2)Looks like the Habs...
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] LINK TO PART ONE: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13838&user_id=131735[/url] Today is day two of a six-day series that will look at the job done by the 30 GM’s around the league. Fr...
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] LINK TO PART ONE: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13838&user_id=131735[/url] LINK TO PART TWO: [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=131735&post_id=13858[/url] [b...
The Washington Capitals have been rather quiet in the last few weeks of this summer. They shot out of the cannon on Draft Day by acquiring centerman Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars for winger/prospect Cody Eakin. Unlike last summer when General Manager George McPhee (GMGM) went on a spree with goaltender Tomas Vokoun, wingers Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward, centerman Je...
Crazytrades writes...

Edmonton/Buffalo Rumor

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Today Eklund made my day by saying the Oilers and Sabres were working on a major deal. As an Oilers fan this summer has been a big let down. Other than the signing justin Schultz the only other thing I could look forward to was 2 more months and then the season will hopefully start. So onto the rumor Eklund stated that the Oilers would want a significant D-man and right aw...
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...
Well, with the look of the Flyers roster becoming clearer as we approach opening day, here are my predictions for how the 2012-13 season will shake out for the Flyers. Will be fun to revisit these in June and see how close I got. 1. Paul Holmgren will sign Michal Rosival to a one year deal in an attempt to fill the hole on defense after the injury to Meszaros. 2. And...
I am taking a departure from my in depth analysis of Jay Feaster’s first two seasons as the Flames' GM to comment on statistical analysis in hockey. Specifically as it pertains to the Calgary Flames. The reason I am doing this is because I read a post on another site maligning the Wideman signing quoting (so-called) experts who called the Wideman signing the worst UFA...
To begin the feature of counting down the top ten best and top ten worst trades in modern day Habs history, I decided to begin with the worst and rotate from 10th worst to 10th best and count down simultaneously. This way, as was so often the case in Habs history, we will finish with the best ever. On the eve of the 2006-07 season, Montreal GM Bob Gainey would manufactu...
To continue our countdown of best/worst trades in the modern era of the Habs in order to help us get through August and into next season, we reveal the 10th best trade made by the Habs since the expansion of 1967. June 26th 1975, Montreal trades defenceman Greg Hubick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for center Doug Jarvis. Sam Pollock was the General Manager of the Canadi...
There has been a lot of talk about what Steve has done and even more about what he could have done this summer. We have all heard that talk that the choice to draft Yakupov was made by Katz. There was also talk the Sutter as coach was nixed by Katz as well. These two things were the best things the Oilers did this summer. The reasons: Yakupov has become a fan sensat...
There has been a lot of talk about what Steve has done and even more about what he could have done this summer. We have all heard that talk that the choice to draft Yakupov was made by Katz. There was also talk the Sutter as coach was nixed by Katz as well. These two things were the best things the Oilers did this summer. The reasons: Yakupov has become a fan sensat...
AarifDeen writes...

Offseason Review: Part 4 of 6

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[u]I apologize for the late submission of part 4. I've been having trouble on this website getting this uploaded. Finally got it to work. Thanks for reading![/u] [b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind. [/b] [b]15. Los Angeles: [/b] Lad...
I am one of the biggest hockey fans around, and I do believe the players and owners will get a deal done before shutting down for the whole season, however, I do think the season will be delayed, maybe halfway through October. I am with every hockey nut out there, and I will be very upset if there is no NHL this year. Since we are on the subject, and the NHL lockout is...
Philadelphia fans have such a love-hate relationship with the man known to many as #HartnellDown. People say the player is a clown on skates or laying on the ice in many cases of the past. Scott Hartnell signed a 6-year contract extension with an average cap hit of 4.75 million dollars a season. This is a steal for the Flyers by only giving him a raise of 550,000 thousand ...
I’ve had this rattling around in my head the past few weeks, and just haven’t had the time to sit down and put it together. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I’m “signing” a long-term “contract” of my own when I get married next week. There’s been a lot of talk surrounding the length of contracts in the NHL, and it’s even a focal point in the current CBA ...
The NHL and NHLPA have reached a point of potentially experiencing a second NHL lockout in less than a decade. There are significant losers if this does happen, and very limited winners as well. So, why has it not been resolved? That's for both parties to figure out, but it seems the difference in desires for the new CBA will continue to hinder the possibility o...
The ideology that Canadian players are responsible for the success of any given team is common. Farm-born Saskatchewan kids can elevate their game and play clutch hockey when it really matters. But do local boys offer any discernable advantage over American or European players to a teams success? That's what this blog is going to be about. I'm going to find out. To star...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey. Hockey to me is pure. Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday. Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey. Hockey to me is pure. Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday. Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
To me, hockey is my escape. I am underemployed, I am struggling to put myself back through college, I have lost most of the luxuries I once enjoyed but I still had hockey. Hockey to me is pure. Imagine an office where 99% of the employees loved their jobs and gave it 100% everyday. Imagine making hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing the job that you...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds. Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far. First off they s...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds. Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far. First off they s...
Hello all and welcome to my second blog ever. Like i said in my first blog Im not the greatest writer so if it sucks please bear with me. Im open to suggestion and comments of all kinds. Now to my blog, the Edmonton Oilers have done a bit of work this off season but they could have done alot more. Lets take a look at what the Oilers have done so far. First off they s...
This blog is to dissect the many moves, trades, free agent signings, and now current roster that is presented to us by the Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke. I will do a series of blogs looking at a multitude of subjects from the inherited Leafs, the turnover, the forwards, the D, and the goalies. First, to truly understand how this current of the Leafs was built, I...
March 2, 2004, Montreal trades Josef Balej and a 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft to the New York Rangers for Alex Kovalev. The 2003-04 season was a very typical one for the Canadiens of the time, struggling to score goals and fighting like dogs to reach a playoff position. Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey went shopping at the trade deadline and struck a deal with t...
Continuing our countdown of best and worst trades in Habs modern history, we have reached the 9th worst trade. March 10, 1999: Montreal trades Mark Recchi to the Philadelphia Flyers for Dainius Zubrus and a 2nd round pick in the 1999 draft. The 1998-99 season was a difficult one for the Montreal Canadiens. Struggling terribly to score goals and well on their way to m...
shanegoudie writes...

Random Oilers Thoughts

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Random Oilers Thoughts - The "[i]I forgot my password[/i]" edition. [/b] Yes folks, I am back after taking a few months off. Why did I come back? I never wanted to leave actually. I forgot my password/user name. Lame. I'm sure a quick email to the site admin would of helped but for whatever reason never fired one off. Oh well, no doubt everyone has had their fill of ...
2Over1Under writes...

It Takes a Big Wind...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Just saw this from Canadian Press: "A large section of the roof blew off the top of Montreal's Maurice Richard Arena on Thursday, apparently by the force of powerful winds. Part of the roof, about the size of a couple of school buses, tumbled down the side of an exterior wall onto some trees. Officials did not report any injuries." Well, I guess there is no way th...
Adams11 writes...

Rumors.....

Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]Evander Kane[/b]- I have been told that Kane is closer to re-signing with the Jets then leaving, but there is some rumble about Pittsburgh throwing there 2 cents into the mix.... [b]Shane Doan[/b]- Doan is looking more and more like hes staying in Phoenix. there are plenty of teams looking for his services. Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philly, and Vancouver are just a few....
Adams11 writes...

PJ Axelsson

Posted Monday | Comments 0
For anybody who knows this player... this video will explain why he is my favorite player of all time.... http://youtu.be/Fq1iGxVzNgA I wanted to get video to pop right up on the page put it was fighting me....
(This is from my blog at www.ihjjr.com) Quick Hits Ovechkin made an appearance today at Kettler Ice Plex with Backstrom, Orlov, Johansson, Ribeiro and a few other players to take part in some on ice practice. Ovie showed up with a shaved head, citing that he did in homage for his 700 or so 'brothers' who are about to make war with the NHL and its owners. He sent Twitte...
Today I'm going to venture away from my usual niche of statistics and into the mysterious and compelling realm of prediction. That's right, my usual calculator gives way to a crystal ball, my mathematical approach gives way to voodoo. So I'll tell you what I see the standings being in the Northeast during the gap between regular season and playoff hockey. Let's start. 1...
Whether many read this blog or not I felt compelled to put my 2 cents out into the Blogging Universe regarding the collective bargaining situation between the NHL and the PA. First of all, I believe anyone deserves to get paid when they put in the effort and make the sacrifice to succeed. I believe in fairness and goodwill. I don't believe people should be punished fo...
As a follow-up on my recent predictions of the Northeast division, I'll be weighing in today with my thoughts on possibly the best division in hockey. The Atlantic Division contained 4 playoff teams last year, or the number produced by the Southeast and Northeast divisions combined. The fact that the Eastern final was between two Atlantic teams, and didn't feature perenia...
So I got married 18 days ago, and ventured off on my honeymoon. I left knowing that the risk of a lockout was coming up. For 10 days, I didn’t look for much information, mainly due to the fact that I was sitting in the middle of the Caribbean without cell phone signal. Plus, I didn’t want to pay the money for wi-fi on the boat. When I got back to Fort Lauderdale, and h...
They're out there, and real fans hate them. The Bandwagon Jumpers. How do we define a bandwagon jumper? It's really up to your own opinion I suppose, but I'm going to fill you in on my guidelines for a bandwagon jumper. [i] A Bandwagon Jumper is defined as a fan who displays a lack of loyalty and supports only winning teams, changing from team to team as success ris...
cuppacoldtea writes...

The Plan

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Here is the situation. The powers that be have decided to suspend our game while they decide exactly how to divvy up OUR money. And we have been called the "Greatest fans in the world" for putting up with this garbage...again. The only way these bozos will get the message is when we stop buying the product. I'm appealing to Canadian hockey fans to boycott the pro...
Let me just start by saying that I'm not an expert on the lockout. My understanding of all the technical aspects isn't crystal clear. I don't religiously follow the daily back and forth between the two sides. I don't have any insider telling me when and how the labour dispute will be settled. I'm not going to pretend that I do. I do know a fair bit about the fan's menta...
Mutara writes...

The Temperature Rises

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Fans now are starting to see the light. Neither side is really all that concerned about the fans (which we all knew at heart). Up until recently, at least the players had some sympathy, but that is support is eroding quickly. At this point I have passed the point of frustration into the realm of downright angry! At the very least can you sit in a room and talk or make ...
After a little traffic delay on the I-490, my wife and I have made it home from the Amerks season opener vs the Syracuse Crunch. Needless to say, it was a great game, but there are a lot of concerns regarding the Amerks. Due to the high amount of traffic coming to the arena (Thanks Gary, thanks for the lock out), we missed the first 3 minutes of the game. Corey Tropp st...
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] Something that was already a given, has further been proven now with the latest updates of the CBA negotiations. In case you haven’t heard the news yet (which obviously means you’ve probably b...
This installment of the Top 10 draft picks will focus on the Edmonton Oilers. They have plucked some serious talent from juniors since they joined the NHL in 1979. Wayne Gretzky was not drafted by the Oilers, or by anyone, so he will not be on the list. How will guys like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, and Nail Yakupov stack up against the high-flying Oilers from the 19...
Chip McCleary writes...

Unfounded Optimism

Posted Wednesday | Comments 10
The comments from the media over the last several days following the swapping of proposals between the NHL and NHLPA would leave many fans to think a deal is oh-so-close, and that a slight massaging of details will have the 2012-13 season finally underway in a few short days. The reality, however, is that the two sides are still quite a ways apart – and no amount of che...
archromat writes...

A bad poker hand

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
If you've played Texas' Hold 'Em, you probably know of this following situation. You're holding onto a pair of natural kings in your hand and one of the three cards revealed is an ace. You're looking at the snarky guy across the table and he's the type of guy that always weasels out every hand and bluffs to take everyone else's money. You KNOW he doesn't have the Ace,...
understanding about how the proposals compare, the better. The one thing that has been sorely missing from all of the talk, though, has been the possible flaws in each side’s proposal and whether new problems are created. Let’s rewind to August, 2005. The NHL and NHLPA had finally signed off on a new CBA, the 2005 Entry Draft had been held, and the free agent fren...
Can somebody explain to me why the National Hockey League is allowed to negotiate a collective salary rollback? Do they not believe, as most all people do, that all contracts should be honored as signed? How would the owners react if Comcast/NBC reneged on their pact with the league? I cant imagine they would be very happy. It is because I believe this practice to be unfai...
andydrmm writes...

Another Amerks Adventure

Posted Saturday | Comments 2
I took the day off to day because I had a doctor’s appointment this morning. Plus, I didn’t want to go back to work afterwards. My wife and I then began to develop a plan for the day. We knew that the day would end at the Amerks game as they took on the Hamilton Bulldogs. It was another big adventure in Rochester at Blue Cross Arena. The Amerks went on the power pl...
andydrmm writes...

Adirondack Against Amerks

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Last weekend, my wife and I decided to go to tonight’s Amerks game with my parents. We decided that we were going to try to go and reap the benefit of tonight’s Salute the Troops night (my dad is a former Marine). The following, is the events that transpired in Rochester, NY, at Blue Cross Arena. We decided to park a few blocks away due the heavy flow of traffi...
As things stand on November 14, it’s hard to feel any kind of optimism about the NHL and NHLPA reaching any kind of a deal to salvage any part of the 2012-13 season. In all honesty, it should have been predictable – but way too many people put way too much faith in the ability of both sides to compromise. Some famous guy once put out a definition of insanity; some of...
Last night, I was pointed to a [url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/179740001.html]blog entry from Michael Russo at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune[/url]. In that posting, Russo states that he has copies of exhibits put forward by the NHL in discussions with the NHLPA illustrating the gap that really exists between both sides. Based on the exhibits Russo shows, th...
Thanks to unnamed sources, I've obtained an exclusive transcript of tomorrow's meeting between the NHL and NHLPA. The following is a rush version; the full version will be available tomorrow. [b]Bettman:[/b] We're still insisting on a 50/50 split of HRR, starting immediately, with limits on contract lengths, variation in salary by year. [b]Fehr:[/b] We're still insist...
As we all await (some eagerly, some for morbid curiosity) news of how the latest round of negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA have gone, I thought I'd discuss an oft-mentioned point in both the 2005 CBA and this year's CBA's discussions: the Players Share of HRR. Many people have asked why various items aren't included in HRR, ranging from game-used merchandise to p...
Chip McCleary writes...

Unfounded Optimism, II

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[url=http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=48072&post_id=14164]I wrote a post last month[/url] that talked about how the media was incredibly optimistic that because the NHL and NHLPA were meeting, a deal could be close at hand. At that time, I didn't buy it because the two sides were too far apart on key issues. Fast foward about 4 weeks, and it's deja vu: the ...
Chip McCleary writes...

What Fehr should do next

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Suffice it to say, I was shocked like everyone else was when news came out that talks had broken down between the NHL and NHLPA yet again. After hearing from some of the media about how progress was imminent and a breakthrough might be at hand, discovering that the NHL had yet again dismissed the NHLPA’s graciousness was … what’s the word, predictable? The proble...
Willie Wilts writes...

QMJHL: Studs and Duds?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the NHL stuck in an owner’s lockout, hockey fans have had to direct their attention to other leagues in order to scratch the itch for competitive games. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) has drawn a lot of the fan attention that the NHL would normally consume. Here are some of the studs and duds to watch for in the CHL’s eastern league, the QMJHL. Topping my lis...
Well, here we are yet again – another round of the media proclaiming success and happiness was imminent, and yet another round of reality rearing its ugly head to stomp on all those dreams. Predictable, really – and yet, some people just can’t help but make themselves giddy hoping for things to happen, no matter the ultimate cost. Myself, I’m thrilled that talk...
Of all the incredulous statements made on Thursday night (and there were a slew of them on both sides), one of the most striking was Bill Daly’s comment that a 5-year limit on contract lengths is “a hill we’re willing to die on.” It’s amazing that of all the things the owners could say they absolutely must have – of the things they say “we can’t leave home...
In the past couple of days, NHLPA head Donald Fehr spoke at a meeting of the Canadian Auto Workers union. In his remarks, Don outlined all the things that his union has in common with the CAW, and it has been reported in the media he received a standing ovation from the audience. Apparently the membership of the CAW have been too busy building cars to pay much attention to...
As I sit and think about what I should be watching on a Tuesday night, (Sabres vs Senators), I’ve been scrolling through pictures of games that I’ve been at. I got to thinking about what games I’ve been to, and what games I wish I was at. I figured I’d break this up into 2 questions. 1. What’s the best hockey game(s) that you ever went to? and 2. What game(s)...
archromat writes...

My vision for the NHL

Posted Thursday | Comments 3
So that I can stop hearing complaints about my owner's bias, I need to set the record straight. I am not biased for the owners: I'm biased for this version of the game. Before that, let me take you through a little of my own history. In the early 1990s, we used to play League Sim which was a program based on Wayne Gretzky's Hockey (an old hockey game for the compute...
hockeylegend488 writes...

Nhl draft re-wind 2008

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hello everyone hope you all had a great Christmas and happy new year. For the average hockey fan its been a tough and disappinting season to say the least. Luckily some of the best hockey of the year can be found threw the holidays in the annual World junior tournaments. As my first blog on the sit ide like to do my personal opinion of the nhl draft rewind segment. Now pe...
hockeylegend488 writes...

Nhl draft re-wind 2008

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hello everyone hope you all had a great Christmas and happy new year. For the average hockey fan its been a tough and disappinting season to say the least. Luckily some of the best hockey of the year can be found threw the holidays in the annual World junior tournaments. As my first blog on the sit ide like to do my personal opinion of the nhl draft rewind segment. Now pe...
archromat writes...

The five minute penalty

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I have a bone to pick with the rules. The situation rose again during the Canada-Slovak game the other day, where Canada had to kill off two five minute majors from trivial calls. Why rose again? Because NJ's season basically ended trying to kill a five minute boarding penalty. Now when there's an illegal hit to the head, or a boarding, or a bad charging, I understa...
In this blog I will be examining and breaking down, the trades that the Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager, Brian Burke has made. I will provide brief anaylisis for each deal, and examine what the club got, and what they gave a way. I will only be examining trades of a certain level of significance. Unless everyone would like to me to regail in Burke's ma...
[b]This is a question that every columnist or blogger in the hockey hemisphere is going to be asking its readers. How will the abreviated hockey season affect their team?[/b] Naturally the true answer is, "Nobody knows". But like with any bit of news in any major sport, journalists are going to be paid to ask these theoreticals and try their best to give an edjucated ...
With the a 6-5 overtime loss to Russians, Canada's national junior team not only leaves Ufa with the disappointment of no gold medal, but also with the knowledge that they are the first Canadian team in fourteen years without a medal of any colour. That's a tough pill to swallow for anyone, let alone a bunch of teenagers who are faced with a level of expectation that most...
"[i]Guess who just got back today? Those wild eyes boys that had been away. Haven't changed, haven't much to say. But man I still think them cats are crazy[/i]"-Thin Lizzy [i]The Boys Are Back In Town[/i], the obligatory song that will be played in every arena across the NHL at some point during opening warmups on Opening Day. Not that anyone is complaining because all ...
Imagine you are the crew chief of an Indy Car team, and you were just informed that this year’s Indianapolis 500 has been rescheduled as the “Indy 275”. That’s pretty much the challenge that has been put in front of NHL GMs, coaches, and players. With a 48 game schedule, this season will have a unique character. A hot streak will give that much more of an advantage...
andydrmm writes...

Don't Forget The Fans...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I could do the overdone “Yay, lockout’s over!!” blog, but I won’t. There’s a few reasons, but those will be revealed more as time progresses towards the start of the season. However, I’m more concerned with how the NHL handles the next few days as teams head to camps. First, is the development of a schedule. We’ve lost enough games, and people have paid d...
coltron writes...

Pilot

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Welcome to my very first blog. I know that I am mostly writing to myself at this point in time but perhaps eventually 2 maybe even 3 people might stumble across one of my collections of ramblings. I should start with a little bit about myself: I'm certainly not a writer by no stretch of the imagination. I have no professional background, I did the minimum English req...
Giroux writes...

Captain Giroux, a Dream Come True

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It looks like my man Giroux is going to be the next Flyers captain. I think that he is very deserving of this honor for many reasons. Giroux works very hard both on and off the ice and has a tremendous work ethic. His play is an example to all of the other players. The question is, will he be able to lead the Flyers? My answer to that is “yes”. Giroux always sti...
JamieS writes...

The Curious Case of Brian Burke

Posted Thursday | Comments 17
I swear I didn't take that title from anywhere. Anyways as many of you readers know already, Brian Burke was relieved of his duties as Gm and head of Hockey Operations by the two-headed behemoth that is Rogers and Bell, and Dave Nonis will replace (from here until who knows) him. Now, I'm sure I'm not the only person who was at a loss of words. Burke was going into his...
What a wonderful day, I'm playing a show tonight with my band [www.deathbyrobot.ca], I took the day off work, I'm sitting here with a hot cup of Timmy's and hockey talk is in full swing. What more could I ask for? Not a whole lot me thinks. Anywho I figured today would be a good day to attempt a blog that actually discussed the Edmonton Oilers and my thoughts on the t...
I wont believe that Derek Roy isn't a Sabre anymore until I see it Sunday 1/20/13 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Sabres didn't make any moves for a true NHL caliber number 1 center, but I do like the moves that they made in the off-season (a very long off-season.) Buffalo Sabres traded Derek Roy for tough guy Steve Ott and dman Adam Pardy. They also acquired enf...
Giroux writes...

The Flyers and Free Agency

Posted Monday | Comments 0
100 mile per hour slap shot. Hopefully this will help move us in the right direction. The Flyers are on the road to strengthening their hurting defense in the acquisition of Kurtis Foster. He fills the Flyers need for a sixth defenseman and brings some different skills to the Flyers’ defense. Foster has bounced around the league quite a bit due to injuries which make...
andydrmm writes...

Sabres 2013 Season Preview

Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
gkmkiller writes...

How Columbus Can Contend

Posted Sunday | Comments 1
I’m sure the first question many of you are asking yourselves is why I, a passionate Rangers fan, am writing a blog on MYHB about the Columbus Blue Jackets. In my nearly four years of contributions on this site I can only think of one time I wrote about a team or a player of another team that was in no way related to the Rangers. So why start now? I have a couple of rati...
andydrmm writes...

Sabres 5- Flyers 2

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well, I’ll be completely honest; I am pleasantly surprised today. I really am. To be honest, I didn’t see the Sabres winning today. It wasn’t the best win in the world, but I, like every other Sabres fan, will take it. After taking a frigid hike into the arena, we started scrounging for food, and realized that the arena couldn’t sell beer until noon. So, after ...
BrentD10 writes...

What To Do About Bobby Lu

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
An already difficult situation in Vancouver may have become even more complicated over this past weekend. There has been a bright spotlight placed on the goal crease at the Canucks end of the rink, and everyone has been paying close attention to the "Luongo Situation". It was all supposed to be quite simple; Roberto Luongo was supposed to be traded as soon as the ink was d...
derfmred writes...

Game 1 More of the same

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
'Well game one in the record books in this shortened season and its like a Gomez free 2011-2012. Carey Price was fantastic, he made some unreal saves as he usually does but as we have seen far to many times in the past he was almost the lone bright spot. The top line was completely silent and the rest of the team barley showed up. Toronto played an alright game but Montrea...
Giroux writes...

Flyers: 2 Games Down

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well, the Flyers have played, and dropped, two games to start the season: the first against Pittsburgh and the second against the Buffalo Sabres. All in all, even though they lost both games, they didn’t look as bad as the record shows. They got some pretty rough calls by the refs especially in the Sabres game. Two Flyers goals were called back simply because the refs...
TheKingsGarden writes...

Miller Time at ACC

Posted Tuesday | Comments 5
1/21/13 Game Recap: Maple Leafs 1 vs. Buffalo Sabres 2 Ryan Miller simply stole this one for the Buffalo Sabres. I was shocked to hear from the Toronto announcers that Miller had lost his six straight previous trips to Toronto. Miller played as if it were truly a January 21st division match up. Despite his superb play between the pipes, he was clearly beaten twice, bu...
msimoes writes...

Is "De-Expansion" the key?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Before the lockout I thought the NHL was doing great and getting more and more popular by the year, I wasn't exactly right but not wrong either. The NHL hit record revenue with [b]$3.3 Billion [/b] in the 11-12 season. When the lockout finally ended I turned on ESPN, NESN, CSN, NBC expecting a panel of analysts talking hockey and big banner across the screen, but I was sho...
1/23/13 Game Recap: Kings 1 @ Avalanche 3 Early in this one, the Kings looked to regain their Stanley Cup form over the young and speedy Avalanche. However, the Avalanche were able to stick close to the defending champs, finding a way similar to the Kings' playoff run to steal the victory. A relentless fore-check led to several chances on Colorado netminder Semyo...
Well that was much better. Again Carey Price was on top of his game, again a night with some highlight reel saves. The way this guy plays the puck is a part of his game that does not seem to get a lot of attention. Last nights game and in the game vs Toronto there was a play where he cleared that puck by shooting it at the glass by the blue line about a foot down. Tell me ...
Phil94 writes...

Oilers Goalie solution

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After watching the Oilers/Sharks game last night and reading blogger and fan reaction here is my take on the situation. Devan Dubnyk did not have a very good game .I don’t dislike him, but I find he does not have the makings of a number one goaltender. Last night, it seemed like he had no fight, no desire to go out and make a big save. I find he lacks that competitive ed...
Columbus should consider themselves very fortunate to leave Monday night’s home opener with even a point. If not for the stellar performance of Bobrovsky (again) the Wings might have won by three or four goals. But thanks to Bob and some timely PP goals the Jackets were in position to come away with the win and two points in the standings before poor defensive coverage, ...
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...
This is pre-Phoenix, but I think the Edmonton game was a sign the Kings are headed back to last season's form/pattern. They've shook the cobwebs I mean the suds of the party/offseason off and are ready to be stingy on D and in net. The forwards can't score, yet, and that is how the Kings got it going last year. Great D and netminding, anemic offense. Clifford is everyth...
This is pre-Phoenix, but I think the Edmonton game was a sign the Kings are headed back to last season's form/pattern. They've shook the cobwebs I mean the suds of the party/offseason off and are ready to be stingy on D and in net. The forwards can't score, yet, and that is how the Kings got it going last year. Great D and netminding, anemic offense. Clifford is everyth...
Kings Recap: 1/26 @ Phoenix As I write this, the Kings are closing in on their first victory this season as defending champs...could not think of a better place than Phoenix, who are still ticked off at Dustin Brown and the Kings for ousting them in the Conference Finals. Thursday night was just a bad night. The Kings looked awful on the power play, not generating ...
After a promising start in which the Blue Jackets earned three of a possible four points after two games, Columbus stumbled badly on a two-game road trip through Phoenix and Colorado dropping a 5 – 1 decision to the Coyotes and a 4 – 0 shutout loss at the hands of the Avalanche. They followed that up with a narrow 3 – 2 loss to the still unbeaten Chicago Blackhawks i...
After a rather slow start to this short season, the Kings have started to show some signs of the team it was during the playoff run. In a battle of Western Conference heavyweights on Monday evening at Staples, the Kings found themselves down in a 2-0 hole late in the middle frame. Nevertheless, they stuck with the program, continued to push hard and found a way to win....
1/29/13 Leafs 4 @ Sabres 3 OT Before I get to some of the poor play earlier in the game from the Leafs, I am going to start with some positives first, ok! After looking terrible in the third period against the Islanders and Rangers, the Leafs came out in the third period on a mission; don't screw it up this time! Although Toronto relinquished the 3-2 lead it had...
Im quite amazed and highly enjoying the higher than expected level of competitiveness from the players this early in the season.Heck didn't Betts ( Bettman) suggest that the quality of product might suffer or diminish because of a shortened season? I say not in fact I'm ready to shorten the season next year to 67 games. Yes and I'll tell you why. Playoff bonus money. That'...
2/4 Maple Leafs 1, Hurricanes 4 Why should I ever get my hopes up on the Toronto Maple Leafs? The blue and white played well against Boston, despite getting outworked and out-muscled in the offensive zone. They did score a good goal that somehow was taken away from them. Chris Kelly plays for the Bruins, just in case you referee's did not know that. Besides the fa...
[b]Toronto Still Work in Progress, LA Fights Back. [/b] [i]2/5 Kings 4 @ Blue Jackets 2; Maple Leafs 3 @ Capitals 2[/i] It was quite a bit of fun going back and forth between the Leafs and Kings games, both playing at the same time tonight in eastern time zone. It was also exciting to see both teams hang onto 3-2 leads late, then equally satisfying to see both teams...
ajm7719 writes...

Friday Fly By

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Another up and down week for the Orange and Black. On Tuesday night they looked great defensively and in net against a very good Lightning squad and came out with a 2-1 W, thanks to Tom Sestito. Last night they lost a tough shootout to the Florida Panthers. It looked like they might have been able to win the game in OT but failed to capitalize on any of their chances. ...
jeffjgreig writes...

Bell Centre Brawlin!

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Maybe Don Cherry was right when he boldly stated that the Leafs new toughness is the reason for a much steadier and confident game play by the young team. I can remember thinking so many times last year..."IF Colton Orr were here that guy wouldn't be hacking Kessel to ice everytime he touched the puck". And when you look at the 1-0 loss to the bruins this year it was a c...
TalkLeafs writes...

5 Thoughts on Game Day

Posted Monday | Comments 0
#1. The Bryzgalov everyone in Philadelphia expected back in June 2011 seems to have finally surfaced and is putting up solid numbers so far this season (2.27 GAA, .921 SV%). It has been 9 games since Bryz has let more than 3 past him and he has been more solid than the Flyers 5-6-1 record would indicate. On the other side of the ice the James Reimer that Toronto fans saw a...
[b]February 10, 2013[/b] [i]Maple Leafs 5, Flyers 2; Kings 4 @ Blues 1[/i] What can I say, the Maple Leafs are on fire right now! And the Kings actually looked like a championship caliber team. First, let's begin with the Kings who needed a good performance after yesterday's killer defeat. Darryl Sutter finally played Jonathan Bernier, who helped give incumben...
The Rangers face off against the big bad Bruins at 7:30 tonight. To be honest, I always look forward to playing the B's. Original Six matchup aside, Rangers vs. Bruins games promise to be a hard fought, close checking spectacle. On this night, though, I am particularly excited.rn I feel like the Rangers have really started to click since their 3-2 win at Tampa Bay te...
rebel_deucer writes...

If I was GM...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
I will not try to calculate cap or anything, this is for fun, and what I believe could potentially be an ultimate team. I will pick 4 lines, 3 sets of d, and two goalies. The point is to create a team not of superstars but together will play as a team.rnrn1st UnitrnJames Van Riemsdyke - Sidney Crosby - Steven StamkosrnrnThis unit will have JVR is front of the net, and Cros...
Emotion is a huge part of the game of hockey, more so than any other sport. That is the aspect of the game that draws in the fans; the intensity, devotion, and sacrifice. The ups and downs, the ebbs and flows. The excitement and the despair. To an extent, the fans reflect the emotion of the game. We scream, yell, and shout. We sit on the edge of our seats, hoping and pr...
I'm by no means the first person to mention that the Flames would do well to offer sheet O'Reilly and give up their 1st and 3rd for him. This is not a unique idea and the good guys over at Flames Nation have already laid out why it is such a good idea here:[url]http://flamesnation.ca/2013/1/15/outside-the-box-sign-ryan-oreilly-to-an-offer-sheet[/url] Before I continue i...
[b]February 16, 2013[/b] [u][i]Maple Leafs 3, Ottawa Senators 0[/i][/u] Did I say Ottawa Senators at the top? I meant to say the Binghamton Senators, as the visitors were playing without several of its key players like Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza, Peter Regin and Guillaume Latendresse. Well perhaps maybe not so much the last two names listed above, but definitely...
When the Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier traded for Cody Hodgson on trade deadline day of the 2011-2012 season, he was planning to fill the void at center. It was awhile before hitting the scoresheet but in the 2013 season, he has produced regularly while centering the top line between a hot Thomas Vanek (LW) and steady captain, Jason Pominville (RW). The consistency in sco...
[b]President's Day Blog![/b] Enjoy the day off...well for those who are teacher's like me got the day off! I am sure others did too...hopefully. Some comments on the Kings game at the United Center on Sunday... [u][i]Kings 2 @ Chicago Blackhawks 3[/i][/u] I was expecting a team like the Kings, who are defending champions, or so technically speaking they are,...
aharon26 writes...

Too Much Defense?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Devils are now 16 games into this shortened season and have exceeded most people's expectations. However, one aspect that remains while many of us thought it would have been dealt with by this point, is the plethora of defenesmen the Devils have on their roster. The Devils have eight NHL level defensemen on their roster which means that two of them are healthy scratche...
andydrmm writes...

End of an Era

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This was written at around 5:30 on my dinner break. (Can’t post while at work). I wrote it, e-mailed it home, and am posting now. It’s finally happened. Those of you who read my blogs regularly know that I’ve been calling for this for quite a long time. Recently, the question “Will this day ever come?” has crossed a lot of people’s minds. However, it’s fin...
[b]February 21[/b] [u][i]Maple Leafs 3, Buffalo Sabres 1[/i][/u] I will start tonight with the Maple Leafs victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Air Canada Centre while it's most fresh in my mind... I had expected for the Sabres to come out with a little more emotion after their long time bench boss was relieved of his duties the night before. Although they got the f...
It is fair to say that anyone expecting a brand new performance from the Buffalo Sabres after the firing of Lindy Ruff would be unreasonable. Remember, the same players, especially those who are underperforming (Stafford and Myers primarily), remain on the roster. Does this mean these players are done for? No. It means that Rolston had less than 12 hours to intill ...
Let’s do a little free association shall we? I’ll say a word, and then you say the first thing that comes to mind. No hesitation ok? Let’s give it a try. Awful- “Sabres” Sloppy- “Sabres” Lackadaisical - “Sabres” Passive- “Sabres” Hmm, you seem to be preoccupied with the Sabres, and you seem to have a negative view towards them at the m...
The Phoenix Coyotes took on the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames on back to back nights this weekend. I will be pretty brief in my explanations of the games because I did not see enough of them to give what I believe to be a high-quality analysis. Also, I am not a huge fan of writing a lot after losses because sometimes there is not much positive to say. First off, t...
Most other fan bases don't understand the suffering involved in being a loyal Maple Leafs fan. I couldn't possibly count the number of times someone has taunted me with, "1967". I cringe every time there is a team honoured at the ACC, because there will be only black and white footage, and people will be sure to point that out. A newsflash for all fans of other teams that ...
cjet14 writes...

Bishop steals one for The Sens

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Really Michel Therrien? Brian Gionta. Brian fucking Gionta. One of the coldest players in our line up right now and you put the game on his stick. So how did that work out for you? Oh, he didn’t even get a shot off? Quick, can anyone think of a couple players you would rather see out there in the fourth round of a shoot out before Gionta? I can bang out a few off the top...
Several issues are facing the Sabres today. There’s so many disasters in Buffalo right now and there’s several voices looking at this. I figured instead of doing a “Here’s another night of disappointment” blog after the Sabres game (1-1 right now), I’d look at some of the issues facing the Sabres. [b]Power Play[/b] Say what you will, the power play again...
mgoren92 writes...

Habs VS Leafs: rivalry reborn

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The NHLs two most storied franchises square off for the third time this season in what is surely to be a big game for both teams. The Habs are on a roll of late, not losing in regulation since the 6 - 0 drubbing they got from the Leafs on Feb 9th. They would probably like to exact revenge for not only the score, but the physical beatdown the Leafs put on them that night. T...
One of the things that irks me (and most teams in the East) about the new proposed realignment is the fact that the East would have 16 teams, and the West has 14. One prevailing rumor is that there will be two expansion teams added to the league shortly after this realignment. It's not news to most that Seattle is the front runner if expansion happens, but the way this rea...
mgoren92 writes...

Rubber Buds: Leafs/Isles

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The young Toronto Maple Leafs look to bounce back from another disappointing effort when they take on the New York Islanders on the island tonight. There is a lot of talk about the reffing in last nights game against the Canadiens with a terrible call on a Mike Brown hit in the 1st period that saw the Buds down a man for 5 mins, and Brown ejected from the game, as well ...
[b]Update[/b] [i]Boulton IN, Ullstrom OUT Cizikas/McDonald to 3rd Line Reasoner/Boulton to 4th Line Martinek OUT, Finley IN[/i] [b]Tale of the Tape[/b] TOR 12-9-0 NYI 8-11-1 Goals For: TOR 2.81 NYI 2.80 Goals Against: TOR 2.43 NYI 3.40 Special Teams TOR: PP 16.5%(19th) PK 81.7%(15th) Special Teams NYI: PP 23.5% (6th) PK 84.9% (7th) Leafs Road R...
After fighting back from a two goal deficit, the Islanders came away with a point after Dion Phaneuf scored in overtime to win it for the Leafs. Both teams came out very physical in the first period, with hits totalling 16-13 in favour of the Maple Leafs. For comparison, hits were 21-16 at the end of the Boston game and that was a physical one. Kyle Okposo made a sli...
mgoren92 writes...

On Kadri and Kessel

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I will start off on a positive note: Kadri is lighting it up, leading the Leafs in scoring... from the 3rd line! Yesterday he put the team on his back and got his first NHL hat trick against the Islanders in a 5 - 4 overtime win. Don Cherry would beam about this and say, "I told ya so!", but I'm of the opinion that Kadri has developed into the player he is right now becasu...
After looking a bit deeper into what got these guys into Randy Carlyle's good books while John-Michael Liles, who hasn't played all that bad, sits on the sideline I discovered that both Holzer and Kostka are right-handed. While this doesn't seem to be earth-shattering news, of the Leafs NHL defensemen, only Holzer, Kostka, Cody Franson, and Mike Komisarek are right han...
[b]March 4th[/b] [u][i]Kings 5, Nashville Predators 1[/i][/u] First of all, give me some credit for staying up living in central time zone to watch a game between two teams who don't score much but take great pride in tight, defensive-minded hockey with great goaltending. Sure it is boring, but its the way hockey is supposed to be played. But thank God I did s...
slickshotsabre writes...

Kaleta got a 5er!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
Im sorry but what?rnrnhow the hell did kaleta get a 5 game suspension for a nudge? that hit was barely a hit, Richards fell more than he was pushed, especially the day before the air jump on lundin was only a 4 gamer. to me this makes no sense
SLangrock93 writes...

True Grit

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For as long as I can remember the Montreal Canadiens could never beat the Boston Bruins in a fight. This is a big concern to many a Habs fan, but it really shouldn't be. When the Habs beat the Bruins Wednesday night it was not because they intimidated them. No, instead the real reason they won was because they took every hit the Bruins dished out, and they got up and kept ...
The trends that this years version of the Toronto Maple Leafs have exhibited so far are interesting ones. The team has a great record on the road and a mediocre one on the road. They also seem to be winning the "should win" games, something that they have not been able to do in the last few years. The trend that is a major concern to me is their inability to show up in the...
[b]March 6th[/b] [u][i]Kings 6, St. Louis Blues 4[/i][/u] Wow! What a game! Watching this one late into the night was even better than popping by DVD copy of "Slapshot" in the player... To be honest, I was not at all surprised that the Kings made this sort of comeback. To me, it was the defending champions toying with the Blues all night. They may have just ska...
I know what you guys are saying, that I am a troll, or for me to get off this website, but think about this for a second. Think about what we can get for it. We'll lose a prospect for next year but we can also gain two devolped veteran's, Example, Joe Thornton, we could even throw Whitney in there just to drop a 4 million contract.
I’m starting this with a quote from [i]Moneyball[/i]. Yes, I know it’s a baseball movie. No, I don’t care. “The problem we’re trying to solve is that there are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there’s fifty feet of crap, and then there’s us.” Brad Pitt’s character is describing his ball club, the Oakland A’s. Based on this, I propose th...
The Edmonton Oilers are constantly being compared to the Chicago Blackhawks based on the rebuild route they have chosen. Rebuilding is FINE, but don't be convinced that this is the same type of rebuild as the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm going to go over the breakdown of the Chicago rebuild in comparison to the Edmonton rebuild. CHICAGO MISSED THE POST SEASON FROM 02/03 - 07/08...
The Montreal Canadiens have finished the first half of their regular season and are possibly the most pleasant surprise in the entire league. Sure, Chicago going this long without losing in regulation is hard to believe, but no one is surprised that they are the top team in the league. With all the injuries in Ottawa, it is hard to believe they keep winning, but they were ...
Dougers14 writes...

Oilers Lack Leadership

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
A season with so much promise, looks bleak now as we near the end of an afwul nine game road trip (thanks Brier). rnrnAs I watch my favorite team night after night, its becoming clear that this team lacks leadership and that may be why they are struggling. There is so much pressure on the kids to carry this team to the promise land and I think they can and will at some poi...
The Montreal Canadiens have finished the first half of their regular season and are possibly the most pleasant surprise in the entire league. Sure, Chicago going this long without losing in regulation is hard to believe, but no one is surprised that they are the top team in the league. With all the injuries in Ottawa, it is hard to believe they keep winning, but they were ...
[b]March 10[/b] Defending Staples appeared to hit a road bump on Thursday, as the Dallas Stars used a three-goal third period to defeat the defending champion Kings 5-2. Dallas also got two goals from ageless wonder, Jaromir Jagr, who beat Quick on an early power play and then added an insurance goal at the 9:40 mark of the third. Perhaps the Kings were a little ...
[b]March 12[/b] [i][b]Maple Leafs 2 @ Winnipeg Jets 5[/b][/i] Oh boy, where should I start with this one...? After witnessing the first two periods, I was about to give most of the credit to Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec, and then build a rant up against the officials from this one, but since the Maple Leafs completely fell apart in the third period, I will just chal...
The Montreal Canadiens return to the Bell Centre tonight to face the Ottawa Senators following a very successful 5 game road trip. The only blemish on the trip came in New York against an Islanders team desperate to keep their playoff hopes alive. The loss was a tough one for Carey Price especially, who had allowed at least 5 goals in back to back starts. Price would b...
gardinerfan writes...

Hankinson... What a clown

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Please dont let that a**hole Ben Hankinson get anything from that poorly timed, and clearly moronic, tweet. Grow up people! Lupul is going to be back soon, Opening a roster spot for him would mean sending Holzer down as he is the only current Leaf who wouldn't be exposed to waivers. Gardiner will be a leaf, a very good one at that, but it needs to happen through the tradin...
Daylom writes...

Purgatory

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hello,I am a Leafs fan, a life long Leafs fan. Remember when Brain Burke said this was "the Vatican of hockey"? He wasn't wrong. Not to say that this is the mecca of hockey, Montreal probably holds that title. But, this is a team you either love and worship or want to declare jihad against. It is beaten into you at a young age: This is the only team that matters, Stanl...
I actually think that the Leafs could finally make the playoff! Yes I said it, it seems like on an odd or sometimes even day they come thru in some fashion. I my mind thou there isn’t any reason to spill time on pondering if whether they could escape first round or even (god is laughing) make it further. [b]So do I have any kind of claim for this kind of thesis?[/b...
It was a night of many firsts for the Montreal Canadiens. Everyone knew coming into the contest against the New Jersey Devils that it would be the first game of Jarred Tinordi’s (hopefully long) NHL career. Halfway through the first period of play, Colby Armstrong would (finally) score his first goal in a Canadiens sweater. Later, midway through the third, Tinordi would ...
David Desharnais has overcome adversity every year of his hockey career, proving himself at every level of competition before finally cashing in with the Montreal Canadiens. The 4 year, 14 million dollar contract is a huge deal for the undersized center, but he has been defeating the odds since before his junior career began and will prove he is worth every penny. (Or ever...
[b][b]March 18[/b] [b][i]Leafs Lack of Leadership Hampering Results?[/b][/i][/b] Well, another big game for the Leafs on Saturday fell the way side once again. Toronto got a promising start from a nice backhand goal from Joffrey Lupul, who finally returned to the lineup after missing 25 games. But the Maple Leafs could not build on the early lead and completely f...
[i][b]Late Night Update: Kings 4, Phoenix Coyotes 0[/b][/i] What a great save by former King Jason LaBarbera on a three-on-one chance on Justin Williams... Jonathan Quick got the start and seemed to have returned to championship form. We got to see some "vintage Quick" tonight, as the Kings were in total control from beginning to finish. Now, a bit more difficult...
[b]March 20[/b] [b][i]Kings Sweep Away Misfit Coyotes[/i][/b] Before I offer my opinion on the LA Kings trade rumors, I should mention a little bit about last night... During the two-game home series against the Phoenix Coyotes, we saw a true championship caliber team man-handle and dictate play against a team that thinks they can compete with them, but in reality...
No one is really talking about it but the Montreal Canadiens must be considered a Stanley Cup contender at this point. Sure the Boston Bruins are big, bad and won it all two years ago but we’ve seen many times before that the Canadiens are capable of beating the Bruins in the playoffs. In fact, two seasons ago when the B’s won the Cup they barely got by the Habs in a f...
[b]March 25[/b] [b][i]A Tale of Two Teams, and Two Captains[/i][/b] Before I depart my southwestern Chicago suburb home for bright and sunny Orlando, Florida, I will post one more blog before I head out for Spring Break away from my fun-loving 8th graders! [i][b]Kings 5 @ Chicago Blackhawks 4[/b][/i] Tonight, the Kings had no choice but to come out hitting hard...
Oilers4Life14 writes...

Trade deadline.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So trade deadline is coming up in 8 days, so I decided to make a blog. Edmonton Oilers need to win 13 of their next 17 games, 13-4 run. It's not going to happen, sorry. But we are still in the running for a first overall pick. But in all honestly, we need to trade that to get more vetreans for next year, where we can make a playoff run. So here is my answer to what w...
Since the puck finally dropped on this shortened season, followers of the NHL have been pointing to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins as the top teams to beat in the Eastern Conference. While the Penguins and Bruins have certainly performed well enough to deserve such credit, there is a third team in the East that has separated themselves from the rest of the pack....
The Montreal Canadiens close out their March schedule tonight as they face the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. It has been a very successful month for the Habs thus far as they enter tonight’s contest with an 8-3-2 record in March. It will be the third meeting of the season between the original six rivals and Montreal is looking for a clean sweep after posting 3-...
The trade deadline is days away and there have been talks all around the league with numerous teams. The New Jersey Devils are obviously struggling without Ilya Kovalchuk in the lineup. Drastic changes don't need to be made; he will eventually return. But what if he returns too late and the Devils don't make the playoffs. This HAS to be something Lou Lamoriello has thought...
With the NHL’s trade deadline less than 24 hours away the Montreal Canadiens have played their way into a position of being a buyer instead of selling off assets like they did a year ago. As the deadline approaches, the Habs will be sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, only trailing the now Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins have added signif...
Miikka Kiprusoff will most likely go down as one of the Flames all time best goalies in franchise history. He's been a solid goalie for the past few years and a workhorse. Despite having a subpar year (could be attributed to not going to play anywhere during the lockout, along with a list of other things) some people think he may have some left in the tank, which he absolu...
I have to agree with what a lot of hockey analyst's are saying. The Leafs are a team still in re-building their winning ways and striving to make the playoffs in 8 years. Why risk that and make a trade for Luongo. He is a number 1 goalie but he has those streaks where he STINKS he really STINKS, not to mention the size of his contract. The Leafs looking to be h...
Upon writing this, the Flyers just won their fourth game in a row and sit only two points out of the final playoff spot in the East. Somehow, despite key injury after key injury, this team has been finding ways to win hockey games and very well could find themselves in one of the final playoff spots in a few weeks. With that being said, I want to spend this blog analyzing ...
When I first saw this on the blocks I thought to my self "no way that was a good deal for the caps"! I saw some people posting their arguments. They said that Forsberg, still only 18 only plays in the second league of Sweden and also that since he is so young there is still many years left before we know his NHL caliber My comeback would be: [b]Yes [/b]- still young...
andydrmm writes...

3 Good Sabres Games

Posted Monday | Comments 0
2 weeks ago, I wouldn’t have thought that the Buffalo Sabres would lose to the Panthers, Lightning, and Capitals, and then beat the Penguins, Senators, and Devils. It’s like we’re in opposite land or something. Not that I’m complaining, but it is nice to see the Sabres beat some good teams for a change. There seems to be something different about this Sabre...
The Montreal Canadiens look to continue their winning ways tonight as they host the suddenly surging Washington Capitals. Winners of 5 out of their last 6, Montreal currently resides in second place in the Eastern Conference, three points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins and only one point ahead of division rival Boston Bruins. The Capitals are the third seed in the East...
Eric Mellin writes...

Does Ovechkin Have Hart?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Is Alex Ovechkin now a candidate for the Hart Trophy? If you told me after the first couple weeks of the start of the season that the Washington Capitals would be sitting atop the Southeast with 8 games left I would have laughed at said, "Maybe". If you told me that Alex Ovechkin would be tied for the league lead in goals I would have laughed a little harder and said, "...
The two teams that have given the Montreal Canadiens the most trouble thus far during their successful season would be the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It just so happens that the pair of division rivals will be their next two opponents as the Habs travel to Buffalo tonight followed by a Saturday night meeting with the Leafs. These two games come on the h...
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 ...
tomkob11 writes...

Don't Silence the Boo Birds

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Don't silence the boo birds For years now we have paid thousands of our meager incomes to pay the salaries of this mediocre group of hockey players. Although I do understand that players, like Steve Ott, are frustrated because the booing is demoralizing to the young players and the veterans. I also feel the need to tell him to shut up and play hockey. He has been a pol...
andydrmm writes...

Game Over

Posted Friday | Comments 0
How many times have we seen the Buffalo Sabres do what they’ve done this week? The Sabres came up with 3 great wins against the Penguins, Senators, and Devils. They pulled themselves into a great position, having gotten within 4 points of the elusive 8th place seed in the Eastern Conference. Hope, for the fans of Buffalo, had been restored. Heading into Tuesday ni...
Follow me on twitter: @flamesfan1981 For the past two decades the Calgary Flames franchise has attempted to fill their to center positions with low cost or washed up bandaid solutions that simply weren't the answer. To put this into better perspective, the Flames top 2 scoring Centerman since the 1996 season have been Robert Reichel (354 points in 425 games) and Craig ...
With a playoff berth officially clinched following a dominating win over the Buffalo Sabres, the sprint for playoff positioning now begins for the Montreal Canadiens. With eight games remaining for both Montreal and division rival Boston Bruins and only one point separating them, the division champ will be crowned based on who finishes the season the hottest. The sprint...
The Top Five Most Emotional National Anthems in Buffalo Sports HistoryrnShaun Chojnackirnrn#5 NHL All Star Game 1991rnJanuary 19th 1991rn• The Gulf War had just begun and emotions were incredibly high.rn• The game was broadcasted worldwide and drew the highest television audience for an NHL All Star game at the time.rn• The uncertainty of war was looming as the build...
The Montreal Canadiens finally rediscovered the win column against the Tamp Bay Lightning after suffering their three ugliest losses of the season. With a little luck and a huge game from the man who was handed the blame for the losing streak, Habs fans can sigh a bit of relief before facing the Washington Capitals tonight. The Lightning had countless chances to open t...
ewrjcc writes...

Ryan Miller Needs To Go

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Now I dont want to get people upset by thinking that all this is Ryan Millers fault. I will be the first to say that Ryan Miller has been the victim of bad breaks and a bad team playing in front of him at times. He is far from the reason The Buffalo Sabres lost to the New York Rangers last night and definitely not the only reason we are missing the playoffs again this seas...
ewrjcc writes...

Ryan Miller Needs To Go

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Now I dont want to get people upset by thinking that all this is Ryan Millers fault. I will be the first to say that Ryan Miller has been the victim of bad breaks and a bad team playing in front of him at times. He is far from the reason The Buffalo Sabres lost to the New York Rangers last night and definitely not the only reason we are missing the playoffs again this seas...
pdg123 writes...

Bryzgalov vs. Mason

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Since the Flyers acquired backup goaltender Steve Mason from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline, the buzz among local Philly beat writers is whether Bryzgalov or Mason will be the starter next season, and if this spells an abrupt end for Ilya in a Flyer jersey via compliance buyout. Since the deadline, Mason has signed a 1-year extension at $1.5 million, ma...
If the draft was to start right now, we'd be pick 5th. Nashville and Carolina are two points back of Edmonton with 39. And our next 4 games aren't easy. We play: Anahiem, which we've only managed to score 2 goals in 2 games this years. Chicago, who has the best record in the league, but the last 2 games at home we've won by more then 8, Minnesota, away, who we've beat once...
As a long time Oilers fan in the heart of Leaf country thanks to that great team with Messier and Gretzky I am thinking that the next 18 months are crucial for a long lasting team core. Let me explain right now there is a great coach available who thrives on coaching in smaller markets with younger players and that coach is Lindy Ruff and he would fit right in given he's g...
As a long time Oilers fan in the heart of Leaf country thanks to that great team with Messier and Gretzky I am thinking that the next 18 months are crucial for a long lasting team core. Let me explain right now there is a great coach available who thrives on coaching in smaller markets with younger players and that coach is Lindy Ruff and he would fit right in given he's g...
There are only six days remaining in the regular season but many questions are left to be answered in the Eastern Conference. The number of potential playoff teams has been narrowed to just nine but aside from the Pittsburgh Penguins securing the number one seed, no one’s position is guaranteed. The race for the Northeast Division title and second overall throughout t...
Well, it's no surprise, Oilers, as of late, have only had 3+ goals in the last 10 games (8-2 W over Calgary, 5-3 L to Minnesota, 4-1 W over Colorado). 7 of those games we've scored 1 or less. I do not know what it is, what the problem is with scoring, perhaps it was all used against Calgary? Ralph Kruger needs to remake the lines, something line this: Line 1: Hall-Nu...
Well, it's no surprise, Oilers, as of late, have only had 3+ goals in the last 10 games (8-2 W over Calgary, 5-3 L to Minnesota, 4-1 W over Colorado). 7 of those games we've scored 1 or less. I do not know what it is, what the problem is with scoring, perhaps it was all used against Calgary? Ralph Kruger needs to remake the lines, something line this: Line 1: Hall-Nu...
Well, it's no surprise, Oilers, as of late, have only had 3+ goals in the last 10 games (8-2 W over Calgary, 5-3 L to Minnesota, 4-1 W over Colorado). 7 of those games we've scored 1 or less. I do not know what it is, what the problem is with scoring, perhaps it was all used against Calgary? Ralph Kruger needs to remake the lines, something line this: Line 1: Hall-Nu...
Well, it's no surprise, Oilers, as of late, have only had 3+ goals in the last 10 games (8-2 W over Calgary, 5-3 L to Minnesota, 4-1 W over Colorado). 7 of those games we've scored 1 or less. I do not know what it is, what the problem is with scoring, perhaps it was all used against Calgary? Ralph Kruger needs to remake the lines, something line this: Line 1: Hall-Nu...
Oilers4Life14 writes...

Oilers win 6-1.

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Follow me @Oilers4Life14 on Twitter After like 13 years playing at Xcel Energy Center, Oilers finally won their first game there, 6-1. Yak had a big night so did Eberle and Hall. Potter, even a trade bait player had 2 goals. Now this last game versus Vancouver, as well as Minnesota vs Edmonton was just for pride, also bumping us in the standings. Which is bad for th...
Tonight’s game started like far too many for the Montreal Canadiens recently. Behind 1-0 in the first period and having to battle their way back to stay alive in the race for the Northeast Division title. More often than not over the last two weeks, Montreal would let the 1-0 deficit become 2-0 before finding the back of the opponent’s net but that would not be the cas...
Oilers4Life14 writes...

Oilers end the season.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Wow. All I can say is wow. If we played like that all season, we easily would've made the playoffs. But no reason to stress, we have four Canadian teams in the playoffs, hopefully Montreal wins. But anyway, this season may of sucked because we didn't make the playoffs, but other stats were good. Out of our four Northwest Division rivals, we won 3 series out of four. Van...
[img:right]http://i.imgur.com/k6DlcxF.png[/img]When the Toronto Maple Leafs skated on to the ice at Air Canada Centre before an ecstatic, jam-packed crowd of 19,730, the largest crowd of the shortened season, it was a monumental moment in the history of the franchise. After all, after eight straight seasons of falling short, the Leafs had managed to earn a hard-fought fift...
At the end of every season, I like to crunch the numbers and see what the standings would look like under a number of different overtime and point allocation scenarios. Of course, any adjustments should be taken with a grain of salt (as changing the points system would likely change the coaching strategy, altering the results). Nonetheless, I think this is a good exerci...
Well, we finally got to the end of this season. I have 4 words to say as the Sabres season comes to a close. [b]Thank God it’s over. [/b] There’s not many things that went well this season for the Sabres. It’s pretty painful thinking back on it. Let’s take a look at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Buffalo Sabres 2013 season. All stats I use in this...
The Montreal Canadiens return to the postseason after a one year hiatus and will face their division rival Ottawa Senators in the opening round. Just a year ago, the Canadiens season ended early after finishing 15th in the Eastern Conference standings and 28th overall in the 30 team National Hockey League. Montreal was able to pull themselves out of the cellar of the East ...
Hello folks, and welcome to my first blog on HockeyBuzz! Just to start, my name is Adam Gallant, and I live for the Edmonton Oilers. As many other Oilers fans feel, I see this season as a letdown; not a major letdown, but one nonetheless. Many thought this would be the year that the Oil creep into the playoffs; we did not expect a Northwest division title, a 7th or 8th see...
[b]Playoff Time [i]Kings vs. Blues[/b][/i] [i]Game One...[/i] Los Angeles was lucky to be alive and playing into overtime; thanks in large part to the outstanding play of Jonathan Quick, who gave the Kings a chance to steal the opening game from a St. Louis team who could not have played any better. Call it a chip on their shoulder, or old fashioned revenge, th...
I really do not want to watch baseball. The Toronto Blue Jays are a complete disaster, trading for a bunch of has-beens and old men and those who have a history of injuries and being undependable. Plus, a dead ass manager who has already failed miserably with the same organization cannot help matters either. My real baseball team I have followed all my life as my first...
I to will do the famous “prediction section” as to • Who will be the MVP • Which team will fold like napkin and be tossed away • Who will be the most hated guy • Which team going ride the lucky plucky ride • And lastly, who is actually taking the Lord Stanley home for dinner and a drink? Lets start with the quickie matchup rundown [i](teams/games/tho...
I to will do the famous “prediction section” as to • Who will be the MVP • Which team will fold like napkin and be tossed away • Who will be the most hated guy • Which team going ride the lucky plucky ride • And lastly, who is actually taking the Lord Stanley home for dinner and a drink? Lets start with the quickie matchup rundown [i](teams/games/t...
As an Oilers fan, you don't get to see a lot of playoff hockey, it sucks yes, but this, Ottawa against Montreal, is a series you need to watch. Even if you are American. Apparently to Team 1200, the two refs that we reffing the game, are "The most experienced refs the NHL have." It didn't show. The refs called a total of 236 penalty minutes in the game, which is a lot, obv...
I can’t say that the end of the Buffalo Sabres season has been that painful. To be completely honest, I’m not really looking forward to next season. However, in the mean time, I’ve been enjoying some extremely entertaining hockey in the first round of the 2013 NHL playoffs. Unfortunately, things are getting out of control. It seems like every playoff season, ...
andydrmm writes...

Ron Rolston Hired

Posted Tuesday | Comments 4
After an [i]exhaustive[/i] search for a head coach, the Sabres have named their man. Ron Rolston will remain behind the bench for the Buffalo Sabres in the upcoming years. However, some individuals seem to be up in arms about this. I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Let’s look at this team that he had to coach. They weren’t exactly a team of all-stars. ...
thehockeypooler writes...

Leafs will win Game 4

Posted Wednesday | Comments 14
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the perfect team for the city which they represent - loud, in-your-face, truculent. The Maple Leafs - like the city of Toronto - is rife with talent and undiscovered gems separated by long stretches of blah, grey, and mismanaged public transportation. A Torontonian knows first-hand what it is like battling traffic, whether it's on the Gard...
What makes a good captain? Is a good captain your best player offensively or is a good captain the heart and soul of the team? You decide. [u]Anaheim Ducks-Ryan Getzlaf[/u] Ryan Getzlaf was drafted by the Ducks 1st round (19th overall) in the 2003 entry draft. He was named captain by the team prior too the 2010-2011 season. Despite a horrible 2011-2012 season when he had 5...
With the Oilers drafting 7th this season, there are plenty of different outcomes that could happen. It is very plausible that new General Manager Craig McTavish will trade the pick, or move down in order to bring in veteran talent. For the sake of this blog let's say they don't move. Jones, Drouin, Barkov, Mackinnon will all be gone in the top 4 but it gets fuzzier after t...
Did you know that $24 Million dollars can buy you a gently used 2007 Gulfstream G450 private jet, or Katherine Hepburn’s oceanfront estate in Connecticut (if you were willing to negotiate a bit), or even the Archduke Joseph 76 carat, D color, flawless diamond (Sotheby’s estimate $15 - $25 Million $U.S.)? And $24 Million can also buy Charles Wang his freedom from not...
The Montreal Canadiens began this shortened season with the lowest of expectations. Following such a disastrous 2011-12 campaign, the lockout that delayed the start of this season was seen almost as a blessing to some Habs fans, who were fearing another season as embarrassing as the last. Canadiens fans would be disappointed in the Habs season when it finished, but not ...
[b]May 19[/b] Now that my heart and soul has recovered somewhat from the Maple Leafs' monumental game 7 collapse in Boston, I think I can finally chime in with some post-series comments. First of all, give the Maple Leafs all the credit in the world for bringing out the best in the Boston Bruins. As I originally predicted, I thought Toronto would have been lucky enou...
May 19 The Battle of California. Round Two. Defending champion Los Angeles Kings vs. perennial power house San Jose Sharks. Three games into this epic series, none of the above are the main headlines. Instead, it is the officials who are throwing a money wrench into what should be a great series between two strong teams who have hated each other since the early...
oilersrule66 writes...

Oilers at the 2013 draft

Posted Tuesday | Comments 5
A lot of people are sick of the Oilers losing every year and think they should make a move to improve immediately. These are the people that are tired of year after year last place and waiting for the rebuild to be complete. To be honest, I don't blame them. But the future is bright in Edmonton and it's actually good that they're not trying to speed up the rebuild and m...
andydrmm writes...

Tyler Myers- What Happened?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tyler Myers. I already know that just by saying his name, a lot of people’s attention just caught this blog. He’s been with the Sabres his entire NHL career, and after having a dazzling rookie career, he seems to be struggling. Prompting the question... What happened to Tyler Myers?? First off, his point totals have significantly decreased since his rooki...
The Oilers are rich in depth of prospect defenseman. But only 2 of them are ready to start next year (With potential). Edmonton needs size on the center, because Gagner cannot win a faceoff, nor can Nuge. They both did make an improvement in defense this year. So what do we draft? Dubynk can show that he can stand on his head when the Oilers need him, our top six is great,...
thehockeypooler writes...

The "Crosby" Conspiracy

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
My friend once told me: "The Penguins dive more than any other team in the NHL. Worse, they seem to get those calls! What is going on!?" I always thought he was crazy. But then, I started watching the game objectively for myself. Here's what I found. The Penguins, are diving. Left, right, center. Game 4 was almost completely decided by the refs. Here is m...
oilersrule66 writes...

Oilers trade bait

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
In my last blog (http://my.hockeybuzz.com/...&user_id=183597I) I partially talked about the possibility of Nino Neiderreiter being traded to the Oilers this summer to bring more size to the top 6 (6' 2'') and to get a more legitimate top six left winger. Granted, Paajarvi is bigger than Nino (6'3'' vs. 6'2'') but this past year Paajarvi has become a good power forward and ...
Jayo1808 writes...

Oilers Playoffs aka: The Draft

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
So, Oilers blogger Richard Cloutier (@rdcloutier on twitter) wrote a blog today suggesting that MacT will be trying to trade up a couple spots so that he can pick Sasha Barkov. Considering the recent news that Valery Nichushkin has decided to come to North America, I can definately see the possibility of Barkov being available around the 4 or 5 spot. I wr...
ewrjcc writes...

If I were the Buffalo sabres GM

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If I were the Buffalo Sabres General Manager. I know that Ryan Miller, at 6.25 million this year, wants out and is frustrated with where the team is at. Knowing that I have a young goal tending duo in Jhonas Enroth and Matt Hackett with huge upside, I am calling every team in the top five particularly Colorado. I realize that Colorado will most likely never give up the fir...
The Montreal Canadiens have some tough decision to make when it comes to deciding which free agents should be re-signed and which should be allowed to test the market. Montreal’s current unrestricted free agents are Michael Ryder, Colby Armstrong, Jeff Halpern, and Davis Drewiske. Their restricted free agents include Ryan White, Gabriel Dumont, Michael Blunden and Yannic...
“I need a new start” said New York Rangers’ center, Brad Richards. Richards is 6 feet tall, 198 pounds. A perfect center man for the Oilers. Sam Gagner, the current 2nd line center is 5’11, 199 pounds could be the idle Left Wing that the Oilers need, or he could be moved for a natural left wing. Oilers pick 7th this year, they can move that pick for an NHL-ready Le...
This is my first attempt at writing a blog so all constructive criticism and opinions are welcome. Ill write with some depth on the top ten picks, and then just make the rest quick with little explanation and based on current standings because the playoffs are not finished yet.rnrnThis year in hockey has been full of ups and downs for Oilers fans, our season was over quick...
This is my first attempt at writing a blog so all constructive criticism and opinions are welcome. Ill write with some depth on the top ten picks, and then just make the rest quick with little explanation and based on current standings because the playoffs are not finished yet.rnrnThis year in hockey has been full of ups and downs for Oilers fans, our season was over quick...
Hey everybody! While watching the Halifax Mooseheads all season and especially during the memorial cup I couldn't help but notice how well MacKinnon and Drouin play together. They are ranked 2 and 3 on the NHL's central scouting report and after they leave Halifax, they will proberly never play together again. But while I was watching the memorial cup final on Sunday ...
There’s one name that has been surrounded with controversy this past season with the Buffalo Sabres. That man, is Mikhail Grigorenko. The number one draft pick for the Sabres had very high expectations placed upon him. The way [i]some[/i] people wrote about him, I have expected him to show up in a cape, looking like a super hero. He could do no wrong according to some. ...
[b]1. Colorado - Nathan Mackinnon[/b] A big showing in the memorial cup + the hiring of Patrick Roy makes Nathan Mackinnon too much to pass up. COL's prospect pool is stronger on D than up front and Mackinnon, Duchene, Landeskog are the avs answer to RNH Hall Eberle [b]2. Florida - Seth Jones[/b] Panthers go for BPA - Seth Jones and Gudbranson will be a ridiculo...
Oilers4Life14 writes...

Oil Drop Episode 3.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before I start with Oil Drop Episode 3, I’d like to say best of luck to Richard Cloutier on getting his dream job. As much as everyone hates your blog, you as a person, you’re alright. So best of luck! (Just don’t become a GM, we don’t want another rebuild.) The draft is 32 days away, we pick 7th, as many people know. According to my sources (Richard C...
So I am randomly doing this because I am bored and I have time, but I am going to start a new series call “Trade Proposals with Oilers4Life” (Something like that.) So here we go: VAN: Tanev EDM: Paarjavi Paarjavi isn’t the greatest ever, and can be easy replaced. All we need to do is get Richards if he’s bought out, move Gagner to the Left Wing, sign ...
Tee-Dot writes...

Stee-Dot for ref.

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
[img:left]http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Disturbed_Guy_7481.jpg[/img] To all my devoted and beloved followers on this site... please comment if you want me to be the newest part of the family to wear the stripes. I strongly believe I would make a great, fair, unbiased, hybrid-referee in both the Leafs and Habs threads to fill in whenever Dozz, LM, Howrad, ...
[b]June 2[/b] Alright, I think I get it now. It's not okay for Dustin Penner to grab Michal Handzus and throw him out of a scrum to protect his goaltender Jonathan Quick. It's also not okay for Dustin Penner to finish his check on a speedy Blackhawk and keep him out of the play. But it's okay for Dave Bolland to all of a sudden take a run at Mike Richards behin...
Apparently the Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders are talking trades. The Islanders have inquired about Roberto Luongo and are interested in the following type of deal. The New York Islanders would move Rick DiPietro and possibly Evgeni Nabokov and some sort of prospect and draft pick for Roberto Luongo. TSNBobMcKenzie: "It’s believed NYI would, under right cir...
TheHockeyRumors writes...

NHL Rumors List

Posted Monday | Comments 0
NHL Rumors and Speculations page. This page is devoted only to rumors and speculations that are not confirmed unless stated ‘Confirmed Source’. Brad Richards (Under Contract): The New York Rangers could explore options (compliance buy-out) to rid Brad Richards humongous big contract he signed a couple of summers ago. Richards was used as a fourth liner and was scrat...
As we're getting ready for what should be a very exciting and eventful offseason, this season should see a lot of goalie movement. I will list off all the Goalies of importance (aka not backups) who i think will be moved, or sign somewhere else Buffalo: Miller (trade) Calgary: Kipper (retire) Chicago: Emery (UFA) LAK: Bernier (RFA) Minny: Backstrom (UFA) NYI: Nabak...
Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac, Stefan Matteau, Steve Bernier, Ryan Carter, Krys Barch and Stephen Gionta. These seven are the only non-free agent forwards on Jersey's roster (Henrique, Josefson and Loktionov are restricted). On top of that, their defensive core is a jumbled mess. Fayne, Tallinder, Larsson, Volchenkov and Harrold were switched in and out of the lineup all...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided in...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
shvmr writes...

Oilers 12 Bold predictions

Posted Friday | Comments 0
There was a thread on the Oiler's Blogger board about 12 Bold things the Oilers will do, and I decided to add my predictions, based on what seems the most logical. Unfortunately, that board often degenerates into a personal playground for several regulars, so the truly useful posts about actual hockey and the Edmonton Oilers get brushed to the wayside. So, I decided instea...
TylerSterk writes...

Changes to the next step

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I am new to the whole blog game. But not afraid to share an opinion. So to start a little bit about myself. I am an avid fan of the NHL, I live it and breath it. I love talking about it, only problem, no one close to me really is into it as much as I am. So that is why I have come here to share my views (and yes some may be biased more towards Vancouver as I have been rais...
Ok so im sure this will change closer to the draft, but here is my mock draft from now! (please note by placing Bruins 29th and Hawks 30th doesnt mean i think Hawks win it, they have the better record hence worse pick) 1. [img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/avalanche/images/logos/medium.png[/img] D Seth Jones 2. [img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/panthers/images/logos/medium.png[/img] C ...
As the Stanley Cup Finals reminds us that the shortened season of 2013 is coming to a close, thoughts turn to the draft in New Jersey. However, as Buffalo fans, we were looking towards the draft about halfway through the season when it was apparent that the Sabres just wasn’t that good. Now, we sit a mere 2 weeks away from the 2013 NHL draft. This year promises to be...
I'd like to see if the Leafs can move up but only time will tell with rumors swirling that in taking a bad contract they may land a late first round pick it'd be intriguing if they did that my hope is that they get a couple of pieces to there puzzle. The Leafs are young and lets see if some of the guys they have now can develop. I've seen many different mock drafts an...
So, with the season almost over, everyone will hope to fill needs through the draft, trades and free agency. My love of this season and all it brings gets me thinking what can a team do, so how does your cap fit? Today Edmonton! As per Cap Geek the Oil have 10f 6d and 1 g signed for a cap hit of just over $54,100,000. So around 10 mil to lock up 3-4 f 1 d and a new back ...
So, with the season almost over, everyone will hope to fill needs through the draft, trades and free agency. My love of this season and all it brings gets me thinking what can a team do, so how does your cap fit? Today Edmonton! As per Cap Geek the Oil have 10f 6d and 1 g signed for a cap hit of just over $54,100,000. So around 10 mil to lock up 3-4 f 1 d and a new back ...
I'd like to see if the Leafs can move up but only time will tell with rumors swirling that in taking a bad contract they may land a late first round pick it'd be intriguing if they did that my hope is that they get a couple of pieces to there puzzle. The Leafs are young and lets see if some of the guys they have now can develop. I've seen many different mock drafts an...
I'd like to see if the Leafs can move up but only time will tell with rumors swirling that in taking a bad contract they may land a late first round pick it'd be intriguing if they did that my hope is that they get a couple of pieces to there puzzle. The Leafs are young and lets see if some of the guys they have now can develop. I've seen many different mock drafts an...
Yes as you can see its still June 20th... but close enough :lol: This is my 2nd last Mock draft, my last one will come the 29th or 30th... please refer to my last blog to see how many spots changed! (Link to June 14th mock: http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=14944&user_id=51280) [1][img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/avalanche/images/logos/medium.png[/img] C Nate MacKi...
[i][b]June 21[/b][/i] The first official day of summer brings joy to many. School is finally out. The Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing. Baseball season is hitting its serious curve. But yikes, another Toronto Maple Leaf offseason is about to get underway. And from the sound of things, I am getting a bad feeling in my gut. With the numerous reports ...
[i][b]June 21[/b][/i] Now, shifting over to the Los Angeles Kings, who I hope are resting and healing fast for the real upcoming 82-game season starting in October... The pending trade of backup, yet capable #1 goaltender Jonathan Bernier is obviously the most important next step for GM Dean Lombardi. With the Toronto Maple Leafs emerging as front runners as of ri...
Cedric_RedWings writes...

Size

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Everybody knows that size matters. I’m talking about the one that gives you the reach to get to the puck first or take it away from a player, the one that makes you less likely to get tossed away from the puck or that you can use to toss smaller players from it, the one that hurts when you bodycheck a player and the one that makes it less likely to get hurt or tired whe...
[i][b]June 23[/b][/i] I will admit that whenever the two teams you like or support get together and make a deal, it is always fun and interesting. This is especially true when they both go head-to-head during the season. The bottom line of this trade is that the Los Angeles Kings had a small window in which to find the best deal for their top-notch buried goaltender ...
FooterFan5211 writes...

In Joe We Trust!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Joe Sakic shocked the hockey world Wednesday by announcing that the team was leaning toward picking one of three forwards with the first pick instead of Seth Jones. Some find it puzzling that Sakic would announce something of this magnitude, and for those who have followed the Avs in the past this is completely against the behind closed doors attitude that we have come to...
With one of the better Stanley Cup Finals of recent memory now in the rear view mirror, the attention of the hockey world now turns to the Draft, which is less than a week away. This year's crop is considered the deepest in a decade, and there is sure to be plenty of excitement when the picks are made June 30th in New Jersey. As hockey executives and enthusiasts prepare fo...
With one of the better Stanley Cup Finals of recent memory now in the rear view mirror, the attention of the hockey world now turns to the Draft, which is less than a week away. This year's crop is considered the deepest in a decade, and there is sure to be plenty of excitement when the picks are made June 30th in New Jersey. As hockey executives and enthusiasts prepare fo...
CanadaSlayer writes...

NHL Entry Draft 2013

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Everytime around this time of the year, I spend each of my days (and most of their hours) going through what the Edmonton Oilers are going to do on draft day and who they should select. The Edmonton Oilers, unlike the last 3 years are unfortunatley not in a position to pick the best possible player available in the draft and will rely on the selections on 6 teams (one b...
TylerSterk writes...

Trades For Thought

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Just some late night trade possibilities. Canucks trade Roberto Luongo, Jannik Hansen, 1st round pick and 3rd round pick TO the Islanders for Nino Niederreiter, Josh Bailey, Rick Dipietro, 1st rounder and 2nd rounder. Maybe a deal that doesn't or cant take off but I could see it being a good deal? It would suck to see Hansen go but to bring back Niederreiter and Bailey wou...
1goose1 writes...

Maple Leaf Musings

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Leafs have started there off season retooling with the Johnathon Bernier, they still have some big moves and holes to fill. Dave Nonis has to decide what to do with James Reimer now that Bernier is in the fold. There are a few teams that may be looking at adding a goalie. Philadelphia, Phoenix and the Islanders are for sure looking for a goalie. With Reports that Ki...
Welcome back! In the 3rd installement of my series "Oilers Draft Possibilities" I'm going to discuss the possibility of the Oilers drafting Sean Monahan, the 2 way beast. Monahan could be the solution to our center crisis and could add the much needed size to our top 6. Sean Monahan is projected to go 6th overall to Calgary by most analysts because Calgary has a ga...
pbrsimps writes...

Leafs Off Season Thoughts

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
This off season figures to be an exciting one for Leaf fans. With one significant trade already completed (Bernier) and an exciting draft and free agency ahead of us, there should be plenty to talk about in the weeks ahead. First, I want to look at the goaltenders. This appears to be set already, as Bernier and Reimer give us a good 1-2 punch where both have solids sta...
There's nothing I enjoy more than the days leading up to the NHL Draft. Last year was the first time in the past 3 years I didn't write my mock draft, and it just didn't feel right. So this year, I'm back again to share my thoughts on how the 2013 NHL Draft might go. This is a strong year in my eyes, with 5 players who could dramatically change the fortunes of a few lucky ...
When the Capitals lost in the first round to the New York Rangers in 7 games in the first round, the Capitals knew they had work to do in the Draft. Their biggest need is a Defensemen. Their power play was ranked 4th in the NHL last year. Also, they signed Braden Holtby to a two year extension during the season, so they are good in those areas. With the 23rd overall pi...
“And the Edmonton Oilers, with the 7th pick, picks Darnell Nurse!” But that is not the talk of the NHL today. It was the trade between the New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks. As people know, the New Jersey Devils traded their 2013 first overall pick to the Canucks for Cory Schneider. Who won this trade? I’d say the Canucks. Dumps cap salary, still has a...
First I would like to apologize for not following up on my last blog sooner to the many who were waiting with baited breath...mom. But I have been back in CGY and got caught up helping in-law flood victims. I will get to it as soon as possible. But since this is a rumour board and I heard a rumour I thought I would pass it on. As anyone who reads my blogs knows I don't ...
After another relatively quiet draft day the leafs were quietly able to bolster their line-up by exploiting other teams cap constraints adding veteran depth at center. The leafs were able to acquire center Dave Bolland from Chicago for their 2nd and 4th round picks in this years draft and a 4th round pick in the 2014 entry draft. In Nonis' second deal of the off-season...
I'm going to give you my thoughts on how I felt Montreal did in this years draft. I really felt Montreal had a strong draft I felt they really hit it home in the second round they had three second round picks. Another thing Montreal drafted big guys on the wing something they have lacked for years, and I had to mention them potentially getting the steal of the draft by dra...
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981 The 2013 NHL Entry Draft was probably the single most important draft in the history of the Calgary Flames franchise. Flames brask has made it clear they intend to rebuild the team properly and made the promise to fans they would draft the 'Best Player Available' in order to fulfill the needs of the organization. Did Jay Feaster an...
I won’t take anything away from right wing David Clarkson. When he deploys his A-game, Clarkson is a rugged power forward with tons of offensive upside, the type of player any team would want. With that said, I cannot put enough emphasis on the wording of that previous sentence, more particularly, the first five words of it, an allusion to the glaring shortcomings that h...
As of midnight today, teams around the NHL are able to start talking to unrestricted free agents. With no deal being done yet for right winger David Clarkson, it is pretty much almost certain that he will not be returning to New Jersey next season. If he does choose to leave, the Devils will certainly need replace his scoring help on the wings. To be honest, I did not ...
Jlebang writes...

A little Free Agent Fun...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
These are my predictions on where the top free agents will go. Jarome Iginla will sign with Calgary Flames (Signed with Boston) X David Clarkson will sign with Toronto Maple Leafs *** Danny Briere will sign with New Jersey Devils (Signed by Montreal) X Patrik Elias will sign with St. Louis Blues (Resigned with New jersey) X Mike Ribeiro will sign with Dallas Stars ...
JoeyNarsa50 writes...

Please NOT Bozak!!!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Maple Leafs have gone ahead and bought out Grabovski and have now left themselves almost 24 million dollars to spend. With the almost certain resignings of Kadri, Bernier, Franson, and Gunnarson the Leafs have far better options than resigning their 1st line centre (by default) for 1st line money. If we look at the money that will be spent on the RFA's that were just m...
As July 5th approaches, Don't expect the Detroit Redwings to be in on many of the available free agents. Why? Because, The Redwings already have a 20 players signed for next season and they still need to sign some of their own RFA's. Brendan Smith, Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Anderson still need contracts. These are players the Redwings want to keep in the fold. Sign...
MontrealTheTime writes...

Thoughts on Briere Deal

Posted Thursday | Comments 3
Daniel Briere, as reported by Pierre LeBrun, has agreed to terms to a 2-year $8 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens. With that in mind, I thought I'd weigh in with my thoughts on the deal. I actually like the deal. Briere, though no spring chicken at 34, is still a useful winger who can play top six minutes. Despite his age, he can still produce offence, as evidenc...
MacT I love ya. Not in a gay way but you know what I mean. You where able to trade Shawn Horcoff for something other than a bag of gym socks. Miracle. Philip Larsson and a 7th rounder. I didn't think we could even get a seventh for him! Miracle worker, I repeat a miracle worker. Again, I have nothing against Horcoff the player, except that he has no hands. He's...
Now that the leafs have handed out the massive contract to Clarkson and resigned center Tyler Bozak the leafs roster looks to be pretty near set in stone. Barring any major trades or changes on the blue line, the leafs have yet again been led on the path of size and "truculence" (in the words of former gm Brian Burke) as opposed to speed and skill. As pointed out earli...
[u][b]Anaheim[/b][/u] - While Anaheim did not sign a single free agent yet this off season, they may have made the biggest headlines. They did this when the news broke that Bobby Ryan was officially traded. Ryan, the target of much speculation when it came to trades over the past year or two, was finally traded. Ryan was shipped off to the Ottowa Senators in exchange for J...
amerk626 writes...

Devils Moving Forward

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Despite losing David Clarkson, who parted ways with the Devils for greener pastures and a chance to play for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, the Devils efficiently utilized the opening of the unrestricted free agent period by supplementing their offensive depth. As we all know, the Devils brought in wingers Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder, and Rostislav Olesz, respectively si...
I have been waiting to discuss free agency/trades for something to happen with Buffalo. Alas, I can wait no more. Yes I know free agency is still on going, and trades can happen at anytime. However, the initial excitement has come to a close. The Buffalo faithful have been wondering where Darcy Regier has been. There was even several tweets on Twitter with the hashtag ...
The Leafs were one of the more active teams on the first day of free agency, as was expected with the buyout of Grabovski and the glut of cap space. As always, the market prices were inflated, which should be taken into consideration when evaluating the moves made. I was a fan of Grabo, and was looking towards a bounce back season from him since he would be returning to...
[b]July 7[/b] First of all, I would like to thank all those who responded to my latest post (especially Roadrunner!) Great to talk hockey with you folks!...Also, cannot pass up the opportunity to have some fun with a Flyers fan, whose organization throws around money like its candy and whines about it later! And oh, how the once mighty and class of the East has falle...
mbayrak writes...

Dumb Oilers fans

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hello everyone and welcome! I've been an Oilers fan since about 1982. Many years ago, I had the pleasure of hanging out one evening each with Gretzky and Messier. As a kid, I used to go to those games and remember watching Gretz and Company score. Then after Messier left, I stepped away. The playoff wins against Dallas were fun. The 2006 Cup run was amazing and li...
Justin1987 writes...

Leafs Free Agency So Far

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

Leafs Free Agency So Far

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

Leafs Free Agency So Far

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

Leafs Free Agency So Far

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

Three Weeks of Patience

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hi there. I've been a long-time reader but never bothered to make an account. I figured I'd try my hand in voicing my opinion on things now that it's the off-season and there isn't much Shark talk happening. [b]On Draft/Free Agency: [/b] It's no secret that the Sharks have been actively inactive during the off-season. It's for a good reason, though. San Jose spent ...
brp02 writes...

Round 2 Of Realistic Oiler Moves

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hey I have some more moves that could help the Oilers be a playoff team this coming year. I'm still hoping for a [b]Ales Hemsky[/b] for [b]Matt Matin[/b] trade, seems like a great fit for both teams. Skilled second line winger and set up man for a third line ball of hate, both teams fill a need. [b]Ryan Malone[/b] 33 6-4 225 LW/RW 4.5 million cap hit signed until 14/...
Aside from the recent front office change (welcome back, Hexy!) things have been pretty slow on the Flyers front and probably will be since their biggest splashes have already been made. What I’m being asked about now focuses on the prospects, the young guys, who makes the team, etc. Before I get into that, let’s assume that the following players open the year with...
Who is Jesse Joensuu? I have become fascinated with the Islanders former second round pick and one of the newest members of the Edmonton Oilers. 'The Hockey News' website always offers great talent analysis on players, what is communicated to us Oilers fans should excite us, at least it excited me Assets: Has great size and some scoring ability. Is aggressive on the...
Flyers17 writes...

Prospect Profile: Jason Akeson

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For more on the Flyers Prospects follow [url]www.twitter.com/FlyerProspects[/url] [b]Jason Akeson[/b] [img]http://www.phantomshockey.com/Graphics/Layout/MainStory/Story/Photogallery/akeson3.jpg[/img] Akeson's first NHL goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kROOd0z9--k Akeson is somewhat of a curious case, as he started the season in the ECHL and ended it in the...
I am a bit saddened of the fact that many fans and the media are saying that they are still waiting for Craig Mactavish's self-anticipated "bold" move. Hasn't he done a few already?rn"Bold" is defined in the English dictionary as the ability to take risks, to be courageous....rnrnIt is not defined as "making moves that the fans or other people like", it is not even defined...
JoeyNarsa50 writes...

Clarkson Not CLARK's SON

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Well this years biggest fish in Free Agency landed with the leafs and the fans and media have drooled all over the signing. David Clarkson is a hulking, moderately young winger, who can bang, and score at a good pace. I feel like its irrelavent to sit here and worry about the contract since teams have proved that it is possible to trade long contracts see: Flyers and also ...
sabresdibi61 writes...

Sabres: The Grand Plan

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Many in Buffalo are still wondering, why in the world are Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek still on this team? Well it's not an easy question to answer. There is little logical sense to keeping to aging stars with only a year left on their contracts for a team that has publicly said that it is time for a rebuild. Time for a rebuild means tearing down the core that you previous...
West: 1. Chicago 2. Los Angeles 3. St.Louis 4. Dallas 5. Anaheim 6. Vancouver 7. San Jose 8. Edmonton 9. Minnesota 10. Phoenix 11. Winnipeg 12. Nashville 13 Colorado 14. Calgary Teams: Last Season: Pacific: Los Angeles Anaheim 2.Anaheim Vancouver 13Calgary San Jose -- Wild Card 1Chicago Edmonton – Wild Card ...
Please feel free to correct me on any grammar or vocabulary mistakes. Today I got a message to research two players, Akim Aliu and Wojket Wolski. I'll start with Akim Aliu. Akim Aliu is 6'3, 225 pounds, plays right wing and 24 years of age. He was born in Okene Nigeria. But moved to Ukraine early in his life. He then moved to Canada when his parents where nervous of ...
[b]July 26 [/b] [b][i][i]Nonis and Maple Leafs getting into defensive trouble?[/i][/i][/b] After the signings of Tyler Bozak (5 years, $21 million) and David Clarkson (7 years, $36.75 million), and the trade for another hot shot young goaltender in Jonathan Bernier, I thought the Maple Leafs were well on their way to becoming a legit Stanley Cup contender over the n...
Mason Raymond should not be overlooked when talking about the slim free agent pool left and the forward position. Look for Raymond to be signed almost immediately following the signings of Grabo, Brunner, Morrow. Raymond is rumoured to be considered a backup plan/2nd option for a depth forward behing the previously mentioned forwards. ...
NewEraAvs writes...

Should Avs trade for Franson?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As per Darren Dreger, RFA Cody Franson of the Maple Leafs is asking for more money than Toronto can pay, considering their cap situation. Having just above 6 million with Nazem Kadri and Mark Fraser also needing to re-sign, both RFAs, and would then need one more player to have 23 on the roster. Dreger reported the Leafs would be looking for a pick and a prospect for Fr...
Tim Chiasson writes...

What now, Doug?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Here's a little known fact: The Sharks have been a playoff team in 14 of the last 15 NHL seasons. The only other NHL team that boasts that consistency? The Detroit Red Wings. The only problem is that there were 11 different Stanley Cup winners during that 15 year period, and none of them are named the Sharks. In the 8 years of the previous CBA, the Sharks made the playo...
Tim Chiasson writes...

Buy Low, Sell High

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I've talked a lot about the dealing one, two or three of San Jose's key players lately. I'm not saying I agree with shipping them all out, but I am saying that the interest of the organizations future has to be considered when re-signing players. Say you re-sign the 37-year-old Dan Boyle for two years instead of shipping him out at the deadline for a first+prospect, or mor...
andydrmm writes...

Definitive Sabres Moments

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
The Bruins lost a forward from every line this summer. During the salary cap era, teams are going to require immediate results from players. The Bruins may understand this better than any team in the league. They have let players walk into free agency, and dealt underachieving players for assets that will help the team in the long run. The most recent of these dealing, b...
The 1st decade of the 21st century can be split into 2 parts for the Toronto Maple Leafs. From 2000 to 2004 the Leafs were a Stanley Cup Contender making the conference finals, but after the lockout season the leafs missed the playoffs from 2006-2010. The Salary cap hit the Leafs hard causing a lot of change over after the lockout and took until this past season to get...
This is the second of my installments based on the the Junior Development Camp in Lake Placid. Game 2: Canada:7 Sweden:3 Canada's starting lineup: Poirier-Gauthier-Jankowski Horvat-Monahan-Lazar Domi-McDavid-Hudon Rupert-Gaunce-Rychel Mantha Sweden came out flying in this one. They were undefeated so far in the tournament in four previous starts, and had bee...
Ice_Hawk writes...

Front and Center

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames’ lack of a true #1 center has been the focus of many sports writers and fans for close to twenty years…and rightly so. The fact that the Flames have not managed to acquire this most basic piece of the puzzle, shows how completely inept the organization’s hockey operations department has been. It has been a disgrace. But at least current manageme...
“I point the finger squarely on (NHL agent) JP Barry, the man who blessed us with the (Dany) Heatley mess.” Doesn’t it feel like every time the Senators hit center stage in the NHL world Eugene Melnyk is quoted saying something as blasphemous as this? I mean if it’s not his personal vendetta against Matt Cooke being publicly announced after his top defense m...
This comes from me watching a recent NHL Network replay of the Leafs @ Bruins Game 7 aka "game of the year".***I was crushed..... Wow, I just got those chills again. But, as Leafs fans, we saw it coming. We've seen it before, too many times.WAIT A MINUTE... Who in the world had the Leafs winning this series? Back to the game 7 loss. You could just sense it, see it, feel it...
FLYERSROCK! writes...

Oilers Offseason to date

Posted Friday | Comments 0
While I may be a Flyers fan, the Oilers will always be my 2nd favorite team, and they have been since the day I was born. I've decided to mix it up and write a blog for a different team. Today I will sum up the Oilers offseason to date. That includes everything from the Draft, Free Agent signings, re-signings, trades, and management changes. [b][u]Management Changes [...
Creating a blog like this will bring obvious controversy, agreements and disagreements. I know that. However, the Oilers are without a captain for the 13/14 season, so why not blog about it? The Oilers could always go the 3 assistant captains route, however, i feel that with all the young players the Oilers have, they will put a C on one of their younger players sweaters. ...
The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia are approaching quickly. Bitter rivalries, intensity, dedication and honour are just some of the great reasons to be excited for this tournament. I find the roster selection and the thought of all these great stars playing side by side very interesting. Does a team like Canada throw a bunch of offensive players on their roster and...
Time for my 3rd blog on the Oilers in the past 3 days! In this feature I will be guessing how many points I think the Oilers players will get during the upcoming 2013/2014 NHL season. I believe some players are due for a breakout season, or atleast a bounceback season. Of course, roster spots could still change. I will be doing the top 9 Forwards, top 5 Defense, and the...
Brayton writes...

Evaluation: The Top 2 Lines

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Buffalo Sabres season is upon us once again. This time, no lockouts and no stalling. 27 days until the preseason begins, and 44 days until the first game of the year in Detroit. There are still a lot of questions on who is going to play and who is going to make the roster. I will be evaluating the roster for the Sabres and giving you my take on who will play w...
I decided to write a little something to keep my fellow oiler posters entertained while they find a new oiler blogger. If you do like it, I may write another. If you don't like it, then I'm never showing my face here again. Let’s start with the big move of the summer. LW Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson(MPS) and a 2nd round pick in 2014 to St. Louis for LW David Perron. I m...
The next Maple Leafs season is fast approaching, with only 42 days until the season opener, and a mere 26 days until the preseason, we keep wondering who will be our number one goaltender and be in goal for us throughout most of the season. Here's why Reimer will be number 1, while Bernier is yet again going to take the backup position. Bernier, with his 1.88 GAA, and 9...
Due to this being a great idea and most popular demand by Oiler fans, today's blog will focus on how the Oilers can improve their bottom 6 FW. When you look at the Oilers bottom 6 you currently have these 7 players... 3rd line: Smyth-Gordon-Hemsky 4th line: Jones-Lander-Joensuu/Brown To me that isn't a terrible bottom 6, but you definitely have a very weird and ...
This is part 2, forwards can be found in my previous blog. As with the forward blog, first paragraph is best case and second is worst case. Defense Smid – Petry – Return to their form from 2011-2012 and improve some as they are a formidable shutdown pair. Petry gets some time on the power play and improves his point totals slightly, while Smid is in the top 3...
nayefj writes...

More on defensive issues

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Note: I can't seem to post comments so bare with me. I can only post short words, but not full sentences. The Avalanche are very much stocked up with centers and their defensive woes are bound to bite back. Here is their current line-up on D: [b]Erik Johnson[/b]: The former #1 draft pick will be making this his fourth year with the Avs after being traded by...
Kovy, as he was known, scored 120 goals for the team, including 17 playoff markers. Kovalev quickly became a fan favourite in Montreal after the team acquired him from the New York Rangers on March 2, 2004 for the low price of Josef Balej and a third-round draft choice that didn’t pan out. Fans nicknamed Kovalev "The Artist" for his impressive stickhandling abilities and...
Ok Ok we all know that the market is a little dry and maybe looking like the Sahara Desert right now, but there are still plenty of NHLers out there without jobs. We have seen the top end talent go but there are still some warriors out there, some depth out there, heck even some projects out there. C'mon, hockey is these peoples careers and would definitely not take a club...
SvilleJet writes...

The Canadian Shield

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I grew up in rural Canada by playing hockey against our bitter rivals from the big city an hour away. Well, to us it was a big city, 3 times the size of our town though still only a little over 20,000 people lived there. Like I said, it was rural. The nearest NHL team were the Boston Bruins about 1100km, the Montreal Canadiens were about 10 kilometres further west. The pro...
If you follow the oilers, it should come as no surprise that EDM will more than likely be without their 1C, Nugent-Hopkins, to start the season and are pretty thin at C already. The 4C job will be up for grabs between Lander and Will Acton. Acton having never played an NHL game. Here’s a few possibilities on how I see the F depth chart to start the season: Option ...
Would you call them mistakes? Personally, I like Bernier's potential and Clarkson's play. Not a big fan of Bolland, he's injured a lot and reminds me of Kaleta (rodent pest on the ice). For the lost souls, I loved Frattin, would have molded into a great replacement for Kulemin (oh, he's gone for sure). As for Scrivens, I wish him the best. The main issue I have wit...
[b]Well Canucks fans, Mike Gillis has done it again...[/b] The Montreal Canadiens were reportedly interested in one of our D-Men. (I'm gonna assume Edler or Tanev) If it WAS Edler, he had a chance to shed some salary from the back end which lets be honest, we need to do. Edler IS probably the best D-man we have...BUT we have quite a few solid guys back there and Edl...
The Oilers 2013/2014 is going to be a wild ride one way or another. After 7 years of dwelling in the basement the fans are hoping this is the year they will be rewarded for their patience with a playoff appearance. After reading over my previous two blogs, I believe there are a few things that need to happen for the Oilers to be in the second season for the first time si...
I've decided to go back in time and select an Oilers dream team from the year 2000 and up. There are a couple requirements I took into consideration. 1) No rental players - so no deadline day acquisitions that left the year after 2) None of our young guns on the team today (lets bring up the past to make it a little tougher) So no Hall, Nuge, Ebs, Yaks, Shultz Feel ...
oilersrule66 writes...

The Acton Effect

Posted Friday | Comments 0
When the Oilers hired Keith Acton as their associate coach I knew almost immediately that Will Acton will be on the Oilers opening day roster. It's politics. Will would be a borderline player going into camp with about a 50/50 chance to make the team if his father weren't one of the coaches, but with his father there he's pretty much a lock to make the team. It makes se...
Have you heard the knews?! Dun Dun Dun...Another one bites the dust. One more for the list of players the Oilers have mismanaged. What's this list you may ask? Well follow me down the rabbit hole into a world of disappointment, heartbreak, remorse, disgust, and woe (Thanks Thesaurus.com!). The List (Feel free to make your own or add to the one provided.) Sheldon Sour...
C-Flo writes...

Breaking Bad

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As soon as Toni Rajala told Craig MacTavish that Gus dies at the end of Season 4, the writing was on the wall. I mean, it's the sort of thing you just don't do. You're a talent with tremendous upside, but you're also 163 pounds. 163! You're already on the bubble, at best. And then you go and blab about Walt poisoning that kid when he swore to Jesse that he didn't. The p...
The San Jose Sharks have a trio of "big fish" for the trade market this year. When the season starts Dan Boyle, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau will all begin collecting paychecks for the last year of their current contracts, with no extension for any of the three. You can consider this season, from opening night until the trade deadline, an evaluation year. I can't e...
We're now only 39 days away from the start of the Buffalo Sabres season! Training camp is days away and the preseason begins in another 22 days. As I drove past the First Niagara Center on the I-190 yesterday, seeing the construction of the Harbor Center as well, I started to feel the anticipation of the season coming. I'm really eager to see how this young group o...
With golf season winding down and training camps on the horizon, the Colorado Avalanche set to begin the 2014 season rejuvenated. The additions to the front office have already broken with tradition, extending both Matt Duchene and Gabriel "Call me Gabe" Landeskog. With both Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy at the helm, fans can expect a bit more transparency, or at the very leas...
C-Flo writes...

Parallels

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As the Edmonton Oilers celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first Stanley Cup, it's remarkable watching history repeat itself. Once again we have an exciting young team that everyone agrees is destined for greatness. But more than that, it's amazing how similar these players are to their predecessors. It's essentially a casting call for a re-imagining of the original...
Abeltshauser has been quietly enjoying success in the shadow of Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin while he finished out his junior career in Halifax. The 6'5", 225lb German native was part of the 2013 Mastercard Memorial Cup winning Mooseheads this past season. He was named to the tournament all-star team and collected two goals and a helper in the final game. In ...
The new hockey season is upon us with only 37 days away from puck drop. The Capitals will find themselves in a new division with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. Safe to say, this division will be one of the better divisions in the league with teams like Col...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly. Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly. Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly. Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
mrlandandsea writes...

First ever legit blog.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
How ya getting on readers? Been a die hard Leafs fan since birth. I remember watching the 93 playoffs, in an old run down community in Placentia Bay, NL when I was like 5. My dad used to have the TV hooked up to an old car battery, once the fellow who owned the generator used to shut her down for the night. Anyways, just a little background story. The current Leafs. ...
And so it begins. The predictions on who will be suiting up for the Toronto Maple Leafs on opening night in Montreal against the Habs. I know there are going to be quite a few of these articles being posted across the internet over the course of the next month so I figured I would get the jump on some of the other bloggers in the world and make my thoughts known before cam...
When the Leafs acquired goaltender Jonathan Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings this past summer, two things were made clear by this move. One, the Leafs would have one heck of a goaltending duo this upcoming season—and two, the Leafs will more than likely have a goaltending controversy on their hands at the end of all of this. I've always said its never a bad thing to...
It's that time of the year again. The Toronto Maple Leafs open their pre-season schedule September 15th at 6:00 PM in London as the Philadelphia Flyers play host to the Leafs. With current holdouts Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson still question marks to begin the season with the team, the Leafs prospect pool might be getting a long look this upcoming training camp. With...
andydrmm writes...

Middle Ground

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It’s been awhile since I’ve written. Part of the struggle right now, for just about all Sabres fans, is things don’t look too good for the Sabres at this point in time. It’s not a good position that they are setting themselves in for the upcoming season. Buffalo is in the same position they find themselves in just about every year- stuck in the painful middle p...
Coming into the league, Cody Franson was never the best skater, he was really never the best defender, but one thing was certain with Franson, he had a very electric and accurate shot. Whether it was a slapshot from the slot, or a snapping wrist shot from the blueline, Franson's accuracy with his shot is nearly unmatched. In junior, Franson—who played with the Vanc...
cimini9 writes...

Leafs RFA Problems

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @jcimms9 September has arrived and we are but days away from training camps beginning to open and unless things change fast there will be two very noticeable faces missing for the Leafs. RFA's Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri have yet to ink a deal with the blue and white after coming off both players most impressive season performances to date. ...
SnipCheddar writes...

Kadri on Cloud 9

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Recent reports have indicated that Nazim Kadri is currently seeking a "John Tavares" type contract from the Toronto Maple Leafs which would be 6 years and 5.5 Million dollars.... In my opinion Kadri is not in the same stratosphere as Tavares who has played around 200 more games and recorded around 200 more points in that period. Kadri reflects a contract much closer to ...
In a six second Vine yesterday, Cody Hodgson addressed the Buffalo Sabres fan base that he was going to be a Sabre for six more years. Hodgson and the Sabres have been talking for months about a new deal, and finally came to a deal yesterday afternoon. The terms of the deal are six years at $24.5 million, which is an annual base of $4.25 million a year. That shrink...
During training camp, today, Jaromir Jagr left early with "soreness". As we know, "soreness" is usually media speak for injury. In the case that he is injured, the Devils have a few options to work with. 1.) Damien Brunner - His name has alredy been worn out, but none the less, he would be a likely replacement if Jagr is predicted to be injured into the regular sea...
Brayton writes...

Camp Notes

Posted Friday | Comments 0
It's early in the morning here at Sabres training camp, day number three. Since being a college kid does not allow me time to enjoy what I want to enjoy, I missed part of the second day yesterday. Made it just in time to see the scrimmage between Team Gold and Team Gray and for session three. Session three included players such as[b] Tyler Ennis, Drew Stafford, Joh...
Anyone who follows the edmonton oilers knows thar their bottom six needs help. I feel that simon gagne is the perfect low risk, high reward 3rd line option. Let me mske my case. I know what you will all say, ""we dont need an older, injury prone forward!" Sure he comes with injury issues, but as of right now is there a better 3rd line option within the orgsnization? ...
The Leafs begin their quest for redemption this season as the club opens their 2013-14 preseason schedule tonight in London against the Philadelphia Flyers. After their horrendous game seven collapse at the hands of Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins this past spring, the Leafs re-tooled and brought a new found edge to the team that was sorely lacking in some instan...
The Buffalo Sabres are now 3-0 in the preseason with an impressive 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. In front of 17.626 fans at the First Niagara Center, there was a lot of good things to take from the game last night. Some players took a step back, but some players made a statement with their performances. Carolina got the first goal of the game with...
BiggE writes...

Upcoming NHL Season predicitions

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Here are one man's picks for where every team will finish this season. It goes without saying that most will be end up being wrong! If there's one thing I've learned in 40+ years as an NHL fan, its that every season is pretty much unpredictable! *teams will make the playoffs! Metropolitan (BTW, I still think that's a stupid name for a division!) 1. Pittsburgh*: Th...
At 7:00 PM EST the Devils will greet the Isles in their future home at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn. For the Devils, this is a very important game: 1.) Today, Schneider has a chance to claim the starting role. Although it will always be said that Brodeur is the #1 goalie, if Schneider displays anything like his game against the Rangers, Brodeur will have to step off. ...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
Hey everyone! Hope you are all excited for the upcoming season! I know I sure am! For me, its a feeling g akin to the lead up to Christmas, your excited for all the surprises and fun nights coming up. Anyways, let's muse about Les Canadiens. So far in the preseason I think there's been a couple reasons to be very excited about the prospects and I'm going to ...
Hey everyone! Hope you are all excited for the upcoming season! I know I sure am! For me, its a feeling g akin to the lead up to Christmas, your excited for all the surprises and fun nights coming up. Anyways, let's muse about Les Canadiens. So far in the preseason I think there's been a couple reasons to be very excited about the prospects and I'm going to ...
You hear it all the time, "Who cares! It's preseason, the games mean nothing!". Tell that to the members of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres. The game itself was rather tame for the first two periods last night, but all hell broke lose in the third period after a fight between Leaf tough-guy hopeful Jamie DeVane, and Sabres winger Corey Tropp. The fight ...
Many users have already written about the Scott/Kessel ordeal, here are some of the most important facts to keep in mind before stating your opinion on the matter: - Scott was on the ice already during the Tropp fight and stayed on the ice - Carlyle put Kessel out on the ice, knowing Scott was already out there - Scott was going to fight whoever was put n...
Nova_CBJ writes...

If I were Richards...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Preseason is coming to an end and with the roster already trimmed I feel like I can make my predictions on the opening night lineup. rnrnStarting with just the roster: rnrn[u]Forwards[/u]rn10 MARIAN GABORIK rn17 BRANDON DUBINSKYrn42 ARTEM ANISIMOV rn13 CAM ATKINSON rn11 MATT CALVERT rn18 RJ UMBERGER rn71 NICK FOLIGNO rn19 RYAN JOHANSEN rn55 MARK LETESTU rn14 BLA...
Nova_CBJ writes...

If I were Richards...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Preseason is coming to an end and with the roster already trimmed I feel like I can make my predictions on the opening night lineup. Starting with just the roster: [u]Forwards[/u] 10 MARIAN GABORIK 17 BRANDON DUBINSKY 42 ARTEM ANISIMOV 13 CAM ATKINSON 11 MATT CALVERT 18 RJ UMBERGER 71 NICK FOLIGNO 19 RYAN JOHANSEN 55 MARK LETESTU 14 BLA...
Nova_CBJ writes...

If I were Richards...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Preseason is coming to an end and with the roster already trimmed I feel like I can make my predictions on the opening night lineup. rnrnStarting with just the roster: rnrn[u]Forwards[/u]rn10 MARIAN GABORIK rn17 BRANDON DUBINSKYrn42 ARTEM ANISIMOV rn13 CAM ATKINSON rn11 MATT CALVERT rn18 RJ UMBERGER rn71 NICK FOLIGNO rn19 RYAN JOHANSEN rn55 MARK LETESTU rn14 BLA...
Nova_CBJ writes...

If I were Richards...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Preseason is coming to an end and with the roster already trimmed I feel like I can make my predictions on the opening night lineup. rnrnStarting with just the roster: rnrn[u]Forwards[/u]rn10 MARIAN GABORIK rn17 BRANDON DUBINSKYrn42 ARTEM ANISIMOV rn13 CAM ATKINSON rn11 MATT CALVERT rn18 RJ UMBERGER rn71 NICK FOLIGNO rn19 RYAN JOHANSEN rn55 MARK LETESTU rn14 BLA...
In preparation for the 2013-14 season, I thought I'd give you an overview of the team I expect to see. Jagr-Henrique-Ryder Elias-Zajac-Brunner Clowe-Loktionov-Zubrus Barch-Bernier-Carter Zidlicky-Volchenkov Greene-Harrold Larsson-Salvador A few notes: -Although the top two lines will probably be shuffled around on the regular basis, I'd like to see Jagr and Henrique...
[u][b]The GM's Hat-trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim [/b][/u] It's been a busy 72 hours for Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis. Late Saturday night news broke that the Canucks had acquired forwards Zac Dalpe and Jeremy Walsh from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2014 4th Round Draft Pick and forward Kellan Tochkin. Then yesterday at around ...
Tim Chiasson writes...

30 Teams 30 Predictions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[i]Before I get into the predictions, I've created an ESPN fantasy league in hopes of finding 9 other people willing to join. There are currently 7 teams left, so join up! Here's the link:[/i] [url]http://games.espn.go.com/fhl/leagueoffice?leagueId=54437[/url] [u][b]30 Teams, 30 Predictions[/b][/u] Anaheim – A flavor of the shortened season, they fail to make pl...
Finally the NHL season is here. While there only being three games tonight, it's enough to have all hockey fans excited for the new season to begin. Teams and management have worked hard to adjust to the new cap and prepare their teams for a full regular season grind. Toronto and Montreal kick off the night with the first puck drop and couldn't be more of a classic...
[u][b]The GM's Hat-Trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim [/b][/u] It's been a busy few days for Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis. Late Saturday night news broke that the Canucks had acquired forwards Zac Dalpe and Jeremy Walsh from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2014 4th Round Draft Pick and forward Kellan Tochkin. Then Sunday at around noo...
The heat will be turned on high for every Sabre this season. Looking through the roster in the midst of the Sabres’ overhaul reveals a melting pot of players from different stages in their careers. Every player has a lofty set of individual challenges to face this season, and while the same can be said about all players at the beginning of a new NHL season, the effects a...
thehockeypooler writes...

Hockey. Is. Back.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Thank god Hockey is back. I was getting antsy there. I was feeling like a man covered in honey standing by an anthill. Boy, am I ever glad that THAT is over. I just walked into an A&W in Montreal, and the employees were checking their phones behind the counter. In French, I asked them the score and the guy said, "The Leafs won 4-3. But, I'm happy. I'm a Leafs...
The 2013-14 NHL season has errupted in fighting and banging on the glass fashion. Little did anyone know that it would start off this way....oh I'm sorry I was trying not to laugh at that. When you take a temper prone hall of fame goal tender and put him behind the bench of a team that typically plays an "in your face" type game, and another coach who lost his coaching job...
There are 2 games in the books for the Buffalo Sabres. 2 games, 2 loses. To be honest, it hasn’t looked pretty despite the close scores. Buffalo made it look close last night against Ottawa, but a lapse in the dying moments cost them at least a point. As predicted, Ryan Miller keeps Buffalo in games, to give everyone that glimmer of hope. The opening 2 games of the s...
royalgardens writes...

Back For More!

Posted Saturday | Comments 3
[b]October 5[/b] Welcome back Maple Leaf and King followers... With my busy coaching and teaching schedule, it is going to be tough for me to express my thoughts on my beloved clubs after every game, so I will try and fill in at least once a week for a little "unbiased" recap. I use the term unbiased very loosely, obviously. After being noticeably outplayed in the...
andydrmm writes...

Sabres Reality Check

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
By the time that I finish writing this blog, Buffalo will have lost their 5th game in a row. It is 4-1 Columbus at this time, 5 minutes into the 2nd period. Before reading this, I offer a disclaimer; [b]I am not going to sugar coat this.[/b] No matter how much I hate having to write this, I’m keeping this grounded in reality. I have heard a lot of dissent over...
One of the things I was most interested to find out this season was how the West and East stacked up against one another. A number of fans have taken the perspective that the East may have caught up or even surpassed the West, especially now with swap of Detroit and Columbus. Last season, there were no inter-conference games at all -- each conference operated essentiall...
Last night the Devils lost their sixth straight game on the young season and boy was it painful to watch. The only player that showed up last night was Cory Schneider and he gave the Devils a hell of a chance to win by stopping 32 of 34 shots. It should have been 32 of 33 but after the empty netter the team stopped playing and the Jets were able to get a garbage goal. ...
Last night the Devils lost their sixth straight game on the young season and boy was it painful to watch. The only player that showed up last night was Cory Schneider and he gave the Devils a hell of a chance to win by stopping 22 of 24 shots. It should have been 22 of 23 but after the empty netter the team stopped playing and the Jets were able to get a garbage goal. ...
As this is my first post, I'm not sure if it's displaying properly. If someone notices any issues, please let me know how I can fix them. Thanks. Right now is a very odd time to be a Leafs fan for sure. Despite a 5-1 record, if you read the papers around town, listen to local sports radio, watch Canadian sports news stations or read almost any Leafs blogs, the universa...
A wise man once told me that history is bound to repeat itself. This is the main reason why many Leaf fans have stayed loyal. For us, the loyal Blue and White army, we still believe history has proven we will move back into supremacy. Now I'm not here to begin blowing the horn of victory just yet. But, the masked men in between the pipes have begun to show us the capabilit...
As many of you already are doing, I’m sitting here watching tonight’s Sabres vs Islanders game. We all know the record that’s on the line tonight. It’s not one that any Buffalo Sabres fan wants to see. I don’t need to do an analysis of any of the first 7 games. We all know that things aren’t good in “Hockey Heaven” right now. The ruler, Terry Pegula, no...
Iban3z writes...

The Flyers Future

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
While many of us attempt to get situated for this current year and hope to see a big turnaround, let’s pause for a moment and take a look into the future. Hop in the Delorean and let’s go to Oct 2015. It’s 2015 and the Flyers are now ready to send Scott Laughton, Tye McGinn, Jason Akeson, Sam Morin and Anthony Stolarz out for opening night. The Flyers still have C...
Although you can still count the number of games played for each team on your hands, I thought I'd give my two cents in what I think will happen in the long run. The Stanley Cup Finals will be the San Jose Sharks vs. Detroit Red Wings in which SJ wins in 6. (To those that might remember a different prediction on a Toronto blog thread, I rethought it.) Why the Sharks? Beca...
andydrmm writes...

Sabres Excuse Syndrome

Posted Monday | Comments 0
While I was watching the Sabres game Saturday night, I was on Twitter live chatting like normal. As the team’s play, I guess the right terminology would be “improved” as the game reached its late stages, several reporters were mentioning the excuses that would be used for this game to justify the eventual loss. I started having flashbacks at this point. 2 yea...
Deep_Blue writes...

20 Reasons to Send Rielly Down

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The case for keeping Rielly with the Leafs beyond his 9-game tryout period is really pretty simple and straightforward. Proponents state that keeping Rielly with the Leafs will a) improve the team and b) hasten Rielly’s development as an NHL player. From the looks of it, Leafs fans have bought in on this as well. On the popular Leafs website http://theleafsnation.com,...
LeafsTalk writes...

ROLSTON IS A STAR HUNTER

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well just when you thought it was safe to check out the out bloggin page the long time lurker has put out an article. I am going to try and cover the Leafs a different way as well as one hot topic issue A night never blogged but people like me for hockey talks so I thought I'd put out a blog on my thoughts cheers and thanks for the reads.rnrnNow I know this is a HOT topic...
As I was getting ready to leave my parent’s house, celebrating my dad’s birthday, my phone starts blowing up. I start researching and immediately am greeted by Twitter blowing up with news that Thomas Vanek is no longer a Buffalo Sabre. Let’s take a look at the actual deal that was made. Buffalo Sabres send Thomas Vanek to the New York Islanders. New York ...
JoeyNarsa50 writes...

This Team Has Got Heart

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
What these Maple Leafs have lost since the offseason in speed and skill they have gained twice over in heart and leadership. The Maple Leafs now seem to take pride in wearing the blue and white. I understand that the leafs have only played well in 2 games this year (against Nashville and Pittsburgh) but they are competing for two points every game. This Leaf team is able t...
janders77 writes...

City of Champions?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In recent years this so called "City of Champions" has been riddled with, I am sorry to say "losers". The city has seen it's storied NHL franchise celebrating the 1st overall pick like they have won Lord Stanley's Cup... Every time I drive into Edmonton I want to hop out of my truck and change the sign from "City of Champions" to "City of RETIRED Champions"...sure Oiler...
MattBranidis writes...

Kessel the Chemist

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs has consistently lead his team with one of, if not the highest points and goal totals since his tenure with the Leafs began. With this information alone you would be hard pressed to understand why then in a fan base so passionate about winning, many remain apprehensive in their support of this 26 year old goal scorer. From the ver...
janders77 writes...

Does size matter?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Not sure where this rant will end up but I just want to share my feeling on what I think could be one of the Oilers issues and it goes back to the old adage that 'Size does Matter'. I was looking at the Oilers first round draft picks since around 2001 and something was apparent to me...the Oilers draft smaller forwards then most teams. I came to this conclusion without ...
For those who are unaware of the situation in Lethbridge (Regardless of what Management believes), let me outline it for you before I couch GM a solution in just 5 easy steps. I swear, one day I am going to start off one of these blogs in a good mood because the team I am writing about isn't an absolute nightmare. If you are reading this wondering, [i]"Why are ...
JoeyNarsa50 writes...

Can JVR Be The Answer?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
He is north of 6 feet tall, has amazing skating ability, has a great pair of hands, can pass, and shoot. But, can he take a face-off? This question will be answered in the coming weeks. If van Riemsdyk is able to be close to 50% in the circle then the Leafs might have found what they were looking for. The prototypical number 1 center has forever been described with the...
Devan Dubnyk was the Oilers first pick in the 2004 draft being selected 14th overall from the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL in a year that he won gold at the World Under 18 Championships with a 3-3 record with 1 shutout and a 2.51 GAA and .917 SV%. Dubby has had a tough start to his season this year after coming off what you could call his best stats year in the 2012-13 s...
andydrmm writes...

Ron Rolston- Sabres Scapegoat

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
There’s a lot of rumblings right now about Ron Rolston, and how he needs to be fired, even after last night’s surprise victory in San Jose. At this point in time, I really can’t jump on this bandwagon, nor do I plan on it. Rolston is starting to look more and more like a scapegoat to take the blame. Why, you ask? I’ll get to that. I’ve got several reasons...
This morning, I went to get my medical treatment and got plugged in for my infusion. I had just written my morning blog, which I normally do during my treatment, and had started watching Netflix. Suddenly, my phone went off stating that the Buffalo Sabres were having a “major” news conference at 10:30 am. My mind of course starts racing as I hop on Twitter, which h...
Earlier today the Anaheim Ducks traded center Peter Holland and right winger Brad Staubitz to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenceman Jesse Blacker, a 3rd round pick (which could become a 2nd round pick), and a 7th round pick. Staubitz was on a 1 way contract, and had no place in Anaheim. As such, he has been playing in Norfolk this season, but the Ducks do not like to b...
Was this just a trade made out of necessity or is there more to it? The Leafs traded for Peter Holland and Nick Staubitz today in exchange for Jesse Blacker, a 7th round pick in 2014 (originally from Anaheim, acquired in the Steckel trade) and either a 2nd or 3rd round 2014 pick depending on Holland’s performance. Let’s break this down: First off, Staubitz is a s...
In October I posted a prediction for each of the thirty teams. Now that we're just about 25% through the year, let's see how out to lunch I really was. 30 Teams, 30 Predictions Anaheim – A flavor of the shortened season, they fail to make playoffs. [b]Obviously this doesn't seem to be true thus far, with Anaheim 2nd in the West. I guess Bruce Boudreau wasn't ...
According to Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail, the Leafs and Carolina are discussing a trade that involves John Michael Liles. Earlier in the week, Darren Dreger reported the Leafs and Carolina were talking a Liles trade, but nothing was imminent. Links: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Mike-Augello/Leafs-Holland-Not-A-Stop-Gap-Swapping-D-Men-Kessel-Has-The-Flu/120/5...
Matt.Nicol writes...

Scrivens a Saviour?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hockey fans who fancy fantasy leagues or the L.A. Kings may have found a place in their hearts for a new goaltender. Ben Scrivens has been stellar since arriving in California, starting in only 6 games but allowing only 9 goals. He has been very impressive, recording 3 shutouts so far this season. This is tremendous news for Kings fans, as Jonathan Quick is expected to ...
Jonathan Bernier has been nothing short of spectacular for the Maple Leafs this season. Yet, it would seem every couple of games, a goal is scored that would only happen in E division men's league. Are these house league horn sounders a tell-tale sign of things to come or just bad luck. Bernier is one of the most fundamentally sound goaltender in the NHL. For a small g...
andydrmm writes...

Sabres Playing With More Heart

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It seems like distant memory since the announcement came that Buffalo Sabres fans were done with Darcy Regier. I am still lobbying for November 13 to be a paid holiday across Western New York. Unfortunately, the scoreboard still says that the Sabres are losing games. I said this on my Twitter account earlier in the week. Every time Ted Nolan comes out and makes a state...
5 years, $21 million dollars hardly sounds like a good deal for a center that many have called a ‘third-liner’. Calls from media sources and bloggers alike went on throughout the ensuing summer questioning the thinking of Dave Nonis in making the decision to use a compliance buyout on Mikhail Grabovski while re-signing Tyler Bozak to a contract which would overpay him...
Over the last week the Ducks have made several changes to their roster (primarily because of injuries) and signed one of their young centers to a 3 year extension. The Ducks and center Nick Bonino have agreed on a 3 year contract extension worth $5.7 million for an annual cap hit of $1.9 million. This season, Bonino has appeared in every game for the Ducks and scored 7 ...
[b]December 3[/b] [u]Undermanned Maple Leafs Unable to Sink Sharks[/u] The first big test of a tough and critical stretch of games for the confidence stricken Toronto Maple Leafs came tonight at Air Canada Centre against the San Jose Sharks, perhaps the best team in the NHL at the moment. To be quite honest, the Leafs played a strong game despite being dominated f...
Cougs writes...

edmonton oilers memes

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
for all the best edmonton oilers memes created by my buddy and i like my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Oilerstroll https://www.facebook.com/Oilerstroll https://www.facebook.com/Oilerstroll https://www.facebook.com/Oilerstroll https://www.facebook.com/Oilerstroll https://www.facebook.com/Oilerstroll https://www.facebook.com/Oilerstroll https://www.facebook...
[b]December 5th[/b] [u]Welcome back to the scene Mr. Bernier and Mr. Kadri.[/u] Tonight at the Air Canada Centre, the Maple Leafs got exactly what they were asking for when they traded for Jonathan Bernier. Bernier was a man on a mission tonight, and although he allowed the game-tying goal later in the third on an outstanding hand-eye coordination play by the savvy v...
andydrmm writes...

Sabres Continue to Struggle

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I know I’ve been quiet lately. I blame it on the holiday season being in the full effect. That and my job is a nightmare. The same can be said with the Buffalo Sabres to be completely honest. Despite the new leadership, the team continues to struggle. The Buffalo Sabres may be playing with a lot more heart now, but they still can’t manage to put the puck in the back ...
[b]December 8[/b] [u]Same Old Story, Different Night [/u] Once again, the Boston Bruins continue to show why they are the team to beat in the East, and of course the Toronto Maple Leafs know this sentiment all to well. As a matter of fact, just give the Boston Bruins the Atlantic Division crown right now. There is no way the Maple Leafs will keep them from achievi...
[b]December 9[/b] Before the Kings and Maple Leafs meet at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Los Angeles will first face off against a strong Montreal Canadiens team at the Bell Centre Tuesday evening. I can hardly remember the last time the Kings won at the Bell Centre or even Centre Molson. In fact, the Canadiens have won 12 of the last 13 meetings in Montreal sinc...
[b]December 12[/b] Toronto is a spectacular city. Full of great people, who take great pride in their town...and its teams, even though when they've hit rock bottom. Watching TSN from my Bond Place Hotel room the other night, they broadcasted a bit from the MLB Winter Meetings from Lake Buena Vista Florida, (aka The Swan at the Walt Disney World Resorts where I ran i...
Mr. $36 million dollar man, David Clarkson, Toronto Maple Leafs forward, will sit out again from the Leaf's lineup. Clarkson has a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety for his sly shoulder to head of St. Louis Blues LW, Vladimir Sobotka. Clarkson, already suspended once this season for leaving the bench to assist in a fight. The automatically cost him not only ...
tylercastro writes...

Clarkson Out for Two Games

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Well last night I thought Maple Leafs right wing, David Clarkson, would get 5+ games for his hit to the head on Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka. I did feel wrong after I let that post out. I brought my thinking down to more like 3 games tops. Clarkson luckily for him and his team only received two games. But that doesn't take away the fact that Clarkson is now going to miss...
Yesterday was another long arduous day at work. I watched the snow fall outside my office and accumulate on the cars in the parking lot. Finally, 5 o’clock came, and I booked it for home where my wife was waiting. She was decked out in her fleece, and several layers, she continued to bundle up. I quickly shed the shirt and tie, and threw on my long johns. After grabbing ...
We're approaching the new year and the Flyers sit at 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 14-15-3 record. The inconsistency issues - aside from the mostly stellar play between the pipes for Canadian Olympic hopeful, Steve Mason - continue to plague this team in a year where there are fewer excuses than last season. They have been one of the healthier teams in the leag...
For three straight games the Chicago Blackhawks scores 6+ goals in a game. The game against the Toronto Maple Leafs had a different story line to it. This match up was also about answering. The Maple Leafs answered the Blackhawk's goal 2 out of their 3. The first time Patrick Kane's second period goal was answered by Nikolai Kulemin 1:21 later. Next it was Phil Kessel answ...
[b]December 15[/b] Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs showed what it takes to have a chance at beating a team like Chicago. Not sure what happened to the Leafs, perhaps they were angry and completely unsatisfied at the effort on Thursday in St. Louis and they should be, but they took Chicago's game and threw it right back at them. Remember what 1980 USA coach Herb ...
Consistently inconsistent, as they say. For stretches the Dallas Stars dominate opponents on the ice. But like clockwork the dominance ends as soon as it begins, never stretching beyond 3 games. After laying an egg against division rivals in Nashville, losing 2 huge points the Stars bounced back and scored a plethora of goals against the equally important Winnipeg Jets....
Rich Peverley has been one of the more consistent players on a Stars team that has grown notorious for its lack of consistency. So, why is it that we find the two way player moving up and down the line up and seeming to never play with the same forward group twice? Perhaps it speaks to his versatility that head coach Lindy Ruff feels like his presence on any given line...
[b]December 21[/b] [i]Kings Earn Shootout Victory in Battle with Avalanche[/i] Happy Holidays to all you Kings (and hockey) fans out there! In a rare afternoon matinee at Staples Center, fans in Los Angeles were treated to a very well-played, hard-fought game between the rising Colorado Avalanche and the experienced Kings. Martin Jones once again came up big a f...
[b]December 21[/b] [i]Jekyll and Hyde Maple Leafs Battle Red Wings Down to the Wire[/i] Happy Holidays all you hockey (Maple Leafs) fans out there! Let me start with some of the good in tonight's Original Six match up between the Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings at the ACC... After a horrible first period from the Maple Leafs, a team that played with no energy or ...
[b]December 27[/b] Same old story for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Get off to a crummy, uninspired start. Fall behind a couple of goals. Wake up in the second period and thrill the crowd, only to let them down again in the final minutes (this time seconds). But wait, thank God for the shootout! This goes back to my argument in my Christmas break blog. These shoot...
[b]December 29[/b] [u][i]Jonathan Bernier and Tyler Bozak Lead Maple Leafs to Victory[/i][/u] Perhaps I was a little too tough on Jonathan Bernier in my last blog. Toronto fans have been looking for a strong, young goaltender to lead the team back as a playoff fixture. I thought James Reimer did that last season, and was poised to do it again this season. Maybe that ...
Coming into the 2013-2014 season, I was rather impressed with the moves that newly appointed GM, Craig MacTavish, had made for the Oilers. Granted, he didn't bring in any huge names, but he also didn't sit idly by (see: Steve Tambellini). It seemed like a fresh this was finally going to be the year that the Oilers came out of the basement to play with the big boys. He also...
The Ducks enter the half way point of the season with a record of 28-8-5, and their 61 points tie them with Chicago for the top spot in the entire NHL (with Chicago winning tonight, they now sit 2nd overall, but at the 41 game mark, the 2 teams were tied in points). The Ducks currently hold a 5 point lead in the Pacific Division over the Sharks, and the Kings are 2 points ...
Always Mighty writes...

Wrapping Up December

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Ducks finished the month of December with a 6-3 over the San Jose Sharks on New Years Eve. After the Sharks had ended the Ducks 10 game winning streak, the Ducks were looking to get revenge on their California rivals and did just that. Overall, the Ducks played 13 games in December and had a record of 11-1-1, good for 23 points! As with November and October, I'll go th...
Hall Fan writes...

Why Lowe Has to GO!!!

Posted Friday | Comments 1
The answer comes historically and from the present. Historically as GM he got the Oilers into the playoffs twice from 2001 -2009. He claims we are on our 5th year of our rebuild and that fans should be patient and yet the Oilers have done nothing since mortgaging their team 7 years ago. He has brought in numerous coaches and GMs and still the Oilers finish last, sec...
First and foremost, Happy Belated Holidays to everyone. I know it’s been quite awhile since I was on here. Due to my work situation, and the Holidays which proved more interesting than normal, caused my absence. However, that hasn’t kept me from staying on top of the Sabres, and watching what has appeared to be an improved team attitude. A lot has happened througho...
Giroux writes...

Game On Flyers

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
This recent Flyers win in Phoenix was amazing. After digging themselves into a 1-3 hole they pulled off a 5-3 victory. This is huge for Philadelphia because they are now second in the Metro division. They are still 17 points behind the Penguins, but are climbing out of their early season rut. It is good to see some of the Flyers top scorers putting the puck in the net. Sim...
We all know the number Eakins has done on Yakupov this year. Nail coming off a big end to last season and then starting this season on line 3 with 4 minutes of ice time. Then being called out by the coach for his lack of point production with his limited ice time and sub par line contribution after only playing 48 games in the NHL. Then he sits Yak 4 times this season. ...
[b]January 7[/b] After an improbable victory (in a shootout mind you folks!) in the Winter Classic, things continue to get worse for a team who is extremely fragile minded. This is everyone's fault, from the ice, to the bench and to the press box. It has been a while since I have written anything. Been on vacation while on winter break from teaching. I enjoyed the Sm...
andydrmm writes...

Conditioned Sabres Fans

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Today, the Buffalo Sabres took a step towards the rebuild and hired the GM that Pat LaFontaine feels can lead the Sabres out of the darkness. Tim Murray has been brought in to assess talent and build the Stanley Cup champions that the Buffalo faithful deserve. I was at work this morning when I received my notification stating that the press conference was scheduled for...
[b]January 10[/b] I am going to start with something good tonight. First of all, I really enjoyed the Boston Bruins-Los Angeles Kings game. I always like it when those two teams get together. This game had a little bit of everything; two recent Stanley Cup Champions going head to head, hard hits, determined fore checking, pretty goals, some big saves at both ends...
[b]January 12[/b] Jimmy Howard just proved why he deserves to be a member of the United States Olympic team. Despite a tough year for him, mainly due to inconsistencies of play of the guys in front of him and injuries to several Red Wings players, Howard still remains an elite goaltender in the NHL and nearly single handedly defeated Chicago in the second round of t...
[b]January 12[/b] [u][i]Bernier and Maple Leafs End Skid; Shake Off Poor Officiating[/i][/u] At least the losing streak came to an end. Still, I am very glad to see the Maple Leafs earn two points tonight, they played hard enough and deserved to win the game in regulation. Jonathan Bernier hung tough and helped his team snap the string of bad losses especially whe...
Markymark9016 writes...

Leafs vs Devils Recap

Posted Monday | Comments 1
The Leafs finally win a game, an actual win…that’s if you think winning in a shootout should count that is. rnrnA boring hockey game, a boring result, but that’s exactly what the Devils do to you. The Leafs were outshot again and hemmed in their own zone for long periods of time and no this is not a recording its an actual fact and as Ovechkin would put it “I swe...
If you're an Oilers fan and haven't been living in a cave for the last week, chances are you've heard of a facebook page that's been gaining traction in the Edmonton media recently. Titled "Kevin Lowe has to go", the page has been steadily gaining likes and is currently poised to reach 8000 of them. The pages creator, known as "John", was quoted by the Edmonton Sun rega...
[b]January 18th[/b] Lots to write about following a (near) perfect week for the Toronto Maple Leafs (their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies) and the Los Angeles Kings... I was planning on writing up my recap from last night's Chicago Wolves-Toronto Marlies game, but when I returned home, I instantly crashed as my body hit the bed. It had been a very long, tiresome week ...
JoeyNarsa50 writes...

Curious Case of Clarkson

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For every resounding fact that proves Dave Bolland is the heart of this team and a difference maker, there are opposites stats that prove otherwise about David Clarkson. Now I am not attempting to bash Clarkson, nor am I admitting he was a bad signing just yet. However, it's strange that with Clarkson in the lineup the Leafs seem to be a less productive team. There are...
ggarritty11 writes...

Team Alberta Oil-Flames

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Lets call a spade a spade and let it be known that neither Edmonton or Calgary have a competitive enough hockey club to put a dent in the NHL standings. They are even total opposites as to the blueprint of the team. Lets get these owners in a room and combine forces to make a legitimate team that comes from Alberta that we can both be proud of. Dont get your panties in ...
I'm really starting to get sick of Sam Gagner, I don't understand why they pay him 4+ million to be ineffective. I'm going to go ahead and list the players the should get rid of before next season. Unfortunately I think that the Oilers will have to deal one of Eberle or Yakupov to fix the teams other needs, if I had a choice I would move yakupov bcuz Eberle is best friends...
[b]Game day Preview: Red Wings @ Flyers 1/28/14 RED WINGS (23-18-11) at FLYERS (25-22-6)[/b] The Flyers have lost 4 straight, making it the worst losing streak since October. With The Stanley Cup Playoffs about 11 weeks away, and with the standings so closely bunched together in the Eastern Conference, each game seems like it will have serious postseason implications ...
Always Mighty writes...

Wrapping up January

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Ducks finished the month of January with a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the only time this season (barring them meeting in the playoffs) that the Flyers will come to the Pond. The Ducks played 14 games this month and won 11 games. Overall, the Ducks had an 11-3 record for 22 points. While they didn't have the record breaking month that was December, the Ducks ...
Hockey Heaven, I write to you out of respect. I believe you finally need a blog in which someone checks their spelling and grammar. Let's be honest, some things bloggers say are biased by what they want to happen to our team, not informative on what they think will happen to our team. For that reason, people go a little stir crazy and say things that are somewhat outlan...
RJNSmith writes...

Mason, Flyers shutout Kings

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Mason, Flyers shutout Kings[/b] [img]http://imageshack.com/a/img571/791/v9ww.jpg[/img] Steve Mason made 35 saves & recorded his second shutout in his last three games as the Philadelphia Flyers blanked the Los Angeles Kings, 2-0. "You've got to have a short-term memory," Steve Mason said. "People like to talk about negative things, and as players, you've just...
Terry Pegula, Terry Murry! pick up it's Mark calling with urgent business! If by any chance the Sabres and Ducks are tickling each others toes if I was Terry, either one I'd be asking about two ducklings by the name of Jakob Silfverberg & Nick Sorenson then I'd be calling Tampa Bay about Adam Erne. Seeing the talent pool is more like a pond in this years draft I'd be fishi...
Last year in the playoff series against the Bruins there were a couple of incidents involving captain Sidney Crosby that for many viewers were not known about until after the short series was over. Both incidents I am speaking of involved Bruin captain Zdeno Chara and both times Chara essentially punched a recently (and probably not entirely) healed Crosby in what had b...
In light of the recent NHL hiatus I, like many hockey fans, have turned my attention towards the Winter Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. Similar to the food for thought being offered by legions of armchair GM’s around the world of hockey, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions of how this prestigious tournament will play itself out....
In light of the recent NHL hiatus I, like many hockey fans, have turned my attention towards the Winter Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. Similar to the food for thought being offered by legions of armchair GM’s around the world of hockey, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions of how this prestigious tournament will play itself out....
2013 draft day was when the news broke of Dave Bolland being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a relief to many of us fans. He wouldn't be THE solution but would be a great help in solving the lack of center men depth since we lost Mats Sundin. We saw the potential of Kadri taking over the first line center, he isn't the towering centreman we envisioned, but after last ye...
So with the upcoming NHL trade deadline looming, there are a number of teams with holes to fill and questions to answer. This is by no means a professional hockey writer talking, just some of my personal view and opinions based on the rumors that I have seen. -Winnipeg: The Jets have some really good young talent on their team. Their main concerns are goal-t...
Always Mighty writes...

Wrapping up February

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Ducks finished off the month of February with a 1-0 win over the visiting St. Louis Blues in their 1st game since the Olympic break. Because of the Olympic break the Ducks played only 5 games and won 2 of them, this is the only month so far this season that the Ducks have finished with a record below .500. The worst game for the Ducks in February was the 2-0 loss to...
Since the departure of Mats Sundin the Leafs have been barking loudly that they are on the hunt for a top line centre. From the sorry excuses of Nik Antropov, Matt Stajan and Joey Crabb, to the decent installment of Tyler Bozak the leafs have still not filled this gap. I totally agree that the Leafs Defence needs to be upgraded. However, Rome wasn't built in a day. If ...
Say what you will about fans of the Montreal Canadiens. Sometimes they're overly optimistic. Sometimes they're irrationally pessimistic. But they're always passionate. News of the acquisition of Thomas Vanek sent Habs fans across the country into parade planning mode, and while the Cup may still be a pipedream for this club, Vanek gives this fanbase, which hasn't had all t...
Eric Mellin writes...

The Caps Will Fail.

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Washington Capitals will not make the playoffs. If you just come out and say it, it feels so much better. Cathartic. The trade deadline was supposed to answer a few problems the Caps had within their team, and General Manager George McPhee answered a couple of those problems in trading Martin Erat and Michal Neuvirth. Both players expressed disinterest in their rol...
pdg123 writes...

Flyers Post-Deadline Outlook

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the Flyers picking up their game after an abysmal start and catapulting into third place in the Metropolitan Division before the Olympic break, it was clear they were not going to be sellers this season. It is clear there is plenty of talent on this roster to win a sum of games, unlike inferior squads in Florida, Buffalo, and Long Island. However, they lack a few esse...
****3/9 Edit. Ah, the lovely readers of hockeybuzz. The lack of reading comprehension on this site never ceases to amaze me. At no point did I say that either say that either team [i]should[/i] make this trade. I merely thought it was an interesting concept as in some ways each team has what the other needs. I don't even know that either team would want to make the tr...
Brayton writes...

Pegula should not be blamed

Posted Monday | Comments 0
“Winning is not a goal, it is a belief.” Does that saying ring a bell? Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula said that in his press conference after he bought the franchise from former owner Tom Golisano. At the time Pegula bought the team, he had faith in his general manager Darcy Regier and his head coach Lindy Ruff. They signed some free agents and made some trade...
On the eve of their biggest game of the season so far, the Ducks have announced that Cam Fowler, their best defenseman all season long, will be sidelined for the next 3 to 5 weeks with a sprained left MCL. Coming into this season it was unclear if Fowler would be able to take the next step and become a top pairing defenseman for the Ducks, and he has answered that with a r...
ystoil writes...

If I Was MacTavish

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Craig MacTavish has made some interesting moves this past year. Some good (Perron, Scrivens, Fasth, Hendricks) and some meh but safe (Fraser). MacTavish knows we have to shore up the defense and change the top 6. But will he do anything about it? Hemsky stated, as all Oiler fans have, we cannot keep playing merry-go-round in the bottom 6 and bottom pairing. If we do, he...
Mac_65 writes...

Mark Stone:Diamond in The Rough

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Mark Stone. If you are a Sens fan, you`re gonna be LOVING this guy, maybe even as soon as next year. Stone holds a special place in my heart as he played for my local Dub team(the Wheat Kings). A 6th round pick in 2010, Stone is showing that he is an absolute GEM! After scoring just 28 points in 39 games his draft year, and his skating being compared to a beached whale(man...
[b]March 27[/b] It has been a while. There really has not been much to talk about, except watching the Toronto Maple Leafs revert to a team who plays with little clue of how to play the game of hockey. The team refuses to keep things simple. They have also tuned coach Randy Carlyle out completely. It has also become very evident that the seven year extension for pse...
I know not everyone is an Oilers fan but few are fans of teams picking high this year. Now saying that Buffalo or Edmonton (who combined have a great chance on getting the first pick in the lottery) win. Does Edmonton trade down? Ekblad is an amazing dman. He is huge and will be great one day. Many scouts put him as a number two guy that plays an amazing shut down role....
Always Mighty writes...

Wrapping up March

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Ducks finished the month of March with a wild come from behind victory over the visiting Winnipeg Jets. The Ducks were down 4-0 late in the 2nd, but scored once at the end of the 2nd period, 3 times in the 3rd, and once in overtime to give the Ducks their biggest come from behind victory in franchise history. It was also the teams 49th victory this season, also a new f...
ajm7719 writes...

Chief for COTY

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The 2013-14 Flyers season began almost as abysmal as any in their long history. An 0-3 start lead to Peter Laviolette being shown the door. Players were complaining about lack of system knowledge due to a poor training camp, Ed Snider stated it was the worst run camp in his time as Owner and Fans could clearly see a team that did not prepare itself well for the regular sea...
Over the past week the Ducks went 2-1 during a 3 game homestand. Despite the Ducks winning ways all 3 games showed that the Ducks have some serious issues to work out before the playoffs begin. As the regular season winds down the Ducks need to focus on playing well. Not necessarily the best they've been all season, but they do need to be playing well and giving a full 60 ...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Off Season

Posted Monday | Comments 1
There is a lot of disagreement as to what the Oilers should do during the off season. There are some people that would like to see one of the young stars traded for so other star. Realistically, these trades are not that common. Sometimes you will see a young prospect that is under performing (Paajarvi is an example) be traded for a player who had concussion problem...
cimini9 writes...

Leafs Free Agent Decisions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i] After the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1. I think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i] After the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1. I think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
cimini9 writes...

Leafs Free Agent Decisions

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i]rnrnrnAfter the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1.rnrnI think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
Most writers and pundits have already concluded that it's a given that Randy will not be coaching the Leafs next year. Some are wondering why he hasn't been fired yet. I don't get the passion about replacing Carlyle. This is a team that folded[b] 3 years in a row[/b] with the same core of players. Soon you're going to hear that Ron Wilson is conspiring with Randy to mak...
Brayton writes...

Welcome to the NHLol

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Welcome to the National Hockey League! Where our inconsistencies make our league a laughing stock in sports! The NHL are up to their usual antics of throwing random suspensions at players for their illegal actions during hockey games. It has been a reoccurring event for the NHL to be doing this ever since the Department of Player Safety was created. The latest string...
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 ...
DWE-74_29 writes...

Saving Cody Hodgson

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Might as well join the onslaught of Sabres bloggers! The gents at WGR raised a fine point last month about moving forward with Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson. They raised a very valid point that continuing with both simply wouldn't be possible. The Sabres need at least one better centericeman than either of them are or can become (some may say we need two). This would lea...
DWE-74_29 writes...

Saving Cody Hodgson

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Might as well join the onslaught of Sabres bloggers! The gents at WGR raised a fine point last month about moving forward with Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson. They raised a very valid point that continuing with both simply wouldn't be possible. The Sabres need at least one better centericeman than either of them are or can become (some may say they need two). This would l...
[b]April 27[/b] [i]Do the Leafs need a new coach or new Philosophy? [/i] First of all, I do not think that simply bringing in a new coach and continuing with the same exact roster for the most part will pay instant dividends. First, the team needs to decide what it will do with its goaltending situation. Everyone thinks that Jonathan Bernier was a "savior" for th...
Game One in Boston did not disappoint. The former Northeast (now Atlantic) division rivals traded blows with the Canadiens opening up a two-goal lead early in the second period on Rene Bourque's team leading fourth goal of the playoffs. The home-town Bruins roared back in the third, dominating the puck and out-shooting their opponents by a startling margin. This play e...
Game One in Boston did not disappoint. The former Northeast (now Atlantic) division rivals traded blows with the Canadiens opening up a two-goal lead early in the second period on Rene Bourque's team leading fourth goal of the playoffs. The home-town Bruins roared back in the third, dominating the puck and out-shooting their opponents by a startling margin. This play e...
Round 1 has officially come to a close, thus inaugurating the annual first wave of NHL Playoff MVP speculation. Undoubtedly, there are those who will claim that it’s simply to early to judge, but we’re pretty sure that even such purists secretly guess-timate as to which first round fire will keep burning. What can we say, we simply can’t help ourselves. With that, he...
Oilers4Life14 writes...

Oilers Offseason.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Oilers as a team in the 2013-2014 season were terrible. Power Play was down; Penalty Kill was down after a spike in the 2012-2013 season. Oilers also were in the bottom 10 for goals this year. So how can MacT fix this, how can the Oilers become a cup contender? So let’s look at the roster at this insistent. Hall-Nugent-Hopkins-Eberle Perron-Ga...
gardinerfan writes...

Toronto UFA's

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
By the time a player becomes a UFA, their abilities have usually been on display for long enough for the team that was paying them to be able to make a decision on them. For the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I think they would love to have more time with a couple of their UFA's, and a lot less with others. To start off the list, Nikolai Kulemin. Kulemin has been a so...
Flash4 writes...

Look Out Vanek

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[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...
The oilers have missed the post season for eight years straight and macT is going to be very busy this summer if he doesn't want the same fate at the end of next season. So I am going to predict some of the trades and signings he is going to make this offseason and ask what I would like to see him do. First of- draft Leon draisaitl he could slide right in to the 2c role...
NHL rumours are abound these days, particularly concerning questions as to whether or not the Ottawa Senators will trade captain Jason Spezza. Interestingly enough, the discussion here seems to be more geared toward when Ottawa might trade Spezza, with hardly any consideration of whether they even should trade him. Evidently the rationale behind this potential move is clea...
RileyHaze writes...

Maple Leafs Off-Season 2014

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hello out there! This is my first blog and any feedback would be appreciated! Here goes.. 1: Trade Dion Phaneuf Look, I'll be the first one to admit he is by far the team's best defenseman, but if upper management is as adamant about the "culture change" that must take place, then #3 has to go. There may not be a better time than now to trade the captain of t...
Hello there folk been a while since I wrote a blog and on a rainy Sunday seems like a great idea to me.rnrnI've read countless articles suggesting the Edmonton Oilers trade for the 1st overall pick to get Ekblad. Personally unless the trade is extremely one sided in favor of the Oilers (which it will never be) trading for 1st overall is a waste of resources as well as a st...
Hello all! As an Ottawa Senators fan for the past 20+ years and self proclaimed armchair analyst I would like to share my thoughts on how I believe the team should handle itself in the 2014 offseason. Comments and feedback are highly encouraged! [b]1. DO NOT part with Jason Spezza unless the deal is astoundingly good.[/b] My greatest summer nightmare is the Ottawa Sen...
So much talk about how to fix the Oilers but I keep hearing he same ideas. When you have been this bad for this long it is time to think out side the box so here are some suggestions on how to fix this real quick.rnrn1) Hire Mike Milbury as an Assistant GM and let him run development. Since development has not been a strong point for this team for so long, why do it. His k...
With an unfortunate elimination in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a bright future ahead of them, and have much to build on. Looking back at the playoffs, it was no surprise that with a young, inexperiences team, the Lightning would have a tough opponent in the Montreal Canadiens. Although I did believe that the Lightning could...
[u]SORRY ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THIS BLOG PARAGRAPHS WERE BEING A REAL PAIN[/u] [b]I[/b] have read multiple blogs, with outrageous ideas about what Edmonton should do during this off season and all I have to say to that is this isn't a Video game, this is a business and you can’t go get whatever you want whenever you want. With that being said let’s look at what the Oile...
[u]SORRY ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THIS BLOG PARAGRAPHS WERE BEING A REAL PAIN[/u] [b]I[/b] have read multiple blogs, with outrageous ideas about what Edmonton should do during this off season and all I have to say to that is this isn't a Video game, this is a business and you can’t go get whatever you want whenever you want. With that being said let’s look at what the Oile...
Throughout their existence, teams go through periods of time which can be identified as their Stanley Cup Windows. In any season there are several teams who are being watched a little closer as their windows begin to slide closed with every turnover, birthday and injury. The two biggest windows that are closing, or may have already been slammed shut after this year, are...
[b]Yak is a bust and they should have taken Murray[/b] Yakupov was the unanimous top prospect (ranked 1st by Central scouting, ISS, The Hockey News, everyone’s favourite Craig Button, etc.). When picking 1st, you simply don’t draft for need, you draft the best player available. In his first season in Edmonton, he showed why he was ranked 1st by most by leadin...
BHTD9 writes...

Imagine the leafs did this

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Okay so this I believe is my first blog and how this has come about is I was talking with a buddy of mine about the Leafs and what they should do this off-season (as I'm sure the majority of leafs fans are). So we were talking about trades and the recent rumours about O'Rielly, the 1st overall, and everything in between. Then we got talking about a series of trades that ...
Hey all, I was bored tonight and I decided to throw together a blog on some ideas I think may help the Oilers next season as well as my draft prediction. I am only going to try and predict the first 10 picks and it's going to be a crapshoot at best. 1. Florida takes Aaron Ekblad 2. Buffalo takes Sam Reinhart 3. Edmonton takes Leon Draisaitl 4. Calgary takes Sam Bennett...
[b]The draft will be Ekblad or bust[/b] It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Edmonton’s defence looks AHL quality. When a guy like Justin Schultz leads your defence in ice time, you’re not going to win many hockey games. While this is a glaring problem that needs to be addressed, drafting an 18-year-old Dman isn’t the answer. Year after year it ...
I just wanted to toss this out there, but what would one think of the Colorado Avalanche signing Marty Brodeur to a 1 year deal? When he and Patrick Roy were younger Marty lived in Roy's basement. As history played out, Roy became the NHL's all-time winner in regular and post-season, followed by much more. Game 7 - Roy and Marty went toe to toe for the cup, which we all re...
To say that this has been an uneventful offseason ALREADY for the Flyers is far from the truth. June 23rd strikes again, and I think this year, it was highly unexpected. I couldn't believe my eyes when I was at work on Monday at Noon, and I saw a Twitter notification flash on my phone, and just like that, the first major surprise in the Hextall era! Hartnell to the Blue Ja...
[url=http://victorygreen.wordpress.com]This article is from my Dallas Stars blog, "Victory Green". You can find more Dallas Stars blog entries as well as an upcoming weekly Stars podcast which will premier in the coming weeks.[/url] Apparently the Dallas Stars aren't merely a hockey franchise, but ninja assassins when it comes to trades under Jim Nill. “Stealth-like...
Nikolaj Ehlers is a great young, proven skilled player who can play in the North American style of hockey. Ehlers aside from having proven independent skill, he's a great team player and a winger to boot and a left winger at that. He thrived on the Halifax Mooseheads playing with talent like Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. He could easily fit in on a third or even se...
kesseltine9 writes...

keep it coming nonis!

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After a safe night at the draft table, gm Dave nonis did what most general managers would do. Take the best available player. William Nylander gives the leafs options going forward on the wing (with the likes of lupul gone soon) Today he started off the day even better, by finally moving Carl gunnerson to St Louis for a large gritty Defenseman in Roman polak. Personally...
Oilers have had a very busy week, numerous trades, and our Stanley Cup, the Draft. On June 25th, the Oilers traded their 5th round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Nikita Nikitin. Oilers then signed Nikitin on June 26th to a 2 year, 4.5 million dollar contract. Nikitin put up 2-13-15 in 66 games played in the 2013-2014 season. His career high is 7-25-32...
After a rocky 2013-14 season with two MCL sprain injuries the Colorado Avalanche have decided to part ways with PA Parenteau. Colorado has traded PA and a 5th round pick in the 2015 draft to the Montreal Canadians for Forward Danny Briere. Some comparison: Adrian Dater of the Denver Post ranked Pa Parenteau a C for Colorado in 2013-14 (http://blogs.denverpost.com/av...
[url]http://capitals.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=723988[/url]
I wanted to start this on draft day, but that wasn't in the cards, so I'll take it from free agency on out. I'm going to start with a quick overview of each contracted guy on the roster (and a few on the Phantoms) which will include chances he makes the regular season roster. Then I'll head into moves we could, should and have to make. And then finally, what the roster cou...
WhattheFUCK writes...

Sick of being a leafs fan

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Anyone else getting fucking sick of being a leafs fan??? Fuck. We are looking like a much worse team next year. Nonis must be praying every night for macdavid. Fucking stupid fat idiots.
The Free Agency was today, and boy, was it fast and furious will all the signings. Let’s see what the Oilers did this July 1st. Oilers signed Mark Fayne and Benoit Pouliot very early in the morning, one of the first signings in the morning and would also add Keith Aulie. Benoit Pouliot: Oilers signed Benoit Pouliot early Tuesday morning at 5 years, 4 million pe...
Today's FA extravaganza and the week or so leading up to it showed me a couple of things, as a Habs fan, that maybe the years of the two-headed soap opera that was the Gainey-Gauthier regime made me forget was even possible. I saw a management team go about the business of managing a professional sports team with the aim of making the team better, as well as more financial...
[url=http://victorygreen.wordpress.com]CHECK OUT MORE DALLAS STARTS CONTENT LIKE THIS ON "VICTORY GREEN", MY DALLAS STARS WEBSITE[/url] [b]One of the few bright spots in the Ottawa Senator's 2013-2014 season, in which they missed the playoffs and ended the year 11th in the East, was the chemistry shown between Jason Spezza, and their trade deadline acquisition, Ales Hem...
This is the the way I see this ship veering. Perhaps with a few of my own thoughts and theories, however this is the path upon which I believe the Leafs are embarking. In an attempt to add addition draft picks or in order to move up further into the top 10, Toronto General Manager Dave Nonis was hard at work pumping the phone lines and attempting to deal off some of hi...
Jarome Iginla made a huge impact on a 2013/14 Boston Bruins squad that many thought were destined for a second Stanley cup in four years. Ultimately though, the Bruins fell short as they were unable to get past their demons against Montreal in the second round. Iginla was a bright spot scoring 30 goals and 61 points in 78 games in a Br...
SabresNHL writes...

Sabres Make Big Splash in FA

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
     Tim Murray and the Buffalo Sabres made big news on Tuesday, the start of the NHL's Free Agency period. To kick it off they made a trade with the Montreal Canadiens to acquire defenseman Josh Gorges. Gorges, 29, was a former alternate captain on the Canadiens and was being actively shopped. Not many saw this one coming at all, including myself. Gorges had rejec...
The draft has come and gone, most free agents have found their new homes, and now there are just three months until October 8th when the Flyers open their 2014-2015 season in Boston. However, during these next three months there are some questions that need answers for the orange and black. Here are three. [b]Will Vinny Lecavalier still be a Flyer?[/b] The word a...
This year was the first year I attended a Bruins development camp and it definitely was a fun experience. The Prospects only spent about an hour on the ice but there were a few standouts in my eyes. David Pastrnak, the Bruins 2014 first round pick was very exciting to watch and brought some hope to the team’s prospect wing depth. The young Czech forward showed a lot o...
DWE-74_29 writes...

Buffalo Sabres - The X Factor

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Attitude. This should be the word trending in Buffalo this coming NHL season and it already has been a little. Savvy Sabres fans have either recognized the moves by Murray as mindset changers or at least they are trusting what the GM is saying. Whatever your position is on the moves made this offseason, this season has a different feel to it. No question. The real qu...
GomezforMVP writes...

Stepping Forward?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens, especially general manager Marc Bergevin, are being praised for making the final four and finally becoming a major contender in the Eastern Conference. Even though the habs took huge steps forward with a much needed successful season, the pressure will surely mount as a hockey mad city is sure to have their expectations through the roof next season....
BHTD9 writes...

Predicting the Atlantic Division

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So just sitting here bored and looking at the NHL divisions, thinking about what the standings will look like at the end of next year. So got talking with my buddy MHejduk and we've decided to write a blog for each division. I'll write for the east he'll right for the west. We will then write about the playoffs and eventually come up with a East champion and a West cham...
By Erik Caron By now it is well documented that GM Peter Chiarelli and the Bruins are living in cap hell and aren’t going to find an easy way out. Sure there are other teams who are having cap struggles of their own but no one seems to be feeling it quite like Peter Chiarelli and company. After signing Matt Bartkowski and Jordan Caron to new one year deals this past w...
[b]AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT HIS CAREER AND THE ARBITRATION HEARING MOVING FORWARD[/b] The Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly are facing an arbitration hearing just six days away. The rare ‘club-elected’ hearing was set after the Avs refused to extend a 6.5 million dollar qualifying-offer to the young forward.rnrnIt’s a story that seems all a bit too familiar for the ...
I know what every bruins fan is thinking right now, when are we going to make a move other then signing unnecessary depth players such as Caron. There are two reasons we should have never signed Caron. 1st is Why would we want to keep Caron he has done absolutely nothing for us. 2nd is why would he want to stay in Boston where he has proven he hasn't reached his full poten...
My good friend BHTD9 came to me with the idea of coming up with some predictions for next season today and I have to say I was intrigued. To be fair, I'm not as solid on my western conference material. Guaranteed there'll be a few disagreements here. That said, lets give it a shot then. Last Years Standings Colorado - 112 St. Louis - 111 Chicago - 107 Minnesota - ...
By Erik Caron The common theme this offseason has been the Bruins stay in cap hell and some have even suggested next offseason will be just as hard when the Bruins have more of their own key free agents to sign to new contracts. First line center David Krejci is just one of the Bruins upcoming pending free agents who will be looking for a deal in the summer of 2015. Asi...
Tomorrow will mark what happens to Ryan O'Reilly's situation with the Colorado Avalanche. Ryan is looking to stay in Colorado, long term. The only issue here is Ryan's long term is 8 years at nearly $7m per, while Joe Sakic's idea is more like - 5 years $5.5 per (give or take .0-.999) We all go back to free agent frenzy day and beyond when a presser was held in Denver....
[b]Follow me at twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly both confirmed Wednesday morning that the two sides agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth 12 million dollars. The contract will pay him 5.8M in 2014-15 and 6.2M in 2015-16. The deal was struck between Pat Morris and Joe Sakic in the w...
brettmanzato writes...

just a thought

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
More a discussion then really a blog, just wondering why the oil havent approached saku koivu (unless they have) about a short term contract to fill the void at center, are they that confident in arcobello? Or lander? I feel stupid even suggesting that last one
While it may not have been The Curious Case of Vladimir Sobotka, the closing of t he Roman Polak Door in St. Louis sure does appear to very curious, at least on the surface. While most hockey pundits had speculated about the Blues wanting to get tougher on the blue line this offseason, the Blues traded away one of their toughest blueliners for another puck moving, transit...
The Leafs adding David Booth was a great success. T.O. needed another left winger, and snagged a decent one at a very modest price tag. Admittedly, Booth struggled to produce with the Canucks, but if he can reach the stats he found during his time with the Panthers he can be a dangerous player for the Leafs deep into their line up. Reimer re-signing,especially with the ...
By Erik Caron The last big fish is still swimming in the pond. The Avalanche came to terms with RFA forward Ryan O’Reilly last week while the Rangers came to terms with RFA forward Chris Kreider. The Toronto Maple Leafs signed RFA defenseman Jake Gardiner to a five year 20.25 million deal. None of those names though compare to the one big name that has yet to be sig...
With Jake Gardiner signed and all players locked up, it's time to look at what the Leafs have done so far this off season and what I can only hope and wish for them to do now. Let's recap New additions in their natural positions- Leo Komarov-LW David Booth-LW Mike Santorelli-C Petri Kontiola-C Matt Frattin-RW Daniel Winnik-C Stephen Robidas-D Roman Polak-D Will...
Earlier today Flyers GM Ron Hextall released a statement informing that defenseman Kimmo Timonen has been diagnosed with blood clots in his right leg and in both of his lungs. Despite his decline over the last few years and finishing his career on a one-year contract basis, the 39 year-old d-man still plays a crucial role for the orange and black. Maybe even now more ...
Re-posted to fix the formatting issues... Many around St. Louis are scratching their heads regarding the defection of Vladimir Sobotka to Omsk of the KHL. While I won't claim to have seen this moving coming from a mile away, I can't understand why people are so surprised when they look at the situation from both sides' perspectives. [b]The Sobotka Perspective:[/b] I...
I have been "Fantasy Hockey Blogging" for a few years now, and thought I would drop a small one on here! I have been a (self-appointed) Fantasy Hockey Guru for a few years now. I play in some insanely competitive leagues that mimic all life like NHL systematics for Drafting, ELC's, Contract renewals etc... so after years of this I have always had a knack of planning, sc...
The San Jose Sharks are going to head to camp without any defined leadership. Head Coach Todd McLellan revealed the news that letters were being removed from the captain group to give everyone a clean slate, an equal opportunity, heading into the new season. I'm calling his bluff. I'd be willing to bet that this is just another move by GM Doug Wilson to push Thorn...
.................................................................................................................................. Here are my playoff predictions or better yet guesses for the upcoming season. I’ve also included some forecasts or guesses for some individual players. For general context, my idea for someone who will have a big year is an increase of say 1...
Tim Chiasson writes...

If I Had A Gun To My Head

Posted Saturday | Comments 5
I’m going to start by saying, if you haven’t noticed already, that I don’t want to trade Thornton and Marleau. I don’t believe they are the problem with San Jose, but I’ll entertain Doug Wilson’s tyranny. I’m going to trade both players in this blog. First up on the chopping block is [b]Joe Thornton[/b]. This trade idea started with Matt Henderson’s p...
Last night Howard Bloom of sportsbusinessnews.com reported via Twitter that Quebec City, Toronto, Seattle and Las Vegas would become NHL expansion teams by 2017. Bloom even included that expansion fees would total $1.4 billion. The tweet spread like wildfire on the social network and was making it’s way to television within mere hours. A respected journalist with sp...
By Erik Caron The Bruins were supposed to be the team of destiny last season but were ultimately unable to get the job done as they were ousted by their rivals, the Montreal Canadiens in game seven in what was a very premature exit in the playoffs. There was plenty of blame to go around whether it was pesky Bruins forward Brad Marchand who hit enough posts to win the se...
By Erik Caron Follow me on Twitter @ErikCaron20 The Bruins are coming in to camp with “too many NHL defensemen” this season which is honestly something I never thought I’d hear ever. The Bruins are out of cap space and officially handcuffed for the time being since they still have to resign two important pieces in Torey Krug and Reilly Smith. They could wait...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a plethora of options to consider when deciding where William Nylander will begin his 2014-15 season. The situation is rather uncommon when dealing with high end draft picks, however the Leafs have the option to send Nylander back to Sweden where he would play for MODO of the SHL or keep him in North America to play in one of the NHL, AHL, or O...
FOLLOW ME on Twitter @DailyNHLGrind Saku Koivu announced his retirement from hockey today after a long career spanning 18 years. Unlike others who have managed to stick around for nearly two decades, Koivu was not blessed with health his entire way through. He fought through things other players had never even thought about having to deal with. Koivu is the epitome o...
I have been thinking about the upcoming NHL Season and I think I have a pretty good grasp on every teams attempted identity change. In the next few days I will write a preview on every NHL team and then try my best to predict the league standings around the NHL Trade Deadliine in early March. So lets get right into it: [b]Anaheim Ducks[/b] The Ducks finished #1 in th...
The New Jersey Devils have their goalie of the future. This off-season they committed to Massachusetts-native Cory Schneider when they inked him to long-term contract. This decision came after Schneider poster sensational numbers playing around half of the team's games last year. Now, with Martin Brodeur gone and Schneider looking to fill the void, one question remains ...
In a bit of a pattern developing in the preseason, the Blues didn't start playing at the drop of the puck and couldn't fully recover. They came out flat and allowed the first four goals to Columbus and came up a short at the end. On the first goal, the puck almost gets out of the Blues zone but gets held at the line and Oshie's back side pressure on Nick Foligno isn't ...
The Blues came out strong in the first period, outplaying and outshooting the Hurricanes fourteen to six in the first period with little to show for it. Even with their strong play, they were unable to get a puck past stingy netminder Cam Ward. They were however rewarded at the end of the period with Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes drawing penalties, allowing them to...
MyBoyStepan writes...

Another Mountain To Climb

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
A successful season feels like a long and slow build, like climbing a mountain. It starts with a training camp and a preseason, allowing the team to become acclimated to the new conditions that accompany each new year. The arduous trek of the regular season begins, with 82 games over the course of twice as many days. Teams and players slip up along the way, losing games, g...
Pucker77 writes...

Leafs Analysis by Adam

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b][u]Analysis by Adam[/u][/b] Hello all, This will be a piece where I analyze the play of all 82 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I watch a lot of hockey and closely follow many teams but the Leafs always seem to be the most intriguing win or lose. Anyways, here we go. [b][u]Toronto Maple Leafs Game #1 vs Montreal Canadiens 4-3 L (0-1-0)[/u][/b] After a ...
I’m unbelievably high on what Barry Trotz can do for this team so let me start off by clearing that up. Two young men who are in the lineup for tonight’s season opener are going to reap the rewards of having a veteran coach, who for one of the first times in his career actually has a talent filled lineup and a chance to do damage with it. Surrounded by a mix of ta...
So now that I’ve had the last couple days to over-analyze the Toronto Maple Leafs opening night loss to the Montreal Canadians (not to mention re-watch the game several times… thank you Leafs TV), It is safe to say the sky did not fall. I am disappointed in the loss; because it was to the Montreal Canadians (yuck) and also because I, along with thousands of other fans...
Two of the four major sports in North America have challenges. Hockey is not one of those sports. After Baseball added challenges before the 2014 season it made me wonder; why doesn't hockey? After watching the game on Saturday between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers, it made you wonder, how is such an obvious call missed? For those whom are not aware, Alexan...
Greetings and happy Canadian Thanksgiving! [b]Game 4 - Habs vs Bolts [/b] If you are like me, then you watched that train-wreck of a game until it was over. I'm sorry you had to see that. There are games that we enjoy as fans, and then there are those like tonight where our time would have been better spent cleansing our colons. The end result would have been the same...
Oilers4Life14 writes...

Dallas Eakins

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The past 7 years, the Edmonton Oilers have seen 5 coaches. After some questionable line combinations by Eakins, it has some fans wondering… Will he be fired? Well there are a few key aspects to look at. For example, Eakins’ record as the Head Coach of the Edmonton Oilers is 29-46-10. That is not good enough to make the playoffs. Eakins also has not always handled delic...
There was a lot of debate regarding advanced analytics this past offseason. The debate was filled with passionate supporters on one side and adversaries who vehemently rejected the statistic as relevant on the other. This blog is not an extension of that debate and does not challenge the relevance or significance of advanced analytics such as Corsi; however, it does challe...
The problem with Toronto Maple Leafs “fans” and their rocky relationsihp with Phil Kessel is the vicious circle that’s created by the story-hungry media, and then perpetuated by this overreacting portion of the fan base. One cross-ice pass that deflected off of Stuart Percy’s skate in the season-opener (he could be very good for a long time, by the way), and th...
Greetings, [b]Habs vs Bruins[/b] Anyone else love the Dryden to Price torch hand-off? In the world of sports there are very few rivalries that sparks such intense emotions than Bruins vs Habs. Am I happy with the outcome? Yes. Am I happy with how the game went? Nope. But let's break that down, shall we? I'm getting this out of the way right away. I didn't like ...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] The Ottawa Senators stormed the Avs in the third period to come away with a 5-3 victory on Thursday night. The Avs' loss came with rookie goaltender Calvin Pickard losing his first career NHL contest in his first appearance. Earlier in the day the Avs announced starting goalie Semyon Varlamov would be a g...
Modern day Oilers fans will remember in the not too distant past they were in the Stanley Cup Finals facing off against a Carolina squad with a young upstart goalie by the name of Cam Ward. Names like Mike Morrison, Jussi Markkanen and Ty Conklin were all to familiar to Oilers fans, much to their chagrin. Little did the fans realize that when the trigger was pulled on a ...
Hammanu writes...

All Habs, All The Time, Game 6

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
Greetings, [b]Habs [/b][b]vs [/b][b]Avs[/b] Before I get into the actual game, I would like to say congrats to Pierre Gervais on 2500 games in the NHL. I've never heard of an equipment manger as loved, nor a team throwing one a ceremony before, but hats off to the Habs on celebrating what has been a hard working and accomplished career so far. Keep in mind he's won a...
More Maple Leafs follies as the 2014-15 season gets off and running here in October! Plenty of new faces, still the same problems... However, let me start with some of the good: The team did make several smart moves in the off-season to strengthen the bottom six. Adding veterans like Mike Santorelli, Daniel Winnik and David Booth (although injured again) brought in a...
Greetings, [b]Habs vs Wings[/b] So this edition of the Habs has done something that hasn't been done since the 77/78 season, which is to win 6 of 7 to start a season. This torrid pace might not be sustainable for 82 games, but every point now is money in the bank when things get tight near the end of the season. I'll be the first to admit I began to feel a little ...
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @ https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] DENVER — The Avs hosted their second home game of the season Tuesday night but couldn’t come away with a victory. They were beat by the Panthers 4-3 in overtime despite using a big second period to erase a two-goal deficit against a low-scoring Panthers team. They didn’t start the game off as stron...
The San Jose Sharks have started the 2014-15 NHL season with a 4-2-1 start and are currently tied for second in the Pacific Division along with the Los Angeles Kings. I figure it's about time we review each game so far. [b]Game 1: San Jose Sharks (0-0-0) at Los Angeles Kings (0-0-0)[/b] The Sharks started off their season against the team that ended their previous two, o...
Hammanu writes...

All Habs, All The Time, Game 8

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Greetings! [b]Habs vs Rangers[/b] Before I start I need to rant a little. WTF is up with CBC/Sportsnet with only playing Leaf games on Hockey Night in Canada?!? Seriously, if I wanted to watch a mind numbing show I would turn on the Kardashians and slowly wait for my brain cells to die. It would hurt less... Now on to the Habs. You would have to go back 50 y...
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] It was a night of firsts in Denver tonight. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New York Islanders 5-0 for their first shutout of the season. The game-winning goal came off the stick of Cody McLeod early in the opening period and the Avs never looked back. McLeod’s goal, which came off a nice setup from...
Being "game ready" is more than just being physically fit to play hockey. It's about more than just having honed your body, stick-handling, passing and shooting skills. It also consists of being in the right mindset to play the game of hockey to one's best ability, and being motivated to continue to build upon the foundation that a player has already set for himself. You h...
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind [/b] The Avalanche lost 5-2 to the Canucks on Tuesday after scoring the first two goals of the game. They came out with an early jump and got on the board quick. John Mitchell received a nice pass from Alex Tanguay and lasered one past Ryan Miller for the goal just over a minute into the contest. It was his se...
[i][b]Twitter:TheDailyLeafHB[/b]:[/i] Recently, there has been some rumors of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers engaging in trade negotiations involving a Jake Gardiner for David Perron swap. This trade definitely makes sense for the Leafs, Perron (26 years old) is a young left winger who can play all different aspects of the game. Last year, with the Oilers ...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] The Avalanche was unable to complete a third period comeback and dropped a 4-3 contest to the Flyers. They scored three times in the third period, all coming from the bottom two lines, but were unable to capitalize on the last minute push. Colorado’s goals from Max Talbot, Alex Tanguay, and Zach Redmond...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] When the Colorado Avalanche signed Jarome Iginla to a three-year contract this summer, they were looking for a player to replace Paul Stastny’s production offensively. Statstny had just signed in St. Louis while Iginla was coming off yet another 30-goal season with the Boston Bruins. Iginla was always J...
ZzHockey writes...

Preds real or illusion?

Posted Thursday | Comments 6
It was not long ago the Nashville Predators were drafting #4 overall and again #11 overall. Things seemed to be on the down side in Tennessee, especially after watching their top two defenseman headed out. Ryan Suter signed a multi-year multi-million dollar contract with now division rival Minnesota Wild. Shae Weber signed a 14 year offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers...
Dtuch7 writes...

Enough is enough

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Yet again, The Toronto Maple Leafs were horded by an overwhelming force of reporters. And, yet again, the reporters attacked the leafs with questions about something they did wrong. However, this time, the leafs faced the media force after a solid 5-2 victory over a significantly stronger Lightning team. So, what did they do wrong this time you ask? They didnt raise ...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] Ladies and gentleman, the cardiac kids are back. Colorado was down two goals twice tonight and roared back to win 4-3 against the Hurricanes at the Pepsi Center. Reto Berra started the game but was pulled late in the first period after surrendering three goals on 10 shots. With Varlamov still suffering from ...
This past weekend was not a particularly good one for the Penguins. The New York Islanders defeated the Penguins both nights of their home and home series. What was more frustrating to see though was how the Islanders dictated puck possession and shots. The Penguins essentially played the majority of both games in their own end, a recipe for defeat. With the loss o...
Last weekend they were booed wildly in their home rink after their 7-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Tonight, Viktor Fasth was scored on from the neutral zone. It’s not a secret the Edmonton Oilers are bad. Earlier this week the team cut ties with goaltending coach Fredric Chabot and with the way things are going, that won’t be the last organizational or roster ...
This is the center of most importance when it comes to winning the Cup in the NHL. Teams that are deep at center, even if they do not have what would be considered a true number 1, elite level player, are the teams that are most often in the final 4 and competing for the Cup. Certainly it helps to have that elite top of the line player, but it is not mandatory when you are...
Hello everyone, this is my first blog, so I am going start with an introduction. My name is Brendan, one of the owners of @WTPHockeyFacts on Twitter. I am a young, but very knowledgeable hockey fan (take a look at our Twitter account for proof, many of those facts are found by myself, through research and my extensive hockey knowledge). I have been a hardcore Edmonton Oile...
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind Calgary scored twice in the third period to win its 17th game of the season. They defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime and their two goals brought their third period total to a league leading 39 goals. The Avalanche got their starting goalie back tonight but was still unable to play a solid 60-minute effort in...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] The Avalanche has hit rock bottom. After blowing a late lead last night in Calgary, Colorado had nothing going for them tonight. The Jets stormed out to score early an often en route to a 6-2 victory over the Avs. Bryan Little led the way with a hat-trick and they also received goals from Chris Thorburn, And...
bloodandhonor writes...

NHL Hockey in Alberta

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I suppose for a first time blogger, a little history might help any readers to see where my biases and allegiances come from. I was born in Alberta in the early 80's the heyday of the battle of alberta. I have 2 older brothers and as one might expect, I wanted them to like me, so I cheered for the teams they cheered for, namely the Gretzky led Oilers. When I was old en...
Another regular season, another Kings team, simply sliding their way through yet another 82 game schedule, hoping for the best and hoping for a chance to play further into spring. I have seen enough of this group to draw the conclusion that they are constant underachievers in the regular season, but perhaps not overachievers when it comes to the second season of the NH...
What has happened to the Colorado Avalanche in this 2014-15 season? You cannot say that the Avalanche have had it easy by any means, considering both the NHL has studied up on the team since their explosion last season that saw them #1 in the Central, #2 in the West and #3 in the entire NHL. A gutsy rookie that came into the league like he had something to prove, after ...
[b]Follow me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] The game clock had 8:16 remaining on it when Paul Postma exited the penalty box. The Avs had just failed to score on its second consecutive power play opportunity and were down 3-1 with nothing going for them. Colorado scored two late third period goals after the failed power play attempts en route t...
Yesterday reports from TSN’s Bob McKenzie surfaced regarding the 2016 NHL Winter Classic and Grandpa Bob says the league is in talks with the Boston Bruins for hosting the annual outdoor battle. If this turns out to be true, this is just another prime example as to how poorly the NHL handles their series of outdoor games and places their greed over dedication to some fa...
Do not plan the parade. One cannot blame Eakins on all of Edmonton's losses for the past two seasons. It's as much the players fault as it is Eakins' fault. With all the skill Edmonton has up front, one would not expect the Oilers to be shutout 4 times in 31 games; or to lose 14 of their 15 games, including an 11 games losing streak. As bad as Eakins record showed (...
Koz_86 writes...

End of McDays

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's here. It's finally here. After many long, cold, and miserable painstaking years, the end of days is finally here for the Edmonton Oilers. The firing of Eakins serves as a long overdue acceptance that this "rebuild" has failed. It is time to...rebuild...again Rather than admit this fate was inevitable, the organization pressed on, trying to save our world one sma...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] The Avalanche is back at .500 in time for the Christmas holidays. Colorado scored early and often as they shut out the Blues 5-0 Tuesday night in Denver. Semyon Varlamov returned after missing six games with a groin injury and recorded his second shutout of the season. “It’s a big win for us. You know...
[b][i]S-N-D & Company Must Address Blue Line Quickly; Trade a Player like Kessel?[/i][/b] Good luck to Brendan Shanahan, Dave Nonis, Kyle Dubas and company, or as I will identify them as S-N-D & Co. from here on out. There is so much work that needs to be done to at least make this Maple Leaf team playoff-level competitive, I highly doubt that anyone can completely figu...
The Leafs lead the NHL with 122 goals for, yet they've given up 108 goals. Their success this season can be attributed to their offense as it has masked their defensive issues while on nights like tonight, they're exposed. As December is ending, the Leafs are in a comfortable playoff position, yet the fans are feeling very uneasy. The rest of the NHL tends to buckle do...
It’s hard to believe, but almost half of the NHL season is already in the books. At this moment, the Anaheim Ducks lead the league with 54 points. Tampa Bay leads the Eastern Conference. Montreal is currently #4 in the East, while Toronto is currently in playoff contention in the #7 spot. Winnipeg and Vancouver occupy the #6th and #7th spots respectively in the Western C...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] We’ve all heard the story before. A player dominates an entire game, fights for puck possession every single shift, hits a couple of posts, misses a couple of opportunities, and has nothing on the scoresheet to show for it. Until of course, overtime comes around. That was Ryan O’Reilly today. The one ...
Enough is enough... The Kings sleepwalk their way into a 5-1 deficit against the Nashville Predators, who I really think could knock out the Chicago Blackhawks this time around, especially if the 'Hawks continue to go with Corey Crawford in net. You want to talk about a joke, Crawford is the leading vote getter in the All Star Game coming up at the end of the season, an...
In the last week, MacTavish has made a couple of moves, yet the Edmonton Oilers record this season is 9-22-9. Nineteen of those losses have been lost by only one goal. Since Todd Nelson has taken over the bench, the Oilers have gone 2-3-4 in nine games. Not great, but acceptable. Since the 4-1 lose to Calgary, Edmonton’s record is 2-0-2. A .750 point percentage. Compared...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] You could sense a little uneasiness from Blackhawks fans before the puck dropped Tuesday night at the United Center. In fact, during the warm up one fan told me, “I hope they don’t fall behind early and play catch up hockey the rest of the way.” Unfortunately for him, that’s exactly what they did. An...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] Semyon Varlamov was at it again for the Avs. It seems the Blackhawks aren’t the only team wondering how to solve the goalie. The Senators put 38 shots on the Russian Olympian tonight and scored just twice. The Avs countered with five of its own en route to a convincing 5-2 victory Thursday night at the Pep...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] It’s been hyped up around the team for days now. Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars in a divisional battle for the better positioning in the wildcard race. Colorado came in winners of two straight and they turned some heads with an impressive comeback win in front of a sold out Pepsi Center crowd. The Avs ...
It sure is depressing coming back to the sub freezing temperatures of Chicago, especially from Los Angeles. The same can be said for the Maple Leafs’ current California trip, which has usually been rather successful in the last few seasons. Monday night at Staples Center was truly a great experience however. My seats were just a few rows behind Darryl Evans, Nick Nic...
AustinTyler writes...

The Trade Deadline.....

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Rumors, rumors.....rumors galore! For those of you that haven't figured it out yet.....that's all they are. Smoke. No fire. Lets start with a guy like Taylor Hall. He plays like a bull in a china shop. Good player? You know he is. Reckless, Yup. Uncoachable? Nobody really knows. Nobody would really say until after he was traded....if he was traded. What are you going to ge...
Our "beloved" Maple Leafs return to the ACC Monday night against the lowly, yet always dangerous against Toronto, Carolina Hurricanes after a winless road trip against four of the perennially toughest Western Conference teams. There is no shame in losing close games on the road against the Kings, Ducks, Sharks and Blues. What is a shame is that the Leafs lost to those ...
The Flames are in a very strange spot, sitting on the playoff bubble and having a look at the post season for the first time in a very long time. It’s strange not only due to the amount of time since they have had this kind of look but strange because of how they might have to approach this trade deadline. The issue for the Flames is that they have a few players that...
Ok the leafs ave shown the ability to score, and now to a point the ability for defense. Its eiter one or the other, why bad personnel tat don't mesh as a proper hockey team. The players are good but many missing factors. Want to improve it, its not a quick answer but a reset or 2-3 years as opposed to rebuild 4-5 years is all that is needed. Why here is a list of their st...
For the past several years, there has been a vocal contingent of loyal hockey fans clamouring for a new-and-improved point system. These fans claim that there is an inherent illogic underlying the current system. And it's hard not to agree; the idea that some games are valued at 3 points, while others at 2, is curious at best.Certainly, the most popular suggestion is to us...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] There are plenty of words that could describe the Avs’ recent five-game road trip. The simplest way to put it is ‘not good enough.’ Colorado went 1-2-2 in the five-game swing away from home with both OT losses coming in the shootout where they had won five straight coming in. “Looking back at t...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] For the third time in four games the Avs received a late goal with Semyon Varlamov on the bench. In Tampa Nathan MacKinnon scored with 7 seconds left, at home against Boston Ryan O’Reilly scored with 1:45 remaining, and tonight, with just 36 seconds left on the clock, Nick Holden scored to tie the game at ...
To all the Leaf fans,rnrnThis is for all the true fans, the real fans, the fans that know and believe that sometimes taking one step back is the right step in the right direction to where we ultimately want to be; a team we can see excel year in and year out.rnrnWe need to take back what's rightfully ours. We can no longer allow a franchise which we so loyally love and fol...
rnrnMinors, majors, up and downs, career 4th liner to top line on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conferece - what has Dale Weise done to get there and stay there?rnrnBrought over in a trade from Vancouver for Raphael Diaz, Weise had been a grinder, sticking his chin into situations attempting to change momentum for his team. Drafted 111th overall in '08 by the Range...
2KZakk writes...

Toronto Dreams of Vegas

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Our readers and fans can spend the day going over the recent trades made by the Buffalo Sabres, but as I finish typing this post, the subject will have been well worn out. I am a long time Leafs fan, and have become accustomed to hearing over and over again, every insignificant gossip surrounding the organization. I hope you are not speculating that this post is about t...
The Nashville Predators are hands down the NHL’s best team this season. Expecting to make a deep playoff run, the Predators decided to be buyers on the trade market. The Predators acquired two of their former draftees from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli. Franson was selected in the 3rd round by Nashville in 2005 and Santorelli in the 6th round ...
Former NHL defenseman was found dead at his Mississuaga home this morning. Montador played in the NHL last for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12 season but also had stints with the Flames, Panthers, Ducks, Bruins, Sabres and Zagreb Medvescak (KHL). In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Montador recorded 33 goals, 131 points and 807 penalty minutes in 571 games. In the 2011-12 seas...
Marc Methot made Sens Army very happy today, as it was finally announced he had resigned with the club for the next 4 years. The deal has a cap hit of 4.9 million per season, worth a total of 19.6 million that keeps Methot here until 2018-2019. After Karlsson spoke out earlier this week as to how valuable Methot is to the team as well as himself, it seemed like this ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs finally began to steer their ship in the right direction on Sunday by sending Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli to Nashville for a 2015 1st rounder, Olli Jokinen, and prospect Brendan Leipsic. The return on the deal signals the start of the rebuild that the team has been in need of for some time now. An added bonus to the transaction is that ...
Florida Panthers’ defenseman Dmitry Kulikov injured Stars’ forward Tyler Seguin on Friday, February 13th. Kulikov was given a major penalty for clipping Seguin in the third period of the game. Seguin may be out 3-6 weeks with his injury. He was both the Stars’ leading point and goal scorer. It was announced earlier today by the NHL department of safety that Kulikov w...
[b]Zack Kassian[/b] Kassian is a player who could make a very big difference on a playoff team put in the right situation. He had a very great junior career outside of his discipline issues, putting up solid numbers on a over powered Spitfires team, but thats not a Kassian brings to the table. He can go toe to toe with almost any player in the league as well as give...
After a two game NHL stint, Shane Prince has been sent back to Binghamton of the American Hockey League for further development. In his place will be Matt Puempel, first round pick of the same year Shane Prince was selected in the second round and JG Pageau was nabbed in the fourth. Prince got an opportunity on the third line after MacArthur was injured, and was definit...
The Bruins looked like they could start making a push late in the season to get out of the wildcard playoff spot last month. After last night though, it seems that the Bruins are going nowhere but downhill. The Bruins are losers of six straight and if the Panthers win tonight, would see themselves out of a playoff spot. The road doesn’t get any easier for Boston either. ...
As I write this. the Boston Bruins are clinging to a playoff spot as we enter the stretch to the post season. Whether or not the Bruins make the playoffs or not, the team faces a lot of questions after the curtain falls on the 2014-15 NHL season: 1.WHO WILL BE AT THE HELM?- Peter Chiarelli and Claude Julien find themselves in the line of fire after what can be deemed a...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] For the first time in almost five years the Pepsi Center crowd was treated to a hat trick by a Colorado Avalanche player. Nathan MacKinnon, just 19 years, 174 days old, scored his first career three-goal game in the NHL to break out of a 14 game scoring drought. It was the youngest Avalanche hat trick in tea...
[img]http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nhl/florida-panthers/hq5kye/picture10909145/ALTERNATES/LANDSCAPE_1140/Panthers%20Senators%20Hockey%20(3)[/img] Final Score: 4 -1 Sens The Sens ended their five game home-stand Saturday night with their third win, going 3-1-1. Over the last five games at home the Senators scored 22 goals, a 4.4 average well above their 2.8 on the...
The Penguins got a solid victory against bitter rival Washington Wednesday night. They avoided being swept by the Capitals in their always-competitive season series. Chris Kunitz knocked home a Blake Comeau rebound with 13 minutes remaining in the third period to give the Pens their decisive fourth goal. That score gave Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead. With about four minutes to...
If the Toronto Maple Leafs are serious about rebuilding they need to be serious about the path they take in doing so. Sure, the return on a player like Daniel Winnik is going to be draft picks, but given the organisation's horrendous track record at the draft it needs to stop there.rnrnCan you recall the last all-star drafted by the Leafs? At this point the organization do...
DVSP got bumped quickly to the 2nd line last night in Columbus. He didn't do anything too exciting but a couple of nice chances, a few hits and some blocked shots (a -2 doesn't help but) you can't ask for much more in your first game. The starting line is solid. Patches and Gallagher are here, signed up and locked in for a while. We could use an upgrade at top line cen...
Boston beat New Jersey tonight in OT and the Sens are now 7 points behind with 2 games in hand and only Florida and Philly between them and the final playoff spot. Sens beat Kings 1-0, Hammond gets shutout Since Hammond has come in the Sens have won four straight and look like they could jump a few teams in the standings soon. Our schedule is a few games behind the...
Hey Guys, The trade deadline is finally over, and I'm sure players all across the NHL are relieved. There have been numerous trade talks regarding the leafs and their core players for several weeks now. One trade that I was hoping to see today was captain Dion Phaneuf headed to the Detroit Red Wings, Unfortunately things fell through. The Red Wings decided to take the...
At the recent NHL trade deadline, the Penguins made two trades, both involving defenseman. The first trade they made was dealing Robert Bortuzzo and a draft pick to the Blues for defenseman Ian Cole. I can understand trading Bortuzzo, as the Penguins are wealthy in defensive prospects and don’t have a clear place for him. But the other trade they made, Simon Depres to An...
Oh the Advance stats. How far they have come. From a bunch of non-jocks writing blogs to the NHL publishing them on nhl.com. Some call it a major advancement. Other say who really cares. I fall into the who cares side of it. While they might have some use, I think too much value is being put in these number. A good example of this is the Battle of Alberta. I live right...
The contracts the Sabres have on the books for the 2015-2016 season, by position. LW – E. Kane $5.25M, M. Moulson $5M, Foligno $1.875M, Deslauriers $.6375M (the only full position) [b]TOTAL $12.7625M[/b] C – Z. Girgensons $.894167M, J. Larsson $.950M, C. McCormick $1.5M [b]TOTAL $3.344167M[/b] RW – T. Ennis $4.6M, C. Hodgson $4.25M, B. Gionta $4.25M [b]TOTAL $13...
It was a rocky road, but the Penguins would pull off a victory. After the Penguins scored three in the first period and another one a minute into the second, Edmonton, helped by the replacement of goaltender Ben Scrivens with Richard Bachman, roared back in the third period with four straight to knot the game up. The Pens would score twice in 66 seconds to take a 6-4 lead,...
kingcong39 writes...

Ghosts of the 2013 Draft

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Seeing the highlights of the Calgary Toronto game last night and the tremendous performance (amid the embarassment that is the Maple Leafs this season) of Sean Monahan and his line, it had me thinking back to the 2013 draft. The Buffalo Sabres needed forward help in the worst way. The situation was dire, although in hindsight, dire would only be an applicable word to th...
This game was the exact opposite of the Penguins’ previous matchup. After winning a high-scoring 6-4 affair against the Oilers, they were shut out by goalie Tuuka Rask and the Boston Bruins, 2-0. One of the main reasons for Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles was the loss of two of the NHL’s top five scoring leaders. Sidney Crosby, after looking perfectly fine in wa...
Johan Larsson’s career in the NHL had mimicked a yo-yo since the Buffalo Sabres traded for him from the Minnesota Wild. At the time of the trade, he was thought of on a wide ranging scale, from quality prospect destined to make an NHL impact to a pseudo throwaway with the Wild fans laughing that he wasn’t Zucker or Coyle. What was once thought of as a haul for Jason Po...
It wasn’t exactly how the coach drew it up, but the Penguins managed to earn a 3-1 victory over the Coyotes. They came back form a 1-0 deficit with two goals in the second period, from Brandon Sutter and Daniel Winnik. The Sutter goal may be one of the weirdest the Penguins have scored this season. It occurred on a Penguins power-play. After defenseman Ian Cole rattle...
Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist were back in the lineup for a game that was important for two reasons: One was that the Pens had been playing horribly (losing to terrible Carolina on Thursday), and they needed a victory. They got it against another lowly team, the Arizona Coyotes. Despite not scoring until 7:16 of the third period, when Daniel Winnik scored, the Peng...
sesar writes...

All About Carey

Posted Friday | Comments 0
One has to believe watching Carey play that the Stanley Cup is not too far off. It is a perfect script. He has done it all and then some. He now stands alone atop the Montreal Canadian goaltenders for total wins in a single season with 43 to date surpassing the likes of Plante and Dryden. What a remarkable achievement! Since being drafted he has won a Calder Trophy, a g...
The Calgary Flames, clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2009 after beating the defending champions the LA Kings 3-1 last night. They clinched the playoff spot with one game to go in the season. For most of the final part of the season they battled with the Kings and the Winnipeg Jets for 3rd in the Pacific and the final wild card spot. This has been one of the...
[b]Does every NHL team have a drafting identity?? [/b] When discussing prospects/potential selections I've heard multiple categories used to describe the reasonings for why an NHL team will select who they will select... these include: 1. BPA - Best Player Available 2. Organizational needs 3. Safe pick 4. Transferable NHL skills/size 5. Previous chemistry with othe...
NicholasFrost writes...

Dave's not here, Man

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Even the most reality-deprived hockey fans won't ever mistake Brendan Shanahan for Tommy Chong, but the Leafs have conveyed a similar message in the firing of Dave Nonis, Pete Horachek, and the entire coaching staff (aside from Steve Staios, who has been reassigned). Nonis should be judged entirely on his own merits, and there is much blood-letting and ...
sesar writes...

Bring on the Sens

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
As a reward for winning the Atlantic Division and claiming home ice advantage for at least the first 2 rounds the Canadians get to face one of, if not, the hottest teams in the NHL. The Senators have been on a tear and against insurmountable odds completed an historic comeback claiming a spot in the 2015 playoffs. This alone is a tremendous story and everyone who loves spo...
A big rivalry in the first round features Montreal Canadiens against the Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens come into the series as one of the best teams in the league this season. The Senators come into the series as one of the hottest teams in the past two months. Both can be attributed to excellent goaltending for each team, Carey Price (Canadiens) and Andrew Hammond (Senat...
The second seeded Washington Capitals will face the third seeded New York Islanders. Both teams had players who were in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals) and John Tavares (Islanders).Both players have got five points in the four games when these two have faced each other. Both teams didn’t make the playoffs the previous season but have rebou...
Zygiella writes...

A call to suspend Subban

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
By now, in the myriad of news articles and videos; we can all see the damage done and we'll all fall on one side of the fence or another. Here's an idea: Suspend Subban - not the league, but the team. Sure, it's a little bit of a wild notion but it might help clear the air, focus on hockey and show the Senators just how strong the Habs are. 1) The Habs are very...
Cam Neely addressed the media yesterday from TD Garden. Just a mere few hours of delivering the news that longtime General Manager, Peter Chiarelli, had been fired from the Boston Bruins. The main topic of the press conference was the future of Claude Julien. Claude has been the head coach in Boston since 2007, and this season was the first time the Bruins had misse...
The Winnipeg Jets will play in their first postseason since relocating back to Winnipeg. The Jets will hope that their goaltending (Ondrej Pavelec or Michael Hutchinson) will hold in the series against the Ducks young goalies Frederik Anderson and John Gibson. The Ducks will go with Anderson in net and the Jets with Pavelec. The Ducks finished top in the west finishing onl...
[img]http://www.journalpioneer.com/media/photos/unis/2011/07/01/2011-07-01-04-47-01-dave%20sens%20rookie%20camp1.jpg[/img] Hello everybody and thank you for reading once again. It has been a couple months since I've had a chance to write, but exams ended just in time for me to trek back home to Ottawa for games 3 & 4. I just arrived home from the second OT loss in a row...
The Edmonton Oilers are set to draft Connor McDavid 1st overall after winning the lottery last Saturday. Now we're wondering who else completes the top 5 ? So many solid prospects to choose from. I'll do a mock draft of the first five picks.rnrn [b]1. EDM: Connor McDavid,Center.[/b] A no brainer at this point. The Oilers will have amazing depth at center for years to co...
"Oh you're just saying that because you [finish defeatist statement here]." I'm over it--though take me at my word, won't you? Pleeeease? When milk spills, I get grumbly for a second, and then I go collect paper towel and clean it up before it ends up seeping into everything. Likewise, I was angry like pretty much 86% of the other fans were, but here I am, still writing,...
LazarBeam writes...

Sens vs Habs Game 4: Preview

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/96/files/2015/04/bobby-ryan-nhl-ottawa-senators-carolina-hurricanes-850x560.jpg[/img] Welp. This morning we saw how Dave Cameron will be lining them up tonight when the Sens will avoid the sweep. MacArthur-Turris-Stone Michalek-Zibanejad-Ryan Condra-Pageau-Lazar Hoffman-Smith-Neil Its fair to say Hoffman will ha...
[img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/senators/images/upload/gallery/2015/04/470740806_slide.jpg[/img] Wow. I've got to start this off with the most important thing that happened tonight: I called that Hoffman goal. It may not be impressive since he is our leading goal scorer, but hey, if it was so obvious why didn't Cameron move him up from the fourth line earlier? Like maybe ...
The Montreal Canadiens face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. The last time these two met was in last year’s Stanley Cup 1st round where The Canadiens swept the Lightning. When they met Ben Bishop missed the series due to a dislocated elbow, which proved to be one of the main reasons for them getting swept. Bishop didn’t play at his best in the 1st six games...
Regular Season Only!!!! The Flames played well above what was expected of them this season. There are still people who can’t believe how the Flames made it to the playoffs. The Flames had a 44.43 SAT %(Corsi For %), shots on goal + shot attempts that missed the net + blocked shots, was 28th in the league and a 45.74 USAT %(Fenwick For %), shots on goal + shot attempts...
As much as most fans have enjoyed the last few weeks and the changes being made to this organization, it is obvious this team has a long way to go before playoffs can be even considered. However there are also a few pieces of trade bait this organization can dangle to fulfil some of these needs, one key one being the second first round pick; 16th overall. With a draft that...
stefm45 writes...

The Sharks of Yesterday

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Wow. This last season hey. It did not go well. The season never really got going after a seemingly good start (4-0-1) it went downhill from there but for a strong showing in December going into January. We had only three bad losing streaks. The one being a four match losing streak and the other two, three matches. So we did not have any really really bad runs. But there w...
The Eastern Conference Finals pits the Tampa Bay Lightning against the New York Rangers who have made the Conference Finals for the third time in four years. This series will put many former players against each other. Ryan Callahan, who is a game time decision after his emergency appendectomy a few games ago, Martin St .Louis, Anton Stralman and Brian Boyle face their old...
I’ve been back and forth on whether or not I think getting Babcock is a “Must” for the leafs. One thing is for sure and that is Toronto needs a complete make over in how desirable they are to free agents, coaches, scouts and anyone else in the industry. I think about teams like the Yankees in baseball, players want to go to New York because it comes with an air of re...
Its no surprise to anyone that the Leafs roster will look significantly different come the start of next season, I thought it would be fun to throw my couch potato GM’ing out there for others to read about. Not all of these would work together but all would be improvement for both teams. New York Islanders: Target: Griffin Reinhart + Josh Ho-Sang + Nikolai Kulemin ...
archromat writes...

Five hypothetical Kessel Runs

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Over the next few weeks, while the Stanley Cup is finishing up, I'm going to be writing about possible trades that might happen by or on draft day. Many will be suggesting trades on forums, but the perceived value of players is highly contested, even among GMs. A trade is actually more likely to happen when the value of a player is over-or-underestimated. So discret...
The unethical week continued for the Philadelphia Flyers when they signed winger Aaron Palushaj on Thursday. Palushaj (Puh-Loo-Shy), comes to the Flyers after spending the 2014-2015 in the KHL, marking the second time in as many days the orange and black have come to terms with a former player from the league. At 25 years old, the two sides agreed to terms on a one-...
By now we know that the Flyers have a plethora of options when it comes to defensemen. But what about the last line of defense, behind them? [b]Steve Mason[/b] is the guy, obviously. When your starter finishes with the 3rd best save percentage in the entire league (.928) and 7th in goals against average (2.25) it’s normally revered to as a pretty successful season. ...
Top 10 Habs Prospects, end of season edition. [b]Nathan Beaulieu, Greg Pateryn & Jacob De la rose[/b] are expected to start the 2015-16 season in the NHL so they won't be included. [b]1. Nikita Scherbak[/b] The best prospects the Montreal Canadiens have. If there's anyone who can become an impact offensive forward in the NHL, it's him. He had another solid season in t...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a big bag of mess, but with the likes of Shanahan and Babcock guiding two out of three of the most important positions I feel pretty comfortable we are moving in the right direction. The trade talks swirl around the core of the leafs and rightfully so, they haven't meshed the way they should or performed to the best of their capabilities. For me...
Since the departure of Mats Sundin, the Maple Leafs have lacked a true No. 1 centre. Looking at successful clubs like Chicago, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Tampa Bay might make management envious; they can count on Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar, Ryan Getzlaf and Steven Stamkos to hold down their top position year in and year out. Which is why they could understandably feel co...
The year will be fun as so much can play out. Leafs could potentially be competitive shortly now that we have Babcock and keep Phaneuf and Kessel but that will involve many ifs and the tea eventually doing another rebuild shortly as the team will deplete its prospect depth way to soon. For long term and guaranteed success they need to be traded as they are Toronto's best a...
Every team is looking to trade up. I mean, I had a choice when I looked into my freezer this morning: plain Eggos or Cinnamon Toast Eggos. The longer you look at them, the more tempted you are. You have to think it's always an option and virtually every team (except Edmonton) is a candidate. Also, teams always seem to covet picks that are slated to go three to five...
First of all, i want to introduce myself, that you have a feeling who is going to write :D My name is Tom, 30 years and a native of Bavaria, Germany so please be not so hard on me if there are gramatical mistakes. There were irritating rumors that the Oil own 5 of the first 63 picks, but our own 3rd round pick was traded and we have the 79th and 86th pick instead from ...
This entire blog will be split into three: Forward, Defense and Goaltending. This blog will be about Edmonton's forwards. In this blog I will be keeping track of Edmonton's cap salary remaining. Without signing anyone this yet, Edmonton is at 18 million remaining. Last season Edmonton had one of worst centre depth. This season it looks like they may have on of the b...
[i]Bare with me on this blog. It was written quickly as it has been a long time since HB's actual Oilers Blogger has said anything. A week before the Oilers make 5 picks early in the draft and the best rumors are found on TSN and their website sucks. Like it or not, someone had to say something at all about the club as this is truly a momentous time for the Oilers club t...
If Mike Babcock and the Toronto Maple Leafs are serious about bringing talented Ontario born players to the club, the upcoming NHL Draft could be their biggest opportunity. Friday in Sunrise, Fla., comes Toronto’s next chance to draft the first key piece to the rebuild and some believe they will concentrate on local talent, a notion that the new Leafs’ bench boss ha...
Many websites and groups conduct mock re-drafts for certain years to see how the draft could have been if we knew how these young men (at the time) would have turned out. The Toronto Maple Leafs are always a hot topic when it comes to draft picks (or their lack of), and with having the 4th overall pick in 2016, let’s revisit some of the most notable draft years and th...
The Boston Bruins have seen a noticeable slump since their Stanley Cup victory back in 2010-11. Prior to that, they made a number of trades, picks and acquisitions. But what could they have done differently? Despite their roster, most of the picks in the last 15 years have yet to wear a Bruins jersey, or even an NHL jersey for that matter. Surprisingly, Boston has ha...
Over the last 15 years, the Washington Capitals have amassed 21 first-round draft picks. Count ‘em, 21. Most of which are still with the team, others traded for other picks and considerations. They could have made some better moves, but it goes to show first round picks success is a numbers game. The more you have, the better chances you have of landing a star. De...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Re-Made or UnMade?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Oilers latest GM came with a lot of hype. Oilers Brass have changed everything from the President to the scouting staff. However the GM is the first one to show his stuff and he really was not amazing during the draft. Seems like the scouting staff did their job in terms of the 2 late picks he made but he mortgaged they Oilers future for magic beans. The Oilers trade...
I would like to preface this writing by stating I am by no means the best writer in the world. Having said that, here we go. June 26, 2015. A day that will certainly be remarked as a memorable day for hockey history. The NHL got to see the selection of future franchise players who will undoubtedly change the face of their respective franchises. I would like to genuinely...
It’s been a wild weekend for the Buffalo Sabres franchise and fans, and things don’t look to be settling down anytime soon. All of these additions to the team have lead to many people creating starting lineups. Of course, these are just speculations, as it’s likely head coach Dan Bylsma will try out new lineups at training camp later in the summer. But with all of...
Being a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan, hockey life can't get much worse. After yet another disappointing year, and another embarrassing mid-season collapse, the Leafs are perceived as the laughing stock of the NHL and the Ottawa Senators went on a miraculous run to clinch a post season berth. (23-4-4 dating back to Feb10) Great… Just what we needed; the final nail ...
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 ...
The Oil once again went into free agency with a lot of talk. Their goal, the same as it has been for many years; grab a top tier defense man and a starting goalie. I know that we aren't aware of the options that the Oilers actually had. Maybe some players just refused higher money to play elsewhere. I think in a few years this will change but for now lets assume the Oi...
It is more than likely that the NHL will be expanding. Now we don’t know where the league is expanding too yet, or how many teams it will be adding, but for this list let’s say two teams and their both in the west, (Sorry Quebec Nordiques fans). For this list I will be using the rules of the 2000 draft as well as a few additional rules. ---2000 NHL expansion dr...
So I'm putting on my thinking fans hat here.... But it looks like the B's still need some work to define a better team going into next season. I'm going to breakdown several reasons why and some scenario's I think could help the cause. 1. Defence is still a mess: Given that they signed Irwin I'm hopeing this doesn't close the door on getting some talent like Cody ...
The following is a breakdown of potential Bruins trade bait and some thoughts for why this could be. Let's assume right off the bat the the bruins don't move either of their 1st round picks for the next draft. 1. Chris Kelly: He adds some leadership value to a 4th line group, he's pretty good on defensive zone faceoffs and plays well on the PK. 3M cap hit seems to mu...
In a strange twist of events these past five months, the last place Buffalo Sabres have made drastic changes to their lineup. The Sabres went from having no true first-line players to having now two in Kane and O’Reilly, with a third and fourth (Reinhart/Eichel) on the way. Add in swift sniper Matt Moulson and speedy work-horse Tyler Ennis to the list and the Sabres have...
With the Leafs in the beginning of a rebuild and the shipping of their star sniper Phil Kessel, many questions arise about the future of the rest of the Leaf core players especially Tyler Bozak. Bozak would make sense to move since you can get a decent return for him despite the fact the Leafs may have to retain some salary as he makes $4.2 million for the next three years...
LimitedIceTime writes...

Where do we go now?

Posted Sunday | Comments 2
We are almost three weeks passed the start of free agency, and there are still some good players just sitting there waiting for a contract. The thing is contract spots are all but used up on most teams and the teams that do have contract spots open don’t have the cap to sign anyone else. For this blog is just going to be a quick reference guide to each team’s contracts...
In this short article, I will discuss the top centerman with regards to two way play. Modern day NHL is much more focused on a two way game, rather than just offensive statistics. Advanced statistics have shown us the importance of players who can contribute at both ends of the ice. These stats are especially important for centerman, as they have so much responsibility ...
I am a Canucks fan and I look at their current roster and I can't help but think someone's gotta go. Forwards Daniel Henrik Vrbata Burrows Higgins Bonino Vey Horvat Hansen Dorsett Prust Kenins Baertschi (though still unsigned assumed he's a lock for the team) Thats 13 one-way contracts at forward and team management saying they want to give Virtanen a ...
Trade: Pens get Bonino, a 2nd and Clendening Canucks get Sutter and a 3rd Wow, immediately looks like a great deal for the Pens. After checking out the salary implications here this trade makes some sense. Sutter was once a top pick (11th) whereas Bonino was a 6th rounder. Sutter just had his 2nd 20-goal season, has never even hit 20-assists or 40-points, and has more...
BosstoneNeely88 writes...

A Quagmire Brewing

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Pending another addition on the blueline (cue hoards of Bruins fans with fingers crossed that one [b]Cody Franson[/b] will walk through those TD Garden doors) it seems as good a time as any to take in the Bruins offseason and see just where the needle is pointed for the Black & Gold. To do this properly, one needs to cast their mind all the way back to the final month o...
BosstoneNeely88 writes...

Big Bad Byfuglien?

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
According to Eklund’s post this morning, the Boston Bruins are making a BIG push for Winnipeg’s [b]Dustin Byfuglien[/b]. This is hardly the first rumor involving Byfuglien and Boston. It is yet another in a steady line of rumors indicating Boston GM [b]Don Sweeney[/b] is still in the market for proven NHL talent on the blueline. For the Black & Gold, there’s a l...
Luke D A lot of Leaf fans know that Dion Phaneuf isn't good enough to play for the team for now and the future and here's why. First off he is overpaid. He was given #1 Defenseman money (7 year, $49 million) by former GM Dave Nonis and hasn't lived up to it. Secondly, he is not a leader and he has proved that on numerous occassions. He could not lead the Leafs to a play...
Hard to believe we are already into August. For myself, thinking about how over a month of summer has gone by is an unhappy thought. Luckily, all I need to do to cheer myself up is think about we are that much closer to training camp and then, opening night. One thing I always look forward to in seeing in August is nhl.com’s 30 in 30 preview. It’s a great way to re...
The 2014-2015 season gave Habs fans a lot to think about, after the Regular Season success and a unwanted, but half expected early exit from the Playoffs.rnrnThis article will cover the play of Carey Price and how NHL Fans view the All Star. The most common question revolves on the success of the Habs laying strictly on the Goaltender. If that is the case, the play of P...
freelancer writes...

Winning in the Pacific

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
If the Oilers want any hope of making the playoffs this season they need to beat more teams. Shocking, I know. Looking back last season though it’s pretty easy to see where they had the most trouble. Edmonton played each team in the East twice, and of those series they were unable to get points from just two teams, Detroit and Pittsburgh. Let’s compare that to thei...
There’s no argument, the biggest acquisition GM [b]Don Sweeney[/b] has made thus far in his first offseason is winger [b]Matt Beleskey[/b]. The former Anaheim Duck was signed to a four year contract worth $3.8mil / per. Coming off of a 22 goal performance (Beleksey’s first of 20 or more) in the 2014-2015 season the 27 year old was widely considered among the top forw...
In this article, I would like to outline some of the second year players who have caught my eye. They are not ranked by skill, and some key players may be left off the list. The purpose is not to compare, but rather to analyze players which will be highly discussed entering their second year. 1. Aaron Ekblad: Defense ; ( 81 GP, 12 G , 27 A , +12) Age: 19 I believe th...
Luke D The Maple Leafs had one of their worst seasons in franchise history this year, finishing 27th Overall and missing the Playoffs for two consecutive years. This left Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan no choice but to start over and make some changes to both the management and the players. It started with the addition of Mike Babcock. With Babcock at the he...
Since we’re in the midst of the Augustine dog days of the offseason, I’ve decided to take a deeper dive into the bigger picture as it pertains to the Black & Gold. This will be a three part series focusing first on the should be positives for Boston, “the good”. Then, probable trouble spots for the club, “the bad”. And finally, the question marks heading...
There has been an argument, who's voice has grown louder as we approach the beginning of the season, and that is if Chiarelli has done better than MacTavish. McDavid hype is still alive and well but drafting the 18 year old wunderkid was a task that a 6 year old could have accomplished. To properly compare these two men, let's jump back to the end of the 2012-2013 seas...
For the fun as the season has had several changes here are my early predictions. NHL Atlantic Division: rn1: Tampa Bayrn 2: Montrealrn 3: Detroitrn 4: Floridarn 5: Bostonrn 6: Ottawarn 7: Buffalorn 8: Torontorn I predict a dog fight between Montreal and Tampa, Tampa will emergeduring the season, with Detroit not far behind as the quality is still there despite ne...
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). ...
Since we’re in the midst of the Augustine dog days of the offseason, I’ve decided to take a deeper dive into the bigger picture as it pertains to the Black and Gold. This will be a three part series focusing first on the should be positives for Boston, “the good”. Then, probable trouble spots for the club, “the bad”. And finally, the question marks heading ...
I wouldn't normally post a blog like this but given the recent Bryce Salvador article at the players tribune website, remembering the suicides of Wade Belak and Rick Rypien, drug overdoses like Derek Boogard and the addiction problems of Theo Fleury, I wanted to share the following article. I have kept the original author anonymous as requested and changed some of the ide...
We are 30 Days away from the beginning of the 2015-2016 NHL Season. Summer is coming to an end, and we are all looking forward to puck drop. We still need to go through the steps of the off season before we get excited. For Habs fans, we welcome the Golf Tournament, Medical Checks, Training Camp and Pre-Season Games. If we could fast forward to October 7th, and skip the ev...
[img]http://i.imgur.com/pWhTFKv.jpg[/img] Check out my site! [url]www.lazarbeams.com[/url][/url] I originally watched the first game of the three game rookie tournament with the intentions of writing an article for each game, but couldn't find the time as I had to travel around Ontario a bit this weekend. After a visit to see my family I'm finally back home and can g...
freelancer writes...

Good Things Come In Twos

Posted Monday | Comments 0
And we're back! Enough talk of hypotheticals, possible point productions, and potential line combinations. We finally have some real hockey to see and discuss, happy times are here again! As we've discussed many times over the last few months, everything feels different about this team and training camp has been no different. The pace has appeared quicker, the coach, more ...
Welcome to the first edition of the Hockeybuzz Fanstove. This series, inspired by the successful Hockeybuzz Hotstove, will share the views of regular posters. For our first question, we will tackle the Hotstove’s most recent question: who will win the Eastern Conference? [b]mdw7413[/b] I think it will be a toss-up between the Rangers, Bolts and Penguins if th...
Today I’ll wrap up my deeper dive into the Black and Gold before we officially shift gear into the 2015-2016 season and Bruins training camp. There are question marks across the all levels of the Boston Bruins organization. With camp just under way, the club is searching for a lot of answers. Not just on the ice, but in the locker room and TD Garden offices as well....
This off-season brought major changes to the Edmonton Oilers. Todd Nelson left, Lowe fired and MacTavish was demoted to Assistant General Manager. While the team is confusing Chiarelli did make improvements to the team by signing Andrej Sekera and hiring Todd McLellan, but yet the defense still has massive holes that need attention and I will be exposing these holes. Fo...
Ebs_14x writes...

Who's This John Scott Guy?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Before this blog begins there is something I want to point out. Firstly, I'm trying to figure out HOW I want to write blogs, seriously or jokingly and here I'm trying something new. Enjoy the blog and thank you for reading.[/b] Standing at 6'8 280lb John Scott is one of the heftiest players in the NHL, and while he may seem useless due to stats I'm here to con...
Ebs_14x writes...

NHL's Expansion

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The NHL has been in conversation about expanding the amount of teams from 30 to 32, and it’s closer than many believe. With these talks comes rumors and there are an abundance of them. In this blog, I will explain the three cities that, in my eyes, are top contenders. This is speculation of course and my view and I'm writing this blog solely to start a discussion u...
Ebs_14x writes...

Eberle Out, who Steps up?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Out of all the players on the roster it HAD to be Jordan Eberle that went down with a shoulder injury. The Hockey Gods DO hate Edmonton, it couldn’t of been Luke Gazdic or Nikita Nikitin or any of the "meh" players in Edmonton, it's the best right wing or hell, maybe the best player on the team. It's already starting to feel like it'll be ten years without the playoffs, ...
Hockey is back and everything seems right again. In my opinion, preseason is one of the best times of the year. Seeing the prospects (and potential future of an organization) vying for a spot alongside guys in new sweaters and returning faces has always given me a fresh outlook and optimism for the upcoming season. Coming into this year, I have the same optimism I hav...
Luke D When the Leafs traded for Joffrey Lupul, they knew they were getting a great top six forward who could also play on the 1st Line if needed. However, injury problems have prevented him from making a larger impact on the team but he still put up a good amount of points and had a strong work ethic when healthy. Unfortunately for him, he had injury problems since h...
[b]Update 2[/b]: STL Post Distpatch's Tom Timmermann is reporting that the Blues signed Scottie Upshall today to a two-way deal and that the Blues are interested in a deal with Gomez (ugh). NOTE that this leaves the Blues with 14 forwards INCLUDING Berglund who by all accounts has not been placed on Injured Reserve as of yet but he will be. Infer what you will but this a...
With the dust settling on training camp, and a fair amount of knuckles being iced after a fiery tilt with the Washington Capitals last Thursday night - let’s talk about the Boston Bruins heading into 2015-16 season. [b]The Defense...Could Be A Dumpster Fire[/b] One question mark for the Black and Gold headed into the year has already been answered: [b]Dennis Seiden...
One word to best describe the Calgary Flames 2014/15 season is miraculous. Having finished 27th the previous year and no significant roster changes besides for Johnny Gaudreau and Jonas Hiller, the Flames managed to secure a playoff berth with one game to spare. One of the main talking points of the season was the Flames inability to have the puck on their sticks more t...
Ebs_14x writes...

NHL and the Law

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Whether hockey fans like to admit it or not, hockey players are celebrities, and with that status come partying, hitting women and driving into Tim Horton's. Anyhow, it's how the NHL goes about with dealing issues that arise and they do a good job. In contrast the NFL worries more about the Deflate Gate than actual issues that their players commit, such as beating wives or...
The Flames were unlikely to repeat the previous season until the acquisitions of Michael Frolik and Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton was acquired during the NHL Entry Draft for a first round pick and a pair of seconds. Hamilton proceeded to sign a six-year, $34.5 million contract at an average annual value of $5.75 million. Frolik was a UFA which the Flames signed to a five-year,...
[img]http://i.imgur.com/tPBRYcD.jpg[/img] [url]www.lazarbeams.com[/url] The new top line of Hoffman-Turris-Stone has been one of the best-looking in the league through the first couple games of the season and has been carrying the Sens offence. Last nights 3-1 loss to Montreal and rookie goalie Mike Condon showed why having one line play so much better than the rest ...
Matt Ross writes...

Modano-vation

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Growing up, I had a bunch of hockey VHS (and eventually DVDs) that I would watch before/after a game or in my free time in order to study in an attempt to try and emulate the players on the screen. I always drew a great amount of inspiration and motivation from those sessions of sitting in front of the TV. Fast forward a number of years to today and not much has change...
In the first game of a back-to-back situation, the winless Blue Jackets will attempt to defend Nationwide Arena in a matchup against a struggling Toronto Maple Leafs squad. This is the first time both teams will meet in the regular season, and the Jackets have changed their lineup ups bit. David Clarkson is expected to debut against the team that traded his massive salary ...
Talk about ugly. Last night was tough to watch for Columbus Blue Jacket fans everywhere. The final score of the game was 6-3 for the Maple Leafs, which earned the Leafs their first win of the season and for new head coach Mike Babcock. Leo Komarov scored twice, including an empty-netter. Also, Jake Gardiner, JVR, Nazem Kadri, and Joffery Lupul scored for the Maple Leaf...
Luke D Tyler Bozak is certainly one of the Maple Leafs most interesting trade candidates. Since he's been signed as a undrafted free agent back in 2009, he has been productive in his tenure with the Maple Leafs, or so we thought. Despite his numbers, most critics say that playing on the top line with former Maple Leaf Phil Kessel is the only reason for his production. U...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Year 1 of the rebuild

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Anyone can say that the Oilers have been rebuilding since 2007 but have they? Sure they have added some big name talent in proven players such as Eberle, Hall, RNH and Nail. Plus hopefuls such as Reinhart, Nurse, Draisatl and even Schultz for some prospecting sites. Still this is the first real year of anything resembling an attempt to improve the franchise all around. ...
Zak MacMillan writes...

In and Out

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Joey Joining Fray Apparently, Ryan Johansen is expected to return to the lineup on Friday in the Verizon Center. Johansen was out for both of the Jackets victories this season. Joey was supposedly ill and flew back to Columbus last week with a trainer. It was also reported by Aaron Portzline that Johansen was hospitalized this summer for an irregular heart rate. Hopef...
The final game of the road trip brings Columbus Blue Jackets to the nation's capital where they play the Washington Capitals in the Verizon Center. Tonight, like last game, may come down to a battle of goaltenders- Sergei Bobrovsky against Braden Holtby. Holtby broke out last year with Barry Trotz, and played 61 games last year, coming very (very) close to the Vezn...
Back-to-back loses hit the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals by a final score 2-1. Last night, they lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. In both games, the Jackets didn't score first, and had to claw back in the game to make it close. In D.C., summer acquisitions Justin Willams and T.J. Oshie scor...
Back-to-back loses hit the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals by a final score 2-1. Last night, they lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. In both games, the Jackets didn't score first, and had to claw back in the game to make it close. In D.C., summer acquisitions Justin Willams and T.J. Oshie scor...
Since this is HockeyBuzz it would be only suiting for me to talk about hockey in some way, shape, or form. So with that being brought to light I would like to share my thoughts on the NHL expansion and some NHL franchises in the picture at the moment. First off, can we all agree that it would be a wise move for the NHL to actually execute this plan of expansion? To som...
In the second game of a back-to-back, the Columbus Blue Jackets are back on home ice and are set to battle the Arizona Coyotes. This is the first time these teams are meeting this season, and the Coyotes made some light changes. They lost Sam Gagner in a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers. They added Nicklas Grossmann and the contract of Chris Pronger from the Philad...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have successfully conquered a back-to-back stint against two different organizations, Improving their record to 6-12-0. On Friday night, the Jackets defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins by a final score of 2-1 in regulation. For the Pens, fiesty winger Patric Hornqvist scored their only goal in the final minute of the game. For the Jackets, B...
It has been a while since I have written anything, because we all know what the Maple Leafs season is going to be like and for the West Coast Kings followers, well this season is Stanley Cup Finals or bust. But here we go again with the Leafs in goal. James Reimer gets his goal back, plays out of his mind for two weeks and all of a sudden we got a win streak going for a...
So... is it draft day yet? As of today the Oilers once again find themselves in the familiar spot of last in the Western Conference. With a record of 6-12-0 it's becoming increasingly difficult to find arguments that this team is improving. With that being said, let's compare the first 12 loses of this season, with the first 12 from last season. So far this season, of t...
My twitter feed exploded this afternoon, as super NHL reporter Darren Dreger dropped this bomb on oil country: ‏@DarrenDreger Hamonic loves the Isles. This is personal. Wpg, Edmtn, Cgy and Van all preferred. Might expand to other west cities. Tough on Isles.... What does this mean? IS THE SKY FALLING?? DID HE MENTION EDM?!? As mere mortals we can only speculat...
The date is June 25th, 2010, an 11 year old just finished elementary school and he's excited to watch his first ever draft and he doesn't even have to stay up past his bedtime as Edmonton picks first. There has been a lot of buzz from sports media about the draft, especially "Taylor vs Tyler" and out of those two, he knows who he wants the Edmonton Oilers to pick. The play...
In Pittsburgh, there was an incident in the second period between Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Blue Jackets alternate captain Brandon Dubinsky. During the incident, Dubinsky and Crosby were in front of the Penguins goalie. Dubinsky was playing the man and was trying to create space for himself to score a goal, and Crosby was putting pressure on him. Dubin...
The Leafs cannot just throw this guy on Waivers. Like one person said earlier, just letting him go could lead to a missed opportunity by not getting something at least for him. He still does have potential to be a solid #1 goaltender in the NHL but definitely not on the Maple Leafs or any other Eastern club. Like I said before, and even before the trade with the Kings took...
Bonjour tout la monde! This evening, the Columbus Blue Jackets travel to the Bell Centré to battle the Montréal Canadiens. The Habs currently sit atop of the Atlantic Division; the Jackets are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The last game these teams played (not against each other), the Habs lost to New Jersey in overtime; for Columbus, it was a regulation...
Bon matin mes amis. Hier soir, les Canadiens de Montréal à gagné encore. Le finale est 2-1. C'était un bon match de hockey pour les Canadiens et les Blue Jackets. The Jackets stayed with Montréal until the end of the game, but the regulation loss doesn't help Columbus in their climb back up the standings. The Habs got goals from Paul Byron and Max Pacioret...
Bon matin mes amis. Hier soir, les Canadiens de Montréal à gagné encore. Le finale est 2-1. C'était un bon match de hockey pour les Canadiens et les Blue Jackets. The Jackets stayed with Montréal until the end of the game, but the regulation loss doesn't help Columbus in their climb back up the standings. The Habs got goals from Paul Byron and Max Pacioret...
archromat writes...

The Art of the Sign and Trade

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Lightning are dancing on fire... cool imagery. Not so cool if they lose a former first overall for, to put it bluntly, sweet **** all. Take it from a Devils fan... it hurts (thanks, Kovy). So now the Media are overblowing a story about Stamkos "liking" a tweet about the possibility of him coming to Toronto. Meanwhile Stamkos is probably like, "All I did w...
A topic that has been discussed more as of late with the owners meeting is the possible expansion. A huge road block being discussed is whether players with NTC's and NMC's will be made available for expansion teams. Another will likely be the salary cap as the last expansion was before it was implemented. As a whole, I think the expansion could benefit all parties involve...
This year has been exactly as described "painful" yet we are seeing the fruits budding from an eventful offseason. The question is with an almost certain top 5 pick and definitely top 10 who do go for. I will go one by one by the top 10 and see if he fits with the leafs mold and a good draft. Austin Matthews - You can't say no to him he is a shoe in whoever drafts firs...
Luke D It looks like Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos is going to test free agency next year. Many teams will be in line to sign him and the Toronto Maple Leafs should be one of those teams for a good number of reasons. First of all, he is one of the best players in the NHL right now. Ever since his rookie year, he has taken the league by storm with three...
What a turn of events for Columbus in the past couple of hours. John Tortorella has scratched Ryan Johansen; and Jack Johnson is a question mark for tonight, resulting in an emergency call-up of Justin Falk. And David Savard is injured. With those events said, they are playing an injured Arizona Coyotes team, that has recently lost their starting goaltender, Mike Smit...
What a turn of events in Arizona. On Thursday, Columbus scored goals a plenty against the Coyotes in a 7-5 onslaught. This marks Columbus' second win in December. Arizona got goals from Tobias Reider (2), Antoine Vermette, Viktor Tikhnov, and Jordan Martinook. Other players with points include Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Shane Doan, Michael Stone, Nicklas Grossmann, and ...
CBJ- Still Last, Trade or Keep 1st Overall Pick? The Columbus Blue Jackets remain dead last in the entire league as they are nearing the halfway mark of the regular season, almost where they were last year before a turnaround that got them to eighth worst in the NHL. Without any lottery, and to my reference earlier, the Jackets would have the first overall pick in the 2...
[b]WARNING: SPOILER ALERT![/b] Kings vs. Leafs and STAR WARS! All in the same night in downtown Toronto...couldn't get any better than that! However, the night did come with several surprises although I am still not sure which one captured the essence of Saturday night in Toronto. Perhaps is was the Maple Leafs playing a near flawless game against a Stanley Cup champ...
As we are in the midst of the holiday season and looking ahead both to 2016 and The Winter Classic, here are 12 takes on The Boston Bruins season thus far. 1-6: [b]Claude Julien - Coach of the Year[/b] For my money, [b]Claude Julien[/b] has to be the front runner for coach of the year honors in the NHL this season. Are there really any other clubs having unexp...
Welcome back the real Jonathan Bernier. Tonight, the Maple Leafs take it to the Coyotes in the desert. All pressure on a youngster in goal Louis Domingue, who ultimately stole the show (and the win) for Arizona. The Leafs played perhaps even better than they did Saturday evening against Los Angeles, but were in much more control than they were in Denver last night, a...
[b][i]BREAKING:[/i][/b] Bruins center [b]David Krejci[/b] was seen today leaving the TD Garden with his arm in a sling. According to head coach [b]Claude Julien[/b], Krejci is considered “week-to-week” and will most certainly miss the Winter Classic. This is a big time blow for Boston, losers of their last two. As far as I'm concerned, Krejci is one of three "must ha...
[b]The Eight Spoked Blog[/b] Holiday Edition Part II [b][i]BREAKING:[/i][/b] Bruins center [b]David Krejci[/b] was seen today leaving the TD Garden with his arm in a sling. According to head coach [b]Claude Julien[/b], Krejci is considered “week-to-week” and will most certainly miss the Winter Classic. This is a big time blow for Boston, losers of their last two....
Luke D It is never to early to get excited about the draft, especially if you are a Leafs fan. In 2015, the new-look Maple Leafs clearly showed that they are good at drafting because they went for skill and speed instead of size and grit and traded one of their most overpaid players, (Phil Kessel) for future picks and prospects. The 2015 draft was clearly a success...
Luke D There is always room for improvement for most players no matter who’s coaching. However, this will be the last chance for certain players to improve themselves under coach Babcock. These players have played under former leaf coaches Randy Carlyle and Peter Horachek but haven’t been able to meet expectations under either one. With that being said, here are the...
On Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the Washington Capitals by a final score of 5-4 overtime shootout. The Caps got goals from Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson, TJ Oshie, and Jason Chimera. In the shootout, Oshie scored a beauty on Anton Forsberg. Other players with points include Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Niskanen, Tom Wilson, and Karl Alzner. Brayd...
Now, while seeing the wheels completely come off in the second period against San Jose (who really cares, I just refer to the Sharks as the team who has lost the battle of California to the Ducks and Kings, the insignificant California club in my opinion) we cannot forget the resurgence of goaltender Jonathan Bernier. Although allowing four goals on 11 shots in this period...
The Blue Jackets are staying at home to battle the Washington Capitals. The Jackets are well rested after taking a couple days off, even after a late win to the Avs. They also got their number one goalie back in the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky, after missing near 20 games with a groin injury. The Caps just got Mike Richards into the fray, but lost Brayden Holtby to dehydra...
Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3 in the return of Sergei Bobrovsky. Washington got goals from Andre Burkavosky, Nick Backstrom (2), Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johanson, and Jason Chimera. Other players with points include Evgney Kuznetsov (4), Matt Niskanen (2), Justin Williams (2), and TJ Oshie. Braden Holtb...
Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3 in the return of Sergei Bobrovsky. Washington got goals from Andre Burkavosky, Nick Backstrom (2), Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johanson, and Jason Chimera. Other players with points include Evgney Kuznetsov (4), Matt Niskanen (2), Justin Williams (2), and TJ Oshie. Braden Holtb...
Kraqule writes...

Flames- Coaching Change???

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
First I must commend Bob Hartley on demanding a strong work ethic and compete level in Calgary. These are not easy intangibles to build but with that being said the young Flames need a true tactician. A coach that can take these brilliant hockey minds like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, and Hamilton and take them to the next level. [b]Current Issues:[/b] The Flames sit ...
Kraqule writes...

Flames- Coaching Change???

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
First I must commend Bob Hartley on demanding a strong work ethic and compete level in Calgary. These are not easy intangibles to build but with that being said the young Flames need a true tactician. A coach that can take these brilliant hockey minds like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, and Hamilton and take them to the next level. [b]Current Issues:[/b] The Flames sit ...
To TD Garden for the Blue Jackets tonight where they take on the Boston Bruins for the first time this year. Last year, there was vengeance as there was the Prout v. Lucic fight. This year thing are different. With the firing of GM Peter Chiarelli (whose now in Edmonton), new GM Don Sweeny moves Milan Lucic (LA), Dougie Hamilton (CGY), and Martin Jones (SJ) out for two...
Ebs_14x writes...

Edmonton's luck

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
How unlucky are the Oilers, pretty unlucky. I'm a 17-year-old journalist who started cheering for Edmonton when I was nine; I've never cheered for the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs. Every year, myself and many other dedicated fans have one dream, to watch the Oilers break their playoff drought. Coming into the 2015-16 season, the belief was Edmonton should at least be f...
Over the weekend, the Boston Bruins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-2 in a shootout. Boston got goals from David Pastrnak (my player to watch) and Brad Marhand in regulation. In the shootout, Boston got goals from Ryan Spooner and Torey Krug. Other players with points in 60 minutes include Spooner, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and Loui Eriks...
Luke D With the trade deadline being one month away, the time is right to speculate about what's to come by deadline day. As most of us know, the Maple Leafs are clearly sellers but to what degree; will they ship out players like Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul or are they more focused on shipping out players with expiring contracts? I am not one hundred percent sure a...
What a treat for Columbus. The struggling Habs come to Columbus to battle here tonight prior to crossing the border tomorrow. The Jackets are still without head coach John Tortorella after suffering broken ribs during a practice outside at the a Winter Park, colliding with ex-Hab Rene Borque. The Habs have been struggling lately in every position, and the biggest r...
Oh my goodness. Last night, the Blue Jackets snapped their losing streak to the Montreal Canadiens, by a final score of 5-2. Montreal got goals from Brendan Gallagher and PK Subban. Other players with points include Andrei Markov and Jeff Petry. Lars Eller, my player to watch, played 15:22 last night with a plus/minus -1 rating and one shot on net. Mike Condon allowed...
CBJ Post-Game No. 51- Looking Up The Jackets did it last night. They completed a home and home series that now has them inching up the standings. The final score was 5-2. They are now tied with Edmonton and Toronto, but they have played the most games. Montreal got goals from Alex Galchenyuk (my player to watch) and Devante Smith-Pelly. Other players with points inc...
CBJ Post-Game No. 51- Looking Up The Jackets did it last night. They completed a home and home series that now has them inching up the standings. The final score was 5-2. They are now tied with Edmonton and Toronto, but they have played the most games. Montreal got goals from Alex Galchenyuk (my player to watch) and Devante Smith-Pelly. Other players with points inc...
freelancer writes...

Finding the next Purcell

Posted Friday | Comments 1
Back in the summer of 2014, the Oilers traded Sam Gagner for Teddy Purcell. It was a move that had fans confused to say the least. While Gagner had his flaws, he, at that time anyway, was a capable scorer and one of two players the Oilers had capable of playing the position in the top 6. Trading him for a guy who not only didn't play centre, but didn't really fix any holes...
1. Scott Hartnell for Colin Wilson will happen on trade deadline day. 2. Columbus will have a second half very much like last season's. 3. Curtis McElhinney will backup Jonas Korpisalo until Sergei Bobrovsky comes back. 4. Jared Boll will be waived and sent to the AHL. 5. Zach Werenski joins Columbus this season. 6. One or both of Dalton Prout and Jus...
In an era of prequels and sequels, innovation sometimes comes to not be identified when presented to the masses. Yet it is this same backdrop that fosters the innovative spirit: the drive to create a comprehensive model. rnrn3-on-3 hockey is an amazing innovation. Not only does it add a new dimension (in which the benefits seem to outweigh the negatives) but it has dee...
Prior to the NHL All Star Weekend, Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman hit a referee from behind. The ref got up and seemed to be okay after the collision. Prior to the hit, Wideman was hit from behind by Nashville Predators winger Miikka Salomaki. Wideman appeared to be dazed, and immediately went to the bench holding his arm, but claimed he had a concussion. Her...
Hockey is back tonight, and the big headline is the return of Connor McDavid. Tonight, the Jackets battle him and his squad first in their swing against Western Canada. Both teams have had forgettable first halves, and what better way to start the second half right against one of the worst teams in the league. The Oilers have made a lot of changes since the summer....
Last night, hockey retuned to Columbus where they battled Edmonton, and suffered a 5-1 defeat in the return of Connor McDavid. Edmonton got all their goals in the final 40 minutes, getting tallies from Eric Gryba, his first as an Oiler; McDavid (my player to watch); Benoit Pouliot; Leon Draisatil; and Jordan Eberle. Other players with points were Zach Kassian; ex-Blue ...
In an era of prequels and sequels, innovation sometimes comes to not be identified when presented to the masses. Yet it is this same backdrop that fosters the innovative spirit: the drive to create a comprehensive model. rnrn3-on-3 hockey is an amazing innovation. Not only does it add a new dimension (in which the benefits seem to outweigh the negatives) but it has deep ho...
Trades: Parenteau for 2nd rounder and prospect to Washington Bozak to Nashville for 1st Rounder. Bernier to Carolina for 3rd Rounder and Ward to clear space Matthias to Hawks for 4th rounder Grabner to Detroit for 4th rounder Polak to Pittsburgh (Change conditional 1st to automatic, get 2nd rounder in 2017 and prospect) Gardiner Edmonton for 2017 1st. Offseason:...
Taking a look at the potential line up and who will be contributing to the overall rebuild next year and years to come it gives us a better idea of what trades will happen now and in the off season. I don't see any rush in trading guys with term left as I see them helping the kids in a mentor ship type role. Take Lupul and Bozak for example, we can almost guarantee Lupul...
Zak MacMillan writes...

CBJ- Murray Staying

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets and defenseman Ryan Murray have agreed to a two year bridge deal, worth about $5.65 million. The news broke last evening courtesy of TheFourthPeriod and TheHockeyNews. His new contact shows that the team is committed to him, but are not ready to pay him a big salary just yet. Murray was drafted second overall by the Jackets in the 2012 NHL...
In early January, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded center Ryan Johansen to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones. Jones is a pending RFA at the end of this season, and will be expecting a major raise after two really good seasons with the Nashville Predators. After seeing and hearing what he did for the Predators against the Blackhawks without ...
Luke D The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a major trade on Tuesday, shipping Dion Phaneuf along with career minor leaguers (Casey Bailey, Matt Frattin, Ryan Rupert and Cody Donaghey) to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2017 2nd round pick, B prospect Tobias Lindberg, Jared Cowen, Milan Michalek and Colin Greening. While many (including myself), consider this trade ...
[i]Disclaimer: this is an opinion piece; look elsewhere for advanced stats and rumors pulled out of a writers rear end. This is about venting, raging, and breathing fire over a variety of topics. So dear reader if your looking for anything other than a Don Cherry type I suggest you dig elsewhere, here be dragons.[/i] rnrnrn When watching the NHL in its 2015-2016 season I...
The home stand for Columbus continues as the Blue Jackets battle the Boston Bruins. The B's have been red hot as of late. Watching the game on Valentine's Day between them and the Detroit Red Wings (who the Jackets play next week) was a game to watch for sure, with 11 goals scored in the game. These teams played on January 23, 2016 and Boston won 3-2 in a shootout. ...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Boston Bruins in overtime, 2-1. Boston got their regulation goal from Patrice Bergeron in the first period. He was a game-time decision for the B's last evening. His goal was his 22nd on the year, and was unassisted. 33 seconds into overtime, Loui Eriksson netted the game-winning goal. It was his 20th of the year. Torey...
With the trade deadline inching closer and closer, it's that time of year for us hockey fans to think up those wild trade scenarios that just might make sense. The real key to these proposals it to try to justify it from all sides to make it almost believable. Does it fit the teams needs? Does it work with the cap? Is it a fair value of talent? etc. What i came up with:...
Gretzky age 23-26. Howe age 22-24, 27, 40 Jagr age 23, 26, 28, 33 Lemieux age 22, 23, 27, 29 Messier age 25, 26, 28 What are these ages? The ages in which these players had their highest point totals. I don't care what the accepted assumption is, forwards peak between 23-26 for points. Stamkos is 26. Not to say he can't have his best season next year, but do...
The Blue Jackets are in Beantown tonight to take on Boston, which is also the first game of back to back match ups for the Blue Jackets. The Jackets are well rested, playing lost on Friday in a loss to the youthful Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins last played Saturday and whooped the Dallas Stars in their building. These two teams played last week, and it resulted in a 3-2 o...
The Blue Jackets are in Beantown tonight to take on Boston, which is also the first game of back to back match ups for the Blue Jackets. The Jackets are well rested, playing lost on Friday in a loss to the youthful Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins last played Saturday and whooped the Dallas Stars in their building. These two teams played last week, and it resulted in a 3-2 o...
The Blue Jackets are in Beantown tonight to take on Boston, which is also the first game of back to back match ups for the Blue Jackets. The Jackets are well rested, playing lost on Friday in a loss to the youthful Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins last played Saturday and whooped the Dallas Stars in their building. These two teams played last week, and it resulted in a 3-2 o...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Boston Bruins by a final score of 6-4. The Bruins first goal came 15 seconds after the Jackets scored the first goal of the game. 11 minutes and 7 seconds into the game, Loui Eriksson scored his 22nd of the year, with helpers by Torey Krug and David Pastrnak. In the second frame, Matt Belesky scored his 10th of the sea...
As it sits today, the Leafs are in last place and with the greatest chance (20%) of landing the first overall pick for the first time since 1985 (Wendel Clark). Auston Matthews grew up playing in Scottsdale, AZ watching the then Phoenix Coyotes play. Currently the Coyotes are sitting in a position likely to get the 10th overall pick. My question to you is, would the Leafs ...
In 2014, startling news shook the National Hockey League to the core, and none of it was positive. About two years ago, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying he had only $50,000 in necessities. Johnson stated his parents were to blame for spending money on present luxuries and gambling on the defenseman' future earnings. ...
freelancer writes...

Locked and Unloaded

Posted Monday | Comments 5
Originally I started writing this blog about how the Oilers were once again involved in a trade deadline where they only unloaded players but Chiarelli ruined that by actually adding things to improve the team. I digress... By now you all should know what deals went down so here is the Oiler's current roster. Hall-Draisaitl-Kassian Pouliot-McDavid-Eberle Maroon-...
The trade deadline has passed and the Blackhawks have made some solid moves over the last few weeks. They acquired a legitimate 1LW in Andrew Ladd, solidified their bottom six with Weise and Fleischmann, and swapped Scuderi for Ehrhoff. With these additions the Chicago Blackhawks are set to win another Stanley Cup and become a true dynasty team. Hitting and fighting is ...
The home stretch continues for Columbus tonight, where they take on the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have some new faces on the team since the Jackets last met them, and have seen some other Oilers go. The Oilers traded goalie Andres Nilsson; winger Teddy Purcell; and Defensemen Justin Schultz and Martin Gerant. They have acquired wingers Patrick Maroon and Adam Cracknell; ...
What an entertaining night in Columbus, where two of the youngest teams in the league battled back and forth for two points. Last night, in the final matchup of the season between Columbus and Edmonton, the Blue Jackets defeated the Oilers by a final score of 6-3. Edmonton scored their three goals in the final two frames of the game. Less than five minutes into the sec...
With the recent contract extensions to Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray, do fans around the league already know what the Blue Jackets will pay Seth Jones? Or, since he is a proven commodity from another team, could we see a Brandon Saad like deal for the defenseman? Boone Jenner, 22, set a career high in goals with 22, and only managed a bridge deal that earns him under $3...
Don't let the title deceive you, I am a giant nerd and I love advanced stats but let's be honest here [b]Corsi stats have absolutely nothing to do with puck possession. Nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada.[/b] Corsi and her related statistics such as relative Corsi should be re-branded as shooting metrics simply because that is exactly what they are. They are not poss...
In last night's contest between Columbus and Philadelphia, winger Jared Boll interfered with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and got a 5 minute major for interference and a game misconduct. The question is whether or not the league will suspend him. Since this is not a face to face meeting, it will be less than five games. Boll was suspended almost a year ago today for an illegal...
We don’t get to hear the greatest broadcasting phrase in hockey enough these days but never fear – these obvious and totally simple to implement solutions will ensure a skyrocket in goals scored in the NHL and we’ll get to hear a lot more: He shoots he scores! Il lance il compte! Стреляет Он забивает гол! - russian Han skjuter han poäng...
Columbus travels to the nation's capital to take on the league's best team- the Washington Capitals. One more win will earn the Capitals the President's Trophy for a team that has already clinched top spot in the East. It has been a while since these two clubs have played, and the Capitals have made several changes to their team. The Caps acquired Mike Weber from the B...
In the nation's capital, the Capitals defeated the Blue Jackets by a final score of 4-1 to win the President's Trophy. The Captials scored most of their goals late, but did pot one early on. At 16:30 into the first period, Justin Williams scored his 22nd of the season; John Carlson had the lone assist. In the third period, they scored 3 goals in 14 minutes. At 3:46, T...
As you could tell by the title of the article, this article is about Russian hockey players and what in the world is going on with them. Hockey is a business and for the apparent stereotype for Russians is to be number one. The question is whether or not these Russians are looking at that at this point in there careers. This article will look at four Russians in particular...
The Battle For Last is taking place in the Hockey Capita of the World tonight when the Blue Jackets head north to the Air Canada Center to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Puck drop is at 7'clock tonight. Both teams have been battling tremendous difficulty for different reasons this season. With the Jackets, an early loosing streak got them down early, followed up with...
The Columbus Blue Jackets come to Canada and earn a comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, winning by a final score of 5-1. The Leafs' lone goal was the first one of the game. In the early stages of the 2nd period (1:43), Morgan Reilly scored a short handed goal for his 9th of the season; Frederik Gauthier and Brooks Laich had the assists. Garrett Sparks was in bet...
freelancer writes...

A Tale of Two Draisaitl's

Posted Friday | Comments 0
In a season, once again filled with mediocrity there have been a few feel good stories for fans to rally behind. I would argue the biggest surprise was the emergence of Brandon Davidson as a legitimate defenseman but closely following that would have to be Leon Draisaitl. When the Oilers drafted Leon in the summer of 2014, fans thought they were finally getting the skil...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Going Forward

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

New proposed point system

Posted Monday | Comments 0
So Boston, a team with 42 wins, doesn't make the playoffs while other teams with 41 wins do because they've made the most of the consolation point. Especially disgusting among those three teams is Minnesota, with a meager 38 wins on the season. Let's just change the point system... no 3 -2 -1, no 2 - 1. Wins are worth 1 point. Shootout losses and OT losses = 0 poin...
Work and illness have put me down the past couple of days but it did not slow down the Blue Jackets. The Jackets managed back to back wins, including a domination and a come back. First, the Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres in First Niagara Center by a final score of 4-1. Buffalo's lone goal came in the early stages of the second period. Sam Reinhart scored his ...
Eastern Conference: Washington X-Factor - Kuznetsov, Why Ovechkin alone cannot carry a team, hes great always showed character in the playoffs and wants that cup, he needs the other Russian to prove that Russia can dominate in the playoffs and rise to the occasion for Washinton. Two .9 + pts per game over the playoffs is always better than 1. Florida - Jagr - He is the...
To continue the last CBJ Progression article I did, this one continues the discussion of goal scoring in Columbus. During the 2015-2016 season, the Jackets had two 30 goal scorers in Brandon Saad (31) and Boone Jenner (30). Also, they had two guys score over 20 goals, being the first team to have four players get to 20 goals. Cam Atkinson and Scott Hartnell were th...
The 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have been intense and physical thus far. There are multiple series that are three games to one, followed up with pushing, shoving, name-calling, and fist-flying. However, this blog will discuss the dominating issues in the game that have been trending over the past several days. The major issue has come from the Chicago Blackhawks - St...
Last summer we saw Chiarelli trade Boyd Gordon for Korpikoski; a move which angered some people. Gordon was a great defensive centre, and a right shot to top it off. The Wagon Line of Hendricks, Gordon, Klinkhammer provided Edmonton with a great shutdown trio. Trading the pivot of that line for a 3rd/4th line winger with a bloated contract was... strange. Or it least it...
The minor league team of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Lake Erie Monsters, advance in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs to the Western Conference semifinals after sweeping the farm team of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rockford Ice Hogs, 3 games to 0, in the best of five series. In game one in Rockford, the Monsters beat the Ice Hogs, 5-2. For Rockford, they got goals from Ty...
The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will draw to a close on Wednesday night, the same time the second round of the playoffs commences. On Wednesday, the round one matchup (game 7) is between the Pacific Division winning Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the first wild card team Nashville Predators. The series has been a sea saw battle as these teams are on the sa...
First off let me make one thing clear – Mitchell Marner is amazing! Marner Magic is real folks and he will be a superstar in the NHL. Let us take that to the bank today and profit from the dividends for the next 15 years. People say “Oh he’s way too fancy he’ll get killed in the NHL.” To those people I say please watch the games. Watch the OHL final and ...
Columbus Dispatch/Blue Jackets Aaron Portzline answered readers' questions during an hourlong Here's the transcript: Note: Transcript is from April 13. My answers will follow instead of his. 1. Do you think the NHL will adapt the AHL's standings system of winning percentage trumping points? In your view, does this help balance the impact of 3 point games? I t...
freelancer writes...

Hamonic We Hardly Knew Ye

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hamonic. To many it was a done deal. When people discussed what the Oilers were going to do with their defense this summer; Hamonic was already penciled in. Let me start by saying until I hear it from Hamonic's mouth that he doesn't want to be traded, I'm assuming this is all a ploy by Snow to try and increase the asking price. Moving on. It's only been a month si...
Hall Fan writes...

Value of the Top Picks

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Travis Yost posted an article on TSN's webpage trying to answer a question many of us have... What is the value of a top pick these days? For those that missed it is here: [url]http://www.tsn.ca/examining-the-true-value-of-toronto-s-first-overall-pick-1.491169[/url] The article is by Travis Yost and he is not as bad as many when it comes to these things. I thi...
Western Conference Lake Erie Monsters v. Ontario Reign Eastern Conference Toronto Marlies v. Hershey Bears Predictions: The Jackets and Kings have talented minor team squads. Last year, the Manchester Monarchs, the minor team of the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup. This year, the Ontario Reign, the minor team of the Los Angeles Kings, are almost right...
Western Conference Lake Erie Monsters v. Ontario Reign Eastern Conference Toronto Marlies v. Hershey Bears Predictions: The Jackets and Kings have talented minor team squads. Last year, the Manchester Monarchs, the minor team of the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup. This year, the Ontario Reign, the minor team of the Los Angeles Kings, are almost right...
thejonathans writes...

Trade Idea MTL-CBJ

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Trade Idea.rnrnTo Montreal Canadiens To Columbus Blue Jacketsrn4th round pick in 2017 Lars EllerrnrnThe Blue Jackets Need 4th Line Help, and the Canadiens Don't need some of their players because they have too many guys that would normally be in the lineup.
Hello Blue Jackets fans. It's been a while since I wrote because of work and school and other things, but I am back with a bunch of mini articles for everyone as the Jackets are going through quite a quiet offseason thus far. CBJ- Boedker As A Blue Jacket? According to Pelle Eklund of Hockeybuzz, the Blue Jackets have a level of interest in Avalanche winger Mikkel B...
freelancer writes...

Two Unknown Prospects

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Going to try something a little bit different today. I'm going to talk about two different prospects that are members of different organizations. Both are 22; one is a defender, the other a forward. I'm going to go over their scouting reports, production, and any other relevant information. I want you, the reader to decide if this is a player you would want in the Oilers o...
The Calder Cup Finals start tonight, and the Hershey Bears take on the Lake Erie Monsters. This is a matchup between my two favorite minor league teams. Living in Hershey for about 14 years now, the Bears have won two Calder Cups (back to back), and could win another. Living in Columbus for about two years, and seeing the big team and guys that came up to join them, both t...
The Calder Cup Finals start tonight, and the Hershey Bears take on the Lake Erie Monsters. This is a matchup between my two favorite minor league teams. Living in Hershey for about 14 years now, the Bears have won two Calder Cups (back to back), and could win another. Living in Columbus for about two years, and seeing the big team and guys that came up to join them, both t...
Matt Henderson wrote a great blog on how the Oilers should offer sheet Seth Jones. While there were many different opinions on the logistics of such a deal, the fact remains that there are going to be some teams with cap issues... which for the NHL really isn't anything new. In the salary cap world, every summer there are teams who have to make tough choices; and teams tha...
By Aaron Barrett For the first time in years, the Toronto Maple Leafs are brimming with rosterable young talent. While being interviewed at the recent World Championships, Mike Babcock said: "We have too many young guys for the amount of jobs. Whoever we end up taking (in the NHL Draft) is going to be immersed with a bunch of kids. Not a few kids, a bunch of kids." ...
This is my first ever blog, and I welcome any feedback! This is my opinion on what the leafs 2016/2017 line up will look like as of today. So because this lineup is done as if the season started today it does not include any potential trades that could happen in the offseason. By the way I would like to note that giving Jonathan Bernier one more season as the starting ...
Over the past couple of years, there have troubles around NHL players and law enforcement and court systems. Seymon Varlamov. Slava Voynov. Clayton Stoner. Sean Avery. Ian White. Aaron Ward. Dan LaCouture. Jack Johnson. Linden Vey. Mike Richards. Jarrett Stoll. Alex Galchenyuk. Devante Smith-Pelly. Garett Ross. Patrick Kane. Evander Kane. And the list continues to grow. ...
Over the past couple of years, there have troubles around NHL players and law enforcement and court systems. Seymon Varlamov. Slava Voynov. Clayton Stoner. Sean Avery. Ian White. Aaron Ward. Dan LaCouture. Jack Johnson. Linden Vey. Mike Richards. Jarrett Stoll. Alex Galchenyuk. Devante Smith-Pelly. Garett Ross. Patrick Kane. Evander Kane. And the list continues to grow. ...
As I've posted at the end of many of my blogs, some friends and I do a weekly podcast on all things hockey and Oilers. One point we discussed at length was the expansion draft and how the Oilers will be affected. A few days ago it came out that players with NMC's who are set to be UFA will have to be protected. This means that as of right now, the Oilers will have to pr...
With the Leafs year one game plan working out as perfect as possible, its time to turn to year 2 of the plan. Now will be the tough part. Fans expected the tough season in rebuilding. We got rewarded with the first overall pick and a bunch of extra picks added in from shrewd trades. Now is the time to continue being patience. The prospect cupboard is growing but still ...
This is blog number 2. I got a few good comments so I decided to write again. Like before I welcome your comments and feedback. When the leafs won the NHL draft lottery I went crazy, so crazy that I accidentally woke up my roommate. ( Whoops ) But really, what guy in his early 20s is asleep at like 8pm on a Saturday. This draft has the ability to give the leafs the...
Over the past couple of years, there have troubles around NHL players and law enforcement and court systems. Seymon Varlamov. Slava Voynov. Clayton Stoner. Sean Avery. Ian White. Aaron Ward. Dan LaCouture. Jack Johnson. Linden Vey. Mike Richards. Jarrett Stoll. Alex Galchenyuk. Devante Smith-Pelly. Garett Ross. Patrick Kane. Evander Kane. And the list continues to grow. ...
[i]If you have a golden chance to draft the next "Sedin Twins", you take it.[/i] Maurice and Henri, Phil and Tony, or more recently; Marc, Jordan and Eric Staal, Jussi and Olli Jokinen, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Mikko and Saku Koivu. What do they have in common? Obviously they are all brothers that were able to have very successful NHL careers. Of those mentioned ab...
After years of fighting for his life, his life has ended before our eyes. For what seems to be the first time that I can remember, the NHL has lost an all time great. Maybe the greatest player to have died has done so at the age of 88. Gordie Howe's death comes out of the blue to many, but expectant and unsurprisingly to others. He has been in a battle for survival s...
After years of fighting for his life, his life has ended before our eyes. For what seems to be the first time that I can remember, the NHL has lost an all time great. Maybe the greatest player to have died has done so at the age of 88. Gordie Howe's death comes out of the blue to many, but expectant and unsurprisingly to others. He has been in a battle for survival s...
freelancer writes...

The No Rhyme or Reason Blog

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
We are just over a week until the NHL draft when hopefully things will happen so bloggers have new material to work with again. Until that point here are a few thoughts from around the NHL. Gordie Howe... man 2016 has not been a kind year. When Muhammad Ali passed I thought it couldn't get any worse. I was very wrong. While I am far too young to share any personal stori...
Hamonic, Vatanen, Faulk, Barrie. All defensemen who's names have been associated with the Oilers in the trade mill. All of whom are apparently now off the market. The most reason of which was this morning when the Ducks announced they had re-signed Sami Vatanen to a 4 year deal with 19.5 million dollars. While I do think that's an overpay he is a top powerplay option and p...
The Lake Erie Monsters have done the unexpected. Winning is back in Cleveland. The Monsters defeated the Hershey Bears to win the Calder Cup. And it was not even close. The hardest series for the Monsters was the second round, where it is usually the first for most teams. First, they swept the Rockford IceHogs, the minor team for the Chicago Blackhawks. In the...
Calder Memorial "Rookie of the Year" C Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) LW Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks) D Shayne Gostisbehere (Philadelphia Flyers) My Winner: McDavid. Veznia Trophy "Best Goalie" G Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals) G Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning) G Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings) My Winner: Holtby. Frank...
Calder Memorial "Rookie of the Year" C Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) LW Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks) D Shayne Gostisbehere (Philadelphia Flyers) My Winner: McDavid. Veznia Trophy "Best Goalie" G Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals) G Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning) G Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings) My Winner: Holtby. Frank...
'Twas the night before Draftmas and through the NHL, Was a group of GM's that were stuck in cap hell; The scouts prepared all their draft pick selections, A steal in round 6? Cue the erections; The fans were crowded around phones and computers, Hoping to hear their team has acquired a new shooter; And Oiler fans everywhere were getting the sense, That this might b...
The rumors have finally ended surrounding Kerby Rychel. The former first round pick was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Scott Harrington and a conditional fifth round draft choice in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. After years of being buried by young and emerging wingers, Rychel is now in a position to become a top six or top line winger with t...
Rella writes...

NHL Rumors

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
- Seth Jones and Jacob Trouba are both receiving offer sheet interest from Bruins, Oilers, Leafs and Habs. - The Minnesota Wild are a team that could be very busy this off-season as they want to add a forward. - The Edmonton Oilers could make a big splash this week. Yakupov and RNH could be on the move in Edmonton. - Several Teams are interested in David Perro...
oilnik writes...

Looking for D

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I just want some D. Is that really so much to ask for? Apparently so. The Oilers have been in need of a top defenceman since Pronger left town. We have seen different attempts at acquiring this defenceman that we so sorely need. There was Whitney, Souray, Visnovsky, Petry, and Gilbert. What did all these players have in common? None of them were top pairing defencemen, mo...
The draft has come and gone. As usual there was plenty of speculation beforehand. Twitter exploded in the days leading up to the draft that the Oilers were pursuing Subban. Shattenkirk's agent stated he expected his client to be gone by the weekend. Once again there was plenty of hype, and once again the Oilers left the draft without a top defenseman. Having said that, ...
While most speculated that the Edmonton Oilers would be in on defenseman Jason Demers and left wing Milan Lucic, today we received confirmation that the two were in town meeting with the organization. Meeting and signing are two very different things and there are other teams also courting these guys (Lucic was just in Vancouver). The Oilers do have a bit of an advantage i...
oilnik writes...

EDM - RFA's & UFA's

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It`s been an interesting year for RFA`s. There are a few curious names that did not receive a qualifying offer. On the Edmonton side it`s not too surprising who is being released. Gazdic, Cracknell, Lundstrum, and Kessy were not part of the future. I am sad to see Jumanji (Gazdic, because he looks exactly like Robin Williams in Jumanji) go. I heard he was a very positi...
freelancer writes...

That Whole Cap Thing

Posted Wednesday | Comments 4
Two highly sought after free agents want to sign in Edmonton? Music! Dealing with the cap issues that will follow? Bad music... like country or something. If the Oilers bring in both Lucic and Demers here is what the team looks like without any other changes. In brackets I've included each players cap hit. Hall (6) - RNH (6) - Eberle (6) Lucic (6) - McDavid (3.775) - Y...
archromat writes...

Why Larsson? W-w-why?!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'll tell you, and I won't be very popular with this one but I might actually have an idea of what GMs are thinking while a lot of people are stuck in the "stats la-la land" that focuses mostly on a genuinely useless stat (shots on goal). It's funny that you want a society to get smarter in an abstract sense, but they sink into abstracts (shots on goal) while veering aw...
Reliving the glory of the dynasty oilers with Gretzky is all we oilers fans can do in present time until the oilers are competitive once again. There is a glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel now with Connor McDavid in oil town and comparisons being made to Gretzky. While those may be lofty comparisons to the great one, it does give us hope. rnrnGretzky was the grea...
Sending out an offer sheet for Jacob Trouba has been one of the more polarizing concepts heading into the 2016 edition of NHL Free Agency, due to the steep price as well as possible blowback for exercising a rarely utilized right of NHL execs. Because the Bruins used second and third round picks on Lee Stempniak and JM Liles, the B’s would have to offer Trouba $9.3 milli...
oilnik writes...

Taylor Hall

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Taylor Hall I’ve had made my peace now with the trade. On our podcast http://soundcloud.com/downtownhockey/episode-12 I finally, after almost a week got it off my chest. I think it’s time now to reflect. For me Taylor Hall was the first truly talented player I witnessed develop. I am too young to remember the years of Gretzky, Messier, etc. I remember Doug Weigh...
freelancer writes...

The Trade: The Other Side

Posted Monday | Comments 1
I don't like the Adam Larsson trade. Almost everything I've read or heard talks about how this is a trade the Oilers lost badly and that everyone in New Jersey is laughing at us. While I don't want to sit here and talk about how everything is going to be fine in Oil Country I thought I would try and provide a different spin than many hear have read. Who is Adam Larsson?...
JosephOchs writes...

Bruins Next Move: Part 1

Posted Monday | Comments 0
While there will undoubtedly be fireworks this Fourth of July, they most likely won't come in the form that most Bruins fans would hope. Though Don Sweeney was busy on day one of free agency with the five-year, $30 million contract offered to David Backes (as well as depth signings Riley Nash, John Michael Liles, and Tim Schaller), he has yet to address the Bruins most gla...
Many Toronto Maple Leaf fans have flocked to the internet to voice their displeasure with the moves that have been made this offseason, which includes many pondering draft decisions as well. With so many fans losing faith in well-seasoned GM Lou Lamoriello, I’ve decided to breakdown the moves and shed light on it from a more well-rounded view which combines analytics as ...
With the Ducks D Corps full to the brim with excellent NHL defensemen as well as great D prospects coming through the ranks, they can afford to let a stud like Hampus Lindholm go for the right price. I think the Leafs have the assets to make this trade happen! I love JVR but he is in his prime right now and can help a club like the Ducks who are in dire need of big and t...
During free agency, the headlines are always dominated by the big name signings. Milan Lucic heading to Edmonton, Kyle Okposo going to the Sabres, Andrew Ladd signing with the Islanders. And while these types of signings usually have a big impact on the teams that they sign with, the smaller, low-key signings can be just as important. While Brett Connolly is no Lucic or Ok...
Trade-able Assets of Value. That is what this blog will be about. Please read on, it'll be worth it. Okay. August is lame for us hockey fans(not me, I'm reffing AAA and Junior B tryouts). Every A-hole with a typewriter is forced to talk about a college UFA who may or may not become an NHL player that is better than a replaceable 3rd or 4th liner. If said player is ...
Rangerfan2430 writes...

Dmitry Orlov's Value

Posted Friday | Comments 0
After one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history, the Washington Capitals have a chance to repeat that same performance this season. Unlike most contending teams, the Capitals were able to retain almost every important roster player, with the biggest lose being letting Jason Chimera leave via free agency. But even with Chimera on the Islanders’ roste...
Washington Capitals defender Karl Alzner is recovering from the sports hernia and groin injury he suffered from during the NHL playoffs this season. He got hurt during Game 6 in the second round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins but had slightly felt the injury for over a year. "What happens typically, from my understanding, is you get some sort of instability in y...
This is another huge blog of mine, similar to the one I did at the draft. This blog will discuss the winners and losers of the free agency period, wrapping around who signed where and who was traded where. What each time has done: Anaheim Ducks After an early first round exit from the playoffs, they let go of a slew of veteran forwards with salary in Brandon Pi...
thejonathans writes...

Hudler

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So where does hurler sign? he's still unsigned, and so's russell. two former flames who got traded at the deadline. but everyone's talking about Russell, so i will ask, where does hurler sign? I think maybe Montreal.
We still have an entire NHL season to play before next summer’s coming expansion draft. Unfortunately, we also still have quite a few weeks until even the World Cup preliminaries begin, let alone NHL hockey. At this point, you’ve more than likely read at least a handful of mock expansion drafts already. Well, guess what? Here’s another. Yes, I realize NHL rosters are...
thejonathans writes...

Monahan Contract

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames Signed Sean Monahan To A 6 Year Contract For Way Too Much Money! Sean Monahan re-signing i think is a great move by the flames. he is a great player, but Gaudreau is still unsigned ... but he'll sign, and what's so exciting about an RFA contract? we knew he would re-sign, so it's nothing. it's not really big news at all. we all knew he would sign, and...
thejonathans writes...

Las Vegas

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
What would you name the Las Vegas team? i like the idea of the Las Vegas ... really, i have no idea, but does anyone else have any idea of what the name would be? there is some pretty good possibilities. i'm not a big fan of the hawks or (k)nights idea, as is the something(k)nights or somethinghawks. not actually the word something, but something before knights/nights or h...
Ottawa Senators: - Pierre Dorion No offence to Bryan Murray but his time was long overdue he did good for what he could but last couple years showed that the Senators needed a fresh face. Enter Dorion and at the moment we cannot say much about Dorion as he hasn't done much other than the coaching hire. I totally disagree with Murray's comments on Cameron as Cameron could...
With training camps officially opening up all across the league, and with the World Cup of Hockey in the semifinals, this creates an interesting scenario in Columbus. With the USA and North America guys in question of coming straight into camp or taking a couple days off, this gives the youth movement in Columbus more time to impress, besides the Traverse City Tourname...
With training camps officially opening up all across the league, and with the World Cup of Hockey in the semifinals, this creates an interesting scenario in Columbus. With the USA and North America guys in question of coming straight into camp or taking a couple days off, this gives the youth movement in Columbus more time to impress, besides the Traverse City Tourname...
Another game tonight for the Jackets as they travel to Beantown to take on the Boston Bruins. Because of the World Cup, the Bruins are without three of their top players in Brad Marchand; Patrice Bergeron; and captain Zdeno Chara. Speaking of Marchand, he agreed to an eight year contact extension with the Bruins, $49 million total. For scoring over 30 goals last season...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Boston Bruins by the final score of 3-2 in a shootout victory. After a scoreless first period, Sonny Milano netted the first goal of the game on the power play in the second period. Because of no video editing, the play could not be reviewed, and the call was cut close as Milano celebrated first prior to the arrival of...
In the span of 24 hours, there have been plenty of cuts. On Wednesday September 28, the Jackets cut the seven players, and announced the injuries to two of the team's top prospects- 1. Vitaily Abramov --> QMJHL 2. Sam Ruopp --> WHL 3. Kole Sherwood --> OHL 4. Calvin Thurkauf --> WHL 5. Francis Beauvillier --> UFA 6. Jeremy Brouder --> UFA 7. Stephen Gibson -->...
In the span of 24 hours, there have been plenty of cuts. On Wednesday September 28, the Jackets cut the seven players, and announced the injuries to two of the team's top prospects- 1. Vitaily Abramov --> QMJHL 2. Sam Ruopp --> WHL 3. Kole Sherwood --> OHL 4. Calvin Thurkauf --> WHL 5. Francis Beauvillier --> UFA 6. Jeremy Brouder --> UFA 7. Stephen Gibson -->...
It's another preseason matchup between what I feel are potential rivals. But the matchup is in Nationwide Arena tonight as there teams are figuring out their final rosters. Here are the lineups/rosters for tonight. Boston Bruins Jake DeBrusk—Riley Nash—Seth Griffith Matt Belesky —Auston Czarnik—Danton Heinen Sean Kuraly—Dominic Moore—Jimmy Hayes Tim...
It's another preseason matchup between what I feel are potential rivals. But the matchup is in Nationwide Arena tonight as there teams are figuring out their final rosters. Here are the lineups/rosters for tonight. Boston Bruins Jake DeBrusk—Riley Nash—Seth Griffith Matt Belesky —Auston Czarnik—Danton Heinen Sean Kuraly—Dominic Moore—Jimmy Hayes Tim...
It's another preseason matchup between what I feel are potential rivals. But the matchup is in Nationwide Arena tonight as there teams are figuring out their final rosters. Here are the lineups/rosters for tonight. Boston Bruins Jake DeBrusk—Riley Nash—Seth Griffith Matt Belesky —Auston Czarnik—Danton Heinen Sean Kuraly—Dominic Moore—Jimmy Hayes Tim S...
It's another preseason matchup between what I feel are potential rivals. But the matchup is in Nationwide Arena tonight as there teams are figuring out their final rosters. Here are the lineups/rosters for tonight. Boston Bruins Jake DeBrusk—Riley Nash—Seth Griffith Matt Belesky —Auston Czarnik—Danton Heinen Sean Kuraly—Dominic Moore—Jimmy Hayes Tim S...
For many Oiler fans this was the year we had been looking forward to. There are many things that provided optimism. The second year of a management team is enough to give hope. Players often siting the different coaching styles as a hurdle. The Oilers young prospects showed signs of improving and this year, if healthy, there is no reason to not expect vast improvement ...
On Thursday, The Columbus Blue Jackets were defeated by the Boston Bruins by the final score of 2-1 in regulation. The Bruins got a first period goal from winger Matt Belesky. The goal was assisted by defensemen Colin Miller and Christian Ehrhoff. The third period goal came winger Seth Griffith; defenseman Ryan O'Gara and winger Jake DeBrusk had the assists. The on...
Over the weekend, the Edmonton Oilers have traded former a number one overall pick in exchange for a minor league prospect and a conditional draft pick, continue the question of what is going on in Edmonton. Sticking with what recently happened, Russian winger Nail Yaukpov has been dealt to the St. Louis in exchange for center Zach Poricho and a conditional 2017 3rd ro...
Zak MacMillan writes...

CBJ: Savard Speculation

Posted Wednesday | Comments 5
According to the Hockey Press, the Boston Bruins could be interested in acquiring defenseman David Savard. Savard was a former late round draft pick of the Blue Jackets in 2009. Going back to junior, he won the WHL Defenseman of the year. Savard came up in the Blue Jackets organization by going through the old AHL farm club with the Springfield Falcons, so he has a bit of ...
The regular season is here. For the Blue Jackets, their first game is tonight and they battle the Boston Bruins, a familiar foe as they have been playing each other in the preseason. With both rosters finalized, the Bruins have some injuries to some key players in contrast to Columbus. The Bruins will be without center Patrice Bergeron; and defensemen Adam McQuaid and ...
The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a loss in their home opener to the Boston Bruins, being doubled up by the final score of 6-3. The Bruins' top line was superior as they had all six goals for their squad. David Pasternak opened the scoring for his team in the second period, with Brad Marchand getting the lone assist; and scoring on the empty netter in the final mi...
The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a loss in their home opener to the Boston Bruins, being doubled up by the final score of 6-3. The Bruins' top line was superior as they had all six goals for their squad. David Pasternak opened the scoring for his team in the second period, with Brad Marchand getting the lone assist; and scoring on the empty netter in the final mi...
The Oilers are off to an impressive start. It is not really a surprise that McDavid and Eberle are leading the team in points. I think a lot of players are playing the way we expected. Strong start for Draisatl, Lucic and a bunch of players that really aren't surprising as the Oilers do have quality guys on their roster. The Defense have been... underwhelming as a wh...
The Oilers are off to an impressive start. It is not really a surprise that McDavid and Eberle are leading the team in points. I think a lot of players are playing the way we expected. Strong start for Draisatl, Lucic and a bunch of players that really aren't surprising as the Oilers do have quality guys on their roster. The Defense have been... underwhelming as a wh...
freelancer writes...

Enjoy It

Posted Thursday | Comments 3
Let's take a look at a few stats to start your day feeling warm and fuzzy. Last year it wasn't until January 2nd that Cam Talbot had 6 wins. Edmonton's 4th win against the Western Conference last year came on March 16th. The first 7 games last year Edmonton's Defense had 6 points this year they have 13. And the most important stat of all the Oilers have gone from l...
Bienvenue au Columbus. Ce soir, le au Columbus fait un match de hockey avec des Canadiens aux Montréal. Tonight is the first meeting of the season, and as I usually do, I look over the offseason changes of the opposing team before any further breakdown. After the collapse of Carey Price, the Habs had an extremely subpar season, and drafted low as a result, making vas...
Je suis désolé Montréal, mais zut! 10 à 0. Finale. The Montreal Canadiens, the league's best team was utterly dominated and destroyed and blanked by the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 10-0. Let's get through the goals in order since there is only one team to talk about on the score sheet. The first goal of the game was one of four scored on t...
CBJ- Can the Offense Keep Up? Looking at the current goal differential and stats of some of the Blue Jackets players, can the offensive production that they have keep up throughout the entire 82 game schedule? Starting with the overall goal differential, the Jackets are currently a plus +11 and are a currently a non-playoff team. Does that stat fade true to the ...
I will admit when I am wrong. Larsson shows some decent heads up play. He is not a top pairing guy and maybe not even a second pairing but I like his odds of being a solid 3-4 guy in the next couple years. Lets forget what the Oilers traded to get this guy. Point is that Larsson wasn't the answer to the Oilers problem on the blue line. Larsson and Russel might hav...
The Blue Jackets travel to the TD Garden tonight to combat with the Boston Bruins, in what is one of the most underrated rivalries in the NHL. This is the second half of the back of back games for Columbus after playing Anaheim last night, and winning in overtime. The Bruins last played on Tuesday, suffering a 3-2 regulation loss to the NHL best Montreal Canadiens. ...
The Boston Bruins wowed the Columbus Blue Jackets in a dominant first period effort, winning by a final score of 5-2. Capitalizing off a Zdeno Chara turnover, Alex Wennberg got the puck to captain Nick Foligno, who potted his fifth goal of the season by beating Tukka Rask on the blocker side for a 1-0 lead. Wennberg's assist was 13th of the year and 9th in his past six...
Lionsgoalie writes...

Lyndon Slewidge

Posted Monday | Comments 1
Everyone has a memory of Lyndon Slewidge. Whether your like me and you remember going to a Sens game as kid and seeing him do his signature sign off as he finished the anthems. Or even as some one who goes casually to games, the man just sticks out. Lyndon Slewidge is as much a part of the Senators organization as Daniel Alfredsson or Chris Phillips. Bruce Garrioch broke n...
The Blue Jackets are finally playing a divisional team, being the last year's President Trophy winners. The Washington Capitals play here tonight and in Pittsburgh tomorrow, so the pressure is on. The Capitals had a quiet offseason, but made their roster younger and more skilled in contrast to a veteran and grittier team. They lost Jason Chimera; Mike Moore; Sean Colli...
The Columbus Blue Jackets woke up late in the third period to defeat the Washington Capitals by the final score of 2-1 in overtime. The Capitals opened the scoring in the midst of the second period off a sniping shot from the usual passer in Nicolas Backstrom. The Swedish forward wristed a shot underneath Bobrovsky's glove for a 1-0 lead for the Caps for his second goa...
Zak MacMillan writes...

CBJ- Werenski for Calder

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Let's get this story rolling. The title says it all. Even though there are many quality rookies in the NHL making debuts, Zach Werenski should get it after his performances so far this season. He is currently sixth in the league in points with 13 points in 14 games. In the entire league. He has the most points with the least amount of games played in the top ten. That'...
The start of a back to back for Columbus begins with an afternoon tilt in the nation's capital against the injury rattled Capitals. The contest begins at 12:30 pm. The Jackets will look to continue their hot streak at home on the road, while the Capitals will look to find a way to win without some top players. In their most recent games against the Red Wings, they had ...
The Jackets maintain their composure to defeat the Capitals in the final minute of regulation, by the final score of 3-2. In the first period, a Jack Johnson turnover to Nick Backstrom slips in between Sergei Bobrovsky's legs for a 1-0 Washington lead. The ice breaker was his fifth goal of the season. In the second period, the Jackets even the score with a Nick Fol...
I know the game is in progress but I am a bit behind yet again. The Jackets are wrapping up their series finale against the Arizona Coyotes tonight. The Coyotes lost to the Jackets badly over the weekend. The score doesn't show it, but the other stats do. If your starting goalie is facing 60 shots in a game, the goalie is getting tired and the defense is weak. In Arizo...
I know the game is in progress but I am a bit behind yet again. The Jackets are wrapping up their series finale against the Arizona Coyotes tonight. The Coyotes lost to the Jackets badly over the weekend. The score doesn't show it, but the other stats do. If your starting goalie is facing 60 shots in a game, the goalie is getting tired and the defense is weak. In Arizo...
I know the game is in progress but I am a bit behind yet again. The Jackets are wrapping up their series finale against the Arizona Coyotes tonight. The Coyotes lost to the Jackets badly over the weekend. The score doesn't show it, but the other stats do. If your starting goalie is facing 60 shots in a game, the goalie is getting tired and the defense is weak. In Arizo...
I know the game is in progress but I am a bit behind yet again. The Jackets are wrapping up their series finale against the Arizona Coyotes tonight. The Coyotes lost to the Jackets badly over the weekend. The score doesn't show it, but the other stats do. If your starting goalie is facing 60 shots in a game, the goalie is getting tired and the defense is weak. In Arizo...
Did I mean the player or the term "to win"?? Last night, the former Coyote center led his current team in front of Nationwide Arena to a 4-1 victory over Arizona. Tobias Reider opened the scoring midway through the first period for a 1-0 Arizona lead. On the breakin from the power play, Alex Goligoski passed the puck to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who found Reider open on a ...
Did I mean the player or the term "to win"?? Last night, the former Coyote center led his current team in front of Nationwide Arena to a 4-1 victory over Arizona. Tobias Reider opened the scoring midway through the first period for a 1-0 Arizona lead. On the breakin from the power play, Alex Goligoski passed the puck to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who found Reider open on a ...
The Columbus Blue Jackets commence their three game road trip of Western Canada. Tonight, they battle the star studded Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers continued their search for change in the offseason, and personally, in a very bad way. They traded Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils in a horrendous one for one deal for Adam Larsson. They also dealt the consistently scra...
The Jackets continue their winning streak efforts at seven consecutive games, defeating the Edmonton Oilers by the final score of 3-1. The Oilers opened the scoring with a first period goal, and driven by the fourth line. Former Blue Jackets center Mark Letestu cycled the puck with former first rounder Zach Kassian, who got the puck to the driving Tyler Pitlick for the...
If someone were to tell you that after 32 games the Oilers would be 15-12-5 and sit 3rd in the Pacific you would probably have been quite happy with that. Unfortunately the devil is in the details and over the past few weeks the Oilers have left valuable points off the table. There is a very good chance that if the Oilers are out of the playoff race in March, this stretch ...
Once again we find ourselves approaching trade deadline and once again the Oilers find themselves in the exciting position of wondering if they can acquire second or third round picks for.... wait.... buyers you say? Ahem, moving on. Here are some options on the right wing the Oilers should consider as rental players. Patrick Eaves - Eaves is having one of his most p...
Let me begin by first saying, both opposing fan-bases will likely hate this trade, thus perhaps demonstrating its parity? (lol). About a month ago while roaming the Canucks thread, a fellow poster linked an article/tweet that reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs has/had contacted Vancouver's beloved G.M, Jim 'the rim' Benning in the interest of acquiring Chris Tanev...
As we discuss trade deadline targets in Edmonton, for the first time in what seems like 500 years, lets take a look at the silky mullet himself, Jaromir Jagr. Now the only reason I bring the name up, is because this type of transaction has Chiarelli's name written all over it. Deja vu much? Remeber that Chia dealt for the Czech ageless wonder in 2013, while he was GM of th...
Will.Pesek writes...

Isles show signs of belief

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If you asked any hockey fan in late October into mid November if the Isles would make the playoffs, they would say "not a chance". Well, guess what? The Isles are in the busiest time of year, battling for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. They sit 3 points out with 3 games in hand over the Flyers and almost everyone they are trying to chase. Monday night's game v...
freelancer writes...

Secondary Woes?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Great to see the Oil get a convincing 5-2 win last night against the Arizona Coyotes; it helped calm the sea of fans screaming about the lack of secondary scoring as of late. The Oilers are 10th in the league in scoring even with players like Lucic, Nuge, Eberle, and Pouliot drastically underperforming. What's going on here? Let's break it down by looking at the Oilers...
The Columbus Blue Jackets return on the ice tonight to take on the league’s most covered team… the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams are very similar. They are both young teams that have playoff aspirations. Both teams are extremely impressive offensively. Both have young up and coming groups that are going to push them elite squads. Both teams have elite goaltending fro...
Okay maybe not shopped but this list comes from SN's top 20 and it is as good as any to look at. ([/url]http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-20-nhl-trade-deadline-candidates-dealt/[/url]) Oilers are in a great spot right now. They really did little so far to improve the team outside the draft. In fact they went out of their way to trade their previous best player f...
When the Oilers signed Klefbom to a 7 year deal (worth 4.167 million a year) many thought it was a huge risk. His injury history alone was enough to cause alarm but while many penciled him in as the Oilers top left shot player on the backend before the season had started we had yet to see how he could handle being a top pairing defenseman. So far he's knocking it out of...
derfmred writes...

Habs View From The Rock : 2

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well it has been a very long time since I have done this, I always have good intentions but four kids and a job kind of cut into my blogging time. But here I go again, I will try to do this once a week at least and who knows maybe some day someone will read this. Well it is a day before the trade deadline and the Habs have some work to do. Work that is going to be hard ...
Late on Tuesday, the Oilers made a trade that sent Brandon Davidson to the Canadiens in exchange for David Desharnais. From a managerial outlook I understand the trade. Brandon Davidson was almost certainly going to be lost to Vegas in the expansion draft and the team knew it. Desharnais is a couple seasons removed from his last productive season but Chiarelli and the Oile...
Leafs fail once again to acquire a W and more then 1 point leafs return home tuesday to face the slumping wings leafs have lost 5 straight good luck Tuesday against thr wings
Statsking32 writes...

Leafs hold on for 2 points

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The leafs looked like it was a easy stomp of the wings last night but little did they know the wings would stirm back in the 2nd and almost tie in the thirs but Andersen stayed sharp even thou the D wasnt quite effective anyways leafs take 2 crucial points goodluck against phili tomorrow Go Leafs Go
freelancer writes...

Right Wing Hunting

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Connor McDavid is kind of a big deal in case you are late to the party. He's unbelievably fast, has amazing vision, and while there is still plenty of debate on who the best player is in the NHL right now; he is by far the best playmaker. One thing McDavid is not, is a shooter. Right now Malkin and Crosby are tied for second in the league in scoring with 31 and 36 goals...
The theme of this post is one I’ll return to regularly -- a recap of current Sharks highlights . . . along with a lowlight or two. So, let's jump to the former, with #1 -- Chris Tierney: It has become evident over the past 20 games or so, that Tierney has developed and matured in poise and vision. He once clearly fit in that “bottom six forward” category (in th...
I need to say I'm confused lately about all the talk out there that the Sharks would be so much better off against the Oilers than the Ducks, Kings or any of the other hopefuls they might meet in round one. I don't know if people haven't been watching the Oilers in recent months, or if they didn't notice the last game the Sharks played against them, or if they're thin...
If we’ve learned anything over the years, you never count out Getzlaf and Perry; and to the Ducks’ daunting d-corps, add in forwards the likes of Silfverberg, Rakell, and Eaves, and it’s only a matter of time until they start paddling – or is it swimming? – their way up the standings. I would expect no less of the Kings, although time is quickly running out on th...
MLew65 writes...

Sabres burn leaves

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
PEEEE- EWWWWW!!!! OMG! the stentch ! what's that NASTY skanky smell? I'll tell you what it is, it's the Tonto Mable Leaves and their crappy pants fans after Robyn Lehner made save after save even fooling the goal judge who got fired. I don't care if you made the playoffs, this is about tonights game in Buffalo. Your leaves stunk up the ice like an unbathed Tonto hooker...
Eastern Conference: Washington Vs Toronto This is a series that many will think is a wash in the park for Washington, but if there is any team with the speed, skill and tenacity to beat Washington other than Pittsburgh it's the Maple Leafs. That being said, it's too early for the leafs. Washington wins in 6 games as the Leafs make it a series but never really stood a ...
archromat writes...

How Each Team Can Win The Cup

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
Every year the media comes up with all these story-lines for the teams that eventually do succeed as if everyone should have known all along that they were going to. During Anaheim's miraculous 2003 run, it was that they won a lot of one goal games so they were used to playing under pressure. Some of the biggest miracle runs was not that one, but rather the Kings in 2012...
The Ottawa Senators grabbed a 2-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins tonight thanks to a Bobby Ryan overtime winner. The Senators were in command of the game early as they ran out to a 3-0 lead early in the second period of Game 3. The Bruins mounted an impressive comeback, tying the score at three before time ran out on the second frame. It was all for naught though, an...
Plenty of Blame... So lets get started. I am going to take a step back and start with the obvious and the one that you won't hear on TV right now. Chiarelli. Many people will say it is easy to be an arm chair GM and to shout out opinions. Personally I say and I say it to any Oiler fan out there, go right ahead. Shout out what you think, write it, talk about it; sh...
sizzlingsniper writes...

What Comes After

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Its been three days since the Montreal Canadiens got defeated by the New York Rangers in game 6, with all the glaring disappointment this team has had in the playoffs there are some bright spots with this team. Artturi Lehkonen, just 21 years of age and has already shown that he knows how to score goals in this league. Out of all Montreal Canadiens players he was third in ...
rebel_deucer writes...

Second Round Predictions

Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
5-3 in the first round decent predictions. Best one is predicting the leafs to make a series with the caps but still ultimately lose. Western Preds Over Blues in 5 This was a toss up but the blues are not paying to their capabilities and the preds have decent forward and the BEST defense in all of the playoffs and a streaky goaltender. Oilers Over Ducks in 6 I a...
Since the Oilers seem to eating away the time which we would normally talk about what they will do in the offseason to improve the team for next year by doing amazing in the playoffs. Lets take a quick look at what might, could and will happen. The Oilers are having an extremely successful year. I think many of us remember commenting that we would have been happy if t...
Why do I think that Bill Daly has never played hockey in arenas other than multifaceted facilities? When Sidney Crosby was not pulled from the game after his collision with the end boards of PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Monday, Bill Daly gave an explanation that may explain a lot in terms of how hockey has been officiated over the past two decades. As explai...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Reality

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Oilers did great this year and had they played a consistent 60 minutes of hockey, they could have went far but what was the problem? Now obviously the coach comes under the spot light when a team breaks down like this but the Oilers finally made the playoffs so looks like he is going to get another year despite being ridiculously bad. Truth is the Oilers did much...
I have long enjoyed the managerial aspects of the game (certainly more than the game itself). To be able to try to construct your team by trading and managing assets, by developing talent, by installing the best guys behind the bench additionally to the best guys on the ice. They keep sites like this alive and energetic, whether we're making fun of absurd trade proposals...
Every year Scott Cullen of TSN breaks down each NHL team. The successes and failures of the season, contributions of individual players, and then lastly creates a mock roster for what the team could look like going into the next season. In the spirit of being lighthearted I've decided to take a look at what he has suggested... and promptly rip it to shreds. Here are ...
freelancer writes...

Would You Draft Me?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The weeks leading up to the draft are an exciting time for the hardcore hockey fan. While the average fan probably knows who Nolan and Hischier are, it takes a particular type of person to know the details about Noel Hoefenmayer (probably a late 2nd-3rd round pick). Scouting reports and a player's stats card paint a picture for what kind of NHL player a prospect [i]migh...
W_1 writes...

The Leaf Dilemma

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This is my first blog here at HockeyBuzz, so let me quickly introduce myself. I love the Leafs. I also love the game of hockey. Yes, I've played, and yes, I watch, just like many of you, but I would like to write with a style that encourages debate and discussion...if that's possible. I believe that your opinion is only good if you can defend it, and "throwing" you...
This is a question a lot of Blues fans may be asking themselves about the events (or lack thereof) up to this point and time. Of course, this is still the beginning of the off season and there is still plenty of time left for him to do something, but we as fans are impatient. We want to see him makes some changes to fill holes that we see with the players we want and we wa...
I don't like the Eberle for Strome deal as of today. Full Stop. The rest of the summer can change my mind but as of right now I view this as a massive step back for the team and in my opinion is an example of Oilers management mishandling their assets. We are going to ignore the fact for a moment the Strome's best year was 1 point less than Eberle's worst year. We a...
As a long time Toronto Maple Leaf supporter and Chicago Blackhawk season ticket holder since 2006 here in Chicago, I am very disappointed to see the Hawks making such rash (irrational) decisions with their current roster today. And with the Maple Leafs in such dire need to find at least 2 solid 1-4 defenseman (if they want to compete in the East next year and the next few ...
Mannix writes...

Wild Offseason Needs

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Wild are at a crossroad. The changes made last off season resulted in the best regular season the team has had in their 17 year existence, but the quick exit from the playoffs at the hands of an "inferior" St Louis Blues team has left all of Minnesota wanting more. For the last couple of years, Chuck Fletcher's goal has been to increase the scoring of the team and la...
At the bottom of this blog I will have the answers for "Would You Draft Me" original blog can be found here [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=103583&post_id=17880[/url] We are one day closer to the draft and one day closer to the horrifying realization that Chiarelli has no intention of "improving" the roster anymore than he has. To recap he has replac...
As we approach July 1st, I'm sure that everyone is scanning the free agents and plotting how their team will pounce in the 1st minute and fill that gapping need that all teams have. The Leafs are no different. They have glut of wingers clogging up the system with a lack of quality centers outside the NHL or defence at all levels. Everyone's big wish for the Leafs is...
tpanaccio writes...

My Take on Weal Signing

Posted Friday | Comments 0
By Tim Panaccio I’ve been pretty nervous about the Flyers holes on the left side, especially after the trade of Brayden Schenn. Thursday night’s re-signing of Jordan Weal makes a lot of Flyer fans feel a bit more relaxed. I didn’t picture Jori Lehtera as a complete fix on the left side, nor did I see him as an adequate replacement for Schenn, who had the a...
freelancer writes...

The Optimism Blog

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Over the past couple weeks a divide has been formed between fans on the comment section at Hockeybuzz. On one side you have fans that are celebrating the successes of last season and believe that the team is trending upwards, and on the other side you have those who believe the team has overestimated certain things which is going to result in a drop off. I find myself in t...
kev1586 writes...

Is Mark Streit the Answer?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It has been reported by the Journal de Montreal that GM Marc Bergevin has extended a contract offer to former Canadien Mark Streit. The report suggests that the contract would be at a value of 1.5M for one season, so this seems like a great idea at first sight. So, is Streit the answer in Montreal? Really, it depends on the question being asked. Despite Streit’s caree...
freelancer writes...

Room For Improvement

Posted Monday | Comments 0
For the elite few who have been reading my blogs (and for that I honestly do wish to say thank you) you know that I have been rather critical of the Oilers over the past several weeks. My reason is simple. For a team that has Connor McDavid on the last year of his ELC, they have made startling few changes to improve from last years success and instead banking on internal g...
THX1138 writes...

Chiarelli has work to do

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Oilers fans, are you comfortable with this roster as the team heads into the 2017/2018 regular season? Please make the assumption Leon Draisaitl will be re-signed and on the roster for opening night. What will that opening night roster look like? There’s plenty of debate about it. If Oilers management go with the players they have now, I suggest the opening night rost...
freelancer writes...

The Klefbom Birthday Blog

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Yesterday was Klefbom, aka "Dem Abs" birthday and as such I felt this was a good time to look back at the breakout season that Oscar had. The short answer? It was really good. The simple numbers are 82GP 12-26-38. Klefbom was not only the highest scoring defenseman on the team, he was the highest scoring defenseman the Oilers have had since Sheldon Souray scored 53 points ...
This blog is Part 1 of a two-parter. In yesterday’s blog, I discussed my belief that Oilers management are not done tinkering this off-season with the roster, and there are still moves that can be made before the season to improve the team. Thank you Hockeybuzz for posting that blog as a “regular” blog. I’ll keep writing these so we can see if my blogs can all ...
A year ago many people were predicting the Toronto Maple Leafs would finish at the bottom of the NHL East table. Instead, they were a playoff team, and during those playoffs they looked like a team that is very close to being great. The Leafs have super-kids – Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner – And thanks mostly to them few teams can compete with them...
THX1138 writes...

Happy Oilers; Happy Fans

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I’ve spent a fair amount of time over the last year considering why the Oilers team that is now, with players like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse turned out better than the team featuring Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Nail Yakupov and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The benefit of being terrible from 2007 to 2016 was plenty of top shelf draft pick...
I received some information Tuesday evening from someone close to the Leon Draisaitl contract negotiations situation. According to what I was told, the Edmonton Oilers and the Draisaitl camp are at a contract negotiation impasse. The source did not specify what exactly is the nature of the impasse, and so I have asked for clarification. While waiting to hear back, I will s...
dominator3 writes...

Oilers Opening Day Lineups

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Lineup #1: Maroon McDavid Draisaitl Lucic RNH Caggiula Jokinen Strome Puljujarvi Slepyshev Letestu Kassian - This forward group brings back some continuity from last year so that the Oilers can jump out to a fast start and ring up some wins early in the year. The top line was so dominant at the end of the year so it makes sense to continue that chemistry. The RNH ce...
freelancer writes...

243 Goals

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
243. That's the magic number to discuss. That is the number of goals the Oilers scored last season. The number put them at #8 in the league and #3 in the West. The simple question here is; can they do it again? For starters here are the players... and goals... that are no longer with the team. [b]Jordan Eberle - 20 Goals [/b] The biggest loss on this list. Despite ...
THX1138 writes...

Save Nuge

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When considering the long-term future for the Edmonton Oilers, it makes more sense to consider cap hits and contracts for the 2018/2019 season than for 2017/2018. Why? Because a good third of the roster this season have contracts that will end next summer. It is during the Summer of 2018 when Oilers management will need to make some hard decisions about who stays and who g...
Leon Draisaitl owes the Nashville Predator a few dollars as a thank you. The other day, the Predators signed forward Ryan Johansen to an eight-season, $64 million contract. Average cap hit? $8 million. Johansen is a fairly comparable player to Draisaitl. The problem Oilers management have is that Draisaitl is better, and Draisaitl’s people know he’s better. ...
Toronto -(August 2, 2017) Patrick Marleau is a talented player and well-respected in the NHL. A lot can be said about his notable accomplishments 2-time Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and in 20 years in the NHL Marleau has only failed to score at least 20 goals 5 times and one of those years was lockout shorten season. This article isn't about how good of a player ...
THX1138 writes...

Oilers Freestyle Blog

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
I have no idea what I want to write, so I am just going to share my Oilers thoughts off the top of my head, as they come to me. 1. Jack Eichel is about the get an eight-year extension from the Buffalo Sabres. Whatever money he gets should be roughly what Leon Draisaitl can ask for and get. Eichel and Draisaitl may or may not be comparable with respect to how they play, ...
Yes, it's me again. Thank you for those who read. Thank you to the one person commenting on a MH blog who noticed my wife is a total smoke show. She is. She was born in Toronto and grew up in Australia. She's a Maple Leafs fan, and I'm actually starting to like that team, too. There's something about Matthews/Nylander/Marner that make the Leafs worth watching suddenly. Whe...
We are into the throes of summer and looking around the league it appears as if most teams have made their moves. Aside from some training camp invites for players like Iginla and presumably Jagr it's time to look around the league and see how teams are going to perform this season. I have made my opinions on the Oilers moves this summer known. Short answer; they didn't...
I search Twitter every morning to see what the world is saying about the Edmonton Oilers. Oh, and also check to see if they've signed Leon Draisaitl to a contract extension yet. It's still a world of no, Oilers fans. So frustrating. You know what's really frustrating about the Draisaitl situation? Neither side is saying anything. Where are Leakers when you need them, Jeff ...
Adam Larsson came into training camp last season in an unenviable position. He was not only the sole return from the Taylor Hall trade but he was also expected to be the top pair right shot defender the Oilers have coveted for over a decade. The results? He and Klefbom found great chemistry and the two of them look to be Edmonton's top pair. Let's start with the positiv...
freelancer writes...

Yammering About Yamamoto

Posted Sunday | Comments 2
A couple days ago Kailer Yamamoto signed his entry level deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Yamamoto finds himself in the company of the Oilers skilled forward prospects Jesse Puljujarvi, Tyler Benson... and that's pretty much it. The Oilers forward prospect cupboards are pretty barren making it all the more essential for these players to turn into successful NHLers. Let's ...
THX1138 writes...

Keep Draisaitl; Lose HOPE

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The phrase “too much; too soon” is starting to come to mind. Connor McDavid IS worth $12.5 million per season. At 20, he’s already the best player in the NHL. He’s a freak of nature. Running has Usain Bolt. Golf has Tiger Woods. Basketball has LeBron James. Baseball has that guy that throws stuff. Curling and football also have guys that throw stuff. My point is...
The Oilers announced today that they have signed Leon Draisaitl to an 8 year 8.5 million dollar deal. The good news is the Oilers have inked Draisaitl now as opposed to training camp or later. With this signing the Oilers roster looks to be locked. The Oilers will have their second leading scorer from last season for the next eight years with Connor McDavid. When the...
THX1138 writes...

If Nuge stays, who goes?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Oilers GM and President of Hockey Operations Peter Chiarelli has signed Leon Draisaitl and has hinted he’s done all he’s willing to do for this upcoming season. You can forget about the Oilers bringing in UFAs like Jaromir Jagr, Jarome Iginla or Thomas Vanek. Earlier in the summer Chiarelli hinted at some possible trades… Well, I guess you can forget about those, too...
Eklund is running a rumor that the Oilers and Canadiens are talking trade moving Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Montreal. I thought I might spell out what that would look like, because I think some Oilers fans are going to get the wrong impression. The only reason the Oilers would move Nugent-Hopkins is for long-term contract reasons. Edmonton does not have a salary cap issue t...
In a previous blog I wrote that I expected Edmonton to finish 2nd in the division, behind the Ducks with the Flames a close 3rd. The Battle Of Alberta has gone on for decades but both teams have had very little to celebrate over the past ten years. Chanting "my team is slightly not as bad as yours" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Both teams have star players that a...
THX1138 writes...

East-Coast Oilers Blog

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I read a really good blog the other day about Edmonton Oilers first round draft pick Kailer Yamamoto. In the blog, Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock said, “Yamamoto is a really great skater, if not elite. He will definitely be an impact Top 6 forward in the years to come.” American-born Yamamoto, who recently signed a contract with the Oilers, indicated he...
The Oilers lack of depth on the right side has been a point of contention over these past few months. If we plan for RNH and Draisaitl to both be playing in their natural position things look even worse. Strome, Puljujarvi, Slepyshev, Kassian... these are the Oilers top RW options. Kassian is most suited for the bottom 6, Strome could end up playing centre, and Puljujarvi ...
There has been copious amounts of digital ink wasted discussing the Andrej Sekera injury and what issues it will cause the Oilers at the start of the year. One player in particular has an opportunity to prove he is a top 4 defenseman. Next up in this series of reasonable expectations is Darnell Nurse. When Nurse was drafted 7th overall in 2013 many pundits believed the ...
Thank God the NHL pre-season is here soon. There have been so many Oilers blogs this summer about absolute nothing, as there’s been nothing to write about. It's never been in the plan to trade Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, or anyone else significant. There never was going to be a Jaromir Jagr or Jarome Iginla signing. There were three main tasks Oilers GM and President of Hockey ...
I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday. Another weekend is about to begin and with that we are ever closer to the beginning of the 2017-2018 Oilers home opener. As we are fast approaching October 4th I thought it would be fun to bring something new to the mix. Therefore this shall be the first Friday Five. Here's the deal. Either write your questions in the comment se...
THX1138 writes...

Young Stars? Jason Garrison?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Thank god it’s Friday? No, thank god it’s hockey. But that being said, the Young Stars tournament that starts tonight involving the Oilers and some other much less significant teams is a truly meaningless exercise. It might be entertaining. It might give us bored fans something to watch. But truthfully, this is just a thing to get young players ready for the real tr...
While the off-season felt much shorter this season (funny how playoffs will do that) it still lasted too long. We are still a few weeks from the home opener but it's starting to feel like hockey has returned. For the Edmonton Oilers, last year has set a new bar; this is a playoff team. Less time will be spent in training camp on giving prospects and younger players opportu...
Tonight the Oilers played the Flames in Edmonton and at the same time we had the Oilers playing the Flames in Calgary. I debated on which game I wanted to zero in on and in the end I chose the Edmonton home game to see Strome with McDavid as well as to watch Jesse Puljujarvi. Here are the good and bad things from the game. Everything I am about to say should be preceded by...
freelancer writes...

NHL Says No To Slashers

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The biggest story to come out of the preseason so far has nothing to do with any specific player, injury, or prospect but instead has come from the league itself. In the games played thus there has been a comical increase in the amount of penalties called; specifically slashing and faceoff violations. Let's use the Oilers home game against the Flames on Monday night as...
The Jets had 6 of their top 8 scorers playing last night. The Oilers had 2. The Jets were playing their top goalie while the Oilers played their backup. On paper it should have been a bloodbath and the first period certainly reflected that. However some PP opportunities and stellar goaltending saw the Oil finish on top. [b]Final Score 4-1 Edmonton[/b] [b]GOOD THINGS[...
freelancer writes...

Post Game #1 Flames @ Oilers

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
After a shorter off-season than usual, the Edmonton Oilers picked up right where they left off and played a nearly perfect game against their southern rivals. FINAL SCORE 3-0 EDMONTON Before getting into some notes I wanted to take a moment and say what a classy move it was for the organization for having Constable Mike Chernyk at centre ice before the game began. Th...
Montreal scored a whole four goals in four games. It's only four games in, surely! They're generating 38.8 shots per game! By my calculation, that leaves the team with a collective ~2.5% shooting percentage. So if stats guys are right, then their gambler's fallacy will tell them that this shooting percentage will shoot up to about 9-9.5% soon enough and they'll be sc...
freelancer writes...

Worse Than Expected

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
Over the past few weeks I have started and stopped writing this blog several times. I wanted to write about how all the woes the Edmonton Oilers are currently facing should not only have been expected, but were avoidable. Admittedly, the reason I held off was because I did not want to jump the gun and was hoping this team would prove me wrong. That doesn't seem to be th...
freelancer writes...

Where Do We Go From Here

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
After the abyssal beginning to the season, the Oilers have begun to scratch their way out of the hole. The team is 5-4-1 in their last 10 games as well as grabbed 5 of a possible 8 points on their recent Eastern road trip. With Tuesday's 8-2 smack-down of expansion team underdogs, The Golden Knights, some people may believe this team is ready to turn the corner. Quick F...
"If you say something enough times, someone will believe you." And after tonight's performance by the Islanders in Tampa Bay it is time now that you all say to one another, "Scotty may just be right, these guys are effing good."rnrn Not only will this team win the division they will be in contention for the President's trophy.. Have you truly watched this team? To all ...
"The Oilers won against Calgary and are now going to turn the season around, everything is saved, yay." [i]- Some Oiler Fans Right Now Probably[/i] By now everyone who follows this team should have a fairly firm grasp on what issues plague this team. Here in my opinion is what the team's depth chart shou...
freelancer writes...

Baby Nuge Is Growing Up

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before the 2017-2018 season started, a big part of the conversation of what would make the Oilers successful was about having a second line centre who could drive his own line. Most expected that to be Draisaitl however right now Ryan Nugent Hopkins is overshadowing him; having arguably his best season since entering the NHL. Nuge's 19 points finds him in the same compa...
Discussing a potential Karlsson trade is easy low hanging fruit as far as writing topics go however it is also a nice change from the current state of affairs in Oil City. Let me first state that I think Ottawa would be absolutely bonkers to trade Karlsson. Trading Karlsson should go in the same category as Crosby and McDavid; almost no return will equal the generationa...
freelancer writes...

The Last 48.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Oilers have significantly improved in the past few weeks. Since a 6-2 victory over the Red Wings on November 22nd the Oilers have gone 8-5 scoring 50 goals in 13 games. That is in the top tier of scoring and until I'm proven wrong is the most goals scored by any NHL team in the time period. Don't believe me? Tampa has scored 46 goals in that time Winnipeg has s...
freelancer writes...

No Easy Fix

Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
Fans were enjoying riding the high that was the 4 game winning streak. After that run the team had gone 7-3 in December. A run like that was essential to giving the team a fighting chance of playoff contention. Unfortunately right after that we saw the consequences of the Bettman era point system. After two uninspiring games against the Jets (while the score was close ...
freelancer writes...

Hindsight

Posted Monday | Comments 1
It was only a couple short weeks ago I wrote a blog detailing how Edmonton could still make a playoff push. Unfortunetly the team decided to take a personal vendetta against me and decided to discredit me by scoring only 3 goals in their last 5 games. Stick a fork in it people, the Oilers season is officially done. There is going to be lots of talk about how things w...
freelancer writes...

Worst Wingers In The League

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Travis Yost wrote a very revealing article a couple days ago. The link to it can be found here: [url]https://www.tsn.ca/oilers-hampered-by-weakness-on-the-wing-1.963104[/url] Here is the short and skinny; the Oilers wingers are really really bad. I know most people don't think an article needed to be written to know that but Yost delves much further. Looking at G/60 (g...
I appologize in advance. I am writing on a different site now and this blog isn't as well structured as it could be. Hopefully it is still worth reading. Oilers Brass is scheduled to meet during the 5 day all start break. They are going to discuss whether there is any hope for them this season. TSN is quoting Chiarelli is not being optimistic about them deciding to ...
Stop me if you've heard this before; a player has a down year. The team gets anxious, thinking they need to move this player while they still have some value and in return acquire false dreams and bags of pucks in return. Said player then proceeds to go back to their normal ways and fans begin to wonder why we can't have nice things. This has been a pattern for years in...
Over the next few weeks I'm going to run a bit of a series looking at some players that may be of interest to Edmonton. The first player on this list is Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens are one of the few teams that are in a worse position than the Oilers. Oiler fans were infuriated with the Taylor Hall trade but at least we still have Connor M...
Quick fact about myself. I'm a big fan of the NHL video games. I can spend hours in Franchise Mode signing UFA's, making trades and creating the team I think would be a winner. During a season such as the Oilers are having this year; it's therapeutic. I'm not sure about other people but when I'm building my team there is usually a couple players I always target to get o...
Been busy the last couple of weeks but I will start blogging with a bit more regularity for those who care. Here is a small piece to keep you occupied. Last night the Oilers paid homage to the 1984-1985 Edmonton Oilers... in case anyone had forgottten in the last 20 minutes that they were a really good hockey team. It's the mantra this team follows religiously; Reward t...
Well these rumours are a surprise. One deflected shot in the playoffs to win vs. Penguins, plus capitalizing on Rinne's terribad performance in the Stanley Cup Finals last year, the Sens win the cup with that Cinderella run. Now they're burning on the other side of the rift of fire and screaming out to Lazarus, "Help, help! We're in tribulation!" So is it a go...
Jshark writes...

Fin Soup #1

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Stanley Cup playoffs are in view and all the teams in the league are finalizing their rosters. As Sharks fans we remember the ups and downs of trade deals of the past. The prospect of doing nothing may be worrisome. The prospect of acquiring a player that turns out like Jannik Hansen may be worse. It’s no surprise that this time of year is difficult for all Sharks fa...
For NHL standards, 32-year-old Carl Soderberg is a grizzled old veteran waiting to be replaced by a young up-and-coming star. It also doesn’t help his case that he plays for a team that has preached developing younger players at the NHL level. The Colorado Avalanche are the youngest team in the NHL with an average age of 25. Soderberg is one of just two regulars on the t...
Inside Edge Hockey News Radio Show - Episode 7 - Flames Fallout, New Taylor Hall, and Season Ticket Drives The Inside Edge Hockey News Brad Burud discusses the struggles this year in Calgary. Will the Flames make big off-season moves if they fail to make the playoffs. Why is Taylor Hall thriving in New Jersey? How would Regina do with a season ticket drive? [htt...
Nathan MacKinnon collected his fourth weekly NHL three-star honors this afternoon after posting six goals and two assists in four games for the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon’s eight points were one off of leader Alex Pietrangelo’s nine points. But as he’s been doing all season, MacKinnon has done a fantastic job collecting primary points. He scored six goals and adde...
The Hart Trophy has been a hot topic around the NHL for the better part of this entire season. It seems like there’s a new name added to the list of potential nominees each week. While reporters everywhere have dug into all the reasons why certain players should win, I’ve decided to look at the consistency of these players throughout the year in regards to offensive pr...
Hall Fan writes...

How to Fix the Oilers

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Seems to be a popular title around the web. It seems rather obvious but many people go near the correct answer. It is three steps much easier said than done. I will go hardest to easiest. 1. Dump the players Chiarelli has signed as UFA's 2. Grab key UFA's 3. Dump Chiarelli (McLellan should go to if they want a cup but he can get them to the playoffs) The first o...
The Oilers in March decided to finally put on a decent showing for it's fans, going 7-3-2 so far this month. Why the sudden change? Has it been the PK and PP finally clicking? No not really. Has it been Connor McDavid's one man show to try and earn his second straight Art Ross? Certainly hasn't hurt. Some people are suggesting it is because of the new line combinations ...
This year's playoff hunt has now hit boiling point. In both conferences, x teams are vying for x - 1 spots, so two teams are going to lose their respective games of musical chairs. I think what irritates me about this scenario is that both of these teams that fail to make the playoffs will quite likely end up with a higher than true 500 stat (that is 41+ wins) and es...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 22 Hart Trophy Race, Burning ELC Contracts, and In or Out of Playoffs? Debate 1 | The race for the Hart Trophy. Debate 2 | Should teams burn a year on an entry level contract by having players play games after their college season ends. Debate 3 | In or Out? The Playoff Race is on. Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss t...
The Instigator |Episode 11 GOAL! Are you Kidding Me! Cam Ward allowed one of the weirdest goals ever last week. The puck was rung around the boards by Arizona Coyotes Alex Goligoski. Ward exited his net to stop the puck. The puck stuck in his skate, and Ward (not knowing where the puck was) slid to the front of the net in order to defend his foot slid into the net. T...
To say Cam Talbot has had an underwhelming season would be an understatement. After setting an Oilers franchise record for wins last Talbot now finds himself with an abysmal .906 Sv%. That number puts him in 44th for goaltenders who have played at least 20 games. Talbot has one more year on his contract before he becomes a free agent. Some fans have gone so far to say t...
I've written about this a few times because I hate the one thing that improves your team the most comes down to lottery balls without rhyme or reason except for teams improving their odds through something that can be about 50% arbitrary (see the Avs from last year to this year, who doubled their points with basically one less player). This year, some of those perennial...
Well that was a thing... The 2017-2018 season came ending on Saturday night with everyone discussing the Sedin twins last game. It was a metaphorical end to the season; everyone was discussing everything except the Oilers. So... how the hell did we get here? The Oilers entered the 2017-2018 as one of the Cup Favourites... not simply for Playoff Contention but to win ...
This will be a recurring and changing list as the summer progresses. The Oilers have some key areas they need to address. Some of these changes will be addressed internally while others will have to be acquired via trade or free agency. Without taking into mind cap hits or chemistry. Here is how I personally believe how the Oilers current depth chart stands and where I ...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 23 2018 Stanley Cup Preview and Predictions Debate 1 |2017-2018 Regular Season Prediction Recap Debate 2 |2018 Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Preview/Predictions Debate 3 |2018 Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Preview/Predictions Brad Burud and Blake Friars are pumped and ready to get the Stanley Cup Playof...
INSIDE EDGE HOCKEY NEWS – RADIO SHOW | EPISODE 8 Canucks Legends Retire and Humboldt Broncos Tragedy Brad Burud is joined with guest Blake Friars to discuss Vancouver Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The Sedins announced their retirement two weeks prior to the end of the regular season, and the final games were very exciting and the tribute was amazing. We ...
Coaching expert Donald S. Cherry diagnosed the Edmonton Oilers in October, three games into their doomed 2017-18 season. This Coach’s Corner segment was broadcast on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017 and Cherry is in top form right from the start — “Do they have pool tables out in Red Deer?” — but the relevant bit arrives at 2:07, when Ron MacLean introduces “a little ...
Oooooooh boy it's going to be a long summer. A few days ago Chiarelli had his media avail. I thought Todd McLellan did an admirable job. He took responsibility for his actions, spent time defending some decisions while apologizing for others, and overall gave an idea of what he expects of the team moving forward. Everything that Chiarelli didn't do. [b]Bye Bye Tod...
Quite a title isn't it? Now that I have your attention, what does this title really mean in terms of this time of the season? The answer is comparing last season's successes to this year's expectations. Specifically, the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets, and why this battle of "underdogs" is in existence and what could come from it from either side; and wh...
After a long hiatus, thousands of miles of pilgrimage and months of flogging at the altar of shame that is university, my sorry-ass has returned to begin actively writing about the Oilers! I'll be writing a long series of posts detailing my ideal (and less-than-ideal-but-still-solid) offseason targets I believe the Oilers would do well to pursue. In the process of doing so...
freelancer writes...

Year End Grades - #98

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Now is the time for me to put my glasses a bit further down my nose, take out my best red pen and grade each individual Oiler on their season. I debated on the order of how I wanted to do these; alphabetically, point production, desire to make me throw things at my tv... I decided on descending jersey numbers so looks like Jesse Puljujarvi is up first. [b]GRADE - C [/b...
freelancer writes...

Year End Grades - #97

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
If you were told at the beginning of this season that Connor McDavid would not only surpass his previous career high of 100 points, but that he would also do so by scoring 11 more goals, you would probably be thinking "playoffs are going to be fun this year." Yeah about that.... [b]GRADE A+ [/b] There is no other grade to give Connor McDavid another than this. He h...
As with last week, I'll be breaking down trade and UFA targets from Atlantic division teams but this time the aim will be to feature some more "out-of-the-box" thinking. Without further verbal-meandering, let's get to it! [b]Boston:[/b] C/RW, Austin Czarnik [i]Small but talented playmaker with excellent playmaking ability. Plays with effort and has consistently ...
freelancer writes...

RFA Negotiations

Posted Wednesday | Comments 8
Before the Oilers draft 9th overall on June 22nd, before they make any UFA signings on July 1st the team needs to take care of signing the RFA players. This is all the RFA players the Oilers have that currently have NHL contracts for the purpose of this blog I will not be discussing AHL level deals. Whether the Oilers choose to resign Kyle Platzer or Ben Betker will hav...
The most proven way for building a quality NHL roster while managing cap space effectively is through the draft. Drafted players are controlled for the longest period of time. A team's ability to draft NHL players through multiple rounds of the draft directly correlates to long term success. For this endeavor I took a look at every roster in the Pacific Division from t...
Next up, I'll be tackling proven players from teams in Metropolitan division in an effort to pilfer talent from a host of the deeper teams in the league. [b]Carolina:[/b] RD, Trevor Van Riemsdyk [i]A brilliant example of an under-the-radar “3rd pairing Dman” who was nothing but effective this past season. Excelled in consistent minutes against 2nd pairing-le...
The narrative around the Oilers off-season plans is focused on the acquisition of high end wingers and defensemen. Unfortunately the issues with the on ice talent extends much farther than the more prolific positions. Acquiring and having cheap talent to plug and play is a practice that every NHL team incorporates. It becomes even more essential when a large amount of c...
Plenty of rumblings lately around the interwebs in regards to Chiarelli trading the Oilers 10th overall pick. Considering things didn't go so well the last time Chiarelli traded a first round pick (Griffin Reinhart had 12 points in 60 games in the AHL this year for those wondering) fans are reasonably concerned. Here are a few facts about the Oilers organization. 1. ...
Yesterday the Oilers did a thing in signing Stuart Skinner to an entry level contract. Skinner was quite impressive after being traded to the Swift Current Broncos and was crucial to their victory. Skinner outperformed Carter Hart who is arguably the best goalie prospect in the WHL, posting 6 shutouts and a .932 Sv% over his playoff run. Before anyone jumps to discussin...
As of now the Oilers are set to pick 10th overall in the 2018 Draft. The most debated subject right now in Oil Country is what should be done with the pick. Many trade suggestions have been given, the most recent coming from Ryan Rishaug being Klefbom and the 10th for Ristolainen... which would be a gross overpayment. For many, the best option seems to be to hold on to ...
The new owner wants to change the team culture and is off to a running start in firing former GM Ron Francis. Bill Peters is gone to Calgary and Rod Brind'Amore and Don Waddell have been installed as the new coach and GM. Although as a hockey fan, I feel Francis did a great job building a solid foundation of defensive prospects, ie: Fleury, Bean, Hanifin and offensive pros...
First off, the Cinderella season for the NHL that saw many teams make an unfathomable jump with continue. New Jersey, Colorado, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vegas and some could say Washington all had way better or worse than expected seasons. The Golden Misfits as they are more appropriately branded are going to the Cup final. The question remains, was this a one night only Vegas ...
While the Buffalo Sabres came up big with the 1st overall pick and Rasmus Dahlin, the Hurricanes arguably had the best fortune with the Draft Lottery, moving from #11 to #2. With the #2 pick the Canes will likely be selecting Svechnikov. So the obvious question here is.... how do the Oilers benefit from this? Let's look at some of the players from the Hurricanes the ...
Well the news we have been expecting for the past couple weeks was finally made official today as the Oilers announce Glen Gulutzan, Trent Yawney, and Manny Viveiros as assistant coaches with Todd McLellan. A couple quick notes from the press conference. - McLellan has said that the special teams will be worked on collectively. However he expects Gulutzan and Viveiro...
Hello everyone, I'm Sean Maloughney (Ma-lock-nee for those who are interested to know) and I'll be doing my best to keep you, the masses entertained for at least the time being (I'm still a freelancer after all). As Matt Henderson put in his own farewell quite eloquently, being a blogger is critical in this day and age of media. Those who are employed by the teams you c...
Today via his Instagram account, AHL goaltender Nick Ellis announced his retirement from professional hockey and his plans to start teaching and coaching with the Boys' Varsity Hockey and Lacrosse club of Cantebury School. The young goaltender is 24 and came off a rougher season, sporting a .898 Sv% in 22 games played with the Bakersfield Condors. One does wonder whethe...
Ryan Nugent Hopkins is a player amidst an evolution. When he entered the league fans were impressed by his brilliant passing and moves on the powerplay. Over the years Nuge started looking less flashy but showed incredible poise for a young player on defense; on those earlier Oiler teams in particular someone had to play defense. Now Todd McLellan has let Nuge back off the...
freelancer writes...

This and That

Posted Sunday | Comments 3
Plenty going on in the NHL right now but nothing that I can't comment on in a few sentences or less. So in no particular order let's get to it. Keegan Lowe signed a 2 year two way contract with the Oilers worth 675,000. At first glance it's easy to see the name Lowe and start seething however Lowe had a good showing with the Condors last season and certainly deserves an...
Not that anyone gives a damn but, on account of the wholesale failure of my laptop, I'm now gonna fast track the remainder of my [i]Guides to Player Acquisition[/i] in an effort to stay on schedule. As such, I'll cover the remainder of my ideal targets in this blog! [b]Carolina:[/b] LW, Warren [b]GODDAM[/b] Foegele [i]If you've followed my posts in the Oilers th...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 27 Caps Hoist Cup, Island of the Unknown, and Draft Talk Debate 1 |The Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup Debate 2 |New Management for the New York Islanders Debate 3 |Will the NHL Draft be an active trade day The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. How did they do it? Brad Bur...
The easy predictions are as follows: 1) Buffalo Sabres- Ramus Dahlin 2) Carolina Hurricanes- Andrei Svechnikov 3) Montreal Canadiens- Flip Zadina 4) Ottawa Senators - Brady Tkachuk 5) Arizona Coyotes- Noah Dobson The less than likely draft predictions: 1) Carolina trades either Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, or Scott Darling for either a ...
My intent in writing this list is to test the effectiveness of a predictive, statistical model that I value and- in doing so- confirm or deny the stances I've taken on these players. In conjunction with some limited viewings of these players (mostly through OHL Live and WHL Live), I want to put to the test the assumption that one needs to spend egregious amounts of time ph...
Hall Fan writes...

Oilers Pre-Draft

Posted Friday | Comments 0
What we know for sure. Chiarelli is shopping the first round pick and he has also said that improving the blue line is his main goal. Actually he claimed they needed "tweaking" but that was the only thing he mentioned other than the players need to play better. He is not wrong. Oilers need Talbot, Klefbom, Larsson, Lucic and Sekeras to simply be better. I would say ...
As was stated in the first of this series of draft blogs, I'll be operating under this template (though it seems as though it might have shifted a tad the last few days): [quote][i]Depending on who you ask, there's about a 10 player "top-tier" that generally goes as follows: Dahlin #1 Svechnikov #2 Zadina, Tkachuk and Dobson #3-5 Hughes, Wahlstrom, Bouchard, Boqvist...
I got quite a kick out of the initial reaction to the Hamilton trade on day-two of the draft. Everything from 'Worst trade in Flames' history' to 'Fire Treliving Immediately'. Holy over reaction Batperson! Dougie's name had been popping up in rumours since the end of this dismal season and it was disclosed after the trade that the teams had been working on the deal for ...
When todays trade news broke that toronto had sent Matt Martin to the Islanders for goaltender Eamon McAdam, a former 3rd round pick in 2013, I thought now would be a good time to access the leafs logjam of minor league goaltenders. I think it is quite clear that this trade was nothing more than than a salary dump, as McAdam doesn't project as more than an ECHL goalie. ...
TopCoffre writes...

Let's talk Habs!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We're about a month away from puck drop, and I don't remember being more excited for October to arrive. It's a bit a of wierd statement coming from a Habs fan, considering the state of the team, so I figured I'd share my excitement with you guys. First part : it could be quick...Wait, what could be quick? I'm talking about how the 2018-19 season is going to go for the ...
The NHL season starts in 23 days and it's a long way until April so here is my Playoff Prediction for the 2018-2019 Season. Metropolitan: 1. Capitals 2. Penguins 3. Devils Atlantic: 1. P-Lightning 2. Maple Leafs 3. Bruins Wild card 1: Panthers Wild Card 2: Flyers p* Presidents Trophy Winner No playoffs for the Blue Jackets? Well, the distraction of Art...
drop_da_mitts writes...

Flames China Trip

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

18-19 Predictions

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First off, lets rejoice, it's finally hockey time again!! - Here is one man's pick for the final 18-19 NHL standings (*wildcards): EAST Atlantic 1. Tampa 116 2. Toronto 113 3. Boston 105 4. Florida* 96 5. Buffalo 86 6. Ottawa 80 7. Montreal 78 8. Detroit 72 Metro 1. Pittsburgh 105 2. Philadelphia 101 3. Washington 100 4. Columbus* 97 5. Carolina 89 6...
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are back for season two of THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast. The 31st episode is all about predictions and the NHL season ahead. They breakdown and debate which NHL teams are on the move up and which are on the move down. Then they talk Eastern and Western Conference and give you insight on who will win each division and most importantly the Stanley...
Zak MacMillan writes...

CBJ---Everyone Extended

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
In this today, we will hit the news and noteworthy information on the contract extensions on the front office and coaching staff, and tournament and training camp notes. Front Office staff and management were all given new contract extensions, including President John Davidson, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, and associate general manager Bill Zito. Davidson has be...
A few days ago, I predicted the sharks would miss the playoffs in 2019. I felt that Chicago would push up and have a comeback season after a disaster 2018 and that Colorado would have the other spot due to their young guys stepping up and Grubauer taking half the starts with Colorado's current starter Semyon Varlamov. But as off today, Multiple reports have said that th...
Zak MacMillan writes...

P1: CBJ v. BUF

Posted Tuesday | Comments 2
Tonight is the first contest of the preseason for the Blue Jackets, and tonight they take on the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is coming into this season as a younger and stronger team. They made a lot of moves throughout the offseason. They dealt center Ryan O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues in a blockbuster deal for wingers Patrik Berglund; Vladimir Sobotaka; center Tage Thompso...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 33 Suckerpunch, Unsigned RFA’s, and Preseason Standouts Brad Burud and Blake Friars prep for the start of the NHL season by discussing preseason standouts. Lots of great young talented showcased in the preseason, and some will be taking roster spots. Domi suckerpunched Ekblad – the reaction and the results of this stupid ...
As the season begins (and the Nylander saga drags on), many Leaf fans find themselves searching for ways to reassure themselves that the Buds will be able to secure all of their core pieces long-term. While adding Tavares was undoubtedly an excellent move, it has certainly muddied the waters in terms of the club’s ability to lock down the trio of Matthews, Marner, and Ny...
The Instigator |Episode 16 1,260,162 Thank You’s to the NHL Well the wildly overpaid goon for the Washington Capitals is back at it again, but this time the National Hockey League makes him pay for it. In the Capitals final preseason game, forward Tom Wilson landed a vicious head shot on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. The was needless and extremely danger...
The Washington Capitals host the high scoring Toronto Maple Leafs at 7PM EST at Capital One Arena. While Washington has had the upper hand the last couple seasons on the Leafs including a playoff series victory in 2017 and a win in the Outdoor Classic, Toronto is a different team this season as they are 4-1 and have recorded three wins on the road so far while scoring at w...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 36 Matthews$, Offer Sheets, Pettersson Slam and Teams in Trouble Brad Burud and Blake Friars are fired up to talk Austin Matthews money. Is his future in Toronto? How much will he get paid? Can the Leafs afford him? What is the chance of an offer sheet on him or William Nylander? Then they dive (or slam) into the Elias Petterss...
The Instigator |Episode 19 Malkin Hit on Oshie | Overreaction? When Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin drove his shoulder in to the head of Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie the hockey world went crazy. Half of the people were screaming for a suspension and half thought the match penalty was outrageous. It was an interesting play and call. Brad Burud brea...
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 40 - Nylander Sign or Trade and the Inconsistent Oilers Are you sick and tired of thinking and speculating what will happen with William Nylander. Brad Burud and Blake Friars are too. For the last time they break down possible trade scenarios for Nylander, and discuss the possibility that he still may sign with the Toronto Maple L...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 43 Nylander Saga Finally Ends and Wilson Antics The William Nylander saga is now over in Toronto. What does this mean for the Leafs. What does it mean for their salary cap future, and what does it mean for pending RFA players. Brad Burud and Blake Friars are breaking it all down, and they are full of opinions. Then Tom Wilson i...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...

Reaves Night of Revenge

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 20 Reaves Night of Revenge Vegas Golden Knights tough guy Ryan Reaves got his revenge on Washington Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson. It came with a vicious blind sided hit. Was it revenge for beating them in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals or was it revenge for all of the dirty hits and players he has injured over the past few years. I am guessing th...
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 44 - Seattle Joins the Party The National Hockey League has officially announced the expansion of teams to thirty-two. Seattle will join the party for the 2021-2022 season. Brad Burud and Blake Friars give their thoughts on Seattle and talk about their odds of success and the hurdles that they will face. They then move topics to ...
[b]Leafs are A Mess! A Shakeup Is Needed![/b] Since the Toronto Maple Leafs finally were able to sign William Nylander to a deal, this club has instantly turned into a mess. A bad mess; whereas before the Nylander signing things were a good mess. [b]Both Auston Matthews and William Nylander Hurting the Team, Nowhere Near 100%[/b] I think the deal for Nylander is f...
As I listened to the broadcast last night, then watched the game when I arrived home. I feel that aside from the obvious exhaustion due to the game frequency, as well as players playing above there slotting, the ref's have too much influence on the game. While I delve deeper into these thoughts. I am going to go into the game killing, momentum changing Patrick Maroon...
The Instigator |Episode 21 Winter Classic Rerun: Same Teams Every Year The Winter Classic is set to play on New Years Day. A great tribute to how hockey began, outside, but…why in the world do we have to watch the same teams each year. This years matchup is the Chicago Blackhawks versus the Boston Bruins at historic Notre Dame Stadium. Sounds epic right, not so muc...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 49rnrnMcDavid Frustration and the Wild WestrnrnThe Western Conference Playoff race is in full swing as we head into NHL All-Star weekend. Brad Burud and Blake Friars take a look at the race and give their opinions on what team will fall out of the race first and what teams will survive the battle for the wildcard spots. Then its ti...
The Instigator |Episode 27 Who is the Right Captain? How important is a good captain to the growth of a hockey franchise? What type of player makes the best captain? All questions that are critical to a teams success. Do all NHL teams have the correct person as captain or has the pressures to select the young goal scorers outweighed the importance of leadership. Brad...
A lot of rabble rousing has occurred this season with Toronto and Boston headed on a third date, and know what third dates mean. It means Toronto fans get really unhappy because their team gets ... again. So when the Toronto fan base is angry, it causes a rumble in the hockey world, largely because they have the greatest influence over the network that arguably still h...
Is Holland a great GM or is Holland a terrible GM? Both statements are lies and both are truths. Why is that, like any other GMs and even his Oiler predecessor, he has had trouble during the cap era. The question is how much is his fault and how much has he learned. One of the greatest things of his Red Wings dynasty days and passed was the ability to assess talent and ...
Been a while, [expletive removed for reasons]! In honour of the latest bout of disappointment the Oilers chose to throw at us, I figured now would be a great time to review my targets from last offseason and quantify whether I'm more or less disappointing than my favourite team! First, we ought to set the bar: by how many criteria did the Oilers disappoint? [b]1.)[...
archromat writes...

Dubas' Comedy of Errors

Posted Friday | Comments 2
I have been rather critical of several GMs in the past that have certainly proven me wrong - namely Sakic's situation a few years ago about how his team lacked an identity, and Yzerman's dealing with Stamkos even though I believe that situation was still handled clumsily - and I have defended some of Chiarelli's moves - that Griffin Reinhart deal with Barzal was available ...
On the buzzcast today (8/21) Ek broke news that Derek Brassard may be going to Edmonton. Later, a different rumor came out that puts Brassard on Long Island. I’m hoping for the latter, and here’s why. I still don’t understand a couple of moves made by Steve Yzerman. Forget about Moritz Seider, that kid may end up being really good. For me, Valterri Filppula doesn�...
Could the Leafs be about to troll the NHL? Negotiations are usually a meet in the middle kind of thing, unless the middle is more than what the other side has to offer. So the settlement? Four years at 9m/y. That is what I believe the final number will be around. When you negotiate, what's "fair" usually isn't on the table, because people don't live in a fair wor...
The Red and White game yesterday was fun (ish) to watch. Guys working hard to get jobs. Noticeably absent were Dylan Larkin and Mike Green. Andreas Athanasiou left about halfway through and didn’t return. Coach Blashill is calling it “tweaks” and “precautionary measures”. It leaves a bad feeling in the stomach all around. So far, we’ve seen injuries to Alec...
Hello everybody in support of the Union Blue. It has been a busy summer for myself, hence for my inexistence of writing blogs for the hockey world to see. Now that things have calmed down personally, I am back and returning to the rink just like the team is. So, let us get caught up with the team, shall we? Let us start with a flashback and reflection on the past before...
The Detroit Red Wings posted their projected lines on their website. They are as follows: Hirose-Rasmussen-Svechnikov Elson-Pearson-Puempel Terry-Turgeon-FordrnGlendening-DeLaRose-Ehn Nemeth-Hronek Cholowski-Bowey Hicketts-Mcllrath What to watch for (personally) - injuries. Svechnikov needs a reclamation year. Rasmussen as well. Pearson has a decent shot. Look for h...
Zak MacMillan writes...

CBJ G1 v Toronto

Posted Friday | Comments 5
We are ready for the first game of the season for the Columbus blue jackets as they will be taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs live at the nationwide arena at 7:00 PM Eastern time on Fox sports Ohio and TSN . Tonight‘s contest is the home opener and the first game of the season which means new roof and new experiences and moments for the blue jackets club, and their f...
Trends from last year continue. While overall the team is looking better, there are two alarming trends that need to be fixed. First is the slow starts to get their bearings which luckily that could be due to opening season jitters. The season reared it's head yesterday, third period give ups to let the team win when they should not. That being said a 2 0 1 record I am hap...
It’s been a weird start to the season. Mantha has 5 goals in 2 games, and 2 assists. Those numbers are, um, healthy. And unexpected. I’m sure I underestimated big mo. https://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=260089&post_id=18303 The biggest surprise to me still is his ability to weave to the net. Again, on Sunday night 10/6 Mantha weaves through the defense and ...
In the home opener at Little Caesars Arena, Trevor Daley went down in the first period with an injury. I expect a fairly regular carousel of blue line ailments this year, in keeping with what the team dealt with last year. My assumption was that Madison Bowey will get his chance to play, as he’s currently a healthy scratch. And then Yzerman made a trade. We sent Davi...
It has been a short while friends, so let us recap on the pre-season that was, the first couple of games of the regular season, and previewing tonight's upcoming matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at the Nationwide Arena, back at home. Let's look in the rearview before we do the preview. Pre-Season: Final Cuts; Dubi Disappearance The roster dwindled down to two ...
Along with the excitement of Athanasiou coming back into the fold, Madison Bowey will also get the nod tonight (10/8). https://www.nhl.com/news/c-309880588 I have wondered why Bowey has been on the sidelines. To be frank, I like his skating and his game. He is exactly the kind of defenseman you want to see develop. Right shot, big body, can move the puck. Trevor Daly’...
Zak MacMillan writes...

Winning Knocking

Posted Monday | Comments 31
The second week of the regular season has come and gone in the hockey world, and for the Blue Jackets, success has followed. Last week, the Blue Jackets got their first victories of the season, against some of the league’s early success stories. The Jacket’s first victory of the season came over the Buffalo Sabres, by the final score of 4-3 in overtime. The Jackets ...
LeafsTalk writes...

Wrath about Grapes

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
James and Doug discuss the recent firing of Don Cherry, they break down the Leafs recent games vs Philadelphia and Chicago (20:00) , the ins and outs of why the Leafs seem to be struggling, the waiving of Hutchinson, the OJHL and the Markham Royals (1:02:40), Toronto Jr Canadiens (1:07:25) and the Toronto Patriots (1:10:55), and more! [url]https://soundcloud.com/offsidehoc...
Join James as he walks through tonights game. [url]https://twitter.com/OFFSIDETALK/status/1198279822356729857[/url]
I'm gonna come right outta the gate and say what qualifies as sacrilege within the Oilers community: Darnell Nurse is the Oilers' best Dman and attempts to trade him under the pretense that his minutes could be replaced by Klefbom aren't just wrong, they're blind to statistically observable reality. I guess I should actually get to the evidence before asserting things so s...
The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves outside the playoffs, despite having one of their most talented rosters in a number of years. The young General Manager, Kyle Dubas, made it clear that he was more than willing to pay up for his extremely talented young core. However, in doing so, he has neglected the backup goalie position, and an injury to Freddy Andersen, has le...
So it would appear that Dubas decided to make the trade for a goalie sooner rather than later, which was the correct call. I had anticipated a deal, but the Kings' Jack Campbell was not on my radar. The 28 year old American-born goaltender recently came into some additional games as the Kings have been treading through some difficult waters with their core has slowed down...
Just a few days past the Flames lost Captain and defensive rock Mark Giordano to a hamstring injury. Currently, he’s week to week so it’s hard to know when exactly he’ll be back and ready to go, but one thing for sure, is the Flames REALLY don’t need anyone else going down with an injury. Especially so close to the seasons end, with so many teams in the race for ...
With the trade deadline just one week away, I’m genuinely curious about what the Calgary Flames will do. On one hand, the Flames desperately need a top six winger. They’ve needed one for a long while and one has to think Brad Treliving will be adding one. Tyler Toffoli seems to be the guy linked to the Flames, but who really knows? Having said all that, one also has to...
It's a testament to the drafting of the Canucks to get Calder nominees in 3 consecutive seasons without a first overall or even a top 3 pick. It's the first time this has happened in the post 67' expansion era and the first time in over 50 years. Also, the Canucks are the first team in the expansion era to have a Calder nominee in 3 straight years with at least one ...
Zak MacMillan writes...

Draft Day: Domi In

Posted Tuesday | Comments 7
The Columbus Blue Jackets fired the cannon on the draft day trades with the addition of center Max Domi and a 2020 3rd round pick (78th overall) in exchange for winger Josh Anderson. Both players moved are pending restricted free agents. Both teams come out of this trade getting what they need. Montreal gets a middle six winger that can jump into the rush, be extremely...
Zak MacMillan writes...

Solidifying the C

Posted Tuesday | Comments 14
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy offseason for themselves thus far, and it is yet to be over. The surrounding teams in their division were also extremely active as well. With that out of the way, lets focus on what was done within before going externally with reviews by team and where I think they will finish. Let's start at home... The Columbus Blue Jackets ha...
I thought this would be fun to see where everyone stands on this. SO, do you think Mathews will go the way of Sundin? A great player who drives and leads play on the ice, but ultimately doesn't win a cup for them? Or is he going to take it home eventually a la Ovechkin. While they are entirely different players, both were stars on their respective teams and were the...
Looking at the Habs offseason their focus was to add scoring depth and get tougher. They arguably have done that in Toffoli and Anderson. But what do we expect these two to bring to the table? Lets see how they do: [u][b]Playing a full season:[/b][/u] Toffoli- I don't have much fear with him in this one. He played pretty much full seasons the last three years. He...
Tom Dusome writes...

31 Wacky Predictions

Posted Sunday | Comments 49
As I get my self acquainted with this new NHL I am taking a page out of Ek's book and writing some wacky predictions I think will happen this year (or like I am sure a lot of people are saying next year). I have never covered the entire league like this before. Hope you enjoy! To be clear, with in these predictions I am working in a frame work that there will be 4 div...
The regular season kicks off tonight for the Columbus Blue Jackets where they do battle with the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee with a empty crowd. This is the how the season will go for the most part. Empty. Fanless. Temporarily. Talk is that may change in Tennessee. Tune into Fox Sports Ohio or Fox Sports TN for game feed and covera...
The start of the season wouldn’t be a normal season without an uphill battle for the Union Blue. Starting off on the road, they begin with the short end of the stick to the hosting Nashville Predators, by the final score of 3-1. Columbus is improving off of last season with starting first on the scoresheet, with alternate captain Boone Jenner lighting the lamp with t...
Jacko17 writes...

Oh Bruins My Bruins

Posted Monday | Comments 2
It is truly a painful year to be a Boston Bruins fan, but that doesn't mean you leave your team in hard times. However, I have some displeasures with how this team has ended up. Bruce Cassidy and his Bruins have played three games, ending up with the current record of 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 overtime loss. This team needs a serious shake-up, they do not have a single even-...
hockeyaddict89 writes...

League Surprises

Posted Saturday | Comments 18
We are almost a quarter into the season and it already has been filled with drama, heroes and zeros, and a ton of surprises. Let's take a look at them: [u][b]1) MARC ANDRE FLEURY[/b][/u] After all the talk this off-season about potentially dealing him, he has had a great start to the season. It's only been three games played for him but he is sitting at: 3-0-0 ...
If somebody told you in 2009 that the Edmonton Oilers would have four first-overall draft picks in 6 years, you'd probably laugh at them. Well, we now live that horrendous reality, and only half of those players selected first-overall still play with the Oilers. In order of years since 2010, Edmonton has selected in the first round; Taylor Hall - Selected first-overall...
When Auston Matthews bolts for Arizona in the summer of 2025 I, a Toronto native and lifelong leafs fan, won't blame him one iota. Time was, scoring at a goal-per-game pace for 18 games (leading the league by half of the number scored by the next closest player in the process) got a guy some protection from diminutive Swedes – and anyone else who took liberties with him...
sdperry writes...

Playoff hockey starts now!

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Teams are working towards the second half push. Those teams who have depended on stick checks and fancy moves will likely win a few, but will be disappointed with some hard losses. I hope to have some insight soon as to who will flourish and who will falter.
The Senators outworked the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Bad turnovers and lackluster play allowed a determined Ottawa team to win. This type of play has become common as the Leafs have dropped 5 of their last 6. The 4 days off may give them some time to reflect but if each player doesn't stop with the soft play the Jets and Oilers will be atop the North in no time. L...
No love or attention to some interesting teams, players and events these days. So here they are: 1) THE PANTHERS Apparently Florida is only known for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Disney land. There is no such team named after the state. I really don't know what needs to be done for people to talk about them. They are off to their best start historically. Barkov and Hu...
As the 2021 regular season comes to a close, the Columbus Blue Jackets are missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-2016 season. John Tortorella has been at the center of attention in Columbus since his rough skid in Vancouver with the Canucks organization, having the reputation of being an American-born leader and loudmouth in the same breath. Tortorella is ...
TheMananimal writes...

Leafs Insanity

Posted Wednesday | Comments 24
Earlier today Brendan Shanahan stated that the Leafs "are going to get this done, with this group that we have." While as a fan of the team and a huge supporter of Marner and Matthews to say that is a possibility, here lies the issue. Albert Einstein once said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results." The duo makes a combined $22,...
Nuttybynature writes...

An Ode To the Leafs

Posted Sunday | Comments 578
Another year and yet another loss. Every year it becomes more excuses. So here comes every leaf fan's favourite part. How to fix the leafs? To solve this problem, lets look at what happened. The leafs had a great regular season of more consistency than usual. But throughout the season, small items looked to become bigger. Thornton was showing his age each day. Near the ...
TheMananimal writes...

A Dark Horse

Posted Sunday | Comments 110
Since the Leafs season ended in disappointment in a round one loss to the Montreal Canadiens, it has left many fans and management wondering and questioning what can be done to improve this roster? With the cap constraints as a result of the flat-cap, and the star forwards of this team, it will be interesting to see how the Leafs tackle on signing free agents of the team o...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 DFS Review Game 1 didn’t go exactly as planned, but that’s the way it goes in DFS. Hopefully some of you fared better than I did. Let’s review the strategies and plan to make some adjustments for game 2 tonight. What did we want to happen: After going through all the games for both the Canadiens and the Lightning we determined that thi...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 Draftkings Review The Lightning survived an early onslaught from the Canadiens and made the most of their opportunities to go up 2-0 in the series with a 3-1 win in Game 2. Tampa got goals from their not so usual suspects, Cirelli, Coleman and Palat tallied a goal a piece. Suzuki scored a power play goal for the Canadiens. Vasilevskiy was pheno...
Stanley Cup Game 3 Draftkings Preview So far we’ve been middle of the road with our strategies but that’s how GPP strategies go, with a need to balance optimal production with slight differential in our lineups because when we win we want to get paid out and not split the top prize 10 ways. Also just to touch on some contest selection decisions, make sure whatever c...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 Draftkings Preview All right everyone I hope you can forgive my absence for game 4, a very hectic pre-planned family vacation had me very busy. I hope all of you enjoyed the holiday weekend and got to spend time with friends and family. Well the Habs showed up desperate and determined not to let the Lightning celebrate with Lord Stanley’s C...
Since the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Jack Campbell in February of the 2019 – 2020 season, Campbell has been nothing short of spectacular for the Leafs in goal. In a short sample during that season Campbell posted a record of 3-2-1 in the Blue & White with 2.63 GAA and .915 SV%. The Leafs ultimately were eliminated in the play-round of the playoffs with Frederik Anderse...
If you have been wondering how to get the best Toca Boca mod for Android, you've come to the right place. This game is a ranah anak's dream with its unique gameplay, graphics, and map. Now, you can enjoy premium features for free, and block the iklan in the game. Download the game to your Android device from the official website or use the mod to get an unlimited supply of...
Hello, ever play that game where someone is reading their fortune from a fortune cookie and you just have to blurt out the words "in bed" at the end. Well, playoff rhetoric and the Toronto Maple Leafs have a similar two word phrase that should dove tail every headline out there set to spark readership, subscriptions, and clicks. Those two words are "For Now". There...
The curse lives on. The excuses live on. The reality is one thing, Toronto did not finish the job. The stars and the famed core showed up. They played the way they should and did many good things that should have resulted in wins. Overall, Toronto was the better team by inches but they still lost. This shows that changes are needed. All bets are off type of changes,...
During the 2021-22 season of the national hockey league, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a historic performance accomplishing 50 wins for the first time, 30 wins on home ice, finishing with 115 points, and setting three new franchise records. With such an impressive season, the Leafs would secure home ice in round one of the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the year...
For the sixth consecutive year under the Auston Matthews era,’ the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, unlike in previous years the elimination this year left a positive feeling among many fans of “Leafsnation”. The Leafs managed to take the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning to a...
Wenn Sie Ihrem iPhone oder Android-Gerät einen neuen Klingelton hinzufügen möchten, müssen Sie möglicherweise nicht zu einem teuren Geschäft gehen. Sie können ein Online-Suchtool verwenden, um den perfekten https://klingeltone-kostenlos.de zu finden. Sie brauchen nur einen Computer mit Internetverbindung und ein paar Minuten, um die Suche abzuschließen. Sobald Sie ...
The Boston Bruins have canned Bruce Cassidy, which comes as a major shock to the fanbase as a whole. Cassidy took over midway through the 2016-17 season when Claude Julien was fired for a losing record of 26-23-6, Cassidy turned that team into 18-8-1 in his 27 games that season. Eventually, the Bruins would fall to the Senators in game 6 of the first round in the Stanley C...
Unsere Casino-Bewertungsseite ist seit [url]https://onlinecasinohub.com/de/ [/url]2017 in Betrieb und hat in dieser Zeit das Vertrauen von Tausenden von Besuchern gewonnen. Die Seite bietet mehr als 25 der besten Anbieter der Welt. Die besten Online-Casinos mit den beliebtesten Spielautomaten sind sorgfältig vorselektiert. Aufgrund der Vielfalt der angebotenen Optionen ...
GrimmdaGoalie writes...

Sens Goalie Options

Posted Monday | Comments 0
With goaltending being the key to the Senators success next year (and every year, apparently) and everyone acknowledging that it is an area that has to be addressed and improved, it is evident that the position will become the focus of the offseason (along with the looming decisions about Alex Debrincat). It is going to become a dominant story in Ottawa. A...
RC Atchisson writes...

Blue Line Blues

Posted Monday | Comments 0
ST. LOUIS –One of the most exciting moves of the 2023 pre-draft weekend was the one that never happened. Outlets far and wide reported that the St. Louis Blues would be receiving, from the Philadelphia Flyers, 31-year-old center Kevin Hayes and 27-year-old defenseman Travis Sanheim as well as salary retention in exchange for a late first round pick and a blue liner. By ...

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