Tag Search Results for "ON"
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...
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...
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...
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...
It's been a while since I could sit down and enjoy a nice Canuck playoff game. It's not the same when you're team isn't in the big show. And I'm finding it very difficult to stay focused on my work as I'm anxious to get home to watch the game on the tube.
I suppose I'll watch the Pittsburgh / Ottawa game first. To be honest I'm routing for Crosby. Don't care too much f...
For the first time in years... For the first time ever, the Wachovia center will be without the thrill and rush that is Flyers playoff hockey. It truly is a sad spring in the Philadelphia area. If anything it makes me appreciate just how good we've been for the past 12+ years. The one thing that makes me excited for next fall is not the core of young guys, or the solidifi...
For your reading pleasure:
Western Conference
Detroit over Calgary in 6
Anaheim over Minnesota in 6
Vancouver over Dallas in 5
San Jose over Nashville in 6
Eastern Conference
Buffalo over Islanders in 5 (should go with a sweep...but will throw the Island a bone)
New Jersey over Tampa Bay in 6
Rangers over Atlanta in 5
Ottawa over Pittsburgh in 7
Take t...
Eggshmeg writes...
Eggshmeg's Analysis of Andrew Raycroft (Earlier in the Year)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 3
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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?
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...
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
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...
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...
SmokingChicken writes...
What the Off-Season Holds for the Predators, Part 2 of 3
Posted Saturday | Comments 3
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...
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...
Brandon Felder writes...
Friday Fight Night - Game 2 - San Jose vs Nashville
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
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...
SteveBonus writes...
The Habs and the Hab-Nots: 2006-2007 Year in Review
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
Eggshmeg writes...
MLB Honours Jackie Robinson, Should the NHL Follow Suit?
Posted Sunday | Comments 8
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 ...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Yashin to Iles - Worst trade in the history of the NHL!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For all the mistakes former Isles General Manager Mike Milbury made during his tenure — where do we begin? — trading for Yashin is the biggest blunder in franchise history.
New York gave up top-ticket defenseman Zdeno Chara and a first-round pick that ended up being Jason Spezza.
And on top of that... he turned around and signed him to a 10 year $90 million co...
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...
anicecoldrink writes...
Why Playoff Hockey Is Like You and Your Girlfriend
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
One second you're in love, the next you wish you never met.
One week, 4 different possible outcomes.
Some one is always on the powerplay.
Inversely, some one is always killing off a penalty.
No matter how many saves you make, you let one slip through and it's automatically your fault.
Some one is bound to get hurt.
At the end of a hard fought battle, ther...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Where would the Sabres be without Zubrus, Mair?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[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...
kamikazepilot42 writes...
Playoff hockey, non-playoff hockey, and other stuff
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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 ...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Pens or Sens Will Have Nothing Left for Round Two
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I wrote yesterday about how the Sabres need to ratchet up the “physical” play if they expect to make a serious run to the cup. After watching game 4 of the Pens & Sens… maybe the Sabres plan will work out just fine if they meet one of these teams in the ECF.
To put it simply and succinctly, these teams are absolutely KILLING each other. I have to believe that ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Spork writes...
Ron Wilson, you're safe this week. Trotz, you're going home.
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
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]
...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
'Sabres Only' Fantasy Hockey Leauge – Join In for Round Two!
Posted Monday | Comments 1
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
WildMTUFan writes...
Round two predictions; Final Two Minutes Radio Show
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[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...
sstrang writes...
Another 2nd Round Prediction Blog...with Chimpanzees
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
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...
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...
[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...
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...
Luongo07 writes...
I won't run and hide when my team loses, it's all good
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
[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....
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Looking Ahead (already) to Next Season's Sabres Lineup.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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, ...
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...
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, ...
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 ...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Alfredsson Fined $25k and Suspended for Game 3
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
(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...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Sabres Payroll a Tight Fit For Drury OR Briere in 2007/08
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We Buffalo Fans are doing alot of "back of napkin" figuring on the Sabres contracts and salary cap next year but not many are considering the actual dollars they spend compared to their budget. Get out your abucus and follow along.
According to [url]http://www.nhlnumbers.com/buf.html[/url]the Sabres spent $45.43 million (actual dollars) on their players salries last y...
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...
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...
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...
Supernick writes...
Mes prédictions pour la finale de la coupe stanley!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
[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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
I was just watching the Tonight Show and Jay was doing his stand up bit at the beginning and he made a really asinine comment. He said that there was a research study that was done that showed that people ate more while watching interesting television shows. He said that NBC's new slogan should be "watch more and take off the pounds" and he directly followed that up by sar...
Well it ended exactly as I predicted in July of last year. On July 4th I was in Las Vegas with my wife on a vacation. Due to a glitch in the reservation system on Vegas.com for the Flamingo, me and about 4 other guys got 9 rooms total for exactly $0.23.... That's 23 cents American. Yes, technology is cool. The Flamingo cancelled our reservations, but then reinstated our ro...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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?!!!...
[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...
bluez brother_38 writes...
Nine Seasons Not Enough; Don't pull the plug on Nashville
Posted Thursday | Comments 1
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...
cfposi writes...
Samsonov: Don't let the door hit you on the way out...
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Another reason why I think Bob Gainey is the best GM in the league! Instead of buying out Samsonov (cap hit of 1.175 over the next 2 years), we have now traded this dissapointment to Chicago in return for Cullimore and Salmelainen (Total Cap hit of 2.65M this year). To make things better, the habs will buyout Cullimore (cap hit of 612,000 over the next 2 years). This is gr...
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...
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...
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...
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...
beerbaron writes...
Mucks, Mega Bucks and something else that rhymes with ucks..
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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 ...
Eggshmeg writes...
Why Is It So Difficult To Put A Franchise In Hamilton?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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'...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Drury, Briere Never in Sabres Plans From the Start
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Reunited and It Feels So Good: Peca to Sabres!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
Luongo07 writes...
Clarke Poached Nonis...Can We Expect More This Off-Season?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
During "Crazy-Time" last summer Flyers GM Bob Clarke approached Ryan Kesler and made an absurd off to the underachieving restricted free agent. The offer was for a one year deal at $1.9 million dollars, to a player that had far from met any expectations and seemingly could not put the puck in the Pacific Ocean if he were standing on Honolulu Island.
Don't get me wrong, ...
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...
beliveau writes...
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
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...
TheHabsFan writes...
Why the Montreal Canadiens can't compete for UFAs...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
During the TSN broadcast, the panelists said it. During the singings, the players said it. When Rivet and Recchi left, they said it. It's no secret, yet everyone seems to miss it.
The problem is not taxes! The problem is not language! The problem is certainly NOT money!
THE PROBLEM IS THE DAMN MEDIA! Players do not want to come here and get their lives ruined by a bu...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
HyeDray writes...
Hello...Hello....Hello....anybody alive on Long Island?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Not only do we lose our own top free agents, but apparently we will not be signing any. Can anyone at Hockeybuzz or anywhere else please explain to the 5 remaining Islander fans what the plan is going to be?
Are they going to go with youth and try to build through the next 3 drafts a la Pittsburgh?
Are they going to get a bunch of reclamation projects for Ted Nolan w...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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, ...
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...
oilers4ever84 writes...
Edmonton Oilers Went From Great Success to Disappointment
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
horcoffgirl23 writes...
Announcing a new attraction at the Oilers theme park........
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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 ...
nephew23 writes...
HAPPY FREE AGENCY STARS' FANS! (Thanks For Nothing Army)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Admit it… You Considered the 4 1st Round Picks from Edmonton
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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 ...
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...
Jon Jordan writes...
Guerin Named Captain, so What's Next for the Isles?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
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...
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...
[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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
St. Louis Blues Prospect Camp: Bright Future
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I have been all around the Blues prospect camp this week and I have been impressed with the amazing talent and skill that is being shown out there by some of the Blues brightest young stars. Some we will see sooner than others, but the future of St. Louis Blues hockey is going to be amazing. Here are some of the players that were quite impressive: (in no particular order)
...
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...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Pacific Division
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
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...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Northwest Division
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Central Division
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
murdoch writes...
nashville deserves the same shot florida and phoenix got
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
ForeverFlyer16 writes...
All-Star Reformatting Idea... From Outside The Box
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
[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...
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...
red_avi9 writes...
08 should be a piece of cake for wings...until the playoffs.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The season of 08 is looking great for the wings as of now.last year the wings came tied for first with buffalo{buf had more wins} in points and the only divisionmate who even contended with them was the predators.i mean, lets face it chicago, the hawks suck and the same goes for the bluejackets.the blues are really on the right track but at most they'll contend for a playo...
[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 ...
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...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - North East
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[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 ...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Update: Avery Awarded 1.9 Million in Arbitration and Signed
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
Davidson: "We are done" Say Hello To The 2007-2008 Blues
Posted Thursday | Comments 3
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...
dekerivers writes...
Is Penner's 4.25 Mil really the beginning of the end.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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...
habsfan22 writes...
Montreal and Toronto fighting to see who recycles best?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
mob_slapman writes...
Victory lap for Bob Cole/ Luke Richardson on the Sens
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
Jimmert44 writes...
Which Western Conference team is ready to step it up?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
2007 Philadlephia Flyers - And you may ask yourself...well
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[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...
Slasher98 writes...
Forecaster: TOP 25 d-men scoring leaders for 2007-08
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Top 25 d-men scoring leaders:
1.Sergei Gonchar PIT: 20 G 76 PTS
2.Nicklas Lidstrom DET: 12 G 74 PTS
3.Scott Niedermayer ANA: 13 G 73 PTS (should he decide not to retire)
4.Lubomir Vishnovsky LA: 21 G 71 PTS
5.Dan Boyle TB: 23 G 70 PTS
6.Chris Pronger ANA: 17 G 70 PTS
7.Tomas Kaberle TOR: 12 G 68 PTS
8.Ryan Whitney PIT: 19 G 67 PTS
9.Bryan McCabe TO...
I was in the store the other day browsing around through video games. I saw on the shelf a bunch of "preorder now" signs for all of the upcoming EA Sports games. Then I saw it, NHL 2008. No different than any other NHL game since 2000, but still...updated rosters! Hurray!
Oh yes, and need I forget. Eric Staal on the cover??! Come on now.
Here's the deal: I'm a ...
I'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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
mob_slapman writes...
Economic Impact sports facilities (arenas, stadiums)
Posted Saturday | Comments 2
Much is being made of Nashvilles support levels for the Predators coming from various levels of government. Some might be suggesting that Nashvillians don't truly support their team if they don't want to see tax dollars spent on it. Of course, it should be remembered that CANADIANS didn't want to see their tax dollars going to fund hockey teams either. In this blog I ...
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 ...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Big Bad Bears? Projection Of The Boston Bruins
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
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...
Ron Guillet writes...
Trial Of Champions : Projection Of The Ottawa Senators
Posted Monday | Comments 6
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...
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...
BuffaloMat writes...
What cities do you think should be the two expansion cities?
Posted Monday | Comments 5
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....
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...
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...
[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...
naslund91 writes...
Linden Signing not about numbers, but about playing time?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
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...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Wang Enterprise : Projection Of The New York Islanders
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Alrighty, brotha's and sista's. With the Leafs, Habs, Sabres, Bruins and now Sens done in the projection departement, I thought I'd turn my attention to the Islanders. An orginization which has been the peak of many hockey jokes, kind of the like the Spanish News Team but IMO wrongfully so. They fought the odds last season and shut the door on my lovely Leafs and the clima...
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 ...
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...
[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...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Fire Burns : Projection Of The Calgary Flames
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Howdy my hockeybuzz fella's! I'm here to bring you another projection of another team, by the name of the Calgary Flames. A team which holds a tiny particle of my heart next to the other particle which is the Buffalo Sabres and the core, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flames have done some decent moves this off-season: They've added Adrian Aucoin, Anders Eriksson, Owen Nolan...
Nashcity writes...
When building from the net out isn't the right philosophy
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
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...
[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...
[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. ...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Flyers' Young Guns - Spotlight on Jeff Carter
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Ron Guillet writes...
Stanley Cup Bound : Projection Of The Vancouver Canucks
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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 ...
For some inexplicable reason, the Blues are considering changing the song they play after the Blues score. Thankfully, they’ve let the fans decide between a new song and the old one, so PLEASE VOTE FOR THE OLD SONG!!! Here's the link. If you're really adamant, you can return to the Blues home page, find the link on the page, and vote again.
http://blues.nhl.com/team/a...
For some inexplicable reason, the Blues are considering changing the song they play after the Blues score. Thankfully, they’ve let the fans decide between a new song and the old one, so PLEASE VOTE FOR THE OLD SONG!!! Here's the link. If you're really adamant, you can return to the Blues home page, find the link on the page, and vote again.
http://blues.nhl.com/team/a...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Big Apple Got Bigger: Projection Of The New York Rangers
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Slasher98 writes...
What UFA should the Caps sign to reach league minimum?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Capitals will have to spend more to get past the $34.3 million salary-cap floor by the start of the season. Interesting veteran forwards such as Anson Carter, Mike Johnson, Ville Nieminen, Jeff O'Neill, Jan Bulis or Jason Allison could all give depth to the Caps' top-12 forward group.
The best option would be [b]Mike Johnson[/b], who's a good 2-way player who can s...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Marty Biron: Karn Evil 9 1st Impression - Part II
Posted Friday | Comments 0
"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 ...
steve from chicago writes...
The league's best player is not a Blackhawk
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I heard the guys on XM talking about fantasy picks and top 5 best player lists and I was waiting for somebody to mention the obvious.
Chris Pronger is the best player in the league right now.
Our number obsessed world might not catch it because lots of the things that win games don't show up on the score sheet.
It's no coincidence that St. Louis imploded after he ...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 2: Pat LaFontaine
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.classicbuffalo.com/images/LaFontaine.jpg[/img]
If the video doesn't show up click this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZL4BCePwA
EDIT: The video doesn't seem to be working. It's a wonderful video, check it out.
This tribute video sums up anyone can say about Pat LaFontaine. However I am going to still say words about him ...
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...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Special Teams and the Death of Summer
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The days are getting shorter, the school buses are freshly cleaned of last year's spitballs and awaiting a new crop of young troublemakers...umm...students, and another Flyers season is but mere weeks away. The near miraculous transformation from worst in the league to potential playoff spot is almost complete. The depth and breadth of the changes that occurred at the en...
steve from chicago writes...
Who is on the Hot Seat in Chicago? Dale Tallon and it's Hot.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Have you looked a the scheudule for the first 10 games? Detroit twice, Colorado, Dalas, San Jose, Minnesota etc. It isn't until game 10 that the the Hawks get to face their equal in Columbus and Columbus has handled them the past couple of season's.
Have you thought about the fact that there isn't a forward line returning from last season? There isn't even a pair of for...
For fans of the 1977 film Slap Shot, you will recall the Chief's last opponent, the Syracuse Bulldogs. The Bulldogs management filled the team with some of the most infamous goons in hockey history; sociopathic players who had been suspended from various professional leagues for injuring opposing players. With the Duck's signing of Todd Bertuzzi, I think Brian Burke is dem...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
4 Sleepers, 4 Busts for your Fantasy Hockey Draft
Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
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...
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 ...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 3: Pierre Turgeon
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
[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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Real Flyers Scrimmages...Like Christmas morning
Posted Monday | Comments 15
[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...
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....
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
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
saneopinion writes...
Prospects might not think they are playing for a spot.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For the teams who's record is a winning one during the pre-season this time of year signals what is to come for the rest of the year and for those who have a losing record the pre-season is just try outs and doesn't mean anything. The truth is a bit of both.
It's hard to look at a flames squad that hasn't put in two solid vetrem lines in the pre season and say, "hey, this...
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....
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...
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 ...
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...
[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...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
The Truth Detector, Brad Riter, Booted from WGR in Buffalo
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
CaptShark writes...
Sharks look to keep Calgary winless, 5 more players cut
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
SYF's Top 10 List - Players you would like to see this year?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
When to suspend.....and some personal observations.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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'...
mage23 writes...
[2007-09-26] Sharks use Powerplay/Shootout to down Canucks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Unlike the game less than a week ago in San Jose, tonight's matchup between the Sharks and Canucks did not feature the fisticuffs and ejections that played a role in the earlier matchup. The excellent goaltending of Roberto Luongo, however, was once again on display for all to see as Luongo went head to head with Sharks youngster Thomas Greiss.
While Luongo was perfect...
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...
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...
Theycallmetodd writes...
Faith is not only Preseason Deep. Oilers make Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Fantasy Hockey - With only the Sabres roster!?!?
Posted Friday | Comments 1
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...
sstrang writes...
Another myhockeybuzz predictons blog no one will read...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Everyone does them and for my own sheer amusement (and to see my name on a website....) here goes:
Western Conference
1. San Jose
2. Detroit
3. Vancouver
4. Anaheim
5. Calgary
6. Colorado
7. Minnesota
8. St. Louis
9. Nashville
10. Dallas
11. Los Angeles
12. Edmonton
13. Chicago
14. Columbus
15. Phoenix
(1) San Jose vs. (8) St. Louis - San Jose in 4
...
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, ...
Jon Jordan writes...
Isles/Rangers, Round 2: Live on NHL Center Ice Online!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Round one on Monday night featured 10 fights, including the goaltenders squaring off, 6 ejections and 9 goals ... and, oh yeah, it also went to overtime!
Round two happens live tonight on NHL Center Ice Online through Islanders TV!
We're talking Islanders/Rangers, folks and, yes it is still the preseason but if Monday's contest is any indication, this one should be a...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
CaptPantalones writes...
Season preview: predictions, Sabres preview tomorrow
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
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 ...
duxown writes...
I'm back with Season Predictions and Ducks point projections
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
millertime writes...
Season Opening Outlook: The 2007-2008 Buffalo Sabres
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
mapleleaf92 writes...
The Maurice Gurantee already in danger not Toskala's Fault
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Leaf fans, on October 9th 2007, we have been disgraced 7-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes. So early in the season, the leafs defense has collapsed us, and Vesa Toskala.
You may all remember Maurice guaranteeing us a playoff series in Toronto. Last night's efforts made him look bad. It started on William's goal. He was wide open and was able to walk in about 4 feet before sna...
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...
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 ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Best of times or Worst of times...Flyers West Coast Trip
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
djvoiz writes...
80,000 people signed for it: We want the NHL back in Quebec
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
Jsaquella writes...
Bouelrice Waived?!?!?! Oh, just because Eager's Hurt...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Day After - It smells like....victory
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[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 -...
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...
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...
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...
Jsaquella writes...
Random Flyers Thoughts-What A Difference A Year Can Make
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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 ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Sympathy for the Devil(s)...a guy named Marty
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
ExtraB writes...
McDonalds Exclude Sidney Crosby Hockey Card For Second Year
Posted Monday | Comments 2
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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 ...
BluemanGuruu writes...
Why the Ducks Should Be Watched WIth Close Eyes By NHL
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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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...
The FlyerFly writes...
10/24 - Flyers Lose 4-3 To Panthers; Gagne Leaves Game Early
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
[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 ...
The FlyerFly writes...
10/25- Late Defensive Gaff Dooms Flyers To 5-2 Loss In Tampa
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Through the first 8 games of the season, Kimmo Timonen has been the solid defensive presence the Flyers hoped for when he was acquired just ahead of the opening of free agency. But it's safe to say that Timonen wishes he had this one game back. A late miscue in his own zone led to an errant pass attempt to Danny Briere and a turnover that eventually ended up in the Flyer...
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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...
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...
bcallaway writes...
David Perron: Is Blues Management all on the same page here?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
*** 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...
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...
[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...
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...
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...
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...
coming soon.............
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
ExtraB writes...
Priority Signings Hockey Cards To Include Gretzky and Crosby
Posted Sunday | Comments 5
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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...
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...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
Enough of whats wrong with the Devils......
Posted Wednesday | Comments 4
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...
[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...
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...
KGBflyers10 writes...
Big Win Against Pens; Flyers Face Devils In New Building
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Flyers win 3-1 in Pittsburgh last night. Good win for the Flyboys, who had dropped four of their last six games. I unfortunately was dead tired last night and missed most of the game, however I was fortunate enough to see them take a two goal lead on some very STRONG forechecking. The way the team played when I got the chance to see them last night was much like how they w...
Simply terrible. The Flyers entered the Prudential Center last night hoping things would be different now that the Devils were no longer playing in the Continental Airlines Arena. Yet, the woes were much the same as the Flyers were dropped by the Devils 4-1.
It wasn't much of a game after the first period. Flyers took the lead with Mike Knuble's deflection off Richards...
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...
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...
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...
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...
-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...
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...
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...
[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...
philkash writes...
Now that's the way a Hockey Game should be televised!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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. ...
[b][i]Fortitude:[/b] mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously.[/i]
[b]That is exactly what the Preds showed last night[/b]. After a solid first period that found the Preds leading 1-0, the Preds were out played by the Blackhawks in the second. While some may say that this was a horribly played period by the Preds ...
For the past year I have been floating this idea around my group of friends regarding an addition or modification to the structure of the salary cap.
I believe I have an idea that will be both beneficial towards the players and their respective teams, while not altering the “competitive balance” amongst NHL teams. This will also award teams for developing and retai...
If you are a die-hard fan of the storied Toronto Maple Leafs, you have felt many years of disappointment. Every September there is hope that this will be the year "we" will end the 40-year Stanley Cup drought. All signs indicate that this Stanley Cup famine will reach at least 41 years.
As a fan of the blue and white I have to say that the salary-cap system is terribl...
aisforaaron83 writes...
Stars! Why not Dave Taylor? and other thoughts....
Posted Friday | Comments 5
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...
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...
[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...
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 ...
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...
A-Mar writes...
Toronto Maple Leaf quarterly analysis (Player by Player)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
grapes17 writes...
No desert mirage -- hockey alive and well in Bakersfield
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
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.
...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Au Effort in the Golden Triangle - Flyboys win 3rd vs Canes
Posted Thursday | Comments 1
[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...
[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. ...
BuffaloMat writes...
Auctioning off a Autographed Ovechkin Puck (Read inside)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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 ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Twelve Days of Christmas: Flyers Edition
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[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...
The Rant Man writes...
Buffalo Sabres: West Coast Story [and a Duck Tale too]
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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 ...
Eggshmeg writes...
My Interview With Bulldogs Goaltender Cedrick Desjardins
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[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 ...
CaptShark writes...
10 Questions For Wednesdays Talkcast; No Talkcast Tonight
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers score 8 vs Pens, Laraque-What will Campbell do? WWCD
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Holy Schnieky![/b]
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/logos/75/phi.gif[/img][img]http://cdn.nhl.com/images/logos/75/pit.gif[/img]
[b]Wow[/b]...words can hardly begin to describe what happened at the Bank Building.
Coming into last night's tilt, the Flyers were a dreadfully inconsistent team searching for some home-ice answers; while the Penguins were the team on a ...
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...
DucksFan07 writes...
Time for Some Ducks to Score and Top #1 Lines in the NHL
Posted Thursday | Comments 3
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...
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 ...
'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...
[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 ...
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...
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...
Things are looking up right now in Duckland. The team won last night in San Jose, Ryan Getzlaf is emerging as a leader, Corey Perry surpassed his career high in goals, Bobby Ryan scored again, Scott Niedermayer has returned from his semi-retirement and there are even rumors that Teemu Selanne is skating again in preparation for his return to the Ducks.
While most Duc...
So I had just won the stanley cup with my Capitals team (god I love those jerseys), and I had signed all the free agents I needed. I realized that my farm team was pretty dry with good prospects, so I went into free agency one last time to look for some good ones that had slipped through the cracks. JACKPOT.
What I discovered were a few undrafted players hailing from Ca...
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...
bcallaway writes...
Teemu Selanne to St. Louis? Could it happen?????????
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's not out of realm of possibility. Andy Strickland was on a local radio station last night and basically summed it up this way:
Everyone knows already that Teemu is working out every day. He talks to Paul Karyia every day and if there is anyone that could sell Teemu on the idea of coming to the Blues it's his best friend.
Not to mention the chemistry that Selanne...
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...
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....
DucksFan07 writes...
Need Tickets to Leafs-Lightening Game on Jan 1 in Toronto
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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 ...
[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.
...
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!
Bater_91 writes...
Merry Christmas to all! My 2008 Atlanta Thrasher WishList
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Couldn't believe it a Thrasher Jersey for Christmas... what a wonderful gift! You see in Canada you can't find that much Thrashers stuff at local stores, NHL.com or Ebay.com are really the one way to get something like this. One of my Christmas wishes fullfilled, then I got to thinking there are so many wishes that I would love for my Thrashers in 2008, why not make a li...
[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...
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...
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...
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 ...
[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...
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...
[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...
[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...
[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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
"The Code" - Physics, Respect, Fighting and Relevence?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[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...
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...
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? ...
Ron Guillet writes...
Rebuilding is the Only Hope for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
murdoch writes...
toronto revolution! i say bring it hamilton! by a flyers fan
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
In Ahead writes...
Washington Capitals - All Good Things Must Come to an End
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
In Ahead writes...
Alexander Ovechkin - Officially the Face of Our Franchise
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Beat Wild - With Habs Assistant GM Watching.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames snapped their four-game losing streak with an important 3-2 shootout win over the division-leading Wild. With the win, Calgary is now one point back of the Wild in the Northwest. Truth be told, they should and would be ahead of Minnesota if it weren't for a quick whistle late in the second that wiped out a Kristian Huselius goal. I don't usually criticize refs f...
I 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...
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...
mapleleaf92 writes...
Just Win, or just lose, Leafs fans don't want both.
Posted Monday | Comments 1
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...
millertime writes...
Buffalo Doom & Gloom: Leafs-like situation may blow team up
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
[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...
Jsaquella writes...
Campbell Must Act Harshly..But Of Course He Did Not
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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 ...
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...
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...
monoxide164 writes...
Young Stars Game the bright spot of 2008 Skills Competition
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
[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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
[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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Lydman Comes Down With a Case of Kalininitis
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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. ...
AlexanderScharf writes...
What The Rangers Are Missing: 2. Determination
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]Determination:[/b] [i]Firmness of purpose; resolve.[/i]
There is a famous saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way." If you decide to accomplish something and commit yourself to acheiving success you will reach your goal, however lofty. Conversly, if you do not commit yourself to work hard you will not achieve. Hard work is usually the recipe for success. When th...
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...
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...
[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 ...
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...
[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...
Short and not so sweet this week.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
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...
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...
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...
[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...
[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...
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...
[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...
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....
jetspat writes...
Well I guess you can say for sure that Habs will make move !
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Familiarity Breeds Contempt - Flyers' Battle to the Playoffs
Posted Sunday | Comments 7
"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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Jsaquella writes...
NHL Officiation: Only the Inconsistency is Consistent!!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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 ...
thechad13 writes...
Toronto's playoff push is just a mirage.....Here is why.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
vancouver.canucks writes...
Tootoo: "You've got to be a man to play this game"
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[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...
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...
stoneford writes...
3 Posts in the first period, New Jersey With the Lead
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Trouble ahead, trouble behind - Flyers & Leafs part deux
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[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 ...
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...
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...
Observermanager writes...
Quelles sont les chances: un regard sur les deux dernieres
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
millertime writes...
Fascinating--If Sabres win out, They're in the Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
They're Baaack - Flyers ice Rags in OT, Holy Grail and Weiji
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[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...
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...
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...
[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...
No Look Drop Pass writes...
One foot out of the Quicksand; Alfie gets his Bell rung
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
chipiii writes...
Since everyone's doing it... Here are my predictions lol :)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
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:...
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...
McPhee's Mustache writes...
Top 10 Reasons why players with mustaches rule the world
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
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...
mslepp writes...
"That Hit May Have Changed the Complexion of this Series"
Posted Monday | Comments 3
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...
mslepp writes...
The Momentum Roller-coaster, Big Joe Makes an Appearance
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
millertime writes...
Hillary, Philly beat Washington; 2nd Round East Preview
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
sm623181 writes...
Crosby Dives/Therrien Wines (surprise) and Flyers Win!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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...
[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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
FLYERS Hold on for 3-2 victory - Game 4 to be a War!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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, ...
grapes17 writes...
Conference finals preview: Wings, Flyers look to advance
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Should Visors be Mandatory in the NHL???? Not so fast...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[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...
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...
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...
Jsaquella writes...
Random Thoughts...Back Burner Rivalries and British Comedy
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
amidst tundra writes...
Stop the Moralizing: Why Fighting is a part of the game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[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...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Get Cammalleri, Dump Tanguay: Post Draft Thoughts
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
doktordave writes...
Originally posted late June :King Clancy's Ghost says:
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
roenickscores08204 writes...
Holmgren gets 3-year extension, Asham signs multi-year deal
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
nreeb21 writes...
Is the Re-build shot? What options do the Leafs Have?
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
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...
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...
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...
nephew23 writes...
Dave Tippett Extended and a Classic Mid-Summer Classic!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...
mslepp writes...
Calgary Flames Sign Jamie Lundmark, UPDATED Grant Stevenson
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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...
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...