Tag Search Results for "PA"
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 ...
The update you have ALL been waiting for...(does anybody even read this thing?). Game 1 was a steam roller of a game for the Sens. There were squashed Pens littering the ice all night long. And yes, this is comming from a LONG TIME Penguins fan. Game 2 presents quite a challenge for our kids...will they be able to respond like we all think they can?
[b]THINGS TO LOOK FO...
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...
So, the Wild are down 3-0 to the Ducks, and their fate is in the envelope, as it were.
They have played pretty much as well as they could have been expected to play. In some ways this just hurts that much more, and in some ways it's a salve for my burns.
Yet today is the happiest day of the whole season for me.
Here's why.
I have two little girls. The eldest,...
The Chicago Blackhawks had the NHL's fifth-worst record and only an 8% shot at drawing the 1st pick in the draft. I guess it was their lucky day. After grabbing Jonathan Toews last years draft, the Hawks get ready for a possible franchise changing decision in 2007.
Unlike some past drafts many would argue that there is not a clear cut #1 pick this season. Many are tout...
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...
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 ...
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...
i get rid of the expansion teams including panthers, predators and blue jackets. these cities are stealing valuable talent from the good teams like the flyers and cities that deserve an NHL team......
> Congratulations to [url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8449545&service=page]Scott Mellanby[/url] on a very good career. Mellanby [url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2007/04/23/mellanby-retirement.html?ref=rss]announced his retirement[/url] after 21 seasons in the NHL. He finishes with 364 goals and 476 assists for 840 regular sea...
While not quite as taxing as being a Chicago Cub fan, the lot in life for a Vancouver Canucks fan is, and has always been, how will “we” screw it up this time? Whether we’re talking performance on the ice, Drafting, Uniforms etc, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day Canuck fans are almost always left with disappointment and wondering what might have been.
I...
Well, typically it takes a little time into the off-season, usually some time after the Cup Finals for it to get started. It even may last until just around the draft...but rest assured - before we hit July - Eklund and other hockey rumor mongers will have Vincent Lecavalier wearing the sweater of the Habs, St. Louis in St. Louis and Brad Richards somewhere else.
I like...
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...
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....
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...
Here is my prediction of the first round basing it on each team's needs as pointed out in my previous blog. I believe this is the most accurate way you can do a mock draft, and I hope you people enjoy this. Here we go:
1. Chicago - Patrick Kane - RW
2. Philadelphia - Kyle Turris - C
3. Phoenix - Alexei Cherepanov - RW
4. Los Angeles - Sam Gagner - C
5. Washington...
As we approach the draft, several teams are looking to free up cap room to either make a bigger trade, or sign a big name free agent (and if you've checked out our top 35 list, there are a lot of tem). With this activity, the rumours are starting to swirl.
The Leafs would love to move one of their two high-priced defenseman. Freeing up the 5+ million that both Kubina an...
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.
[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...
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...
[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 ...
As most people have heard by now, Paul Kariya is going to be testing the free agent waters starting July 1st according to Nashville Predators GM David Poile. "He's definitely going into free agency and it's certainly looking doubtful based on our conversations and the uncertainty of our franchise that he'll be coming back here," Poile announced Thursday.
The Vancouver C...
brownelvis writes...
Why July 1st, 2007 Proves that the Lockout WAS Worthwhile ..
Posted Monday | Comments 1
Dan Tolensky wrote an interesting Blog wondering if July 1st, 2007 was the day that we wondered if the Lockout was a waste of time. I usually love what you're writing because he don't miss much. This time I think that he has. I say, however, that the NHL convinced the NHLPA that they would play for funny money that may, or may not, be worth an actual US Greenback ... fo...
Monty Python continues to amuse me.
However, I shall write about what every other blogger on this website is most interested in: the free agent mania that swept the hockey world yesterday. I will talk about the big deals (ie Gomez, Briere) but my focus is on the smaller names.
Briere (PHI)-This was an interesting move by Holmgren. Especially the length. After seeing Rick...
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...
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.
...
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...
After what seemed like an eternity, Lou finally signed a UFA. And I could not be happier. Dainius Zubrus agreed to come play for the Devs today for 6 years at $20.4 mill per. Some may balk at the length, but the dollar value makes this signing worth while. Doing the simple mathmatics that I have aquired at one of the best schools in the nation, IMHO, that comes out to arou...
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...
I was just wondering what people thought about sleepers in this year's draft. A lot of scouts and experts projected Angelo Esposito as a #1 prospect in 05/06, and he wasn't taken till the 20th pick from The Penguins. Similarally, Alexei Cherapanov was projected to be in the top 10 at one point, if not the top 5 and wasn't snagged till the 17th pick from the Rangers. Do ...
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...
This is my first blog. Last week I spent 3 days over at the Flyers practice rink to watch some of their mini camp. I just needed a hockey fix in mid July and this was perfect. I spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday over there. Wednesday and Thursday were all drills and your typical hockey practice. Friday was a scrimmage between the two groups. New Flyers asst coach...
Every GM would trade for Vinny Lecavalier...in a heartbeat...probably including Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe. But this blog isn't about Mr. Lecavalier and his sniping ways it's about Tampa Bay's other Vinny...as in Vaclav Prospal.
The Oilers desperately need some true top-6 talent and the Tampa Bay Lightning could use a little wiggle room from under the crushing weight...
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 ...
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...
It has been said that Mr. Holland is still looking at the market. Well who is not? I am feeling very comfortable with the Wings line-up this season. With the coming of age of Johan Franzen, Daniel Cleary and Flip. I think that Johan can replace what Todd Bertuzzi was supposed to bring to the wings grit with the help of aged Dallas Drake. Zetterburg and Datsyuk are definite...
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 ...
First off how is it that Kevin Lowe has single handedly destroyed the financial system of the NHL. He signed a young kid with a lot of potential to an inflated contract for sure, but he needed to to get the kid out of LA. Brian Burke can cry all he wants, but he lost this time. I would say his 4 million signing of an old injured maligned player who never was a star in this...
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...
Though I am biased as a hardcore Sabres fan, I think few will debate the fact that Buffalo has one of the best farm systems in the NHL. In the past few years, we have seen guys like Paul Gaustad, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek come up through the ranks and be very successful at the professional level. Buffalo has a knack for developing young talent and the Sa...
[i]("A Message From Gary Bettman" flashes across the screen. Happy muzak plays, cartoon bunnies frolic beneath the text. A smiley sun beams down on them from above. Fade up on...)[/i]
BETTMAN [i](sitting at a desk, wearing a suit and a "Versus" cap. He speaks in an ingratiating singsong voice)[/i]: Hi there, friends! Please, relax! I've brought a present. You see, we at...
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...
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....
[b]THE CALGARY FLAMES GET IT[/b]
I thought I would write another blog on what is really important in life. Most of these players understand what is really important for the NHL. You see the players understand that no how many records they break, or how many goals they score, it doesn’t matter if there are no fans to watch them! I am going to share some stories that sh...
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...
I've been thinking a lot lately about our upcoming Blueshirts.. some have only played a few games in the big league, while continuing to dominate the minor leagues, but I am curious what you all think about the following.
[b]Dawes[/b] - Small guy, but great hands. He's a pure goal scorer..
[b]Staal[/b] - Big guy, an offensive-defenseman from what I've read/seen... perh...
A lot of people seem to frequently ignore Florida. Tucked away down there, miles away from ice, snow, and some might even suggest fans. However, despite how easy it is to dismiss it because of location, they actually have the makings of a good team and an excellent shot and making the playoffs this year.
For one, their division remains one of the weakest in hocke...
So here it is, long-delayed and much fussed-over, the sequel to "Captain Crosby and the Penguins of Tomorrow." As an author's note, I'd like to thank everyone who's contributed a kind word or link to the first entry, including Seth Rorabaugh over at Empty Netters.
For the uninitiated, please read the first part of the script first.
Comments, as always, are welcome.
...
There is always a lack
when your teams under attack
because the defence are able to fly by
the pressure is thick
and the umberlla is set
and the powerplay is under way
a shot block is nice
when your protecting the net
the diamond position and collapsing D
are the recipe for who you need
oh yes indeed
we need the King of the Penalty Kill
Now its getting t...
I decided to put together my own My NHL Season Preview, please read and tell me your thoughts
I started with the Pacific Division
Phoenix Coyotes
First I have to say sorry to the fans of the Phoenix Coyotes, you will have the toughest of seasons to watch. Your team will have to play Anaheim, San Jose, and Dallas a total of 24 times. And you most likely propel Lo...
Hey there,
Well, this is my first post on Hockeybuzz and I think I should tell you all who I am and what I am going to blog about!
So, first off, I am a regular hockey fan (anyone suprised?) and not a hockey insider (...but i wish i was!). I'm your common "living room" DG that knows it all. Well, not to an extend that i will ask for a trade Murray - Sidney Crosby or ...
[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...
Now that Vokoun is with the Florida Panthers, will he suck?
I refer not to his admirable goalie skills, but to the welcome he will receive when the Panthers play Nashville this year.
As many of you know, we Preds fans have a charming way of welcome the starting lineup of opposing teams at the beginning of each game. As the names are announced, we gleefully yell "SUCK...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Getting right into the Downie thing:
-Yes, dirty hit
-Yes, deserves a suspension of at [b]LEAST[/b] five games
-Should Downie be banned for life or even 20 games? No.
Look at the replay closely. He doesn't lead with the elbow and honestly it's really borderline if he leaves his feet [b]BEFORE[/b] the contact. Based on Downie's past he deserves to not be treated...
We're reaching the stretch-run; it's time for Part 5 of my 6 part series on the new jerseys. So far, we've discussed the Northeast, Northwest, Atlantic, and Central divisions. My previous blogs can be found at the following links:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2499
http://...
Another season is upon us! Seems like only yesterday the Ducks were hoisting the Cup and I was licking my wounds as a Sens fan. But hope is renewed, as it is with the fans of all teams around the league, with the anticipation of a new season!.
Tonight, I wanted to give you my thoughts on a couple of teams (one from each conference) that may be able to surprise a few peop...
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...
First off, on my last blog, I lied. The Phoenix Coyotes are not just ready yet for a playoff run. After plenty of thought, I made my decisions. Before I go ranting on about how the season starts, let me publish here and now the season predictions I have going on:
Eastern Conference:
1) Ottawa
2) New York Rangers
3) Atlanta
4) Pittsburgh
5) Buffalo
6) Tampa Bay
...
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...
It is far too early to tell if the Columbus Blue Jackets are as improved as they claim they are, but Friday night's 4-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks is definitely a stepping stone.
Last season, the Jackets were often guilty (okay, very often) of playing for 40 minutes, sometimes less. They came out with fantastic energy and played in-your-face for two periods, and once t...
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...
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...
Ducks versus Wild tonight at 5pm PST at the Honda Center. I'll be there early for warm ups. Just in case.
"Should be a good old fashioned grudge match, so come on down. Bring the kids. There are still plenty of seats available at the War Memorial."
During game 5 of the Ducks v. Wild playoffs last season, the pregame action was gnarly. First off, the Wild were ...
Are we really ready to panic in Leaf land already? It seems to be the same old story, especially last night, where the defence continues to break down, third period leads are blown, and bad give aways that lead to penelties and to top it all off, everyone's favorite overpriced D-man McCabe puts in the OT winner on his own net with 3 seconds left. This left me in a sour m...
20 minutes. That's how much time the Penguins spent inside the penalty box. Ten penalties; 20 minutes. If you really break it down, we practically gave the Devils an extra period to work with.
Both teams combined for 5 powerplay goals, in this penalty-ridden game. The Penguins converted 3 times on 5 attempts, while the Devils were 2 for 7. All in all, a great perfo...
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 ...
Many writers have opined that the CBA is favorable to the owners, or favorable to the players, or favorable to no one. How many have actually taken the time to slog through all 475 pages of the current agreement? Don't worry. One need read only as far as the CBA Preamble. If what it states isn't true, then the integrity of the whole CBA is problematic. Frankly, it is prett...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers Week Ahead: Panthers and Lightning and Bruins...oh my
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_florida_panthers_1994.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_tampa_bay_lightning_1993.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_781.jpg[/img]...oh my
The 6-1, Atlantic Division leading Flyers take their game, from the homey confines of South Philadelphia, on the road fo...
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...
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...
After injuries to Spacek and Kalinin, the latter of whom could be out a month or more, the Sabres are considering signing 32 year old Nolan Pratt, according to two sources:
http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/193001.html
http://wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=2772
If Darcy Regier decides to sign Pratt, whom according to the above stories the Sabres were consid...
*** 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...
[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...
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...
The two best teams in the Pacific Division in this early NHL season faced off against each other Monday night. The "struggling" San Jose Sharks were at Dallas facing Marty Turco and the Stars.
The Sharks have only gotten a win when playing Turco 5 times out of the previous 25 games before tonight. Coming off their two "worst" games of the season, many were expecting San...
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...
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...
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...
That one word is all that's needed tonight.
The NHL wanted it. The NHL is closer than ever of getting it.
The NFL says it has it. Then it has the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Where do they fit under parity?
MLB says it has it. Then there's the Boston Red Sox.
NBA says it has it. Yet there's dynasty teams like the San Antonio Spurs.
It's ...
So far, the young season has provided many highlights for the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets, off to a franchise-record 8-4-2 start.
They have taken full-heartedly to Ken Hitchcock's structured mentality, and using their speed and forecheck to pressure opponents into turnovers. Vintage Ken Hitchcock hockey.
With a team as young as the Jackets, it is plausible to wond...
Yesterday the seasons seemed to change here in Pittsburgh straight from summer to winter, and this morning around Pittsburgh we saw our first snow on the ground. So with this change it also should be said that the Penguins showed a new face last night in defeating the Isles.
As I wrote yesterday, I felt that the game versus the Isles would show a different Penguins tea...
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...
Let me start off by saying that I have taken notice of Brewer's better puck handling skills as of late, but that does not translate tp playing the point on the power play. Unless he does the old Pronger trick, and heads down to screen the net minder then he's more of a risk factor than having a forward on the point.
There's no statistical data I'm aware of to back this...
As if it is some ambiguous meaning, the Panthers quite simply do not understand the word "team". If any successful team knows it, playing like a team gets you into the playoffs, well that and will power which the Panthers also lack.
It still amazes me on some nights when I turn on the game, I find myself with a huge headache. Watching what seems like any other ordinary ...
I wanted to wait until the Sabres were at least 20 games into the season before I started writing a blog. My feelings coming into this season were that the team would be fine without Chris and Danny, but that it was going to take about 20 games for them to find their way. I liked the make up of this roster, but knew that some changes would have to be made as the season ...
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...
Here we are again folks... Hurricanes vs. Flyers...
It's remarkable to think that for all the trades between these two teams in the past, only Rod Brind'amour, Justin Williams, and Sami Kapanen remain.
Now, with all do respect to Kapanen, who has transformed his game and is an excellent player in his own right, looking back I would wager to say that Carolina got th...
I spoke earlier of the kind of statement the Islanders could have made tonight by beating the Ottawa Senators. Well, they got the 'W' alright, mustering one hell of a collective effort all night long and pulling out a 3-2 shootout victory. But, in the end, the strongest statement of the evening was made by Mr. Rick DiPietro.
So what if Andrej Meszaros scored a couple of...
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. ...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/getsmartisles.jpg[/img]
The Isles came out to Atlanta with some pop to their step. Yet, it all turned around quickly when giveaways on the powerplay led to two shorthanded goals. Looking at a 3-1 Atlanta lead, instead of laying down to die, they tied it up. Yes, they lost the shootout, but got a point back instead of nothing due to bungli...
Don't look for me - [i]I'll be hiding[/i].
Another interesting night for yours truly coming up, as I'll attend my first Isles/Lightning game since taking over the Lightning team blogger position for hockeybuzz.com. (I'll be safely tucked away in a luxury suite, borrowing one of Ek's disguises, hiding my face for a plethora of reasons. I'm a pseudo-professional, people. ...
Why are the Ranger slowly falling in to the abyss?
Why aren't they mucking and grinding out anymore 2-0 games?
I'll tell you why cause [b]Sean Avery [/b]is out again after being hit by a team mates puck!
This Ranger team misses Sean Avery more than they would miss even [b]Jagr[/b]?
Ok, maybe not, but you never know!
He proved he was a spark plug and that he coul...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
There is no amount of tweaking and humor that will seem to carry across what I thought was a defining moment to the Islander season last night. Last night's game versus the Florida Panthers was a very important barometer to the Isles fortunes. After a slide, and then a game against the Thrashers they shou...
As I watched the game tonight, I finally got to see the real Kipper, and Vokoun was just as good. The two shared the spotlight with save after save. Kipper made 34 saves out of 35 shots. Meanwhile, Vokoun made 32 saves out of 33 for the Panthers in net.
The best period for the Panthers was the second period they pretty much took it to the Flames. They fired 13 shot...
After 29 games this season, the New York Islanders are just a game above .500, the sheer definition of mediocrity.
What's that sound you hear coming from Uniondale, you ask? That collective groan that echoes throughout Islander Nation?
It's the big, fat, "[i]Uggggggghhhhhh[/i]!" of being a fan of a perpetually mediocre hockey team. It's what we've come to expect fro...
Hawks Craze writes...
Overall look at the Blackhawks, after 3-1 loss to Florida
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It was an exciting weekend for fans throughout the NHL, but Chicago die-hards are feeling mixed emotions. Not only have we dropped 6 out of 7 games in December, our record doesn't appear to be improving. That is of course unless immediate changes are put into place by Head Coach Denis Savard.
Of course, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have stolen the spotlight in their ...
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...
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...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
No-Touch Icing - An Idea Whose Time is Long Past
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The offensive team is cycling the puck deep in the zone, the defenders are forced to react and hope for a miscue...the puck squirts free and the defender banks the puck off the side wall. From the minute the puck caroms off the boards, it looks questionable whether or not it will make it to the end line.
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_Delayed_...
The panthers walked down the hall to their dressing room after an admirable 4-5 win against the Carolina Hurricanes, Thursday December 20th. The Cats who came out in the 1st period slumping, pulled it together during the intermission and hunkered down for the rest of the game. It was a back and forth game the whole 3rd period, The Cat's would tally one, and then the next p...
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...
Consistency, hard work, more scoring, forechecking and pressure deep in the opponents zone. And please, please, please, play for a full 60 minutes! Alot to ask for? Well, I don't think so, but I have high expectations!
I want a playoff push that starts now by putting a string of wins together, and coming out of "The Gate" with some passion and purpose. The Panthers ...
saneopinion writes...
if a tree with a flames logo falls in the forest...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Does Mcgeough try to screw it??
Someone at sometime has to stand up, against the ridicule suffered by opponents and say, "Mick "blind Mcgoo" Mcgeough has to be let go. Too many times has this very patial referee made a games outcome in favour of a team not from from Alberta.
You know when the game starts and some one who you never met before says, "Uh-oh "Mcgoo" is...
Finally after 11 consectuive games dating back to November 2003 the Panthers get a win in Atlanta beating the Thrashers 5-3. Once again a solid performance by Tomas Vokoun leading the way with key saves when they were needed. It was also nice however to see Nathan Horton get on the scoreboard with 2 goals. Hopefully this will spark him going forward and get him out of t...
C J. Spacek
A J. Pominville
A A. Kotalik or J. Hecht
Spacek has turned into a complete player. he asked for more playing time and when lindy ruff gave it to him he responded by being the best defencemen on the team. he has had big hits and big goals in my opinion there is no one else that deserves this honor more then him.
Pominville has been on fire. hes scored 15...
The Florida Panthers start 2008 on the road, and that may actually be a blessing especially with their play of late. They blew a glorious opportunity with two home games recently that if they had won would have put them in a tie with Carolina for the division lead, and would have them in the 6th or 7th spot in the eastern conference.
The game against the Canadiens was ...
Once again a slow and rather sluggish start to a game and the Panthers fall behind unable to recover. I am not quite sure what causes this team to play with such sluggishness and lack of energy and or desperation. When playing the Devils it's fairly obvious that they try to control the game and keep things settled and then take advantage of a mistake or two and before yo...
As of last night, the four bottom slots in the eastern conference were held by teams in the Southeast division. Only the Carolina Hurricanes were in playoff position, and are running the risk of losing that position very quickly.
Every team in the division, with the exception of maybe Washington, is one or two pieces away from being a serious contender, but none can...
I feel for the Panthers. I just left 80 degree weather for over a week and come back to this weather. That foul wind this morning made me want to turn around and go home. Florida comes into this freezing stretch with a third loss in a row, last one coming from NJ last night. The Isles are looking for their six win in seven games. Wade Dubielewicz performed admirably and on...
Jassen Cullimore ripped a slapshot from the top of the left circle that blew past Rick DiPietro for the Panthers OT victory Thursday night! Cullimore aquired in late October to help provide some veteran leadership on defense has been playing extremely well of late and is one of the few Panthers players with a plus rating.
The former Lightning and Blackhawk defenseman ha...
Isles and Ricky lose to the Panthers in OT. But what becomes a bigger story is the pads the NHL confiscated from DP after the 1st period. DiPietro could face a 2 game suspension. But is it really such a big deal?
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/rickydipietropadsofdoom.jpg[/img]
[b]NHL Rule 11.8: a goalkeeper who plays with equipment that has not been inspected and ...
I will be brief, but to the point. I did not watch the Panthers game against Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon. I however did see the hightlights, or low lights if you will, and read the sunday paper. Once again a slow start did the Panthers in and in no time they were trailing 2-0.
Tomas Vokoun was again vocally frustrated saying that his teammates keep doing the same t...
The Buffalo Sabres D Core is soft.... I know alot of people are going to not like what was just said but its true. the only one thats doing their job is Spacek. They dont hit and play a finese defence. players are allowed to go right in on goal and do what they please. Please get me a player that clears the front of the net.
Lydman and Tallinder are shadows of their old...
The midseason is upon us as is the New Year. The Panthers found themselves in a great position a couple weeks ago to potentially tie for first in the division and make some headway in the conference standings only to once again let it slip away and make every game seem like there is no room for error. I did not think at the beginning of the year that they had enough to m...
A quick energetic start is needed tonight as the Panthers face off against Crosby and the Penguins. Whatever problems that have caused the inconsistenly lately hopefully have been addressed and we will see a rejuvinated group tonight.
If there is any hope of getting to the playoffs the Panthers need to get themselves on a roll now!
Jacques Martin had met with every pl...
Another loss to Pittsburgh this time on home ice where the Panthers have now lost 4 in a row and 8 of 10 since November. They have also lost 5 of their last 6 games. Just a couple weeks ago we were pretty excited about the way they were playing and that first place was actually within reach. What a difference a few games make. This game started out badly with the P...
John Jaeckel writes...
Hawks trade aging Swedish d-man for future superstar
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Not really.
Well, maybe.
Yes, yesterday, Dale Tallon continued his stockpiling of draft picks in exchange for the Hawks' wretched refuse, picking up a 7th round pick from Florida for Magnus Johansson.
Last night I watched tape of the Hawks' AHL farm team, the Western Division leading Rockford Ice Hogs, playing the Lake Erie Monsters. The Hogs' talent has basicall...
[b]The next 3 games for Colorado should prove very interesting: Car on Sat, Fla on Sun, and TB on Tues. Not only are all 4 teams, including Col, slumping (or are just down-right awful right now) but I believe Col has the potential to make a trade with any of these three teams.
From Col's end there are few untouchables and the names going remain Liles, Svatos, one of ou...
Well, according to the master of all things European hockey, Bill Meltzer, Peter Forsberg will be skating at full tilt within two to three weeks and says this is the last chance for a comeback.
Forsberg's name has bounced around a bit, but all indications are that he will rejoin the Philadelphia Flyers if he decides to continue his NHL career. Assuming that comes to fru...
Catfan912 writes...
Colorado sinks Panthers', Trying To Claw Up The Standings
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With a frustrating shootout loss against the Colorado Avalanche, that only adds another game to the loss category, and only further frustrates the team. The Panthers were recently accused of not trying hard enough to win their games, because as we all know, although they have raw talent, they can't just win games with a mediocre effort. They gave it their all against ...
Scoring has become one of the major weaknesses with the Florida Panthers recently. Yes they did score 3 goals against Tampa, and yes they did score 3 goals against Colorado. They still lost both games. The point that I am trying to make is that we don't have enough scoring when we need it. The Panthers are losing alot of games by one goal. It seems as though the ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Simon Gagne: Back With A Vengeance - Flyers vs Panthers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_banner8.jpg[/img]
Sometime after the end of last season, after the Ducks had hoisted Lord Stanley's hardware, the Flyers braintrust sat down and tried to come up with a slogan to re-energize the hockey faithful of the Delaware Valley.
Paul Holmgren and Peter Luukko had just pulled off one of the most tremendous...
If you thought that Tuesday nights win over the Carolina Hurricanes, would continue on a winning note for the Toronto Maple Leafs, don't count on it. Sure, they play a great game tonight but that doesn't mean that they will continue down this path.
Lets face it, the Leafs are an abysmal hockey team these days. The Leafs have pulled off wins in 3 games out of the last 1...
Well, last night I said tonight’s game was almost a must win game. You get two solid efforts at home versus two central division rivals, and have one game remaining at home (Canucks) before the all-star break. Tonight was a key win, Pazzy played good as usual. Russell is finding his form, and Methot has looked solid since he played with us last year.
Brassard’s pla...
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...
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 ...
Well wow...not much to say about last nights horrible performance against the lightning, nothing was working, no matter what line combo Paddock put out, there just seemed to be zero chemistry. Im not sure what happens to this team when playing a bottom end team, they just completely no show...Now I know the injury situation makes it tough (take the top 2 scorers out from a...
The Capitals' win over Florida last night moved them to .500, the same exact winning percentage of the top teams in the Southeast Division. Atlanta, Carolina, and Washington each have a point per game, but only the Caps are moving in the right direction.
Bruce Boudreau puts the Capitals .500 record into perspective -- the way we've come to expect from the coach who seem...
What has gotten into Johan Holmqvist as of late? Back to back shutouts against the high-powered Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators? On the road?
Maybe one can credit the addition of Kari Ramo into the equation. No longer can Holmer expect mediocrity in the form of Marc Denis to be competing for his job. Kari is young, hungry and wants it, something that Denis had n...
TheMike12 writes...
Who are you, and what have you done with the Senators..
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Ive been watching the last 5 Sens games and noticed some people, skating around, i Ottawa Senators Uniforms, but...wait..something isn't right...this cant be MY Ottawa senators, this isn't the Team I love so much???the REAL senators don't drop a 5-3 loss to the FLORIDA PANTHERS who are these imposter's...and what have they done MY SENATORS!!!
Another game against what I...
[img:left]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20061107/DionPhaneuf_43250.jpg[/img]
The idea that Darryl Sutter, the GM of the Calgary Flames and one of the most intelligent, well-rounded and respected GM's in the entire National Hockey League trading away All-Star and possible future Norris Trophy winning defense man Dion Phaneuf is one of the most preposterous rumor...
Finishing with 3 wins and 2 losses. Could have been two wins, with three losses. Or four wins and one loss. But, we finished 3-2. Winning two in a row, and both could have just as easily been losses.
Ugly games.. you gotta win them. Unless you don’t wanna make the playoffs. If you don’t wanna make the playoffs, lose the ugly games, I don’t care. The Jackets are ma...
[b]The road ahead for the Blue Jackets doesn't get much easier[/b]. Following what could have been this year's most disappointing loss (at home to Phoenix), the Jackets pack their bags and head down to Darth Vader's lair. True, the Blue Jackets ended their 12-game losing streak to the Predators in Nationwide Arena on January 12, but playing in Nashville has been an entirel...
Enjoy my friends.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
hambly writes...
NHL Players To Strike in Support of Sidney Crosby's Ankle
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[i]Disclaimer: This news piece is not-entirely-factual and is for entertainment purposes only![/i]
[img:left]http://phasezero.ca/img/news/crosby.jpg[/img] TORONTO, ON - The NHL Players Association has decided to strike until Sidney Crosby's sprained ankle recovers. "The players see no reason to play the game until Sidney's ankle returns to the ice," Paul Kelly, NHLPA E...
Dear Mr Peter Forsberg,
Let me first introduce myself. I am the nice lady who smiles and loves to take pictures at Flyers practices and games. I am a Flyers die hard but don't hold that against me.
Mr Forsberg, the reason I am writing this letter today is that I would like you to remove Philadelphia from the list of teams that you are considering signing with in t...
[b]The Blue Jackets suffered yet another humiliating defeat tonight.[/b] This time, it was the red-hot Washington Capitals who rallied from 2-0 and late 3-2 deficits to win in overtime, 4-3.
Alex Ovechkin scored the overtime winner at 2:28, and added the Caps' first goal of the night. Backup Brent Johnson shook off a rough start and carried the Capitals into overtime, m...
Sitting up in the 300 level for a sabres game at the HSBC arena lets you see everything. When Richard Zednik was hit in the neck with a skate out of the corner of my eye i caught Ryan Miller and Brian Campbell waving there hands and what looked like them to be yelling their heads off for a trainer to get to Zednik ASAP. Earlier in the night Miller had called for the refere...
I have a first hand account on Zednik's incident. It was terrifying from the other end (section 108). Though, a nice decision by Zednik to 'sprint' of the ice to make trainers' jobs a LITTLE easier (again, kudos to the trainers from both sides) and within a few seconds, all I could see is a trail of blood from the right circle in Miller's end all the way to the Florida...
Just read a report on WGRZ.com in Buffalo, NY that Richard Zednik has been upgraded to Good Condition and will be moved from ICU to a private room sometime this afternoon. I am thrilled to hear that news and wish him and his family the best!
-Sabrestalker
I'm going to be doing a series of these, with a new team each day.
Today we look at the Dallas Stars, who continue their search for a scoring winger to play with Modano. This search has been ongoing for years with very little success.
In the offseason the Stars tried very hard for Jason Blake and Slava Kozlov, only to lose out on both. The Stars hoped to get their wi...
Short and not so sweet this week.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
Florida Panthers are the next team on my list. There are a lot of positive signs in Florida. The Panthers do have a chance of making the playoffs; we are in the South-East Division, anything can happen. The teams are all equally good, or equally bad, depending on your point of view.
I like the Panthers because they have a good core of young players. They have a solid ...
Recently there’s been a lot of talk about having goaltenders wear special jerseys with advertisements on them. When I first heard this idea I reacted like most hockey fans did, my initial reaction was I’ll believe it when I see it. I assumed that this was just another one of the NHL’s brain dead ideas hoping to increase revenues. I couldn’t possible have seen the N...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603974466895/
First Thank you To Jessica for going with me tonight. It was fun catching up.
Second HI to all the Peep, Kristin, Theresa, HF, TFF, Brooke and Karen (thanks for the Phantoms game Updates live from Hershey).
Right now I probably should not be typing this blog I made a personal rule for myself that aft...
The HB Chat room is a very interesting place visited by very interesting people. Friday Feb 15, Things got a little punchy, and the latest Peter Forsberg drama had finally gotten to us all.
It all started with an innocuous comment linking Forsberg's negotiations to a soap opera. And then, things went horribly, horribly wrong....
Welcome to "As the Foppa Turns"
Day...
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...
Look, sports are a business. I don't care how classy Sundin and Kaberle are because they "love their city", or any of the other 17,000 players that seem to have NTCs in the NHL, but what ever happened to a GM being able to manage their team?
The NTC gives a player too much leverage. Boo hoo you don't want to be traded, well then, stop sucking! If you want to earn that m...
Ok, so I worked for the first time in over a decade on deadline day. Fortunately, I had all the deals sent via text message to me, so I didn't miss anything except the normal glass of Jameson's with one cube and a splash of water and being able to sit around all day in my underwear and not have the wife complain.
Anyhow, I am going to offer some thoughts on the trades:...
Like all trades, yesterday's Lightning/Stars swap primarily involving Brad Richards and Mike Smith will need some time before any fair evaluation can truly be made. Bolts GM Jay Feaster is putting himself on the line in bringing in yet another goalie to fill the seemingly "unfillable" void left when Nikolai Khabibulin departed after capturing the Stanley Cup in 2004. Many ...
NYIsles16 writes...
NYI: Post Deadline Thoughts on the NYI and Other Deals
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So here we are, February 27th, and the trade-deadline has come and gone. The anticipation is over and we can freely analyze every move that was made, or not made. As always, there is much criticism on Long Island, including some radicals going as far as saying that Garth Snow should be fired and shipped off the Island immediately. Before I analyze the Islanders and why Gar...
For the third time this season, last night a team played the Flyers in Philadelphia immediately before or after firing their coach. Just two weeks into the season, the [b]Atlanta Thrashers[/b] dismissed [b]Bob Hartley[/b] after falling to the Flyers, 4-0, for an 0-6 start. On November 23rd, the [b]Washington Capitals[/b] edged the Flyers, 4-3 in OT, immediately after [b]Gl...
We, for the most part, are on the final turn to the yearly horse race of the NHL. This is where either riders and horses pick it up, or fall away into the pack. Right now, the Isles are fading into the pack.
The Flyers had their tough spot a couple games back. A freefall that has them climbing out with now 3 straight wins (i should have been clearer in my yesterdays bl...
[i]"I think the most frustrating thing is letting four points slip away this weekend"
- Mike Comrie[/i]
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .
There is a line that succinctly embodies a weekend of festivities and games which I had miss seeing in person. Apologies to those who were hoping to meet me there at the Blog Box. My next date there is at...
Islanders vs. Rangers
Many fans on both sides have been waiting for this re-match. I remember 2 years ago when they decided to have each team play their division rivals 8 times a piece, how excited I was knowing that meant 8 Islander-Ranger games a year. I just can't get enough of these games.
Regardless of playoff positions these games seem to fire up both teams, th...
[b]
Peter Forsberg returned to the Avalanche lineup last night, MUCH to the delight of the home crowd who rose to their feet in appreciation of all he has done and in hopes of what he will do in the future.
There was a lot of hype leading up to this game, mainly because we were all waiting to hear if he when he would actually play his first game for the Avs. Peter hims...
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...
We all know there is a slight rumble behind the scenes between GM Garth Snow and coach Ted Nolan. The discrepancy of DP's status/sitting. Perhaps even the moving of Simon. Sure, an eyebrow or two got raised. But to construe any rumble as the beginnings of large discord seems to be premature. TSN did not help as last night, the braintrust of Bob MacKenzie (who I do love), a...
Alright, so with 10 games left in the season and Sundin possibly on the shelf for at least one game, this is how I figure things will come down. I have read the predictions. Everyone thinks the Leafs will miss, all be it slightly, but still miss the playoffs for a franchise first 3rd straight year. I believe the common oppinion is a 9th place finish. CBC is cancellin...
Last night's 6-3 Hawk victory in Columbus was gratifying for a few reasons: snapping a 4-game losing streak, keeping the club's faint playoff hopes alive and icing an intriguing new set of lines.
First of all, no surprise, neither Nikolai Khabibulin nor Marty Havlat were in the line-up. More on that in a moment.
Last night's first three lines were:
Ladd-Toews-Byfu...
After watching tonight's 7-4 win over Tampa Bay, I am convinced of one thing:
The Buffalo Sabres are schizophrenic.
The Sabres managed just two - that's right, two - shots on goal while giving up a pair of second-period goals to one of the worst teams in the league (last in the Eastern Conference with 66 points, or 15 points behind the Sabres). They left the ice fo...
I just wanted to get some feedback from the Fishstick squad. All jokes aside it was nice to team up with my foes last week or so. With the Islanders and Rangers going to war a few of us had to inform the world just how intense the battles are. After seeing the Rangers/Devils last night, god it's great being a hockey fan in the NY area. Hats off to you who took the time...
Ok.
Ovechkin hit 60 goals with 6 games left.
Cool.
Now we can all relax. He's juiced the most he possibly could have out of this season.
C'mon, am I right??
Nope!
So, heres how I look at it. Ovechkin is the top scorer since the lockout. He's the best goal scorer, statistically, since Mario Lemieux put up 69 goals in 1995-96. But thats only so far. Could, hypothetical...
D-Man Michael Funk has been sent back to Rochester. Nathan Paestch is ready to return to the lineup.
Who would you rather have in the lineup Patches or The Funky Cold Medina?
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...
Look back at this year's trade deadline and some of the players who were moved. Hossa to Pittsburgh. Campbell to San Jose. Richards to Dallas. Huet and Federov to Washington. Cam Janssen to St. Louis (just kidding).
How about if I told you that a minor move at the deadline that went well under the radar has had a bigger impact than any of those?
The Flyers have ...
I'm already nervous about the game tonight.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
Have a great weekend
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 ...
I played in a tournament this weekend called the Wally Cup in Fort Erie, On. In our last game today we had a surprise opponent. Buffalo Sabre Dan Paille played on the other team. We were all shocked. You could really tell that he was going easy, he played defense and didn't take a shot. But he did make a couple amazing passes. I got my Picture taken with him after the game...
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, ...
If this rumor of the Rangers exploring the possibility of brining Jay Bouwmeester to NY progresses, than I just want to get some feed back for both fan bases. I think the deal makes a lot of sense for both teams. The Panthers could use some young depth players to mesh with their young rising core. I would hate to loose him but Florida could ask for Brandon Dubinky wh...
CaptPantalones writes...
Buffalo fans (and Florida too), would you do this?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
According to Eklund, theres a chance that the Florida Panthers may be making Jay Bowmeester available. He is in RFA who could command about 5.5 mil on the market. The Sabres have not had a true Number 1 d-man since the days of Mike Ramsey.
With the glut of forwards the Sabres have, especially on the wings, I propose this deal:
Jay Bouwmeester for Jason Pominville.
...
I've talked to some people in the Canucks Organization , and I had a brief talk with Former Canucks General Manager Pat Quinn. He was approached by Gilles Last week to take a Position as an Assistant Coach , 3rd slot.
Quinn has been interviewed by Senators General Manager Bryan Murray and Atlanta General Manager Don Waddel.
Apparently , he also spoke with Edmonton O...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Teams Overpaying Free-Agents? This Is Just The Beginning
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The question comes into play during every off-season. Every signing is accompanied by speculation, more so on price than talent itself. After last off-season saw Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Scott Gomez land contracts worth over $7 million per year, the question will be asked even more and the speculation will be even more intense. As we all know, though many like to “...
millertime writes...
Sabres should consider big offer to acquire Jokinen
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Olli Jokinen could be just what the Buffalo Sabres need.
While everyone is focused on Buffalo's biggest, glaring needs this offseason - at defense and back-up goalie, with the forwards stocked up - the Sabres should do all in their power to acquire O.J.
When I read that Florida is looking for a first round pick and two young players, my interest intensified. Buffalo...
First off... Initial thoughts are that there were a lot of winners in this years draft and not a whole lot of losers.
#1 Winner - Tampa Bay - but that is obvious
#2 Winner - LA - Doughty and the trade up to get Colten Teubert at the 12 spot makes their D very scary in the coming years.
Teams that I thought did very well for themselves aside from those teams is To...
Looking into the Panthers draft day move that brought in two more young defenseman,they may be gearing up for a deal. With Jay Bouwmeester's status as an RFA the Panthers may be smelling a huge offer sheet or looking into dealing his rights for a new team to hammer out a contract. I was surprised they moved Jokinen for a deal involving two more D-men,but they may be co...
ESPN analyst Barry Melrose will be introduced as the Tampa Bay Lightning's new head coach at a news conference Tuesday.
Melrose has been an ESPN analyst full-time since 1996. He had previously worked as a studio analyst for ESPN's Emmy Award-winning 1994 Stanley Cup playoff coverage and for ESPN and ESPN2 during the 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Melrose was the he...
So if these latest reports hold water, I will officially want to quit my job and stand in front of all local media outlets looking for a gig. My blog a few months ago had Mats Sundin on the list and many people felt that NY was not in the mix. Now the NY Post has expressed that the Rangers are his first choice to land this summer. If the Rangers are kicking the tires on ...
Patrick Roy's biography called "Patrick Roy: Winning, Nothing Else" will be in stores Ocotber 10 this year. The book written by Michel Roy is in English language and consists of 416 pages. The product description reads as follows
[quote][i]In the early 1970s, a young Patrick Roy laced up his hockey skates for the very first time, like thousands of other kids. Thirty years...
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...
Tampa so far wins the "Offseason Award". After adding a former Phoenix Scout the club stepped up and added much needed support on the wings. They not only brought in Ryan Malone,but added some extra veteran leadership with Gary Roberts.If people think that Malone had career year playing with Malkin,wait till he gets his shot to play with Vinny! I still can't imagine ho...
The Ricky Deez one man show! This looks like it will be a rough one. If we add Weight it will be great (was that like "if the glove doesn't fit".....?). He is a vet presence that will help Neilsen develop and it would give us a secondary threat down the middle. Bailey with Comrie and 2 others a few years from now, we will need someone else over the next couple to step in. ...
Drive for Five writes...
'Streit' Jackets on sale now in the Islanders Store
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://nycya.com/5/images/streitjacket.jpg[/img]
With the recent signing of former Canadiens defenseman Mark Streit, what better way to make a buck off of the fans you've driven completely insane? The Islanders 'Streit' Jacket is here just in time to protect you from yourself and others. Yours for the low price of $71.08, to commerate the signing date of our new powe...
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....
Its been quite interesting the past few days and I am quite excited that trades seem to be back. YAY!
[b]Leafs: [/b]I've noticed that alot of people HATE the moves that the leafs have made so far. And I cannot fully understand why. While I do agree that the leafs paid a fair bit for Finger and Hagman I don't think it has a negative effect on what the leafs are trying ...
I'm going to begin by saying I'm quite excited for the upcoming season and I really like the moves made by Jim Rutherford to retool the team and it's defence. The Canes have a new look, a few solid prospects, and this is the first season that I can remember where the primary news about the Hurricanes is not about the financial situation.
That said, how different are the...
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...
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...
The mystery surrounding the resigning of Restricted Free Agent Ryane Clowe continues. As the summer drags on, no news comes forth about his status. We were led to believe from published reports that he had a "gentelmen's" agreement with Doug Wilson at the end of last season. The only outstanding issue had been length on contract as reported. So what is up? Since no news is...
Thanks to Brett Favre, Cowboys' training camp, and the [b][u][i]Texas Rangers actually still in the playoff hunt[/i][/u][/b], there is very little news about the STARS to report!
According to Mike Heika from the Dallas Morning News ... Les Jackson has told him that the STARS will not contact Mark Parrish about playing for Dallas this season. Apparently they are too clo...
goblades writes...
Soultion to Panthers: Return to 1996 Hardwork and Chemistry
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
So lately been thinking, why not give this blogging a try so I want to take a shot at it and will try to stick something up periodically, and possibly even on a weekly basis. So a quick little bit about myself, I have been a Panther and NHL fan since 1993 (Yup before they even had players), though have lived in the vast province of Saskatchewan. I like to think I have a pr...
Ok well taking out my charming lil wheel again and seeing what team it lands on for me to give a run down on .
So on to the spin
..... Tampa Bay it is.
Ok as with my other blog i will give a run down on the ,Offence , defence and goaltending. Once more if i get anything wrong or something doesn't look right , remeber these teams I'm writing on are not teams i am ho...
In my first ever Hockeybuzz blog entry, I would like to look on the first five NHL Entry Drafts of the new millenium. I tried to list ten best picks from these years. This list doesn't mention neither Sid Crosby or Alex Ovechkin and others. Those aren't good picks, they are obvious picks. Rather, I have focused on the later rounds of draft and the giant pool of talent that...
The past 24 hours have showed a lot of progress and speculation with regards to the Meszaros contract negotions. I'm going to write the two sides opinions(or at least what we know) and my opion of who is right, and than you can comment your opinion.
[b][i][u]Murrary: Bryan murray would like to have Meszaros back. He would prefer to have MEszaros on a short term contract...
Today's headlines as we head into the new NHL season:
[b]Marian Gaborik and The Crystal Groin[/b]
Can a young star overcome all odds and finally remain healthy?
[b]Thunderstruck[/b]
Tampa Bay has made a lot of thunder, but is there any lightning?
[b]General Hospital[/b]
Peter Forsberg. (Need I say more?)
[b]Leafs Suck[/b]
again.
[b]The Mighty Pacific[/...
On October 8, 2007, I wrote that the Phoenix Coyotes would win the Pacific Division. The blog is linked below. I really didn't believe it at the time - I wrote it more as a knock against the perennial favorite Sharks, Stars and Ducks. All three of those teams were mired in an early season of mediocrity and it was frustrating to watch these three lose to the Blackhawks, ...
hockeyfan89 writes...
3 stars for the Habs/What's to be done about Pacioretty?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 16
Well I had the rare treat of watching a Detroit -Montreal game last night . Each team didn't play their full rosters yet , but it was still a fantastic game.
Three players stood out for me last night who I think were the 3 stars for the Habs . Alexie Kovalev , Carey Price and Max Pacioretty.
First Alexie. Kovalev last night brought his full bag of tricks and was show...
Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk has said that European expansion is "...Happening, it's going to happen". He also added that he's in favor of it.
Granted the response was overwhelming-which is exactly what I'd expect. It's not as if Sweden doesn't have a rich hockey heritage of it's own, and a chance to see NHL teams certainly would be a very popular event.
The problems,...
Tampa Bay gets:
Krajicek: A solid D-man who should develop further into a serviceable top 4 defenseman, Krajicek was a good bonus in the Luongo theivery. However he was sloppy and expendable by Vancouver. Let's face it, when it comes to moving assets, the Canucks D-corps is the way to go, but 3 of their top 6 have no trade clauses. Tampa got a guy who can log better...
Over this summer and much of last season there has been a great debate on how to turn the Leafs around. Everyone has an idea and everyone has an opinion. Finally after much of the same over the past few seasons the Leafs admitted that they had to stop, slow down and rebuild a very proud and storied franchise. Quick fixes have not worked. Every good team in the NHL has rebu...
The Philadelphia Flyers surprised everyone last year with a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and there are a lot of people in Philadelphia who expect more of the same this year. Hell, with the Phillies' season coming to a close shortly (satisfyingly or otherwise) and the Eagles playing awfully at the Linc, the Flyers are going to feel the weight of the city on their ...
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/politics/Palin_to_throw_out_puck_Saturday_night_.html
Politics and Sports are mixing again. I am not a fan of this at all. Politics should stay out of the Sports arena.
I hope they boo her!!!
onemoreastronaut writes...
Honestly, I was excited for the start of the season, really.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I was so excited for the start of this hockey season. Why exactly I cannot say. Season opening the last few years ever since the lockout has been an event I've barely noticed.
Tonight, however, a mild ankle sprain kept me out of the lineup for my rec floor hockey game, which was ok, because the temptation of the raising of Detroit's Stanley Cup banner, the Wings-Leafs g...
So you tuned in to see Stamkos and he only plays 6 minutes, huh? Well, this is why:
I hate to admit it, but he looks a little scared out there. Maybe not scared, but timid. You cant always have the puck in open ice, flying through the neutral zone. He hasn't won battles against the boards, he makes nervous decisions with the puck in his own end, he gets knocked off the ...
Well what can I say about this game. I feel it was a snoozer and it felt like neither team could find any type of rythem. Kaspars goal was nice to watch, poor guy didn't even know it was a goal until a good 5 seconds after it went in.
So the pluses I saw in this game:
I can feel comfy with Mr Backup in goal. Boucher had a good game and was right on when he complai...
First off, I would like to mention the tragic death of Avangard Omsk forward and New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov. His premature death is devastating to his friends, family and the hockey community. It is a shame that someone with so much potential was not able to fulfill it. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Cherepanov family on the loss of the boy who was,...
Rob McGowan writes...
Tiger Tips: Parrish Plays With Tigers, Not the Islanders?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 720
The Islanders traded away Mark Parrish along with Brent Sopel to the LA Kings a few years back in return for Jeff Tambellini and Denis Grebeshkov. That year he missed a chunk of the season to a high ankle sprain but in 57 games with the Islanders he managed to put up 24 goals and 41 points, contributing as one of our more consistent forwards despite him being one of the st...
The Sabres are back in action tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are looking to rebound from their pathetic perfomance aginst the Senators.
How the Teams Stack Up:
[b]Power Play[/b]
Buffalo: 21.6% - 7th in the league
Tampa Bay: 10.8% - 29th in the league
[b]Penalty Kill[/b]
Buffalo: 90.2% - 4th in the league
Tampa Bay: 84.3% - 11th in the league
...
I can't say that every Isles fan wanted a youth movement, but close to the majority did. The result thus far has been tough games with blown leads, merciful losses, and pounding headaches, but I hate to say it, this is what we asked for.
This is not a bad thing. It is what's to be expected. I'll admit, I myself was making those typical claims of 'trade this guy' or 'bri...
On a busy Thursday evening in the NHL an early season quirk in scheduling saw the leagues four bottom feeders come together in what could be glibly dubbed the battle for the wooden spoon. Of course none of the four teams entering their respective pre-thanksgiving matchups would be playing without designs on a playoff place with seventy or so games remaining. Indeed the fur...
After signing a 11-year, $85-million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lecavalier believed he would be happy in Tampa Bay for the rest of his career.
However, everything changed later during the summer as Barry Melrose became the new head coach of the Lightning after a 13-year hiatus away from an NHL bench.
After yesterday's loss to the Red Wings, the ...
The Tampa bay Lightning have fired Barry Melrose because of a bunch of overpaid, whining, pretty boys who didn't like being called out for making EXTREME amounts of money and being LAZY.
This is a sad day for hockey. Melrose demanded his players skate hard every shift. He stated that they are an incredibly talented team, but that gets you nothing if you don't work har...
The Habs' powerplay needs a shake-up.
Going from 3rd in the league in 07-08 (24.1% on the PP) to 22nd this season (18.6% on the PP) is unacceptable.
While the offensive presence of Mark Streit is missed, the Habs still own some talented offensive defenseman to fill the void. At the moment, however, experiments in the form of Alex Tanguay continue to fail. Tanguay bel...
Due to injuries and poor play, the Avs have made a change. It is a small change but one for the future. They put an "A" on the jersey of Paul Stastny.
Since made this club two years ago out of training camp, we knew he was the future. He was the guy to take the reigns from Joe Sakic. He was going to take this club into the forseeable future. What has this done?
In tw...
FLAMESTR writes...
Flames Blank Rangers Kipper is Perfect but Adam is a Monster
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames played their best defensive game of the of the season. Kipper was outstanding, kicking out all 31 shots. Now you may say it sounds like Kipper stole the game, but the defense really did limit the scoring chances. The forwards really came back to help the defense. When the forwards do their part in the defensive zone, this team can be successful. The best...
Jarome Iginla beat the St Louis Blues tonight. Immediately after he scored the first goal of the game off his elbow (maybe the weirdest goal he has ever scored), Iginla dominated the Blues shift after shift. Winning battles, sharp accurate passes and one laser “Patented Leg Kick” Iggy snap shot over the shoulder of Blues goalie Chris Mason proved to the world again tha...
1. 14 Goal scorers after the first 2 games.
2. Jamie Benn's hat trick.
3. John Tavares with 2 goals and 2 assists.
4. Canada ties all-time highest shutout goal total with 15.
5. Jamie Benn's unbelievably unselfish assist on Tyler Ennis' PP goal.
6. Ryan Ellis playing an incredible point shot position.
7. Chris DiDomenico's hands and cycling skills.
8. Goaltending is...
B.D. Gallof writes...
HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES: Why Are There Two Set Of Rules?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
When Mike Sillinger made his return from surgery, he was tested on a Bridgeport stint. The Isles were careful, applying the use of a conditioning stint to do just that, condition a player to the rigors of the AHL as a prelude to a return to the faster, stronger NHL. Bridgeport was then used for Jeff Tambellini to just to gain confidence, under the same idea. It is a tool f...
Slasher98 writes...
Pacioretty And Gorges; a Look at Craig Rivet's Trade By Bob
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://bleacherreport.com/images_root/image_pictures/0174/5572/75061_feature.jpg[/img]
On February 25 2007, the Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman Craig Rivet and a 5th round selection in 2008 to the San Jose Sharks for young defenseman Josh Gorges and a 1st round selection in 2007 (Max Pacioretty).
Now a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Rivet helped the Sharks go...
[img]http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04S17sY9DY0lo/610x.jpg[/img]
All right grumpy Rangers fans, its time to start pulling on those belts because another stretch run is about to begin and its shaping up to be a doozy. Yes, the Rangers aren't the perfect team, and they have been criticized about their flaws more often than a teenager at a dermatologist.
But in al...
The title is very broad. What I am really asking is who is better right now, this season in your opinion. You cannot directly compare Elias and Parise overall for various reasons. Patrik Elias has played in the NHL over a decade, where he has competed in the "old" and "new" NHL, whereas this is Parise's fourth NHL season, all of which he has played in the post-lockout era....
Something's happening in Florida. They're winning. In their last ten games, the Florida Panthers have an impressive 6-2-2 record, and have been flip-flopping between seventh and tenth in the Eastern Conference, and 2nd and 3rd place in the Southeast Division. The Panthers currently have an above .500 record of 23-18-8, and in their surge through the standings, have defeate...
Another loss.
2 more points that we can't get back.
Another win by the 8th place Panthers, who have 3 more points than us and two games in hand.
Oh sure, we play the Panthers 3 more times this year, which means we can make up some of those points head to head, right?
At this point, we would have to win all three of those games, just to get 3 points ahead of Flo...
There is speculation-a-plenty around the league lately, as is the usual case in the days approaching the trade deadline.
With this at the fore-front of most discussions in NHL circles, I figured I'd put together a general compilation of what I figure each team will be doing between now and the deadline.
I figure I'll do this in segments, starting with the top-heavy S...
Check out Saturday's scoreboard...
Panthers...7-2 losers to the Devils
Sabres...2-0 losers to the Islanders
Hurricanes...5-3 losers on 4 goals by the Thrashers in the 3rd period
Aside from the Rangers crushing a reeling Avalanche team 6-1, just about everything that could go right for the Penguins did go right for the Penguins.
Tomorrow the Pens face a Dallas St...
And yet, so accurate.
I freaking HATE the Flyers.
This isn't your garden-variety hate, like your 8 year old who hates peas.
It's a deep-seated hatred, as in when the Flyers plane crashes at the end of my block on their way out of Buffalo, I immediately run down to the end of my block to: A....make sure it really happened, and B.....dance on the wreckage.
And ye...
Obviously not literally......but it kind of feels that way.
This Sabres team that looked to have found themselves last week in wins over the Canadiens and Coyotes has looked nothing like a playoff team in the last two outings. They've fallen to four points out of eighth place, currently held by tonight's opponent, the Florida Panthers. And with each of the teams ahead...
(I apologize for the title, I like the lame ones, what can I say?)
July 1st and onward should be marked with an abundance of quality signings, but I'm hoping the Toronto Maple Leafs invest in a minor signing that could pay major dividends. Colton Orr is the perfect enforcer for the Leafs, let's bring him to Toronto, Brian Burke!
While Andre Deveaux has proved to be a...
So, here we are. The draft is coming up, and the Blues sit with a plethora of capable defensemen, and not so much offensive pure scoring depth. I think we can all agree one more potent scorer would put this team over the top. Tampa Bay sits at the #2 pick, and are seeking some high caliber defensemen in exchange for the #2 (or Lecavalier, for that matter).
The Island...
Rewind a year to Ottawa, when interim GM Cliff Fletcher was preparing to make his last great splash. Trading up to secure hard hitting blueliner Luke Schenn, a player unto which the Leafs hoped to bank their revival, set in motion a summer of upheaval paving the way for Brian Burke to step in mid-season. For many the draft of 2008 marked an era of realization, that change ...
Ray Emery. Say that name since Comcast Sportsnet's Tim Panaccio broke the news that it's almost a done deal that Sugar Ray is headed to the Flyers and Flyers fans have recoiled like Dracula from garlic. There have even been people who say the thought of Emery in Orange and Black makes them sick.
I am stupefied at this reaction. The Flyers have a history of rolling the ...
Ray Emery. Say that name since Comcast Sportsnet's Tim Panaccio broke the news that it's almost a done deal that Sugar Ray is headed to the Flyers and Flyers fans have recoiled like Dracula from garlic. There have even been people who say the thought of Emery in Orange and Black makes them sick.
I am stupefied at this reaction. The Flyers have a history of rolling the ...
Most Devils fans would like a coach who could stay for 5-6 years behind the bench without Lou firing them or quiting because they are "home sick." There are a few coaching opions who are overlooked that would make good choices. I do not want Lemaire back, he didnt work out for the Wild, I do not want him to come here. Sorry Devils fasn who wanted him back.
Pat Burns: B...
I have read a lot of comments lately...many unhappy "non Penguin" fans out there.
A lot of them are angry at Sid for the "Handshake Debacle".
Honestly...I think Sid should have been at the front of the line and he wasn't. Shame on him for that. He was clearly too caught up in the moment.
Do I think he PURPOSEFULLY skipped certain players...NO. I do think he should...
I've been a hockey fan since the Panthers first season. The '96 Cup run is always going to be considered my favorite batch of memories, watching them take on the Bruins and then surprise both Philly and the Pens to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup.
"Panther fans should enjoy this, they won't always get to savor something this special." Coach said at that time. Man...
Somebody asked me Why I post the Blogs on the weekend when I get no traffic to look at the blogs. I simply responded because I get no traffic to read my blogs anyways :) Now on with the observations of the weekend.
[b]
The Two biggest trades on the weekend[/b]
Mr. Sutter is at it again, as he trades for the rights of JBO, out of Florida, which cost us Leopold an...
I know it is still early in the off-season, there are still lots of UFA signings and trades to be made plus all of the RFA’s need to be dealt with, but I thought it was still a good time to work on the “Off-Season Progress Reports for every team. I am only going to include the impact additions and subtractions. Today I start with the Eastern Conference, South Eastern D...
Incase any of you WNY or Southern Ontario Flyers or Leafs fans are interested. Bernie Parent is signing autographs tonight @ Sports Collectors corner in the Fashion out let mall in Niagara Falls, NY (USA)
here is a link for details. Thought i would pass it on.
[url]http://buffalo.craigslist.org/eve/1259975758.html[/url]
Having ended the first seaso nof their glorious control of the Tampa Lightning , in nothing but inglorious failure . Koules and Barrie have it appears seen the light in how to rectify the many failings of thier team .
In the 07-08 offseason , the then brand new Lightning owners , decided upon a hands on approach to hockey , and sought to buy up or trade for every pos...
Off the top I'd Like to say that I Love the Winter classic and I will watch no matter what teams are playing, but with that said the game should be directed towards the non-typical hockey fans and Markets. The NHL doesnt have the Luxury of having 15 to 20 National games a week, the have 15 to 20 national games a YEAR, so having this game in the National Spot light is hug...
Tampa bay, Florida, Colorado,Phoenex,Buffalo, and the New york Islanders are all interested in Tanguay. Ive heard that Colorado and Florida are the front runners at this time. Teams such as the Islanders and the Coyotes seem to have lost interest as his price tag continues to climb with the added interest.
"They're one of the teams we've talked to, but that's about all I ...
MIAMI HERALD: George Richards reports the Panthers have an offer on the table for Alex Tanguay as do other teams. Richards suggests if the Panthers lose out on Tanguay the club could make a minor move prior to the start of next season.
TAMPABAY.COM: Damien Cristodero reports Tanguay is rumored to be asking for $5 million for next season, down slightly from the $5.375 mill...
All fans anticipated the release of the 2009-2010 season schedule. Again, the Buffalo Sabres have an intriguing schedule ahead of them. Numerous exciting match-ups lay ahead in the upcoming months.
There are a few clutch points in this season that will make or break Buffalo's season. The months of December and March contain the most games for Buffalo. This will test Bu...
FLAMESTR writes...
Weekly notes ( Flames, Oilers, Habs, Hawks, Leafs,Panthers)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Edmonton Oilers
[/b]
To much of my disapproval, the Oilers did not get Hossa , nor has Heatley consented to becoming an Oiler. Which really surprises me, because I really thought that one of those two players would have become an Oiler. The Oilers did pick a solid goalie, though, in Khabby. It was really refreshing to hear a player wanting to go there. The Oilers real...
It feels good to talk about how well run the Redwings are as an organization. You'll find no shortage of praise for Ken Holland or Brian Burke and the like. It's much more fun to rip apart the organizations that just don't seem to get it. So in the spirit of being cruel (summer is tough on a hockey fanatic), here are the Top 5 Worst run NHL franchises.
#5 - NY Ranger...
KickHisAssSeabass writes...
Mr. Glass departs Beantown for Eaves and 4th Rounder
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Not sure that anyone has even seen "unbreakable", so that reference may be totally lost on you.
However, I was quite dissapointed that I was checking Hockeybuzz.com all day yesterday awaiting any Kessel news (to which there still isn't any), and not seeing anything pop up about the Ward trade. I actually learned about it watching the 6 o'clock evening news. At that p...
I think it's safe to say this is the most drab time of year in hockey world. A time when news is scarce, the free agent frenzy has been reduced to leftovers, and the only thing to do is count down the days until training camp starts. Scarce news doesn't necessarily mean there's nothing to talk about because I'm sure you can point out something about each team that's be wor...
Joel Champagne has finished his final year in the CHL with the PEI Rocket. He uses his size to work corners and in front of net but lacks scoring ability.
Blessed with great size, Champagne already has the physical makeup of a professional hockey player. However, appearances can be deceiving and despite his visible attributes, he is very much a project. Willing to use his...
I know that my posts are usually a bit more introspective than this one is going to be, but it's the middle of August, a period during the NHL offseason where yesterday's Evgeni Artyukin for Drew Miller trade was the top hockey story. Mid-August is when the hockey fan reaches the point where anything that even mentions the word hockey piques their interest. And so, with th...
gkmkiller writes...
Rangers Add Prospal and Bring Back the Captain....Finally
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Apparently Glen Sather and John Tortorella agreed with me in regards to Vinny Prospal. In a previous post I floated the idea of the Rangers looking at Prospal to address their lack of depth at the Center position. When I first mentioned the idea I met with some comments that gently reminded me that Prospal and Tortorella didn’t necessarily get along in their time togethe...
I've been quiet this offseason because I've decided to keep myself busy playing hockey outside rather than comment on free agent signings, especially since the Penguins haven't made any really big moves.
However the news of Patrick Marleau being ousted as the captain going into training camp, with not successor named, has given me cause to post again.
I fully support...
So, after a summer of waiting on the sidelines, Alex Tanguay has finally signed, with the Tampa Bay Lightning and I think that is a GREAT move for them.
When Gary Bettman said, at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, that he had a trade to announce and that it was Tanguay to Montreal for a 1st and 2nd round pick, I was ecstatic! Tanguay has always been a solid contributor to wh...
During the lock out I happened to bump into a very well known Flames Defenseman (won't name names here) and after telling me about all the various locations he had visited during his time off (yeah so hard done by) he went off about what a weasel Bettman is.
The players have never had it so good as they do now, the guys that have gotten them there have all been fired ...
One would be forgiven for trying to avoid the latest behind-the-scenes circus to befall the league and its players association. Amid the ongoing and incredulous tug of ego's taking place at the now infamous Phoenix courthouse, Paul Kelly, Executive Director of the NHLPA was fired after a ten hour marathon of meetings in Chicago on Sunday.
Kelly, who was thought to suppo...
Former NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly finally broke his silence yesterday following his firing early Monday morning. In a vicious 24 hours that also witnessed Glenn Healy's resignation, Kelly was forced to defend himself against allegations he misused his office having reputedly been caught reading a confidential transcript from a players meeting.
For his part, Ke...
As a DirecTV subscriber, I was all set to see the Wings Swedish opener this Friday on Versus. But, because of the cut-throat, in-bred telecommunications world, I have to make other plans.
So I miss my team's opener. Too bad for me. Too bad for Wings fans. Really too bad for hockey. However, I have no intention of calling up DirecTV to complain or rearrange my life by...
Just found this great site that list all the free agents for the summer of 2010 with top ten Rankings you should check it out.
Pretty cool site.
[url]http://www.nhlfreeagents.com[/url]
Pat Quinn was fined today for his comments after last night's Flames-Oilers game. Quinn called Jarome Iginla's trip on Sheldon Souray a "dirty play." Having watched the video on NHL.com and read the words myself, I can't say I blame the NHL for the decision to fine Quinn for his comments, but I also can't say that what Quinn said was wrong.
Players today are taking more...
Since Jan Levine (and others) has already recapped last night’s game so well, I won’t bore the few (ok, 1 or 2) readers that I have with yet another recap. It’s obvious anyway after watching last night’s contest that there are two truths about the Rangers and Leafs; the Rangers have really taken to Tortorella’s system and conditioning and the Leafs just flat suck...
Sounds like a great title for a movie doesn’t it? Oh wait, someone has already used it? Darn! Regardless, it is an appropriate title for our King Henrik. Up until last night’s meeting with an improving Kings club, the King hadn’t been asked to win a game virtually all on his own. The Rangers had played their style to a tee and had consistently pressured the oppositio...
After such a long layoff you had to expect some rust in the Flyer game. Flyers appeared a step behind for most of the night and couldnt execute enough to beat the lowly Panthers. Wish we had another game right away, but the Flyers have to wait another 5 days between games. I would not be surprised to see another similar effort.
[b]First Period[/b]
Aside from a couple g...
As I fought the stomach bug that has been traveling through, I wasn't able to comment immediately on Paille's trade. Now that I bring up his trade, my gut is starting to gurgle again.
I find this trade rather surprising. Now, I'll be the first to admit that Dan Paille has been a minor disappointment for a first round draft pick. However, Darcy Regier's explanation of ha...
Big win for Philadelphia tonight as they get closer to playing a full 60-minute game. For the most part the Flyers were up on their skates and initiating contact while pursuing the puck, however, the Panthers looked like they were just trying to get out of town after the big Richards hit on Booth.
[b]First Period[/b]
Back and forth game as both teams have several scor...
The Devils looked GREAT tonight. This was a huge statement win to show that the Devils will continue to contend in the Atlantic. They are now 5-0 on the road and are off to a 6-3 start. Here are some notes from the win:
-The power play looked very, very good. I don't think the second power play line had scored all year, but they moved the puck well, and eventually a...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Continue To Fall And Fingers Start To Point
Posted Sunday | Comments 220
Once again, Isles fans are getting to see an Islanders team that is incapable of holding a lead. I cannot stress enough that this is a result of having a young squad, but it is also due to the fact that some of these guys should not be playing in the NHL. But of course, fans are starting to point fingers, looking for a scapegoat.
Let's start with the fourth-liners, and...
As I sat down last night thinking that I would mainly be watching baseball. I was surprised to find out that the ALCS game was rained out, and I'd have to wait another night. This meant, bring on the Sabres. However, the Sabres game was a little scary.
I noticed numerous things against Tampa. I'm amazed I have made it this far without saying this, I was disconcerted wit...
The news came today that Jay Pandolfo and Paul Martin are both expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Pandolfo's shoulder seems more serious, as although a timetable has been given, GM Lou Lamoriello admits he is not certain when Pando will return. Martin's forearm fracture will really hurt the Devils, as they lose, arguably, their best (defensive) defenseman. Cory Murphy will be ...
After 3 consecutive losses and having only recorded 1 point out of a possible 6, it was nice to get back into the win column last night against a surprisingly tough Phoenix squad. Marian Gaborik again showed why he is easily worth $7.5 million annually when he is healthy by potting 2 goals (#’s 9 and 10 for the season) and also assisting on Vinny Prospal’s 4th goal of ...
While watching the Vancouver Canucks Vs. Detroit Red Wings game i noticed something, by the end of the second period the score was 2-1 for the canucks but yet the the shots were 28-16 for the Red Wings. Now some might have a different opinion on the matter but to me it didn't seem like bobby luo was that busy, the canucks seemed to dominate the first two periods of play in...
The Devils looked horrible tonight in all possible ways. The score could have been worse than 4-1, as the Devils never got it going tonight at home. They are now 1-4 at 'The Rock'. Some observations from the loss:
-I don't think the Devils were awake when the puck dropped. Buffalo, from the get-go, poured shots on Brodeur, as the Devils struggled to even touch the p...
After a weekend away in Vegas (for my daughter’s showcase softball tournament, not just for fun) and a brief hiatus from the blogosphere, I am ready to return. I can’t think of a better way to return than to do so the day after Gaborik’s triumphant return. Gabby scored the only goal in a 1 – 0 home win against the Boston Bruins in a Sunday afternoon matinee at MSG....
The play to date of Vinny Prospal certainly ranks among the bigger surprises of the NHL season. After being cast off by the Lightning in the off-season, Prospal wondered if his NHL career had reached its conclusion. Fortunately for himself and for the Rangers, New York GM Glen Sather reached out to Vinny and convinced him to come to the Big Apple to re-joing his former coa...
Montreal was finally able to spin out of their offensive lethargy last night by beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4 - 2 IN REGULATION! Yes, in regulation. For the record and in case anyone is counting, that is only their second regulation win this season. A frightening stat for even those with the most stable hearts. Ok, on with the observations:
1 - Tomas Plekanec has no...
Yeah, I know the Meat Loaf song goes "Two out of three ain't bad," but three out of four is even better.
The Isles started off their road trip with an over-time loss in the shootout, an 11-round one at that, to the Washington Capitals. It was a game in which the Isles let the Ovenchkin-less Caps back in after gaining a 3-1 lead in the first period. Last night the Isles ...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091119/capt.c966f6e06a1e4aa783d698acfbb82b8b.panthers_sabres_hockey_nydh103.jpg[/img]
Buffalo (12-4-1) vs. Florida (7-9-2)
The score did not resemble the game at all. For about 50 minutes, it was a one goal game. Here is how it happened:
Drew Stafford scored the first goal of the game late in the first period, his sixth of the seaso...
Admit it, when the Rangers broke out of the gate on fire this season, we all still had this flicker of doubt about whether this team was for real or not. Memories of last season’s fast start tempered our enthusiasm somewhat. But then we were all convinced that this team was different. They were scoring goals and converting on the power play; things that last year’s edi...
Wow, what a game and what a comeback and what an unfortunate tying goal by Caps with 11 seconds to go and what a heartbreaking loss in the shootout. Ummm, ya. The Habs baiscally came out flat in the first period and Washington used their speed to back up the Montreal defence. It resulted in a 2 - 0 Caps lead, and it would have been even worse had Price not played another s...
Today as I was browsing ESPN.com's NHL rumors, I stumbled upon a shocker. The NHL is considering adding another franchise in Canada.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at a Reuter's forum, "The fact is we're not seeking to relocate any franchises and as a result expansion would be the way to satisfy that interest. But in this economic climate, I'm not exactly comfortabl...
[b]As reported by TSN, the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt winger Jiri Tlusty to the Carolina Hurricanes for prospect Philippe Paradis.[/b]
Both players are former first round picks with Tlusty going 13th overall in 2006 while Paradis was Carolina's first pick (27th overall) in the 2009 Entry Draft.
Tlusty's development had seemingly stalled this season and he has been pa...
After the beautiful cenntenial ceremonies and great hockey game, on Friday, I wish I could tell you that tonight's game was one for the ages too. One of those historic, earth shatter games that everyone is talking about for years to come. Sadly, that was not the case. Well, that's not entirely true because this was a historic game in that the shot totals were 15-13 for Ph...
First and foremost, this blog is simply to provide a fun conversation as well as enjoying some of the rumors that are going on.
It is no secret that the Flyers are struggling, and in the cap era this seems to be the only time that major trades really have any traction. For the most part this also brings about big dealings at the deadline. In relation to the Flyers I ...
BryanM writes...
More outdoor games and other ideas floating around the NHL
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Here are some ideas that are floating around the NHL right now, and my take on each of them:
[u][b]1.) Another outdoor game[/b][/u]
Gary Bettman spoke with the NHL's Board of Governors about the possibility of another outdoor game for next season. This isn't a new idea, more of a gauging of interest for the league. Over the summer the NHL worked on putting together a...
[url=http://bluenotezone.com/2009/12/20/how-i-would-fix-the-blues/]How I Would Fix the Blues[/url]
Fans of the St. Louis Blues have been crying for change most of the season. Some of it hasty, some of it on point. The call has increased recently. Even after Owner Dave Checketts "Get you butt in gear" speech in mid November, the Blues are still consistently inconsistent....
Buffalo (26-11-4) vs. Tampa Bay (16-15-10)
The Sabres began a three game homestand tonight, beginning with Tampa Bay. These teams have met once before this season, with Buffalo edging out the Lightning in overtime for the victory.
Buffalo struck the Lightning with a fast start to open the game. Lindy Ruff has been on the Sabres to try an play better in the first peri...
Buffalo (30-12-7) at San Jose (34-10-8)
The last time these two teams met was on February 13th, when flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Even though the NHL offered to postpone the game, the Sabres chose to play.
Buffalo went out to a four goal lead, only to see San Jose come back and score five goals. Jason Pominville tied the game up wit...
Wow, that was ugly.
After a glorious weekend that saw the Habs down the Devils in Jersey and obliterate the Rangers in Montreal, the Habs have come back down to Earth with a terrible effort in Florida. In losing 2-1 to the Nathan Horton-less and David Booth-less Panthers last night, the Habs show that they are truly a Jekyll and Hyde team. One day they are handily beat...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Tampa: Habs Lay Another Egg in 3-0 Loss
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The state of Florida was not kind to the Habs over the last two days. Despite the sunny weather, there is a grey cloud that has formed over the Habs' heads and they are struggling to shake it. After a dismal performance against the Panthers on Tuesday, the Habs were in Tampa yesterday, to play the Lightning. They did so through whispers of locker room dissent and rumours o...
The Flames have officially pressed the panic button.
Losing 10 of your last 11 games is not fun and usually signals change on a professional sports team. To add into the fact that you play in a Canadian fish bowl where every move is over-scrutinized to the extreme, you cannot help but think that the Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter made a move that he did not necessaril...
I can hear it now:
"Not to be out done in stealing the spotlight, Brian Burke this morning announced that he has signed both Mats Sundin and Peter Forsbeg to contracts for the NHL minimum to end this season."
Naw....never happen. But you have to wonder if GMs out there are looking for ways to top or equal the latest move by the Devils.
There really aren't many big bi...
eklund before posted in a blog that the new york rangers and the florida panthers supposedly have a mega deal going on. unless the rangers are looking to make a deal with the panthers to dump one of the r&r boys salary than they cannot make a move because of there salary cap space of only 356,000. unless the rangers somehow dump one of the r&r boys salary than th...
dannyrad writes...
The Fall of an Empire that never existed in the first place
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Anyone with NHL Center Ice could clearly see 41 times a year that the franchises in Atlanta, Florida, and Phoenix are dieing.
Old News right?
Yeah, but with the swirling rumours of the NHL returning to Winnipeg, and the constant dismay of those who say "this again?", lets look at the situation a bit closer.
On any given night, except maybe when the Leafs are in t...
doktordave writes...
TRADE DEADLINE - Thoughts and Possible Moves - #2 TAMPA
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
(2) The Lightning apparently have their owner's permission to spend at the deadline, though realistically, they will have to move out some salary to add anything significant.
Vinny is NOT going to move, get that out of your mind in this Cap-restricted NHL, at least not at a time when the Bolts are struggling for a play-off appearance and buyers would have to dismantle t...
I have been saying to anyone that will listen (not many)...for some time now...that it's not hits to the head that are the problem in the NHL, it's the blindside hits that create the most potential for injury.
I'll get to that more in a second...
When it comes to hits to the head, the NHL is in a very difficult spot in terms of making rules that apply specifically to...
Deal with Buffalo ? - Doubtful. Other than Kassian and Luke, their players and prospects don't really fit the Burke mold. Pick # 23 might be affordable and interesting - especially if it comes with one of the previously mentioned prospects, in a Kaberle deal, but I expect Buffalo will want to shed some salary in a deal, and THAT might kill any offer to Toronto.
Deal wi...
Yesterday it was finally made official, #3 Dion Phaneuf was named the 18th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs History, or the 22nd in Toronto history if you include the Arenas and St. Pats.
There has been talk of Dion being named captain for months now. There's no hiding that Wilson loved what Dion brought to the table, even with all the rumours coming out of Calgary. Those...
This years NHL Draft is one of the most intresting in years. Over the last few years, the number one pick was pretty much a forgone conclusion. Ovechkin in 04, Crosby in 05, Johnson in 06, Kane 07, Stamkos 08, and last year John Tavares going #1, everyone knew that was the pick for the whole season. This year is different as the drama at the top of the board this year of c...
Today I will look at the Rangers in free agency as it pertains to their own guys. Here’s a break down of several of the Blue Shirts top UFA’s and RFA’s. I’ve included last year’s stats, salary and free agency status along with arguments for and against retaining the player plus my final take on the situation. In no particular order here we go.
Vinny Prospal �...
July 1st has come and gone with some surprising events and some not-so-surprising. There were a slew of signings but there were many good players still left searching for their new team; including star winger Ilya Kovalchuk, former Shark tender Evgeny Nabokov and veteran netminder Marty Turco.
This year’s UFA frenzy seems to be moving slower than in years past. This i...
So, Why Not Canada?
That is the question TSN and the Globe and Mail are asking. There is a lot passion in Canadian hockey fans. We all know what's best for the game, we feel strongly when we've been wronged. We get mad at the Commish when he goes on TV during an interview and says that he didn't want the Jets to leave Winnipeg. Really Gary?? That's so nice of you to sa...
jsiha writes...
Is Ilya Kovalchuk moving closer to signing with Los Angeles?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Source NJ.com
Nothing new on the Ilya Kovalchuk front, says Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello.
"Everything is the same as it was the last three or four days," Lamoriello claimed. "Nothing changed. I don't have anything to add to that."
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Actually, the Los Angeles Kings might be moving closer to signing the left winger.
According to the Los Ange...
At approximately 3:30 p.m Eastern Time yesterday, the first real pangs of worry hit me like a freight train.
While many fair-weather Hawks fans and career Hawks haters alike have been overreacting to Stan Bowman’s off-season moves in one way or another, I have generally remained calm this summer. To this point, sacrificing second and third-tier scoring and role guys ...
[IMG]http://i32.tinypic.com/14t6jnr.jpg[/IMG]
While it wasn't Maverick, Ice Man, and Goose (not to mention Kelly McGillis--talk about your young guns), a good time was had by the 2,200 and change inside the SPTimes Forum last Wednesday for the Lightning "Young Guns" event.
What a great idea. Showcase new talent, generate a bit of revenue, and stir up the faithful....
First off... props to Richard C for his great blogs!
After watching the Oilers pump up their farm system I have come to realize that there are only going to be two of the rookie forwards making the Oilers this year... and there are three main reasons that I can see:
1) The Oilers need to fulfill a commitment to Oklahoma in regards to providing a quality product that...
The winds of change have finally caught up with the NJ Devils and they have caught the mother of all storms. After years of watching a franchise buck the trend and be successful at playing their game and their system and not succumbing to the ways of the NHL. Captain Lou has finally lost his mind and took the plunge into the abyss and followed the great example of Charles...
The winds of change have finally caught up with the NJ Devils and they have caught the mother of all storms. After years of watching a franchise buck the trend and be successful at playing their game and their system and not succumbing to the ways of the NHL. Captain Lou has finally lost his mind and took the plunge into the abyss and followed the great example of Charles ...
jsiha writes...
Once Kovalchuk's deal is settled, attention to Zach!!!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
source nj.com
After the Devils resolve the current contract situation with Ilya Kovalchuk, they can turn their attention toward locking up their other young superstar: Zach Parise.
Parise, who recorded 38 goals and 82 points last season, is entering the final year of a four-year, $12.5 million pact he signed in 2007. The Devils’ first-round draft pick in 2003, Pari...
If leaked reports are to be believed the NHLPA is preparing to file a grievance pertaining to the NHL’s rejection of the unprecedented 17 year, $102 million contract filed last week by the New Jersey Devils for Russian forward Ilya Kovalchuk. The report suggests that even if the Devils and Kovalchuk can agree on a restructured deal, the NHLPA may still decide to file a g...
Source NJ.com
Are NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello now at war?
Considering that Lamoriello has been a key figure in Bettman's past labor battles against the players, such a war seemed unlikely not too long ago.
But the Devils' decision to hold a press conference last Tuesday announcing the signing of a 17-year, $102 milli...
flyerscup2011 writes...
Flyers overlooked when it comes to awards/ credit
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I was reading a post a week or so ago about the 10 General Managers your team should want to rebuild your team. Based on the fact that Paul Holmgren took the team that finished dead last in the entire NHL only to take his team to the Eastern Conference Finals the following season only to lose to the stacked Penguins. How does that not make him top 5 maybe even top 3 or b...
It's no secret, the Flyers need an upgrade between the pipes. It's also no secret that the Panthers need a superstar. One way to fill those needs? How about trading with eachother? Here's my hypothetical trade:
[b]Panthers Get:[/b]
Jeff Carter
Brian Boucher
Picks
[b]Flyers Get:[/b]
Tomas Vokoun
Michael Frolik
Picks
Let's look at this from both teams perspe...
HockeyBay writes...
Tampa Bay Lightning Blogs, So many yet so few who care...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]
Tampa Bay Lightning Blogs, So many...
Lightning Strikes!
Raw Charge
Lightning Shout!
JoeBoltsFan
Bolt Prospects
Boltsmag
LightningHockeyBlog
boltsblog
thehockeybay
BenchedWhale whatever
yada yada yada...
But does anyone really read them? In a NON traditional NHL market and unsupportive community ( Go Gators etc. ) it is funny how so many blogs are ...
With training camp right around the bend in another month, I decided to do a division by divisionpreview and what to expect from each team this season. Here is the South East Division outlook:
Washington: Look for the Capitals to dominate the weak South East division again this year. Alexander Ovechkin and the high powered offense of the Caps is still there and will con...
jsiha writes...
Patrik Elias could be moved to sign fellow winger Zach Paris
Posted Monday | Comments 1
There hasn’t been a lot of change on this front. Kovalchuk remains an UFA and the New Jersey Devils are still hoping to work out a contract with him. He also supposedly talked to the KHL, but it doesn’t look like he is headed over there.
Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello is not commenting on the situation until a deal is reached.
The End of Elias?
The ...
Is it too early to anoint Steve Yzerman as GM of the Year? [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-Gy8Dx2EjPY/THTAK4ErpfI/AAAAAAAAARE/9T2NqBHNQAg/s1600/yzerman19.jpg[/img]
Well of course it is. It's far too early. [i](edit for clarity)[/i] We haven’t even dropped the puck on the 2010-11 NHL season yet; hell, training camp hasn’t even opened yet. But that isn’t going to sto...
So it looks as if the summer of kovalchuk has at long last coming to an end. After a couple failed attempts to get a deal done with the Kings, a surprise offer from the Islanders for 10 years $100 million dollars that was nothing more then a false rumor that was created by a writer at the LA Times and spread like a virus all through the internet in less then 24 hours. And ...
Check out my new post at The Checking Line discussing who may be the likely candidate to have a breakout season in 2010-2011! Register and leave comments, feedback is always appreciated!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/who-will-be-next-unsung-hero-isles
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I've also start...
After months of political manoeuvring and speculation… and pending ratification, Donald Fehr appears primed to formally take office as the Executive Director of the NHLPA with the Ilya Kovalchuk saga providing an appropriate backdrop. Despite having earlier dismissed himself as a candidate for the role, the former MLBPA hardliner is now expected to spearhead the players ...
In the wake of the Quebec governement announcing that they will put forth 45% of the cost for a new arena in in the Quebec capital, I believe it's time for the city to get a team. The first major issue is finding the new Ramparts. The Coyotes, Panthers, Islanders, Predators and Thrashers are all in financial trouble and could all very well be moved. There are many suitors ...
Check out my post at The Hockey Writers discussing who may or may not surprise Islanders fans with a chance to be part of the starting line up at the Islanders home opener on October 9th!
http://thehockeywriters.com/islanders-training-camp-roster-spots-are-open/
Leave comments in the comments section under the blog!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on twitter!
http://tw...
Hagman... injured? Apparently Hagman had the flu but came back and played one game in the pre-season, scored a goal and has promptly fallen off the map again. When Langkow hurts his neck we are told, "He hurt his neck". When Stajan Separates his shoulder we are told, "Separated shoulder, out indefinitely". Hagman get injured and we're told ... nothing? Maintenance. hmmm. T...
This is the time of year, right before the opening of the NHL’s regular season, when every fan indulges in dreams of Stanley Cup glory. It doesn’t matter how improbable or unrealistic said dream is; we still fantasize how our current roster will defy all of the odds and preseason prognostications and bring Lord Stanley’s chalice home to their fans.
As a Rangers�...
This is our first of many Sabres monthly wallpapers that we will be releasing. One of our designers, Chris Downey, has created this one for October.
The Sabres will play face Atlanta, Ottawa, Chicago, and New Jersey twice during the month of October. The Sabres have four sets of games on back-to back nights, and have three games in four nights three times.
This is no...
If there was one player who you would have predicted to score a hat trick tonight, Derek Stepan may have been the last choice.
In his first career NHL game, Stepan scored three times on Ryan Miller, leading the Rangers to a 6-3 victory over Buffalo on Saturday night at HSBC arena. Stepan became the fourth player in NHL history to score a hat trick in his first career ga...
Just a quick hit this morning in reference to the latest blind side hits.
Ryan Miller wants the league to send a message to let all the players know that blind side hits should not be tolerated anymore. I applaud his stance on the subject.
What I have an issue about is that the league can fine, suspend all of the players but in the end the players themselves have to...
Why Tampa Bay will make the playoffs.
Over the past couple seasons, Tampa has been a team waiting to take their skill into April. Tons of offensive firepower, a defence with a blend of youthful speed as well as a veteran presence to solidify the blueline. They've been questionable in goal since they won the cup in 04, but Ellis is a more than suitable replacement for th...
Tampa pre-season: It's true! It exists!
If it weren't for news articles and a few highlight clips, it wouldn't be hard to argue the existence of Tampa's preseason. The Bolts are faring well however, with a 2-1-1 record until now. They have a home and home against the state rival Panthers, a team who seems to have hit rock bottom, but are ready to build. They really have...
Stamkos on pace for a stinkin' 164 goals, 246 points.
Steve Downie? On pace for a lousy season, with 82 goals, 82 assists.
Vinny and Moore are lined up for a measly 82 goals.
A handful of other guys are on pace to have 82 points as well. Bunch of bums.
Anything less from these guys is totally unacceptable. If they fall from this pace, I swear I'll never live ...
When my fantasy hockey league started this season, I forgot about the draft. The autodraft picked up Stamkos for me, and never before have I been happier with technology, until it used my second pick to draft Spezza, and then my third to pick up Hank Lundqvist. I was quickly reminded of why I dislike most technology. Give me radio and a TV with only NHL Centre Ice, and I'm...
Check out my recent post at The Hockey Writers discussing John Tavares' first NHL hat trick in the Islanders loss to Florida last night. Leave comments!
http://bit.ly/cwnHL4
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to host the Florida Panthers at the ACC, and are looking to erase a three game losing streak. While the team has lacked an ability to score after their first two games, Phil Kessel and Clarke MacArthur continue to be the team's offensive powers with little to no help around them. This has sparked line-up changes from head coach Ron...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing Parenteau's latest hot streak as he leads the Islanders in points!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/pa-parenteau-finds-success-isles-uniform
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
New Isles post over at The Checking Line! Check it out here as I take a look at the Islanders recent struggles:
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/will-it-reach-12
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Rob McGowan writes...
Looking For Help From Within; Isles Call Up Joensuu
Posted Saturday | Comments 3
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Isles have called up Jesse Joensuu in search for offense as they face the Florida Panthers tonight at the Nassau Coliseum!
http://bit.ly/bTtcJa
Also be sure to stop by The Checking Line tonight as I will be contributing to the live blog George Prax will be hosting with updates from the press box at Nassau Coliseum...
Greetings and salutations, Lightning fans!! Let me start by saying what a priviledge it is to be writing for all of you on possibly hockey's most popular website. First and foremost let me give you a little background on where I come from and my association with the Tampa area. My name is Ian Cunningham and I have been working within the hockey media for a few years now....
Rob McGowan writes...
"We Had A Couple of Passengers Tonight." Isles Lose No. 12
Posted Sunday | Comments 3
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Islanders have now lost twelve straight games in a row and head to Atlanta, looking to avoid loss number 13.
http://bit.ly/coTzRG
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I was very sad to hear of the passing of Pat Burns, a great and powerful coach in the NHL. He will always be remembered for his fiery spirit. I remember when he was brought in as the Habs' coach, with the rep of strict, red-hot-tempered coach who would keep the Habs players in line.
My first memory of Pat Burns was in the 1988-89 season, when he led the Habs to the fin...
Drafted 1st overall in the 2008 draft, Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos has quickly emerged as one of the league’s top performers.
The talk has been all about Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby over the last few years, but now it is time to consider Stamkos as well.
He’s too good to ignore. Stamkos has is proving that last year’s 51 goals was no fluk...
TORONTO (Nov. 29) Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman was handing out Bauer skates, gloves, and helmets to children at Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Centre in Toronto today. Yzerman, along with Lightning standout Steven Stamkos, have been named ambassadors to the grassroots hockey program RBC Play Hockey. The program is a multi-year commitment that will see $1 ...
The Thrashers are looking to keep it rolling tonight in Colorado versus the Avalanche. The way the team is clicking right now, they should do just that. Being drug up the standings by the play of Dustin Byfuglien and Ondrej Pavelec, the Thrashers will seek a franchise tying sixth straight win tonight. Following a week of play that included victories over the Capitals (...
Nabokov's dad said that his son wants to play for Tampa. Yes there are hurdles to overcome and they seem difficult; but with the "magic" Yzerman has done for this team, I have no doubt he could successfully tackle this. Nabokov hasn't proven that he can carry a team all the way through the playoffs, but there was so much said about Khabibulin not being able to either, that...
Hard-earned point tonight but a disappointment nonetheless with tonight's 2 - 1 loss to Tampa. I'll keep this brief so we can get back to the bantering on Jan's blog. I would have just included this as a comment but it is a little too long for that.
First on MZA: I think we can all agree we like this kid. He battles hard and works along the boards. He shows good instinc...
The New York Islanders have became a little younger as Islanders GM Garth Snow sent veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson to Tampa Bay for 22 year old D-man Ty Wishart.
This deal provides the Lightning with some goaltending stability which the club very much needs. So far Tampa Bay has gone with Mike Smith and Dan Ellis, both of whom have not been able to claim the number o...
Many Rangers fans have been critical of coach Tortorella in the past. We've complained of his constant line changes, his demeanor towards some of the young talent and the way in which the team always seems to start games off slowly. I would argue though that Torts has been spot on since the beginning.
Yes, I would admit he has made mistakes, like any coach will. But whe...
The NHL All-Star game happening this weekend in Raleigh, and during the broadcast of the All-Star draft, TSN mentioned that the salary cap numbers for both of All-Star rosters where over $100 million! This got me thinking about what type of All-Star team could I put together using the NHL Salary Cap floor of $43.4 million.
This team will be made up of 12 Forwards, 6 D...
thomas_vanek26 writes...
Sabres Trade Owners (and hopefully some players too)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, Terry Pegula did it. The Buffalo Sabres newest owner acquired the team from Tom Golisano and will take over on February 22nd, less than one week away from the NHL trade deadline. This should be an interesting situation. Pegula may try to make a splash and please the fan base. He may be content to play Darcy-puck and sit still at the deadline. Only time will tell...
My son’s world is covered with ice. There’s no doubt about where he really belongs. His happiness and sense of self are tied to his time on ice. Nowhere does he show as much aptitude or love. The cold, the skates, the ice, the wind in his hair, the smile on his face… his place is there, on the frozen water with the containing wooden boards.
There, he’s more. Mo...
Unlike many writers, who hide their inner fan behind a thin veneer of professionalism, I enjoy the world of the possible…and impossible. Rumors, the life blood of any fantasy artist. I often hear local radio hacks suggesting a show about rumors and possible trade options is a show wasted on the lowest common denominator. I say hogwash! It is you sir’s who are a was...
Check out my latest blog at The Checking Line as P.A. Parenteau has been extended by the New York Islanders beyond this season
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/parenteau-pay-off
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Is it just me, but I think it is painfully obvious that Brian Burke is going gangbusters after Parise. A team wishing to obtain Parise would have to have the assets, Toronto has just stock piled many in the last 12 months (Kadri, Colborne, Gardiner, 2 firsts etc...), and they would need a lot of cap room to sign a guy that is going to command close to the league max, Toro...
So the trade deadline has come and gone, and with the Dustin Penner trade pulled off by Steve Tambelini, I think you can start to understand the map outlining the course that is potentially to be the Oilers rebuild. It has been known that the Oilers are set on building through the draft, last year made this very clear.... but the fact that Tambelini did not bring in a NHL ...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the possibilities and consequences of Garth Snow's ability to sign Devils forward Zach Parise to an offer sheet this summer.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/will-garth-snow-sign-zach-parise-offer-sheet
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
After reading Richard Cloutier's blog on the state of the NHL after the Chara-Patches incident, I figured I too needed to rant a little bit. In this rant, I will touch on favouritism, how Bettman is an idiot, and how everyone else is saying the exact same thing as me.
Honestly though, you would be hard-pressed to find a legitimate hockey fan who thinks this is the right...
So far this year it’s been true nightmare for the NHL executives because of the violence that is happening in our sport.
First and foremost do we all forget that hockey is a violent sport? In some ways, I think we all forget that notion because of the amount of injuries that is happening this year. Plus, it doesn’t help that some of the injuries are the star pla...
It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted something, but lately, all the talk about trying to minimize the number of head shots in the NHL has intrigued me a little bit.
Since Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty last week, the league has been under scrutiny by many outside organizations for not coming down hard on the towering Bruins defenseman. But, I agree with...
Check out my blog http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
I spoke with Stu Siegel today, former Long Islander and current owner of the Florida Panthers.
Stu set the bar for NHL owners by donating $10,000 to the Japan relief fund.
follow him on twitter @StuSiegel . Tell him you heard about his donation and send him some love.
I hope my NY Islanders step up.
Lets see w...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as DiPietro made his return to action as the Islanders downed the Panthers 4-3 in the shootout!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-tame-panthers-shootout-win
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
When the Florida Panthers rolled into Buffalo, they had the 29th ranked power play in the league, had gone two full games without scoring a goal, and were essentially out of contention for a playoff position.
But a desperate team with nothing to lose is just as dangerous as one racing for a postseason berth, as Lindy Ruff will always attest to.
The Panthers must have...
JohnFergusonJr writes...
Game Day Phoenix Coyotes : 80, The Pacific War
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the season wraps down for these two clubs both are fairly secure in their hopes for a playoff berth. Both the Coyotes and Kings are tied for 5th/6th in the West with 96 points apiece. A win for the Coyotes will seal their playoff dreams and guarantee them a spot. This will be a big game for the Desert Dogs as they will be facing a beaten up LA squad missing their supers...
For those that read Devils posts on here, I'm the one known as Intern Mike. Sam's been relatively busy as of late so I'll take the liberty of continuing to submit my posts to read.
With the Devil's off-season starting a little earlier than we're used to, they are surrounded by a bunch of question marks yet again. I was fortunate to get some time from my good friend Todd...
The Penguins are [b]TOAST[/b].
I'm as big a fan as anyone...and I desperately want them to win Game 7 on Wednesday night...but my gut tells me this series is [b]OVER[/b].
After watching them get outscored 12-4 and outplayed by almost the same amount in games 5 and 6, there is nothing I see that tells me this team will win game 7.
Without Sid and Geno...with a rece...
This is interesting new territory for me, personally. I’ve never before come out of a Blackhawks playoff series loss with any feeling of accomplishment. Usually, there is just emptiness, angst and the early symptoms of summertime boredom, which is certain to be in full throw in mid-July.
All of those feelings are certainly present. However this morning, and even la...
Offseason moves are not made in a vacuum. Every trade, signing and draft pick is affected by what the team has already done and what they plan to do. For instance, if the Rangers sign Brad Richards, they probably won’t try to trade for an elite scorer, and vice versa. [img:right]http://cdn.nhl.com/rangers/images/upload/2011/02/Prospal_V_0213_Ins1.jpg [/img]So at this poi...
Marinus1103 writes...
An improved NHL - a view from the other side of the Ocean..
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I have loved and followed hockey ever since the ´88 olympics in Calgary.. This is just the best game ever invented.
As a European fan - having lived only 1 year in Toronto - it is hard to get a proper connection and information feed on the most honourable and dynamic professional sports existing, although the internet has brought significant improvements with regards ...
In the 2009-2010 season, Tampa Bay Lightning was having a hard time. After their magical cup run in 03-04 they just never found their magic again. Making it once to the playoffs but losing in the first round, then missing the playoffs for the next three seasons. Finishing in last, 2nd last, and 6th last in the following three seasons. Something had to be done. Owner...
Who are Paul Byron and Chris Butler? Most Calgarians have no idea. Well here is a closer look with the help of a Buffalo Sabres expert that gives us some more insight on what we can expect from the two players the Flames got in return for Robyn Regehr.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/chris-butler-and-paul-byron-newest.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
There are only two days until the Free Agency period begins and one of the most highly touted players in hockey is yet to be signed. Tonight at 5 pm ET marks the time where teams may begin negotiating with other clubs’ RFA’s, although offer sheets cannot be officially submitted until Friday. Until this week, I was extremely hesitant regarding the idea that Steven Stamk...
First off I would give some props to Dale Tallon for the quick signing of Tomas Kopecky for some offense (stats below), albeit I think he overpaid a bit a 4 years 12 million (especially since Kopecky made 1.2 mil last year). They could have gotten him for a bit cheaper but there trying to reach the cap floor with a little over 20 million left to spend and Kopecky was a big...
Upon the retirement of the great Hall of Famer Scott Stevens the Devs have struggled to find a solid captain. They tried Elias, and Langenbrunner and in between, the position was left vacant. When Jamie was shipped off to Dallas at the deadline the position of captain was left vacant once again. The Devils' management wisely decided their were more important things than...
According to Eklund there are many rumors of Parise being traded. The team most recently added was the Rangers. As all o you know, The Devils and Rangers hate each other. Very Much. It seems to stupid to send your star player to your rival.
In my opinion, The Devils will NOT let him go. I dont see why they would. Im sure if a trade goes down between the Devils and any ...
Im sure you have all heard of the rumors of a trade involving Parise. The rumors involve an Eastern Canadian team who is believed to be Toronto. Vancouver. And The Rangers.
Now Im sure the Devils would not give up their star player. Second of all to any of these teams. Toronto (a minor rival) and NYR (A major rival!). But just because of those reasons we cant count tho...
www.HockeyBuzz.com
www.NHL.com
www.CapGeek.com
www.NHLPA.com
to track your favorite team: www.*teamname*.nhl.com
Well I think we have to lead off one last time talking about Jaromir Jagr. He signed a 1 year deal for $3.3 million with the rival Philadelphia Flyers. At first, I was very upset. I am 20 years old and I played hockey my entire life. Jaromir Jagr was my childhood idle and I wanted nothing more than to watch him play in a Penguins' jersey one last time. I wanted the Pe...
What a day free agency frenzy must have been for Mikael Backlund hey? With a nine year offer for Brad Richards on the table the flames affectively told Backlund that they did not believe he has the potential to be a number one center. There are a glut of centers but Backlund seemed to have an edge looking at training camp. Langkow is older, hasn't really played on a year a...
Making the assumption that Darcy Regier has stopped tinkering, and by tinkering I mean doing it with a sledgehammer, the Sabres have their team set for the 2011-12 NHL season. The only exceptions to this being signing Enroth, Gragnani, and Weber. The final spot on the roster I probably foresee being designated to bringing up one of the forwards from Rochester. Luke Adam ha...
As it sits, the salary cap for the 2011-2012 season is set at $64.3 million dollars. The only way they could get the salary cap that high is to raise the salary cap floor. The salary cap floor is set at $48.3 million. Look, I am all for the salary cap. I think it makes the league more fair in a way that no team can "pay for championships." I do not like how some teams...
The Devils are yet to hire a coach.
Most fans and experts say (including Eklund) Michael Therrien will become the coach.
But Ken Hitchcock former Flyer coach is a HIGH possibility as well.
NOW PARISE....
Parise, the Devils organization, and the fans all together would love to avoid arbitration.
I think Parise and the Devils will avoid it and will come up w...
As you have probably heard. P.L.L. Leblond was sent to the Flames for a 5th Rounder in 2012.
There are rumors of Bouwmeester coming to New Jersey.
With the trading opening with Calgary this can lead to GOOD NEWS.
Only thing is the Flames are interested in Parise.
LIGHTNING AGREE TO TERMS WITH FORWARD STEVEN STAMKOS
Leading Goal-Scorer Returns to Bolts with Five-Year Contract
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Steven Stamkos on a five-year contract today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced.
“Steven is extremely important to this franchise an...
Clarkson is now a player who is in the talks of being traded.
Mr. Todd Cordell's blog had talked about this.
Clarkson who is recieving about $3 million seems like the perfect escape.
Most people say "TRADE ROLSTON!"
Well...Rolston has a NTC.
White?!...NTC
Rolston who I think has a hell of a slapshot hasnt been doing much. We are paying him for 25 goals......
Okay so there seems to be a general panic in Leafs' Nation. From what I understand, this has been cause by the Leafs' inability to acquire a first line centreman. With the likes of Brad Richards and Steven Stamkos no longer available, the monkey working the big red panic button now has to work overtime. But what is Toronto didn't NEED a top line centreman? It now seems mor...
Okay so there seems to be a general panic in Leafs' Nation. From what I understand, this has been cause by the Leafs' inability to acquire a first line centreman. With the likes of Brad Richards and Steven Stamkos no longer available, the monkey working the big red panic button now has to work overtime. But what is Toronto didn't NEED a top line centreman? It now seems mor...
Matthew_Steven writes...
Blockbuster Deal? Parise to Panthers...Update/Rumor
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Latest from Matthew_Steven
According to my sources, Panthers recordingly have interest in Zach Parise. What I am hearing is that the Devils really like Huberdeau and/or Gudbranson (3rd overall pick in 2010 draft.) Devils seem to also be interested in David Booth and Jacob Markstrom (Panthers #1 goaltending prospect.) With this possibly being Brodeur's last productive se...
Now that the initial adrenaline rush of free agency is behind us we can gain perspective on the off-season thus far. Now of course every signing and trade comes with a measure of risk, but these are the 5 that i have identified to be the riskiest. Without further ado:
[b]Buffalo Sabres sign Ville Leino for 6yrs/27$mil (4.5mil annual cap hit)[/b]
If you read my Vill...
Well the Devils and Zach Parise finally agreed to a 1 year deal. With the Devils opting to file for salary arbitration there was no chance that Parise could entertain an offer sheet, so him coming back was a certainty. The only question was - could they get him signed to a long term deal - and the answer right now is no.
Having said that - barring any trades the ros...
Another week has come and gone and the New Jersey Devils are business as usual. Of course the week started promising with another hearty round of rumor mongering and speculation gone wild. Ultimately leading to the surprising removal of the giant white elephant in the locker room in the form of an inflated Brian Rolston contract, perhaps the worst in franchise history.
...
AdamBanks writes...
Gordon Bombay to Toronto (e4) Clearing up Parise talk
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Parise. Zach Parise. Yes, he signed for only a 1 year deal, which surely means his days as a Devil are numbered.. as a Rangers faithful has repeatedly told me joyfully (as joyful as if Wade Reddens contract never happened...)
Yes, as a die hard Devils fan Parise's long term fate is certainly a concern. To me, Parise is an example of everything a player should be. He do...
AdamBanks writes...
Gordon Bombay to Toronto (e4) Clearing up Parise talk
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Parise. Zach Parise. Yes, he signed for only a 1 year deal, which surely means his days as a Devil are numbered.. as a Rangers faithful has repeatedly told me joyfully (as joyful as if Wade Reddens contract never happened...)
Yes, as a die hard Devils fan Parise's long term fate is certainly a concern. To me, Parise is an example of everything a player should be. He do...
saneopinion writes...
2012 Flames Free Agent Targets/ Summer of change
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For Flames fans ready for a change 2012 is a year to look forward to. No less than 10 current roster players will be unrestricted free agents in the 2012 season and the free agent pool as it stands has some pretty good depth to it. During the course of the season obviously trades happen, extensions could be signed and injuries could take a player out. The Flames will have ...
The NHL is entering into its last season under the current collective bargaining agreement. The NBA has currently locked out its own players. This is an amazing opportunity for the NHL to grow the game and expand to an audience that doesn't know what they are missing. I have a feeling that the NBA situation will not resolve itself quickly leaving many people in "non-tradit...
Over the past few days there has been a lot of discussion about the New York Islanders "viewing party" that is planned for the August 19th replay of the fight filled February game they played against the Penguins.
Some people think that it's wrong for the Islanders to sponsor such an event, given the game it celebrates was one the league, in a lot of ways, would rather ...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 8 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Columbus Blue Jackets Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]
Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport plea...
biggs36 writes...
Oiler 2011/2012 Stat Predictions and line combinations
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
This is my Edmonton Oilers stat predictions, line combinations and my awards for the 2011/2012 season.
OILERS 11-12 STAT PREDICTIONS
NAME GP G A PST PIM +/-
T.HALL 80 31 37 68 37 6
A.HEMSKY 68 23 43 66 30 4
J.EBERLE 82 22 37 59 28 -1
S.GAGNER 82 20 34 54 42 -1
R.WHITNEY 82 6 43 49 66 14
S.HORCOFF 78 15 29 44 82 1
R.SMYTH 82 23 21 44 47 -4
M.PAAJA...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 11 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Edmonton Oilers Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 12 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Florida Panthers Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[...
With one of the greatest minor league affiliates in Hamilton, the Canadiens have a list of great young talent moving forward. There are three that played with the big boys last year that I expect to have breakout years.
Max Pacioretty
Last year, his season was cut short due to a spinal injury but he showed flashes of a positive future with a season that saw him play in...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as former New Jersey Devils forward Jay Pandolfo will be attending the Islanders training camp on a tryout basis.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/jay-pandolfo-gets-try-out-islanders
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
This week in hockey
Well I am going to start a weekly blog outlining the happenings around the NHL. I know that probably no one will ever read this aside from my wife and I but figured what the heck. It has always been sort of a pipedream of mine to become a sports journalist but with life and bills getting in the way it could never become more than that. Hopefully this b...
The New Jersey Devils are still looking to rebound from one of their toughest seasons in franchise history. Aside from having their fifteen year playoff streak come to an end, the Devils came to realize a devastating reality: Marty Brodeur is getting old. Though he played well in the latter part of this past season, the all-time winningest goalie was shaken by various in...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
2011-12 Campaign Could Be Most Important in Bolts History
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After a season which many observers would label as overachieving, the Bolts now find themselves in the unenviable forum of heightened expectations. Coming within one victory of the Stanley Cup Finals has many hockey fans in the Sunshine State envisioning a return to glory for Vinny and Co. While this is well within the realm of possibility, members of the Eastern Confere...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Lightning Hit The Ice in Brandon This Weekend
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning Training Camp is officially under way!! After a day full of physicals and off-ice assessments, the team will travel to the Brandon Ice Sports Forum for their typical on-ice sessions and Blue/White games.
The on-ice workouts begin at 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. As always, the practices an...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
With the preseason in full gear, we have gotten to see a preview of what to expect in this defining 2012 NHL season. I know that lately my blogs have been focused on all 30 teams, but today I'm just going to talk Habs. This blog will be (obviously) about what I expect from the players (stat wise) and the team's opening night lines. Also, I'll write a blurb on a few of the ...
[b]Looking Back[/b]
Many were surprised that Pavel Valentenko did not survive the first round of cuts. The 23 year old defenseman, who came over from Montreal in the Scott Gomez deal, was one of the final players cut during last year’s training camp. This year, he did not even outlast fellow blueliners Stu Bickel, Brendan Bell, and Blake Parlett, all long shots to mak...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Bolts Cut Roster in Half. Travel to La Belle Province.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning trimmed their active roster down to 27 yesterday, sending 26 players packing in the process. This round of cuts sets up the difficult decision still remaining for Steve Yzerman and Co., with four more players set to be released. Thus, trimming the active roster down to the required 23 spots.
The foll...
The recent hubub surrounding Blackhawks' star right winger, Patrick Kane, has nothing to do with indulging in the fruits of Chicago's night life, nor does it concern Kane's encounters with any Buffalo cab drivers. This Patrick Kane tale mostly has to do with the recent Hawks experiment of placing him at Center ice.
Click here for my piece on Kane's potential move to C...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Bolts Have Cleared Waivers. Fold Laundry With a Purpose!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Of note, forwards Mike Angelidis, Michel Ouellet, Alex Picard, Trevor Smith and J.T. Wyman, and defensemen Richard Petiot and Mike Vernace have all cleared waivers. These seven players are now assigned to the training camp of the AHL's Norfolk Admirals.
With the remaining members of the Lightning's main camp fully settled i...
saneopinion writes...
Pending UFA trade bait on teams likely to miss the dance
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The weekend before the regular season, the time of year where hockey pools are firing up and Canada celebrates New Year, not really, but close. Trade Deadline, July 1st and the Draft are now ahead of us, not behind us. We remind ourselves why we hate the Oilers and Canucks. E-bay is getting more time as tickets start coming out. Hockey is here.
****
Trade deadline t...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as the Islanders have made a few decisions regarding the roster as training camp and pre-season are quickly coming to a close
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-files-inching-closer-season
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Rob McGowan writes...
Strome And Pandolfo Earn Contracts With Islanders
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1055
The New York Islanders have signed Jay Pandolfo and Ryan Strome just in time before the start of the 2011-2012 season. Rob McGowan takes a look at the contracts and what they could mean for the rest of the roster.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/strome-and-pandolfo-earn-contracts-islanders
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://...
Can't make it to the game? Be sure to head over to The Checking Line for a live blog coming to you straight from the Nassau Coliseum press-box at 8 PM, covering the Islanders home opener against the Florida Panthers!
Both Panthers and Islanders fans are welcome, as well as all fans from any team!
www.thecheckingline.com
I will also be on Blog Talk Radio tonight fo...
The Islanders fell short in a disappointing 2-0 loss for their home opener against the Florida Panthers. Rob McGowan reports.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-fall-home-opener-vs-panthers
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Too Early To Assess Bolts; Renovated Forum Ready To Shine
Posted Friday | Comments 0
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning sit below the .500 mark for the first time under Guy Boucher’s tenure as head coach of the hockey club. The team has allowed at least four goals against in the past three contests, the end result being one point of a possible six. This after starting the season with a convincing 5-1 victory over a ...
Who the heck are these guys ?
Wow. So far this season the Jets had yet to show ANY kind of jump. Whatever Claude Noel said to the team appears to have got through. I don't think the Pens registered a shot on goal through the first 10 minutes of that period.
Alex Burmistrov was easily the best Jet out there. So slick with the puck. He registered an assist on each...
2-1 Jets after 40 minutes.
Fantastic chances for both teams in the period. Pavelec has been unbelievable. This must be that goaltender that I heard about in the early part of last season, holy smokes. This could easily be a 5-5 game if the teams had buried the plethora of chances they have gotten.
Refs pooched a goalie interference call (or should I say non-call) ...
So it appears my prediction of a Penguins laugher was somewhat off.
You really can't blame me for thinking it would be a cakewalk for the Pens after what the Jets had shown over the course of their first three games. I don't really know if this was the Jets team we can expect to see throughout the rest of the season or if it was just an anomaly.
Here are some of the...
The Hawks are well on their way towards being a great regular season team provided they can pick up a few of the missing pieces before reaching the mid-season mark. Patrick Kane continues to be an offensive force with 6 pts in 4 games playing at Center, winning 56.5% of his faceoffs, and he has not hurt his team defensively.
Corey Crawford has also played well thus f...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Roman Hamrlik of the Washington Capitals recently played in his 1,315th game in the NHL, making him the leader in games played by an Eastern European born player. The Czech defenseman started his career with the expansion 1992-93 Tampa Bay Lightning. Hamrlik remembers the challenges of making the transition to the North Ame...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Lightning penalty kill looked abhorent over the weekend in a home-and-home series with state rival, the Florida Panthers. In total, the Panthers struck seven times on the power play, along with one short handed marker for eight special teams goals in two games. Florida has only one power play goal in its other two conte...
P.A. Parenteau has been impressive so far on the season, but what will happen to his spot on the top line when Nino Niederreiter rejoins the Islanders line-up? Rob McGowan takes a look at what might unfold as the season rolls along.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/pa-perfect
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/Isle...
IanCunninghamTB writes...
Limited Options For Yzerman to Bolster Blueline
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Last night on the NHL on TSN, Pierre Lebrun mentioned that Tampa GM Steve Yzerman is looking to add a top-four defenseman in the near future. Lebrun is the latest addition to TSN’s expert panel of NHL Insiders, joining fellow Insiders Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie, along with host James Duthie. This group forms unarguab...
Blackhawks fans will remember one thing from last game against the Anaheim Ducks:
That Patrick Kane Spin-O-Rama pass.
The Chicago Blackhawks came away with a 3-2 SO victory over the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center on Tuesday night. After going down 1-0 and then 2-1, it was amazing to see the Hawks battle back to tie the game and keep themselves in the battle for...
I have nothing note-worthy to say, other than I am very excited to watch Habs-Bruins tonight. I was vacationing in Florida the past three weeks, time shares didn't have NHL Network or CBC! No surprise though, I was reading through the morning papers each day to keep up with my hockey pool with my friends, and went through about eight total pages of Baseball and Football, b...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
There has been an abundant amount of speculation the past week or so regarding the Tampa Bay Lightning’s goaltending situation. Namely, that a change is needed to keep the hockey club competitive with increasingly difficult Eastern Conference squads. The NHL Standings as of November 1st read more like science fiction com...
jamesparker_7 writes...
Goaltender Market - Part 3 - Theodore and Clemmensen
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Florida Panthers have a problem in nets, a problem that every team in the NHL wishes they had. Their problem is that their prospect goaltender is NHL ready before they thought he would be. Top goaltending prospect Jacob Markstrom has played in just five games this season but he has played incredibly well posting a 2.05 GAA and a .940 save percentage.
The problem for...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
Three games into November, the Tampa Bay Lightning have managed to secure four of a possible six points, capped off by a thrilling come from behind shootout victory in Florida. Although the Bolts surrendered three points to division rivals Carolina and Florida, the focus at this point in the season is on gathering points, r...
The Washington Capitals should trade Mike Green this season, if he gets healthy enough to string together a few games. Yes, Mike Green is one of the best offensive defenseman ever, I am in complete support of his abilities, my problem is that he is injury prone and the Capitals can spend their money better elsewhere.
I would have never made this argument last year but w...
With things all quiet in Hockey Heaven I figured today I'd talk about some other news around the league. First I will touch on the events in Tampa last night. Someone finally stood up to the defensive tactics that are destroying the game. NJ started it and were successful with tactic the Lightning use and so were the Bruins last season. What does the NHL do from here? ...
Hagman on waivers. Backlund is back. Byron up, Brodie up. Babchuk and Bmo out. Check out a quick recap of the Flames recent moves and tell me what you think as the Flames just got a helluva lot younger.
Click below:
[url]http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/11/flames-moves-youth-movement.html[/url]
Newman
Lose one. Win one. It's been the story of the season for the Flames. Paul Byron showed some jump tonight. Come read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/11/flames-split-back-to-back.html
Newman
Iban3z writes...
NHL:Miller, the "1-3-1" Flyers Winning ways, Howe HOF Speech
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I’m a little behind in my blogs. I apologize for that. A lot has been going on throughout the hockey world.
I want to touch a little bit on the Milan Lucic hit on Sabres’ goaltender Ryan Miller. Lucic wasn’t suspended nor fined for the hit however, this has left plenty of fans upset. NHL Dean of discipline, Brendan Shanahan has a shot of having consistency when i...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Will Brett Connolly Be Released to Canada's WJC Team?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that the Lightning may be interested in loaning Brett Connolly to Canada’s World Junior Championship squad this coming December. If you’re team Canada, why wouldn’t you want Connolly? He has all the intangibles necessary to be a great WJC player. For example, let’s take a look at some of the great WJC leaders for Canada in the past ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Addressing the Lightning and Goaltending Rumors
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It’s pretty clear that the Lighting are going to have a few deficiencies in a couple of years. Heck, some of those holes are starting to shine through right now. The team needs more depth, better defense and most importantly a strong, young goaltender moving forward.
Dwayne Roloson is not going to be the guy to carry this team through Steven Stamkos’ prime and gui...
Michael_Stuart writes...
The Evolution of Steven Stamkos as an Even Strength Force
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
When Steven Stamkos rips his one-timer from the half boards, fans cheer; the puck is travelling so quickly that is always has a chance to score. Since his NHL career started, Stamkos has been labeled a bit of a one dimensional player by some. Well, this season, Stamkos is turning himself into an even strength force.
Consider last season when 17 of Stamkos’ 45 goals ...
It’s been a tough week for the Flyers. They played 5 games in eight days going 2-3-0. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Flyers lost Andreas Lijia to injury for six weeks, JVR for 1-2 weeks, Jagr has been Day-to-Day and Chris Pronger will miss the next four weeks following successful knee surgery. The Flyers also waived streaky forward, Andreas Nodl who was picked up by th...
Is this group better than a 10th place team? You bet it is. This season hasn’t started off as planned for the high powered Lightning. Whether mired in goaltending issues, defensive woes or a 1-3-1 “scandal” or sorts, the Lightning have yet to get on a nice run. Like a lot of teams, consistency seems to be the main issue here; specifically, defensive consistency.
...
The Lightning are now past the quarter mark of their relatively young season. With some new faces and other changes, it was important to give the team time to gel before giving them a “report card” or sorts. In this blog, I’ll take a look at forwards, defense, goaltending while giving an honest and blunt opinion on the team moving forward.
[b]The Forwards[/b]
...
The 1-3-1 trap has been used in hockey for decades. While it’s not the most exciting thing to watch, it shuts opponents down and does indeed give the trappers a chance to win. Guy Boucher knows that.
The ugly incident in the Philadelphia game had the entire league talking about the 1-3-1 trap and how Tampa was “ruining the game” and it was “their fault” an...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Yzerman Returns to Detroit as Bolts Challenge Wings
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Lightning continue their mini road-trip tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. This is a real test for the team as it attempts to bounce back from the deflating Minnesota loss. The storyline for this game is intriguing as the Lightning have been unable to beat the Wings in the two teams’ last five meetings.
The wings are red (no pun intended) hot right now as ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Breaking News: Lightning Re-Sign Hedman to 5 Year Pact
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Here with a quick update. The Lightning have signed Victor Hedman to a 5 year $20million contract extension. Hedman, who is second on the team in ice time this season, has struggled offensively this season. Though, the talent is there and it should only be a matter of time before points start to come.
[b]My Thoughts on the Deal:[/b]
With this being the last year o...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Lose to Wings at the Joe in Emotional Game
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Despite losing having lost tonight’s game, the Lightning shouldn’t be feeling too down on themselves. For me, tonight’s contest had a really positive atmosphere starting with the video tribute to Steve Yzerman and the standing ovation given to him. You could practically feel the raw emotion coming from all parties at the Joe. This guy is a legend.
The Red Wings...
by Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
The Tampa Bay Lightning recorded a record of 6-7 in the month of November, dropping three spots to eleventh in the fifteen team Eastern Conference. In the process, Tampa surrendered eleven of a possible eighteen points available to Eastern Conference opponents, including six points to three teams that were below the Bolts i...
Sabres42 writes...
An Early Look at The Potential Trade Deadline Movers
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's December 1st and all the Bobby Ryan chatter over the last few days I couldn't help but notice the NHL Deadline is less than 3 months away. Another intriguing factor of this year's deadline is all the potential stars that could be on the move. Parise, Ryan, Iginla, Luongo, Nash, Carter, Weber, Suter, Hemsky, Alfredsson, Spezza, Stastny, Lecavalier, Semin, Bouwmeester...
With the Lightning off for a couple of days, I have time to sit back and enjoy some other hockey games. That being said, there’s always chatter and things going on in the Lightning world so I do my best to keep my readers posted. Here are some news and notes on the Lightning to begin December.
- Guy Boucher is really trying to push speed. An article posted today in...
Brassards agent rips Arniel for leaving him in the locker room as a healthy scratch again, saying Arniel is making Brassard the scapegoat for the teams wretched start. Well......
Rumors have it columbus is trying to trade Brassard. Two ways to fascilitate this, one, play them and feature their skills to prespective bidders. Two, sit them and hope that absence makes...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Why Bolts Must Get Into Bobby Ryan Trade Discussions
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Someone on TSN had a great quote a couple days ago about Bobby Ryan. He said “if you have a guy who 29 other teams want, don’t trade him.” To a certain extent, that’s very true. But all indications have pointed towards the fact that Ducks GM Bob Murray is indeed listening to offers with some intent of shipping off the budding young superstar.
Here at Hockey...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Breaking News: Lightning Make Minor Trade with Panthers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers have made a small trade.
[b]To Florida[/b]
James Wright (F)
Michael Vernace (D)
[b]To Tampa[/b]
Mike Kostka (D)
Evan Oberg (D)
In Oberg the Lightning are getting a developing D-man who has NHL potential. He didn't exactly struggle in Vancouver but his trade was necessary for the Canucks to bring in Chris Higgins....
I understand the frustration fans are having with the way the season which began with so much promise is starting to get away from them, it begs the question, should the sabres trade Ryan Miller? And if so, to whom and for what? It is a soft goalie market, I dont think you could get close to market value, but what does this Sabres team need to right the ship?
Michael_Stuart writes...
10 Bold Predictions for Rangers vs. Lightning Game
Posted Saturday | Comments 4
Last time John Tortorella and Brad Richards were at the St. Pete Times Forum it was a very happy time for the Lightning. Fresh off winning the Stanley Cup and heading into the lock-out, things looked good for the franchise moving forward. That was until the dreaded SALARY CAP…..ugh…..took hold of this team and forced Jay Feaster to rip the team apart. Richards was o...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Lose to Rangers: My Prediction Round Up
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well, the Ranger game is now over and I suppose it’s time to go over my downright dreadful predictions. Without further ado, my post-game recap.
1. Lightning dominate the game but the score is close until the final buzzer. The Rangers are red hot but the Lightning have all the intangibles necessary to beat this team. The final score? 5-4 Lightning. [b]Okay, so I didn...
By Ian Cunningham
[email protected]
A 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the league’s lowest scoring team, the New York Islanders, has left the Lightning coaching staff shaking their heads in disbelief. Is this the same team that stymied opponents routinely down the stretch and in the post-season last year? While the personnel have not turned over to any great d...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Simply Embarassing: Lightning Drop 5th Straight to Islanders
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Simply embarrassing. To be honest, that’s the only way I can really sum up the last few games for the Lightning. When this little 3 games in 4 nights started, I said that three wins were very possible and that two was the absolute minimum. Well, the Lightning came out and delivered exactly 0 wins.
Losing to the Rangers? Okay that’s fine. Losing to the Senators...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Beat Rangers to End Losing Streak - Mixed Bag
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So who would have thought that the second Marty St. Louis gets injured, the Lightning win a game? Show of hands? Well safe to say that I wasn’t expecting the result we got tonight. The game was an interesting display of emotion from two teams with high expectations on them. Lots of penalties and a different game than I was expecting.
After 5 straight losses, the L...
Last night was one of the few games of late this season when Blackhawks' team captain Jonathan Toews was not responsible for carrying his team on his shoulder in an effort to come away with two points.
Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa both had a goal and 2 assists a piece en route to a 3-2 overtime win for Chicago over the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum.
Ray...
[img]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/2011/11/17/kabs_65373.jpg[/img]
As per NHL.com the Carolina Hurricanes have found a dance partner in Montreal Canadians and managed to trade a problem player for a recently injured player. The deal as reported is just a straight player for player trade involving no picks or other players.
With any luck Kaberle can find some wa...
Michael_Stuart writes...
The 1-3-1 Returns: Flyers Take on Bolts at Wells Fargo
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The game we’ve all been waiting for. It’s game day for the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Normally, this would just be another game, but tonight, things are different. Tonight marks the first match-up for these two teams since the whole 1-3-1 incident.
It will be interesting to see what Peter Laviolette does tonight in his own barn. My guess? Ab...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Fall to Flyers: The Slot Looks Like a Drive-Thru
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I’d be lying if I told you that I don’t think the Flyers are a good team. They have offensive depth, solid goaltending and arguably the most complete forward in the game (Claude Giroux). I know I’ll get a lot of heat from Crosby fans for saying that, but I really like Giroux’s game. He didn’t burst onto the scene like Sidney did, but man is he ever good. Even...
This is my first blog so please bear with me folks.
This season, the Devils have quite the built up system for the first time in many, many years as far as depth goes. We're getting thinner at forward than normal, more talented at defense, and finally and justifiably building up goalie prospects. This is all great news for the near and even far future for call ups with...
The Devils (14-13-1) visit the Bolts (12-15-2), who are reeling in a bad way. This game should be an excellent opportunity for the Devs to get 2 points in regulation for the first time since Nov. 25. The last time these 2 met, the Devils jumped out to a 3-0 lead, I was there and boy was it impressive! The last 10 minutes of the game however were not, as the Devils very nea...
NJD (14-13-1) @ TBL (12-15-2) St. Pete Times Forum 7pm VS/TSN2
Hedberg (300th start of his career!) vs Roloson
(side note, Devils have acquired D Kurtis Foster, and G prospect Timo Pielmeier for C Pelley, D Fraser and a 7th round pick in 2012. A great trade for guys who have been placed on waivers twice, getting a solid blueline shot and 40+ point scorer in Foster as...
So apparently the game plan was lost in the mail on its way from New York to Philadelphia and then from Philly back to Tampa. Not to worry though, things are going to be fine soon enough. Okay, so that may be a little bit of an optimistic view on things. This post-game wrap up is all about one thing; one VERY big thing.
I have lowered my expectations for this team ...
NJD 15-13-1, 31 points @ FLA 16-9-5, 37 points
Bank Atlantic Center 7:30pm EST MSG+, FSFL (HD)
Martin Brodeur NJD vs Jose Theodore FLA
Acquired yesterday in a trade, D Kurtis Foster will indeed play tonight, grouped with Salvador. Urbom and Palmieri will both sit, and Janssen will play tonight.
I'm very curious how this team will come off putting up 5 goals, ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Talk: Defensemen to Target in Free Agent Frenzy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So what is the biggest problem with the Lightning right now? Is it offense, goaltending, defense? Pick your poison if you will. There is room for improvement in all positions. Tonight, we’ll take a look at some of the free agent defenseman available at year’s end to see who I feel would fit in with the Lightning moving forward. You know things are bad with the tea...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Flames/Bolts Preview + A Little "What If?" Scenario
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It’s game day for the Lightning as the Calgary Flames come to town for the only meeting of the year between these two teams. When I look at both teams, I see disasters. Neither team is playing well right now. That being said, at least the Lightning have a future. We have young, talented players who should be able to carry this team for a really long time. In Calgary...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Squeeze By Flames Thanks to Dominant Second Period
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Was that offense I saw? Wow, how nice it is to see the Lightning score goals and get solid performances from a lot of key sources. It’s like my entire Christmas wish list was answered in one night. Thanks Santa! Alright, so the goals may not have been the prettiest what with all the deflections and all, but a win is a win is a win and this team will take whatever it ...
[IMG]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRE0Z5NGiZAZvUkr5OBYCXq0LXiK7qozOMZFMj61j3NugzfJhV_-g[/IMG]
Thanks to those who have been reading my blogs the past two weeks, I am trying to help fill the void since we only have one official blogger for the Flames this year.
Due to this being an early game this will be a short blog. The Flames find themselves facing off ...
For the Lightning, the future starts now. Look at the core of this team and it’s pretty obvious. What makes a winner? It’s the ability to draft well, develop players and sign key free agents at the right time. You can bet that Steve Yzerman is doing his best to model the Bolts after the Detroit Red Wings. So, since Yzerman’s own retirement from the Motor City, w...
In the words of one Charlie Sheen: “Winning!”
Could the Lightning be onto something right now? With two wins in a row, the team is finally starting to show that hunger and tenacity that we all came to know and love last season. Yes, it was only the Columbus Blue Jackets but a win is a win is a win. Every two points in this league count and these ones may go a lon...
Last week the Wild won 4 out of 4 road games, playing some of the best hockey they have played all year. What a difference a week can make. The Wild played three games this week, including a road/home back to back against the high octane Jets in Winnipeg and then the streaking Blackhawks back in St. Paul. The week ended on Saturday when the Islanders came to town to play t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Why the Lightning WILL make the Playoffs This Season
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Over the past few days I’ve been reading a lot of hockey coverage, listening to a lot of hockey talk, and watching a lot of hockey. Not a bad way to spend a few days if you ask me. Now, the consensus I’ve heard from most people is that the Lightning don’t have much of a shot to make the playoffs this season. I thought about of myself, and I think those people are ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Embarrassed by Sharks in San Jose: U-G-L-Y
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
That was quite possibly the most embarrassing game I’ve ever seen. In fact, embarrassing isn’t a strong enough word. The Lightning were absolutely brutal tonight in a game that I considered to be one of the very key games this season. Why, why, why? How can a team come out so flat and give up so many goals in one period. A goal every 4 minutes for the Sharks? Tha...
After last night’s brutal loss to the San Jose Sharks, it’s time for the Tampa Bay Lightning Holiday Multiple Choice survey! No answer is a wrong answer; this is just to get a perspective from each and every single one of you. Without further ado, here we go.
[b]1. What should Steve Yzerman’s next move be?[/b]
[b]A: Fire Guy Boucher[/b]
When teams struggle, ...
It’s not often that the Lightning and Avalanche get together. As I mentioned in one my other game previews, that is going to be one really nice thing about re-alignment. We will get to see all these Western teams twice a year. Not only will it help to create rivalries, but it will really help spread the game across the United States. I can’t be the only one who is ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Lose to Avalanche in Goalie Battle + Rumor Round-Up
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
My prediction was a high scoring, offensive battle with the Lightning coming out on top. Instead, we got a low scoring chess match in which the Lightning lost. It’s high time I stop predicting Lightning wins; they never seem to come through. Let’s get to my post-game Good, Bad, Ugly analysis.
[b]The Good[/b]
The best part about tonight, despite the outcome, was ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Risky Business: Victor Hedman and Other Top-5 D-Men
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s early Christmas morning and I have time on my hands. Over the past few weeks I’ve been researching a topic and coming up with stats and facts to back my point of view. As the title of this blog says, I feel like there is a downside to picking defensemen with very high draft picks. It’s a well-known fact that defenseman take longer to develop and often don’t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Flyers vs. Bolts Shaping Up to be a Great Game -- Preview
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The holiday break is already over as NHL hockey starts again tonight. It’s funny how long this holiday break feels when you don’t get to see a game for a couple days. It makes me cringe when I think about a season with the possibility of no playoffs. Thank goodness the golfing is good everywhere that time of year. A little too cynical for the holiday season? All t...
My latest post at TCL - Isles Edition takes a look at the play of P.A. Parenteau and how he has been one of the best Islanders skaters so far this season
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/pa-parenteau-isles-unsung-hero
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
Michael_Stuart writes...
Next 6 Games Vital for Lightning + My Predictions
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For teams in the playoff picture, the stretch run starts somewhere in that last month or so of the season. For teams that are not fortunate enough to be in one of the elusive top 8 spots, the stretch is never ending. In my mind, the next weeks, which contain 6 games, are the most important weeks of the season for this Lightning club. Success is vital in these 6 games if...
Dare I say it; what a game! This tilt had a little bit of everything in it. There was a great deal of animosity, some great goals, solid goaltending from Garon and a whole bunch more. Like my game preview stated, this shaped up to be one of the best games of the year (despite the lack of chances). Of course, from the Lightning perspective, it helps that we kicked off t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
A Tale of Two Underperforming Teams: Bolts vs. Canadiens
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Canadiens come to town in what is shaping up to be a tale of two underperforming teams heading in opposite directions. The Lightning have put together a couple of really solid efforts that have us looking upwards towards greener pastures. The Canadiens are still so enigmatic that it is so hard to read. On the one had, you think that they might do something still thi...
Finally!! When the schedule makers came up with the idea of pushing the Chicago/detroit series off until this late in the season, could they have known how much it would be anticipated? Chicago with 50 points, Detroit with 47, the Blues playing like annoying little brother wanting to play with the big boys, all together three of the best teams in hockey.
Chicago is o...
Michael_Stuart writes...
A V for Vinny, a V for Victory: Bolts Down Habs 4-3
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Although the effort wasn’t as strong as it had been in the last two, you’ve got to like the Lightning’s comeback from 3-1 down. It was a game that had a little bit of emotion, some nice offensive play and a lot of excitement. Overall, while I wasn’t totally impressed with everything from the Bolts tonight, it was nice to see a victory after falling behind early. ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts/Canes Preview + HB Hotstove Response + Rumor Update
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It’s amazing how gratifying two wins can feel. After beating up on the Flyers and squeezing by the Canadiens, the Lightning close out this current three game home stand with a tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. If there was ever a game the team wanted to play on home ice, this would be it. The Bolts’ problems haven’t been at the newly re-named Tampa Bay Times F...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Defeat 'Canes 5-2 on Phil Esposito Night
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Victories breed confidence and there is no doubting that this Lightning team is a confident group. Now, with 3 key wins in a row, the Lightning seem to have a sort of swagger that hasn’t been seen all season. Every two points hold so much weight in this league. There is so much parity that you need to make every game count. Right now, the Lightning are doing exactly ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Leafs vs. Bolts: Two Teams Headed in Opposite Directions
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It’s funny to consider just how far the Toronto Maple Leafs have fallen from the tree that is the cream of the crop in the NHL. What a witty little analogy that was. To start the season, everything that could go right for the Leafs, was going right for the Leafs. They were getting solid goaltending from James Reimer, timely scoring from the top line and great defensiv...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Steven Stamkos is the Most Marketable Player in the Game
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Since Sidney Crosby’s concussion and Alex Ovechkin’s fall from grace, the National Hockey League has been in dire need of a new star. The league needs a face that every fan can get excited about. What I’m about to argue will irk a lot of the hockey world. Obviously, as a Bolts fan, I’m a little bit biased. That said, I believe that Steven Stamkos is the most ma...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Defeated by Leafs: Game Review + "The Issues"
Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
Heading into this game, everything seemed right for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts had just come off a 3-0-0 run at the Tampa Bay Times Forum (I try to plug it as much as possible just to get used to it) and were looking for a fourth straight victory in Toronto. Say what you want about tonight’s game, but it’s pretty hard to argue that, on paper, this wasn’t a ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Poised to take on Senators + Rumor Response to Ek
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After a small trip down loser’s lane, the Lightning need to get back into the winner’s circle. Losers don’t make it too far in the National Hockey League these days. This season isn’t lost yet, despite a rather one-sided loss at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Currently, the Lightning sit in 12th place in the east. While it doesn’t sound pretty, take no...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Anderson Shines as Sens Steal Two Points from Lightning
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Heading into the game against the Ottawa Senators, fans knew it was going to be a challenge to get the win. The Sens boast some great young players with a lot of skill up front. That said, I’m not sure people expected what we saw tonight. It was the Craig Anderson show as he singlehandedly stole this game from the Tampa Bay Lightning in heartbreaking fashion. Here’...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts in Montreal to Take on Canadiens: An Interesting Test
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Tomorrow, the Lightning are in Montreal to take on the Canadiens. If our Bolts cannot get up for this one, I will officially consider this season a write-off. It’s always exciting for this group to play in Montreal. Few teams have the French connection that the Bolts do. Guys like Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier typically put in that extra little bit to play wel...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast: Bolts Downed by Habs in Montreal
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. While that may be the tagline for CBS’s popular show, Survivor, it is also exactly what the Montreal Canadiens did to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. That loss, giving the Bolts a record of 3-3 on my little stretch, all but puts the Lightning out of contention. Unless drastic changes are made, we aren’t going to be seeing playoff hockey...
Here is an excerpt from my latest blog:
...Calgary needs a great goalie to be a decent club, not sure if that is an indictment of the system being played but it is safe to say that if Kipper leaves a replacement will have to be found. Irving played decent up here and won against the Canucks which made him beloved by fans but his stats are not great after that Boston gam...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Canucks vs. Lightning Game Preview + Guy Boucher Contract
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
First and foremost I’d just like to apologize for getting this up a little late. It’s been a busy couple of days with travel and whatnot. That said, I’m here with the Bolts game preview for tonight’s tilt at the Tampa Bay Times Forum against the Western Conference powerhouse, Vancouver Canucks. Also in this blog I’ll be addressing a Guy Boucher question brough...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Canucks Beat Bolts in Showcase of Offensive Talent
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
People often say that history tends to repeat itself. After watching this game, another offensive classic, between the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning, it’s hard to disagree. For the second time in two meetings, the Bolts and Canucks played a back and forth match that ended with a 5-4 decision in extra time for the visiting team. Here are my rough game notes...
14 of the past 19 on the road, an absolutely brutal, brutal stretch, the last three games the Wings havent had their legs, falling behind early by two or more all three times. I nice week at home, games every other day, plenty of rest and home cooking for this years best home team, Datsyuk healing, Jimmy Howard rested up. currently sitting in third place, two points behi...
Whats going on with the Washington Capitals? There’s a question I think every hockey fan and analyst are asking themselves these days, especially when you look at the southeast standings. The Florida Panthers have a four point lead over the Caps for the division lead, something I would think no hockey analyst would ever have guessed at the start of this campaign. Ovechki...
At this point in the season, with the Lightning in their current rut, it’s tough to put a value on the importance of a game. Are we chasing a playoff spot, or is this season completely done? As I’ve voiced to many of you before, the onus lies on management to come out and update a fan base that is so curious. All Steve Yzerman has to do is come out and tell us that ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
A Negatively Written Rant on the Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It’s not that difficult to understand what’s going on with this Lightning group right now. After another lackluster effort, this time against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Bolts find themselves in the unenviable position of having to decide whether or not to be ‘buyers’ or ‘sellers’ at the trade deadline. With about a month and a half to go before the pivotal ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Uninspired Bolts Head to Washington Looking for Change
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning are in DC tonight to take on the Washington Capitals. Despite not being the powerhouse group that haunted the league only a few short years ago, the Washington Capitals boast some great offensive weapons that shouldn’t have any problem feasting on weak defense and spotty goaltending. As Ian Esplen, the Canucks blogger here at Hockeybuzz, always says, “r...
Who needs success when resiliency that leads to failure is a perfectly good option? Once again, the Lightning started out slower than a turtle in a pivotal game. You would have thought that the team would be better prepared to take on the high flying Capitals. In my pre-game report, I mentioned that Ovechkin was a sleeping giant; I also mentioned that I’m terrible at ...
Steve Yzerman, the worst GM in the league? I don’t think so, Barry. Unfortunately, you are way off base here. In just a short amount of time with the Lightning, Yzerman has done much more than make a few roster changes; he has created a culture. It’s the culture and aura that followed him around in Detroit and with Hockey Canada. The Tampa Bay Lightning franchise ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Frustration Mounts as Malkin and Pens Defeat Bolts
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Once again the alarm clock failed to wake the Tampa Bay Lightning until it was too late. The Bolts found themselves down 2-0 fairly early in the game. It was then that the team woke up. Frustration, disappointment and fight finally made appearances for this group. We saw a team that was pissed off with losing, a team that wanted to win. However, we also saw a team tha...
Last summer, Lou Lamoriello decided to take player Zach Parise to arbitration, which was the beginning of the end of Parise's tenure in New Jersey. The eventual one-year-deal signed left Parise opened to unrestricted free agency next season with 30 potential suitors as he's one of the most coveted forwards in the league. Who wouldn't want this guy in front of their net, ...
Last summer, Lou Lamoriello decided to take player Zach Parise to arbitration, which was the beginning of the end of Parise's tenure in New Jersey. The eventual one-year-deal signed left Parise opened to unrestricted free agency next season with 30 potential suitors as he's one of the most coveted forwards in the league. Who wouldn't want this guy in front of their net, ...
Last summer, Lou Lamoriello decided to take player Zach Parise to arbitration, which was the beginning of the end of Parise's tenure in New Jersey. The eventual one-year-deal signed left Parise opened to unrestricted free agency next season with 30 potential suitors as he's one of the most coveted forwards in the league. Who wouldn't want this guy in front of their net, ...
Last summer, Lou Lamoriello decided to take player Zach Parise to arbitration, which was the beginning of the end of Parise's tenure in New Jersey. The eventual one-year-deal signed left Parise opened to unrestricted free agency next season with 30 potential suitors as he's one of the most coveted forwards in the league. Who wouldn't want this guy in front of their net, ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Ready for Bruins? + Rumor du Jour + Your Questions
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Lightning finish off a busy couple of weeks with a visit from the big, bruising, Boston Bruins tomorrow night. It should be an interesting game between two teams who have gone in opposite directions since a meeting in last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs. I would argue that that series was largely dominated by the Lightning. Last season, when the Bolts were successf...
Something the Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of. Well…maybe that’s not the right term. ‘Excess Depth’ may describe the situation a bit better. My point is, the team has a lot of players with high cap hits, which I just don’t think they need. But the thing is, they all have value were they to be traded. A couple of the names may surprise people, but bear with me. ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Strike Bruins + Rumor Round-Up + Answers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There’s a jam packed blog here for you folks tonight full of my post-game thoughts, a rumor update, and the answers to the questions you submitted to me. Speaking of the game, it’s really funny to think that this is the exact same team we saw play Pittsburgh just a couple nights ago. Maybe all that mumbo-jumbo I was saying about frustration really did make a differen...
The first half of the season is officially in the books for the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are currently 22-17-7 through 46 games of this season. Had I been told before the season started that the Wild were going to have 51 points and be 1 point out of 8th in the Western Conference with 51 points heading toward the All-Star break, I would have been satisfied. And though it m...
Hello Blackhawk fans. Tonight, at the Madhouse on Madison the Blackhawks take on the ex-Hawks known as the Florida Panthers. The Panthers, last played on Wednesday night blowing a 3-1 third period lead in Colorado and lost in overtime 4-3 to the Avs. The Panthers are now 11-0-4 when leading after two periods. The Panthers have received a bit of good news as former Blac...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Hold off Stars for 2-1 Victory + Rumors
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning went into the American Airlines Center in Dallas to take on a Stars team that is one of the hardest working, energized groups in the league. Looking for their second straight victory, the Lightning took to the ice knowing what they had to do. They played with pride, emotion and strength for a good portion of the game. It was enough to lead the group to vic...
Game two of this Western Conference back-to-back road trip is tonight with the Bolts taking on the Phoenix Coyotes. As a result of the quick turnaround time, the Bolts will probably be a little bit tired in Phoenix. The key for the Bolts is to remain disciplined as they search for their 3rd win in a row. If history means anything, the Bolts come into this one having won...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Hold Off Coyotes for Huge 4-3 Victory
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Lightning won back-to-back road games for the first time this season. It was a welcome change for a team that is just trying to claw its way back into the playoff race. Tonight’s two points will go a long way in ensuring the Bolts have a chance at the post-season. Roloson was superb, the offense did what it had to and the defense held its own for the most part. I...
Word on the street (New york Post) is that the New Jersey Devil are in talks with the NHL to get a cash advance if you will because they are losing money and losing money fast.
[quote]
"Vanderbeek, who owns 47 percent of the team, does not have the money to fund losses, while billionaire Ray Chambers, who also owns 47 percent, no longer wants to fund the team.
Las...
There have been a lot of talk about Parise lately and where he'll end up. We heard from site to site different stories ranging from him resigning with the Devils to being traded at the deadline to almost every team in the NHL. So last night I started thinking, which doesn't happen much at my age, and started to look around the league to find a right partner for Parise if a...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Poised to Make Run Down the Stretch
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After winning 5 games in a row, the Bolts have a lot of fans, including myself, wondering if there’s a chance of seeing post-season hockey in 2012. Not only was tonight’s win important, it was also a confidence booster. Often times, the first game back from the all-star break is pivotal for a team. Hopefully that’s the case for the 2011-12 version of these Tampa B...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Look to Strike Down Jets in Thursday's Tilt
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Lightning are poised to take on the Winnipeg Jets at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Thursday with one thing in mind, two points. Belief is starting to set in that this team could very well be a playoff bound team. As it stands right now, the Lightning sit in 11th place with 48 points while the Jets have 52 points in 10th place. That four point gap could be narrowed to...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Great Effort from Bolts isn't Enough to Ground Jets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Six game win streaks are always nice, aren’t they? Unfortunately, the Lightning didn’t manage to get to that elusive sixth straight W. Instead, they walked out of the Tampa Bay Times Forum with one point to keep pace with “the pack”. Two would have been nice; but by no means are the Lightning out of the race. What matters right now is that the Bolts continue to...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts/Panthers Preview + Rumors + Standings Research
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The month of February is shaping up to be one of vital importance for the Tampa Bay Lightning. With 12 games until the February 27th trade deadline, the Lightning are looking at a schedule that will have a huge impact on whether or not the team makes the playoffs this season. In this blog, I’ll take a look at the Panthers game coming up on Saturday, some rumors making ...
Another game, another loss. Give the Avs credit, they played a solid game but the issue of scoring keeps coming up. Right now, the Avs just dont have that extra shooter that can be a difference maker for this team. Mueller's play has been a spark, no doubt, Duchene is still hurt, but even when both come back this teams loaded down the middle but lacking a true sniper on th...
Chalk up another two points for the boys in blue. What a story the last 7 games has been for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, the Lightning find themselves in a true race with some tough opponents for just a couple playoff spots. Tonight’s post-game report will have a short synopsis of the game itself and then a larger feature on individual pieces and how they relate to ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Predicting the Month of February - Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the trade deadline only weeks away, and the stretch run in full swing, it’s time to make some predictions. The Lightning have an off day, so today’s blog will give a brief synopsis of the month’s remaining games. Should anyone put money down on these predictions? With my track record, absolutely not. That said, with all the talk about taking things ‘one ga...
I have decided on a trade that would work pretty well
From Buffalo: From Tampa Bay:
Ryan Miller Victor Hedman
As we all know, Tampa Bay is in need of a goalie very badly. Ryan Miller is obviously someone who can pay the bill. And with Hed...
It’s always a treat when my two favorite teams get together to play a good ol’ fashioned game of hockey. That’s exactly what’s going to happen when the Los Angeles Kings come to town to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday evening. For two teams that don’t see each other often, there is certainly an abundance of storylines to follow prior to puck drop. T...
After two demoralizing losses for the Tampa Bay Lightning, nobody is going to fault the odd fan or two for falling off the bandwagon here. In all likelihood, the Lightning will be sellers by the February 27th with their playoff dreams shattered, but, my name is Mr. Optimism and positivity is my game. The Bolts aren’t out of this race quite yet. They have games in hand...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Defeat Sabres in Tight Tilt + Penguins Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Only in the NHL is it possible to be one of the best teams over a ten game stretch and not make up any ground. That’s exactly what’s happening to the Tampa Bay Lightning right now. 7-1-2 in their last ten, the Bolts have been playing some inspired hockey. Whether it’s players fighting for jobs, looking to get traded to a contender or just simply fighting for a pla...
This Sabres script has been written before and the story, for me , is getting very old. Since 1997 the Sabres have made the playoffs or just missed them 12 out of 13 years. And I, for one, don‘t want them to win more then 10 games over the next 2 months. It in no way helps them to just miss the playoffs a 5th year. In fact, losing the rest of our games gives us a g...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Quick Lightning Update - Are the playoffs in reach?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Sometimes, with a non-playoff team, you sit, you watch and you wonder how on earth it isn’t more competitive on a night-to-night basis? That’s exactly what happened with the Bolts tonight. With the parity in the National Hockey League, talent doesn’t necessarily mean everything. In today’s game, it’s all about work ethic and effort. In my opinion, the Bolts w...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Down Caps + The Competition + Trade Deadline
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s tough to argue with results. As right now, the Lightning have narrowed the gap between themselves and the playoffs to a mere six points. There was a time at which the gap was around ten points and Bolts fans would take heat for saying that we still had a chance this year. Now, the Bolts are proving all the critics wrong.....
[b]Read the entire blog over at my...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Analyzing the Lightning Trades - Moore and Kubina
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s Hockey Day in America and, you guessed it, the Lightning are not playing. After last night’s hard-fought win against the Capitals, and with a couple of days off, it’s time to take a look at the two trades the Lightning have made so far. Expect a flurry of movement as we move closer to the February 27th trade deadline; it should be mighty exciting.....
[b]Re...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Answering the Ryan Malone Conundrum: What's He Worth?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Ryan Malone trade rumors are starting to heat up. For a player with size, soft hands and a knack for going to the net, Malone’s offensive totals should be much greater than they currently are. In fact, it could be argued that Malone’s effectiveness on the ice is at an all-time low. Since arriving in Tampa Bay from Pittsb...
So after losing against the Islanders in what most considered a must win game, the Jets have posted a road win against the Wild and two straight home wins against the Bruins and Avs.
In all three of those wins they have recorded at least four goals per game. Yes, you heard me right, four goals per game.
An outpouring of offense such as this is reason to celebrate in...
It’s a quiet night in the NHL tonight with only two games on the schedule. One of those games has a huge impact on the Bolts as they move forward. The Washington Capitals are taking on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in a game that will have huge playoff implications for many other teams. If the Capitals win, it’s another two points to make up. If the Capitals lose...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Yzerman Sends Downie to Avalanche - Quick Update
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Steve Yzerman has continued his trade tirade today with moves sending Steve Downie to Colorado in exchange for Kyle Quincey, only to send Quincy to Detroit in exchange for Detroit’s 2012 first round draft pick and Sebastien Piche. Yzerman was not finished there; he then sent forward Matt Fornataro to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brandon Segal. Here are some q...
The Lightning finished off their homestand tonight with a HUGE victory against the Anaheim Ducks. The Bolts may not have deserved the game, but good teams find ways to win. Right now, this group finds itself only 5 points out of the playoff picture. Many questions have yet to be answered.
[b]Read the game recap over at Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Buzz![/b]
[url]h...
It has been a while since my previous write up for the boys in red and black, so there is much to cover!
After tonight's grueling victory in Toronto over the Leafs in Overtime, the New Jersey Devils are on a four-game win streak, and are 35-20-4. Folks, that is a very impressive record for where this team was projected to end up. At this point last season, after 59 gam...
In a very surprising move by Detroit GM Ken Holland, who is known as one of the best in the league, a first round pick and a prospect ( Sebastien Piche) to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defensemen Kyle Quincey.
The move was part of a 3 way trade that involved Tampa Bay Lightning sending forward Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche, thus the Avs sending us the young defe...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Head to Winnipeg for Game of the Season vs. Jets
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
All season, bloggers like myself have been preaching about “big games”. Well, tomorrow’s game against the Jets is the epitome of a big game. Playoff spots are on the line for the manager, ticket revenues are on the line for owners and jobs are on the line for players. This is a key time of a year; this game is shaping up to be the biggest of the season for the Tam...
Kyle Quincey was the perfect pickup for the Wings. As I see them, here are the reasons...
1. Former Wing, knows the players, the system, wont disrupt chemistry.
2. You can never have enough d-men in the post season. This gives us eight.
3. Insurance with Stuart moving on.
4. Can quarterback the second power play unit, something we desperately need.
5. He paired with...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Jets Dominate Lightning in Heartbreaker + Trade Rumors
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning were in Winnipeg last night for a Southeast Division showdown. The team failed to show up and they got beaten as such. An inspiring comeback was not enough to save the Tampa Bay Lightning. They gave two points to their division rival and widened the gap between themselves and the playoffs. With only a 7.2% chance of making the playoffs, the Bolts need to ...
With a weekend of travel behind me, it’s time to take a look at the weekend and give a re-cap. Obviously there were two big games this weekend and thankfully the Bolts managed to pull out a win on Sunday. The Lightning are still “in” the playoff race but things are certainly getting a little more tense. Steve Yzerman has stated that he doesn’t believe he’ll be...
It's that time of year, folks. We are under 24 hours away from the NHL trade deadline. With some big names on the market, and a couple big names now off the market, there will certainly be a flurry of activity as we move towards 3 p.m EST tomorrow. Over the course of the next day or so, I will be updating this blog regularly with Lightning moves, moves that interest the...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Tampa Bay Lightning: Analyzing the Deals of the Day
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Before we get started here, I'd like to thank everyone who read, commented and participated in the interactive, live blog here at TB HB and at HockeyBuzz. It was a lot of fun chatting with you guys as the deals of the day unfolded. Despite being a rather quiet deadline day overall, the Lightning were really busy. Yzerman made some key deals that should benefit this team...
The Habs are in Tampa for a really important game tonight. The Bolts are only six points back of 8th place and, with their new look defense, you can bet they'll be ready to go. It should be a really exciting tilt as you know these two teams always get the best out of each other.
[b]There's a game preview blog over at TB HB![/b]
[url]http://tblhockeybuzz.blogspot....
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Edge Closer to Playoff Spot with Victory Over Habs
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sometimes, the referees do everything they can to change the outcome of a game. Occasionally, that's not enough. In last night's tilt between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bolts got absolutely shafted by the officials. Those of you who read my blogs frequently know that I am not someone who harps on the referees often. In order for me to actua...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Steal Two Points from Conference Leading Rangers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It didn’t take long for tonight’s game against the New York Rangers to have a playoff feel added to it. If the Bolts are to make the playoffs this season, there is a great chance that their first round opponent would be the Rangers. Based on what we’ve been treated to over the course of the season series, this blogger can’t complain. The Rangers are one of the t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning in Carolina for Pivotal Tilt Against the 'Canes
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Tonight’s game is a big one. The Lightning are in Carolina to take on the Hurricanes in what is shaping up to be a very pivotal game in the race for a playoff spot. With neither the Jets nor the Capitals in action on this Saturday evening, the Lightning have a shot to move just two points back of 8th place. That’s a far cry from the distant gap that once stood betwe...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts Continue Playoff Push with Comeback Victory Over Canes
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Back-to-back games are never easy for a team in the National Hockey League. After beating the Rangers on Friday, the Bolts found themselves with another daunting challenge in Carolina. Less than 24 hours later, the Bolts were tasked with taking down a Hurricanes team that had been playing very well as of late. The big guys came in tired, Garon was playing for the second...
It’s Sunday March 4th and the Bolts have a couple days off. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this team right now as it tries to complete the once unthinkable task of making the playoffs. The games are big; the stakes are high. Every player on the roster knows that he needs to play well in order to get this team into that number 8 seed. Here’s hoping that t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Ready to Take on Senators in Key Tilt on Tuesday
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Eastern Conference standings are so tight right now; a win, tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators, is a must. At the time of writing, the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets had not dropped the puck in their incredibly important tilt. With a Jets loss today and a Lightning win tomorrow, the Bolts would be sitting in 8th spot. That's right folks, barring the outcome of t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Capitals Break Hearts by Defeating Bolts in Overtime
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Welcome to the National Hockey League, Dustin Tokarski. It was a big night for everyone on the ice tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Washington Capitals. With two points up for grabs in the ever-tight Eastern Conference playoff race, the Lightning needed a good performance. Trailing the Capitals by two points heading into the tilt, the Lightning had a great...
As the clock wound down in the waning seconds of the game, the crowd at Wells Fargo Center rose to their feet.
It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence on Thursday night, but it was the final time that they had the chance to do so.
They planned to enjoy every moment of it.
With their Philadelphia Flyers leading the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-0, it proved to be the...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Carolina Hurricanes Preview
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Hockey Gods were with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night. Both the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets failed to pick up much needed victories. If everything goes right for the Bolts tonight, they could go to bed Saturday sitting only one point back of 8th place in the Eastern Conference. On top of a Bolts win, the Capitals and Sabres would both have to lose. I...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Playoff Dreams Shattered with Brutal Loss to Canes
Posted Saturday | Comments 1
If that’s the best performance the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to be able to turn out on this home stand, fans better be prepared for a wealth of disappointment. Tonight, the Hurricanes proved that you don’t need the most talented roster to win in the National Hockey League; all it takes is a little hard work and a good system. The Bolts had their playoff hopes das...
How can we find excuses? How can the team, or anyone for that matter, find an excuse for continued losses, at this point in the season? You can’t. No one can.
Tonight was another example of a game that Buffalo had to win, and should have won. What needs to happen for this team to move forward?
Let’s be honest. This team can’t move forward. If I hear how great...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning vs. Oilers Preview: A Victory is Needed
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Despite being all but out of the playoff race (barring a miracle), the Tampa Bay Lightning need a victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Unless this team wants to absolutely tank the rest of the season, which is unlikely based on the culture Yzerman and Boucher have created, a victory is imperative for confidence and getting back on the right track. Let�...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Beat Islanders: Worth Much More than Two Points
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It’s tough to measure the impact that one win can have on an NHL franchise. Still, last night’s Lightning win against the New York Islanders should be counted as a big one. It’s not a big one because it keeps the Bolts mathematically alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race; it’s a big one because it showed heart and resiliency from a group that could have ea...
I have respect for John Tortorella as a coach.
He's a straightforward guy that has taken a team that has underachieved for many years (when you look at how much money they have spent versus victories) and led them to the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
There's a lot to like about the way he has handled the Rangers.
Of course, Tortorella has a Stanley Cup ring,...
The Tampa Bay Lightning took to the ice at the MTS Centre to close the season on Saturday night. There were three key storylines to follow in what turned out to be a great end to the season.
[b]To read the full game re-cap, and many more pieces on the Tampa Bay Lightning, head over to Between the Benches.[/b]
[url]http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1073[/url]
Thanks...
"... So we start with the overall questions, What’s next? After three seasons of no playoff hockey the Flames fans are mad. We all remember the season after season futility and it seems like those scars are now being opened. The 04 run is now long gone and all good will it generated is depleted. After so long losing there has to be a major shift in culture with the Flame...
Over the course of the year, Eklund has been posting rumors that Guy Boucher may be headed to Montreal to take the head coaching job there. BTB columnist Mike Stuart takes a look at the situation and explains why he thinks Boucher will be in Tampa next year and for a long time.
[b]Check out the article over at Between the Benches![/b]
[url]http://betweenthebenches.c...
A TROLL...the online definition looks like this:
[b]In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory,[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[3] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[4] [/b]
...
The Roberto Luongo era is coming to an end in Vancouver. Everything that has transpired over the past few days would indicate that Roberto Luongo is on his way out of Vancouver. Rewind the clock just two or three years ago and this notion would have been unthinkable. Now, with Cory Schneider all but dominating the Canucks’ crease, Roberto Luongo finds himself at a crossr...
Last night Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers skated to a 3-2 victory at Scotia Bank Place in Ottawa to force a game 7 in their series with the Senators. The top seed in the East fought back from a deflating shutout loss at home in Game 5 and an early 1-0 deficit in game 6. The Atlantic Division champs had some help from an undisciplined Ottawa team who took several crucia...
Colin Dambrauskas writes...
My thoughts on Luongo and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Posted Thursday | Comments 3
After many conversations, it appears most Leaf fans feel that Luongo coming to Toronto either wont happen or is a bad idea primarily due to the length of his contract, and secondly because he might not even want to play there.
After having failed with the Gustavsson and Reimer duo, Burke is at a point where he is desperate for a legitimate starter for the 2012-2013 sea...
For the past 21 years, the Detroit Red Wings have been on a run of tremendous success that very few fans experience in a lifetime. It's been very special that I have been lucky enough to be a fan born into the success of the Detroit Red Wings. I was born in October 1990, and the Wings have made the playoffs every season that has been played since, a streak that has now rea...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Defending Steven Stamkos' Hart Trophy Nomination
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It feels like the Lightning fan base has to constantly come to the defense of its star players. After seeing the reaction to the Hart Trophy nominations, this week has been no exception. There was so much backlash towards Steven Stamkos for being nominated as “he didn’t lead the Lightning to the playoffs” – No, he didn’t. What did he do though? Well, not only did...
Goaltending rumors are everywhere right now. Speak to anyone in Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Vancouver and here in Tampa and it becomes abundantly clear that this could well be the “summer of the goaltender” in the NHL. Names that come up often have been well documented here and by the mainstream media. You have Schneider, Luongo, Bernier, Harding, Lindba...
More and more it’s becoming abundantly clear that the Lightning will be holding onto the 10th overall pick at this year’s NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh. Whether you agree with the move or not, it shouldn’t come as that much of a shock when you consider that Al Murray, the Lightning’s chief amateur scout, has been quoted as saying that Steve Yzerman will be taking ...
Eklund recently posted a blog indicating that the rumors of Roberto Luongo to Tampa Bay are heating up and mentioned that the potential deal could be a Luongo for Lecavalier swap. The VL4/RL1 rumblings have been around for a few years now. Since the departure of Khabibulin, the Lightning have really struggled in the goaltending category. Roberto Luongo’s history in Flori...
The Mens’ World Hockey Championships are well underway in Europe. Despite not having the same reputation as Olympic hockey over here in North America, the WHC does provide fans with a great look at some international talent. To be asked to play in this event is, and always will be, a great honor for players. Team Canada, this year, has iced a very strong roster from t...
With the off-season for the Lightning in full-swing, it can be tough for bloggers like myself to pick up on storylines to write about. Still, the last couple of days have brought fans a couple of key tidbits to pick up on. First of all, there are conflicting reports coming out of Sweden regarding Mattias Ohlund and his desire to retire. Secondly, the Tampa Tribune is re...
Michael_Stuart writes...
A Plea to Fans of the Lightning and the Canucks
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Amidst reports of Mattias Ohlund retiring and Roberto Luongo being on the trading block, I have a plea for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans to read, and take in. Call me sentimental, call me old-fashioned, but this could work out incredibly well for both sides. Tampa Bay Lightning fans had great reason to be happy when the Bolts signed Mattias Ohlund a couple years a...
The round robin portion of the World Championships are complete and the Habs representing their respective countries this Spring have been largely impressive. The four Quarterfinal games will all be played on Thursday, followed by Semifinal Saturday and the medal games taking place on Sunday.
Lars Eller had the most disappointing tournament of the Canadiens as his team...
With the off-season in full swing and not a lot going on prior to the draft and free agency, bloggers like me don’t have a lot to talk about. So, in an attempt to generate some interest I’ve reached out to my Twitter followers for blog suggestions. Today, courtesy of @AlexMacLean4 and @_ConnorAndrews – I’ll be taking a look at two topics of conversation. First u...
Quickly, as a disclaimer, the above title does not refer to the thorough New Jersey Devils victory from Wednesday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but more as a plea for New Jersey to stay out of the penalty box. The Devils won 3-2 and surrendered both goals on the power play, another of which came from Rangers über rookie Chris Kreider. The Devils contro...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Goaltending Woes: Is Andrei Vasilevski the Answer?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When the 2011-12 season concluded for the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was incredibly apparent that the team lacked a true number one goaltender. Dwayne Roloson looked over-the-hill, Mathieu Garon served as a good back-up and Dustin Tokarski simply seemed too raw to make an impact at the NHL level. Last season's failures are well documented and they all come down to the same ...
-Expect two questions to abound for New Jersey throughout the Stanley Cup Finals: 1. Will Martin Brodeur retire should the Devils win the Cup? 2: Where will Zach Parise be playing next season? (although, it's seeming more likely that he will be staying in New Jersey).
-How will the Devils adapt their style of play to Los Angeles after facing the passive approach of the ...
I was reading comments idly on a blog today, and I read the most ridiculous thing: a Calgary fan claiming Justin Schultz was basically there's. Wrong. Justin Schultz quite simply is going to a place where he can be successful, play, and play on a good team soon. Which rules out Calgary. He is going to sign with a. a team where he already knows one or several players (Toron...
Howard Berger tweeted yesterday that Toronto could be re-visiting talks for Stastny. We all know that Toronto was throwing deals at the Avs earlier in the season for Stastny that were just straight up ridiculous. They tried to offer us Nikolai Kulemin, Cody Franson and a third round draft pick in 2013 for Stastny. That would be a horrible deal so why not send one back a...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Draft Andrei Vasilevski and Slater Koekkoek
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After a rather uneventful evening at the Tampa Bay Lightning draft table, the organization has come to acquire two very talented youngsters. Of course, the selections which took place at 10th overall and 19th overall were met with some controversy but as a whole, fans should be very happy with what transpired today! Get my thoughts on what happened with the Lightning ove...
It is easy to say the Flyers should go after Bobby Ryan or sign Zack Parise but it certainly isn't that easy. Would these players make an impact with the team? Certainly, but it comes at a price.
If the Flyers sign Parise, it may preclude them from signing anyone else of significance. With few salary cap money left (depending on the new cap number), they still need to r...
After announcing Chandler Stephenson Friday night in Pittsburgh, the Capitals waited 81 picks before George McPhee took the podium again.
This gave Washington ample time to deliberate who would complement their draft class best. Instead of following the hype of the “best defensive draft ever,” the Capitals were one of four teams to not draft a defensemen by the t...
As Christmas in July approaches for hockey fans, we anxiously await news of our favorite team signing that player who can turn the franchise around and take our team to the Promise Land. This summer, there are a couple players in an otherwise weak free agent class that can be that player for an NHL team. Here is my list of the Top 20 free agents and the destination I feel ...
JasonPanov writes...
Detroit Red Wings have Signed Ryan Suter and Zach Parise
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Relax, this is just a little trick I picked up in Colorado. In what could be the oddest news of the opening day of NHL free agency, the Avalanche and the Islanders have both signed Matt Carkner. Unfortunately, Gary Bettman has ruled that two teams cannot share a player, and since Matt Carkner only actually signed with New York, they get him. An interesting tactic, thoug...
I am not trying to lend credence to any unverified rumors, but in anticipation of working a double shift tomorrow with no access to any hockey news, I wanted to put my thoughts on these “reports” out there.
[b]Parise/Suter[/b]
I would be ecstatic if both were signed. If I had to pick one: Suter. I haven’t found a single intelli...
The Philadelphia Flyers entered July 1st searching for three players:
[b]
[ ] 1 Top 6/Top 9 Winger
[ ] 1 Defender
[X]A backup goaltender. [/b]
As you have read already, only one of the three was achieved. Michael Leighton, the man who lead the Flyers to the 2010 Finals, was signed as the presumed backup to Ilya Bryzgalov at a small price tag of $900k. This ...
As I write this, Ryan Suter has yet to make an announcement as to where he'll play next season. But earlier tonight, Josh Yohe, Pens beat writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweeted:
"I can confirm that the Penguins and Ryan Suter's agent, Neil Sheehy, had a conversation today. So far, apparently no offer was made."
This is disturbing to me. How in th...
The moment has finally arrived. The moment when Ryan Suter, or Zach Parise, or possibly both, announce the teams that they will likely finish up their careers with, barring any future trades. As I refreshed the NHL.com list of free agent signings, a screen I hadn’t seen before appeared. No longer was the spreadsheet style list, but an error message in its place. Netw...
Tony Dean writes...
MN Wild 2012-2013 Opening Day Lineups Optimal Scenario
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
On the night before #Parisewatch could come to a close I am inspired to lay out an opening game lineup look with explanation. I submit these ideas without the benefit of much information given that it is July 3rd but going to lay it out now.
OPTIMAL OPENING DAY LINEUP
LINE 1
LW-Parise/C-Koivu/RW-Heatley
LINE 2
LW-Cullen/C-Granlund/RW-Setogucci
LINE 3
LW-Coyle/C-...
Zach Parise loves breakfast cereal. He just can't decide which bowl he'd rather have this morning with the media gawking through the window and all. They're all enticing offers. Brand A offers 10 grams of protein and 50% of his daily fiber intake. Brand B offers slightly less protein at 9 grams, but 65% of his daily fiber intake. Brand C offers very little protein and alm...
The Philadelphia Flyers were unable to sign Jaromir Jagr by July 1st due to obvious differences. The Flyers are putting their eggs in the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter baskets. I'm not saying the Flyers would have signed Jagr if they weren't in this limbo, he was unhappy with playing time and wanted more money than last year, but they would have certainly given more attention to ...
What a day for the Minnesota Wild.
On the fourth day of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter chase, and America's birthday, the Wild completely transformed their franchise. Both Parise and Suter, who are childhood friends, decided to accept matching 13 year/$98M contracts to play in the "state of hockey." Instantly the Wild emerge as a viable playoff team in the West.
At...
As I woke up this morning from my drunken stupor the night before, at around 9:30am, I began checking Twitter and the rumor mill for early news on Parise and Suter. Sure enough, around 11am, Dave Molinari, Pens beat writer for the Post Gazette, tweeted that the Penguins are "officially out" on Zach Parise.
And by lunch time that was confirmed when Mike Russo, Wild ...
Oh well, the Devils moved up to 17 and farmed a great player to become a great captain just so that they can prep him for his home state and he can wave back at the organization like a kid walking off to college after this team made all the right decisions about his development.
He shouldn't be expecting any phone calls on how he's doing.
Harsh realities of a busines...
Follow me on Twitter @PHI_Flyers
Today I thought would be fun to look at a Flyer in depth. I was thinking Danny B, but lets save him for tomorrow and look at the newest Flyer to resign, Jakub Voracek.
Before the details come out, just by watching him skate this past year, here is his OBVIOUS pros and cons
PROS- very fast, excellent passer, amazing control over th...
[quote]BUFFALO, N.Y. (July 31, 2012) --- Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced the team has signed forward Patrick Kaleta to a new, multi-year contract.
Kaleta (6’1”, 206 lbs., 6/8/86) led the team in 2011-12 with 116 PIM and led all forwards with 139 hits. Through 63 games played last season, Kaleta recorded 10 points (5+5).
A Buffalo nativ...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block.
Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
dkroll16 writes...
If You Could Have Any Player... Who Would You Choose?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Follow me on twitter @PHI_Flyers
---------------------------------------------------
Okay so I have not blogged in a few days and I thought that it would be fun to blog today about something people could debate and argue for days.
First I want to start with players under the age of 23. If you were the GM of the Flyers and could have ANY PLAYER UNDER 23 YEARS OLD, wit...
The NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement will soon expire leaving both NHL owners and the NHLPA (NHL Players' Association) scrambling to get a new deal done that satisfies both parties. The first proposal showed the serious issues between the owners and the players and while the initial proposal is clearly one-sided, it can be worked out in time for the next NHL season. T...
Most people believe both the NHL and NHLPA are responsible for the current labor dispute. But suppose it was decided that to save the season and not loose any games, an arbiter was appointed to resolve the labor dispute between the NHL and NHLPA. This arbiter would working on under the following rules.
1. The arbiter can only choose one of the latest offers from either...
The NHL doesn't have a lot going on right now that isn't related to the CBA negotiations of the impending lockout. The meager free agent pickings have been reduced to virtually non-existent, the playoffs are a black-and-white relic of the past. So what are hockey bloggers left to do? While instead of weighing in with my opinion on the BOG vs NHLPA clash, I'll write what I ...
The NHL doesn't have a lot going on right now that isn't related to the CBA negotiations of the impending lockout. The meager free agent pickings have been reduced to virtually non-existent, the playoffs are a black-and-white relic of the past. So what are hockey bloggers left to do? While instead of weighing in with my opinion on the BOG vs NHLPA clash, I'll write what I ...
MontrealTheTime writes...
Predicting Points Totals for First-Line Players
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
In my recent spare time I've tried to make a magic process that can predict the amount of points a player will accumulate over any period of games. For accuracy's sake, this process will only apply to first-line players (using The Hockey News Depth Charts to define a player as ‘first-line’). Creating the steps has been a process of trial and error that has taken severa...
Eric Mellin writes...
NHL Quick Hits: Ovechkin Bald? The Summit Series and more.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
(This is from my blog at www.ihjjr.com)
Quick Hits
Ovechkin made an appearance today at Kettler Ice Plex with Backstrom, Orlov, Johansson, Ribeiro and a few other players to take part in some on ice practice. Ovie showed up with a shaved head, citing that he did in homage for his 700 or so 'brothers' who are about to make war with the NHL and its owners. He sent Twitte...
I wonder how the American government would run if the nation's laws shut down every 5 or 6 years while the Republicans and Democrats hammer out a new deal. Of course, it would take forever because both sides would have to invariably agree to everything.
Granted, the process isn't like politics or legislation of laws, but in comparing this CBA system to systems that p...
Whether many read this blog or not I felt compelled to put my 2 cents out into the Blogging Universe regarding the collective bargaining situation between the NHL and the PA.
First of all, I believe anyone deserves to get paid when they put in the effort and make the sacrifice to succeed. I believe in fairness and goodwill. I don't believe people should be punished fo...
He saved the Penguins on the ice and raised two Cups as their captain. After his retirement, he saved them financially. He rolled what salary he deferred as a player a primary ownership share in the franchise. He also saved the team once more time by securing a new facility for the Penguins, which ultimately prevented them from moving cities.
All of the above-mentioned...
As frustrating as the lockout is for me and the many wonderful hockey fans, I had the realization that this affects many people in a much more personal manner. Without the NHL season many are out of work or have a reduced income.
As we all know the economy is not running strong at the moment and many struggle week to week or month to month already. The lockout has a tri...
They adopt a new system that hybridizes the marketplace and the cap approach, which theoretically allows a team to spend as much money as they want. “That’s what Goodenow wanted!”
But wait... let’s go over some limitations.
The new team structure would be presented as such, assuming a 50/50 split in revenue is reached (it’s really no secret the NHL offere...
Man, I got to say this NHL lockout really does suck. The more time that passes the more I realize how much I am starting to miss that routine of getting back into a new hockey season. You know what I mean; September roles around and your thoughts begin to drift further and further into that beautiful abyss that is the NHL season. Your thinking about how trades and signings...
AarifDeen writes...
There's Two Separate parts to the CBA Negotiations
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b]
Something that was already a given, has further been proven now with the latest updates of the CBA negotiations.
In case you haven’t heard the news yet (which obviously means you’ve probably b...
Much has been written about the NHL's latest offer to the NHLPA, tendered October 16. Instead of getting into the numbers [which require various assumptions] and debating the merits, I'll focus on the actual details of the offer and discuss whether they should be acceptable to the NHLPA. In no particular order:
[b]1. Term[/b]
The NHL proposes a 6-year CBA with a "mut...
The following blog is published on my site. and the original URL is:
http://replacebettman.com/post/33933352781/nhl-proposal
I have posted the complete article here for you consideration.
October 19, 2012
Below is an Open Letter to both the NHL and NHLPA. I am telling each party in simple uncomplicated and straight foreword terms what my thoughts, feelings a...
So like everyone else in the hockey world, I’ve been following all of the news with the proposals presented by the NHL and the NHLPA this week. I do not, repeat, [b]DO NOT[/b], agree that this is going to lead to any more negotiating or more talks at this point in time. This past week has just been a botched public relations move that was handled poorly.
Gary Bettman...
After seeing the article yesterday evening on Yahoo Sports that the NHLPA offered to Tuesday to sit down and talk on Wednesday, I found myself a little disgusted. Yes, more disgusted than I already was with this whole process. Apparently, the NHL advised that did not feel it is necessary to talk if the NHLPA did not have a new proposal to bring to the table.
Am I missin...
The comments from the media over the last several days following the swapping of proposals between the NHL and NHLPA would leave many fans to think a deal is oh-so-close, and that a slight massaging of details will have the 2012-13 season finally underway in a few short days. The reality, however, is that the two sides are still quite a ways apart – and no amount of che...
understanding about how the proposals compare, the better. The one thing that has been sorely missing from all of the talk, though, has been the possible flaws in each side’s proposal and whether new problems are created.
Let’s rewind to August, 2005. The NHL and NHLPA had finally signed off on a new CBA, the 2005 Entry Draft had been held, and the free agent fren...
I sit here today and watch Hurricane Sandy roll across the east coast, what could I do today? So I decided to take a stab at crossing the divided between the NHL and NHLPA. So they were negotiating, or at least gave the impression two weeks back with the offers. Both sides are playing the public relations game instead of actually negotiating. Let me take a quick poll,...
As the NHL lockout continues to drag on, there isn't much hockey news here in America that is really worth writing about. The AHL and many other minor and junior leagues are playing out their seasons as usual but are harder for many people in certain areas to attend.
On the heels of last nights election, I was in a bit of a patriotic mood and decided to do another hock...
I like to share stories in my life that are relevant to the situations I see in the media. The metaphor is such a beautiful thing to be able to reveal to many what has been hidden in the foundations of the world.
Today, yesterday, the day before, the NHL and NHLPA have been meeting, and this came after a week-end of Daly meeting with S. Fehr giving us promise that thin...
Here's a short blog about something that peaked my interest. A viewpoint from someone with a keen mind for business who has not been following the CBA shenanigans. My Dad.
My father followed hockey in the 70s but lost interest by the time I really got into it. I think the focus of building his business, raising a family and being an awesome father consumed his time. ...
Every morning, I open the hockeybuzz website as well as other websites to get updated from the news around the NHL and around the world, and I see on TSN more and more players migrating to Europe, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about this migration.
Now a lot of people are on the player's side, often because they've been part of unions or strikes ...
Last night, I was pointed to a [url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/179740001.html]blog entry from Michael Russo at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune[/url]. In that posting, Russo states that he has copies of exhibits put forward by the NHL in discussions with the NHLPA illustrating the gap that really exists between both sides.
Based on the exhibits Russo shows, th...
Thanks to unnamed sources, I've obtained an exclusive transcript of tomorrow's meeting between the NHL and NHLPA. The following is a rush version; the full version will be available tomorrow.
[b]Bettman:[/b] We're still insisting on a 50/50 split of HRR, starting immediately, with limits on contract lengths, variation in salary by year.
[b]Fehr:[/b] We're still insist...
It's been a long time since I wrote anything here...sometimes life hands you more than you are ready to deal with and it takes a while to get caught up.
Too bad the NHL and NHLPA can't say that about this lockout.
Today is November 19th and there has yet to be an NHL game played in the 2012-13 season.
Everybody knew what is happening...would happen...right?
The...
As we all await (some eagerly, some for morbid curiosity) news of how the latest round of negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA have gone, I thought I'd discuss an oft-mentioned point in both the 2005 CBA and this year's CBA's discussions: the Players Share of HRR.
Many people have asked why various items aren't included in HRR, ranging from game-used merchandise to p...
Hockey players have usually been a classy lot, that maybe sometimes they were outspoken, but most of them remained tight-lipped and stand-up people off the rink. Few other sports can bolster the class that hockey players (in general) have. Many wear suit and ties to games and make it a habit to keep clean shaven during the regular season, also keeping their hair trimmed ...
[url=http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=48072&post_id=14164]I wrote a post last month[/url] that talked about how the media was incredibly optimistic that because the NHL and NHLPA were meeting, a deal could be close at hand. At that time, I didn't buy it because the two sides were too far apart on key issues. Fast foward about 4 weeks, and it's deja vu: the ...
Suffice it to say, I was shocked like everyone else was when news came out that talks had broken down between the NHL and NHLPA yet again. After hearing from some of the media about how progress was imminent and a breakthrough might be at hand, discovering that the NHL had yet again dismissed the NHLPA’s graciousness was … what’s the word, predictable?
The proble...
Now I used to get into a lot of arguments online, so I know a lot of the tricks that people do in order to gain the upper hand. One of them is being employed by both sides of the negotiation, and it came more to life yesterday.
Most arguments have to do with language, words (semantics), what meanings they package, and how they're contextually used. Since language is a...
If Bettman's suggestion goes through and Fehr and Bettman are lesioned from the situation with players and owners doing the raw negotiations, a deal will get done much faster so long as they keep it that way. It will. But one side will probably be a clear winner at the end of all of this because they'll quickly establish a language and the more persistent will probably o...
The very constitution is about to be rewritten! They're trying to destroy our social liberties, the freedom we sacrificed countless lives to obtain! We knew this was going to happen! We knew that they were going to try to trick us as soon as we signed that last CBA that rolled back 24% of our salaries!
Rollback 24% more of our salaries, I tell you! We will NOT be limite...
Chip McCleary writes...
Unfounded Optimism, III - Maybe the Final Chapter
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, here we are yet again – another round of the media proclaiming success and happiness was imminent, and yet another round of reality rearing its ugly head to stomp on all those dreams. Predictable, really – and yet, some people just can’t help but make themselves giddy hoping for things to happen, no matter the ultimate cost.
Myself, I’m thrilled that talk...
Dear NHL and NHLPA,
Thank you for ruining not only the 2012-13 NHL season but the game in general with your greed. The image of this once proud sport has been tarnished and may never recover from a third lockout in eight-teen years. You believe your fans will come back no matter what happens but I'm here to tell you that we fans will not be back. We have had it with...
Lets talk about numbers for a minute.
Sense the 2005-06 NHL season the NHL had 0% of its players holding out for a new deal when they where already under contract.
That is called honor and loyalty
Sense the 2005-06 season the NFL, NBA, MLB has had its players holding out for more money when they where already under contract
That is call no honor and no loyalty
...
Don Cherry is making headlines these days by saying that the NHLPA should be put to a vote on the latest offer that the NHL submitted to the PA. Of course, Fehr is not likely to do it, but when we see why, the reasons are suspect.
The reasons not to put things to a vote are as follows:
1. Lose respectability from other players and get chastised for opposition.
2. Und...
In the past couple of days, NHLPA head Donald Fehr spoke at a meeting of the Canadian Auto Workers union. In his remarks, Don outlined all the things that his union has in common with the CAW, and it has been reported in the media he received a standing ovation from the audience. Apparently the membership of the CAW have been too busy building cars to pay much attention to...
Is everybody healing up after the Probert-esk emotional pummeling dealt out by Donald Fehr? Good, now lets hit some high points of todays CBA talk.
I think a 10 year CBA is a horrible idea. That assures a work stoppage in 10 years time. I think if they have a shorter CBA, 4 years with a mutual option for 2 , it will allow the league and players an opportunity to...
Prosperity. Prosperity. Prosperity.
If there is anything that we can learn by looking at recent history, both in the NHL, and in other professional sports, it's this; labour peace results in nothing but money, money, money. Baseball hands out multi-million dollar contracts to players with very average stats like so much toilet paper, mainly because everyone, teams, player...
BrentD10 writes...
NHL Player Salaries in Comparison to "the Best of the Best"
Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
First of all, I'd like to say thanks to all the people that have given me feedback about my first couple of posts on this blog. All comments and feedback are appreciated, pro and con. However, one comment captured my attention, and is worthy of a response. One person commented:
"People who state our hard earned money to pay for tickets, probably have never played hockey a...
As much as I hated to see it, the last NHL lockout made sense to me. The gap between haves and the have-nots was growing at a ridiculous rate, and truth be told, I was glad to see the NHL take action before it got too far out of control like it has in Major League Baseball. The results of that lockout speak for themselves. Parity has returned to the league and ultimately...
If there is one thing anyone who follows the NHL knows, even the mere mention of the name, "Gary Bettman" evokes a response. The NHL Commish is a polarizing figure, no more so than when a new CBA is being formed, and especially when there is a strike or lockout. Everyone, from the casual hockey fan, to the players in the League, has an opinion of "Bettman", and surely aren...
The NHL says it's waiting for the players to make a 'take it leave it' offer.
The NHLPA says it's waiting for the league to 'resume talks'.
You know what I am waiting for?
I am waiting for:
A simple display of common sense by both parties that will allow an agreement to be reached before the NHL cancels ANOTHER season.
Some kind of understanding that a partn...
BrentD10 writes...
A Picture Says a Thousand Words, Even If You Don't Mean Them
Posted Thursday | Comments 2
The picture of Evander Kane, standing on a balcony in Las Vegas, using stacks of money as a prop phone that he then posted on Twitter is a really telling indication of how some players really don't seem to understand the circumstances they are in. Sure, from a personal standpoint, the Winnipeg player has got the means. He's played in the NHL for a couple of years, and he's...
Hello everyone hope you all had a great Christmas and happy new year. For the average hockey fan its been a tough and disappinting season to say the least. Luckily some of the best hockey of the year can be found threw the holidays in the annual World junior tournaments. As my first blog on the sit ide like to do my personal opinion of the nhl draft rewind segment. Now pe...
Hello everyone hope you all had a great Christmas and happy new year. For the average hockey fan its been a tough and disappinting season to say the least. Luckily some of the best hockey of the year can be found threw the holidays in the annual World junior tournaments. As my first blog on the sit ide like to do my personal opinion of the nhl draft rewind segment. Now pe...
Hello everyone hope you all had a great Christmas and happy new year. For the average hockey fan its been a tough and disappinting season to say the least. Luckily some of the best hockey of the year can be found threw the holidays in the annual World junior tournaments. As my first blog on the sit ide like to do my personal opinion of the nhl draft rewind segment. Now pe...
It’s almost comical to read the comments that inevitably follow online articles reporting on the NHL Lockout, especially those that are the, “That’s it! I’m done! I’ll never follow the NHL again!” variety. The funny part is when you read another article 3 days later, there’s the same person, with the same comment. And then, a week later, the same comment from...
Now that the lockout has reached a tentative agreement (you know, pending board of governor approval and to make sure that there's little misunderstanding when it's committed to paper), we can now reflect on the way we were prior to the resolution of this nasty lockout.
Though we lost a full season in 2005, less proverbial poo was flung at that time as is flung this tim...
Before the lockout I thought the NHL was doing great and getting more and more popular by the year, I wasn't exactly right but not wrong either. The NHL hit record revenue with [b]$3.3 Billion [/b] in the 11-12 season. When the lockout finally ended I turned on ESPN, NESN, CSN, NBC expecting a panel of analysts talking hockey and big banner across the screen, but I was sho...
Yesterday’s game... Wow, what can I say about that game in Montreal for the Sabres?
Nothing good. It was an abomination, and too be completely honest, this was a long time coming. How can I say this? Easily.
I’ve been watching the Sabres play this lazy style of defense for a long time. When Galchenyuk waltzed between all 5 Sabres on the ice, slid a pass to Eller...
It's something that probably should have been done last year, but teams and fans are getting the first look at what could be the new NHL realignment plan. As with every situation and idea, not everyone is going to be happy about it and not everyone is going to be upset. Here is the proposed realignment, courtesy of TSN.ca-
[b]West:[/b]
Pacific- Anaheim, Calgary, Ed...
[u][i][b]March 4[/b][/i][/u]
A bit disappointed today, due to the fact I had planned to be in Los Angeles tonight for the Maple Leafs-Kings game...thanks to the NHL and NHL PA, that game as well as all other inter-conference games were dashed due to the lockout!
But, back to business as usual...
After these next four to five games, we should get a good picture whe...
First and foremost, this isn’t going to be an article complaining about how Kaleta was suspended. He deserved the suspension, to a degree. I’m also going to look at Kaleta’s roll with the Sabres, because despite arguments, I wouldn’t want to see him on another team.
We all saw what happened, and I don’t think anyone denies that Kaleta was going to be suspende...
Kiprusoff- Return and potential partners
My last entry regarding Iginla and his value is being discussed once again on Colin`s blog if you want to head over there and put your two cents in.
You can see that original entry here:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=33826&post_id=14517
and you can see Colin`s here:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Colin-Da...
royalgardens writes...
Pavelec, Jets Frustrate Leafs; Holzer AHL Bound?; Iginla?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
[b]March 12[/b]
[i][b]Maple Leafs 2 @ Winnipeg Jets 5[/b][/i]
Oh boy, where should I start with this one...?
After witnessing the first two periods, I was about to give most of the credit to Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec, and then build a rant up against the officials from this one, but since the Maple Leafs completely fell apart in the third period, I will just chal...
I know that there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the Sabres right now. Personally, I’m a little miffed by this. However, I can understand why Sabres fans are very excited with the upcoming games. There’s thoughts of adding to the Sabres win streak with their next 3 opponents. They may even hit the season high win streak of 4 games! Sabres fans are starting to get excite...
Some random hits on the Oil.
[b]On Kristians Pelss[/b]
A very unfortunate story out of Latvia yesterday and today. In case you haven't heard, Oilers prospect and former Edmonton Oil Kings forward Kristians Pelss was reported as missing. Some media outlets in Latvia reported he had drowned after falling/jumping off a bridge into a river near Riga, while the offici...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
Hello, my name is Daniel Jackson, i am 22 years old and i have been reading this site for 3-4 years now. i am quite interested in writing blogs and i plan on writing many here. I am a HUGE avalanche fan, so you will see many directed to them, but i would like to cover every team in a "look to the season" with projections, lineups, breakout players and whats to come for the...
Everyone keeps speculating that Ryan O'reilly will be moved at the trade deadline, due to his contract debacle and offer sheet snafu of last season. However, I don't agree. The old management is gone (who caused that contract debacle in the first place), so there old ways of doing business should be gone too (trading players when they hold out for more money, or make a c...
I thought I would go through the lines I would use for the major Olympic teams in the upcoming Olympics in Sochi. I figured I would start with the team I am rooting for so let’s get into this.
My team USA
Zach Parise Derek Stephan Patrick Kane
I’ll start with the two easy guys and they both happen to be some of my favorite players. Zach Parise is one of the ...
oilersrule66 writes...
Paajarvi will be in an Oilers Uniform on Opening Night
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Who cares if we just traded him? Paajarvi will be in an Oilers uniform on opening night in October. Here's how...
First off I should tell you why I think Edmonton needs Paajarvi back in the first place. You look at Edmonton's front line and you see there's pretty much only 1 hole left, 3rd line LWer. Isn't that where Paajarvi was? You bet ya. Paajarvi will re-fill the ...
The Sharks raised a few eyebrows when they gave Joe Pavelski the identical deal that Logan Couture received. Each player got a nice raise, going to $6M per for five seasons on their respective extensions.
The purpose of this blog is to calm the naysayers about Pavelski's new deal.
Here are the stats for the last three seasons for each player.
[b]Couture[/b]
[i]...
I decided to write a little something to keep my fellow oiler posters entertained while they find a new oiler blogger. If you do like it, I may write another. If you don't like it, then I'm never showing my face here again.
Let’s start with the big move of the summer. LW Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson(MPS) and a 2nd round pick in 2014 to St. Louis for LW David Perron. I m...
I was at one time a frequent Hockeybuzz poster. Now, I'm more a frequent reader - I lurk...I linger. I am intrigued with the opportunity to perhaps make a comeback of sorts, with the sudden departure of Cloutier, as a writer and relayer of useless information (that's what Clouts did right?). When the Oilers last made the playoffs and went to the 7th game of the Stanley...
I was at one time a frequent Hockeybuzz poster. Now, I'm more a frequent reader - I lurk...I linger. I am intrigued with the opportunity to perhaps make a comeback of sorts, with the sudden departure of Cloutier, as a writer and relayer of useless information (that's what Clouts did right?).
When the Oilers last made the playoffs and went to the 7th game of the Stanl...
I was thinking about the Sharks roster while I was on vacation, and I thought about who the top players on the team were. Then I thought about who were the most important players, not necessarily the best players. Here are my top 5 most important Sharks players for the upcoming season.
[b]5. Matt Irwin[/b]
[i]The biggest question, for me, is whether or not Irwin can...
The 2013-14 NHL season has errupted in fighting and banging on the glass fashion. Little did anyone know that it would start off this way....oh I'm sorry I was trying not to laugh at that. When you take a temper prone hall of fame goal tender and put him behind the bench of a team that typically plays an "in your face" type game, and another coach who lost his coaching job...
Well, after a week in the its safe to say that Patrick Roy is the right man for this Avalanche team. After 3 games the Avs have set a franchise record in starting 3-0-0 since the move to Denver, Colorado. Something that past great Avs teams have never done. The team is working really hard and it seems that Coach Roy has them bought in to the aggresive game, everyone is lay...
Catch the highlights of the Florida Panthers as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 11, 2013. Who will come out on top? Find out in today's featured game of the National Hockey League on EA Sports NHL 14 - play-by-play calling by Eric Munter.
[url]http://youtu.be/Cb-c_q7yC6I[/url]
Is it just me, or are the top teams in NHL completely overwhelming their competition? It looks as though the Sharks, Avs and Maple Leafs are the wrecking balls of the league. Or maybe I'm just completely distracted by how Brent Burns is morphing in to a cave man slowly but surely. In any case, last night the Sharks completely annihilated and outplayed the Blues. That's rig...
This morning, I went to get my medical treatment and got plugged in for my infusion. I had just written my morning blog, which I normally do during my treatment, and had started watching Netflix. Suddenly, my phone went off stating that the Buffalo Sabres were having a “major” news conference at 10:30 am.
My mind of course starts racing as I hop on Twitter, which h...
It seems like distant memory since the announcement came that Buffalo Sabres fans were done with Darcy Regier. I am still lobbying for November 13 to be a paid holiday across Western New York. Unfortunately, the scoreboard still says that the Sabres are losing games.
I said this on my Twitter account earlier in the week. Every time Ted Nolan comes out and makes a state...
Sorry I haven't posted a game recap for a while. A combination of a busy life combined with most of the last several games starting early means that I haven't watched as much Ducks hockey as I would like. Having lost 5 in a row (including to Tampa last week), the Ducks were looking to get back in the win column and avenge the prior loss. Also, an injury update and a trade ...
Today, the Buffalo Sabres took a step towards the rebuild and hired the GM that Pat LaFontaine feels can lead the Sabres out of the darkness. Tim Murray has been brought in to assess talent and build the Stanley Cup champions that the Buffalo faithful deserve.
I was at work this morning when I received my notification stating that the press conference was scheduled for...
To be honest the only women's hockey I've heard of was when Tampa Bay had Manon Rhéaume play in goal in the preseason of 1992 and then an exhibition game in '93 against Boston. My eyes were extra wide open when I saw women's olympic hockey this year, these ladies are fast and good. I couldn't stop watching. Being from Buffalo, NY and seeing two new rinks being built in fr...
When looking at the standings coming out of the Olympic break, there are only a handful of teams that are considered to be sellers at the trade deadline. With so many 3 point games many more teams are in position to make the playoffs, 5 teams in the east 3 points out or less and 4 teams within 4 points in the west . The only teams that are sellers at the moment are the Sab...
Wild Fans!
It is game night in the city of Angels, and the Wild need to have a game like the had in the third period against the Coyotes on Friday. This game is key for the Wild to win to keep a comfortable lead on the Coyotes and Stars in the Western Conference Wild Card race.
A story for the ages.
The Wild can't seem to catch a break this year, which is Goalten...
The NHL Playoffs are back again! Wednesday night kicks off the start of the playoffs once again in the NHL. The new NHL format has created some very good match ups in the first round of the playoffs, and are likely to create more great match ups as the playoffs move on.
Sixteen teams have earned their spot in the playoffs with one goal in mind: to win the Stanley Cup. H...
[img]http://www.montrealgazette.com/cms/binary/9633478.jpg[/img]rnrnrnThomas Vanek is a shooting star on the move. rnrnVanek played for three different NHL teams in the 2013-2014 season: The Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, and Montreal Canadians. Vanek's combined effort for the three teams in 78 games played was 27 goals and 41 assists for a total of 68 points. In te...
After a rocky 2013-14 season with two MCL sprain injuries the Colorado Avalanche have decided to part ways with PA Parenteau. Colorado has traded PA and a 5th round pick in the 2015 draft to the Montreal Canadians for Forward Danny Briere.
Some comparison:
Adrian Dater of the Denver Post ranked Pa Parenteau a C for Colorado in 2013-14 (http://blogs.denverpost.com/av...
So just sitting here bored and looking at the NHL divisions, thinking about what the standings will look like at the end of next year. So got talking with my buddy MHejduk and we've decided to write a blog for each division. I'll write for the east he'll right for the west. We will then write about the playoffs and eventually come up with a East champion and a West cham...
The Blackhawks are 2.2 million over the cap (1.3 if you take away Teravainen), so they will need to find a way to reduce their salary before the start of the season.
Someone will not be in a Blackhawk uniform come the start of the season. Expect one or more of the following players to be dealt:
[b]Patrick Sharp[/b] 3yr, $5.9m AAV
The advantage to moving Sharp is tha...
so with all the recent speculation about a big trade coming from Chicago I decided to think about what the hawks should get for sharp. [b]patrick sharp $5,900,000 this year [/b] sharp is my pick to move because he has the highest cap hit and would bring Chicago the most the places I think he'd end up are Montreal, Nashville, Columbus, or Arizona, now its worth mentioning...
Let's say, for arguments sake, that neither Thornton nor Marleau will be wearing a letter when the Sharks open the 2014-2015 season. Let's assume that they are 'passing the torch' to the younger players in the organization.
Who gets the letters? Let's look at the real candidates, and there aren't many.
Logan Couture
Joe Pavelski
Marc-Eduoard Vlasic
Brent Burns
...
Last night Howard Bloom of sportsbusinessnews.com reported via Twitter that Quebec City, Toronto, Seattle and Las Vegas would become NHL expansion teams by 2017. Bloom even included that expansion fees would total $1.4 billion.
The tweet spread like wildfire on the social network and was making it’s way to television within mere hours. A respected journalist with sp...
[b]Please follow me at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Western Conference also boasts a few good names still left unsigned. Jaden Schwartz headlines the group that includes a goalie that won a couple playoffs games this year and a young winger that scored a series-winning goal. The rest of the group all gained playoff experience except for the young Predators ...
A successful season feels like a long and slow build, like climbing a mountain. It starts with a training camp and a preseason, allowing the team to become acclimated to the new conditions that accompany each new year. The arduous trek of the regular season begins, with 82 games over the course of twice as many days. Teams and players slip up along the way, losing games, g...
I was just thinking about anton stralman. I'm sitting on my couch and watching the vancouver vs tampa bay game and what do you know its anton stralman on the tbay team and playing pretty good!! Remember what he did with the rangers last year!! he was one of their top 3 d men!!! He kind of reminds me of Tomas kaberle! He's good on the point and sets people up!! Was this...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs Drop 4-3 Contest in Overtime – Winless in Four
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @ https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
DENVER — The Avs hosted their second home game of the season Tuesday night but couldn’t come away with a victory. They were beat by the Panthers 4-3 in overtime despite using a big second period to erase a two-goal deficit against a low-scoring Panthers team.
They didn’t start the game off as stron...
Last night, the Winnipeg Jets lost another game to Steve Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. An all too familiar result for the Jets and their fans as they continue to struggle out of the gates this season. This loss however, was especially frustrating as the Jets out-shot outhit and essentially outplayed the Bolts for most of the game. So who's to blame for this unl...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs’ Overtime Loss hands Winnipeg Third Win of The Season
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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On a Sunday matinee in Winnipeg, the Jets scored twice to win the game but the Avs will need more than just two ice packs in the locker room to attend to the wounds from today’s battle.
The Jets outhit the Avs 27-23 and leading the way was big, rugged, 260 lb forward Dustin Byfuglien with eight. In the...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avalanche lost to Montreal 4-3 Monday night in Denver and was denied a chance to reach .500 hockey once again. The game was tied at three heading into the third period but a late goal from Max Pacioretty gave the Canadiens the victory. Montreal won both contests against the Avs this season with Calvin Pi...
Although this is an exciting year for the St. Louis Blues with the emergence of an up and coming star in Vladimir Tarasenko, the core of the gritty hockey club seems to still produce average offensive numbers. ...
I haven't posted one of these in a while so I hope I'm not too rusty. You can follow me @MiikeLuci. I'll try to follow back.
Remember when the Devils started the season 3-0 and the fan's biggest concerns were Larsson not starting the season in the lineup? Well twenty-three games and sixteen losses later, New Jersey's season has made a complete one eighty. The've endured...
AarifDeen writes...
Pickard plays spectacular as Avs come back to win shootout
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The game clock had 8:16 remaining on it when Paul Postma exited the penalty box. The Avs had just failed to score on its second consecutive power play opportunity and were down 3-1 with nothing going for them.
Colorado scored two late third period goals after the failed power play attempts en route t...
David Pastrnak, the 2014 Boston Bruins first-round draft pick posted his first career 2-goal game on January 10 against the Philadelphia Flyers. In fact, he came very close to scoring a hat-trick on an empty net chance. Nontheless, the 18-year old rookie winger, who was recently recalled again from Providence, has given the Bruins a much needed spark. Playing on the fir...
LazarBeam writes...
Pre-Game Post: Sens take on Habs During Offensive Roll
Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
The Sens are set to take on Dustin Tokarski and the Canadiens tonight in their fourth straight home game out of five in a row. In a stretch that has seen them play 10 of their last 13 games in Ottawa, the Sens have gone 5-6-2 and have seen a boost to their offence. The Senators have 41 goals for in their last 13 games, 3.15GF/game, a jump from their 2.8GF/game on the seaso...
[b]Zack Kassian[/b]
Kassian is a player who could make a very big difference on a playoff team put in the right situation. He had a very great junior career outside of his discipline issues, putting up solid numbers on a over powered Spitfires team, but thats not a Kassian brings to the table. He can go toe to toe with almost any player in the league as well as give...
How can a team with Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Perron, Kunitz, Hornqvist, and Bennett struggle so mightily to score goals? Do we in Pittsburgh over-value these guys? Perhaps for a couple of them, but on this list there are supposed to be elite level, generational talent. That talent level should never struggle to score goals, especially on the power play. So here's my take:
...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins score three in the third, dismantle Florida 5-1
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The turnaround is on for Pittsburgh. After failing to win four straight games, the Pens won both games of a weekend back-to-back against one of the best teams in the NHL , the Blues, and a team ferociously fighting for a playoff spot, the Panthers.
The Pens defeated Florida at home Sunday night, led by another stellar performance by goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and two...
The trade deadline has passed, teams lineups are locked, and all eyes are set on the playoffs. There's just one thing, are you comfortable with the team GM Dale Tallon has put on the ice? With the departures of Forwards Sean Bergenheim, and Tomas Fleischmann, newly acquired Jaromir Jagr has been a glimmering star. His presence in the locker room and on the ice have changed...
Reddevil45 writes...
Anaheim Ducks against Winnipeg Jets: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Winnipeg Jets will play in their first postseason since relocating back to Winnipeg. The Jets will hope that their goaltending (Ondrej Pavelec or Michael Hutchinson) will hold in the series against the Ducks young goalies Frederik Anderson and John Gibson. The Ducks will go with Anderson in net and the Jets with Pavelec. The Ducks finished top in the west finishing onl...
The unethical week continued for the Philadelphia Flyers when they signed winger Aaron Palushaj on Thursday.
Palushaj (Puh-Loo-Shy), comes to the Flyers after spending the 2014-2015 in the KHL, marking the second time in as many days the orange and black have come to terms with a former player from the league.
At 25 years old, the two sides agreed to terms on a one-...
I have no basis on these trades other than what I think should happen.
I also believe it would make a very fun draft day. I will explain the bigger trades, some just don't really need explaining.
Trade 1
Edmonton receives
3rd overall pick (Hanifin)
29th/30th pick (Chicago)
63rd overall pick (Arizona)
Arizona receives
Leon Draisaitl
16th overall pick (Pitts...
Hey Hockeyworld, Happy free-agency eve! I'm just getting around to this now because it's been weird to process all the big moves Murray made for us this past weekend! Darcy never made huge moves like this so it's really amazing to see what Tim Murray has done for us in such a short period of time. For July 1st I think these are some guys we could go after:
Johnny Oduya
...
After the draft and a hectic beginning to free agency, teams are starting to settle in and we can get a better idea of what teams will look like going into training camp. The West once again looks ready to be the more impressive conference, with tough competition in both the Pacific and Central divisions. Today I want to focus on the Pacific Division. This year in particul...
1. Valeri Nichushkin: Forward / RW
Nichushkin is going to be a force for the Dallas Stars this upcoming season. He is a power forward with the offensive skills of an elite play maker. He is not going to be on many people's radar seeing as he only played 8 games this past season. In his rookie campaign in 2013-14, he put up 34 points in 79 games. He also managed to m...
It is more than likely that the NHL will be expanding. Now we don’t know where the league is expanding too yet, or how many teams it will be adding, but for this list let’s say two teams and their both in the west, (Sorry Quebec Nordiques fans). For this list I will be using the rules of the 2000 draft as well as a few additional rules.
---2000 NHL expansion dr...
ThomasBreen91 writes...
Are the Buffalo Sabres Contenders or Pretenders?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In a strange twist of events these past five months, the last place Buffalo Sabres have made drastic changes to their lineup. The Sabres went from having no true first-line players to having now two in Kane and O’Reilly, with a third and fourth (Reinhart/Eichel) on the way. Add in swift sniper Matt Moulson and speedy work-horse Tyler Ennis to the list and the Sabres have...
We are almost three weeks passed the start of free agency, and there are still some good players just sitting there waiting for a contract. The thing is contract spots are all but used up on most teams and the teams that do have contract spots open don’t have the cap to sign anyone else. For this blog is just going to be a quick reference guide to each team’s contracts...
We all know that Steven Stamkos is going to get paid, the question is by whom? Let me start this by saying that I really do think that the Lighting will resign Stamkos, the thing is how much is that one player worth to his team. The rumors out there are that a new contract for Stammer will be in the 10-12 million dollars per season range for 8 years. This agreement would ...
To see more like this go to my website [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?cat=2[/url]!
This is the first of many players I'll be recommending as potentially very good picks that will often be available in later rounds of fantasy hockey drafts this season. I usually play in leagues that count shots, hits, PIM, PPP and the usual G, A, sometimes +/- and blocks too.
Here's why Ni...
rebel_deucer writes...
2015-2016 Early Playoff Predictions & Cup Champ
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
For the fun as the season has had several changes here are my early predictions.
NHL Atlantic Division:
rn1: Tampa Bayrn
2: Montrealrn
3: Detroitrn
4: Floridarn
5: Bostonrn
6: Ottawarn
7: Buffalorn
8: Torontorn
I predict a dog fight between Montreal and Tampa, Tampa will emergeduring the season, with Detroit not far behind as the quality is still there despite ne...
[code]Tampa Bay Lightning backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, 21, underwent a successful vascular surgery on Thursday, September 3, General Manager Steve Yzerman announced this morning. The surgery where performed to remove a blood clot from near his left collarbone and was successfully handled at the Tampa General Hospital, but will keep Vasylevskiy sidelined for 2-3 mo...
The NHL has been in conversation about expanding the amount of teams from 30 to 32, and it’s closer than many believe. With these talks comes rumors and there are an abundance of them. In this blog, I will explain the three cities that, in my eyes, are top contenders. This is speculation of course and my view and I'm writing this blog solely to start a discussion u...
[b]Update 2[/b]: STL Post Distpatch's Tom Timmermann is reporting that the Blues signed Scottie Upshall today to a two-way deal and that the Blues are interested in a deal with Gomez (ugh). NOTE that this leaves the Blues with 14 forwards INCLUDING Berglund who by all accounts has not been placed on Injured Reserve as of yet but he will be. Infer what you will but this a...
Whether hockey fans like to admit it or not, hockey players are celebrities, and with that status come partying, hitting women and driving into Tim Horton's. Anyhow, it's how the NHL goes about with dealing issues that arise and they do a good job. In contrast the NFL worries more about the Deflate Gate than actual issues that their players commit, such as beating wives or...
[img]http://i.imgur.com/tPBRYcD.jpg[/img]
[url]www.lazarbeams.com[/url]
The new top line of Hoffman-Turris-Stone has been one of the best-looking in the league through the first couple games of the season and has been carrying the Sens offence. Last nights 3-1 loss to Montreal and rookie goalie Mike Condon showed why having one line play so much better than the rest ...
Since this is HockeyBuzz it would be only suiting for me to talk about hockey in some way, shape, or form. So with that being brought to light I would like to share my thoughts on the NHL expansion and some NHL franchises in the picture at the moment.
First off, can we all agree that it would be a wise move for the NHL to actually execute this plan of expansion? To som...
royalgardens writes...
Bernier on waivers?; Fellow Chicagoan Sparks Gets the Call!
Posted Monday | Comments 3
The Leafs cannot just throw this guy on Waivers. Like one person said earlier, just letting him go could lead to a missed opportunity by not getting something at least for him. He still does have potential to be a solid #1 goaltender in the NHL but definitely not on the Maple Leafs or any other Eastern club. Like I said before, and even before the trade with the Kings took...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 27- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 3
The back-to-back series starts up again for the Blue Jackets. Tonight, the Jackets battle the Florida Panthers. Both teams have loads of young talent and are looking to make the playoffs in the coming years, and both teams have really good young pieces that can help themselves out. The Panthers are riding a five-game winning streak, which was extended last night agains...
Another successful back-to-back series has finished for the Blue Jackets, earning a three of possible four points over a 24 hour span.
On Friday night, the Jackets last to the Florida Panthers in a shootout. This loss is the Jackets first overtime loss of the season. The final score was 2-1. For Florida, Vincent Trocheck scored his goal after it hit off Justin Falk...
A topic that has been discussed more as of late with the owners meeting is the possible expansion. A huge road block being discussed is whether players with NTC's and NMC's will be made available for expansion teams. Another will likely be the salary cap as the last expansion was before it was implemented. As a whole, I think the expansion could benefit all parties involve...
We are 30 games into the 2015-2016 season, sitting on a record of 14-13-03, placing them as 6th in their division and 11th in their conference. In comparison to their record this past season which was 19-08-03 placing them near the top of the league.
What is the reasoning for this? Could the team still be healing from wounds sustained during the trip to the cup final...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 32- Tampa Bay Lightning v Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Monday | Comments 1
When in need, you need a spark. Or in tonight's case, a bolt. Tonight, the Lightning travel to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets. The Jackets last played Saturday and suffered an overtime loss to the Islanders. The Bolts last played Saturday and suffered a regulation loss to the Capitals. Both teams are starting back to back match ups- Columbus plays in Dallas tomorrow...
Monday Dec. 14 The Bolts headed into Columbus to take on the similarly slumping Jackets after a 2-1 regulation loss Saturday night.
The Bolts have had their share of poor luck with injuries and at some point it's expected that the luck has to play in their favor. And on multiple instances that is what they got down around their net.
5 minutes in the luck starts as we...
2013 was a big draft, with plenty of names, including Nate MacKinnon, Alex Barkov, and Seth Jones around the league; and Alex Wennberg, Kerby Rychel, and Marko Dano in Columbus. This was a great draft with plenty of first rounders making it to the NHL. Now, there are two guys that have not cracked their roster yet, and are looking for new addresses as a result. With bo...
Drouin's antics have exposed the hockey world yet again with lockout-esque humdrum in the media. Now the US vs. THEM attitude has people once against pinning PLAYERS against OWNERS.
Who is right? Who isn't? Let's take sides!
But just like the lockout, this has absolutely nothing to do with players vs. owners. It has everything to do with player agents vs. general m...
As it stands, the Florida Panthers have an 8 point lead in the Atlantic division. The Panthers have been playing great hockey and have been scoring a ton (4th most in the east, and only 2 goals back of being in second behind the Caps!). Shocking for anyone, let alone a Panthers fan. On top of that, they have the second lowest goals against thanks to a stellar season thu...
TMLBird writes...
Why a Leafs/Blackhawks Deal makes great sense - CAP SPACE
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
While I have absolutely no league sources, or ties to the Toronto Maple Leafs, this blog is written purely from a fan. Said that, It's no secret that the Leafs are in full rebuild mode. They are unloading anything and everything with an expiring contact to stockpile and hoard draft picks and prospects. Now i know a lot of fans like myself wonder, well what do the leafs re...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 63- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 63- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Today's NHL Free Game of the Day on the App.
The Jackets stay at home today to take on the Florida Panthers in an afternoon tilt. Florida is on top of the Atlantic Division, and are looking to remain there by pulling a season sweep on the Jackets. The Panthers last played on Thursday against the Arizona Coyo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 63- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 63- Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Today's NHL Free Game of the Day on the App.
The Jackets stay at home today to take on the Florida Panthers in an afternoon tilt. Florida is on top of the Atlantic Division, and are looking to remain there by pulling a season sweep on the Jackets. The Panthers last played on Thursday against the Arizona Coyo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 63- Hot Streak Continues via Comeback
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Columbus gets the win at home in what looks to have been Scott Hartnell's final game as a Blue Jackets. The game seemed to be outshined by big trades during the games, but the Jackets win 4-3 in a shootout, to avoid the season sweep.
Florida struck halfway through the first period on a goal by Alex Barkov. The goal was his 19th goal, and they got helpers by Jaromir Ja...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 69- Columbus Blue Jackets v Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Sunday | Comments 2
An early afternoon tilt for the Blue Jackets where they take on the Bolts. The Bolts appear to be a lock for the playoffs, but have lost twice to the Flyers recently. Revenge might be on their minds. The Jackets have made life for Detroit and Pittsburgh difficult, but not the Flyers.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Bonne Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky- Cam Atk...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 69- Blanked By Bolts; Tampa Sweeps Cbus
Posted Monday | Comments 1
The home stand of the Blue Jackets continues with another loss, and this time it was to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The final score of the contest was a 4-0 shutout.
Tampa Bay got their goals in the final 40 minutes, and two by the captain. Steve Stamkos' first goal came 5:25 into the second period, and it was his 30th of the season; Nikita Kucherov (player to watch) had ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Punch May Penalize Prout (But How Many Games??)
Posted Monday | Comments 2
The league is looking into an incident between Dalton Prout and Nikita Kucherov in the second period.
Midway through the second period, Ben Bishop (TBL Goalie) went behind his net to grab the puck, and CBJ captain Nick Foligno tripped him from behind leading to a scrum. Andrej Sustr and Nikita Kucherov were the first two to go after Foligno, and Prout came barreling in...
The Iceman writes...
Lack of scoring, killer instinct among what dooms Isles
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Frustrating, soul crushing, disappointing are just a few words that can be used to describe the feeling among all in Islander country after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in game 4 of this eastern conference semi-final matchup. The lightning now have a commanding 3-1 lead in this best of 7 series with a chance to close it out Sunday back in Tampa Bay. The I...
Tbuck1102 writes...
Brayden Point and Dryden Hunt; a rivalry for years to come
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Two Western Hockey League teammates that led their team in scoring this past season and their futures as NHL rivals.
Brayden Point has gained a lot of attention since being selected 79th overall in the 2014 NHL entry draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Point was called a "hidden gem" by many around the hockey community after he burst onto the prospect scene in 2013-14 wh...
According to Hockeybuzz's very own John Jaeckel, the Chicago Blackhawks were pursuing KHL star Vadim Shipachyov as a free agent. Sadly, even if it was a serious consideration for Chicago, the chance has vanished into thin air. Multiple sources reported today that Shipachyov has resigned with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Reports from habseyesontheprize.com say that talks ...
Matt Henderson wrote a great blog on how the Oilers should offer sheet Seth Jones. While there were many different opinions on the logistics of such a deal, the fact remains that there are going to be some teams with cap issues... which for the NHL really isn't anything new. In the salary cap world, every summer there are teams who have to make tough choices; and teams tha...
As I've posted at the end of many of my blogs, some friends and I do a weekly podcast on all things hockey and Oilers. One point we discussed at length was the expansion draft and how the Oilers will be affected.
A few days ago it came out that players with NMC's who are set to be UFA will have to be protected. This means that as of right now, the Oilers will have to pr...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Call For Controversy: What Is Wrong With the NHL
Posted Wednesday | Comments 2
Over the past couple of years, there have troubles around NHL players and law enforcement and court systems. Seymon Varlamov. Slava Voynov. Clayton Stoner. Sean Avery. Ian White. Aaron Ward. Dan LaCouture. Jack Johnson. Linden Vey. Mike Richards. Jarrett Stoll. Alex Galchenyuk. Devante Smith-Pelly. Garett Ross. Patrick Kane. Evander Kane. And the list continues to grow.
...
Calder Memorial "Rookie of the Year"
C Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
LW Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks)
D Shayne Gostisbehere (Philadelphia Flyers)
My Winner: McDavid.
Veznia Trophy "Best Goalie"
G Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals)
G Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning)
G Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)
My Winner: Holtby.
Frank...
Calder Memorial "Rookie of the Year"
C Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
LW Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks)
D Shayne Gostisbehere (Philadelphia Flyers)
My Winner: McDavid.
Veznia Trophy "Best Goalie"
G Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals)
G Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning)
G Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)
My Winner: Holtby.
Frank...
Trade-able Assets of Value. That is what this blog will be about. Please read on, it'll be worth it.
Okay. August is lame for us hockey fans(not me, I'm reffing AAA and Junior B tryouts). Every A-hole with a typewriter is forced to talk about a college UFA who may or may not become an NHL player that is better than a replaceable 3rd or 4th liner. If said player is ...
So where does hurler sign? he's still unsigned, and so's russell. two former flames who got traded at the deadline. but everyone's talking about Russell, so i will ask, where does hurler sign?
I think maybe Montreal.
mochoson writes...
Mock Expansion Part 1: 4th line, Depth Forwards, & Goalies
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
We still have an entire NHL season to play before next summer’s coming expansion draft. Unfortunately, we also still have quite a few weeks until even the World Cup preliminaries begin, let alone NHL hockey. At this point, you’ve more than likely read at least a handful of mock expansion drafts already. Well, guess what? Here’s another. Yes, I realize NHL rosters are...
What would you name the Las Vegas team? i like the idea of the Las Vegas ... really, i have no idea, but does anyone else have any idea of what the name would be? there is some pretty good possibilities. i'm not a big fan of the hawks or (k)nights idea, as is the something(k)nights or somethinghawks. not actually the word something, but something before knights/nights or h...
With all the players retiring this past week, I will go through who has left the game. The four players in age vary in age from the youthful age of 26 to the veteran of 39. Two were first round picks; one was undrafted. Two were forwards; two were defensemen.
Cody Hodgson announced his retirement from hockey to join the youth development and fan development programs in...
Over the past couple days, the NHL has two new captains. In Edmonton, the Oilers named Connor McDavid the captain, being the youngest player in NHL history. The Oilers also named newly acquired Milan Lucic; center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins; and winger Jordan Eberle the alternative captains. The Florida Panthers named Derek MacKenzie the captain, with defenseman Aaron Ekblad and ...
Hall Fan writes...
Long Shot but with a Real GM They Could Still Win the Cup
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I will admit when I am wrong. Larsson shows some decent heads up play. He is not a top pairing guy and maybe not even a second pairing but I like his odds of being a solid 3-4 guy in the next couple years.
Lets forget what the Oilers traded to get this guy. Point is that Larsson wasn't the answer to the Oilers problem on the blue line. Larsson and Russel might hav...
Where are all the Lightning blogs? Has every lightning fan that was once a part of this community left for another website? which one ? I want to come too! THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 21- Columbus Blue Jackets v Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets welcome the Bolts to the Nationwide Arena tonight. These two teams last played on Black Friday, and revenge might be on the mind of Tampa Bay.
The Lightning are a very explosive team, even with the loss of Steven Stamkos. The dynamic forward sustained a long term injury in a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. They are also without former Blue Jacke...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 21- Columbus Blue Jackets v Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets welcome the Bolts to the Nationwide Arena tonight. These two teams last played on Black Friday, and revenge might be on the mind of Tampa Bay.
The Lightning are a very explosive team, even with the loss of Steven Stamkos. The dynamic forward sustained a long term injury in a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. They are also without former Blue Jacke...
The Columbus Blue Jackets scored five straight goals to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning by the final score of 5-1.
In the first period, the Blue Jackets opened the scoring off a snap shot from William Karlsson. Wild Bill sniped the puck on the blocker side of Andrei Vaslievisky for the goal. For Karlsson, it was his second goal of the season. Josh Anderson and Ryan Murr...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 41: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Tampa Bay Lightning
Posted Saturday | Comments 5
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their Southern road trip with back to back matchups in Florida. First, the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tonight is a special night for the Bolts as they retire a legendary player for the franchise in Martin St. Louis. Number 26 will be raised to the rafters. The un drafted winger played most of his career with the Lightning, and wa...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 42- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Florida Panthers
Posted Saturday | Comments 2
The Blue Jackets road trip wraps up tonight with a flight to Sunrise to take on the miserable Florida Panthers.
This is the first time these two teams have meet since the firing of former head coach Gerald Gallant. The Panthers general manger Tom Rowe has been the head coach since late November/early December. They have seen Jaromir Jagr play like his age; Roberto Luon...
The theme of this post is one I’ll return to regularly -- a recap of current Sharks highlights . . . along with a lowlight or two.
So, let's jump to the former, with #1 -- Chris Tierney:
It has become evident over the past 20 games or so, that Tierney has developed and matured in poise and vision. He once clearly fit in that “bottom six forward” category (in th...
Leafs got blown uo by buffalo but not only did they lose a crucial 2 points but they lost Mr Andersen down he went with what looked like a possible neck or back injury is this the end of the buds? Sparks has been recalled ranking 3rd in the AHL with an impressive. 927 sv % can he hold the fort or will mcelhinny be the man of the hour well just havr to wait and see
Every year Scott Cullen of TSN breaks down each NHL team. The successes and failures of the season, contributions of individual players, and then lastly creates a mock roster for what the team could look like going into the next season.
In the spirit of being lighthearted I've decided to take a look at what he has suggested... and promptly rip it to shreds.
Here are ...
This is my first blog here at HockeyBuzz, so let me quickly introduce myself. I love the Leafs. I also love the game of hockey. Yes, I've played, and yes, I watch, just like many of you, but I would like to write with a style that encourages debate and discussion...if that's possible.
I believe that your opinion is only good if you can defend it, and "throwing" you...
Happy Fourth of July everyone! As Canada’s neighbors from the south celebrate our independence over the next few days, plenty of the NHL’s elite are celebrating new contracts and new places that they will call home.
In the last 24 hours alone, the Dallas Stars have signed Alexander Rudulox to a 5 year contract, Joe Thorton re-upped to the Sharks for one more year a...
As Flyers Prospect camp ended last week, we continue to look at the Flyers prospects in Part II of our series.
First, Nolan Patrick took to the ice on Monday. Well, that’s not the exciting news. The real exciting news is that the Flyers signed him to his three-year entry-level deal. He’ll earn $925,000 per season, but his contract does have bonuses. Those bonuses w...
"If you say something enough times, someone will believe you." And after tonight's performance by the Islanders in Tampa Bay it is time now that you all say to one another, "Scotty may just be right, these guys are effing good."rnrn Not only will this team win the division they will be in contention for the President's trophy.. Have you truly watched this team? To all ...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Flameout in Calgary, Canadian Media, and Panthers Alive
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 19
Flameout in Calgary, Canadian Media, and Panthers Alive and Well
Debate 1 | The Calgary Flameout
Debate 2 | Canadian Media Criticism
Debate 3 | Florida Panthers Alive and Well
Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown the Calgary Flames struggles and discuss the multitude of reasons for their drop in the standings. They...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Inside Edge Hockey News Radio Show - Episode 7 - Flames Fall
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Inside Edge Hockey News Radio Show - Episode 7 -
Flames Fallout, New Taylor Hall, and Season Ticket Drives
The Inside Edge Hockey News Brad Burud discusses the struggles this year in Calgary. Will the Flames make big off-season moves if they fail to make the playoffs. Why is Taylor Hall thriving in New Jersey? How would Regina do with a season ticket drive?
[htt...
Habsfan2017 writes...
The Incredible Sedin twins: Genetics and Hockey collide
Posted Friday | Comments 12
As a genetic counselor, I have always been fascinated with twins. When I meet twins, I love to talk to them and find out how similar and dissimilar they are. In the case of identical twins, I simply marvel at nature and how something so unique can happen. With fraternal twins, they are no different than siblings genetically, but I am amazed to sense the bond they share w...
The narrative around the Oilers off-season plans is focused on the acquisition of high end wingers and defensemen. Unfortunately the issues with the on ice talent extends much farther than the more prolific positions.
Acquiring and having cheap talent to plug and play is a practice that every NHL team incorporates. It becomes even more essential when a large amount of c...
rebel_deucer writes...
Vegas Golden Knights - The One Night Only Magic Trick?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First off, the Cinderella season for the NHL that saw many teams make an unfathomable jump with continue. New Jersey, Colorado, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vegas and some could say Washington all had way better or worse than expected seasons. The Golden Misfits as they are more appropriately branded are going to the Cup final. The question remains, was this a one night only Vegas ...
With the news that players like Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder are heading toward UFA status, I've figured now would be as good a time as any to layout my idea of a reasonable offseason plan for the Oilers to (not) follow.
The primary focuses for the Oilers should be as follows:
[b]1.) Secure significant RFAs (Nurse, Strome and Benning)
2.) Pursue cheap skill
3....
When todays trade news broke that toronto had sent Matt Martin to the Islanders for goaltender Eamon McAdam, a former 3rd round pick in 2013, I thought now would be a good time to access the leafs logjam of minor league goaltenders.
I think it is quite clear that this trade was nothing more than than a salary dump, as McAdam doesn't project as more than an ECHL goalie. ...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast - Hot Starts and Controversy
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The NHL season is one week old and its time for Brad Burud and Blake Friars to discuss what went down in week one of the season. Who is off to a hot start and who is struggling. Injuries are taking their toll on numerous teams. I think we are all in agreement when we say we are tired about hearing how great the Toronto Maple Leafs are…. we discuss. And, don’t forget th...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 17 Death Threats…C’mon People
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 17
Death Threats…C’mon People
Well the Elias Pettersson hit from Florida Panthers defenseman Michael Matheson was one thing, but death threats is way out of line. The suspension was handed down from the NHL and it was two games. Was it a little much, yes maybe, but then in the week following Matheson has now received death threats from Van...
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 44 - Seattle Joins the Party
The National Hockey League has officially announced the expansion of teams to thirty-two. Seattle will join the party for the 2021-2022 season. Brad Burud and Blake Friars give their thoughts on Seattle and talk about their odds of success and the hurdles that they will face. They then move topics to ...
royalgardens writes...
Memo to Babcock/Dubas: Current Leafs Team Needs Shakeup
Posted Saturday | Comments 12
[b]Leafs are A Mess! A Shakeup Is Needed![/b]
Since the Toronto Maple Leafs finally were able to sign William Nylander to a deal, this club has instantly turned into a mess. A bad mess; whereas before the Nylander signing things were a good mess.
[b]Both Auston Matthews and William Nylander Hurting the Team, Nowhere Near 100%[/b]
I think the deal for Nylander is f...
I'm not a hockey insider. I'm a fan. I don't understand or pay attention to the advanced analytical stats. I watch/play hockey for fun and enjoy it for what it is, a sport (but I am not naive that it is a business too). rnrnNHL '94 may be the greatest sports game ever created. rnrnIt is unbelievable that there has not been a CBJ blog on here since October of last year. rnr...
Toronto Boston was supposed to be the talked-about series the next day... was among fans of those teams, I'm certain, but much of the talk was amount the Sharks' 5 minute power play after their captain hit their head on the ice.
I let this slide: I always thought passively that it was the right call, but on the wrong player, so whatever. Vegas is the team that couldn...
Last week George Malik posted an entry regarding Magnus Paajarvi. http://themalikreport.com/2019/08/30/three-things-on-prospect-tournament-rosters-magnus-paajarvi-and-kraft-hockeyville-done-well/ Gunnar Svensson, Magnus’s father and Henrik Zetterburgh’s former agent, tweeted that an invitation of some kind had been extended. Paajarvi is big, can chip in 1o goals or so...
Frank Seravalli wrote a good piece regarding the NHLPA potential opt out of the current CBA https://www.tsn.ca/nhlpa-weighing-risks-of-poking-the-bear-1.1360531 It reads pretty much as I expected. Escrow is the thorn in the players side. 12.5% of paychecks gone back to the league. It’s a bizarre groupon that the league owners managed to acquire with the revenue split of...
The recent firing of Mike Babcock was celebrated in some circles and by certain players. It is always unfortunate when anyone loses their job; even if Babcock will be paid millions of dollars post firing - something most of us would never have the luxury of. “Keep Grinding” Babcock had his faults but also had his tried and tested methods. Example: his 17 minute to the...
MaximumBone writes...
The Problem With Oscar Klefbom (Don't Trade Darnell Nurse)
Posted Thursday | Comments 31
I'm gonna come right outta the gate and say what qualifies as sacrilege within the Oilers community: Darnell Nurse is the Oilers' best Dman and attempts to trade him under the pretense that his minutes could be replaced by Klefbom aren't just wrong, they're blind to statistically observable reality. I guess I should actually get to the evidence before asserting things so s...
In an extremely tight playoff race, the Canucks have managed to find themselves atop the Pacific division with a very unsettling three point lead. The young Canadian team finds themselves with 65 points, followed closely by the Oilers, Knights, Flames, and Coyotes who are all within 5 points of the Canucks. With five teams battling to win the Pacific division, none of t...
After tonight, there is no reason why the Sharks could not make a push into the playoffs. Sure, the division has many competitive teams, but none are taking control of their destiny. The Canucks lost to an outdated Minnesota roster, and to make things worse, Pettersson missed the game due to a lower body injury. Jay Beagle and Jake Virtanen were injured as well, but cam...
The Calgary Flames marched into Tampa Bay looking to rebound from a disappointing loss to the Nashville Predators a few nights ago. A game in which while they weren’t awful, they weren’t good enough to win. They had some good looks, but with .1 seconds left let the Predators tied up the game. Overtime they went, and the Flames dropped the game. Perhaps they deserved a ...
The Bubble Cup Tournament has crowned our 2020 Stanley Cup Champions during the crazy coronavirus pandemic. The winner has been the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts winning has shown the best team can win the sport's true prize.
Tampa was part of the round robin for conference seeding with Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington. The fallen foe Dallas Stars dealt with St. L...
Additions/Subtractions
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
+C Grant, RD Shattenkirk, RD Welinski, C Lettieri
-- D Irwin, RW Sherwood, RW Sherwood, RD Gubdransson, G Boyle
Arizona Coyotes
+ GM Armstrong, C Hunt, LW Larsson, C Hayden, RW Pitlick, C Brassard,
-- 2020 2nd (sanctioned), 2021 1st (sanctioned), GM Chayka, RW Hinistroza, C Richardson, LW Hall, C Stepan
Boston Bruin...
As the 2021 regular season comes to a close, the Columbus Blue Jackets are missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-2016 season. John Tortorella has been at the center of attention in Columbus since his rough skid in Vancouver with the Canucks organization, having the reputation of being an American-born leader and loudmouth in the same breath. Tortorella is ...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 DFS Review
Game 1 didn’t go exactly as planned, but that’s the way it goes in DFS. Hopefully some of you fared better than I did. Let’s review the strategies and plan to make some adjustments for game 2 tonight.
What did we want to happen: After going through all the games for both the Canadiens and the Lightning we determined that thi...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 Draftkings Review
The Lightning survived an early onslaught from the Canadiens and made the most of their opportunities to go up 2-0 in the series with a 3-1 win in Game 2. Tampa got goals from their not so usual suspects, Cirelli, Coleman and Palat tallied a goal a piece. Suzuki scored a power play goal for the Canadiens. Vasilevskiy was pheno...
Stanley Cup Game 3 Draftkings Preview
So far we’ve been middle of the road with our strategies but that’s how GPP strategies go, with a need to balance optimal production with slight differential in our lineups because when we win we want to get paid out and not split the top prize 10 ways. Also just to touch on some contest selection decisions, make sure whatever c...
Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 Draftkings Preview
All right everyone I hope you can forgive my absence for game 4, a very hectic pre-planned family vacation had me very busy. I hope all of you enjoyed the holiday weekend and got to spend time with friends and family. Well the Habs showed up desperate and determined not to let the Lightning celebrate with Lord Stanley’s C...
If there is one thing that adds some excitement to the NHL season, it would be fantasy hockey. Going head to head against friends, colleagues, family and random hockey minds across the globe is certainly something that brings me joy. It always helps to add to the excitement by being successful and taking care of business week in, week out and eventually claiming the top ...
After getting sick and tired with fed up with being sick and tired of reading essentially the same detailed analyses of the same potential coaching candidates for the number of openings, I decided to through in my wide-brimmed extra shade sun hat into the rink. I’m going to suggest a different head coaching candidate. This former NHL player (1000+ games played) coached...
Today we are able to reflect on the closest three peat in decades, not to mention my lifetime. It is easy to wonder what would have happened if perhaps Point hadn't torn his quad or perhaps we squeezed out game 1, but the offseason is here and now we look down the road at signings, trades, draft picks to be made and the hopeful attempt to make it to a fi...
So, it has come to this : some rando forum member writing Lightning blogs because HB refuses to have an official Lightning team blogger. My name is Mike G., but let's roll with "Galactic Stone" for now.
Some quick background on your new blogger : I am 52 years old, married for 23 years to my wife Tina, and when I am not watching/posting about hockey, I am a full-time m...